Page 40 of Taken By the Pack

She chews her lip for a second, then nods. “I can put some feelers out. You should stop by the flower shop tomorrow—I’m always there.”

Right, the flower shop. I can smell the flowers on her skin underneath the cloying invitation of her heat.

“Yeah?” I say. “Might take you up on that.”

She nods, then glances at her cart. “Well, I gotta get moving before the old ladies take all the good bread.”

I grin. “Can’t have that.”

“Definitely not.” She steps around me, starts walking off, then glances back. “See you tomorrow, Ash.”

And just like that, she’s gone.

I stand there for a second, staring at where she was, feeling lighter than I have all day. The grief that sat so heavy on my chest when I woke up? Gone.

I exhale, shaking my head, and keep moving. Tomorrow’s already looking better.

After shopping, I decide to explore a little more of my new home.

The bakery smells like coffee and fresh bread, the kind of scents that make waking up early worth it.

The place is small, tucked between a hardware store and some boutique selling overpriced seashell necklaces.

A chalkboard sign out front says, “Best damn bagels in town.”

You’ll get no arguments from me.

I step inside, and an older woman behind the counter looks up from a crossword puzzle. “Morning, hon. What can I get ya?”

“Coffee, black. And a bagel. Whatever’s fresh.”

She nods, grabbing a plain bagel and slicing it. “Passing through?”

“Sticking around for a while.”

“That so?” She hands over my order, eyeing me like she’s already placing bets on how long I’ll last.

I just nod, toss a five on the counter, and take my stuff to go.

Back at the motel, I settle on the stiff mattress, sip my coffee, and go through my gear.

Field notebook. Waterproof bag. Calipers. Some containers of pH strips. My old, beat-up copy ofMarine Ecology in Temperate Zones.

I check my phone—battery’s decent, but I packed a portable charger just in case.

Halfway through stuffing my bag, my phone rings. Dr. Lowe, checking in on me again.

I swipe to answer. “Morning, Doc.”

“Morning, Ash. You settled in?”

“As much as I can be in a place that smells like old socks and regret.”

She chuckles. “Well, make the most of it. We’re hoping for solid results this time—you know how the board gets when funding season rolls around.

I sent over the first set of documents for your study. Let me know if you have any questions.”

“Yeah, yeah. No pressure or anything.”

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