Page 17

Tenzin

I finished up the call and put the berries in my truck. My realtor had needed to go over a few things, which was a relief. I’d been afraid that Morgan and Jacen were making trouble.

“There you are,” AJ, or Eats, as I’d called him when we were younger, stood there in the parking lot, wearing khakis, a polo, and loafers, with a fancy watch on his wrist. He was an alpha, athletic, with dark hair, a goatee, brown eyes, and golden skin. AJ had been a pro hockey player but had to retire after a career-ending injury and now worked at a prestigious finance firm.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I brought a friend. We went berry picking.” Which had been fun. Gwen sent me another picture of her with a little cow and I let her know I was on the way.

“Do I get to meet your med student?” he asked as we walked back toward the farm and festivities.

A pang struck my heart. It had been a while since we’d caught up.

“We broke up, which was why I moved to the Knights.” I sighed, giving him the short version of my breakup as we walked through the little farm.

“Sorry to hear that. The Knights are decent people. Well, the three in my pack are,” he told me.

“Where do you need to be? My friend is at the petting zoo,” I told him.

“My pack, too. Stupid mini cows. Seriously, they might be adorable, but they’re not smart and always get stuck.” He laughed.

We grabbed some beers and got caught up. The petting zoo was a fenced-in area full of hay bales and small animals. Gwen sat at the far end feeding a tiny cow ice cream.

She looked up at me and beamed. “Hi, Tens. Team Mom got me ice cream.”

“Hi Gwen.” I realized she wasn’t alone. There was a stocky teenager and a lithe, dark-haired woman I didn’t know with her, as well as three large hockey players I recognized.

AJ started laughing. “Your friend is Gwen. Why does that not surprise me? Tens, this is my pack–my mates Verity and Grif, my packmates Jonas and Dean, and Verity’s little sister Mercy. Everyone, this is my friend Tens. I’ve known him since he was in high school.”

Oh. Of course, Gwen would know them if they were Knights. “Gwen, this is my friend, Eats. I see you’ve met his pack.”

She beamed at me. “I might know these people. This is my friend Tens.”

“Is this Bucket?” Dean Donovon’s face broke out into a giant grin.

While I didn’t know the omega goalie well, he was well-liked and respected. He was the shortest of the four guys.

“Yes. I don’t have to give him back. I get to keep him.” She looked smug.

Bucket was sticking, wasn’t it? It wasn’t like I had much of a choice. Also, my alpha liked her saying she was keeping me.

Gwen had gone back to talking to Mercy.

“Do I ever get to hear the racoon in a bucket story?” I was quite curious.

“There’s not much to it. One night, when she was working late at Tito’s, she took out the trash, caught a little raccoon in a bucket, brought it inside, and wanted to keep it. We weren’t there, but Dimitri and Carlos were,” Dean replied.

“How do you two know each other? Eats? ” Grif asked.

I turned to AJ. “As in, AJ eats everythin g. Eats, you never told them about the summer you ran away to be a Cowboy?”

It had been quite a sight, this rich kid from New York City trying to make it in rodeo. The circuit he followed mimicked the fair circuit my sister’s band was doing. Since it was summer, I was dragged along from fair to fair. Endless fair food and rides wasn’t the worst way to spend a summer. AJ and I had become friends and stayed in loose touch.

“You a Cowboy? That’s an incredibly sexy thought.” Verity put an arm around him.

AJ laughed. “Tens, have you told them about all the summers you spent in a dinosaur costume, shooting T-shirts from a cannon, with your sister’s band?”

“I know about it, but I haven't seen pictures.” Gwen looked up from her phone.

“That sounds epic. Rodeo? You were a clown?” Mercy added.

“Bullfighter. Then I broke my collarbone, got yelled at by my agent, hockey coach, and dad, and never went back. Tens and I still keep in touch,” AJ replied.

“So this is your pack. Congrats.” My heart squeezed, but I’d get one, eventually. I was twenty-seven and not getting any younger. I’d watched as many of my teammates had packed up and started families.

Gwen pet the tiny cow, giving it a fond look. “Tens, I want one.”

“Of course you do,” I replied, coming closer. “Where would you keep her?”

“At your place?” Her face perked up.

I shook my head. “It’s a no pets building.”

“Boo. I’m telling Cooter’s wife on you.” She made a face. Gwen opened insta-chat on her phone and made a video of her and the cow. “Cooter, Tens won’t let me get one. They’re so cute. Please tell your wife on him for me. Thank you.”

She sent the video and shot me a smug look. Cooter added her on insta-chat?

AJ’s eyebrows rose. “Cooter? Like the goalie for the Sasquatches?”

“He has a wife ?” Dean blinked.

“It’s a joke. Not sure I should have introduced Gwen and Cooter. I feel like it will end with the two of them in a pickup truck, with some strippers and baby goats in the back, going ninety through a cornfield at two in the morning, while the police chase them.” I laughed. Mercy and Gwen had their heads together again as they looked at their phones.

“That is an oddly specific story,” Verity replied, giving AJ a look.

“Yeah, that’s not how the story went.” AJ laughed.

“Well, that’s about how it would go with them. I met her tiger today.” I chuckled.

Grif laughed. “We’ve all met Marty.”

“Oooh, he replied.” Gwen beamed at me.

“It’s not going to be the answer you like,” I warned. Cooter hated cows.

“No can do, Babybug,” Cooter drawled in his thick Appalachian accent. “If the wife knew about these tiny cows, she’d want one. Then I’d have a house cow sleeping in my bed. I hate cows. They’re hell spawn.” He shuddered. “I’m glad you’re at a farm. It’s good for you. Be good now.”

