Blackstone Ranger Charmer

by Alicia Montgomery

  “Awesome.” Anders turned back to his locker and sprayed himself with deodorant. “I’ll run some ideas by you later. You won’t regret this.”

  Somehow, Gabriel doubted it. But at least he got what he wanted. As he strode out of the locker room, he took his phone out and typed a message to Temperance.

  Was the lock fixed?

  The locksmith he called had already told him it was all done, but he wanted an excuse to start the conversation.

  He knew not to expect a reply right away, but his stomach flip-flopped when he saw the dots pulsing on the screen indicating that she was typing back a message.

  Yes. Thanks for getting that done.

  Well I did break it. Sheepish emoji. Sorry. Dinner to make it up to you? Smiley face. Pick you up at six?

  Tonight? That’s a little soon.

  He frowned. If only she knew how excruciating slow the whole dating thing seemed to him, especially when he wanted her to be his yesterday.

  Why not? Do you like Indian or French? If she had come up with all those pie flavors, that would mean she was a foodie, so he hoped he scored points by offering up exotic options.

  There’s a French restaurant here in Blackstone?!?

  Yeah, he typed back. A braserie opened in South Blackstone a couple days ago.

  *brasserie, she corrected. Sorry.

  He laughed aloud. Baby, you can correct me all you want. So, yes?

  When dots didn’t appear right away, Gabriel felt his lungs constrict. However, when the reply popped up, he found he could breathe again.

  Yes.

  “Hallelujah!” He raised a fist in the air and jumped for joy. His inner lion, too, roared in triumph.

  “Whoa, Russel,” Anders commented as he exited the locker room. “Let me guess, your sister said you could buy another Porsche this year?”

  Normally he would have told Anders to fuck off, but instead, he laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. “I’ll see you at five, Stevens,” he said. “Oh, and by the way, I’m supposed to be on trash duty this week. Good luck with that.”

  Anders’s face turned from smug to irate. “What the fuck? Trash duty? You didn’t say anything about trash duty!”

  Gabriel merely whistled as he walked away so he could start his shift.

  “I want strippers at this party, Russel,” Anders screamed at him. “The good kind.”

  But he ignored his friend’s tirade, as he was walking on cloud nine in anticipation of his date with his mate.

  The hours seemed to stretch into days as Gabriel went through his shift, despite the fact that he didn’t even have to finish the entire twelve hours. By four thirty he was changing into his street clothes and driving down the mountain. He avoided both Damon and Anders, but he figured he’d sort out the whole bachelor party thing later; after all, he was about to embark on the most important date of his life.

  After swinging by the florist where he picked up another bouquet, he drove straight to Temperance’s house. It was just about six when he walked up and knocked on the door.

  A bead of sweat formed on his forehead, and doubt crept into his mind. What if she’s changed her mind? Or she didn’t want—

  The door opened. “Hey.” As Temperance looked up at him, a shy smile on her face, all that doubt quickly dispelled.

  “Hi,” he greeted back. “These are for you.”

  “Oh.” Temperance took the flowers from his hands. “Thank you.”

  God, she looked so beautiful. She wore a simple navy blouse and white skirt, while her long dark curls hung down one shoulder. Her hazel eyes seemed to glow, but when he caught her gaze, she quickly turned her right side away from him.

  A flicker of annoyance pecked at him at the gesture. He longed to make her see that those scars didn’t matter to him, but he didn’t know how to do that exactly. But for now, maybe it was better to just not mention them at all.

  “They’re mums, I think,” he said. “The flowers, I mean.”

  “They’re gorgeous. Can I bring them along, or should I put them inside?”

  “Just bring them, they’ll be okay for a few hours.” Truth was, he didn’t want to wait a second longer. “I made reservations.”

  “Oh, okay.” Stepping out of the house, she quickly locked the door. “And are we taking your car?”

  “Yeah.” He offered his arm. “My chariot awaits, my lady.”

