They shared screen time, traded snippets of their lives in the form of posts and photos, but they weren’t actually part of each other’s lives. Grateful as she was for their continued camaraderie, Grace longed for more tangible relationships, especially since Matt returned home from the service.
There was an awkward pause between them.
“I should get back to Alex.”
“Ronni invited you to supper Thursday. What should I tell her?”
“Are you going?”
“Yeah.”
“Then tell her we’ll see her Thursday.”
* * *
A large, black truck bearing the Walker’s Run Resort’s wolf logo rolled to a stop in front of the R&L’s open bays. Brice climbed out of the passenger side. Rafe pushed aside an irrational flash of jealousy to nod at Shane behind the wheel before he drove off.
Earlier, Rafe had noticed Shane’s scent on Grace. Gavin has said the two were friends and Rafe didn’t like the possibility of Shane moving from friend to one with benefits.
Brice walked into the service area with a slight limp.
“I thought Shane worked the resort’s registration desk. What’s he doing playing chauffeur?”
“He’s a full-time sentinel now.” Which meant the young wolf was at the Alpha family’s immediate beck and call.
Rafe shut the hood of his friend’s Maserati and wiped down the front end with a clean shop towel. “Let me know when you’re ready to sell this baby. I know an interested buyer.”
“Never.” Brice patted the top of the vehicle. “Drives like a dream. As often as I go back and forth to Atlanta, I need something that handles well.”
“And flies like the wind?”
Brice grinned.
“I don’t see room for a baby seat and stroller and playpen and diaper bag.” Rafe paused. “I can go on.”
“Don’t.” Brice paled. “Some moments I’m over the moon about having a baby. The next I’m terrified.”
“You’ll be fine.” And if Brice wasn’t, Cassie had a level head, a quick mind, and she planned for every possible scenario.
Rafe liked that about her.
He liked order. Chaos, not so much.
He didn’t know how Grace did it. Bouncing from one place to the next. No sense of balance or stability.
She was brave in ways he never could’ve imagined.
“Dad asked me to run a security drill this week. I need your speed.” Brice leaned against his car, easing the weight of his bad leg.
“What about curfew? He’ll chomp my ass if I cause another incident.” Rafe began cleaning his work tools. “It’s not like I ran in front of Grace’s car on purpose. She damn near killed me. It was close.” Way too close.
“We’ll do it early. Can’t have the Alpha’s son publicly thumbing his nose at the Alpha’s idiotic rules.” Brice snorted.
Faint laughter pulled Rafe to the front of the garage. Grace and Alex had relocated from the kitchen to sit in the shade of one of the old oak trees in the park.
The kid gobbled up her attention. Rafe understood why. Grace had a vivacious presence that wrapped you in a big, warm hug. Something about her called to him.
He was attracted to her six ways from Sunday and hoped that was all the pull toward her meant.
“Grace is under your skin, isn’t she?” Brice asked.
“She’s like a bad penny, showing up when I’m not looking.” Rafe folded his arms. “Since your dad made me her guardian, I can’t get rid of her, either.”
“She’s a godsend for Cassie, especially since the pregnancy. She misses her mom and my grandmother. Grace fills that void. Maybe she’ll do the same for you.” Brice stepped beside him. “It’s okay to like her. And it’s okay to fall in love again. Time does heal, if we let it.”
It had taken a long time for the wound in Rafe’s heart to close. Now that he was moving forward, or trying to, people needed to leave him alone while he was still figuring out who he was without Lexi.
Everything he’d wanted in life, he’d planned with her. He didn’t want to pick up the pieces of the dreams they’d shared and jigsaw them together with a substitute, as if the partner didn’t matter.
He wanted to forge a new life, new dreams. To do so, he would need to start from scratch, build a different future with new materials. To make his life his own.
And he would.
As soon as he figured it out for himself.
In his own time.
Brice squeezed Rafe’s shoulder. A silent show of understanding and support. “Mom signed me up as a team captain for the baseball tournament at the Co-op’s spring festival again. She said I might be slower at running the bases because of my leg but there’s nothing wrong with my pitching arm. I’m assembling my team.” He walked around the car. “Tristan will play first base, Shane’s covering center field. I want you to catch for me.”
Brice never commanded or demanded the way his father did. He simply expressed his wishes. The natural weight of authority carried in his tone and stance, and secured compliance.
“I haven’t played in years. Don’t blame me if I drop the ball and lose the game.”
“You won’t.” Brice opened the car door. “Oh, we’re having dinner at Taylor’s tonight. Cas needs to get out for a while.”
“Not getting along with your parents?” Rafe couldn’t imagine living under the same roof as the Alpha.
“Their relationship is good, but Cassie was on her own for a long time. Living with my parents, even though it’s temporary, is getting on her nerves, especially because they want to dote on her and she isn’t having any of it.” Brice tapped the roof of the car. “Grace is coming with us, so show up and do your guardian thing or some other wolfan might do who-knows-what with her.”
“Screw you.”
Grinning, Brice slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine.
“Grace said she was catching a ride back to the resort with you.”
