Page 14 of Wrong Number, Right Gray Wolf

As I reached the entrance, a voice behind me yelled, “Stephen.”

I swung around. Posy was holding her father’s hand and waving. She had a huge grin on her face. She ran toward me, and I wanted to hug her but wasn’t sure if that was appropriate so I kneeled and took her hands.

“I’m so happy to see you smiling, Posy.”

“You’re happy too.” She swung the hand clutching her dad, the same man who hadn’t spoken yet.

But he stuck out his hand. “I didn’t introduce myself the first time we met. I’m Clyde.”

It was then I realized he hadn’t told me his name on the phone either.

“Stephen, but you know that.”

We sat at a table by the window and studied the menu. “I think I’ll order pancakes.” It was a joke, but both Posy and her dad stared at me.

“This is a pancake restaurant, Stephen.” Posy leaned forward. “Is that okay?”

I nodded. “It’s fine, great even.” This was awkward because Clyde’s eyes were focused on me even as Posy talked of school, summer camp, and how she wanted to get a dog as we waited for our food.

Thank goodness she was filling the silence and didn’t appear to notice the tension between her father and me. I was pleased when the food arrived because it gave me something to do with my hands and a topic of conversation.

“That looks so yummy.” I nodded at Posy’s banana-and-strawberry-topped pancake with a dollop of cream.

Posy asked what mine was, and I told her it was cookies and cream. We both looked at Clyde’s plate, and he didn’t say anything at first, making the situation more awkward than it had been before the food came.

“Mine is red velvet with a cream cheese drizzle.”

“Ewww.” Posy made a face.

But I was mesmerized by his voice. It was different than before somehow, more velvety, just like the dish he’d described.

“Sounds amazing.” I was practically drooling, but it was more because of his voice and the face that went with it than the dish itself.

“Oh, I almost forgot, I have a present for you, Stephen.” Posy unzipped her little pink backpack. She pulled out a tiny blue button with a rabbit emblazoned on it.

“You told me you collected buttons, and this is one from an old costume. I don’t need it anymore.” She placed it in her palm and held it out.

I gulped because not only had she remembered about my collection, but she was showing it reverence as though it were valuable, which to her it probably was.

“Thank you, Posy. I’ll treasure that.” I told her I’d add it to my collection and send her a photo.

Clyde put down his fork and cleared his throat. “I didn’t thank you properly for how you helped Posy, and I probably came across as a—” He put his hand over his daughter's ears. “An A-hole.”

“Daddy.” His daughter laughed. “You said a bad word, but I didn’t hear it.”

“Good you didn’t.” He kissed the top of her head.

“It’s okay. I understand how upset you were.” It didn’t change anything because I wasn’t breaking up a family and we couldn’t be friends. If we met, his mate would pick up on my tortured expression and ban Clyde from seeing me.

And where was his omega other half? Maybe he was working.

“Posy, you’ve got cream from here to here.” Clyde made an exaggerated gesture with both hands.

She giggled. “I do not, Daddy.”

We’d run out of napkins, and I was about to get up, but Clyde put out a hand and said he’d do it. He could have said he was flying to Mars later tonight and I wouldn’t have heard a word because his fingers brushed over mine.

My skin sizzled, and my fox was bouncing up and down saying he knew it wasn’t hopeless.