by Olivia Harp
“You’re staying here, right?” Deric asked.
Raiden nodded.
“I’m thinking of going to the cabin,” he said, “do some repairs while you guys go to The Walk.”
“We’re leaving in three days,” Elizabeth said, “you know you can stay here for as long as you want.”
“Our house is your house, Ray.”
“Thank you, I appreciate it.”
He took a sip of his beer. He had much respect for the in-laws but he wasn’t about to drink tea or anything like that, he wasn’t that civilized.
His phone vibrated on the coffee table, the noise reverberating right in the middle of the room. He unlocked the screen to see Cassie sent him a text message:
“Thanx for your help!” it read, “I got your photo ready, you can come get it or I can send it to you, you decide.”
She sent a picture of a framed photograph, black and white, perfect composition. He and his child, both laughing naturally as they prepared to pose for the next photo.
She’d taken a lot more pictures than she let on. This was a perfect, organic, easy moment. She had good eye, this was the best photo of Dee and him someone had ever taken.
Not that the crew guys back in the White Paws Mountain knew anything about photography, anyway. Yeah, he tried to teach them about the golden ratio, lower and upper thirds, framing, you know, the basics but they didn’t care.
This here was perfect.
“Who was it, dad? Was it Cassie?”
He went tense, for some reason. He didn’t know why, but her question took him by surprise.
“Who’s Cassie, dear?”
“A woman we helped—” Dee began.
“A woman we helped on our way here, she had a flat tire and took a picture of us.”
“Oh really?” Beth said with a smile, “that’s great.”
“Take a look,” he said showing her the picture.
“Oh my God, that’s incredible.”
“Yeah, Nana, she was soooo cool,” Dee said, leaning in to see the photo.
“Oh wow!” She yelled in excitement as she took the phone to look at it closer, then continued.
“She had all this tools and— hey dad she framed it and everything, are you going to meet her somewhere in—”
“Deedee,” Raiden said, “you should go to bed now, you’re waking up early tomorrow.”
“But daaaad,” she said, “I don’t want to go to bed, we just got here!”
“It’s already past 9 dear, come on.”
He noticed Beth and Deric sharing a brief look. He rolled his eyes and took Dee’s hand.
Yeah, it was time to go to bed.
***
He tucked Dee in and she fell asleep almost instantly. The cozy, rustic bedroom and soft lights helped, setting the perfect mood for a hyperactive child to rest. It was almost magical.
Raiden put her suitcase in the closet, they’d have plenty of time to tidy up everything tomorrow.
He took his phone out of his pocket and read the message again. A fire lit up in the pit of his stomach. This woman, why couldn’t he stop thinking about her?
Dee coughed and cleared her throat, she was still sleeping. He started out of the room, putting the cell phone back on his pocket. He was closing the door when Dee spoke.
“Dad?”
Dee said just as he was closing the door. He turned around.
“Yes, buddy?”
“Gimme a good night kiss.”
He smiled, walked to her and did so.
“Sleep now dear, it’s late.”
“Dad,” she said again, “I’m sorry.”
He frowned.
“Sorry for what?”
“What I said earlier, about women flirting with you, I shouldn’t have.”
Raiden laughed and caressed her head.
“Don’t worry Dee-Tank, you’re cool.”
She smiled and turned away from him.
“You can date a girl if you want to,” she said, her words to the wall, pretending indifference.
What? Raiden tensed up., what was she saying?
“Deeandra, why do you say that?”
She remained silent.
“Dee, listen to me, we’re doing fine, aren’t we? Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“No.”
Raiden sat on the bed next to her.
“Why do you want me to go on a date?”
Dee sat up on the bed and looked at him, her eyes watery.
“I don’t want you to be lonely, dad.”
What? He couldn’t have given her that impression; he was perfectly okay.
“Dee... I’m not lonely, I’ve got you,” he said with a sudden heaviness in his chest.
Dee’s tears started rolling down quietly. She wiped them away with her upper arm and looked at him.
Raiden leaned in and hugged her.
“It’s not the same, dad, I want you to be happy.”
“But I am happy! I swear!”
“I know, but you can go on a date if you want to, okay? I won’t feel bad.”
He smiled as the warm tears gathered in his shirt, and kissed her head.
“All right, duly noted, Deeandra. Now go back to sleep, you have a long day tomorrow.”
She went back under the sheets again, “I love you, dad.”
Just what he needed. His own daughter giving him permission to date. He didn’t know she thought he was lonely.
But he should have seen it coming.
He hadn’t had another partner for years after Marissa died. Her loss was hard but he concentrated all he had on Dee.
It was long in the past, though. And he was a fighter, after all, it was very hard for anyone to make him interested in love again.
The funny thing is, back in the mountain, Dee saw Damien, his alpha, marry a human. Then Maverick, one of the best rangers of the crew got married to a vampire girl, against all odds and had a child.
Dee was older now. She was beginning to notice those kinds of things. She never complained, and was the best daughter he could have ever wanted. She got all of the best things in him, none of the bad.
