“I know, I know you said later, but I’ve been sitting in the shop worrying all afternoon!” She wrung her hands together. “How long have you known? Did you only bring her now because you knew Grandma and Grandpa would be away? Oh, God, Arlo, why didn’t you say something?”
“Tess-I-met-her-yesterday,” Arlo gritted out bullet-fast.
“Oh!” Tess said. And then: “Oh-h-h.”
Her eyes skidded slowly across to meet Arlo’s. Jacqueline could only guess what they said to each other, in that weird silent telepathy, or mindspeak or whatever it was, but Tess covered her mouth and groaned.
“I am so sorry. I am going to go home, and hide in the pantry, and never speak to anyone ever again,” she whispered through her fingers. “Except…” Her eyes narrowed. “Maybe this isn’t terrible after all. Maybe this is the kick in the pants I need to put my plan into action.”
“Your plan…?” Arlo buried his head in his hands. “I don’t want to know, do I.” It wasn’t a question.
“It was nice to meet you!” Tess said to Jacqueline. She grimaced at Arlo, waved, and hurried away, her horrified panic replaced by determination.
“She seems nice,” Jacqueline said as the door slammed behind her. “But what did she mean about you waiting until your parents were away?”
Arlo looked abashed. “Tess thinks I’ve been hiding you away.”
“Seriously? I know I joked about feeling like a teenager again, but…”
“My folks are…” Arlo lifted his head. She couldn’t read the expression in his eyes. Half-amused, half-pained, half…
Her heart fluttered.
“Jacqueline, there’s something I need to tell you.” He paused and winced. “Several somethings. Can we walk outside?”
It was a cool, still night. The wind that had whipped her hair into a knotted frizz earlier had died down.
Jacqueline and Arlo walked arm-in-arm down the promenade.
Whatever Arlo had meant to say, he wasn’t saying it.
“So,” Jacqueline said, to break the silence. “Your folks?”
“They’d be… surprised I was with a non-shifter.” Arlo’s voice was gruff. “But they’ll get over it.”
He sounded strangely serious. “I guess opportunities to date humans are pretty thin
on the ground here in Hideaway,” Jacqueline said, lightly.
“I’ve never dated. A lot of shifters don’t, unless…”
Jacqueline’s heart thudded. Unless what? This is just a fling, right? Just a crazy, weekend, casual…
…Meet his friends, see his workplace, personal tour of his hometown…
Fling?
She swallowed. If this was something that wasn’t a fling, then there were things she’d have to tell him. Awful things. Like the fact she couldn’t have children.
The lump in her throat grew.
She already felt so comfortable around Arlo. Like they fit together. Even his weird date, taking her climbing around the hills behind the town, had unlocked a part of her she’d almost forgotten about, stuck in suburban Dunston. Standing there looking over the town and the sea, panting for breath with the wind in her hair, she’d felt… free.
Because I am free. No more mortgage, no more Derek. I’m free to do whatever I want and what I want is—
“Jacqueline? Is everything all right?”
Arlo’s voice was concerned. Jacqueline pulled herself together.