Mr Wolfe and Pretty Red

         “Red, do you wanna take Grandma her laundry or should I?”

Riley rolled her eyes, and growled in response, before turning on her brother. “That’s not my name Hunter.”

Her brother snickered, and Riley sighed in defeat before lifting her red wind breaker from the coat rack, and slipping it on. This, she thought with annoyance, was the source of her nickname. “I’ll do it.” She grumbled, and within minutes of lifting the canvas laundry bag, she glanced once more at her older brother, then shook her head in annoyance and left the tiny two bedroom duplex.

         “Are you driving?” Demanded Hunter a moment before she would have climbed into the driver seat of the used sedan.

         “I was, why?”

         “I have a date in twenty minutes. I was hoping I could take it.”

Riley growled beneath her breath and clenched her jaw angrily before shifting the bag more comfortably on her shoulder. “Fine, take it!”

         
         “Thanks!” Riley shook her head at his enthusiastic chuckle, then took off for the small path they occasionally used as a shortcut to their grandmothers tiny log cabin. It was only about half a mile away, so walking wasn’t that big a deal, and she needed to gather a few herbs along the way anyway, but giving her selfish, immature older brother the car hadn’t been something she’d wanted to do. Not without a fight anyway.

Half an hour passed before she was anywhere near her grandmothers, and already she was a little winded, when a slight rustling sounded from beneath a large brush of vegetation. Unsure as to what to do, Riley peered cautiously towards the rustling sound, before trying to ease past the obstacle blocking her path. Her breath caught as a large, brown furred wolf stepped boldly out from behind the bush.

Riley bit her lip, her breath held as she waited to see what the creature would do. For a moment she squeezed her eyes shut and imagined he was gone, but logic told her this wasn’t so, and she forced her eyes open once more. Only, in place of the imposingly large wolf, a man stood. His dark eyes flashed suspiciously, before locking in on the laundry bag at her hip.

         “Who are you, what are you doing in my woods?” He growled.

         “I live a little ways from here. I’m going to my grandmothers house. We do her laundry for her on Saturdays.”

         “You wont mind if I tag along then.” He made it a statement, but she knew she had no choice in the matter.So she nodded in agreement, before silently continuing on her path.

He followed closely behind, but said nothing when they came to the small clearing where she paused just long enough to pick a few sprigs of lavender.

The trip passed in an awkward silence, and Riley was extremely grateful when they reached her grandmothers house. Prepared to knock, she was shocked when the man growled viciously, and thrust out his arm to push her behind him. Inside she heard the faint muffling sound of her elderly grandmother crying. Instant panic set in, and she rushed past the male, and into the aging cabin. The door gave easily, but she wasn’t alone as the man, once more an over sized wolf ran in behind her.

         “Grandmother! Whats wrong with your face!” She cried at the site of the wrinkled appearance.

         “I was trying a new spell, to make me look younger, but I used too much ginseng.” Whimpered the elderly woman. Riley sighed, barely holding back a chuckle of amusement when the door banged open once more, and her brother burst in, his furious gaze going to the wolf standing preciously close to the two women.

         “Is this the emergency you called about Grandma?” He asked cautiously, as he reached for the baseball bat their grandmother kept behind the door, for protection.

         “Look at my face! Oh who cares about the Dog, look at my face!” Wailed their grandma pitifully.

Riley bit her lip on a smile, and glanced to the wolf, which was once more in the process of shifting back to normal. “Aren’t you the big bad wolf, come to protect the little old lady.”

         “And don’t you look just like little red riding hood.” Laughed Hunter. Riley glared at her brother.

         “Somehow I don’t remember the story going quite this way. For starters little red was a mere child, and she didn’t sound so incredibly sexy in the story either.”

Riley blushed and glanced between her grandmother and her brother, before smiling sheepishly at the brunette stranger. “Friends call me Red.” She whispered softly.

         “Taylor Wolfe.” He responded with an amused grin.

         “And I’m Hunter.” Interrupted her brother mischievously.

         “The kids just call me Granny.”

Riley groaned in dismay at her families meddling behavior then sighed in defeat. There was nothing she could do to change them, so If the Big Bad Wolf wanted her then he was just going to have to deal with her Granny, and Hunter first.

The End