Page 29 of Loan Wolf (Green Valley Shifters: Generations #1)

29

GABE

T he damage to Daisy was a little deeper than Gabe had realized. The back tire had a good wobble, too, so he replaced them both. The plastic grip on one of the pedals was gone, and she still needed a paint touch-up, but the brakes worked, and the shocks still flexed. She’d be able to carry Clara safely again, even if she wasn’t as pretty as she’d been.

The door motion alert gave Gabe a moment of hope but he knew before he turned that it wasn’t Clara.

“Trevor,” he said, resigned. “Aaron. I’m closed.”

“We just saw Clara,” Trevor said. His jaw was set and the two of them together might have been intimidating if Gabe thought they’d start something. When they were kids, it was usually Clara egging them into trouble, though she looked so innocent and sweet with her clean white shoes and ruffles.

She might have left her ruffles behind, but she was still the same white-shoed seed of chaos.

“So?” Gabe asked rudely.

“Don’t you care that she got hurt?” Aaron growled.

“Might raise my insurance rates,” Gabe quipped.

“Breaking her heart won’t do anything for your bottom line, but it might do some serious harm to your physical wellbeing,” Trevor said darkly.

“You threatening me?” Gabe asked dangerously, lifting his lip in an unconscious snarl. He deliberately put the wrench he’d been using down on the counter and took a deep breath. “You don’t need to worry about Clara,” he said. “She’s a big girl who can look out for herself, and we don’t have anything but a bike contract.”

Trevor and Aaron glanced at each other skeptically.

“And if you two don’t have business,” Gabe went on smoothly, “I do, so please get out of my shop. I’ll be open again in the morning if you need wheels.”

He crowded them out of the shop with sheer will, turned off the lights, locked the doors, and got into his truck to drive to Eagle Lake for his wallet and clothes. He watched them arguing in his rear view mirror.

The worst of it was, they were right. He wasn’t good for Clara. She needed to be making decisions about her future without him muddying the water with hot sex and his terrible dirty need for her. He didn’t know if dancing was her future, but he’d never forgive himself for tying her to Green Valley if that wasn’t where she was meant to be.

She’s meant to be with us , his wolf whined.

But a wolf was just a wolf, and it didn’t understand happiness beyond the moment, and Gabe wasn’t willing to trade her future for a few moments of his own happiness.

Gabe found the scraps of his clothing and chucked them into the bed of the pickup. His wallet, unfortunately, was not so easy to find. Had it fallen out before his pants finally came off?

He poked around, considered shifting to enhance his sense of smell, and aborted that idea because he could hear people splashing at the swimming hole.

Interlopers , his wolf said testily.

We don’t own the swimming hole, Gabe reminded him.

The idea of joining them flitted briefly through his brain.

It was nearly dark, but the day was still sweltering and it might be a nice diversion from fixating on Clara.

The idea startled him. He was a lone wolf. He didn’t need or want companionship. He was just as happy to be ignored and treated like a black sheep.

We’re not a sheep , his wolf said, confused. We’re a wolf.

A lone wolf, Gabe clarified, but his wolf was already pricking his ears hopefully in the direction of town.

Pack ? the wolf said wistfully.

But the pack he really wanted was Clara, and he couldn’t have her.

Gabe didn’t blame Trevor and Aaron for trying to warn him off. Clara truly did deserve someone better.

Slowly walking the trail again, he finally spotted a scrap of cloth and pulled his wallet out from underneath a berry brush that took its tax in a scratch. Someone had found it, taken the meager cash, and tossed it away.

His credit card was still there, though, and his ID, which would have been a pain in the ass to replace. Gabe counted his lucky stars and headed back to town.

He pulled up in front of the shop and told himself that the leap of joy in his chest at the sight of Clara in his headlights was unwarranted.

Pack? his wolf said hopefully.