Page 10 of Fastlander Fighter

“Can I?” Ruger asked Sloane softly.

“Ummm.” Sloane looked back up at Captain. “If you’re sure it’s okay.”

“He’ll get the VIP treatment. Come on, Ruger. I’ll show you two more shifters. They’re bears, too.”

Ruger scrambled through his little pile of cards. “Are they any of these ones?”

He lined up the cards of Clinton Fuller, Bash Kane, and Captain’s father, Haydan. Captain couldn’t help his smile. “Nope. These are new bears. They don’t even have cards out yet.”

“Okay,” Ruger said, clutching the Captain card. He put it in his pocket, and Captain didn’t know what his body was doing. He just stood there, unable to move as he watched the boy put his picture into his back pocket.

“Hey,” Sloane said, touching his knuckle gently.

A spark of electricity zinged up his arm, and he flinched slightly.

“Oh, sorry,” she said, lowering her head. “I didn’t mean to shock you. I was just going to say thank you.”

“For what?” he asked, pumping his fist against the prickling sensation that was traveling up and down his forearm in waves.

“For being nice to Ruger. He’s a big fan of shifters.”

His damn words had escaped him again, probably because of the crystal blue and moss green warring for space in her pretty eyes.

He cleared his throat. “What do you like to drink? I’ll have the boy bring it back for you.”

“Oh, um. Is there lemonade?”

He nodded once, and hesitated. He didn’t want to leave yet.

Get it together, man.

He abruptly turned and left, frustrated with himself and how weird he was being. This was probably Owen’s fault. His weird had been rubbing off on Captain lately.

Ruger was so small beside him, and the boy looked around uncertainly, which made the clenching sensation grow bigger in Captain’s middle. “I know your mom from way back. You’re safe, buddy.”

“Is there lots of shifters here?” he asked in a small voice.

“Yeah, and they’re good friends of mine. Do you want to meet them?”

Ruger looked back at his mom, but Sloane waved and shooed him on. Sloane’s trust in Captain touched him, honestly.

“Yes, I want to,” he said, turning back around to meander beside Captain through the porch doorway. The first stop was at the front counter to grab a couple of large, plastic, collector-edition Moosey’s cups, and to meet Hallie and Corey, who were awesome with him. Okay, sometimes those she-bears had redeeming qualities.

At the soda fountain, Captain waited patiently for Ruger to fill a cup to overflowing with ice, and then fill it halfway with lemonade for Sloane. In his defense, he was small and couldn’t see how much was going in the cup. Captain nonchalantly put more in there while Ruger was making himself an orange soda. He filled that one up to the very top, so Captain put a lid on it for him so he would actually make it back to the table with some of it.

Shane was losing it back there, rushing around like he was on crack. Captain did his best to hide his grin, and then guided Ruger back toward the porch doors. He had meant to send him back to his mom with both drinks so he could get back to work, but he convinced himself Ruger would probably spill them and he should definitely help, and also say hi to Sloane again. It was the polite thing to do. Yep.

“Remember the deal?” he asked Ruger as they approached where Sloane was watching and waving to him. “Eat good for your momma, yeah?”

“I will try.”

“Attaboy.”

“Oh, you got big fancy cups!” Sloane said to Ruger as he settled across the table in front of a plate she had prepared for him with a little of everything on it.

“Try that mac and cheese, buddy. Trust me,” Captain said as he handed over Sloane’s drink.

“I know this is a weird ask, but would you mind signing his card?” Sloane asked.

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