Page 14 of Fastlander Fighter

“Yeah, I had been really proud of my control before that. Want to know what set the bear off?” he asked.

“I always wondered.”

“Devon Russo kept following you around, trying to talk to you.”

“Devon Russo,” she repeated. “God, I haven’t heard that name in forever.”

“I watched him hunting you, watched the look in his eyes, and you kept talking to him.”

“If I was, it was just to be polite. I wanted to be around you the whole night.”

“Yeah?”

She offered a sad smile for the miscommunication of young people that had messed so much up for them back then. “When you kissed me in the woods? It was a pretty big deal for me.”

“Tell me that wasn’t your first kiss,” he said, and now there was gravel in his voice and his eyes were lighter.

“You made several of my firsts memorable.”

“Oh my God,” he muttered. He paced away, running his hands through his hair and grabbing it in the back, and then turned back to her. “And then I Changed. I’m so sorry.”

“That’s enough, Captain Walker. No more apologies for things that happened in another lifetime. Everything happened how it was supposed to happen.”

“You really believe that?” he asked.

She shrugged. “I got Ruger. I have to believe it.”

Captain glanced at the driver’s side door, then back at her. “You’re a good mom. I know a momma bear when I see one. He’s a lucky kid to have you.”

And now she couldn’t help her smile at all. Her cheeks were on fire under the compliment and her eyes burned, so she looked down so he wouldn’t see how fragile she was.

“Did I say something wrong?” he asked.

She shook her head and a damn tear escaped, making a small splat on the pebbles of gravel at the toe of her flip-flops. “It’s just nice to hear a compliment, is all. That was the best compliment a momma can get.”

“Can I get your number?” he asked suddenly.

Sloane inhaled deeply and looked back at her white Tacoma. Ruger might already be asleep, he was so quiet. “I’m a mess right now,” she whispered, dragging her tear-filled gaze to him. “You know his dad.” She shrugged helplessly. “You probably know his step-mom too. They both went to school with us. I am newly divorced, and a single mom. I just moved here, and I don’t know what I’m doing. I just know that I have to be enough for Ruger. I can’t have anything take my focus away from him, you know?”

Captain nodded, quiet, too-bright shifter eyes on her. “I get it.”

“Can Cap come to my baseball game?” a definitely-not-sleeping Ruger yelled at the top of his lungs from inside the truck.

Captain had looked like he was about to take his leave, but froze, eyes on her. “He’s playing baseball?”

Feeling out of her element, Sloane explained, “I just signed him up for an every-other-Wednesday league. His first game is this week.”

“You said Wednesday?”

“Ummm, yeah. It’s just a little relaxed league, teaching them fundamentals. It’s not a big deal—”

“Mom got me a new baseball bat!”

A smile cracked Captain’s chiseled face. “I happen to have the morning shift on Wednesdays. No pressure,” he said, holding his hands up. “But if you want a bigger cheering section for Ruger, I know how to do that really loud, annoying whistle.”

“My ex would hate that,” she said cheekily.

“He’ll be there?”

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