Page 25

Her ears picked up the sounds of tires crunching up the drive, and she headed back inside to the kitchen. She looked out the front window to find Dakota waddling toward the porch. Makayla went to the door and opened it.

"Hey!" Dakota smiled at her.

"Hey. How are you?"

Dakota entered and dropped her bag to the floor. "I'm good. Caleb forgot his jacket at the house last night, and I wanted to bring it back."

A pain shot through Makayla. "He stayed with you guys?"

Dakota gave her a sympathetic smile. "Yeah."

Makayla nodded. At least he hadn't slept in his truck.

"Do you want to stay for some tea?"

Dakota smiled. "That would be great. Thanks."

Makayla closed the door and headed for the kitchen.

Dakota followed and sat at the counter. "So, how are things going here at Cabin Caleb?"

Makayla swallowed hard as she poured water into the tea kettle. "I'm sure he told you all about last night."

"Nope. He didn’t say a word."

Makayla stared at her for a moment. Was she serious? Back home gossip flew faster than a 747 in the gossipy pack community.

Dakota gave her a kind smile. "Caleb isn't much of a talker, in case you hadn't noticed. Especially when he's upset."

"Oh." Makayla set the kettle on the stove. What did she say? Should she confide in Dakota? If Caleb didn’t even tell Dakota what happened, maybe she should just keep it to herself.

"I know this isn't easy for you. It isn't easy for him, either. You two seem to be about as opposite as two people could be,” Dakota finally said.

"Because I'm a spoiled city girl, and he's a mountain man?"

Dakota chuckled. "I wasn't going to say it like that, but..."

Makayla faced Dakota. "It's just—"

“Just what?”

"I'm not used to people being so nice to me. I mean, yes, the house staff was always nice, but they had to be. And my friends are nice because I'm fun and have money. But I've never had someone just be nice to me because it's how they are. Not since my dad. I just… I’m afraid of being let down. Of getting close. Of getting hurt.”

Wow. That was more honest than she'd been with someone in a long time.

"Makayla, believe it or not, I understand not being able to trust. So does Griff. So does Caleb for that matter. We're simple people. We like good friends, good food, and family. There's not much more to us up here. People are going to take you for who you are, if you give them a chance. I know this isn't how you saw your life going. Caleb really has the simplest needs of all of us. He does deserve someone who at least wants to be with him."

Makayla looked at her feet as a pit grew in her stomach. "He released me last night."

Dakota's eyes widened. "Wow. Well that's... great, I suppose."

"Then why does it feel so terrible?" Makayla’s wolf whined, and tears formed in her eyes.

"Maybe because in your heart you know you belong here," Dakota said in a soft voice. “What does your wolf tell you? How does she feel about being here? About Caleb? Your wolf knows more than you think. If she’s happy here, you should give that serious consideration.”

The kettle whistled, and Makayla turned off the stove. She swiped at her eyes so Dakota didn’t see her tears. Her wolf had been more content in the last weeks than she had been in years. But did they belong here? Makayla wasn’t sure, but at the moment, she wanted to be there.

The fluttering sensation raced over her belly again. Makayla's hand went to it, and she looked down.