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Placing my cell back down on the table, I quickly get dressed in a pair of distressed jeans, a black Henley, and my work boots. My cell slides into my front pocket while I snatch my keys offthe hook by my door. It took me less than five minutes to get dressed, but the walk will take up the rest of the time.

Before long, I’m walking into Gail’s office for the paperwork when Hazel’s eyes snap to mine.

“Why is he here?” she says as her eyes flick between me and Gail.

Gail only waves her hand at me like it’s not a big deal. “He is here to grab this paperwork that I need signed. My legs are a bit stiff this morning. Although, I believe he has something he wants to talk to you about.”

My eyebrows lift in complete shock. Sometimes it’s really freaky how she knows things without anyone telling her. “I do?”

Gail’s face lights up with a warm smile. “Of course, you do. Come! Come sit down, we have much to discuss and a very small amount of time in which to do so.”

My body jerks into motion as I move awkwardly toward the chair sitting next to Hazel. Sitting my massive body down on what feels like a child's chair, even though it’s clearly meant for adults. Hazel hasn’t said anything else, but confusion tinted with a bit of anger is clearly written across her face. She crosses her arms and slams her back against the chair as she sits back.

Gail smiles at me before she looks at Hazel. “Hazel, I’m sure you aren’t happy with the way things are going so far this morning, but there is a good reason for it. Warrick here has been secretly working on a project for Aspen. Something that would be his way of showing how serious he is about her and being the man for her.”

Hazel's eyebrows pinch together as her eyes flash with her wolf’s. Sitting forward, she says, “Is this your attempt at forcingher into mating with you? All the women in town no longer good enough for you?”

“Hazel, hear him out…”

I cut off Gail by holding my hand up. Turning, I look directly at Hazel, whose chest is heaving as her anger builds. Her eyes continue to flash between hers and her wolf’s. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her this mad, but it’s why the girls have always called her the pack mom. “I deserve that and much more. While I don’t expect you to understand any of my actions, and I’m by no means trying to justify what I did, I need you to hear me out. Just give me a chance before you make any decisions.”

She looks from me to Gail who simply dips her head in acknowledgment. “Fine, let’s see if you can even convince me.”

I spend the next twenty minutes recounting everything that has happened, why I made the choices I made, and what I’m trying to do. The entire time I’m speaking, she doesn’t interrupt me once and continues to listen. I watch as the anger drops from her and the understanding forms.

When I finish my story and what I’m working on, she finally speaks. “What about her walking in on you with another female during the dinner she finally agreed to?”

I shake my head. “That was Selene. I found her snapping photos one day during a walk to stretch my legs. The kid has a serious talent, and I had encouraged her to talk with her parents about purchasing a real camera and becoming a photographer. I hadn’t seen her since we discussed that, since I’ve been busy trying to be the best mate for Aspen. Selene saw me sitting there and took the opportunity to tell me about her conversation with her parents. I thought nothing of it when she slid into the boothnext to me. She is seventeen years old! I might be a man whore, but, damn, I do have some limits.”

Hazel covers her mouth with her hand as she shakes her head. “All this over a horrible misunderstanding? I mean don’t get me wrong, you built that impression, but she didn’t even stick around to find out that it was just Selene?”

I shake my head once. “She flew out of there and, the next day, when I went to the bookstore to try to talk to her, she had Chase block my path.”

Hazels face crumbles in confusion. “She wouldn’t do that. Chase might have done that on his own because he is super protective of her.”

I can’t help the growl that rumbles out of my chest at the idea of him thinking he has the right to be that protective over my mate.

“Nobody should be protecting her but me,” I growl.

“We are going to get you there, Warrick, just a little bit longer,” Gail calmly says.

Hazel whips her head between us again. “What’s the deadline?”

Gail speaks for me as she can tell I’m struggling to wrangle my wolf back into submission. He didn’t like hearing that anymore than I did. “Warrick, is aiming for the night of the wedding. He wants this project to be completed so that on the night of the wedding, he can take her to see it.”

Her mouth drops open. “That’s a month away! You can’t be serious? How much of the project is even done?”

“The framing is all done, the shelves have been installed, and we are in the home stretch really. I think we are in the finalizing stage of it, isn’t that right, Warrick?” Gail gives me an imploring look to give me something to focus back on.

Shaking my head a few times from side to side, I’m finally able to speak, “Yeah, we are down to paint, lighting, and decorations. It’s why I wanted to see if you would help. You know her far better than I do and I want to make sure this is perfect.”

She claps her hands together. “Alright, when do you want to get started?”

My hand rubs across the back of my neck as I consider the answer. “Would you be able to get away tonight to come by and look at the room? I would like to keep this secret as much as possible. We have enough cackling hens in our town that it wouldn’t take long for it to be ruined.”

“Yeah, I should be able to. I don’t see why not. As far as I know, she will be at the bookstore. She pretty much is either there or at home.”

My ears perk up at that. “She hasn’t been going on dates with Chase?”