Page 8 of Claiming Her Cougar
We’ve finished the savory portion of the meal and cleared the tables to make room for the desserts when Trevor excuses himself to take a phone call out on the patio.The sun is still slanting through the trees, and I figure it must be a FaceTime call because he’s looking at the screen and talking.Probably his family.It ’s nice that they’re connecting today.Family is so important.
Kennie and Randi go out to join him, and they all gather around the phone, laughing and waving.I guess he’s introducing them to whoever he’s talking to.
“Liam, can you let the kids know we’re going to start dessert, please?”Aunt Holly asks as she and Mom pull things from the butler’s pantry and freezer to set up a dessert buffet on the breakfast bar.
I stick my head out the patio door to tell the threesome huddled around Trevor’s phone about dessert when I hear a feminine voice over the speaker.I can’t hear what she’s saying, but something’s familiar.I can’t put my finger on it though.The hairs on the back of my neck prickle.All thoughts about the voice on Trevor’s phone disappear when my phone buzzes.I pull it from my pocket and see Mallory’s sent a selfie.She’s wearing mouse ears, and there’s a theme park in the background.
Me: I thought you were afraid of mice?
Trevor comes back in with my sister and Randi.
Mallory: In my pants, yes.Walking upright in a theme park, also yes.LOL.But when in Rome…
Me: Having fun?
Mallory: Yeah.Flights got delayed, so we’re having family Thanksgiving tomorrow instead.My parents are theme park fanatics, and we have tickets for everything, so came here to walk around.They’ll be running in the Shifter Sprint on Saturday.
I didn’t know she was from a shifter family.
Me: Don’t want to run?
Mallory: I love to run, but not thirty miles at a time, and I’m not a shifter.My family is.Wolf shifters.But it skipped me.So I’m the babysitter.:smiley face emoji:
So she comes from a shifter family.That’s good.She knows I’m a cougar shifter.
Mallory: I don’t want to keep you.Have a great weekend.
Me: You too.
While our grandmothers and mothers are discussing their upcoming epic Black Friday shopping trip and roping in Daphne, Kennie, and Randi to shop with them, I prepare brownie sundaes alongside Logan and Trevor.
Logan looks at the ladies and, satisfied they aren’t paying attention to us, leans toward me.“Can you help me with a project at my house tomorrow?”
“Sure, what do you need?”
“I want to hang Christmas lights, and it’ll be easier with an extra set of hands.It’s a surprise for Daph.Her dad always used to hang them when she was growing up.She loves them.”
“Yeah, no problem.Do you have them already?”
“No.I’m going to run to Home Depot once they leave to go shopping in the morning.”
Trevor speaks in a low tone.“Do you guys want an extra hand?With the girls shopping, I’m just going to be hanging out at my house.I’m happy to help.”
“Your house?”I shoot him a questioning glance.
“Yeah,” he replies.“My family lives in Shifting Pines.I’m staying there this weekend so I can get in a run and do some skating drills.My parents moved down south when I started college, but my sister still lives here.She’s with them and my siblings for Thanksgiving, so the house is empty.It’s only twenty minutes from your place, so I figured I’d stay there instead of imposing on your parents.”
“For decorating, the more the merrier,” Logan says.“I’d appreciate the help.Just please don’t tell the girls.I want it to be a surprise for Daphne.Did you want to go to Home Depot with us or just meet at my house?”
“I love Home Depot.I’ll take any excuse I can find to go.With Kennie and Randi, I get dragged to Sephora more often than any man should have to suffer through.It’ll be nice to recharge my testosterone with some power tools.What time were you planning on going?”
I like this guy.He’s down-to-earth and funny.We arrange to meet at Logan’s house at nine the next morning.
“Skating drills?”I ask Trevor as we sit and enjoy our sundaes.“Do you play hockey?”
“Yeah.I started when I was younger,” he replies.“We have a synthetic rink set up.Nothing beats real ice, but it’s good enough to do some skating and shooting drills for fun.Mercer doesn’t have a team, and with law school, I couldn’t devote time to even a club team.IfI could find one that took shifters.So I rarely get to lace up my skates anymore.”He shoots me a glance.“Do you play?”
“I used to when I was younger, but I can’t anymore.”
