Dean checked the book on the desk. “Yeah, Monty will be out tomorrow. A business group he’s taking out on the boat. The Johnson party. They’re regulars, so it should be an easy one.”
“Lucky bastard. He’s a real pain in my ass, you know that?”
Dean laughed. “You’re just pissed because Sophie seems to like him but your wannabe girlfriend won’t give you the time of day.” When Grady tried to deny it, Dean cut him off. “Look, I have eyes. I see how you look at her. Hell, we all know you’re not joking around. Well, all of us but Gabby.”
“What can I do?” he moaned and shook his head. “Aside from asking her to fuck my brains out, I don’t know how to get her attention.”
“Well, that would surely get mine,” a husky voice said as a Shifter he hadn’t seen in years stopped in the doorway.
Grady stood, surprised and not a little wary. “Stacey Bermin?”
“In the flesh, sugar,” the cougar purred as she walked into the room like she owned it. On her tail came her sisters, Joy, Melissa and Amy. All in all, a welcome visit from sexy cats he knew and liked. Except if the women were here, their brother wasn’t far behind.
“Please tell me you finally saw the light and ditched that asshole you call family.”
“No such luck, Grady.” Miles Bermin strode into the room and glanced around, a polite smile on his face. “This is what you do for a living? How…quaint.”
“Day-um, Miles. What a fancy word for nifty.” Dean played the fool to a science when this idiot came to town, which thankfully wasn’t that often.
Joy, Melissa and Amy coughed to hide their laughter, but Stacey sniffed in disdain. A carbon copy of her brother, she thought everyone not a Bermin was someone to be pitied.
“Let me guess. You’re slumming and you decided to grace us with your presence,” Grady said sarcastically.
Amy sighed and her sisters exchange worried looks.
“What’s wrong?” Dean’s hick accent disappeared. “I smell worry.”
“It’s not a big deal.” Yet Miles frowned. Normally nothing impacted his perfect little world.
“Spill it, Vermin.” Direct hit. Miles’s old nickname still annoyed the shit out of him, and Grady wasn’t too proud to use what had once worked in grade school.
Miles clenched his jaw. “We left the pride.”
“What? Why?”
Stacey answered. “I’ll tell you why. Because a bunch of rogue Ac-taw came in and started demanding special favors.”
Dean sighed. “Being nice isn’t exactly a favor, Stacey. It’s called common courtesy.”
She glared at him. “Look, you overgrown hick, being told you have to spread your legs and keep your mouth shut while the new pride leader has his way with you exceeds common courtesy by a country mile.”
“Did he hurt you?” Dean growled.
Stacey blinked at the menace coming off Dean in waves. “N-no. Miles took care of him. But we weren’t willing to hang around and find out what else he—”
“You’ve said enough, Stacey,” Miles interrupted, his voice like ice. “The Chastells don’t care about our problems.” He turned to Grady. “We just thought we’d stop for a visit on our way to Oregon. We have some family out there we’re thinking of joining.”
Grady noticed the unhappy expressions on the females’ faces. He wanted to know what the hell had really happened down South, but he’d wait until later to confront Miles, once the females had settled. “I’ll call Rachel and let her know to expect five more for dinner.”
Melissa smiled. “Thanks, Grady.”
“That’s awful nice of you,” Amy said softly. Joy nodded.
Even Stacey gave him a warm nod of thanks.
Four sexy females. Four cats. The answer to his celibate existence, and he still couldn’t stop thinking about Gabby. He forced a smile and tried to find his cell phone.
A few hours later, as he and the rest of the pride sat around the long dining table in the main house to eat a late dinner with their guests, he came to the realization he’d lost his fucking mind. Inviting the Bermins—inviting Miles—had been a huge mistake.
If the bastard touched Gabby one more time, Grady wouldn’t be responsible for his actions. Why the hell couldn’t they have seated Miles between Joel and Monty? Just as the idiot leaned closer to Gabby to ask her to pass another dish, Rachel grabbed Grady’s arm and forcibly tugged him from the table. He thought about pulling away, but annoying his brother’s mate—a breeding feline at that—might get him seriously hurt. It wouldn’t score him any points with Gabby either.
He had to clear his throat so as not to hiss in Miles’s direction. “Yes?”
She dragged him several steps before she answered. “I need your help for a minute.” She waved Burke back. “I’m fine, honey. I just need an extra set of hands to carry something I forgot.” Once in the kitchen, she turned on the faucet and pulled him with her right by the sink. Even for Rachel, this was odd.
“Ah, Rach? You okay?” He glanced at her barely rounded belly. “The kitten giving you problems?”
Rachel tugged him close by the ear, ignoring his small yelp, and whispered harshly, “Your brother is driving me crazy with his constant worry. I don’t need your shit too. What’s wrong with you? You’ve been giving Miles dirty looks all through dinner. Cut it out.”
She let him go and he rubbed his ear, annoyed but knowing better than to take it out on his sister-in-law.
“I don’t like Miles. Never have. He’s an arrogant prick—ah, jerk.”
“He’s in trouble. He and his sisters need our help.”
Grady counted to ten in his head. “I know.”
“So stop being such a jerk yourself and help him. Burke’s so clingy lately it’s giving me fits, so he’s not going to be much use. Joel and Maggie are going on a trip to Florida for a few days to get away. We’ll make sure Dean and Monty are occupied in Whitefish with the tours next week. It seems to me helping Miles—who will be staying here at the ranch—will give you an excuse to be near Gabby.”
He blinked. He hadn’t expected Rachel’s help. “Thanks?”
“Sure. But if I could give you some advice? If you’re serious about her, don’t let her see you dance again. And don’t wear a hat or bow tie. Not a great look on you, Grady.” She shook her head, grabbed the pot of leftover vegetables sitting on the stove and left him standing by the sink.
Grady took a moment, turned off the water and walked back in a much calmer cat.
He did his best not to react to Miles. The way the bastard flirted with Gabby, complimented her sister and flat-out impressed Rachel with his knowledge of totems and antiques was enough to drive him insane. He deliberately turned to Stacey.
She toyed with the food on her plate, sneaking glances around the table. No doubt making snide remarks to herself about the hillbilly Chastells. The woman was a beauty, but such a cold thing. Not like Gabby, who could warm a room just by smiling.
“You okay, Stace?”
“It’s Stacey, with an E-Y. And no, I’m not.”
“What exactly did they do to you down there?” He thought he’d kept his voice low enough, but the entire table quieted.
“Time to share with the rest of the pride what’s been going on, Miles.” Burke and Rachel shared a glance. “We don’t run things like the Florida pride. We’re family here, all of us. The wolf, the bears, the foxes and the rest of us.”
“Rest of us superior cats,” Dean tacked on.
Monty’s lip curled. “You wish.”
“Well said,” Joel, the lone bear, added. His wife, Maggie, laughed.
Stacey and her sisters glanced at each other with worry.
Miles folded his napkin. “I do appreciate you letting us eat before delving into the unpleasantness.”