Page 28 of Warrick (Rocky Mountain Pack #1)

Warrick

My eyes peel open as the sun warms my face through the window by my bed. The silence of my room rings through my ears as I roll over and remember my empty bed as the loneliness creeps back in. I shake my head to dislodge those thoughts before they consume me.

Flipping the blankets back, I shift till my feet hit the ground.

The bed might be empty today and the next few weeks, but hopefully for not much longer.

My head rocks side to side, cracking my neck as I stand up and pad toward my bathroom.

My hair is sticking up at all angles when I look at myself in the mirror.

Using a dash of water, I smooth it down into a semblance of style.

I’m not worried about my appearance today so much as I’m worried about this project being perfect.

The confidence I’ve been feeling that this project will be flawless is dwindling the more time that passes.

What if she hates it? I mean, I don’t think she will, but will it be exactly what she would have done if it was hers to do?

Pushing the toothbrush around my mouth, I consider a few different ways to ensure this turns out exactly how she wants it. What if I sneak into her house and look through her laptop? No, we won’t be breaking and entering.

“You could always ask Hazel to help, you know, her friends?” Wraith suggests.

“ That’s a great idea! Why didn’t I think of that?” I say eagerly.

“Because you’ve been too busy ignoring me and I’m tired of waiting. So I pushed through to keep you out of jail.”

“I’m not ignoring you, I just have a lot going on. You know that.”

“What I know is that you have one more chance to win Aspen over or I will take over and make it happen.”

“Humph. Like you would have a better chance with her than I have.”

“One of us cheated. One of us rubbed the other women in her face. And the other one of us is a handsome, furry beast that she can cuddle with.”

“You don’t have to remind me of my mistakes. I’m well aware.”

“Are you though?"

“Yes, I’m clearly trying to right the wrongs.”

“As long as you aren’t just doing this so you can have a mate. She’s made it clear that she wants someone to want her for her. Can you be that person?”

“I’m going to do everything in my power to show both of you that I’m here to be that person for her and our future.”

Wraith goes back into our shared consciousness, leaving me with a pit in my stomach. Can I be that person for her? Shaking my head, I run my toothbrush under the water and rinse it off. Placing it back in its holder, I dry my mouth with the hand towel.

My cell phone dings on the bed side table with an incoming text message. Walking over to it, I see that Gail has sent me a text message. Odd, I didn’t even know she knew how to do that. Isn’t she too old for texting?

Warrick, Hazel is coming by with some coffees this morning. Can you stop by to pick up these documents that need to be signed? Love, Gail

Shaking my head, a small smile plays across my lips.

Yeah I can be there in ten.

Good. We’ll be waiting, dear. Love, Gail

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 off the 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 forcing her 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 booth next 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?”

Hazels shakes her head. “Not really. He pretty much has only been able to drag her out of her house to take their hike a few times since this all happened.”

“Hmm, that’s interesting.” I rub my pointer finger and thumb along my jaw.

She busts out giggling, startling both Gail and I. We look to each other then to her as she continues to laugh. She holds her stomach as she leans forward bracing her other hand on Gail’s desk. With a peek over her arm at both of us, she laughs harder at our confusion.

“You good? What’s so funny?” I attempt to break through her laughter.

She leans back as she wipes both of her eyes. “I’m sorry, but I can’t believe it actually worked.” She bursts into another fit of laughter.

My eyebrows are practically glued together on my forehead. What is she talking about?

Hazel leans over placing her hand on my arm resting on the arm of the chair. Laughing she says, “Did you really believe she is dating Chase?” Seeing the confusion still on my face, she laughs even harder. “Oh my god, you did!”

“Well, aren’t they?” I say as I push myself out of the chair. What is she saying? Aren’t they dating?

She leans away from me still laughing.

“What aren’t you saying Hazel?” I growl out as I pace the room.

At the tone of my voice, she attempts to cut off her laughter. “Oh, no! Listen, have you ever heard of a situationship?”

“A what?”

“A situationship? It’s where two people come together for companionship, to have ‘someone’, but there aren't any feelings between them.”

“What the fuck is that? What does it mean?”

“Essentially Chase and Aspen are nothing but friends. The situationship gives them someone to laugh with, cry with, and go places with without feeling like a burden to the other. When Aspen realized she would never have the mate she deserved, she decided that something was better than nothing. Chase has to find his mates still. Last time I talked with them both, they were discussing helping him find his mates.”

My anger rushes out of me as I deflate. This is all my fault. She is only with him because I was such a jackass that she put herself into something where she at least had someone. “Thank you for letting me know.”

Hazel dips her head. “I’m sorry for laughing, but it was too perfect.

She didn’t think you would actually get jealous of Chase since you know they can’t mate.

After the last time that you had another female in your lap knowing she would be there,” she says, glaring at me, “she decided it was time to have a male for herself. If you could do it, then so could she. Too bad that she has never taken it any further than casual dating. I don’t even think she has been with someone… well, you know. Sexually.”

“What are you not saying?”

Huffing, she says, “Men can be so dense. Unlike you, Aspen has never been with a single male sexually. She tried once but ended up vomiting at the idea of it. Seems only one of you had that issue.”

I pace back and forth in the tiny office.

I didn’t know that. That changes everything.

Not the being untouched part, don’t get me wrong, that excites me.

But I thought I would have to fight Chase for her.

No, instead I just have to replace him and show her that I’m ready to be that shoulder for her, the laughter she needs, and the rock she deserves.

Hazel claps her hands down on her thighs.

“Alright, I’ve been here long enough today.

” She puts a hand on my shoulder as she stops next to me.

“Leave the past in the past, Warrick. Show her that you can be the right guy for her future. I’ll see you tonight after I close the coffee shop.

” With that, she walks out of Gail’s office.

I am still pacing hours later when Hazel knocks on my front door. I’m worried that she will hate it or think it isn’t good enough. Pulling the door open, I find Hazel with a skeptical smile on her face.

“Come on in.” I wave to her as I move my arm out into the open space behind me.

My front door opens directly into my living room that flows right into the island that separates the living room from the kitchen.

There is a hallway off to the side that leads to the master suite and the second bedroom.

The room that we are working in is right off the living room on the left side.

Thankfully, we don’t have to walk far because I get the impression that she isn’t keen on being here, even though she agreed to help.

“I don’t need to worry about some girl walking out of that bedroom, do I?” she asks as she points to the door at the end of the hallway.

Shaking my head, I say, “There hasn’t been a single woman in this house in over six months. So, no, you don’t have to worry about that. You’re the first woman to be here since I decided to fix my shit and become the man I’m supposed to be.”

She hums as she takes off her boots and hangs her purse on the hooks by the front door. “Fair enough.” She claps her hands together. “Where is this room?”

I jolt forward as I move towards the door right behind the sofa in the living room. “Here,” I say as I open the door and flip on the temporary light.

Stepping into the center of the room, I envision what it will be like to bring Aspen here to show her the same thing.

Maybe I will blindfold her? I watch as Hazel moves toward the room, taking hesitant steps.

The minute the light from the room shines across her face and she peeks around the door frame, her mouth drops open in surprise.

A soft gasp leaves her mouth as she scans across the room.

“Warrick… it’s perfect.”