Then again, why not? If that was Maynard’s dream job, who was Luke to judge? But the guy had caught Luke’s interest. He couldn’t have been more than five-six, and he had russet-brown hair and killer green eyes that reminded Luke of summer leaves.

  He’d even flirted with Maynard this morning, and Luke loved how the deputy’s face had lit with fire. Maynard’s reaction had been the most adorable thing, but Luke was pretty sure Maynard wouldn’t appreciate being called adorable.

  The impala’s ears twitched again. It looked at Luke then the woods. What Luke wouldn’t give to be able to pet it. He just bet the fur was soft. The animal gave him one last look before it darted back into the woods.

  “Good boy.” Luke petted Diablo’s head. “You did real good, buddy.”

  Luke wished he’d exchanged phone numbers with Maynard so he could call the guy. And say what? He’d been out of the dating game since he’d been injured, and although he’d flirted with the cop, his confidence wasn’t anywhere near what it used to be.

  Even so, Luke sat back, making plans to take a trip into town tomorrow and hopefully “run” into Deputy Maynard Dario.

  Chapter Two

  Maynard was completely embarrassed that he’d been caught last night. He’d come out of the woods right by the shed, intending to follow the scent, but he’d been caught by surprise when he saw Luke sitting outside watching him.

  Maynard’s first instinct was to run, but he’d wanted to watch Luke for a moment. He was even surprised Diablo didn’t come after him. Then Luke had spoken those sweet words, telling Maynard how beautiful he was.

  If only he could get Luke to tell him that while he was in his human form. That was all Maynard had thought about last night and the way Luke had looked at him in awe.

  Now he wanted to go back to Luke’s, but Maynard didn’t have a good reason to return. He headed to Kent’s Café for an early morning coffee, hoping he could think of a good excuse by the time he got off work.

  Maynard walked into the coffee shop and inhaled deeply. God, he loved the way Kent’s smelled. It didn't matter what time of day. The place always had a homey aroma to it.

  The morning rush was in full swing, so Maynard stayed back to let the line die down. He was early for work, so he could spare the time. He was even going to order a pastry and enjoy it at one of the tables. It wasn’t as though he’d slept much last night. Maynard had spent the majority of the time tossing and turning, images of Luke in his head.

  Along with a killer dog that wouldn’t let him anywhere near his mate.

  After he was given his order, Maynard took a seat at one of the tables that allowed him to see the door. He was still learning who the residents of Willow Point were, and people-watching always helped.

  He’d heard at work yesterday that there was a festival coming up. Next week, in fact. As Maynard sat there, he heard some people talking excitedly about it. He might have come from a small town, but Maynard had never been to a festival and had no idea what one was like.

  Lost in thought, he almost missed the person who walked in. Tall and massive, Luke limped toward the counter. His hair was wet, as if he’d just taken a shower before he’d come to town, and he looked damn good in his faded jeans and plaid shirt under a bomber jacket.

  Maynard held his breath as he watched his mate approach the counter. He looked up at the order board, as if he didn’t know what he wanted, and when he took too long, he let the people behind him go ahead of him.

  Luke’s massive shoulders were tense as he looked around, but he’d yet to spot Maynard sitting off in the corner. Maynard’s heart pinched at the uncertain look in Luke’s light gray eyes.

  Maynard hesitated for a brief second before he got up and walked up behind Luke. “I recommend their cinnamon latte. This time of year it just feels right.”

  Luke looked down at him, and a small smile worked its way across his mouth. “I didn’t know you came here.”

  “I come here every morning, normally later. I’ve never seen you in here in the morning.”

  Luke shrugged. “I don’t really come into town.”

  Maynard guessed that from the way Luke looked at everyone, as though they would attack him at any second, which was crazy considering how huge the guy was.

  “How about I buy you a drink on this special occasion?” Maynard didn’t wait for an answer. He ordered Luke’s latte and a cheese Danish before he walked Luke over to where he was seated.

  As soon as Luke sat, his back to the wall, he looked a little calmer. Maynard didn’t know his mate’s story, but he’d heard that Luke had served in the marines. Maybe that was how he’d busted his leg, but Maynard was too polite to ask.

