by Kayla Wolf
”I thought doctors were meant to have messy handwriting,” he said, gazing down at the neatly color-coded pages of notes she’d taken. She laughed.
”Human doctors, maybe,” she said in a low voice, her eyes dancing. He grinned, feeling an odd thrill run down his spine at her conspiratorial tone. What was going on with him today? Why was he having such a good time here with Alice? He’d never felt this—interest in her.
The afternoon came upon them quickly. They’d been assigned a little booth in the hall, where they quickly set up the materials he’d brought with them—and then the whirlwind really started. There were thousands of people in attendance—not just other tourism business operators, but regular people, too, prospective holiday-goers curious about what hidden gems California had to offer. It seemed the conference was a regular stop for the discerning tourist—it wasn’t long before they were running out of flyers for their settlement.
”I’m so glad we brought extra,” Daniel said, tearing open a new box. Alice grinned at him.
”Told you. Better safe than sorry. Words to live by.”
”Look, I’d usually be in favor of living dangerously, but on this particular occasion, you’re absolutely right. I’m so glad you’re here,” he said honestly, smiling at her as he pulled more flyers out of the box. “Seriously. I’m having a lot of fun. I can’t believe we haven’t spent more time together.”
That brilliant smile came across her face—a real smile, the kind that touched her eyes. “I’m having a good time too—” she started—but before she could finish, a shadow fell across the table, and she’d turned away from him, a surprised look on her face.
”Oh! Lawrence, hey! How’s your booth going?”
For some reason, Daniel felt his heart sink as he turned to the familiar guy standing at their booth. Tall, spiky blond hair, hard yellow eyes … this was the guy Alice had been talking to last night, the guy who’d filled Daniel with a strange sense of resentment. The other shifter. He was pretty sure he was a coyote … he hadn’t spent a lot of time with coyotes before, but he’d met one or two on the road. They usually traveled in groups, big, extended family networks—a little like wolves, but where wolf packs tended to be open to new members, coyote groups tended to be just for members of the family. As a result, they had a reputation for being secretive.
“Booth’s going great. You’re running out of flyers too, hey?” the guy said, his eyes barely leaving Alice. Daniel cleared his throat, and Alice jumped.
”Oh, sorry! Lawrence, this is Daniel, my friend from back home. He does most of our marketing,” she explained, but Lawrence didn’t seem particularly interested in his role. Daniel knew when he was being sized up … could tell by the appraising way the guy was looking at him, by the slightly too firm handshake he gave him. He squeezed back hard, keeping a pleasant smile on his face. Two could play at that game.
”Nice to meet you, Lawrence.”
But Lawrence didn’t have much time for him. He drew Alice into a conversation—something about San Bernardino, where the coyote ran a resort with his family. Daniel tried to involve himself in the conversation, too, but with interested people coming up to the booth to check them out, he had his hands too full for conversation. Finally, irritable, he cleared his throat.
”Lawrence, do you mind if we get back to it? Pretty busy here. I’m sure your booth needs you, too.”
The coyote raised an eyebrow—Daniel realized he’d spoken more sharply than he’d intended. But the guy got the message. He said goodbye to Alice then drifted off into the crowd—Daniel could still feel his sharp yellow eyes lingering on him.
”What was that about?” Alice asked, clearly a little confused by his conduct. “We’re not that busy. Do you not like him?”
He opened his mouth, closed it again, not sure how to respond. There was something about Lawrence that just rubbed him the wrong way. But what was it? Did it have anything to do with the way he talked to Alice? And how could he explain that to her?
Thankfully, a crowd of interested holiday-makers swamped their booth, and they were both too busy answering questions to continue with the conversation. But Daniel couldn’t shake the low, uneasy feeling in his gut that had started up when he’d seen how Lawrence looked at Alice. There was something about the guy … something he didn’t trust.
Or was it something about Alice that was making him feel so protective of her?
