Did they spend a shit ton of time together? Yes. But they weren’t together. Even if they were, Isa was a capable woman who could deal with her stalker all by herself.
“I don’t like it,” Valens said.
“You don’t have to like it, but I am asking you to respect it.”
“Fine.”
Once again, they were saved by Minnie’s appearance. She took their order and waited on her other customers.
“So, how was your day?” Isa asked. “Did you get many tourists in your office with all kinds of ailments?”
“Sure did. There’s a family with four kids renting one of the cabins on the east side of the lake. They came in. Each and every one of them had lice.”
Isa cringed. “Now that’s one reason not to have kids.”
Valens’s head snapped up. “You don’t want kids?” He was absolutely shocked.
She shrugged. “Some days I do, other days I don’t. I guess I have a hard time imagining having a baby with my kind of life. Do toddlers like skydiving?”
Valens’s face fell, and he turned as white as a ghost. “You’re joking.”
She kicked his foot under the table. “Of course, I’m joking. You’re too easy to rile up.”
“I’ll get you back.”
“You better,” she added with a wink.
There. Now that was better. Playful, fun, teasing Valens was back. That was the part of him she enjoyed spending time with.
“I totally do want kids someday. I just never slowed down long enough to think of the logistics of it, you know?” Having a family of her own was sort of a wish. Sort of like opening up a summer camp. Then she’d still be the cool mom. The one who ran a summer fun place. Who wouldn’t love that?
“I’ve already told Aunt Macie that we’re coming over for dessert once we’re done.”
“Awesome.”
“She mentioned you went over last night.”
“Yeah. I took Tarrah. She was having a bad day, so I wanted to cheer her up.”
“Is she okay?” His concern for her closest friend was sweet.
“She’s gonna be, eventually. The poor girl is so into Luke, it hurts to watch. She fawns over him, and he doesn’t even know she exists. He does, obviously, but he doesn’t look at her like that. Well, yesterday, Tarrah made this long, elaborate meal. She looked up one of his favorite recipes and did this whole thing.
"Just as it was about to be ready, he announced he had an errand to run. He’s been doing that a lot lately. Going off on these mysterious errands for hours without telling us anything. It’s strange, but…” Isa shrugged. “He’s a grown man. I just wish he would take Tarrah’s feelings into consideration, you know?”
“Yeah. That would be good. Did my aunt make her feel better?”
Isa laughed. “Did she ever. Macie made Tarrah this huge ice cream sundae. It had chunks of all the good candy and brownies. It was amazingly delicious. You come from a very kind, very talented family.”
Valens beamed. “I know. I’m lucky like that.”
“Lucky tiger. That’s what I should call you.”
He laughed, sputtering on his mouthful of chowder. “Why lucky tiger?”
“Because you live in a small town that seems too obsessed with tigers, and you lead a good life. That’s lucky.”
“The daredevil and lucky tiger. Sounds like a badass action movie.”
Isa giggled. “Oh, it totally does. I love it. If it were a movie, you’d have some deep, dark secret you’d be keeping from me. I would find out just at the culmination of the action. And then we would break up until you did some grand gesture.”
“Is that how it would go?”
“Obviously.”
He seemed to consider this for a few moments. “Well, then,” he leaned onto the table, glancing around the room quite dramatically. “I’ve got something to tell you. I’m a tiger.”
The man was hilarious.
“I like this. You’re a tiger? Our action movie has a paranormal edge. Loving it even more. Was it a curse given to you by a scorned lover? Or maybe you didn’t save a young child in time, and the family put a spell on you?”
Valens shook his head. “No, Isa. I am a tiger shifter. I can turn into a tiger whenever I want. My entire family is like that. We’re a streak here in Thatcherton. That’s why there are tigers everywhere. Minnie? A tiger. Macie? Her too.”
Isa burst out laughing. “This is hilarious. We should totally have a scene where Minnie and Macie join in a fight for the town or something. Then me, the fragile human, comes flying down from the sky out of a helicopter to save the day.”
Valens was quiet for a very long time. Isa rolled her eyes.
“Come on, Valens. We’re in the twenty-first century. Women can be the majestic hero at the end of the movie now. I want my moment, dammit!” She tapped the table dramatically, having way too much fun planning out this fake movie.
Valens took out his wallet, put way too much money on the table, and pulled her to her feet. “We’ll get dessert later. There’s something I wanna show you.”
Isa went without asking any questions.
Why would she? She was the daredevil to his lucky tiger, after all.
12
VALENS
It was done.
He had to tell Isa now.
If he didn’t, she would be one livid woman when she found out he had actually been telling her the truth. It wasn’t a joke, and she was his mate. His fragile human mate. Only, she wasn’t so fragile. She was tough enough to do all kinds of stuff. Valens wondered if she could handle learning about shifters. It wasn’t lost on him that if she was a shifter, he wouldn’t have to have an awkward conversation. Isa would’ve recognized that he’s her mate at the same time as him.
They wouldn’t have to spend a week going on little walks around town and the mountain. They would have been going at it like… well, like shifters.
Isa was going to lose her shit when she saw him shift into an actual tiger. It didn’t matter that she was Daredev-Isa.
He was a tiger.
Whether he was lucky or not entirely depended on how the next fifteen minutes went.
“Where the hell are you taking me?” she asked, still laughing at his sudden change of humor.
“You’ll see.” He led her out of the restaurant, down the street, and straight to one of the mountain trails. A lot of tourists used it for fun, but he had a secluded spot where he liked to lounge around in his tiger form.
“You’re so mysterious right now. I sorta like it. You gonna tell me you have a movie theater in this town? So we can film our very strange action movie?”
He shook his head, still holding her hand.
“You ask a lot of questions, Isa. Just come along.”
“It should be pointed out that you are a man I’ve known and dated for a week, taking me into the woods. I’m pretty sure that’s the start of a whole other movie where you’re a serial killer, and I’m your next victim.”
“I would never put you in harm’s way, Isa,” he growled, turning to face her. “Never. Do you hear me? You will always be safe with me. No matter what happens.”