Ollie Vance - Book Two: Ashes and Smoke

Chapter Five

The next few days felt like I was on house arrest.

Jenny, Jack’s younger sister and a werewolf as well, came over to stay with me. I’ve met her before when I went to visit Jack. They were both orphaned at a young age as well, long before they moved to Hillside. Jenny’s three years younger than Jack but had the same thick, dark hair and warm brown eyes. She was a couple of inches taller than  me and had bigger bones and a very toned built. She runs her own little business of custom-built furniture which she creates herself.

“I heard you broke my brother’s heart but that I’m here to keep an eye on you anyway,” was the first thing she said when I opened the door. No one told me she was coming to stay but we liked each other and I welcomed the female companionship as a nice change.

I smiled. “Guilty as charged. It’s nice to see you, Jenny.”

I set her up in one of the guest rooms and we spent most of our time cooking and working on repairing the trellis I’d built around my vegetable garden.

I’ve managed to keep Patrick and Mary Anne away, busying them with the renovations and there hadn’t been many people coming by except for Jack and a couple of guys from his pack who checked in on us, Devon who kept an appropriate distance from me with Jenny in our company and Stigger who came to represent Tristan, as he proudly declared with a smile.

“Jenny, this is Stigger. Stigger, this is Jenny, Jack’s sister,” I introduced, noticing the interest that lit up in Stigger’s dark eyes as Jenny emerged from the garden in a tank top and shorts, looking grimy and sweaty, her hair up in a ponytail.

Jenny barely smiled at him but I observed in amusement as Stigger stepped towards her and offered a hand which she stared at for a few seconds before shaking it firmly.

Jenny was a tough girl, having grown up in the company of men, Jack once told me. Boys were usually either intimidated or terrified by her and she never fussed over them. She was certainly not glowing with love at the first sight of Stigger but the guy looked smitten.

Excited with the idea, I asked Stigger to stay for dinner and we all sat down and enjoyed gourmet burgers and a few bottles of beer.

If Jenny could tell I was matchmaking her with Stigger, she surely didn’t let on. Either that or she just had no clue but I left them alone while I whipped up some dessert.

I was scooping some vanilla ice cream into bowls when Jenny rushed into the kitchen.

“Ollie, help me,” she said, looking confused.

“What is it?”

She glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was behind her and explained in a low voice, “He asked me to come over to the Mansion and go on a picnic with him. Why the hell would he invite me to a picnic?”

I gave her a puzzled look. “Maybe because he wants to spend some time with you? I think he likes you.”

Jenny rolled her eyes. “I don’t do dates, okay? I suck at them. The last time I tried it, I ended up fixing the guy’s car and he wasn’t too pleased when I told him he probably shouldn’t drive a stick until he knows how to.”

I suppressed a giggle. “Yeah, I can see where that would hurt his male ego a bit but if that’s who you are and he still likes you, then great, but if he doesn’t then he may not be worth keeping around. Stigger’s a really good guy. He’d saved my life before, you know? And I think he can handle not-so-ordinary girls. He’s not so ordinary himself.”

Jenny pursed her lips, ruminating the idea. “So I should say yes?”

“If you want to,” I said. Then my brows drew together. “Did you just run out right after he asked you?”