  A pretty blush bloomed on her cheek as she looped her arm through his. This close, he finally got a whiff of her sweet, feminine scent, and it was enough to send a stab of desire through him. Control yourself, Russel. Despite his own needs, the last thing he wanted to do was act like a caveman around her.

  He escorted her to his Jeep, opening the door for her and helping her up the step. Temperance was of normal height he supposed, though he still towered over her. Walking around, he slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine.

  “How was your day?” he asked as he maneuvered the vehicle out of the mobile home park.

  “Long, but good.” One light hazel eye peeked over at him.

  “Mine too,” he said. “But I’m happy it’s done. My shift anyway.”

  There was a short awkward silence, then she swallowed audibly. “So, you like being a ranger?”

  “It’s a good job, I suppose,” he said. “What about you? Do you like working for Rosie?” He glanced over at her.

  “Yeah, she’s nice.” Temperance fiddled with her fingers on her lap.

  They drove the rest of the way in silence, but he wasn’t disappointed or annoyed; it was obvious they were both nervous. He himself felt so anxious about not making a mistake that he felt like a teen on his first date. Still, there was a simmering excitement bubbling underneath the surface, a nervous energy that had his lion pacing in anticipation. Soon, he slid into a parking spot inside the garage next to where the restaurant was located.

  “Where did you hear about this place?” she asked as they walked to the entrance of the restaurant which had a red painted sign that said Brasserie Cannes.

  “I actually live near here,” he said casually. “I walked by this place a couple weeks ago and saw they were opening soon.”

  “You live here?” she glanced around nervously. “It’s, uh, a nice neighborhood.”

  “I suppose,” he said with a shrug, then opened the door for her and followed in behind. “Good evening, I have a reservation,” he said to the young woman at the station. “Russel, table for two.”

  “Let me check on that for you, sir,” she began, then peered down at the electronic tablet in front of her. “Russel … hmmm. Oh. Oh no.” She frowned, then looked up at him sheepishly. “I do remember taking your call, but I think we had a little glitch, because I can’t find it.” Panicked, she looked around. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Russel. Everything’s so new and I just started here a few days ago. I can arrange something for you, but would you mind waiting by the bar for a few minutes?”

  “It’s all right,” he assured her. “We can wait, right, Temperance?”

  She nodded. “Of course.”

  “Oh, thank you,” the hostess said, relieved. “This is my first time using this system and it’s still buggy. Come this way please.” She led them to the bar on the right side of the dining room. He ordered a beer for himself, and Temperance asked for a sparkling water.

  “So,” he began. “You said you moved here from Chicago? How do you like Blackstone?”

  She seemed to tense when he first mentioned Chicago, but quickly relaxed when he asked her about Blackstone. “I love it here, actually,” she said. “It’s different. But there’s so many things to love about this place.”

  “Like what?”

  As she began to talk, he half-listened because he was too distracted at how close they suddenly were standing next to each other. Thank God the hostess had lost his reservation, because he wouldn’t have had this chance to be so near her if they had been sitting on opposite ends of a table. This close, he could see the way the lights
played in her eyes and watch her plump lips part when she spoke. That intoxicating scent of hers teased him as well, and he had to grip his beer glass tight to stop himself from acting on his need. God, I hope I can at least get a goodnight kiss. Being this near her and not touching her was driving him and his lion insane.

  “… it’s also so quiet,” she continued. “Which I like. Back when I was working in the city, I heard car horns and sirens all day long.”

  “I should take you hiking up in the mountains,” he said, taking a small sip of his beer. “It’s real quiet there.”

  “I’m not very outdoorsy.”

  “Neither am I.”

  She giggled, her voice like bells. “Are you sure you’re really cut out to be a ranger?”

  Everyone who knew him before the rangers would be surprised too. “Yeah, but I only joined—”

  “Gabriel Russel. Is that you?”

  His entire body froze at the sound of that low, sultry drawl. Motherfucker, not now. Clearing his throat, he turned his head toward the source of the voice and then cursed a blue streak in his head when he confirmed who it was. “Hello, Vicky.” What the hell was she doing here?

