Free Healing Her Wolf: Paranormal Werewolf Romance by Zoe Chant Page A

cartwheel inside of her. “No,” she immediately said. “No, I need time to think first. What did he say to you?”
    “When he realized he had basically ignored your side of things? Called himself an idiot.”
    She had to smile. “He is.”
    “That’s what I said.”
    She turned around on the chair to look out the window. “And then what?”
    “I told him I’d ask you if you were willing to talk to him if he stays around for a few days. I was gonna call you tonight, but I guess Konrad’s not the only one feeling like an idiot.”
    “I’m not an idiot,” she muttered, flushing. “I was being sensible.” Maybe a little too sensible. And rash.
    “I think Konrad can use someone who’s sensible, don’t you?” Tyler told her. “I’m not saying you should run off with him tomorrow, but give him a chance to apologize, at least. Finding your mate is weird for a shifter, too.”
    “I guess.”
    “So,” Tyler said, his tone more cheerful, “what do I tell him?”
    She tilted her head back, looking at the ceiling. “Tell him he can come over for dinner at seven. Depending on how our talk goes, it might become a date.” She definitely wanted it to be a date, but she also wanted to make Konrad sweat a little.
    “Seven it is,” Tyler told her. “And try not to over-think it too much, will you? Go with what your gut tells you. Also, just so you know, this is gonna be the last time you can use me as Cupid, okay? Sort out your own problems or leave me out of it.”
    She laughed. It was ridiculous, having Tyler as a go-between like this. “I will,” she promised. “And tell Konrad to be on time.”
    They exchanged goodbyes, and Maddy hung up. Her stomach went back to doing cartwheels.
    She had a date tonight.
     
    *
     
    “Pizza?” Konrad asked, surprised. When Tyler had told him about Maddy’s peace offering, he’d been over the moon. Dinner had been more than he had hoped for after their fight that morning, but shoving two pizzas in the oven didn’t give him a lot of confidence that Maddy was interested in making this a date.
    She clearly sensed his disappointment, and gave him a smile. “Things got a little busy this afternoon, so I haven’t had the time,” she admitted. “Mrs. Campbell came to pick up her Chihuahua and stayed for a little chat. On the bright side, I am now fully caught up on the town gossip.”
    To be fair, it wasn’t like he had been able to make much of an effort for this potential-date either, since he was wearing a pair of jeans and a shirt, but he had brought her some flowers, and he figured that had to count for something. “And by ‘little’ you mean?”
    “Nearly an hour,” Maddy said, arranging the flowers in a vase. She was wearing different clothes from last night, the t-shirt more fitted than the loose hoodie.
    Konrad tried not to think of the body underneath those clothes. He was here to discuss things with Maddy, and he told himself firmly not to have any further expectations. “Wow. That’s — that’s kinda impressive.”
    She shrugged. “She’s had a lot of practice.” Then she smiled at him. “So, ham and pineapple is okay for you?”
    He nodded. “Yeah.” He wandered over to the kitchen table to sit down, feeling incredibly awkward. Things had gone so well between them, talking to her had been so easy this morning, and now he wasn’t sure what to say. “So.”
    “They should be done in about ten minutes,” she replied. “Do you want something to drink? Beer? Coffee?”
    He wasn’t going to touch alcohol tonight. “A water for now, thanks.”
    She moved around the kitchen, nearly brushing against his shoulder as she did. Her scent made his mouth water more than the smell of the pizza, and he curled his fingers into a fist, his nails digging into the palm of his hand.
    There was a flowery undertone to her scent now, one that hadn’t been there this morning. And was that a hint of coconut? “You showered.”
    She turned to look at him, her