Page 89 of Shifters Unifying

Sophia didn’t answer. Instead, she waved to Sheila. When my cousin ventured closer, Sophia asked, “Can you bring a box, hon’? I’d like to take the rest of my sandwich to-go.”

Sheila flashed a thumbs up. “Will do. I’ll bring the check, too.”

After Sophia had packed her lunch away, she stood, no longer a woman on the edge of a breakdown. Instead, she was a woman with a plan. She hugged a still-seated Olivia, nodded to me, and made her way out of Vixen’s.

“See you soon,” she called over her shoulder.

After she’d gone, Sheila brought a card reader so I could settle the bill. “She’s a firecracker,” Sheila said. “Reminds me of Emma.”

“So, I’ve heard,” I muttered, signing the tiny screen. My cousin left, and I took a deep breath and released it. “What the fuck just happened?”

Olivia shrugged. “You got steamrolled, a mother got what she wanted, and we avoided a scene.”

“We just moved the scene from here to Six-Mile. There’s no way Sophia Carter is going to handle the news about Acheron well. There’s so much she’s not ready to know.”

“Better there than here. Regardless, it’s done now,” Olivia countered. “At least, this way, maybe we won’t have the parish sheriff’s department breathing down our neck anytime soon. Though, if I were you, I’d have those kids reach out to their parents as soon as possible, in the off chance any of them are minors.”

“That’s probably a good idea. We should have had them do that before I took them over to Salali’s. Let’s handle that when we get back to Six-Mile. We can probably send Phil to take a message over.”

“Will do.”

“Any of them minors?” That could be a whole new can of worms.

Olivia covered a yawn. “Not sure. It’s not something any of us thought to ask. Emma might not even know. Hindsight is always twenty-twenty. We’ll deal with the problem when it’s a problem.” She stood. “We need to get coffee before we leave town. You want to check on Riley and Shannon before we head back to Six-Mile?”

“Sure. Might as well. Next time I see Emma, I’ll be able to tell her we’ve put eyeballs on everyone she asks about in Willow Creek. Have you ever met these two?”

“I don’t think so, but Jasper and Flynn both have.”

“I met them. Once. The last time Sheila’s daughter’s cat tried to murder himself while he was out chasing tail.”

Olivia laughed, and she opened to door to Vixen’s. The mid-day seemed too bright after the moody lighting in Vixen’s. “Well, nothing like chasing some good pussy across Louisiana. You know all about that, huh, Logan?”

“Shut up.” But her words already had me thinking about Emma and the next time we’d have a chance to be together.

We climbed into the SUV, Olivia in the driver’s seat, and I replayed the eventful lunch. We’d taken care of the problematic developer, met Emma’s mother, and managed to invite her out to Six-Mile. Hosting Sophia Carter at Six-Mile would probably invite a whole new set of problems.

The woman would come knocking, asking to check on her daughter, every damn time Emma had a grounds-shaking orgasm, and when we were together, Emma did that. A lot.

Motherf—

Nope.Not that word. I would never even be able to think that word again without thinking of Sophia glaring at me from across the table.

Fucking hell.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

emma

East Nuttal Delta

The Next Morning

Crap.

My stomach threatened to empty itself again as the wisp of a breeze danced over the back of my neck as I tied my hair back from my face. If I were back in Willow Creek, it’d be time for another coloring visit with my hairdresser. Instead, I was in the middle of the woods, naked and mentally preparing for training.

Nobody said anything, and I was stalling, avoiding what I already knew wasn’t going to go as smoothly as I had envisioned. Practice made perfect, but I hadn’t yet practiced teaching on a large-ish scale at all. At least I had a few friends in attendance, including Salali who waited nearby. Marcus must have disappeared after Salali fed him the night before, and the younglings probably weren’t up yet.