Page 19 of A Farmer’s Guide To Gamers

“007 Goldeneye on N64?” I asked.

“Animal Crossing?” Dean asked, his eyebrows rising.

“None of them,” she replied, laughter making her cry as we all exclaimed. Even her best friend Sabrina had paused her interrogation to look at her friend in shock. “I run a farm and take care of animals! I don’t really have time for any of that.”

“You need to take breaks, girl! Even something small could be fun. You should look into it.”

“We can fix this,” Kai declared, looking more focused than I had seen him in a long time.

Once my packmate put his mind to something he was relentless. As far as courting gifts, a gaming setup would be pretty damn cool.

Wait? Courting gifts?

The thought stunned me, but even I wasn’t too out of touch to realize the fact I could define the undertones to her scent meant our compatibility was high.

Then there was the way every one of us was caught in her web. She looked at Jack and Dean with the same look, and hopefully Kai and I would soon be in that mix.

I realized then, that I truly wanted that. Our life was great, if not exasperating at times. But it was also a bit lonely.

She was pure sexy sunshine and I wanted to bask in her presence already.

Dean was studying me when I looked up again as if he was reading every thought racing through my brain. He lifted a single brow in question, as if asking what I thought.

I looked at Tillie who was now arguing with Sabrina down the table about self-care and what defined it. Warmth spread through me and a smile spread across my lips. When I looked back he looked pleased and determined.

We may not have said it out loud, but we had unofficially all decided that she was ours.

“I’m stuffed. How about a fire to wind down with? I believe Jade made some treats and has s’more ingredients,” their dad announced as he stood up and patted his stomach.

“You’re not touching my fire pit,” Pop protested, practically launching himself out of the chair.

It was funny how despite the initial introduction, they all acted as if our pack had been around for years. We were just another family member, and honestly? It was perfect.

“Tell me you boys like brownies? I made three different kinds,” Jade said. Even if I didn't, I had a feeling I’d agree.

“We do,” I reassured her as Jack and Kai also gave the same sentiment.

“If only we could bake without almost burning down the kitchen,” Jack said with a self-deprecating chuckle.

“Oh, there’s a story there,” Tillie said.

“Just our boy Jack there trying to bake me a birthday cake,” I said, surprising myself by speaking up first.

“In my defense, we had no choice. The bakery had an emergency and shut down and I figured it couldn’t be that hard,” Jack protested.

“Baking isn’t for everyone,” Tillie said gently, trying to be nice but Kai saw right through it.

“You’re a fantastic baker, aren’t you?” he accused playfully.

“I mean… I don’t know if I’d say fantastic,” she hedged. I wasn’t sure if she was sparing his feelings or humble but her best friend had no such reservations.

“Oh, bullshit. Sorry for the language, Mom, but she’s full of it. She makes insane breads and incredible cakes,” Sabrina said.

“Guilty,” Tillie said as a blush took over her cheeks. “But we were talking about your guys’ achievements, not me.”

“Wait,” Dean said, his voice confused. “Back up. Did you say a farm earlier?”

Sabrina, Jade, and Tillie all started cracking up.