The Colonel smiled, though he looked a bit surprised. “That’s excellent news. Sergeant Westland—Cal, that is—was always something of a loner. It’s good to hear he’s developing his leadership skills.”
“I think a lot of it was Lillian’s idea, actually,” Mavis admitted.
But his smile only grew. “Then it’s good to hear he’s marrying someone with complementary leadership skills, how’s that.”
Mavis was about to say something about how the pack had welcomed Nina so generously when Nina herself appeared.
“Mom—” she said, and then came up short. “Oh, excuse me.”
“Nina, this is Colonel Wilson Hanes, Cal’s old commanding officer,” Mavis said. “Colonel, this is my daughter, Nina.”
“Wilson, please,” the man protested. He held out his hand. “Lovely to meet you, Nina.”
Nina shook and murmured something polite. “I don’t want to interrupt,” she started.
“No, no,” the Colonel said immediately. “I’ll leave you two to talk.”
Mavis wanted to protest, but the Colonel—Wilson—was already melting away into the crowd, with a startling skill considering how big and imposing he was. She turned to Nina. “Honey, I think you scared him off.”
“Ha ha,” Nina said. “He seemed nice.”
Mavis raised her eyebrows. Nina tended to be somewhat wary of strangers—especially strange shifters—after her experiences living out on her own. She always needed some time to warm up and get to know a person, before she would come to truly like them.
It broke Mavis’ heart a little, but she understood why.
Now, though...“Now what makes you say that?” Mavis asked archly.
Nina smiled a little. “He just seemed like he was a nice man, that’s all. I’m sorry I interrupted. I just wanted to ask if you were going to come sit and eat with us.”
“Of course I will,” Mavis said.
Nina looked out into the crowd, where the Colonel—Wilson, Mavis reminded herself—had taken up a position by the wall, sipping his champagne and surveying the room with a politely benevolent expression. “Maybe you’d rather eat with...new friends, instead?”
“Quit matchmaking,” Mavis said firmly. “I want to eat with my daughter.”
Though she did cast a second look back at Wilson, as they walked over to their table. She hoped he had a pleasant dinner, even if he thought he was a social inhibitor around his men. She was tempted to go over and invite him to come eat at their table...but Nina was sitting down with the rest of the wedding party, and surely it wouldn’t be any more comfortable for the man to sit with a pack he didn’t know at all.
There was a whole weekend for the wedding, Mavis reminded herself. They were doing a hike in the Park tomorrow. She’d probably see him then.
She hoped.
Because he’d been interesting to talk to. He was exactly the sort of person she’d been wanting to meet, after all: a shifter who wasn’t afraid to talk about their customs.
And anything Nina thought, well, that was Nina’s matchmaking ambitions carrying her away.
***
Wilson went back to the little bed-and-breakfast he was staying in after dinner, wishing he’d had more of a chance to talk to the lovely woman he’d met. Mavis.
He didn’t know what it was about her, but speaking to her had felt like taking a drink of cool water. She was so clearly a thoughtful, kind person.
A thoughtful, kind person who wanted to learn more about shifter culture. That was interesting, considering her daughter was a shifter. Wilson wondered when she’d adopted that young woman—Nina. Maybe Mavis had taken her in as a teenager?
It was very unusual to meet a shifter who had entirely human parents. A human and a shifter together might have a shifter baby, but two humans never did. But adopting would take that completely out of the equation.
Of course, he was making assumptions. Even though Nina was adopted, Mavis’ husband might be a shifter.
Though that wouldn’t explain why she felt she needed to learn about shifter culture. And she hadn’t been wearing a ring.