  “So what brought you in here this morning?”

  Before Luke could answer, his name was called. Maynard got up and grabbed his order, bringing it back to the table.

  “Just wanted to get out.” Luke took a sip of his coffee and smiled. He was already good looking, but that smile lit up his handsome face. “This really is good.”

  Maynard pressed a hand to his chest, feigning offense that Luke hadn’t believed him. “I wouldn’t lie to you about coffee. It’s the drink of the gods. I practically mainline the stuff.”

  That got a soft, deep chuckle out of Luke. “Too much might not be a good thing.”

  “Too little and you wouldn’t want to deal with me. I grow horns and breathe fire if I haven’t had my fix.”

  Luke’s laugh grew deeper. “I’ll have to keep that in mind.” His gaze swept over Maynard, which made Maynard’s blood turn to lava. “Either you’re getting off work or going in.”

  Maynard gave a dramatic sigh. “I’m heading in for eight full hours of fun and sun.”

  “You don’t like your job?” Luke’s brows had furrowed. He shifted slightly in his seat then rubbed his leg, but he was so subtle about it that Maynard doubted anyone in the shop would have noticed.

  “No, I love my job.” Maynard smiled. “I’m still getting to know the residents, and I love helping people. It feels like I was born to do just that.”

  He was surprised how easy it was to talk to Luke, when Diablo wasn’t staring him down like a juicy steak bone. If he was going to be with Luke, he and Diablo needed to establish a friendship. One where the dog wasn’t constantly making Maynard uneasy.

  Luke glanced down at his drink. “Bum leg makes it hard for me to work.”

  “Do you mind if I ask what happened?”

  It was the wrong thing to say. He saw when the light in Luke’s light gray eyes dimmed. He scooted his chair back, leaving his drink on the table. “I should get going.”

  Maynard rested his hand on Luke’s beefy arm as panic set in. “No, wait. I’m sorry I was prying. It’s none of my business, and I hate that I ruined our peaceful morning.”

  Luke hesitated, uncertainty in every rigid muscle. “I just don’t like talking about it.”

  Maynard slid his fingers across his lips like a lock and key. “Never shall I speak of it again. Stay…please.”

  With a heavy sigh, Luke scraped his hand through hair as he sat back down. “You said yourself that you were heading into work. I don’t want to keep you.”

  “How about dinner?” Maynard blurted out, unsure where he was going with that.

  “In town?”

  Maynard shrugged. “Or your house. It doesn’t matter. We were having such a nice morning, until I screwed it up. I want to see you again, Luke.”

  He held his breath, waiting for his mate to either agree or reject his offer. He really wanted to get to know Luke better, but he couldn’t if the guy kept himself closed off from the world. Maynard was shocked Luke had even come into town. He’d heard his coworkers talking the night they’d been at Luke’s because of Dante and Jason.

  Luke rarely came to town. He mostly stayed holed up on his property. Maynard didn’t know Luke’s story, but that was no way to live. He would take things as slow as Luke needed to, but they couldn’t get to know each other if they didn’t see each other.

  “Dinner sounds good. I make a mean pot of chili. In fact, I have it cooking in my crockpot at home. I started it before I left the house.”

  “Oh my god.” Maynard gave a big cheesy grin. “I love chili. It’s the perfect time of year for it.” He just hoped it wasn’t spicy because, unfortunately, Maynard got a lot of indigestion when it came to spicy food. It was as if his system couldn’t handle the stuff and rebelled.

  “What time do you get off work?” Luke took another sip of his coffee, seeming more relaxed now that the subject had been changed and the spotlight was no longer on his injury.

  “Three, but I have a few errands to run afterward. I can be at your place around six, if that’s okay with you.” After his errands, Maynard planned on running to the grocery store for dessert. He couldn’t show up empty-handed. That would be just rude. His mom had taught him better manners than that.