  Vicky Woolworth stood inches behind him; her slick red lips turned up into a smile. “Gabe.” She leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. His lion bristled, not wanting to even breathe the same air as the lioness. “It’s been a while. Why haven’t you been answering my calls?” she asked with a fake pout.

  Maybe because I blocked your number and your social media accounts, you psycho? However, he didn’t want to make a scene. “I’ve been busy.” He glanced over at the man beside her. “Hi.”

  “Oh, excuse my rudeness.” She patted Gabriel on the shoulder. “This is my date, Tom Melnick. Tom, this is Gabriel Russel. We go way back.”

  “Tom,” he nodded at the man as he took the offered hand. Melnick was tall, handsome, and by the look of his expensive suit and watch, very rich. So, in short, he was Vicky’s type.

  “Nice to meet you, Gabe,” Melnick said as they shook hands.

  “It’s Gabriel,” he corrected.

  “Only I get to call him Gabe,” Vicky laughed. “Oh, who’s your … friend?”

  Crap. Turning around, he saw Temperance shrink away from them, anxiety rolling off her in waves. This really wasn’t how he wanted this night to turn out. Of all the fucking places and times Vicky could have shown up, it had to be tonight?

  “This is my date,” he said, emphasizing the last word as he placed an arm around her. “Temperance Pettigrew.”

  Temperance flinched when his arm landed on her shoulder, but at least she didn’t shrug it off. “Hello,” she said in a soft voice. She didn’t look at Vicky or Tom, but instead, kept the right side of her face and body away from them.

  Vicky’s perfectly shaped blonde brow rose high. “Pettigrew? Are you one of the Long Island Pettigrews?”

  “I …” Temperance shook her head. “No, I’m from Chicago originally.”

  “Really? Which part?” Vicky prodded.

  “A suburb you probably wouldn’t know,” she said with a nervous laugh.

  Vicky’s nose wrinkled at the mention of the suburbs. “I’m sure I don’t,” the lioness said with disinterest.

  “Don’t you have a table?” Gabriel snapped at her. He was not going to play Vicky’s games. Not anymore.

  “We do, actually,” Melnick said, clearing his throat. “Vicky?”

  Flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder, Vicky pasted a big smile on her face. “I’ll see you around, Gabe.”

  As the other couple walked away, Temperance ducked her head and shook his arm off. “I need to use the ladies’ room,” she said before quickly scampering away, not even looking up at him.

  Gabriel cursed inwardly. Downing his beer, he signaled the bartender for another one. Why he ever got involved with that crazy lioness, he didn’t know. Maybe because he was young and stupid, and their families encouraged it.

  The Woolworth’s lineage was just as blue as the Russel’s, and everyone had expected them to get married. But after a while, he realized that she was, indeed, a few cards short of a deck. Still, it took him a while to fully get rid of her. But every now and then, she popped up like a nasty rash. He usually shut her down quickly, blocking her and avoiding any places where she might show up.

  He knew growing up what his purpose in life was as the only male in his family of notoriously matriarchal shifters. In the past few years, he’d managed to avoid it all, even rebelling with his choice of career. He could have his choice of cushy jobs in the Lyon Industries organizational chart, but he didn’t want to be involved in all that, and for the most part, his sisters had left him alone.

  But a few months ago, Gen started getting on his case about “family duty” and all that shit. Oh, he knew why his eldest sister had been calling and leaving numerous voice mails lately. Vicky sliding into his DMs and now bumping into her seemed suspiciously coincidental.

  Minutes ticked by, and he realized he had finished his second beer already. Where the heck was that hostess with that table? On second thought, maybe it would be a good idea to find another place to eat.

  “You’re still here, Gabe?”

  Fuck.

  Whirling around, he fixed a neutral expression on face. “Don’t you have a date you have to go back to?”

  The corner of her lips turned up. “Why? Are you jealous?” Leaning over, she trailed her fingers up his arm. “You know it gets me hot when you are.”

