Blackstone Ranger Charmer - Alicia Montgomery Page 0,3

leave the Mrs. waiting.”

At the mention of marriage and the Mrs., Damon’s face lit up. “Jeez, I can’t believe it’s really happening.”

Gabriel chuckled. “It definitely is.” And he was glad for his best friend. If anyone deserved happiness with a mate, it was Damon, especially after all the shit he’d gone through. When he returned after being discharged from the Special Forces, Damon had been a shell of what he once was. Therapy and time had helped, but he had been driving himself into the ground with work and keeping all those feelings locked up. When he met his mate, things had changed—and for the better. “So, speaking of which—your bachelor party.”

Damon groaned. “No. I don’t want one.”

“Ah, c’mon man!” Gabriel pleaded. “You only get married once, which means I only get to be your best man once. Besides, this is your last night of—”

Damon shook his head. “You don’t understand. I don’t need a ‘last night of freedom’, because as far as I’m concerned, the day I met Anna Victoria, she became mine, and me, hers. Besides, my bear would never allow me to even look at another woman.”

Gabriel didn’t quite understand the concept of mates—no one really did. It was just one of those things that shifters talked about, but couldn’t explain. Most shifters didn’t even meet their mates. His own parents weren’t mates. But apparently, from what he’d heard over the years, mating meant a special bond tied you to another person for the rest of your life.

Frankly, it sounded like a bad deal, after all, Gabriel pretty much already knew what was in store for his future. That’s why he was determined to enjoy his life now, while he was still free.

Lately, however, seeing how happy Damon was, he couldn’t help but wonder how it would feel to have another person who was the other half of your soul.

Ridiculous, he thought with a mental shake of his head.

His lion, however, mewled in disagreement.

“Morning, kiddos,” Rosie greeted as she walked over to them, coffee pot in hand as usual. “What can I get ya?”

“Just the coffee,” he said with a nod as Rosie filled the empty mug in front of him.

“And the specials for you?” Rosie asked Gabriel. “We have chocolate almond, cantaloupe, and bacon with egg.”

“You got it,” he said.

He and Damon chatted while waiting, but as soon as Rosie came back with their food, it was like his friend wasn’t even there. He stopped listening to Damon drone on about butterfly populations or some shit, and concentrated on the delicious-smelling feast in front of him. What was it about these pies? He often wondered if Rosie put some kind of drug in them to make them addictive, though only he and his lion seemed to be unable to resist.

He quickly ate all the pies, with Damon rolling his eyes as he demolished them. His lion licked its lips, wanting more.

“They’re here,” Damon announced out of the blue.

Looking toward the door, he saw Anna Victoria and J.D., his other best friend, walk into the restaurant. As they always did, Damon and Anna Victoria instantly locked eyes, and it was like no one else existed in that moment.

A strange rush of envy passed through Gabriel. His lion, too, felt it and let out a whine. Stop being such a pussy, he told his animal. It had been doing that lately, whenever he was around the two.

“Everything go okay?” Damon asked as he made room for Anna Victoria on his side of the booth.

“Move,” J.D. groused at him. “I want to be next to the window.”

With a roll of his eyes, he got up to let her into the booth. J.D. had been one of his best friends since grade school, so he was used to her demeanor. She’d always been one of the guys—not fussy with her looks or clothes, but fiercely loyal, which was why he liked having her as a friend. Most people thought she was dating him or Damon. Gabriel had always thought she was pretty—even if she always dressed in oversized T-shirts and baggy jeans or overalls—with her messy blonde hair and hazel eyes, but they’d known each other so long, it would seem incestuous to date her now.

“Hey, ladies,” Rosie greeted as she came over. “Do you know what you want?”

“I hope you didn’t finish all of the special pies, Russel.” J.D. nodded at the empty plates in front of him.

“They might have one or two left,” he said. “Rosie my love,