  “Six sounds good.” Luke got up, and this time, Maynard didn’t stop him. He hated to see his mate go, but Maynard did have to get into work. He’d had extra time when he’d arrived at Kent’s, but now he was pushing his luck, unless he told Sheriff Weston that he’d found his mate. His boss would completely understand, but Maynard wasn’t ready to share something so personal when he was still feeling out his coworkers and boss.

  It had been two months, but after working ten years with guys he should have been able to trust, after being clueless to what had been really going on right under his nose, Maynard wasn’t ready to fully trust them just yet. The only difference in the matter was that his coworkers in Colorado had been human. That still didn’t matter to Maynard. He’d been duped then treated like a leper when he’d taken the department down.

  He might have done the right thing, but his fellow officers had hated him for it. One guy in particular, Deputy Carl Moody, the sheriff’s son. There hadn’t been enough evidence to arrest Carl, but he’d been fired, and his daddy had been sent to prison on a ton of charges.

  The biggest charge being that meth lab. But Sheriff Tom Moody had fooled Maynard all those years. He had seemed like a laid-back boss. He’d always been kind to Maynard, yet behind Maynard’s back he’d been beating up people, threatening them if they didn’t pay protection money, and was an all-around douchebag.

  Maynard still kicked himself in the ass for not seeing any of that sooner. The townsfolk had been too fearful of the police to speak out against them. No one had said a word to Maynard about the corruption. They’d simply smile at him and pretended it wasn’t happening.

  That had been a big blow to Maynard’s self-worth as a cop. It made him question his abilities if he hadn’t even seen what was going on right in front of him, no matter how well the corrupt police had hidden that from him.

  “Hey.” Luke squeezed Maynard’s shoulder. “You blanked out for a moment.”

  “Sorry.” Maynard shook the memories away. “Just get lost in my own head sometimes.”

  Luke studied him. “I know the feeling. Six?”

  “Yep. I’ll see you at six.” He watched Luke walked out of the coffee shop, and Maynard could tell his mate was trying his damnedest not to limp. After Luke was gone, Maynard took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

  Colorado was behind him now. He needed to let that go and try his best to forge a new life in Willow Point, a life that included Luke Teufel.

  * * * *

  After parking his car, Maynard rubbed his hands over his thighs. He was nervous about spending time with Luke, just the two of them. He prayed their conversation would be just as easy as it had been this morning. His worst nightmare was that Luke would find him boring and not want to see him again.

  Taking a few deep breaths to shore up his nerves, Maynard grabbed the bag from the grocery store, which had all the things he would need to make strawberry shortcakes. He’d grabbed the package with six individuals cakes in them instead of buying the big one. The store hadn’t had the big pound cake, so he hoped Luke was happy with his choice.

  As soon as Maynard stepped out of his car, Diablo came running from the side of the house. Maynard froze, his muscles locked in place, too afraid to even jump back into the car.

  Diablo stopped at Maynard’s feet and growled at him. Maynard looked down at the dog and frowned. “I’m not prey, so stop treating me like I am.”

  The growls stopped as Diablo sniffed at the bag dangling in Maynard’s hand.

  “If you want some dessert, then we have to be friends. Deal?” If he had to bribe the dog with sweets, that was exactly what he would do because he wasn’t going to stop seeing Luke.

  “Diablo!” Luke came off the porch, his brows drawn down. “Get your butt in the house.”

  Diablo glanced up at Maynard then took off toward the house. He stopped long enough for Luke to pet him on the head and give him a stern warning about being nice to Maynard, and then the dog trotted through the front door.

  “Sorry about that. Diablo is still leery with strangers.” Luke took the bag out of Maynard’s hand. “What’s this?”

  “Strawberry shortcake.”

  Luke froze and looked at Maynard. “I’m allergic to strawberries.”

  Maynard was horrified. He should have asked what kind of dessert to bring this morning when they were in the coffee shop. The last thing he wanted to do was send his mate to the hospital.

  Luke burst out laughing. “I’m only kidding. Seriously, how did you know it’s my favorite?”

  “Oh my god! You had me going. I was about to run back into town to get something else.” He closed his car door. “I see someone has a wicked sense of humor.”

