He had thought to go home for lunch, but now he wasn’t so sure. He had to think and he knew he’d do that better if he were alone. Then again, being alone with his thoughts probably wasn’t good for him either. He wasn’t sure there was a way to figure out the situation, and he’d probably just make himself sick thinking it to death.
When lunchtime came, Hunter approached him.
“Want to grab a bite to eat?” Hunter asked.
Ramsey shrugged. “Sure.”
They both washed up before leaving and went to the nearest diner. After their orders were placed, Hunter grinned at him.
“What?” Ramsey asked.
“I talked to Harper earlier.”
“And?”
“She seems happy. I take it you had a good time at the lake?”
Ramsey shook his head. “You know, this isn’t typically something a guy discusses with his girlfriend’s brother.”
“Yeah well, we’re not your typical brother and sister. We share everything with each other. Well, mostly everything.”
“Then you already know how the trip went.”
“No, I know how she thinks it went. I want to know how you feel about it.”
Ramsey shrugged. “I thought things were going great, until we got back. Gabriel gave me an ultimatum that I can’t get off my mind. If I’m not mated to someone within a month’s time, then I’m gone. It isn’t fair to Harper.”
“Why do you say that?” Hunter asked.
“Because it isn’t enough time to get to know someone. What if we don’t know each other well enough to take that step by then? She’ll have wasted a month of her life with me, and I’ll be without a mate and have to leave the pack.”
“From what I gathered from her this morning, I don’t think you’ll have a problem convincing her to be your mate. I haven’t heard her that happy before.”
“I don’t want to convince her to be my mate. I want her to want to be with me. There’s a difference,” Ramsey pointed out. “Would you want to spend the rest of your life with someone you had to convince to be with you?”
“No, I guess not. Still, I think you should consider taking her as your mate. I don’t think she’d tell you no.”
“I have some time to figure it out. And who knows, she may decide she doesn’t want to stay with me during that time. She may come to find out that she doesn’t have feelings for me at all and want to be free to find someone else.”
“There’s always Luna,” Hunter said.
Ramsey scowled at him. “No, there isn’t. She isn’t even an option. I’d rather be forced to leave than spend the rest of my life with her. She’s nice, don’t get me wrong, but she isn’t someone I want to be mated to. But something tells me she isn’t going to go away. She thinks she’s in love with me.”
“I thought Gabriel was going to mate her to someone else?”
“That’s what I heard, but if he doesn’t move quickly then I think she could cause trouble for me. It’s just a feeling I have. I could be wrong. She may fall in line with his plans without a single complaint.”
“For your sake, I hope so.”
They finished their lunch and got back to work. After having talked to Hunter, Ramsey felt a little better, but he was still concerned for his future. Was Hunter right? Could Harper be willing to be his mate? It was too soon to ask her, but he was glad to hear that she might be willing. It was enough to make him smile and the rest of his day passed quickly.
Chapter Eight
At home, Ramsey walked in to a house that smelled like meatloaf. It had been a while since someone had cooked a meal for him in his home and it briefly brought Chloe to mind. But instead of the pain he usually felt with her memories, he only felt the pleasant warmth of a happy remembrance. With a grin, he walked into the kitchen and watched Harper as she cooked. It took her a moment to realize he was there.
“You’re home sooner than I thought,” she said with a smile.
“I finished up a little early. This was a pleasant surprise though. I didn’t expect you to cook for me.”
“It was the least I could do. You’ve worked hard all day and all I did was sit around here doing nothing.”
He glanced around, noting how clean everything looked, even cleaner than usual. “I don’t think you did absolutely nothing all day.”
She shrugged a shoulder. “I might have cleaned a little and done your laundry. I stopped by the grocery store to pick up what I needed for dinner, but aside from that I watched TV or read a book most of the day.”
“I don’t expect you to cook and clean for me.”
“Ramsey, I live here, too. I want to help out. I’m not a guest so don’t expect me to just sit around and do nothing all day every day.”
He nodded. “Fair enough. I’m going to go shower before dinner’s ready.”
She gave him a smile before turning back to the stove.
He had to admit, she had a point. If she was living here, it was only right that she be allowed to contribute however she deemed fit. If she wanted to cook and clean, then that’s what he would let her do. He wanted her to feel at home, to make the place her own.
After a quick shower, he was more than ready to eat. He’d had a hard afternoon and found he was eager to sit down at the table with Harper and have a nice meal. It was something he could get used to quickly.
He found her setting the table and he tried to give her a hand, but she refused.
“You just sit down. Dinner will be out in just a minute,” she said, shooing him towards a chair.
With a grin, he followed her command and sat. When she brought dinner to the table, his mouth began to water. If it tasted as great as it smelled, then it was safe to say that Harper was an excellent cook. He was going to get fat if she fed him so well every night.
“How was work?” she asked as she sat down.
“Good. I went to lunch with Hunter today.”
She grinned. “I’m sure he gave you the third degree.”
“He just wanted to know how our trip went. We talked about what Gabriel said when we got back and maybe a little about Luna.”
“Luna?” she asked in surprise. “Why would you talk about Luna?”