  Christ, nothing had changed in in five years. Vicky was still a raging lunatic. “Don’t start, Vicky.” Wrapping his fingers around her wrist, he pulled her claws off. “And stop contacting me. Newsflash: when someone blocks your number and social media accounts, they generally don’t want to hear from you.”

  “But we were so good together,” she said with a pout, leaning forward to take up his personal space. A hand crept up his chest. “Surely, you don’t want that weak little human? Are you just waiting to get her in the sack?” She scoffed. “She’s a nobody. And those disgusting scars—”

  “Shut the fuck up!” His lion, too, was seeing red at the insult to their mate. His hands gripped at her arms, trapping her against the bar with his body. “You’re not even worth a fraction of her.”

  They stood there for a few seconds as he waited for her to push him away. Instead, she slinked her torso up against him. “I knew you still had it in you.” Her gaze flickered to something behind him, and she smirked. “Oh, Gabe, we were always so good together.”

  He pushed off her and raked his fingers through his hair. “What the fuck are you—” He froze, then whirled back to Vicky. “How did you know about her scars?”

  Vicky smoothed her perfectly-manicured hands down her dress but didn’t say anything.

  A pit formed in his gut. “Where the hell is my table?” he barked as the hostess passed by them.

  The young woman started, then hugged the menus she was carrying to her chest like a shield. “S-sir? I thought you changed your mind.” She cocked her head at the exit. “Your date … she left.”

  A murderous feeling crept into him as he put together what could have happened. “Goddammit! You planned this,” he growled at Vicky.

  Fear flashed in the lioness’s face for a brief second. “Gabe! Don’t you dare—”

  Ignoring Vicky, he dashed out of the restaurant. “Temperance!” he called. There was a faint trace of her scent in the air, but there was no sign of her. However, the sound of a door closing and then a car driving away caught his attention, and he saw a car idling across the street. Goddammit! As the sedan pulled away, he thought to run after it, but he knew better. Besides, if Temperance had called for a ride, he already knew where she was going.

  He sprinted to the car garage where he’d parked, then drove as fast as he legally could all the way to Temperance’s house. His lion mewled in distress, not liking the fact that their mate ran away from them.

  “I know, buddy,
” he said under his breath. “Fucking Vicky.”

  She probably saw an opportunity when Temperance went to the bathroom and pounced on the chance to confront her, away from Gabriel. Lionesses could be ruthless like that. Plus, he could only imagine what she’d said to Temperance. But knowing his ex, it couldn’t have been good.

  He practically leapt out of the Jeep as soon as he got to her house, not even bothering to turn the engine off. “Temperance!” he called, rapping on her door. “Temperance!”

  She didn’t answer, but his keen senses could hear her moving around inside. His chest tightened, and his lion growled and snapped its jaws at the flimsy door. With his shifter strength and claws, he could tear that scrap of metal into shreds in seconds, but he would never do anything to frighten her.

  “Go home, Gabriel,” came the faint voice from the other side.

  “Please, Temperance,” he begged, desperation clawing at him as he braced his palms on the door frame. “We didn’t even finish our date. Why don’t I order us some food—”

  “I’m not hungry. And I’m t-t-tired.” Her voice seemed louder now, so he could imagine her just on the other side of the door, centimeters away from him.

  “What did she say, Temperance? What did Vicky tell you?”

  “N-nothing.”

  “I don’t believe you. Open this door or I’ll—”

  “Don’t make me call the police,” she said. “Please.”

  The hurt in her voice struck a chord in him. What a fucking mess. The moment Vicky walked into the restaurant; he should have insisted on leaving. That woman was hell-bent on destroying his life; she’d already tried five years ago.

  Leaning his forehead on the door, he let out a long huff. He knew he could wait it out here all night. But she had work in the morning, and so did he, plus, Anders was already doing him a favor, so he didn’t want to abuse the other man’s good will by showing up late. “This isn’t over, Temperance,” he warned. However, only silence answered him back.

  He knew he had to make her listen. But how? Seeing him with Vicky had probably shattered the already tenuous trust she had in him. And now she wouldn’t even come out to see him and let him explain. Maybe it was time to give up.