Page 10

Chapter Nine

CHOMP

A riel messaged me. More than that, she shared a joke. I took a chance texting her after our initial exchange of numbers, and it paid off.

I’m ridiculously giddy this morning, despite spending most of the night awake, guarding Ariel’s house, and peeking in her window. No, it’s not stalking.

Not stalking if it’s our mate , my gator chimes in, fully in agreement. Of course, he’s not going to think so. He’s ecstatic. Half the reason I’m so jovial is because he’s ridiculously confident we can win our mate over after last night.

I’m nearly bouncing on my feet as I shower and dress, drinking practically the whole pot of coffee before I leave the house. I’m jittery, but it’s nothing I can’t handle. I just need to see Ariel. The entire night was torture, watching her from a distance, and being unable to touch or hold her.

But if she had a nightmare, I might have texted.

Or knocked down the door , my gator interjects.

No violence. He chumpfs in response. As far as he’s concerned right now, since she now knows about shifters, as well as the fact that we’re her mate, it should be a done deal. What he fails to realize is her treatment by that fucker, whose name I refuse to utter, stunted her in a lot of ways. She was dealing with her mother’s illness then her death, so she failed to see any of the warning signs that he wasn’t who he proclaimed he was until it was too late.

She’s our mate, my gator argues. We will help her heal.

“She has to find who she is, gator,” I mutter out loud. Sometimes, when he won’t listen to me, I opt to talk to him verbally instead of in my head. It seems he understands better or something. “We will protect her and watch over her, though, while she heals. I know you think she’s perfect just the way she is, and I agree, but humans can be weird sometimes. Ariel needs to think she’s okay, and in order for her to get to that point, she needs to try things on her own.”

What if we’re not there for her and she needs us?

“If we can’t be there, I’ll see if one of the brothers will keep an eye out.”

It’s not the same, he insists. It’s our job, Chomp!

I shake my head because right now, he’s just being obstinate. She’ll be with us at the shop all day long, so it’s only in the evenings and while she’s sleeping that we’ll need to guard her without anyone finding out. Hell, even if someone does find out, it won’t stop me.

Us , my gator interjects with a growl.

“Us,” I amend aloud, trying not to comment on the fact that he’s gotten more stubborn and aggressive since we met Ariel. I know the reasons, but he still needs to chill out before we scare her. Because if he’s like this now and we haven’t even mated yet, how is he going to be when she’s eventually carrying our child?

It’s nearly time for Ariel’s first shift to begin and I’m a fucking mess. Anxious. Wound up. And truth be told, missing her like crazy. If even an hour goes by without seeing her, I want to give into my animal side and let the gator take over, ensuring she’s safe even if I have to follow behind her and snap at anyone who comes close. How fucking insane is that? I need to rein my wayward thoughts in somehow before Spike and Kodiak lower the boom on me. But in my defense, I’ve never had a mate, and Kodiak’s the only one who might even be able to relate to how I’m feeling. I don’t wanna have to go to that fuzzy fucker for any advice because he’ll lord it over me for the rest of our lives.

I’m so screwed. How will I make it through the day?

Thankfully, my gator stays quiet. I catch Ariel’s scent and my shoulders relax. She’s here.

When she walks through the door, I’m nearly tongue-tied. She’s so beautiful. There are a dozen things I want to say to her, but I keep it all to myself. In time, she’ll hear all the words stored up in my heart. For now, I greet her with a welcoming grin.

“Good morning, Ariel. Did you sleep well?”

“Hey, Chomp. Yeah, I did. The bed is so comfy, and that mattress is like sleeping on a cloud.” She smiles and it lights up my whole fucking world. “Much better than I’ve rested since,” she pauses and clears her throat, “since my mom passed.”

I want to go to her, surround her with my arms, and block out the world from ever hurting her again. She’s been beaten down and it never seems to stop trying to rear its ugly head in her life. But I won’t let the past overtake her or drag her down. She’s got a future now.

She’s got ME.

And me, my gator adds. Yes, I know. Boy, do I know.

“What should we do first? What do you need from me?”

“Well,” I say as I rub the back of my neck and scramble for a response because I never got that far in my head, “We should go over the books and the program I use to input all the receipts.”

I’ve got to focus. Normally, I’m organized. Nothing much distracts me from my job or purpose. My gator is single-minded. I tackle one thing to the next, quickly completing tasks as I work through the day. That’s almost impossible now.

We can just go outside and float where she won’t see us , my gator offers.

I nearly sigh. He’s going to be the death of me.

“Sure. Show me. I’m a quick learner.”

I gesture for her to follow me behind the counter and the desk that’s set up. It’s a modest space and easy for her to fit. But with both of us there, it’s suddenly tiny. I have to resist the urge to lean over her as she sits on the office chair and scoots closer. Her lovely fresh linen and spring rain scent fills my nose. I want to sniff her, lick her, and find out if she’s as delicious as she smells.