“She stopped by work this morning.”
“Well... what did she want?”
“The usual, she’s still trying to be my mate. Or at least, she’s trying to convince me to make her mine.”
Harper stilled. “And what did you tell her?”
Ramsey studied her a moment. “I told her that I wasn’t interested in her that way, she needed to find someone else.”
He watched as Harper released a breath he hadn’t realized she was holding. Had she really worried about Luna? Was Hunter right? Could Harper possibly want to be his mate? He remembered her asking if he had anyone in mind once before, but he hadn’t taken her seriously. It didn’t mean he wanted to jump into something with her, one quick relationship was enough, but it gave him hope that maybe things would work out between them.
“Do you think she’ll leave you alone now?” she asked.
“I don’t know. It’s hard to say. I can only hope that she will. I can only tell her no so many times in so many ways.”
Harper nodded, seemingly satisfied with his answer. “You know, I was thinking about getting a part-time job. I thought it would occupy my time a little and give me some spending money. Any ideas of where I might look?”
“I think the Book Nook on Main is hiring. I saw a sign out on my way back into town with Luna. And someone at the garage mentioned that Mr. Owens at the local feed store was looking for someone to help with the animals they sell there. Mostly baby chicks and ducks, sometimes some horses and puppies. That’s all I know of though. You could always check the newspaper.”
“If I work around animals, I’ll end up bringing them home with me. I’ve always wanted pets. Maybe the bookstore would be the better option.”
“Why haven’t you had pets before?”
“My p
arents were allergic and after they died, Hunter thought it would be too much for me to take on. I was working full-time and taking care of the house. He argued that I wouldn’t have much time for a pet.”
Ramsey sat back and rubbed the back of his neck. “You know, if you want a pet, there’s plenty of room here.”
She looked surprised. “You’d let me get a pet?”
“If you’d like.”
She jumped out of her chair and threw her arms around his neck. “Oh thank you, Ramsey! Could we... could we go to the pet store tomorrow? Maybe after you get off work?”
“I think we can manage that.”
“You’re too good to me.”
He grinned. “A pet seems like something small. If it will make you happy, I see no reason you can’t have one.”
After giving him a kiss, she began clearing the dishes from the table. He stood to help her but she waved him away. With a shake of his head, he left her to her chore and went to the living room. As he listened to her move around in the kitchen, he surfed through channels on the TV, stopping on a rerun of Supernatural.
When Harper joined him, she curled up next to him on the sofa and put his arm around her. So far, living with her was easy. Of course, they’d only been together for a few days.
It had been a while since he’d spent a quiet evening at home with a woman whom he was dating. He’d forgotten how nice it was. And it had been just as long since he’d lived with someone, not including Luna. He didn’t count her since he’d only been with her as a favor to the pack. He thought of his time with her as more of a job, or possibly two friends spending time together. But with the way she’d been acting since they’d arrived in Ashton Grove, the term friend didn’t seem to apply anymore.
The show came to an end and he flipped through the channels again, trying to find something to watch. Anything to keep his mind off Luna and the problem she’d become. He didn’t want Harper to know what he was thinking, knew he couldn’t talk to her about it. Luna upset her and that was the last thing he wanted to do.
“Do you want to have lunch together tomorrow?” she asked suddenly.
“I thought I’d take my lunch and take a shorter break than usual so I could leave early. Maybe the day after?”
She nodded. “I think I’ll go to the Book Nook tomorrow and see about that job.”
“If it’s what you really want, then I hope you get it.”
Her hand fisted his shirt. “I don’t suppose you could be persuaded to turn off the TV and go the bedroom, could you?”
He looked down at her in surprise. “Aren’t you still sore?”
“Maybe a little.”
“I’d rather wait until you’re not hurting.”
“But...”
“No buts, Harper. We have plenty of time to be together.”
She bit her lip. “We could have forever, if you wanted.”
He stared at her, but didn’t say anything.
“As you told the alpha, a month isn’t a long time. If you’re waiting on me, you don’t have to. I know we just met, but I’d be willing to be your mate.”
He continued to stare at her.
“Say something, Ramsey!”
“I’m not quite sure what to say. I’m glad that you want to be my mate, Harper, but I think it’s too soon for us to make that kind of commitment to each other. What if you change your mind? We’ve only been together for a few days. You may decide you don’t want to be with me after all. If we take that final step, you won’t be able to reverse it. I think you should take the month to be certain that’s what you want.”
“You don’t want me, do you?” she asked softly.
He tucked her hair behind her ear. “It’s not that. Forever is a long time. I just think we should be sure before we give Gabriel an answer. This isn’t a game, it’s our lives we’re talking about.”
“If you don’t take me as your mate, what will you do?”
“Honestly? I’ll leave. I’d already planned on giving you the full month. My time will run out and I’ll have no option except to leave the pack.”
“But this is your home,” she argued.
“If the alpha tells me to leave, I’ll have to leave.”
“What about the joint-alpha? We haven’t heard from him. What if he says differently?”
“Connor? I doubt he’ll go against Gabriel on this one. I’m insignificant. He’d fight for his brother, or for one of his cousins, but I’m just another wolf in the pack. There’s nothing special about me, Harper.”
