The Mane Attraction
Page 40
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He didnt answer and instead asked, Who are the alley cats?
Some boys we met when I was on vacation in Smithville. You ever been there?
No. Ive heard about it, though. Its supposed to be fun.
If you like fighting bears and tigers and hyenas for your zebra dinner, its a blast. I love going there, but I havent been in a while.
Is it true they have seals there?
Sissy shrugged. Yeah. She lowered her voice. Only during the winter, though. Theyre for the polar bears. They just sit by this saltwater lake and wait for those seals to come close enough.
You have moral issues with that, dont you?
At least my dinners can run fast.
Mitch turned a few more pages. UhSissy?
Hhhmm?
Why are most of the pictures in this section missing half?
Oh, yeah. That.
Mitch chuckled. Ex-boyfriend?
Yup. My first boyfriend. Actuallymy only boyfriend. The males Ive been with since I would never call boyfriends.
Bad breakup?
Something like that. She rubbed her forehead and yawned. What about you? Did you have a girlfriend back when you were sixteen?
Yup. A She-wolf. SeeIm the United Nations of the shifter world. Willing to take all comers.
A She-wolf, huh? Do I remind you of her?
No. Mitch flipped through a few more pages. She was really nice. Sissy slammed her fist into his left shoulder. Ow! What was that for?
Are you saying Im not nice?
Mitch chuckled. Thats not what I meant. No, you dont remind me of her, and she was really nice. Not that you dont remind me of her because she was really nice.
That better be what you meant. Sissy rested her chin on her raised knees. What happened to her?
She dumped me for a tiger with a Mustang.
I can say that Ive never dumped a man over a car. I have, however, gotten shot at over a car.
That somehow does not surprise me. He looked around her room. You do have a thing about muscle cars, Sissy.
Yeah, I do. Me and Ronnie Lee used to rebuild them. We havent in ages.
Were you good?
Yeah. She studied him for a moment, briefly debating with herself. Eh. What the hell? I can take you to see one tomorrow. Its over at my brothers house. Sammys house. She wouldnt trust any of the others to hold on to something so important to her.
Id love to. I never get tired of cars.
Good. Well do that after we go hunting in the morning.
You mean after you go hunting in the morning.
Youre coming with me. Well hunt down a hog for breakfast. Itll be fun.
It doesnt sound like fun. It sounds like Im working for my meal. How is that fair? He touched his wounded shoulder and gave her big cat eyes. He looked like one of those velvet paintings. Painful.
Itll be more painful if you dont start pulling your weight around here, hoss. Besides, you need the exercise to get your strength back.
Youre not taking very good care of me.
Have I put a pillow over your head while youve slept?
Uhno.
Have I thrown anything heavy and deadly at you?
No.
Then Ive taken care of you.
Nice. He flipped through a few more pages, but she could see he was fighting to stay awake. Good. The more he slept, the better hed get. Can I ask you a strange question?
No, I wont have sex with you in my childhood bed.
Mitch chuckled. Thats not a problem. Im more a take you up against the wall kind of guy anyway. And she almost swallowed her tongue. But thats not my question.
So ask.
Why does this house have so many doors? Youve got one in the family room, the kitchen, the living room, and the one behind the stairs.
Revenuers, she said simply.
Mitch frowned. Revenuers?
Yeah. Thats what my granddaddy called them. He built this house, and he wanted to be able to run when he had to run. Bobby Ray never told you?
Told me what?
Darlin, the Smith empire
Empire?
is built on moonshine money. Many doors mean many exits. And Granddaddy did like his exits. If he didnt like somebodyand I mean, you could be the queen of Englandthe man would just get up and walk out.
Mitch examined the walls again. That explains the car fetish.
Yup. In this family, youre born knowing two things. How to rebuild a carburetor and how to outrun the revenuers.
Built into your DNA strain, is it?
Yup. The Shiner strain, they call it.
Sissy took the photo album from his hands. Well look at the rest tomorrow.
