Then someone whooped. A dog barked. Laughter rippled through the park.
Fernando felt his chest tighten in that familiar way it did when he remembered exactly why he loved Walker. He was ridiculous, yes, but fearless about it.
Walker jogged back toward him, flushed and triumphant. “Well?”
“You sounded like a lovesick coyote.”
“Perfect. That’s exactly what Bigfoot goes for.”
“Walker, that was great,” Ernie said. He, Eddie, and Mateo joined them after their own calls. “You are definitely doing the calls tonight.
“Okay.” Walker agreed easily. “Ferdie, can we go to the hair analysis lecture next?”
“Please tell me you aren’t getting caught up in Bigfoot.”
Walker gave him a sheepish look. “It’s just nice to think there might be something wild and unknown left out there in the world.”
Fernando sighed and cupped his alpha’s face in his hands. “They’ve corrupted you, but I still love you. Okay, let’s go to the lecture thing.”
“Babe?” Eddie gave Gabriela a hopeful look. “Juan is the one giving the lecture, and he’s totally my bro. I need to support him.”
She groaned. “Fine. We’ll go too.”
Valentina scoffed. “You two are way too soft.”
A boy about her age walked past them with friends. He had short brown hair and lovely blue eyes. The group was heading directly to the tent where the lectures happened.
“Well, now that I think about it, maybe it’s a little interesting,” Valentina said, eyes following the boy.
Fernando and Mateo exchanged a look. They spoke with their brows and eyes. Yes, they would both be on guard duringthe stupid lecture. Fernando recognized theater people when he saw them. They were his people; he knew them well. That boy was the one Valentina liked.
Chapter 15
The next day, Fernando was spending time with Valentina, and Walker was back at Mal’s house with Janelle. They were there to pay their dues by appearing on Mal’s cooking show. Now that he knew about it, Walker was kind of excited to watch all the past episodes. Cooking was turning out to be more fun than he had expected.
“Where did that come from?” Janelle asked in a whisper, side-eying the taxidermied squirrel in the foyer wearing a knitted dress and a pearl necklace.
“It was not there the last time we were here,” Walker answered, also whispering.
“It’s for Walker,” Mal said, startling them with his sudden appearance. The man was dressed to cook, wearing a tie-dye headwrap and a purple T-shirt that saidWill Cook for Kisses. “Grandpa Paul and Grandma Kat wanted him to have something nice to welcome him to the family. Their words, not mine.”
“The Reed side of the family can’t have him.” Janelle grabbed his arm. “He’s ours.”
The squirrel’s glass eyes followed Walker in a way that felt judgmental.
“Too late.” Mal shrugged. “He has a squirrel now.”
“At least they didn’t send me another one,” Janelle said, sounding relieved. “That farmer squirrel they sent me is great. I have it displayed in my greenhouse. This one, though, is just weird.”
Walker turned to look at her, blinking slowly. “This one is weirder than a taxidermied squirrel dressed like a farmer?”
She scoffed and gave him a pitying look. “Of course it is, Captain Obvious.”
Now that Mal and Janelle were standing side by side, Walker could easily spot the family resemblance, especially in their personalities.
From the kitchen came a loud clang and a woman’s voice shouting. “Mal, tell them to hurry up. I’m fermenting something experimental.”
Walker paused. “Experimental?”