“She looks busy. See that she gets back in time to go to supper. Or better yet, bring her yourself.” He gave Rafe a thumbs-up.
Rafe gave him the finger.
Laughing, Brice closed the car door and peeled out of the garage.
Chapter 12
A gorgeous blond man with an easy stride and killer smile sauntered into Taylor’s Roadhouse. The googly eyes of every single woman in the building followed his every move. More than a few mouths dropped.
Ordinarily, Grace might be among them because, yes, he was that good-looking. But tonight she was looking for someone else. Someone with a short crop of deep auburn hair and piercing blue eyes.
“Hey, pretty lady.” Tristan Durrance, the fair-headed sheriff’s deputy who’d investigated her car accident, sauntered toward Grace to the dismay of a dozen women.
Sitting beneath the dim house lights on the opposite side of the restaurant from the bar, she shifted her legs beneath the table of the circular booth she shared with Cassie and Brice. Both of whom had momentarily deserted her for a slow dance to the soft ballad played by the country-rock band.
“Hello,” she said coolly, then sipped her glass of white wine, allowing the light, sweet flavor to sit on her tongue.
“Aah, still mad about Friday night?” He slid into the booth and winged his arms over the back of the seat.
“You accused me of drunk driving.”
“I merely asked if you had been drinking. It’s a standard question when investigating a car accident.”
“You know me. I don’t drink and drive.”
“I know everyone in this town, and would’ve asked any one of them the same question. It’s my job, doll.” He flashed a blinding smile. “Cut me some slack.”
“Stop calling me doll and I’ll consider it.” She ended the sentence with a smile.
Cassi
e and Brice started back toward the booth. Brice’s hand rested on the small of Cassie’s back. She looked up at Brice and said something. His face brightened and love rolled off him in palpable waves. No one could’ve doubted she hung the moon in Brice’s world.
When they reached the table, Tristan scooted out of the booth. “Cassie, lovely as always. I would give you a kiss, but your ol’ dog would pound me into the table.” He hiked his thumb toward Brice.
“I’d keep pounding until you were six feet into the ground.” Brice gave Cassie a light kiss. His hand rested on her belly, guarding her from the edge of the table as she sat down.
Brice nodded for Tristan to sit. “Glad you could join us.”
“The pleasure is all mine.” Tristan winked at Grace.
She smiled, but her gaze drifted to the people entering the restaurant.
Still no sign of Rafe.
When he had dropped her off at the resort, she’d invited him to Taylor’s, saying he would be doing her a huge favor by rescuing her from Cassie and Brice’s matchmaking endeavors at Singles Night. He didn’t say he would come, but nodded when she said, “I’ll see you later.”
“One dance and I’m pooped.” Cassie’s cheeks were rosy from exertion and tiny beads of perspiration dotted her hairline. She picked up a menu and furiously fanned herself.
Brice waved to a nearby server who scurried over with a water pitcher to fill Cassie’s glass.
“Iced tea, please,” Cassie said nicely.
“Mom said you drank an entire pitcher today, Sunshine.” Brice draped his arm around Cassie’s shoulders. “Doc said to slow down on the caffeine.”
“He told me the same thing. What’s his beef with caffeine?” Grace teased.
“He wanted me to wean off it when I started my third trimester because caffeine could contribute to low birth weight.” Cassie patted her belly. “At this point, I don’t think I need to worry about that possibility.”
“Well, I’m not pregnant so I’ll happily stick to my daily pot of double-leaded coffee. It’s the best part of waking up.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t say that.” Brice aimed a mischievous grin at Cassie and rubbed her belly.
“How about we let the lovebirds have some quiet time?” Tristan held out his open palm. “Let’s dance.”
She checked the front of the restaurant. If Rafe was coming, he would’ve shown up by now.
Taking Tristan’s hand, she noticed a definite absence of the zip of energy that coincided with Rafe’s calloused touch. “I have to warn you. It’s been a while since I’ve danced.”
“No worries. It’s like riding a bike. I’ll be your training wheels.” Tristan whirled her onto the dance floor.
The country-rock beat thumped through her body and her feet followed. Tristan spun her, dipped her and held her hips as they gyrated to the music.
“He isn’t coming.” His husky voice scraped her cheek.
“Who?” She turned in Tristan’s arms to face him and he pulled her closer.
“Rafe.” The playfulness in his expression faded. “He never comes.”
She twirled around and Tristan turned her right back.
“Readjust your sights. Rafe is damaged. You might think you can fix him, but he doesn’t want to be fixed.”
“We’re all damaged. Most of us hide it behind a smile, a laugh or a thousand other things.”
“You’re setting yourself up for a world of hurt, Grace. I see your disappointment every time you check the table and he isn’t there.”
“I’m not looking for him.” Grace laughed. “I’m starving. I’m scoping the table for our food.”
On cue, her stomach howled.
The seriousness in Tristan’s face broke and he burst into laughter. Their dance steps realigned and a moment later he said, “Doll, if I were the settling-down type you’d be the perfect woman for me.”
Doubting she would, Grace checked the table for Rafe, again.
