Sharon’s Wolves(11)

Jackson chuckled. “True. I mean maybe. I’m not sure about this woman.”

Cooper lifted his brows. He wasn’t sure about her?

Jackson laughed harder. “That didn’t come out right. I’m sure about her. I’m just not sure how she feels. Mixed signals. And she’s… Well, she’s…” He shrugged. “I don’t even know what she is, actually. I’m rambling.”

I’ll bet. No wonder the guy was confused. Cooper would bet his last dollar Jackson Wolf didn’t know Sharon was a shifter.

Jackson grabbed a bottle off the shelf and held it up. “This one?”

Cooper reached for the same variety and tapped Jackson’s with his as if in a toast. “To a fun evening.”

Jackson nodded and turned toward the checkout. “Nice meeting you, Cooper. Have fun with your sister.”

Cooper stood rooted to the aisle long after Jackson paid for his wine and exited the store. In fact, he startled when he heard a woman behind him speak. “Can I help you, sir?”

“No. I’m fine. Thanks,” he muttered as he made his way to the checkout, completely shook up with no idea in the world what to do next.

He didn’t have the foggiest notion where Sharon lived. And besides, he couldn’t show up at her place and hijack her evening.

On the other hand, he knew she intended to consummate her relationship with Jackson. Jackson, who undoubtedly didn’t know she was a wolf shifter. Would she seal the deal without telling him?

Cooper left the store, slid into his white, four-door sedan, and set the wine on the seat next to him. He started the engine but didn’t put the car in reverse. He simply stared out the windshield at the parking lot, seeing nothing.

When his phone rang, he lifted his hip and slid his cell out of his pocket.

Laurie.

Of course.

He answered, but before he could say a word, she was on him. “Cooper. Where the hell are you? I said six. I’m not kidding. You can’t sleep at the college again tonight. Get your ass here.”

“She’s mine.”

“What? Who? Coop, what are you talking about? Sharon? She’s not. I told you. She met her mate. His name is Jackson Wolf. He’s a nice guy. Let it go.”

“No. I’m serious. She’s mine too.”

This was met with silence. “Coop? How would you know?”

“I just met him. In the liquor store. I stopped to buy you wine. He was in there. He bought Sharon a bottle of wine. And then he went to her house, wherever that is. And now he’s there, and I’m here in the parking lot unable to move.” His words tumbled out so rapidly he wasn’t sure he made any sense.

“Cooper. Where are you?”

He glanced outside. “No idea. The corner of Main and Third I think. Who cares?”

“You shouldn’t drive.”

“And what would you have me do?”

“I’m thinking. Give me a sec.” He knew she covered the phone when he heard muffled voices in the background. Seconds ticked by. Finally, she came back. “I can’t tell you what to do, but I can tell you it’s unlikely Fate would intend you three to be together and then let it slip away simply because you aren’t currently with Jackson and Sharon.

“If they’re meant to be with you, they won’t consummate the mating until you’re with them.”

“What the hell are you talking about? How could they possibly prevent that?”

“It happens. Shit gets in the way when Fate intends things to be one way. Trust me. When I met Zach, we spent the entire day together waiting to meet Corbin. I don’t think we could have mated without him. Something would have stopped us. The roof would have fallen in or a wild animal would have jumped between us. Anything to keep us from consummating our relationship.”

Cooper wasn’t sure he was buying it. The need to race to Sharon’s house and push through her front door gnawed at him from the inside out. His fingers shook, and he balled them into fists in his lap as Laurie continued to speak. He held the phone precariously between his chin and shoulder before releasing one fist out of necessity and grasping the cell.

“Look, all I’m suggesting is don’t panic.”

A beep chimed in his ear, telling him he had a text.

“I just sent you her address. It’s a condo only a few blocks from where you are, but Cooper…”

“Yeah. I know. The timing sucks. How the hell did this happen?”

“Fate.” She sighed into the receiver. “You want me to call Mom and Dad? Or Mimi? See if they have any ideas?”

He shook his head in the vacant car. “No.” His parents and his grandmother couldn’t fix this one. He just needed to think for a moment. “Let me call you back.”