He walked out of the room and checked his phone again.
Was this fate? He never had any compulsion to call or see or do anything with any woman for almost ten years. Yes, he had fun here and there, but nothing really important. The thought of love was out of his head completely. He hadn’t consciously suppressed it.
And now his bear was growling inside, wanting that woman, Cassie.
When he picked up the phone and saw he got a text message from her, he felt butterflies in his stomach. He could accept that, even if only to himself. He tried repressing them but he had to be honest, he wanted her. Dee made him realize that.
Dee made him open himself to the possibility. She was more honest than he would ever be.
He was proud of her. He smiled and swallowed the lump that gathered in his throat.
Now he felt strong. His bear pushed hard inside him, trying to come out. He felt his skin starting to come apart, the animal fighting for release, but he growled and said “no. You stay inside.”
He controlled the beast, still happy to know that he wasn’t called the toughest motherfucker in the White Paws for nothing.
A fire burned inside of him. He took a deep breath and tapped something on the phone screen.
***
Cassie’s phone played her Ricky Martin ringtone for a full six seconds before she noticed someone was calling. She was totally in the zone, editing all of the photographs taken the days prior. She slid right to answer without looking who it was and put the phone to her ear.
“Cassie speaking,” she said with her eyes still glued to the computer screen, adjusting the photo’s saturation bit by bit.
“Cassie?” a deep man’s voice replied, “is this a bad time?”
Her stomach tightened. Oh shit. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.
“Uhm...” she mumbled, fixing her hair, for so
me reason, “not at all. Who is this?”
But she knew who it was. His voice was burned in her memory. She wasn’t expecting him to call.
She sighed, trying in vain to control herself. She was never good at dating, and she’d only had two boyfriends.
You could say she was used to be the “best friend,” or the cool, (overweight) woman people knew and liked, but would not date.
“It’s Ray. Raiden, from the highway? I got your text. The photo looks great!”
She felt tense. She noticed she was gripping her cell phone really tight. Why? He was just calling to say thanks. Relax, relax godammit!
“Oh, hi, Raiden! Thanks, I’m glad you like it,” she said in her most matter-of-fact tone.
“Yeah,” he said, “listen, I got a free day tomorrow, I can go pick it up if you want.”
She noticed she was holding her breath. He just said he wanted to come pick up the photograph.
“Maybe we could go have lunch or something after?” he continued.
She suppressed a laugh. What was happening? Was this the twilight zone? Butterflies. Butterflies everywhere. Was this man asking her on a date?
No. She would calm down and play it cool.
“Sure,” she splurted.
She couldn’t think straight.
“All right, should I come pick you up?”
“Yeah, come pick me up at...”
Then she remembered, “wait, wait.”
She opened her calendar and her day was full of meetings. Of course.
“Raiden...”
“Yes?”
“I can’t go tomorrow, nor the day after, lunch time is super busy this week.”
“Oh. Okay, that’s fine... so it’s dinner, then,” he said smugly.
She rolled her eyes, shivers flooding her body for a second, “okay.”
“Perfect. Dinner tomorrow. Something casual, maybe? Or are you into fancy stuff?”
She laughed.
“Only when I have to. We can go to an Italian bistro near my studio.”
“That’s awesome, I’d love me some pizza.”
“Pizza it is, I’ll send you the link, meet you there at eight. I’m sure Dee will love the place.”
“Oh,” he said, “Dee will not be coming, she’s going out with her grandparents tomorrow. It’ll be just you and I, girl.”
He said “girl” jokingly, like a suave cartoon character.
She laughed.
“All right, man,” she retorted, a smile on her lips, “I’ll meet you there.”
“Great, see you tomorrow.”
She said bye and ended the call, completely giddy. Yeah, it was dumb but she couldn’t help herself.
It’s just a friendly dinner, Cassandra, calm down.
But her body was almost trembling with excitement.
The photograph she was working on stared back at her through the screen.
She tried doing some other adjustments to it but it was impossible. She felt like dancing (but a girl like her knew better, so she kept sitting on her chair).
It was dumb, but maybe this time it would work.
She rolled her eyes.
Yeah. She wished.
Chapter 5
Cassie was late.
She ran on the sidewalk. If you could call that a run. She wore high heels and her speed was not what you’d call very fast, but she did what she could.
Super late, I’m super late.
Her ankle twisted on the pavement but she composed herself before something really terrible happened.
She limped three or four times and continued her run, a little slower this time, she was smart enough not to ruin this date more than she already had.
The restaurant looked like a bright point of light among the dark buildings beside it. Martin’s was a small, family owned place on the corner of a busy downtown street.
She took out her cell phone to check the time but once again she found herself staring at a black screen. How many times would she do that before her brain finally processed the fact that the thing had no battery?
The place was not busy at all; only four or five tables were occupied. The host greeted her as she pulled open the entrance door and bolted past him, not even listening to what he said.
