Page 27 of Fastlander Fighter

“I think it will be complicated if I don’t say no to ice cream.”

She nodded, trying to hide the disappointment from her face. She forced a smile. “I really had fun tonight, watching Ruger. And I just want to say thank you for what you did.”

“I didn’t do anything—”

“You stuck up for me.” She shrugged her shoulders up to her ears and let them drop again. “It’s been awhile. Tonight you reminded me that not everyone is bad, or out to get me, or out to corner me. I appreciate that.”

“You’re going to find yourself again,” he told her. “I said that to Ryan, too.”

“Yeah, he just messaged me about movie nights being our thing? It was weird.”

Captain snorted. “Well, I’m a fuck-up at most things.” He looked at the back seat and told Ruger, “Don’t repeat that word. But I know how to push buttons. You’ll probably get a few random thoughts from him over the next couple days.”

“I wish things weren’t complicated,” she blurted out.

He stared right into her soul with those glowing silver eyes, and she witnessed the soft smile fade from his face completely. He parted his lips to say something, but seemed to change his mind. He swallowed hard and then released her open window frame. “You had a good game tonight, Ruger. Get two scoops. You earned it.”

Captain gave her a wink, but she didn’t miss the sadness that drifted through his eyes right before he turned for his truck and walked away.

She didn’t know how to feel. Flattered that he thought she was complicated. It meant he was feeling something for her, right? Like she was feeling for him? She wasn’t alone in the attraction, but then again, she was sad and disappointed that this was the end of them hanging out.

It burned every bit as much as it had the first time, when she was fifteen—an entire lifetime ago.

“Why isn’t he coming with us?” Ruger asked from where he was buckled into his booster seat.

“He’s busy, buddy. He’s got a big shifter life up in Damon’s Mountains to get back to. Shifters are very different from us.”

She tried to hide the sadness in her voice from her kiddo, because that was the journey of a single momma. It was hiding how hard life could be so that her kiddo could grow up knowing childhood.

“He doesn’t seem so different,” Ruger said so softly from the back, she nearly missed it.

The honesty of a child. She agreed. Captain didn’t seem so different from them.

Chapter Ten

Three days was equivalent to a year.

“Not there!” Captain griped as Shane put the wrong sausages on the wrong side. “If you put jalapeño where regular sausage goes, you run the risk of someone cutting the wrong link for a customer who doesn’t like spice!”

“Yeah, but whoever cuts it can tell between jalapeño and regular when they cut into it,” Shane argued.

It pissed him off. “So you want them to catch your mistake instead of just doing it right in the first place?” Captain gritted out.

“Well…”

“You should just say ‘no sir,’ and then do it right,” Owen offered from where he was ordering food at the counter.

“I don’t need your help,” Captain pointed out.

“What’s your problem, man?” Owen asked.

“You know what, why are you always here?” Captain demanded, closing the smoker on some briskets that were almost done. “Every time I turn around, there you are, pissing me off.”

Owen frowned. “I’m here because my mate had a craving. I’m not even using a discount code, I’m paying full price and supporting Moosey’s because it’s a big deal to y’all.” Owen shook his head and inserted his credit card.

Fuckin’ Owen. Why was Captain feeling all guilty and bad now? Owen got on his nerves on purpose all the time.

This time he was being decent though.

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