Page 14 of Because You Rejected Me

Talking to anyone was difficult for me, but talking to Matt was especially hard. I wanted to pour out my guts to him, to ask him to tell me everything about himself. But even though his scent was overwhelming, I could still smell the hesitation and discomfort rolling off of him. He wasn’t ready for the kind of conversation I wanted to have. And if I was being honest, I wasn’t sure I was either. I wanted it, but I didn’t really have the skills to navigate it just yet. We were still complete strangers to one another, and Matt was hurting. That was plain to see.

The rest of the drive passed without a word between us. Only the wind rushing by Matt’s open window filled the void. It only took us a couple of minutes to get into town. I pulled the truck up in front of the hotel and parked along the curb.

“Home sweet home,” I said without thinking.

Matt burned me a dirty look. “Not really.”

He pushed open the door and stepped out onto the curb. For a moment, I thought he’d just walk away. But as he closed the door, he turned around and leaned one arm into the open window.

“Thanks… uh… for the ride, I guess,” he said, his cheeks blushing red. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“No problem,” I said simply.

Of course, I wanted to say, consider it my apology, or I’ll take you anywhere you want to go at any time. But I didn’t say either of those things. Instead, I just nodded and gave him a small smile.

“Bye,” he said.

With just a few steps, he disappeared back into the lobby of the hotel. The wind picked up, carrying his scent with him. I nearly reached down to roll up the windows, hoping to trap it inside the truck for a bit longer. Part of me wanted to get out, run into the lobby, and sweep him up into my arms. Of course, that would probably lead to him stabbing me. Not that I’d blame him. The urge was intense, but it didn’t outweigh the fact that Matt just plain didn’t know me or trust me, for that matter.

“Hey there!” a voice called.

I looked up to find Sam stepping up to the truck. He crossed his arms, leaning against the open window as he leaned his head inside.

“I hear you gave my tenant a ride this morning,” he smirked. “Awfully convenient, Ace.”

I shook my head. “I just happened to see him at the beach. It was a coincidence.”

“Right. Of course it was.”

The tone in Sam’s voice hinted that he didn’t believe me.

“So, how are things at the farm?” he asked, completely changing the subject. “Still keeping up with everything alright?”

“It’s busy,” I replied, happy to get away from Sam’s prying. He had a tendency to be a little nosey, if I was being honest. “I’ve got the farmer’s market on Friday, and I haven’t started picking yet. Looks like it’s gonna be a bumper crop year though. Everything is growing so fast.”

“Well, you did that expansion last year,” he added. “There’s a lot more going on.”

“I honestly didn’t think another six hundred square feet would produce so much veg.”

“You’ve got quite a green thumb for a werewolf,” he smiled. “Two of them probably at the rate you’re going.” He paused for a moment. “Are you going to hire help?”

“Not right now,” I sighed, shaking my head. “I’ll need the cash flow from this year to hire someone next season. I just don’t have enough saved up to bring someone on yet.”

“Hmm…” Sam stroked the scruff on his chin. “That is a problem, isn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you gonna be able to get everything picked?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I’ll just stay up late. It’s fine. The market’s only one day a week, right?” I gave a small shrug. “I can catch up on my sleep during the winter.”

“Unless you put in that greenhouse you’ve been planning.”

“I can’t hire help and do the greenhouse.”

“You’ll figure out something,” he smiled. “Who knows? Maybe the universe will provide a way for you to pull them both off at the same time.”

“Right.” I didn’t like that glint in Sam’s eye. “What are you up to?”

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