I burst out laughing. “I’m not sure how I feel about that last remark, but thanks anyway.”
As I’m leaving the shop, Spectra calls out, “Remember to be on the lookout for any signs from the hand of fate!”
Rolling my eyes, I wave goodbye.
Chapter 17
Sniff and Tussle
TEDDY
Sunday, June 24
After I neatly stack my boxes in one corner of the minimally furnished dorm room, I sort through the suitcase for some clean clothes and head to the men’s locker room, desperate for a shower. As the water streams down my head and back, I recall Sophie’s glower as I was leaving the cottage and heave sigh. She’s obviously confused by my sudden departure, especially after I insisted on adhering to all the requirements of Miss Dragonfly’s will—including the need for Sophie to provide me with room and board.
Sophie probably thinks I’m too dimwitted to date, let alone become a proper boyfriend. Then I remember she’ll be seeing her prospective boyfriend later today, and I smack the damp tiles with the palm of my hand.
“Ouch!” I howl, forgetting about my cuts.
“You alright over there?” asks a man in the nextshower stall. It takes me a few beats to place the voice; he’s Jake’s beta.
“Um… yeah... just having a moment,” I mumble.
“You up for a run? If you don’t mind talking while you jog, I don’t mind listening.”
I wonder what’s gotten into Jake’s beta, Rob Somebody; the guy was downright snippy last night. Then it dawns on me Jake probably filled him in; as the pack’s number two, Rob has as much of a right as Jake to know what happened with my last pack, and why I need to put some distance between Sophie and me during non-work hours. He’s probably the guy who’ll monitor me when the full moon comes around, which isn’t for another few weeks.
“That sounds good. I’ll be ready in ten minutes.”
“Meet you out front,” says Rob, turning off the water; his feet make squishy sounds on the floor as he pads away.
I stand under the shower spray for a couple more minutes, wondering if Sophie is thinking about me at all.
Nah… She’s not giving me a second thought.
On the other hand, I can’t get that feisty faerie out of my head. It’s almost like Sophie has taken up residence inside my heart, filling up all the vacant places with her sass and beauty and kindness, which she carefully hides beneath a layer of grump.
The fire station is quiet as I head toward the lobby, which is painted a soothing blue. Pausing by the front door, I scan the assorted posters tacked onto the walls: fire safety tips, an estate sale, the dates of the various summer festivals, and a recruitment poster for volunteerfirefighters, which I tap with my forefinger. Evening training classes start this week.
“Sign me up,” I whisper, pulling open the door.
Rob is doing stretches on the sidewalk and straightens as I approach. His hair and beard look a bit paler in the sunshine, more of a sandy blond; he’s as tall as me and a bit stockier. “You up for five miles?”
“At least,” I reply. “Yesterday’s run was interrupted when I took a tumble, and the day before I drove for eight hours. I’m desperate for a good head-clearing.”
“Gotcha.” Rob nods. “The beach is too crowded at this time of day; let’s head inland.”
After I do some leg stretches, Rob leads me down a picturesque side street, past small cottages and larger homes, up a rather steep hill, and then onto a two-lane county road. We jog in companionable silence, passing farmhouses, orchards, barking dogs, grazing cows, and even a llama farm. I realize he’s waiting for me to say something, so I clear my throat and ask, “How much has Jake shared with you?”
Rob glances over. “Pretty much everything. I heard about your last pack, which sounds like a sorry mess; my condolences on your alpha. And Jake told me about Sophie. I didn’t see that coming… and to be honest, I find it hard to picture the two of you together… not that I’m doubting your feelings. Werewolves know when they’ve met their mate. I’m just saying I’ve known Sophie all my life, and she’s a force all her own. It’s going to take a strong, assertive man to win her heart. And… er…” Rob hesitates.
“Just say what’s on your mind. It’s not anything I haven’t heard before.”
“Fine.” Rob quirks an eyebrow in my direction. “You appear to be a pleasant, well-organized, rule-following werewolf—and not at all Sophie’s type.”
“But she’s my mate,” I huff out a breath. “So I’m going to have to find a way to win her heart.”
We run in silence for a spell, and then I ask, “What’s her type?”
