My attention longs to focus on the lake surrounding the dock. Not many people are swimming. Despite the warmth of the day, Lake Galen holds onto a chill through the spring. But the cold temperature would never bother a selkie. Approximately thirty feet out, the water is empty. Under the surface, just there, I could find a section of peace. Quiet solitude.
But I can’t leave. Not when I have a mate to procure.
“I enjoy meeting people in the field of academia. They tend to speak of their area of study with great passion and in-depth knowledge.” I hold out my hand for her to shake.
Ramona smiles wide at me. “Most times, people can’t get me to shut up about it. Luckily, Owen is a fan.”
“Because of his company.” I nod in understanding and try not to sigh.
Owen watches his date with the fascination of the newly infatuated. The sight doesn’t spark the mixture of anger and doubt I associate with jealousy.
Instead, I feel as if I ran a long race, only to come upon another hill. One more grueling leg before I can rest. One last obstacle to overcome before I can settle in with the man the fates have chosen for me.
Best I push on. Try to establish my claim. We’ve never had a frank conversation about our fated-mate status. I am aware there are certain selkies who, while they still pray to The Finned One along with the other gods, don’t believe the lore we followedin the past still applies. If the MacNamara family falls in this group, then I will need to convince Owen that I am his perfect match by other means. If only I were charming, I could attempt to dazzle him with my wit. Or if I were funny, I might try a joke.
Why can’t I woo a selkie mate by presenting him a well-formatted résumé?My academic and professional accolades are numerous and impressive when typed in a bulleted list.
As I consider my mate-catching avenues, I notice movement over Owen’s shoulder.
Then,hesteps forward, and I grind my teeth against a groan.
Finn Hammond.
The man is dark-haired and beautiful, like the woman Calder searches for.
And he’s staring at me. A bad habit Finn formed in high school.
The problem with his attention has never been that the pressure of his gaze is unwelcome. It’s more that I find myself making unconscious adjustments for it.
When his gray-blue eyes rest on me, I turn, so the side of my face with more pleasing angles faces him.
My voice increases volume, as if intent on including him in the conversation.
My fingers flex with the need to set his messy black hair to rights.
My teeth bite into my lower lip to keep my mouth from…
Doing something.
“Hi, Isla.” The way he says my name is entirely inappropriate.
Only I’ve yet to identify the reason why that is.
“Finn Hammond. It’s been three years since I last saw you.”
And I remember the day, the hour, the minute exactly, but I realize just in time that those are not details people tend to share with one another.
He steps closer, tilting his chin down to hold my gaze, encouraging me to stare back at him. “It’s been two years since I saw you.”
“I—no. What?” Only Finn does this. Makes me trip across my words as if his statements were sticks on a normally smooth-paved path. “How is it you’ve seen me more recently than I saw you?”
The man has the gall to shrug. “Maybe you weren’t paying attention.”
“Incorrect. I always pay attention.”
One of his thick, dark brows rises. “Do you?” he asks, as if I’d lie about this.
“Of course. When I last saw you was at Coffee & Claws. It was raining, but you had forgotten your rain jacket, so your red shirt was wet.” The material clung to his chest in a distracting way. I almost suggested he remove it. “You ordered a hot chocolate. And that was three years ago. See? I pay attention.”