  “Sorry.” Luke was still chuckling. “I couldn’t help myself. It just seemed like the perfect opportunity, and I just couldn’t pass it up.”

  More like the perfect opportunity to see how Maynard reacted to stressful news. Then again, Maynard was probably overthinking this and Luke really did just have a wicked sense of humor. “You’re forgiven.”

  “Come on inside.” Luke shocked Maynard by placing his hand on the small of his back.

  Maynard wasn’t expecting his mate to touch him, and he loved it. He wanted to fold himself in Luke’s arms, was dying to do it, but forced himself not to. Maynard didn’t want his mate to think he was that starved for affection, even though he was.

  Maynard concentrated on the white house with dark green awnings over the windows and door instead. There was a small porch, not long enough to run along the entire front of the house. Just enough for a few people to fit on. He imagined expanding that and adding a few chairs they could sit in to enjoy their evenings.

  Stop planning your future so fast. Get to know him first.

  Luke led them inside then guided them into a kitchen. It was large, with a four-seater table, enough cupboards for any homeowner to envy, and an island in the middle, where Luke set the bag Maynard had brought with him.

  The aroma of the chili encompassed the house and made Maynard’s mouth water and his stomach grumble. “It smells fantastic.”

  “Thanks.” Luke smiled at him before he went to one of the cupboards and grabbed two bowls. Maynard took a seat at the table just as Diablo wandered into the room. They eyed each other, but the dog kept his growls to himself.

  “How long have you lived here?”

  “Bought the place two years ago this coming January. I got it for a steal since so many repairs needed to be done. You could hardly walk through the front or back yard because the grass was so high and weeds were everywhere. I had to use a machete just to trim it down in order to use my lawnmower.”

  “Was it abandoned for a while?”

  “Nah.” Luke lifted the lid off the crock pot, and the smells grew stronger. Maynard’s heightened sense of smell made the flavors dance in his nostrils. “The last owner was eighty-five. He couldn’t do the chores himself and was pretty much a hermit, so he didn’t know anyone in town to do the work for him. The interior wasn’t that great, either. I’ve been doing a lot of repairs and remodeling.”

  Maynard gave a small chuckle. “You’re a hermit.”

  “But I’m still relatively young,” Luke said. “I can maintain the property myself.”

  “How old are you?”

  “Thirty-five,” Luke said. “Too old for your young ass.”

  Maynard choked on a laugh. He was damn near two hundred years old, but he didn’t tell Luke that. “How old do I look?”

  Luke’s gaze swept over Maynard, making Maynard blush. Since he was so fair-skinned, he knew he had to look like a ripe tomato. “Mid-twenties?”

  “I’ll take that compliment,” Maynard said as Luke brought their bowls to the table then went to the counter to grab a sleeve of crackers.

  “How old are you?”

  “How dare you ask a gentleman his age,” Maynard teased as Luke went to the fridge and poured them two glasses of iced tea.

  “I thought you weren’t supposed to ask a lady her age, not a guy.” Luke brought the glasses over and finally sat down.

  “I’ll keep you guessing until you get it right.” Which Luke never would.

  “I’m usually pretty good at guessing someone’s age.” Luke picked up his glass and studied Maynard. “Twenty-six.”

  “Nope.” Maynard wanted to change the subject before Luke went through all the appropriate ages and was still shot down. He took a bite of the chili, and his eyes rolled back. “Gotta be the best chili I’ve ever had,” Maynard said after he swallowed his bite. “You’ve got to tell me how you make it.”

  “I’ll keep you guessing until you get it right.” Luke winked at him.

  Maynard chuckled. “Touché. Keep your recipe a secret, then. I’ll just have to come over here when you make it.”

  Luke had eaten half his bowl before he said, “You have to be of age because you’re a cop and carry a weapon.”

  Since Maynard had a mouthful, he just gave Luke a thumbs-up.

  His mate grinned. “You’re the first person who’s stumped me.”

  That’s because I’m not human. Maynard shrugged and enjoyed his meal. He liked being around Luke and hoped their evening together didn’t end too soon.