The cockpit door opened, and Justin got out. “Right here.” He stopped in his tracks as he and Scott made eye contact, and recognition dawned.
“You were in the coffee shop,” they both said in unison.
“Hi. I’m Scott Jefferson.” Scott managed to regain his wits and held out his hand to shake. Justin took it with a firm grip,and Scott could have sworn he felt an electric tingle at the touch. From the surprise in Justin’s face, he had felt it too.
“Justin Miller.” The other man sounded a bit off his game.
What the hell was that? It wasn’t static electricity. Is Justin a shifter?Could he be my mate?
Mate! Mate! He smells sooo good!Scott’s coyote shouted.
He had heard stories about shifters who recognized their fated mate from their first touch, feeling an immediate, undeniable connection. He had always thought those stories were a bunch of hooey, but now he wasn’t so sure. And his coyote was right, the man smelled incredible.
“This your plane?” Scott wanted to facepalm since the answer was obvious, given that the other man had climbed out of the cockpit.
“Sure is. My pride and joy, theDonna Jean,” Justin replied. “And you must be my one o’clock tour.”
“That’s me.” Scott tried to regain his equilibrium.
Real smooth, his coyote snickered.
“Welcome to Fox Hollow. You said you wanted a custom itinerary. I saw the list of places you emailed me. If you can tell me more about what you’re looking for, I can do a better job taking you where you need to go.” Justin’s tone was all business, but Scott still felt subtly checked out and found that he didn’t mind at all.
“I’m working on articles about lost and forgotten ski resorts and amusement parks in the Adirondacks,” Scott replied. “I write for a wide variety of websites. Sounds boring, but it pays the rent. I wanted to see what was left of the sites for myself.”
“I can take you by those places,” Justin said. “And since I grew up here, I might be able to provide some context that you haven’t found from your other sources.”
“I’d appreciate that,” Scott replied. “There’s nothing like hearing from someone who really knows the area.” He paused for a minute, then decided to add his newest article idea.
“I’m also doing an article about that big mine north of here,” Scott told Justin. “The details haven’t all been finalized yet, but the mine was a pretty unique place in its time, and there are stories about ghosts, monsters, and the Mob.”
“The one in Plattsburgh that used to be the deepest mine in the world?” Justin asked and Scott nodded. “I heard it’s been bought, and it’s going to reopen.”
“Interesting.” Scott wondered if that would help or hurt his article.
“One thing, we won’t be able to hit all those locations in one session,” Justin told him. “We could set up another appointment to get what doesn’t fit today.”
Scott knew his list had been long even without the addition of the mine, and that the spots weren’t close to each other, so it didn’t surprise him that it would take several sessions.
And that means we get to spend more afternoons with him. We need to claim him,his coyote said, and Scott pictured him licking his lips.
Stop that!he reprimanded, although he felt the same way. Justin was definitely yummy. His coyote barked a laugh. He just wasn’t as convinced that Justin was his mate. He’d been burned too many times.
“That’s fine with me. I’m here for the week,” Scott said.
“Good. There’s a lot to see around Fox Hollow, and people who are in a hurry miss the best stuff.” Justin’s good humor was infectious, and so was his flirting. Scott wondered if the pilot turned his charm on everyone or if he had attracted the man’s attention.
No one-night stands. But I wouldn’t turn down dinner or drinks. Chalk it up to research.Not to mention Scott’s curiosityto see if another casual touch would yield a repeat of that mysterious zing. He didn’t want to get his hopes up, but he had to acknowledge it was unusual.
What would the odds be that I’d find my mate on a one-week assignment?he mused.Then again, people have met their partners in stranger circumstances. I’m grasping at straws. Must be getting desperate.
No. He’s our mate,his coyote supplied, as if the matter were already settled.
“Right this way.” Justin gave an exaggerated sweep of his arm, indicating the passenger door of the plane. “Climb in and get buckled up. I’ll run through the pre-flight checklist and be right with you.”
Scott fit his tall frame into the seat next to the pilot. He noticed that theDonna Jeancould seat four to six people.
“Ever been in a seaplane before?” Justin settled into the pilot’s seat and gave Scott’s seatbelt a professional once-over to make sure he was properly harnessed.
