“Don’t know. Sad to say, no news is good news in my business.”

She let out a breath. “I understand.” Darla took his hand and led him toward the stairs. “Come on, darlin’. Let’s get you packed.”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Eggie didn’t return home again for four months. He’d been worried it would be five, but they had finally cut him loose for at least a month of leave. More likely two, though he didn’t know if they’d been planning that or if it was because Eggie had mauled a full-human superior officer the other day when the man had gotten on his nerves. The human was still alive and believed himself to have been attacked by someone’s loose attack dog, but still . . . it was a definite sign to the shifter officers who ran his platoon that Eggie needed to go home.

The problem was, though, that when Eggie walked into his little house, he found it empty. He didn’t expect a note or anything because Darla’d had no idea when he’d be home. But it had been four months with only a few calls between them. He needed to see his mate.

Eggie went upstairs, showered, and changed his clothes. He stopped first at his momma’s and checked in with her, barely spoke to his daddy, and then had headed over to Frankie and Roberta’s house—he would have gone to Bubba and Janie Mae’s but he had no idea if they were together this week or broken up—and asked about Darla.

It turned out she’d gone back to her father’s house for a few weeks. The pie business had taken off and while Francine and Roberta were arranging a storefront in town right on Main Street, Darla had headed off to get them seed money. Apparently his father had offered her money but she’d very sweetly but firmly turned him down. Eggie had never told Darla what his father had done but maybe she’d done that thing of hers . . . looking deep into his soul or whatever it was. No matter the reason, though, she’d said no and now was trying to raise funds on her own. Of course if anyone could do it, it was Darla Mae.

Using his recently repaired Plymouth GTX—Eggie guessed Darla and her sisters were still racing against those She-lions since that probably brought in some cash—he headed to Smithville, North Carolina. He went right to Darla’s father’s house but Mr. Lewis and his sons ordered Eggie off their territory, saying that Darla didn’t want to see Eggie.

Eggie didn’t really believe them, but he left anyway, not wanting to fight Darla’s kin. Yet he came back every night as wolf, stood outside the house, and he howled. He howled and howled until her father and brothers came out and ran him off again.

Well, his nights could be worse.

Darla had slept the afternoon away after arriving from San Francisco on the late flight she’d caught. It hadn’t been as hard as she’d thought it would be: Darla had raised the money for the shop sheand her sisters were going to open in Smithtown. She’d had a list of people to ask but it had been Mr. Van Holtz who’d given her the majority of the money. It was a loan and she expected to be able to pay him back in the next couple of years if everything went as well as it had been going the last few months. Plus she got a little extra cash from other contacts she’d made over the years.

Mr. Van Holtz had been very happy about all this for Darla, but he’d also been disappointed that she’d never be coming back to work at the restaurant. Apparently the newest pastry chef assistant was not working out and was the fifth one in five months. Darla had felt bad for him but when she saw the head pastry chef yelling at the new assistant, she remembered what she wouldn’t miss about this job . . . dealing with a talented but mean chef on a daily basis.

Grinning, she came into her father’s living room and kissed him on the top of the head. “Hello, Daddy.”

“Hello, sweetheart. You sleep all right?”

“Yes, I did.”

“I’m glad you’re home.”

“Yeah, me, too.” Darla knew she could have gone straight back to Smithtown after her meetings in San Francisco, but go home to what? An empty house and a list of pie orders to fill? No. That didn’t sound like fun. So she’d headed to her family’s territory first. But she wouldn’t be able to stay too long. Janie would be having her baby any day and Darla felt she should be there to help out. At the moment, her sister wasn’t making any friends who’d be willing to help except the newest mate of one of the Smithtown-local Reed boys. But Lord that particular She-wolf was annoying, so yeah, Darla should be there.

“Where’s Momma?”

“Over at her sister’s house.”

“Okay.” She felt bad that she was relieved at the news, but her mother had been riding Darla since she’d found out that Eggie had marked her youngest, and it didn’t seem to be something that would end soon. Her mother thought Darla could have done better—and that she should still try.

Yet Darla knew she’d done better than she could have hoped for.

Besides, life with Eggie would be hard enough with him being gone for such long periods of time that the last thing she needed to hear was her mother going on and on about all the other eligible bachelors around town. But Eggie’s time away was a price Darla was willing to pay to have Eggie Smith as her mate. He was worth it. And, she reminded herself yet again, it wouldn’t be forever. He has to retire from the Marines eventually.

“Want me to make dinner, Daddy?”

“I thought I’d take y’all out tonight,” her father offered. “Your mother will meet us at the restaurant.”