Page 34 of Doyle

Ivan finished his sandwich and gave me a long, hard look before finally nodding.

"Okay. Then good luck,” Ivan said.

I nodded back, relieved that he wasn’t going to push it further.

After a quick breakfast, I grabbed my keys and headed out to my truck.

The drive to Oak Meadow was long, but the thought of seeing Michael kept me energized.

I replayed our recent conversations in my mind, each one making me smile.

As the miles rolled by, I thought about how I would surprise him, imagining the look on his face when he saw me.

By the time I reached Oak Meadow, it was just past noon. I parked near Michael's workplace and took a moment to steady my nerves.

This visit wasn’t just about gathering information; it was about seeing Michael and reconnecting with him.

I walked into the car repair shop owned by Michael's dad, immediately coming face-to-face with a burly mechanic in his fifties who gave me an appraising look.

A bear shifter, I guessed. I didn't take offense at his careful reaction.

Most shifters were wary of outsiders visiting their town unannounced and even though I concealed my aura, I couldn’t hide it entirely.

His name tag read "Stan."

"Can I help you?" Stan asked, his tone guarded.

"Yes, I'm here to see Michael," I replied, trying to make myself appear friendly and non-threatening.

However, my effort seemed to have the opposite effect. Stan narrowed his eyes.

"And who are you?" Stan demanded.

I was debating how to handle this when Michael appeared from the office, probably drawn by the noise.

When he saw me, his eyes widened in surprise and then softened into a smile.

"Doyle? What are you doing here?" he asked, walking up to me.

"Michael, you know this guy?" Stan asked, still wary.

"This is Doyle, he rescued me," Michael said.

Stan's tense posture relaxed at that.

"Oh, you're the one. Michael's talked about you. Didn't expect to see you here, though,” Stan said.

"I wanted to surprise Michael and take him out for lunch," I explained, my gaze shifting to Michael, who nodded enthusiastically.

"Well, I guess that's alright then," Stan said, giving me a scrutinizing look before stepping aside. "Just don’t cause any trouble."

I chuckled. "No trouble, just lunch,” I said.

Michael's eyes were bright with excitement as he led me out of the shop.

"This is such a surprise! I didn't expect you to come all this way,” Michael said.

"I couldn't resist," I admitted. "I missed you."

---