“Unfair. I’m telling Clark on the both of you.” Gwen’s face fell, and she pouted. She made another video with the cow. “Clark, I’m at a farm and I want a mini cow. Tens won’t let me have one. Can I have one? Please?”

Gwen pouted again and sent the video, then shot me another one of those adorable expectant looks that made me want to give her everything.

“Would you like to go on a hayride?” I offered. “I also found axe throwing. We could do that after, then eat? The music should start by then. Unless you’re hungry now?”

“Sounds good.” Gwen hopped up and looked at me like I hung the moon.

“Ooh, I want to go on a hayride.” Mercy hopped up off a hay bale too.

We found the hayride and our group loaded up on the trailer with hay bales.

“Clark replied.” Gwen leaned up against me. She played the video. A nice-looking man about her age, wearing a straw hat, appeared on screen.

“I hope you’re having fun at the farm.” He beamed. “You can absolutely have a mini cow. But, you have to keep it at my parents’ place and my baby sister will adopt it. Miss you!”

“Now we’re in for it. Clark just told her she could have a cow.” Dean chuckled. “Have you met Clark yet?”

“Not yet. Carlos, Dimitri, and Nia, though.” I realized two things. Clark had a giant crush on Gwen, and she had no idea.

I’d also seen Clark bare-ass naked. More than once.

We were sponsored by the same boxer company and had done a calendar shoot together last year. It was about time to do it again, too.

The hayride took us around the farm. Gwen continued to lean against me, probably not even knowing what she was doing.

Our group got off the hayride and walked to the axe throwing booth.

Getting our axes and a quick safety lesson, we headed over to the area. I helped Gwen with her grip when it was her turn. “Focus,” I told her.

She got it right in the middle and did a little dance. “I did it.”

“Yes, you did. Feel better?” I couldn’t help but grin.

She smiled. “Thanks. So much better.”

“Let’s get food and find a table.” Gwen took off running.

Mercy, the brunette teenager, gave me an expectant look. “You hurt her and I will break your stick. Understood?”

Without waiting for me to answer, she ran off to join Gwen.

Well, then.

“Be gentle with Ladybug?” Dean turned to me.

AJ’s eyebrows rose. “The Yeti is literally letting her drag him around the city, eating muffins. How much gentler can he be?”

“Gwen has been very kind to me, introducing me to my new city. It’s an excellent distraction for us both.” My voice lowered. “Her ex crushed her in so many ways. I enjoy seeing her happy.”

Mercy and Gwen were now talking to some little girls that looked a bit like AJ.

We got our barbecue and sat down, the music already in full swing. Mostly it was young couples and packs with small children. More than one parent danced with a child and little kids twirled around on the dance floor together to the lively tunes. People also danced with each other, and my heart twisted seeing such deep love on display.

Gwen squinted at her barbeque brisket, ribs, and corn. “I thought we were having burgers.”

“Try it,” I told her. “It’s pretty good, too.”

“As good as Cooter’s?” Gwen asked, picking up a rib.

I laughed. “If it was, I’d never tell.”

By the way Gwen devoured everything, I think she liked it.

“Hold up. Your nose must have been hungry.” Taking my thumb, I brushed the sauce off of her nose.

The music changed and Gwen beamed. “Dance with me, Big Guy.”

“Absolutely.” I let her drag me onto the floor and I twirled her around.

The music changed to a line dance I’d taught her, and we did it together, her confidence shining, as she kicked up her cute little boots, and laughed. Mercy, Verity, AJ, and Dean joined us on the floor.

We danced and danced until sweat drenched us, and I was a little out of breath. “Do you want something to drink?”

“Beer me, please,” she said and nodded.

“Nice moves, Bucket.” Mercy nodded. She turned to Gwen. “My other big sister knows all sorts of obscure line dances. Let me teach you this one she showed me when we were in Greece. I still wish you would have come with us.”

Her look went wistful. “Me, too.”

I got us each a beer and came back to the table. Mercy, Gwen, and Verity were doing some dance I’d never seen before.

“You still have your moves,” I said to AJ, as I took a pull of my beer.

“So do you. Has she met your sister yet?” AJ asked.

I shook my head. “Not yet. But I think Zaya will like her.”

“She’s kind and works her ass off. Zaya will appreciate it. We’re heading out to our cabin, but I’m here if you need me,” AJ told me.

“Thanks.” I sighed. “I’m hoping I made the right choice by leaving Portland. They twisted me up so badly there’s no way I could stay.”

“Everyone’s going to think you’re after a championship,” he told me.

“There are worse reasons to change teams.”

AJ’s eyes focused on the three ladies as they kicked and turned. “True. I’ve never seen her look so happy.”

“Gwen is fun to be around. It’s comfortable, like I’ve known her for years instead of weeks. She’s so different from Morgan, too.” I got out my phone and snapped a few more pictures of her, as if by doing so I could save some of her joy for later.

“Both are driven women who know what they want, and are determined to get it, but…” I shook my head. “It’s not their age difference. Maybe the way they approach the world? Gwen is cautious until she isn’t. That’s when she really shines.”

We talked some more, enjoying the night as it cooled off and the stars came out.

“Your sister’s farm is nice. This was a good choice,” I told AJ. This was exactly what I needed–a little slice of comfort. Some farm animals, good food and music, and beer with decent company.

I’d absolutely do this again.

Gwen came back off the floor. Her hair was stuck to her shiny face. She grabbed her beer and drained the entire thing.

“That was refreshing. Thanks.” She held out her hand. “Can we get some apple cider donuts, then dance some more?”

“We can do whatever you want, Firecracker,” I told her. “We’ve got all night.”