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“Mayor? Good, I was hoping to run into you here.” Mr. Evanston scooted us away from the other people roaming around. He was an elderly resident who owned an antique shop in town. When I’d first moved to town, he’d welcomed me with open arms. Since then, he’d constantly sung my praises and backed up my visions for this town and its citizens. I always appreciated his support.
“I have a business problem, and I’m not quite sure what to do about it. But I’m sure with all your business acumen, you’ll know how to help me.” He flashed me a toothy grin.
Keeping my frustration in check—this man deserved nothing but my kindness—I smiled and told myself I only needed to give a few minutes of my time. Then I could ditch looking for Frost and seek out my mate instead. My wolf wouldn’t stop grumbling about her not being at our side.
He wanted her with us at all times. He was getting increasingly irritable as we scented more unclaimed male shifters around here, knowing our unclaimed mate was off on her own. We couldn’t be sure that some male wouldn’t try and get close to what was ours.
Hold back my impatience and the urge to show this nice elderly man my alpha energy, I listened to him ramble on about missing his family in Alabama and how he had some kind of problem with his antique shop or something along those lines. I wasn’t quite catching everything until he said several keywords that rang my bell.
“I’d like to sell the place, but I don’t know who’d want it. The location is good, but it’s not big enough to be converted into a store, hair salon, or whatnot. But I would really like to get back with my family.” The older man sounded forlorn, desperately wanting to leave Blackwood Creek. “I’m not getting any younger, and it’s harder and harder for me to manage that shop on my own. I don’t want to drag this out, so I was hoping you might know someone who would be willing to buy the building or take over the business.”
The wheels started turning in my head, and I knew the building Mr. Evanston was talking about. The idea popped into my mind.
It was the perfect size for a tattoo parlor.
I was jumping the gun on this, and Tori had insisted she was fine looking for work somewhere on her own, but I hadn’t missed her excitement when I’d suggested she open her own tattoo parlor. Her excitement always thrilled me to no end, and I wanted to give my mate everything her little heart desired. She’d fight me on it, but there were some things I’d willingly battle her over, and her happiness was one of them.
“Mr. Evanston, I’ll buy your building,” I said. “I’ll get my lawyer to draft the paperwork, and we’ll get this squared away by the end of the week.”
I listed off a large amount that turned out to be more than what Mr. Evanston would’ve asked for, but with his woes, I wanted to set him up on his feet a little sturdier. After all, the amount was still pocket change to what I was worth. When I could help in situations like this, it made me happier.
“The payment will be ready then, too,” I continued. “We’ll get you back to Alabama as soon as we can.”
The older man’s legs nearly gave out from under him, and he staggered backward. I reached for him to make sure he didn’t fall. I began to worry that I had given him a heart attack or a stroke, but he finally spoke.
“Mayor Blackwood, that’s awfully generous of you, but that’s way too much. I can’t accept that.”
“Please, Mr. Evanston, it’s no trouble. And I have wonderful plans for the building, so I appreciate you coming to me for help. When I’m able to do things like this, it fills me with joy. Now, why don’t you go call your family and tell them you’re coming home for good?”
Finding his feet and standing a little taller, Mr. Evanston grasped my hand with both of his, pumping it and thanking me repeatedly.
When I finally left the flabbergasted older man, I couldn’t rein in my excitement. Tori might think I was trying to bribe her into staying in Blackwood Creek with me forever—which I wouldn’t lie and say wasn’t an added incentive—but it wasn’t why I’d bought the property for her.I’d bought her that building so she could finally take ownership of something.
It was essential to me that Tori had something she could be proud of and want to build on because it was what she loved. Once she had her tattoo parlor, it’d thrive right along with her. She had already started regaining her confidence while living in Blackwood Creek. Her confidence would be astounding to behold when she had her own business to run.
Wading through the crowd, I was so distracted by all the thoughts roaming in my head that I didn’t notice a guy stop ahead of me, making me almost bump into him.
He cleared his throat and looked at me. “Your little village is quaint.”
Every hair on the back of my neck stood on end when I heard a voice I’d never forget. I lifted my gaze to Brett Longtail’s face.
My childhood nemesis was here in Blackwood Creek.
Sure, it was dramatic, claiming to have had a nemesis as a child, but this wolf ticked all the boxes.Having not seen him in a few years, I counted myself lucky, but it appeared my luck had finally run out. Here he was, standing in my town and looking as smug and pompous as ever.
Brett Longtail came from another wealthy shifter family, and the Longtails had been close friends and business associates of the Blackwoods in the 1800s. As a result of their association with my ancestors, the Longtails hadn’t suffered as other shifter families had, and their wealth had grown as healthily as ours had. Eventually, the Longtails had become the leaders of the Ontario Pack.
I’d never liked Brett, but my parents had forced me on playdates with him because they were close with his parents. It didn’t matter how much I disliked him; I was told to be friendly and play. But Brett had always been entitled and beyond spoiled. He never settled for anything that wasn’t the most expensive, rarest, or best. He was a self-righteous prick to those he deemed below his rank, which, to his inflated ego, were most people.
Eventually, I reached an age where I could refuse the stupid playdates my parents set up, and when they died, my aunt and uncle never forced me to hang out with Brett again—no hardship on my part. When I explained to my uncle what I’d witnessed Brett do when he had a tantrum, he told me that I didn’t have to hang out with him again, so I hadn’t. He still popped up in conversation from time to time, and I heard about him in business circles. That was now the extent of my acquaintance with him.
Brett always tried to get in my way when it came to business. He was a greedy bastard and made a lot of unsavory deals in order to win. He constantly tried to get a rise out of me, but I never rose to the bait. I'd never needed to.
Until now, when he’d arrived in my town without an introduction. With the way Brett did business, it was right of me to assume he’d come to stake a claim on my territory. I had to play it smart with him, and my surprise at him showing up here had nearly given him the reaction I was sure he’d been hoping for; I could see it in his eyes.
He knew I wasn’t pleased about him being in my town, but I remained the bigger man and offered a cold greeting. The sooner he was taken care of, the sooner I could be on my way.
“Ridge Blackwood, the small-town carnival suits you really well,” he said. “I can see why you chose to settle down in the sleepy little town life. It’s probably easy to get anything you want without any real competition here.” The pompous ass smirked as he scanned the area.
