“Not sure what to make of that,” Joe commented as he shut down the jet. “I thought they’d have more done by now, based on my earlier phone call.”
“Maybe they ran into a snag?” Enid offered, peering out at her plane, the engine of which was in pieces. She looked about as skeptical as Joe felt as they shut things down and exited the jet. Their first stop was the smaller plane Enid had come to Big Wolf in. Gilbert, one of the Pack’s top mechanics, was waiting for them.
“Good to have you back, Joe,” Gilbert said, offering his hand in a friendly shake. Joe returned the gesture, glad to have the trust of a wolf like Gilbert, who was steady and strong. Part of the perfect backbone of a powerful Pack.
“Good to be back. What’s the story with the Cessna?” Joe asked. “Gilbert, this is Enid, the owner. She’s also priestess to a small wolf Pack in Louisiana, so you can speak freely around her.”
“Ma’am.” Gilbert nodded politely to Enid. “We ran into trouble with a part. If you look here, you can see this little pump just about tore itself apart. At some point, they replaced the original part with this aftermarket one, which is inferior. I don’t have this part in stock, but I figured it wouldn’t be too hard to get delivered. Only problem is, my supplier said it’ll be tomorrow at the earliest because he sold his last one just the other day. I’m sorry, but I can’t seem to find another one that can get here any faster.”
Gilbert had handed the part in question to Enid, and as Joe looked over her shoulder, he could see the way the smaller pieces inside had worn away, breaking off in some locations. It looked bad. Way worse than he’d expected.
“I’m surprised the engine didn’t just quit on you before you landed,” Joe said, whistling between his teeth.
“It was sputtering. A lot,” Enid said, her expression tight. “If I ever wanted proof that prayer can work miracles, I think I’m holding it in my hands, right now.” She chuckled and handed the part back to Gilbert. “Of course, I think I could’ve coasted to some kind of landing if I had to, though the weather would have made it interesting.”
Joe barked a laugh at her understatement. He’d seen the crosswinds she’d been facing. Without power to the engine, she would have been blown all over the map.
“You might’ve landed in a field somewhere, but you wouldn’t have made it onto this runway,” he countered. “The Mother of All was definitely looking out for you.”
“You can say that again,” Gilbert put in.
Enid just smiled serenely. “I always like to think She looks out for those of us sworn to serve Her.”
“Seeing this,” Gilbert said, raising the part in one beefy hand, “I believe it.”
“So, it looks like you’re staying overnight, at least,” Joe said, looking at Enid. “Come on, I’ll set you up. You’ll need some clothes and a place to stay. I can help you on both counts.”
“I don’t want to be a bother,” Enid said quietly. “Thanks for looking after my ride,” Enid told to Gilbert before she followed Joe out of the hangar. Gilbert just nodded and turned back to his work.
Joe went around the side of the hangar to where a couple of pickup trucks were parked. He opened the passenger door on one and gestured for Enid to climb up into the cab. He didn’t want to acknowledge the little inner cheer his wolf had given when he’d heard that Enid would have to stay another day. More importantly, another night.
There was no question in his mind that he’d ask Enid to stay with him. He didn’t want to send her to a hotel, though the fact that he still had a pup living at home was a bit of a problem. Not that Kevin wasn’t old enough to understand about sex. Far from it. He was getting to the age where he was entertaining females from time to time, himself, though never at home. Most often, young wolves frolicked in the woods. Taking someone home meant things were more serious, and none of the youngsters wanted to pair off exclusively at their age. Not unless they were freakishly fortunate to find their mates incredibly early.
As far as Joe knew, none of the youngsters were showing signs of having mated, so they were still in the experimental stage when it came to the opposite sex. That being said, Kevin had never had to deal with his father bringing another woman home, and Joe wasn’t sure how he would react. Which put Joe in a strange position.
He wanted, with all his heart, to have another night of bliss with Enid, if she was willing, of course. By the same token, he didn’t want his son to be shocked or made uncomfortable by his father’s actions. It was tricky. The question had never come up before because Joe hadn’t wanted to be with anyone else since Tess had died.
Enid had changed all that, for some reason Joe still couldn’t comprehend. He hadn’t wanted to be with any of the others who had offered comfort over the years. Just Enid. Only Enid.
What that meant, Joe couldn’t fathom.
Chapter Seven
Enid didn’t know where Joe was taking her. He’d been quiet since they’d left the airport grounds and started heading toward town. He was thinking. She could feel it. His gaze was intense on the road, and his eyes were narrowed in thought.
“Is the town very big?” Enid asked, not sure how to break the ice.
“Growing every day,” Joe replied, blinking out of his reverie. “Just the way I like it.”
“Are you building an empire?” she asked, half joking.
“Something like that,” Joe agreed. “I just want the Pack to be strong. The way things are going in the world today, we need to stick together. There’s strength in numbers.”
Enid nodded. “I agree. Which is part of why I think Henri and Lucinda should try to ally with a bigger group. They’re good people, but their Pack is new and small. They need the guidance of an older, wiser Alpha.”
Joe looked over at her, one eyebrow raised. “Are you going to counsel them in favor of an alliance with me?”
Enid decided on candidness. “I am. I think you could really help Henri learn how to be an even better Alpha. He’s got the basics. He just needs time and experience. A good role model can only help.”
Joe straightened in his seat a bit. “I’m glad you think I’d be a good role model, but how can you be sure? We’ve only known each other less than a day.”
She tilted her head as she looked at him. “I like to think I’m a good judge of character. Plus, there’s just something about you, Joe… I can’t put a finger on exactly what it is. Just…something.”
“I know what you mean,” he replied in a gruff tone that sent little tingles down her spine.
It reminded her of the way he’d growled as he’d made love to her and the little nips of pleasure he’d given her throughout. She’d never made love to a shifter before, so she didn’t know if that was something they all did, but whatever it was, it had turned her on like she’d never been turned on before. Joe’s lovemaking ranked right up there as epic on her personal scale. Of course, she hadn’t been with all that many men, but each had held a special place in her memory and on the pleasure scale that Joe had blown to bits last night.
If she was going to be stuck in his town overnight, she wondered if Joe wouldn’t mind a little repeat of the passion they’d shared the night before. She was certainly up for it, if he was.