Two couples, a family of three and another table with five or six college kids, laughing and talking out loud.
Her heart stopped. Raiden was not there.
Why did these things always happen to her? She was able to successfully run a small business... but dating? She was cursed.
Doubly cursed, now that she effed it up with a man like this.
She wouldn’t be able to—
“Hey there, stranger,” a deep voice said beside her.
She turned to her left and there he was, on the corner table. She’d been in such a rush that she only paid attention to the center of the restaurant. Raiden sat on a blind spot from where she stood.
Goosebumps rushed over her skin.
“I thought you bailed out on me,” he said with a smile.
Relief washed over her. She could finally breathe. She sighed loudly but automatically covered her mouth, trying to save the little dignity she had left.
Raiden stood up on his seat, a soft smile adorning his lips. He wore dark jeans and a light blue sweater over a gray t-shirt. His figure perfectly outlined by the semi tight clothes. This man knew how to dress. He had a hipsterish style that contrasted his mature features.
“Don’t stand up, don’t stand up,” she said as she walked over to the table and put her purse on the back of a chair, “oh gosh, I’m sorry I’m late.”
“No worries, I sent you a message, I was worried something happened to your car.”
“No,” she said sitting down, still trying to catch her breath.
I’m such a mess. What’s happening to me?
“I had an appointment at 5:30 p.m. I was pretty confident it wasn’t going to take more than an hour. Three hours later, I’m rushing out to meet you.”
“Damn. What happened?”
“Some changes and—”
She looked over at him, the cleared her throat.
“We’re organizing a runway for a non-profit. Jacob Turin will sponsor it, but the guy is such a diva.”
“I guess being a superstar model does that to you.”
“You know who he is?”
“Sure, sure. You know... I always thought models were kind of ass—”
He stopped.
“Uhm... a-holes,” he said.
Cassie smirked, he was cute, all right.
“But,” Raiden continued, “him sponsoring a non-profit? That’s cool. I like the guy, even if he made you a bit late.”
She laughed, took a deep breath and relaxed. She finally saw him. He was cool, calm. He exuded confidence.
“Good evening, miss. I’m Emilio, I’ll be your server for the night.”
She smiled as the waiter handed her the menu.
“Did you already order anything?”
“No, just this beer.”
“Okay, I’ll have a glass of wine, please,” she turned to Raiden, “do you want to order now or...”
“No, no, I waited for you to arrive before taking a real look at the menu.”
She smiled. The waiter nodded and left, then her face turned white.
“Oh no! I forgot about your photo—”
“Don’t worry,” he interrupted, “it’s okay, don’t stress about it.”
“Thank you for being so kind, I hate it when things like these happen.”
“I know, you’re busy. Besides,” he said with a wink, “now we have an excuse to see each other again.”
His hand grazed hers in the middle of the table, it was a friendly touch but fire burned inside of her.
A million butterflies fluttered in her stomach.
Who is this man? He already wants to meet me again even though I’m like, all over the place.
She looked at him as he took a sip of his be
er.
Don’t fuck this up. Cassie.
She started to get nervous, but he was so in control of himself that it was infectious.
He didn’t judge her, and the way he looked at her was different than anyone else before.
She felt... desired. She knew she was a bit heavy. Or maybe a bit more than a bit heavy. But that didn’t mean she had to settle for less than what she wanted. Or that she had to settle for anything at all.
The “don’t fuck this up” feeling quickly faded away, and turned into curiosity.
“What are you having? It’s okay if you don’t want pizza,” she said.
“Well...” he replied, his eyes shifting from the menu, to her, then back on the menu, “to tell you the truth I kind of want everything in here. What do you recommend?”
She laughed.
“Why don’t we go with the basics and order a pizza? The chef is this Brazilian guy who makes the best gourmet pizza in the city.”
“That sounds guh-reat. I’m starving.”
The waiter arrived with her glass of wine and she ordered her favorite: serrano ham with small slices of cantaloupe. A weird combination but ultimately delicious.
Raiden was adamant on ordering the biggest one, along with pasta. The man loved his food, and she wasn’t the least bit upset by that.
They talked about their day as they waited for the food to arrive. Her day was full of meetings, his day was more relaxed. Dee went out with her grandparents on a small trip to the country, meanwhile, he bought some stuff he needed and fixed the doors on a cabin he owned not too far from there.
She ordered another glass of wine and he did so too. The meal was great but he was still hungry so he ordered dessert and even though she was a bit embarrassed to admit it, she was glad he did so.
She always had that nagging thought in the back of her mind on previous dates, she couldn’t have all she wanted for dinner because she was afraid she would be judged. But not here. Not by him.
“I’m a ranger,” he said.
“Really? A ranger, ranger? Or... like... what do you mean a ranger?”
“I mean a man who takes care of the forest and the people and—”
He looked at her, stopping before saying anything else.
“You know, that kind of stuff. I work with a crew of rangers down in Oregon, we all have our cabins on the mountain.”