Page 120 of As The Shifter World Turns

“No, Sunshine Manor. Is it Daire?”

Daire had been with Micah all day preparing a house for an auction and hadn’t come home yet. Archer was with Neil, Toby would recognize his Dad so it couldn’t be him and after Seb’s rocky introduction to the manor, he wasn’t yetpart of our family and I’d never known him to go to the roof. There was aways a first time though.

Anxiety gnawed a hole in my belly as there was only one other person it could be. And then Toby confirmed it. “It’s Ryder,” he yelled. “Hi.”

Damn that stag shifter and his lousy timing.

“Hi, Toby. Ivor.”

I twisted my head so I was looking in the other direction and then pretended to be checking Patch’s collar.

“We’re going to the park,” Toby announced. “And Ivor wanted to come too as he needed fresh air. I guess he’s been inside too long.”

Oh, Toby, don't tell him my whole life story.I urged Patch on ahead until we were way past the manor.

“Have fun.” The wind carried Ryder’s response.

Toby and I walked in silence for a minute before he said, “Ivor, my dad tells me if someone says hello, I should say hello back.”

Ouch!He’d picked up on me ignoring Ryder. “That’s a good rule.”

“But you didn’t say hi to Ryder.”

“You’re right and I should have. That was wrong of me.”

“My dad says you’re angry at Ryder.”

This wasn’t what I expected when I asked Toby if I could walk with him and Patch. “I am.”

“I’m sorry.” He patted my hand and then pointed at the park straight ahead. “Look, Patch, we're almost there.”

I sat on the bench while Toby threw Patch a ball and enjoyed the wind blowing on my face and the perfume from rose bushes to my left. But I stiffened and my wolf took note of a new scent wafting in my direction. Not new to me but new to the park.

Him, my beast pointed out.

Yes.

He wanted to be close to the stag shifter and didn’t understand why I was staying away.

“Ivor.” His voice rippled over me like a gentle breeze.

“This was supposed to be me time, Ryder. Not fucked up Kellan shit. Just me after a long day at work.”

“How’s the new job?”

I sighed and spread each arm over the back of the bench hoping he’d get the hint that the bench was mine and I didn’t intend on sharing it. “I’m loving it. It’s busy and challenging but Archer’s been a great help. And it’s full time so I’m earning a decent salary.” A very nice salary.

“That’s good. I miss you at the office.”

“You didn’t come here to talk about my job, Ryder. Not my former one or the new one.” I’d raised my voice and Toby glanced in my direction. So, I gave him a big smile.

“I was wondering if you’d given any thought to what I said the other night. You know about the whole Kellan thing.”

“No. I’ve been dreaming of sugar and spice and all things nice,” I said through gritted teeth with a fake smile plastered on my face for Toby’s sake. “But the truth is, he’s been tormenting me in my dreams.”

“While I don’t have a hundred percent confirmation that Kellan’s pregnant, I’m guessing he is as I said before. And I’m not the father. He’s spun lie after lie. Admitted that he was angry that I loved you.”

“Oh, so you talked to him.”

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