Page 9

“Well, I’m not sure what to make of that first impression.”

Alistair groaned, raking a hand roughly through his hair. “Second impression, and I screwed that up.”

With a friendly clap on the arm, Danny pulled him along in the line. “Dude, I don’t think you screwed anything up. I mean, sparks might as well have blasted from the two of you.”

“Yeah. `Course they should have. The chick ran off.” Not even his attempt to simplify this otherwise complex circumstance eased the burden of such a strange meeting. “So much for sparks, unless you count the ones her sneakers made as she bolted.”

Despite the awkward encounter, Alistair found himself watching for the two women to emerge from the bathroom. The unnerving rhythm his heart danced and that relentless flutter in his stomach mocked the tiny burst of excitement he refused to nurture.

No.

He couldn’t.

Two more nights until the full moon.

Two more nights until, if all went well and those adorable, menacing kittens kept to themselves, he’d have part of himself back after all these years. The part that defined who he was and who he was meant to be.

But as his gaze lingered on the bathroom door and Danny rambled on beside him, a quiet voiced whispered in a far corner of his mind. A voice that chanted with more fervor when Annie emerged from the bathroom, Niera hooked on her arm.

The beautiful woman seemed to want to avoid noticing him at all costs, looking every way but his.

He may not need to worry about the Sherwood cats this time around.

A flush of heat slithered up the back of his neck, and that unusual burn in his fingers stoked with renewed heat.

No.

This time, forget the Sherwood cats. He’d have to be wary of a stunning stranger trekking through Cat’s Paw Cove with warmed honey eyes and thick mahogany hair he ached to touch. A woman with a delicate face that reminded him of a faery and an airy glide to her step that entranced him.

If he held any hope of returning to the ocean’s depths, he had to stay focused.

Determination will win this. She doesn’t like you anyway.

Yes! He could make himself believe that. Easy enough.

“Think two large pies’ll be enough?” Danny asked. Alistair jerked his head up as his friend’s question tugged him from his thoughts. He hadn’t realized the line moved so fast.

“Three to be on the safe side. You know Bray’s appetite. He’ll devour a pie himself.”

“Good point.” To the cashier, he said, “Three large pies. One cheese, one meat lovers, and one deluxe.”

Annie slipped between Alistair and Danny, tossing a wink his way.

Niera kept a step behind them, hands tucked deep in the pockets of her jeans, her jacket pulled tight around her hunched shoulders as she obviously tried to make herself disappear.

She doesn’t like you, Al. All the easier moving forward. Steer clear of the cats, avoid a portal, get to the ocean, and all these failed attempts will finally be worth it.

“Hey, Danny. I’m gonna head over to the park. See if I can’t find where Bray set up. You good with the pies?” Alistair asked, leaning into his friend to be heard over the increasingly wild chatter. Annie frowned, her eyes darting to Niera. Alistair threw on his best smile. “Gotta make sure we have enough seats.”

Annie said, “But—”

“It’s fine, doll. I can handle a parade crowd and still keep those pies balanced on my head.” Danny waved Alistair away. “Go ahead. See you in a few. Oh! Grab a few six-packs on the way over, will you?”

“On it.” Alistair ignored the deepening furrow in Annie’s brow and headed to the door. He snapped a quick grin at Niera with an even quicker, “Later,” and rushed to put as much distance between himself and the cause of his twisting stomach and pounding heart as he could.

He wasn’t expecting guilt to ride his heels as he wove through the parade crowd. The potent mix of confusion, hurt, disappointment, and indifference he’d caught on her face refused to release him.

That quiet little voice in the back of his head chortled.

You can’t run forever.