Any nude pictures? Maybe you and Ronnie and some oil?
Some boys we met when I was on vacation in Smithville. You ever been there?
No. Ive heard about it, though. Its supposed to be fun.
If you like fighting bears and tigers and hyenas for your zebra dinner, its a blast. I love going there, but I havent been in a while.
Is it true they have seals there?
Sissy shrugged. Yeah. She lowered her voice. Only during the winter, though. Theyre for the polar bears. They just sit by this saltwater lake and wait for those seals to come close enough.
You have moral issues with that, dont you?
At least my dinners can run fast.
Mitch turned a few more pages. UhSissy?
Hhhmm?
Why are most of the pictures in this section missing half?
Oh, yeah. That.
Mitch chuckled. Ex-boyfriend?
Yup. My first boyfriend. Actuallymy only boyfriend. The males Ive been with since I would never call boyfriends.
Bad breakup?
Something like that. She rubbed her forehead and yawned. What about you? Did you have a girlfriend back when you were sixteen?
Yup. A She-wolf. SeeIm the United Nations of the shifter world. Willing to take all comers.
A She-wolf, huh? Do I remind you of her?
No. Mitch flipped through a few more pages. She was really nice. Sissy slammed her fist into his left shoulder. Ow! What was that for?
Are you saying Im not nice?
Mitch chuckled. Thats not what I meant. No, you dont remind me of her, and she was really nice. Not that you dont remind me of her because she was really nice.
That better be what you meant. Sissy rested her chin on her raised knees. What happened to her?
She dumped me for a tiger with a Mustang.
I can say that Ive never dumped a man over a car. I have, however, gotten shot at over a car.
That somehow does not surprise me. He looked around her room. You do have a thing about muscle cars, Sissy.
Yeah, I do. Me and Ronnie Lee used to rebuild them. We havent in ages.
Were you good?
Yeah. She studied him for a moment, briefly debating with herself. Eh. What the hell? I can take you to see one tomorrow. Its over at my brothers house. Sammys house. She wouldnt trust any of the others to hold on to something so important to her.
Id love to. I never get tired of cars.
Good. Well do that after we go hunting in the morning.
You mean after you go hunting in the morning.
Youre coming with me. Well hunt down a hog for breakfast. Itll be fun.
It doesnt sound like fun. It sounds like Im working for my meal. How is that fair? He touched his wounded shoulder and gave her big cat eyes. He looked like one of those velvet paintings. Painful.
Itll be more painful if you dont start pulling your weight around here, hoss. Besides, you need the exercise to get your strength back.
Youre not taking very good care of me.
Have I put a pillow over your head while youve slept?
Uhno.
Have I thrown anything heavy and deadly at you?
No.
Then Ive taken care of you.
Nice. He flipped through a few more pages, but she could see he was fighting to stay awake. Good. The more he slept, the better hed get. Can I ask you a strange question?
No, I wont have sex with you in my childhood bed.
Mitch chuckled. Thats not a problem. Im more a take you up against the wall kind of guy anyway. And she almost swallowed her tongue. But thats not my question.
So ask.
Why does this house have so many doors? Youve got one in the family room, the kitchen, the living room, and the one behind the stairs.
Revenuers, she said simply.
Mitch frowned. Revenuers?
Yeah. Thats what my granddaddy called them. He built this house, and he wanted to be able to run when he had to run. Bobby Ray never told you?
Told me what?
Darlin, the Smith empire
Empire?
is built on moonshine money. Many doors mean many exits. And Granddaddy did like his exits. If he didnt like somebodyand I mean, you could be the queen of Englandthe man would just get up and walk out.
Mitch examined the walls again. That explains the car fetish.
Yup. In this family, youre born knowing two things. How to rebuild a carburetor and how to outrun the revenuers.
Built into your DNA strain, is it?
Yup. The Shiner strain, they call it.
Sissy took the photo album from his hands. Well look at the rest tomorrow.
Any nude pictures? Maybe you and Ronnie and some oil?
