wanted to be a perfect gentleman if he could, but after a lifetime of scuffles and scrapes, he didn't know if he even knew what that meant.
“You want to walk over to the park?” he asked.
“I'd love that,” she said.
They walked across the street to the city park, where mothers pushed their children on swings and kids twirled around on the merry-go-round. Cassidy looked at the children and smiled, the light twinkling in her eyes.
They sat down on a park bench in the shade of a willow tree.
“You think you want kids?” he asked, seeing her gaze.
“I know my mom wants me to have kids.” She chuckled. “And I suppose I do too someday.”
“Would you want to raise them in New York?” he asked, hoping he wasn't being too personal.
“I don't know. Probably not,” she said with a sigh. “I thought I wanted to escape Fate Rock up until recently, but I feel like I found a missing part of me that I've been searching for for a long time, and now I've met you.”
Their hands touched on the bench, and he slipped his over hers. She looked over at him and smiled, her eyes twinkling. She didn't pull away. His inner wolf was panting and grunting, and he knew that her lioness was doing the same.
“I am glad I met you, Gunner,” she said in a low voice. “It changes everything, and I hope—” She looked over his shoulder, and her jaw dropped. She pulled away, darting to her feet. “I gotta go,” she said abruptly.
“Is everything okay?” he asked.
“I just forgot I have an appointment. I'm sorry. I'll text you later.” She whirled around and started hastily down the path toward the street.
Gunner clasped his hands and rested his elbows on his thighs, wondering what had just happened. Everything had been going so well. He looked behind him where she'd been looking and saw a familiar raised pickup roaring down the street. It was Bobby McCoy. He gritted his teeth.
Why would Cassidy react to seeing Bobby McCoy?
He couldn't think of a reason. She probably had forgotten something important. Maybe she had a big job interview, and she'd scheduled her date with him on top of that, forgetting all about it in her excitement to meet her mate.
He should feel grateful, not suspicious that she was lying to him, but Gunner couldn't shake the feeling that Cassidy had been hiding something—or the not-so-subtle familiarity of her face.
He scratched his chin, trying to figure out what was going on. He leaned back and rested his arms on the park bench. He shook his head and breathed deeply, taking in the fresh air of the summer day.
He had found his mate, and he'd found his calling. He had his family and home. He had to remain grateful for that and believe that everything was going to work out all right, no matter how strange it was that Cassidy had hopped up and run away the minute a McCoy had driven down the street.
5
Cassidy jumped in her car, turned on the engine, and motored out of town as fast as she possibly could. She'd seen her brother driving right by the park. He'd caught her with Gunner Wilde. She had no idea what would happen—nothing good, she was sure.
He might've gotten into a fistfight with Gunner right there in public. It wouldn't be the first time it had happened. She couldn't believe that her mate was a Wilde. Fate was playing some kind of sick joke on her. She drove over the mountain with music blaring over the stereo, trying to drown out the sound of her inner lioness growling for her mate. She could never be with Gunner. It would never work. It would probably end up with somebody dead, maybe even her.
She looked over at Gunner's flowers sitting on the passenger seat. He was so sweet and attentive. There was something strong about him but shy and sensitive at the same time, and she wanted to nurture that sensitivity. She wanted to kiss him and feel him in her arms as they made wild passionate love.
She shook her head and growled at herself. She couldn't have those feelings about a Wilde. Her brothers would tear him apart.
Then his brothers would tear her brothers apart, and it would end in nothing but trauma and tears.
She rolled down her window, grabbed the flowers, and chucked them onto the side of the road.
Her heart sank at what she had just done. The thoughtful