Chapter Nine

Movie nights were our thing.

What the heck was Ryan talking about? She read the text from him for the third time, but it still didn't make sense.

"There he is!" Ruger yelled, startling Sloane.

"Buddy, that was so loud," she murmured, tracking Captain's movement toward his truck, parked several cars to their right. He had removed his hat and was running his hand through his hair, eyes on the ground as he strode for his rig.

He seemed upset.

Gah, Ryan was such a pill.

"Honk!" Ruger said.

"No, I think he's just going to go home. I don't want to bother him."

"Cap!" Ruger yelled, dang-near piercing her eardrums with the volume.

Captain jerked his attention over to them, and the bright color of his eyes stunned her into stillness.

He didn't look human. His facial features were too sharp, and his eyes seemed to glow an almost frost-white. He froze for a two-count, and looked back in Ryan's direction. Then he put his hat back on his head, pulled the bill low over his eyes, and sauntered for her truck.

Her truck had been lifted, but still, Captain was taller than eye level with her as he came to a stop at her open window.

"Hey, Ruger," he greeted her kiddo.

"You are growling," Ruger pointed out.

"Ruger. Manners," she admonished him.

"It's okay. Your ex is somethin' else. I'm a little riled up, is all. I'll be fine in a bit."

"It was bad?"

He made a clicking sound behind his teeth and stared out across the parking lot, shaking his head. "He's not over you," he said low.

"He should be. He's married. I'm way the hell over him."

Captain huffed a laugh and slid his too-bright gaze to her. "Truth. I can hear it in your voice."

"I'll give a person a million chances, but when I'm moved on, I'm moved on."

He gripped the open window frame and locked his arms against it. "Same."

"Listen, I was going to take Ruger to get ice cream at this little place down the road. You're welcome to join us if you want."

"I can't do complicated," he said suddenly.

She didn't know how to respond for a few seconds. "Am I complicated?" she whispered.

"You're so…human."

And that part, she understood. He'd always been different from her. She'd known it back in high school, when he'd had to join sports leagues that were made for people like him. When he'd Changed accidentally after homecoming. When he'd gone off and joined a Crew, and been absorbed into Damon's Mountains.

"I can't even imagine your life," she said softly.

He shook his head, and she could see his heart in his eyes. "I wouldn't wish it on you."

"But you seem happy. You're good."

"Because I'm built for it. I'm not built for this."

"What is this ?" she whispered.

"You know."

"I don't. What do you think this is?" she asked again.

"I think it will be complicated if I don't say no to ice cream."

She nodded, trying to hide the disappointment from her face. She forced a smile. "I really had fun tonight, watching Ruger. And I just want to say thank you for what you did."

"I didn't do anything—"

"You stuck up for me." She shrugged her shoulders up to her ears and let them drop again. "It's been awhile. Tonight you reminded me that not everyone is bad, or out to get me, or out to corner me. I appreciate that."

"You're going to find yourself again," he told her. "I said that to Ryan, too."

"Yeah, he just messaged me about movie nights being our thing? It was weird."

Captain snorted. "Well, I'm a fuck-up at most things." He looked at the back seat and told Ruger, "Don't repeat that word. But I know how to push buttons. You'll probably get a few random thoughts from him over the next couple days."

"I wish things weren't complicated," she blurted out.

He stared right into her soul with those glowing silver eyes, and she witnessed the soft smile fade from his face completely. He parted his lips to say something, but seemed to change his mind. He swallowed hard and then released her open window frame. "You had a good game tonight, Ruger. Get two scoops. You earned it."

Captain gave her a wink, but she didn't miss the sadness that drifted through his eyes right before he turned for his truck and walked away.

She didn't know how to feel. Flattered that he thought she was complicated. It meant he was feeling something for her, right? Like she was feeling for him? She wasn't alone in the attraction, but then again, she was sad and disappointed that this was the end of them hanging out.

It burned every bit as much as it had the first time, when she was fifteen—an entire lifetime ago.

"Why isn't he coming with us?" Ruger asked from where he was buckled into his booster seat.

"He's busy, buddy. He's got a big shifter life up in Damon's Mountains to get back to. Shifters are very different from us."

She tried to hide the sadness in her voice from her kiddo, because that was the journey of a single momma. It was hiding how hard life could be so that her kiddo could grow up knowing childhood.

"He doesn't seem so different," Ruger said so softly from the back, she nearly missed it.

The honesty of a child. She agreed. Captain didn't seem so different from them.