Chapter 7 - Alice
It was a long, exhausting day … but Alice was buzzing with adrenalin. The morning had been so chaotic, but so educational … and then the opportunity to stand at the booth chatting with potential future visitors to their peninsula! She was loving it. It felt so good to be making these contacts, getting their name out there … every flyer she handed out made her grin to herself, knowing that it was a potential future guest. That meant more money for the settlement, more possibilities for expansion. It meant new energy in the settlement, new life … an end to the stress of the last few years, to the fears that their little project wasn’t going to get off the ground. They had so much interest already… and so many new ideas on how to market their pristine little piece of paradise to their target audience.
And it was so good to spend time with Daniel. He’d surprised her with his approach to the conference, with how closely he’d paid attention to the information sessions he’d attended, the detailed—if rather messy—notes he’d taken to share with her. They had more than enough information to build a successful marketing campaign for their settlement … and a lot of ideas for expansion, too. Activities for guests to participate in, places for them to go, tours to take them on … she was especially excited about the idea of offering nature walks in which guests could identify the various native species of animals and plants that dwelt on the peninsula.
And the booth had been a roaring success. They’d handed out nearly all of their flyers, and she knew that soon the phones would be ringing off the hook with reservations back home. But to her surprise, Daniel didn’t seem quite as excited as she was as the exhibition hall closed and they started heading back up to their hotel room. There was an odd look on his face—as though something was troubling him. She wanted to ask what it was … but she had a feeling she knew. It had something to do with Lawrence. Was it possible they knew each other, that they had some history that she wasn’t privy to? Shifters often knew each other … and there had been a distinctly prickly energy between Daniel and Lawrence when they’d locked eyes.
“Are you okay?” she asked as they reached their floor. “You seem a bit distracted.”
He looked down at her, that distant frown still on his face … but then he shook his head, a smile coming to take the place of that closed-off look. “I’m fine. Just a bit tired, I think. Crazy day.”
”I’ll say! But so productive. I can’t wait to bring everything we’ve learned back home to the peninsula. I really think this stuff’s going to be a game-changer,” she said. He was smiling down at her, and she fought the dizzy feeling that that smile brought on. The business side of this trip might have been going well, but her other project—Operation Shake Off This Crush—was so far a complete bust. If anything, spending time around Daniel was making it worse.
But she had a plan that might help with that. At the very least, it would take her mind off him. It had been good to see Lawrence this afternoon … he’d deliberately come to seek her out, something she found rather flattering. And when he’d suggested they spend the evening together, she’d agreed with only a brief flare of anxiety. She’d been asked on dates before, of course, but not for a long, long time … not since her med school days, in fact, when she’d mostly turn down even offers that seemed interesting because of the amount of work she had to do. Her career had always been more important than her romantic life. But being here, surrounded by new people, excited about the discovery that she wasn’t quite as bad at socializing as she’d thought … well, it seemed as good an opportunity as any to try out dating. Lawrence wa
s a good-looking guy. She didn’t feel anything for him that compared to the stupid crush she had on Daniel … but after all, she’d only known him for a day. The idea was to go on a few dates and wait for the feelings to develop, right?
The room had been cleaned in their absence. Alice smiled to see the enormous double bed, neatly made up with fresh towels sitting on the end of it … complete with a couple of chocolate mints. Daniel grabbed one and tossed her the other one, clearly reading her mind—she grinned as she unwrapped it and popped it into her mouth.
”Aren’t we supposed to wait until after dinner?” she teased him.
”Oh, shoot. We are. Guess I’d better call the cops,” he said heavily, reaching out for the phone on the bedside table and holding it to his ear. “Hello? Police? There’s been a mint crime—”
She laughed, tossing her wrapper at him. He was grinning back up at her, sprawling back comfortably on the bed, and an odd look crossed his face before he cleared his throat and spoke. “Alice? I was wondering—”
It wasn’t like him to hesitate like that. Her heart fluttered, but she tried to hold onto her casual disposition. “Yeah?”
