The boy swallowed at that sneer and took a step back. But the woman with him stepped around and threw herself into Eggie’s arms. “Daddy.”

“Hey, Sugar Bug.”

Eggie hugged his only daughter tight while he eyed the Van Holtz wolf standing on the other side of her.

Dee-Ann pulled away from Eggie and looked at the boy, waiting for him to say something.

Clearing his throat, the boy stepped forward, held out his hand. “Mr. Smith. It’s good to see you again.”

Eggie looked down at that hand and then, slowly, looked back at the boy. He saw the color drain from his already pale face. Yankee who never saw the sun was the problem there.

A squeal from the porch and Darla Mae came rushing down. She’d filled out a bit over the years, but it worked for her. Gave Eggie even more to love—although she claimed she hated when he said that.

Arms wide, Darla reached up and hugged their daughter. She favored her mother in the face, but she had Eggie’s eyes. Whether wolf or human, her eyes were cold and yellow and deadly. Sometimes, when she’d come to visit, the two of them would go to the mall, get a couple of chocolate shakes, sit around, and just stare at people. Taking bets on who they could get to piss their pants with nothing more than a look. It was something they’d been doing since his little girl was about five or so. It was also something they never told her momma about.

“Oh, my baby girl,” Darla cheered. “I’m so glad you’re home!”

“Me, too, Momma. You all right?”

“I’m just fine, Sugar Bug. Even better now that you’re home.” She stepped back and Darla, as always when first seeing her daughter, had to wipe tears away.

“Momma, don’t cry.”

“I’ll cry if I want to, Dee-Ann Smith.” She lightly tapped Dee-Ann aside and smiled at the boy.

“Ulrich Van Holtz.” Darla threw her arms open. “Come on over here, darlin’ boy.”

Smiling—probably because he was relieved—the boy willingly went to Darla and hugged her.

Eggie’s eyes narrowed and he started to bare his fangs. But he stopped when Dee-Ann’s elbow tapped his ribs.

“Daddy.” And she sounded just like her momma when she said it that way.

Darla finally pulled away from what Eggie still considered an enemy wolf and smiled happily at the pair. “I’m so glad you’re both here.”

“Sorry we’re late, Miss Darla,” the boy said. “We stopped by the store to pick up a few things.”

“Ulrich Van Holtz, are you going to make me one of your fancy dinners?”

“I sure am. Especially if you make me that pecan pie of yours.”

“Already baking in the oven.” She motioned to the house. “You go in there and get comfortable. Your room is all ready, so if you want to restfirst—”

“Oh, no, ma’am. I’m ready to cook.”

“Great. Then get going.”

The boy turned to grab the bags out of the backseat of the car but he stopped and stared at Eggie since Eggie was standing in front of the door.

“Uh . . . excuse me, sir.”

Eggie stared a little longer, just a few seconds, before he stepped out of the way. The boy grabbed several bags and Dee-Ann grabbed the last two. Before she stepped away, she kissed her father on the cheek.

“Lord, I missed you, Daddy.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “You never fail to entertain.”

Eggie winked at his little girl—all six feet and two inches of her—and watched her and that worthless Van Holtz head into their house. Tomorrow Eggie would go hunting with his little girl. They’d spend the day roaming the hills of the town he loved while Darla entertained the boy with food shopping and visiting with the rest of the Lewis sisters at the pie shop.

Once the young pair were inside the house, Darla slapped his arm. “I thought I told you to be nice to him!”

“I didn’t shoot at him this time.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Thought that was an accident.”

“Oh. Yeah. Sure.”

Darla rolled her eyes and started to walk away, but Eggie pulled her back. “Mange.”

She gasped and whispered, “That boy does not have mange! Stop saying that.”

“Distemper, then. He’s got that Van Holtz Distemper Strain. CDT.”

“Egbert Ray Smith, the only temper you need to worry about right now is mine.”

“You gettin’ cranky, Darla Mae?”

“Egbert Ray.”

He walked her back until he had her pinned against the car, and he kept her there by putting his arms on either side of her. “You’re not really mad at me, are you, Darla Mae?”

“Furious.”

“Guess I’ll have to make it up to you then.”

“Not here you won’t!” she giggled, putting her hands on his chest and trying to push him back. Although she wasn’t trying very hard. “Just stop picking on poor Ulrich.”

“He’s with my Sugar Bug—”

“Ridiculous nickname.” That she used just as much as Eggie.

“—and I can’t let him off easy.”

“But he likes you so much.”

“Darla Mae.”

“All right. I think he wants to like you, but you make it impossible.”

“Not sure he’s right for my little girl is all.”

Darla pressed her hand against Eggie’s cheek. “Trust me when I say . . . there is no wolf on this planet more perfect for your daughter. At least not one that can actually shift to human.”