Page 39 of The Alpha Option
“Oh, that’s exciting news.” The wolf in her arms exploded back into a squealing little girl. Sophie adjusted the little girl to rest on her hip. “It’s been so long since we were out there. Auntie Rachel used to host the best swimming parties.”
“You’re welcome to come anytime,” Cassidy offered. Ideas whirling, she smiled at Del. “In fact, the whole pack is invited. How about Wednesday night? We obviously don’t have everything ready at the lodge, but the lake is there, and there’s plenty of room to run.”
“I like ’wimming,” Dixie declared.
“It sounds wonderful. Thank you.” Sophie dipped her chin and smiled at them both before moving with her little girl to one side and redressing her.
Cassidy watched for a moment and turned back to notice Del watching her intently. “Is that okay? That the pack comes out to the lake?”
Del nodded slowly. “I’m busy on Wednesday, though. Please accept my regrets.”
Oh. “You’re not busy. You don’t want to come if Jace is there.”
He tilted his chin. “As I said, powerful and smart. You’re nearly my perfect woman.”
“What would make someone perfect?”
Del followed her as they rose to their feet. He took her hand and bent over it before pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “Powerful, smart, beautiful—they’re all wonderful traits, but the key component that would make a woman perfect is that she’s meant to be mine. Because that means I’m meant to be perfectly hers.”
“That’s sweet.” Cassidy laughed as he made a face. “But it is. And you know? I hope you find her someday. I just doubt very much that it’s Stephanie that you’re looking for.”
He glanced into the nearby bushes, rolled his eyes, then let her hand go. “Enjoy the rest of the picnic. I’ll see you soon.”
He walked away and rejoined a part of the pack. A tall solid man with haunted eyes and a romantic heart.
Cassidy waited until he was well gone before turning and stepping into the trees. She walked straight up to where Jace waited in his wolf form.
She knelt and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pressing her forehead to his wolf. “I have no idea how I knew you were here, but I did.”
He licked her cheek, and she laughed, turning her face away as she dug her fingers into his fur and scratched all the spots she knew he liked. This whole wolf thing was very strange, but something about it felt like coming home.
Were she and Jace fated mates? Who knew.
Right here, right now was all Cassidy could worry about.
14
“Hand me another board.” Blue reached back without looking, and Jace put the material in his hand.
“You do good work,” he admitted to his cousin as he admired the ruler-straight edges of the new dock boards.
Blue reached back again, and they fell into a rhythm, inching forward over the newly built trusses Blue had put in place that morning. “It’s fun to do something other than furniture,” he said. “Not what I expected to be building this summer, but it feels good.”
It did, Jace agreed. Once again, his gaze drifted out to find Cassidy where she was working. Unexpected changes, but they felt so right.
There was nothing more to do inside the lodge until their building supplies arrived. And with Cassidy’s invitation for the pack to come swimming at the lake less than twenty-four hours away, the girls had revamped the to-do lists into making the outdoor spaces as welcoming and safe as possible.
Thus the work on the dock and the playground Cassidy had ordered Jace all over the day before. Sanding rough spots and screwing in extra supports and making sure it was as wolf-child resistant as possible.
He and Blue had also spent time on a secret project, and all of it felt like positive forward motion.
Cassidy and Steph were planting flowers in the raised beds surrounding one side of the firepit. Jace had discouraged them from planting anything delicate anywhere enthusiastic little wolves might trample them.
Even now, Cassidy moved with an efficiency that made him grin. He wanted to stroll over, scoop her up, and find somewhere private.
“You are so gone.”
He glanced up to discover Blue giving him a super-smirky smile. “You do realize I’m bigger than you.”