* * *
Atop the high peak on Walker’s Pointe, the noise of human life faded. Rafe basked in the silence.
He loved this place. Not only Walker’s Pointe, he loved all of the Walker’s Run territory.
Barely seven when he lost his parents and pack to a virulent strain of wolfan influenza, Rafe had been close to death when Doc saved him and brought him here, to his new home. Alone, scared and near-feral, Rafe didn’t trust anyone in his adoptive pack at first. Not even Doc.
Recovered from the illness but traumatized by all the changes, Rafe had refused to willingly take his human form. He fought against sleep until his body simply gave up and he passed out from exhaustion. Of course, the moment he lost consciousness, his body shifted from wolf pup to small boy. Then Doc would pick him up and tuck him into bed.
One night, Rafe woke up during a severe thunderstorm. The wind whipped through the trees, limbs banged the windows, the house shook and the power went out. Terrified, he ran as fast as he could down the hallway. Doc met him halfway, knelt on one knee, opened his arms wide, then gathered Rafe in his arms and hugged him tight. He kept whispering, “I’ve got you, son.”
That night Doc became a true father in Rafe’s heart.
In defiance of the whisperings among the pack that a human could not raise a wild wolfling, Rafe had done his damnedest to prove them wrong. So he dressed like Doc, wore his hair like Doc. He wanted to be everything Doc was. Kind, respected. Civilized.
Eventually the pack and the Woelfesenat accepted the arrangement, believing Rafe had truly been tamed.
Rafe had believed it, too.
Now he was somewhere in between. Limbo.
Half in the dark, half in the light. He wasn’t sure which side he wanted, or if he had to choose.
Sobriety was drawing something from him. He could feel the ripple of movement in his soul. What he couldn’t feel was what it all meant.
He sat on a soft patch of moss, closed his eyes, listened to the sound of quiet.
Thoughts of Grace floated into his head.
Her essence, so full of life. Bouncy and brimming with wonder.
A smile stretched his mouth. She was like a present he couldn’t wait to open. He couldn’t of course. Shouldn’t.
Wouldn’t.
Still, he couldn’t stop smiling.
He was an idiot. A smiling idiot who couldn’t wait to see her again.
She’d agreed to tutor Alex for his upcoming exams. Two birds with one stone.
May not be exactly what Gavin meant when he instructed Rafe to mentor Alex and watch over Grace, but it made things simpler for him.
Rafe liked simple. The less complicated, the better.
The engine purr of an F150 climbed the mountain.
A few minutes later, a truck door closed and heavy footsteps fell against the ground.
“You all right?” Tristan sat next to Rafe.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Got a call you blew past the security gate.”
“Gate was wide open, no need to stop. Can’t blow past anything on the road to this place unless you want to pop an axel.”
“Guess you went a little faster than Sam thought you should.” Tristan scratched his jaw.
“I wasn’t. People need to mind their own business and stop supposing something’s wrong with me. There’s not.”
“People are worried. You were in a bad place for a long time. No one wants to see you get lost there again.”
“Neither do I.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Gavin slammed the curfew on me. No more night runs.” Rafe was counting on the tranquility of Walker’s Pointe to settle his thoughts and ease the craving for a drink.
“So, you’re good?”
“Peachy.”
They stared out over the territory in silence.
/> “How do you do it?”
“Do what?” Tristan cocked his head.
“Date so many women without getting attached.” Rafe met Tristan’s gaze.
A smile stretched across his smug face. “Women are like roller coasters.”
“I shouldn’t have asked.” Rafe shook his head.
“I like riding roller coasters,” Tristan continued. “But I don’t want to live in a carnival.”
“Be helpful or leave.”
“Truth? You’re not the polyamorous type.”
Not exactly where Rafe was going with his question.
“Grace mentioned she prefers sex buddies to relationships.”
“Damn. Wish I knew that earlier.”
“Stay the hell away from her.” Rafe caught a whiff of Grace’s perfume on Tristan’s clothes. “Were you with her? Tonight? Before you came here?”
“And there it is.” Tristan flicked him on the shoulder. “The reason why no-strings bump-and-grinds won’t work for you. You’re overprotective and jealous. Your wolf isn’t going to stay out of the way, no matter how hard you try to leash him.”
“He doesn’t need a leash. I can manage him.”
“Really? You got awfully snarly at the scene of Grace’s accident. You shoved me, remember?”
“You made her cry.”
“You reacted instinctively.” Tristan jabbed his finger at Rafe. “Any other deputy would’ve arrested you for assault on an officer.”
“I didn’t assault you. If I had, you’d be missing teeth in that stupid grin of yours.”
“Probably so.” Tristan laughed.
Rafe plucked a ladybug off his leg and placed her on a blade of grass an arm’s length away.
He never should’ve asked Tristan for advice. And asking Brice would be like dousing a match with kerosene. Already he had ideas of Rafe and Grace becoming an actual couple.
Maybe he should talk to Doc. His bachelor father had had lady friends over the years. Not as many as Tristan, but a few.
“Are you seriously considering starting something with Grace?” Tristan’s nonchalant gaze roamed their surroundings.
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