Page 44 of The Tracker's Secret
DEAR JOSH,
There is someone for everyone. Love isn’t a path on which we must struggle. Companionship and happiness are possible when the right people come together.
You may think these words are designed to deceive you, to fill you with hopes that are never fulfilled, but I assure you they are not. My tracking skills are true. I have brought many couples together who have found their “happily ever after.”
I don’t expect simple words to convince you. So instead, I want to invite you to meet the man who hired me to find you. His name is Aaron, and he is very eager to meet you.
If you have ever felt that everyone you’ve met isn’t quite right for you and are ready for a deep and fulfilling relationship, come to the address below today at 6 PM, and find out what you’ve been looking for. We will wait for you, but if you don’t come, we will understand. The choice is yours.
Antonietta Sunder
I gave back the letter without reading the address and scanned Josh’s face, searching for a reaction that might let me know if he would come, but he just looked confused.
“Um, I know it’s a lot to process. Maybe a hard decision,” I said, taking a step back. “So I’ll let you get to work.”
A smile stretched across Josh’s lips, changing his face so completely that I hadn’t realized how deeply sad his expression had been. “Not hard at all,” he said. “I’ll see you at six.”
***
AARON WAS PACING INthe agency’s waiting area across from Rosalina’s desk. He had changed from his jeans and colorful jacket to a shiny gray suit with a white shirt and purple tie. He looked very handsome and extremely nervous.
I had gone across the street to get coffees for everyone, except Josh who, being a vampire, couldn’t consume any food. Aaron’s coffee sat untouched on the side table, and I had started eyeing it since mine was almost gone. I tended to eat or drink too much whenever I was nervous.
Rosalina seemed to be the only one keeping her cool. She was more level headed about matters of the heart, whether they involved her or others.
When the clock struck 6:10 PM, I started to get worried.
“Do you think he changed his mind?” Aaron asked just as I started wondering the same thing. “Maybe it’s for the best.” He sat on the small sofa, staring at the floor. He was clearly disappointed but trying to find some silver lining where there was none.
I opened my mouth to say something when the front door abruptly opened and a figure rushed in and stopped on a dime.
It was Josh Rice, his skin smoking slightly, his hair in disarray.
He hissed, shaking his hands. “Shit, that hurts.” Noticing us, he went rigid. “Um, sorry. The sun is almost down, and I didn’t want to look stupid with... my umbrella.” He trailed off as he focused on Aaron.
The werewolf stood up slowly, his brown eyes fixed on Josh. He looked like somebody who had forgotten how to breathe and blink.
“Hi, Josh, I’m so glad you could make it,” I said. I perceived a hint of that strange sour scent on him, but it was disguised by the smell of sweet, ice cream treats.
With difficulty, he glanced away from Aaron. “Sorry, I’m late. Traffic was bad.”
He scanned Aaron from head to toe, and self-consciously straightened his yellow T-shirt. Josh was too handsome to be insecure, but he was certainly worried about first impressions, considering that he’d risk getting burned so he wouldn’t look dorky with his reflective umbrella.
“It doesn’t matter,” I said. “If you remember, I’m Antonietta Sunder, but you can call me Toni. That over there is my partner, Rosalina López. And this gentleman is Aaron Blackridge, our client.”
Aaron extended a hand toward Josh. “Nice to meet you, Josh.”
Josh hesitated for a bit, then took Aaron’s hand. I felt electricity spark between them as they touched, and all my concerns about them accepting each other dissolved into a giddy, happy feeling. It happened every time I brought two mates together. The chemistry was immediate and undeniable. It was easy to see in their interlocked hands and gazes, and in the way they lingered on each other longer than should be comfortable.
Josh smiled up at Aaron who was a head taller than him, and that sadness that I’d perceived in him seemed to become something imagined, something that had never been there.
“You work at Ted’s?” Aaron said. “I love that place.”
“Um, it’s just a temporary job until I finish school. I’m studying graphic design,” Josh said.
“You are?”
Josh nodded, excitedly. “I love manipulating images. Photographs mainly.”
