Winter treats

The slobber snow had turned to fairy snow by they time Mooney pulled into Talbot’s Peak, just as the radio announce said it would. Mooney, amused by his own addition to the list of odd names for snow fall, turned off his windshield wipers and turned down the heater in the cab. He had needed the heater running full-blast while the thick snow was falling but as a wolf, he really hadn’t appreciated all the extra heat.

He carefully navigated the alley behind Java Joe’s—the slobber snow was several inches deep and very wet back there. He didn’t want to get stuck and have to dig his pickup out just to unload Marissa’s beans. He would do it, of course, but it made more sense not to get stuck in the first place. Besides, the longer he spent unloading the coffee the less time he’d have to show Marissa what else he’d found in town.

**********

“Thanks for coming! Be careful out there!” Marissa called as her last customer sloshed out the door. She locked the door behind them and flipped the sign to “closed.” It wasn’t closing time, but this weather had driven all but a few die-hard customers home early. She looked at the clock as she began cleaning up the lobby. It was only five pm but there wouldn’t be anyone else tonight, she was sure. Besides, Mooney was due back from Butte any time now. If he followed his usual pattern, she’d get more than some coffee beans out of the trip. She bit back a wicked smile as she worked quickly to close up the coffee shop. Maybe she’d have time for a bubble bath before he got in…

“In here!” Marissa called when she heard Mooney shuffle in the back door of the coffee shop, Darn! She didn’t get the store closed in time to get her bubble bath. Oh, well. She looked back into the kitchen to see her sexy wolf shoulder the back door open, his arms loaded with cases of gourmet coffee beans. What a delicious sight! And she wasn’t talking about the beans, either!

At 6’3” and 250 lbs, Mooney was a hunk. He had played football in high school and still had the build of a body builder, though his years of working out for the sake of working were long behind him. His bulging chest and biceps were encased in a tight thermal knit shirt, the long sleeves pushed up over corded forearms. Well worn jeans and Timberland hiking boots finished off his rugged look. Her breath caught in her throat when he looked up at her, his vivid blue eyes peering mischievously through the long black curls of his hair.

“You made good time,” she commented, smiling brightly as she bagged the last of the trash.

“Let me get that,” Mooney said stetting the cases down on a shelf.

“I can take the trash out,” she said with a laugh. Anyone who said beta wolves were not worth the trouble was dumb to Marissa’s mind. True, betas tend to hover but they were the most considerate males around once you got used to them. Marissa, as a human and a witch, had never seen a big, strong, masculine male who was capable of being sweat and doting before she’d accidentally claimed Mooney as her mate. In the year since that fortunate accident, she had counted her blessings daily.

“No, I got it, sweetie. Go relax a bit. I’ll be up in a few.”

Marissa smiled, noticing the not-so-subtle shifting of his eyes down and to the left, a sure sign of a beta wolf who was hiding something. Yep, he’d brought her another surprise! How she loved these extra trips to Butte for “get coffee beans” that Mooney insisted on making.