Rowena Flores has problems...and we're not just talking about her anger management issues. After cursing her cheating ex-boyfriend, this home goods cashier's life is turned upside down when a pack of werewolf shifters accuse her of being a murdering...
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Family--they were the only people who asked personal questions as if they were entitled to know your innermost secrets.
Rowena was sitting at a picnic table across from her parents, a plate of cold brisket, mashed potatoes, canned sweet corn, and charro beans in front of her. Cross sat next to her while Carmen sat across from him, her brown eyes inspecting him as if he were hiding some sort of secret. Rowena was convinced Carmen was trying to undress him with her eyes. Pervert.
"So, how did you know about the barbecue" Rowena's mother, Gloria, asked. They had just finished listening to Carmen talk about a hunch she had that led to her winning the lottery for a few thousand dollars.
"Lorena invited me," Rowena said. "I thought I'd come even though you and Dad didn't mention the barbecue to me."
Gloria rolled her eyes. "As if you enjoy these events. I thought I'd spare you the humiliation."
"Humiliation?" Rowena asked.
Her father, Fernando, cleared his throat. He didn't say a word, but Rowena knew when he cleared his throat, it meant he was annoyed.
"Rowena, you know you hate coming to these things and being compared to everyone else here. All you talk about is how you wished people wouldn't talk about your job or your single status. I won't even go into how you lack the certain Flores gift," Gloria said, sighing.
"I wouldn't complain if you didn't compare," Rowena said.
Gloria ignored Rowena's comment. "You didn't introduce us to your friend, Rowena."
"I was going to, but we sat down, and Carmen started talking about how she won three thousand dollars picking a few lottery numbers correctly and how she spent that money on a new wardrobe. I didn't have a chance to." Rowena glared at her cousin who was still eyeing Cross. Rowena was contemplating physical violence if Carmen didn't stop staring at her date.
Fake date. Rowena had to remind herself. After Cross had stood up for her, it was hard to forget their relationship transformed from kidnapper and victim to begrudging partners trying to find a killer. She didn't even want to think about how he wasn't even human—not that it mattered much. If she was being honest with herself, Rowena was surprised she took the whole wolf-shifter news in stride. Other than the time his truck got shot at, she hadn't seen him in wolf form up close and personal so it still didn't feel real to her.
"Geez, can you stop being so jealous?" Carmen asked, interrupting Rowena's thoughts. "It's not my fault you're poor because you work as a cashier at Sweeter Homes and do fake fortune telling on the weekend. It would be real fortune-telling but you're you and you didn't inherit—"
Fernando Flores cleared his throat loudly again.
"I am not poor! I live within my means and there's nothing wrong with my job."
