Josie had an extra pep in her step the next morning. She got ready quickly, stopping in front of the mirror to see long brown curls. She twisted her hair absent-mindedly as she looked at her reflection. She hoped it looked nice.
“Josie!”
She turned at the sound of her mother calling her name. She glanced back at the mirror again and took a deep breath before making her way downstairs.
Gideon was there, looking comfortable as he leaned against the kitchen counter and chatted with her mother about the nice weather. They agreed it was sunny and warm for this time of year. He stopped talking when he saw Josie.
“Ready?” he asked, turning to her with a smile.
“Ready!” She grinned and grabbed her purse. She gave her mother a goodbye peck on the cheek and followed Gideon out the door.
“So,” she said as they walked down the road toward the pack house, “what do you want to see?”
He shrugged. “Everything.”
“Well…,” she said, spinning in a circle with her arms out, “this is everything.”
He laughed, his warm voice filling the air. “Thanks for the tour.”
“No problem.” She winked.
She led him along the treeline of the forest that surrounded the main pack area, taking a long, slow walk in the shade of the branches overhead.
“I assume you grew up here?” he asked, walking beside her in stride.
“I did.” She smiled. “You’re Julia’s cousin, so you must have grown up somewhere nearby, right?”
“Wrong,” he said with a tight grin. “I’m from a pack on the West Coast. It took me two days to drive out here.”
“Oh, wow.” Josie looked up at him with wide eyes. “You’re really going all over, aren’t you?”
“Well, I mean, it’s worth it to find my mate, right?” he replied, shoving his hands into his pockets.
“I guess that’s true.” She nodded. “My brother is getting home tomorrow from visiting another pack. He said he would take me on a short road trip to see a few other packs when he got back.”
“You think your mate might be there?” he asked.
“I’m optimistic,” she replied, smiling.
He stopped walking and looked into her eyes. “I hope you do find your mate,” he said kindly.
Josie looked up at him, noting how sincere he seemed to be. “Thank you. I hope you find yours as well.”
She offered another soft smile before looking away, realizing she had kept eye contact with him for a little too long.
She couldn’t risk growing an attachment to him with her mate somewhere out there.
She turned away and kept walking, making slow conversation as they walked around the perimeter of the main pack area.
Just as they approached the pack house once more, they were startled by the sound of a car horn blaring behind them. They both glared at the car, watching it drive past and park in front of the pack house.
Josie grinned as a tall, red-haired, freckled man stepped out of the car with a cheesy smile, chuckling to himself like a silly boy about scaring her. She ran up and embraced her brother before pushing back and punching him in the gut.
“You turd!”
“Ahh,” he moaned, acting as if she had hurt him. “You better be nice or I won’t take you on our trip.”
She shook her head. “I’m not sure I want to go with you anymore.”
“Liar,” he said, winking, before turning to the man that approached them.
“Oh,” Josie said awkwardly. “Eddie, this is my friend Gideon.”
“Nice to meet you.” Gideon smiled, extending a hand to Eddie. “Josie has been giving me a tour.”
“Oh,” her brother said, shaking Gideon’s hand and giving Josie a sideways stare. “Is he…”
“He’s Julia’s cousin, actually,” she interrupted. “Just passing through to visit.”
“Ahh!” He sighed knowingly. “Another set-up?”
He smirked at the way his sister winced in embarrassment.
“Yep.” Gideon shrugged, seeming unbothered. “What took you off the territory?”
“Pack business,” Eddie replied bluntly, unwilling to share more information with someone not from their pack.
“I understand.”
“Eddie will be the next beta when Lucas steps up as alpha,” Josie told him proudly.
“Oh, I wasn’t aware your family is—”
“We aren’t,” Eddie said, shaking his head. “Our current beta is wonderful but has no children, so Lucas can choose his own beta without the inconvenience of a challenge. The idiot chose me.”
Josie chuckled at her brother’s words, coughing when he gave her a sarcastic glare.
“I see.” Gideon nodded. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you.” Eddie smiled, nodding his head toward the pack house. “I should head inside. I have to report to the alpha.”
Josie smiled as he squeezed her shoulders.
“You and your brother seem close,” Gideon said when he was gone.
“Yeah, we are.” She grinned. She had missed her brother.
“Well,” Gideon said, glancing down at the expensive-looking watch on his wrist, “I guess I should let you get on with your day. It was great to get the tour. Thank you, Josie.”
“No problem,” she said, smiling.
“I’ll probably be back sometime to visit, so…I’ll see you around?”
“Maybe next time I see you, you’ll have a mate,” she said, offering him some hope.
“Maybe.” He smiled.
“Hey!” Josie hollered as she saw Gideon walk across the field toward her a few days later. “What are you doing out here?”
“Just finished a run,” he panted. “I thought you would have left by now,” he added with a smile, catching his breath. His large shirtless form glistened with sweat in the early sunlight.
“He just got back, so I thought I’d give him a few days with Hanna before making him leave again.” She shrugged.
“That was nice of you,” he said, wiping his face with a towel.
“So, you’re training with our pack now?” she asked as they walked toward a bench.
“Gotta keep in shape somehow.” He winked.
“Are you—” She stopped as she stumbled over a rock in the grass.
She was surprised when Gideon caught her, his strong hands wound tightly around her waist to keep her from falling. She held onto his arms, feeling the hard muscles flex beneath her touch.
“Thanks,” she whispered, looking up into his brown eyes.
“No problem,” he replied. He stood straight and released her. “What were you saying before?”
“I…,” she stuttered, flustered at the palpable heat between them. “I was going to ask how you like it here.”
“I like it a lot.” He smiled. “Especially after meeting you.”
Josie blushed at his words and looked down at the grass. “Oh, shut up.”
“It’s true.” He winked at her. His smile was warm.
She couldn’t help but smile back. She decided it was time to leave.
“I’d better get going,” she said. “I was just on my way home.”
“Okay. Bye, Josie.”
“I’ll see you around,” she said quietly before trudging off.
“Josie!”
She had almost made it home when she heard him call her name. She turned to see him jogging behind her, his breathing heavy from the run.
“Gideon?” she asked, a bit surprised.
He smiled, taking her hand and leading her around the side of the house.
“What the—what are you doing?” she asked as he dragged her into the trees.
He stopped and turned, taking both of her hands in his now.
“I’m not sure if I’m going to see you again, so I wanted to say goodbye properly. I’m really glad I met you.”
“Uhh…thanks,” she replied, not quite sure what was happening. Before she knew it, he bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.
“Gideon, I—” she stuttered, surprised at the gesture.
“Bye.” He grinned and, just as quickly as he’d kissed her, he left her standing alone in the trees.