”We’ve been in the hotel all day. Did you want to head into town together, maybe grab dinner and see how the beach compares to ours back home?”
She bit her lip. A part of her was screaming that there was nothing in the world she’d rather do than have dinner and a walk on the beach with Daniel—but she’d already agreed to plans with Lawrence. It would be rude to stand him up, wouldn’t it? He’d asked her first … and he’d actually asked her on a date. Daniel just wanted to hang out, she told herself, trying to still the pounding of her heart. He didn’t have anything to do so he wanted to hang out with her. She was just a friend … just his best friend’s sister. She couldn’t let this crush make her follow him around for the rest of her life like a lovesick puppy. If she was going to find her soulmate the way so many of the guys back home had, she was going to have to be more proactive than that. So she smiled and shook her head, trying not to read into the look of disappointment on his face.
”Sorry, Daniel, I’d love to, but I—I agreed to grab dinner with someone already.”
Curiosity and suspicion were warring on his face—but she could tell he was trying to look casual when he asked. “Who?”
”Uh, Lawrence, actually. The guy you met today, at the booth? Tall, blond hair—”
”Yeah, I remember him.” That was definitely a frown—but before she could ask him about why he was looking so furious, he’d turned away, rolling across the bed and seizing the remote control to flick the television on. The room filled with the sound of commercials. “All good. Have fun, I guess.”
”Sorry,” she tried again—but Daniel’s face was closed.
“It’s fine. I kind of wanted some time to myself anyway. I’ll get room service, check out what’s on TV. You stay out as late as you want.”
She headed into the bathroom to get ready, biting her lip. Was he upset that she’d turned him down? Was it possible that he was … jealous, that she was going out with someone else? That reckless voice inside of her piped up, yelling at her to march right out there and hurl herself into his arms. But Alice had a lot of practice keeping that voice quiet, and she got into the shower instead, rubbing the sweet-smelling hotel shampoo through her curls and trying to put Daniel out of her mind. He was just tired, that was all, tired and cranky after a long day. Like he’d said, a night by himself would do him some good. She got changed after her shower—another dress, bought a long time ago and rarely worn, this one a bright red with a slightly shorter skirt than the one she’d opted for the night before. She did her makeup in the bathroom, too, telling herself that she didn’t want to disturb Daniel’s rest.
Lawrence was going to meet her downstairs at six, and she realized with a start that she was almost late. Still, she hesitated in the doorway. She’d felt Daniel’s eyes on her when she emerged from the bathroom to grab her shoes, but she’d resisted the urge to look back at him, not sure what it was he was looking at. And when she lingered in the doorway, his eyes were fixed resolutely on the TV. She opened her mouth to say goodbye—then closed it again and left without a word, fighting the bizarre urge to cry. Out of sight, out of mind, she told herself, trying not to lose herself down spirals of regret and over-thinking. She was allowed to do whatever she wanted with her time. He had no right to get grumpy just because she wasn’t at his beck and call.
By the time she’d reached the lobby, she had her feelings under control, and she was determined to spend the rest of the evening without giving Daniel a second thought. Lawrence wasn’t there yet, despite it being a little after six—she sat at the hotel bar and sent him a text advising him where she was, treating herself to a glass of red wine while she waited. She’d earned it after such a hectic day … besides, she hadn’t been on a date in decades, and something to steady her nerves seemed like a good idea.
Finally, Lawrence turned up, still wearing the suit he’d been wearing when she saw him earlier. Not exactly the dress code for a night out … and he raised an eyebrow at the dress she was wearing.
”You got changed.”
”Yeah, I thought we were going out?”
”What’s the point? Hotel meals are covered,” Lawrence said dismissively, heading for the hotel restaurant without checking to see if she was coming. She finished her wine quickly and hurried after him, a little surprised by this new energy. Maybe he was tired, too. Why was every man she talked to in such a bad mood tonight?
