Technical Threat (Westin Force #4) - Julie Trettel Page 0,28
I’m just moving out of the house.”
“You’re leaving Womack,” she said. “Your true mate has come to claim you. I’ve seen it, Susan.”
Chills ran up my spine as visions of the man sitting in the booth next to the large picture window in the café filled my head. Mate, a small voice in my head said.
I emphatically shook my head. “It can’t be,” I whispered.
Sage’s sadness lifted and she perked up. “You’ve already met him.”
“No. It can’t be. I don’t know,” I told her honestly.
I’d felt such an intense pull to the guy, and I had seen the proof firsthand that he was attracted to me too. My cheeks burned at the memory of me on my knees trying to clean him up and fully aware that my innocent actions were turning him on. God he was big too if that bulge in his pants was any indication.
I licked my lips
“Susan, you have met him!”
“What? No. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
But oh, I did. A mate? Me? Was it even possible? And what were the odds that he would just stroll through my little town with his grandmother of all people? No, it couldn’t be.
“Tell me about him.”
“There’s nothing to tell, Sage. You’re just screwing with me.”
“So what happened today to make you blush?”
Her question made even the tips of my ears darken.
“Oh yeah, there’s a story here.”
“I said it was nothing. It’s just been a bad morning.” That much as certainly true.
“What’s wrong?”
“Besides Shay kicking me out? She’s trying to take a large loan out against the café. I don’t think she even realized she signed half of the place over to me with the last one she took out.”
“Are we going to be okay?”
“I don’t know, Sage. The house is going into foreclosure.”
“You didn’t stop it?”
I shook my head. “But I will. You know I won’t let you and Sapphire go homeless because of her irresponsibility. That’s why I know that your vision or whatever it was isn’t true. I can’t leave you guys right now.”
She gave me a knowing look. “You can, and you will. I think he’s your one true mate, Susan. You can’t give that up for us. You can’t.”
I sighed. “True mates are nothing but shifter fairytales, little one. You know this.”
“They’re not,” she whispered. “You’ll see.”
Every time she mentioned the word mate, his picture popped into my memories.
“Sapphire and I are going to be fine,” Sage told me confidently. “You don’t need to worry about us anymore.”
“I’ll always worry about you guys. And why the sudden change, Sage. You made me swear I wouldn’t leave again just the other day.”
She sighed and bit her lip. “I’m sorry about that.” Sage never apologized for anything. To say I was shocked was the understatement of the year. “I could feel a big change coming. It made me uneasy, and I clung to you out of fear of the unknown, but it’s clear now and it’s going to be okay. Better than okay even.”
“You’re very weird sometimes, you know.”
She looked dejected. “I can’t help it, you know. I can’t really explain it either. I just see things and sometimes I just know things that others don’t.”
“I didn’t mean that in a bad way, Sage. I love you just the way you are.”
She grinned. “So I do get to meet him?”
I scoffed. “I don’t know who you mean.”
“You’re a terrible liar.”
“I don’t even know him.”
“But you have met him?”
I shook my head. “You’re incorrigible. And I still do not believe in true mates.”
“But someone came to mind when I mentioned it. We aren’t talking abstract here. You met someone didn’t you? Someone you like,” she pressed.
“I didn’t exactly meet him. If anything, I just humiliated myself in front of some good-looking guy that was in the café this morning. He’ll be long gone before we get back and I will never see him again. End of story. I don’t even know his name and I never will.”
I called Sapphire just so Sage would stop interrogating me.
“Hey, how are things going there?”
“All is well here. We’re in a lull between meals. How’s Sage?”
“She’s fine. I’m taking her home. Do you need me right away or can I take a little time to get some of my things packed up? That is as long as Shay’s not there. If she is, I’ll drop Sage off and be right there.”
“Sounds like a plan. I already agreed to work through lunch, and I’ll stay the rest of the day