Fuck. Focus!

We spend the next hour going over the filing system, the phone and messaging center, and everything else I can think of. It’s not complicated, and I know she’ll do fine. Ariel is intelligent and obviously, she’s resourceful too, given her past. I feel confident she can handle this job without issues. It should free me up to work without having to come into the store often.

Will that happen? Hell no. I have to be near her.

Every minute , my gator insists. Yep, definitely gonna be the death of me at this rate!

“So, when people come in and want to book a tour or a campsite, this is how I do it, right?” Ariel gestures to the two logs I keep on the counter.

“Yes. This one is for campsites.” I point to the brown volume. “And the other is for tours, guided fishing trips, etc. Each book has a tear-off receipt portion. Once you fill out all the information, give them the receipt. The number is printed on both portions so we each have a copy.”

“That sounds easy enough. What forms of payment do we accept?”

We. A ridiculous grin lifts the corners of my lips. “I’ve got a square reader and I take cash. No checks. Too many bounce.”

She nods. “Okay. I’ve got it.”

“I think that takes care of everything. Well, except one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“I insist on taking my new employee to lunch. My treat.”

She laughs and it’s sweet, sultry, and addicting. I need more of them. “I’d like that.”

We don’t get a chance to say more for several hours. The first customers enter the store and it’s steady until nearly twelve. I have an appointment in the afternoon, so I know it’ll be even busier later.

I walk to the front of the store once it’s empty and flip the sign to closed. Most of the regulars know my schedule, but I post it on the clock that hangs on the door. I’ll be back from lunch at two. “You ready?” I ask Ariel. “I’m starving.”

Her smile lights up the room as she nods. “Absolutely. I was so nervous this morning, I didn’t eat any breakfast.”

That won’t do, my gator hisses. We will stop by Beanie’s every morning to get her a coffee and some pastries. Since I agree with him, I nod and hold out my hand. “Well, let’s get you fed then.”

While I wanted to put together a picnic, I thought it might be too much on her first day. So instead, we’ll go to the diner that the club owns. We don’t work it, we simply own it and once a week, Spike goes in and does the payroll for our employees. Most live in Yukon Bluff, but there are a few in Mercy Falls. Still, the food is good, and the portions are plentiful, which will sooth my gator’s need to eat.

The diner’s in walking distance and I silently cheer when she doesn’t let go of my hand. It’s a small thing, but huge in the big picture as far as I’m concerned. As we cross the threshold, Janie, one of the waitresses calls out, “Hey, Chomp! Your usual table is open.”

“You must eat here a lot,” Ariel murmurs as I walk us to the table in the back where most of the club prefers to sit. Unless the diner is packed out, it’s typically left open in case one of us comes in for a meal.

I release Ariel’s fingers and she slides into the booth while I sit across from her. My instinct is to slide in beside her, but I’m practicing restraint as much as possible, and I don’t want to push it since she held my hand.

Janie takes our drink order but doesn't offer me a menu since it isn’t necessary. She gives Ariel a smile and hands her one. “Would you like a few minutes to decide?”

“Yes. Thank you.” Ariel begins scanning the contents as Janie says she’ll return in a bit.

“If you want a recommendation, you can’t go wrong with the buttered grits or biscuits and sausage gravy. There’s also the best club sandwich in the damn state.” I pause because I don’t know what foods she likes, or even her favorites. “What do you want? Breakfast foods or lunch items?”

She blinks up at me over the top of the menu. “Hmmm. I’m the kind of girl that can eat breakfast anytime of the day or night. But, you know, I think I want to try the best damn club sandwich in the state,” she says with a laugh.

My heart is so fucking full. It’s the second time she’s joked around with me, and I’m ravenous for more. I’m seeing a side of her that I don’t think she shows often. Maybe it’s her tragic past that’s dimmed her light and humor, but I’ll make it my mission to encourage her jokes as much as possible.

“Then you have to get the onion rings as a side. They’re wickedly good.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” She places the menu on the table. “What about you? What’re your favorite foods? I know you love meat and potatoes. I’m guessing breakfast foods are your thing too.”

“They are. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve come across a dish I don’t like.”

“Escargot? Caviar? Calamari?” She scrunches her nose and I laugh. “Sardines, too. All a hard pass for me.”

“I won’t get them on my pizza then,” I joke.

“But you better get ham and pineapple and cinnamon because I love Hawaiian pizza.”

Noted. “I think I can manage that for next time.” She probably thinks I’m kidding. I’m not. I’ll do it tomorrow.

Janie returns, takes our order, and sets down our drinks. After she leaves, Ariel sips on her sweet tea. I chug my Coke and reach for another. Janie knows I’ll drink at least three, so she brings multiple drinks at once.

Ariel smirks, but she doesn’t comment on it. Instead, she catches me by surprise with a question I don’t expect. “So, Chomp, am I your mate? And if so, how do you know?”