She cupped his cheek. “There is to me.”
He kissed her palm and held her hand. She truly was a gift, but he wasn’t going to consign her to a life she might come to hate. Regardless of what she had to say about it. He’d never told anyone before, but his mother had come to hate his father over the years, and he wouldn’t subject anyone to that fate. She’d been in love with him in the beginning, but later she’d met the wolf she should have been paired with, her soul mate. Ramsey couldn’t bear it if he broke Harper’s heart that way. No, he’d rather leave the pack than take a chance like that.
Chapter Nine
Ramsey was surprised the next morning when he saw Michael at work. He’d thought Gabriel was keeping them separated, but it seemed that was over with. He watched the other wolf warily, not sure what to expect from him. While he’d like to leave the past behind them and start fresh, he wasn’t sure if Michael would feel the same way. Michael had been furious with him when they’d last met, and Ramsey supposed that the other wolf had every right to be angry with him. But his meeting with Chloe had been innocent, he’d only wanted to say goodbye to her.
Michael approached with his jaw clenched. “I heard you were back.”
“For a little over a week now. I heard about the baby. Congratulations.”
Michael nodded. “Are we going to have a problem?”
“No, no problem. I tried to tell Gabriel that, but I don’t think he believes me.”
“Why should he?”
“I’m not going to try anything with Chloe so you don’t have to worry about that. I’m seeing someone. She’s living with me actually, and things are going well with us.”
“I’d heard that, but I didn’t believe it.”
“Her name’s Harper. She is Hunter’s sister.”
“Seems kind of sudden, what with you just getting back in town and all. How do I know it isn’t a trick that you aren’t living with her just so we’ll think you’re over Chloe?”
“I can’t force you to believe anything, but what I told you is the truth. I don’t know what I feel for her, it’s too soon to tell, but I do know that she’s special.”
Michael grinned. “Well, in that case, welcome back.”
“So we’re good?”
“Yeah, we’re good.”
They shook hands and got to work. It wasn’t long before lunch rolled around. Ramsey ate in the break room, hoping to be alone so he could eat quickly and get back to work. He knew Harper was anxious to go to the pet store and he wanted to hurry home to her. He grinned remembering how excited she’d been over getting a pet. It was such a small thing and yet it made her so happy.
He heard voices down the hall and tensed when he recognized one of them as Chloe’s. It was one thing to say he was over her and another to put it to the test. He hadn’t seen her since the day he’d left Ashton Grove and he wasn’t sure he was ready yet. But whether he was ready or not, he was about to be tested. He only hoped he would pass.
Michael and Chloe walked through the door and stopped when they saw him sitting at the table. She looked surprised, but not unpleasantly so. He had to admit that she looked good. It was the first time he’d seen her since she had the baby and she looked stunning. Even in a knit shirt and jeans, she was breathtaking.
“Hi, Ramsey,” she said softly. “It’s good to see you.”
“You too, Chloe.”
“We didn’t realize you were in here,” Michael said.
�
��I was just finishing up my lunch. I’m taking off a little early today. Promised Harper I’d take her shopping for a pet when I got home.”
“Harper?” Chloe asked.
“My girlfriend.”
“I didn’t realize you were seeing someone,” she said.
“It’s a new relationship.”
She nodded. “Well, I hope you’re happy. That’s all I ever wanted.”
He grinned. “I am.”
“We should get going,” Michael said, tugging Chloe toward the door. “If you see my brother, tell him I’m going to be a little late getting back from lunch.”
Ramsey nodded and turned away from them. Finishing his lunch, he threw his trash away and headed back to his work station. He had three alternators to replace, an engine to check, and a transmission to change out before he could go home for the day. And one way or another, he was going home early. He wasn’t about to break his promise to Harper.
He stayed focused on his work and tried to ignore the chatter around him. Normally he would join in the conversation, but not today. All he wanted was to make Harper happy. She seemed easy to please and he looked forward to the days to come.
A shadow fell over him and he looked to his left. He was surprised to see Gabriel, but maybe the alpha had heard about his meeting with Chloe.
“Anything wrong?” he asked.
“No, but I need to see you for a minute.”
Ramsey wiped off his hands and followed Gabriel into the back office. Once the alpha was seated, Ramsey waited patiently to see what he would say.
“I know you’ve been having some trouble from Luna. I’ve talked to her about it, but you know how women are. Once they get an idea in their heads, they’re like a dog with a bone. In this case, you’re the bone. I’ve tried to figure out what I can do, short of forcing her to mate with someone, and I can’t think of anything. The only way to fix the situation is for you to be mated to someone. Any luck?”
“Harper and I talked about it last night. She’s willing, but I want to wait a little longer. I don’t want her to wake up one morning and realize she’s made a mistake.”
Gabriel nodded. “Then we still have a problem. I got a call from a wolf out of Hunter’s old pack in California. Hunter said he doesn’t know him, but the wolf has asked to join us. I’ve given my consent. I’m hoping that he and Luna might make a match of it. She doesn’t seem interested in any of the wolves here, except for you.”
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