The conversation, unfortunately, didn’t improve. Alice found herself biting her lip when they settled in at the restaurant. For some reason, Lawrence took it upon himself to order for her—some kind of salad she’d never heard of, when she’d been craving a burger all day. She corrected the server who took their order, asking for a burger instead, and she didn’t miss the flash of real anger that crossed his face before he laughed.
”You’re one of those modern feminists, huh?” he asked, one eyebrow raised. The server shot Alice a brief but loaded look—the universal, wordless ‘are you sure about this guy?’ expression that all women were capable of. But she shook off her misgivings. He’d been perfectly nice when she’d talked to him last night and earlier that day—maybe he was just nervous. Or was it an attempt at a joke? She’d give him the benefit of the doubt.
They talked while they waited for their food … or, more to the point, Lawrence talked. She listened, opening her mouth occasionally to contribute something—but the guy would just talk right over her, clearly more interested in finishing his monologue than hearing what she had to say. He told her all about his family, their resort, the way their business had grown, how important he’d been in getting the place running smoothly… he was definitely the star in every story he told, that was for sure. Finally, their food arrived—and he raised his eyebrow as she started on the fries that came along with her burger.
”You know there are about four hundred calories in the fries alone.”
She blinked at him, caught off guard.
”Well, women only need twelve hundred calories a day. That’s a third of your food intake right there—and that’s not even taking the burger into account. You don’t want to get fat, do you?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Metabolic rate depends on a lot more factors than gender. I’ll be okay.”
”Well, it’s your funeral. Obesity’s an epidemic. Not just among humans,” he added, lowering his voice slightly. “You should see my sister. She’s a huge tub of lard. I’m just looking out for you.”
Alice opened her mouth and closed it again, a little shocked by the way Lawrence was talking about his family … and a little irritated that he seemed to have forgotten what she did for a living, as he launched into a monologue about the obesity epidemic affecting America. Not only was he oversimplifying what was a fairly complicated subject, and getting a lot of the data incorrect … it was also becoming abundantly clear that he was l
ess interested in health and more interested in making sure that women looked like he wanted them to.
”I mean, look at that woman behind you,” he said, pointing with his fork. Alice didn’t turn around. “She’s a five, but she’d be a seven like you if she just lost maybe twenty pounds—”
”Okay,” Alice said firmly, putting her fork down. “I think I’d better head back to my room now.”
”I’ll walk you.”
”That’s really not necessary—”
”No, I’ll walk you.”
She took a breath, not sure how to tell this guy she wanted nothing more to do with him. The way he was looking at her made her skin crawl, and she suddenly wished she had a jacket on this warm Californian evening, just to disguise the outlines of her body. As they walked, he put a proprietary hand on her lower back, and she fought down the urge to shudder. How could someone who’d seemed so completely reasonable suddenly unload such toxic ideas on her? On a first date, no less? Was it his age, maybe? She didn’t know much about coyotes and whether they shared lifespans similar to humans, but she definitely got the idea from Lawrence that he was a lot less mature than she was … and a lot less mature than Daniel, for that matter. And that was saying something. Daniel wasn’t exactly the kind of guy who screamed maturity … but he sure had this guy beat.
“Good idea, getting away from the crowds,” Lawrence said as they headed down the hotel hallway. “Now we can talk properly. You’re a dragon, right? I’m from the biggest family of coyotes in California. You’ve probably heard of us.”
”I don’t know any coyotes,” she said, trying to keep her voice neutral. But he was ignoring her, carrying on about how important his family was, how significant their business was, how he needed a woman who understood enough about the business to support him in his work.
”And you’re a doctor,” he said. “That means you’re smarter than most women. And play your cards right, and I can make sure you never have to work again,” he said, leaning in close to her with a smile that she might have found handsome a few hours ago, but right now made her want to crawl out of her own skin. “What do you say? I think we’d make quite the power couple.”