Chapter Three
The next morning, just when Amanda was confirming an appointment with a new client, he walked in. She knew it was him the instant the door opened. Her senses weren't as finely tuned as they were when she was in her Wolf's form, but she had always been painfully aware of his scent. Like the air after it rained in the woods, that clean, still scent with subtle layers of cedar and earth. It was somewhat masked by the perfumes that some of the clients insisted on wearing, but it was him. Her gaze went to him instantly.
The phone clattered to the floor and Amanda stared. He had changed from the gangly, pimple-faced teen she had known before he left. His shoulders were as broad as a construction worker's, and there was clear muscle definition beneath his shirt, the buttons straining slightly as though he had purposely bought it just a little small. His completion was clear, and his skin had that smooth, glowing look of a movie star.
As if that wasn't enough, all the emotions Amanda had had when they were teens came rushing back to her. Her heart pounded, her head spun, her mouth went dry. She wanted to greet him, but was so nervous she didn't think she would even be able to stand.
"Hello, Amanda," Jace said, smiling at her.
Amanda retrieved the dropped phone and said something about calling them back before she hung up. Swallowing dryly, she tried to smile at Jace.
"Hi. I heard you were back in town."
"Yeah. I'm moving home. Can I—"
"Are you here to make an appointment?" Amanda interrupted.
She was at work, and there were clients staring at her. Heat rushed to her face. Now is not the time for this! How would she be able to finish her job if she was physically aching to be in his arms? If he wasn't here to book an appointment, he needed to leave.
"Uh… no."
Yeah. Uh. Amanda was surprised that he sounded like the same Jace she had known. For some reason, she expected to hear the eloquent speeches he must make for when he was in court. Maybe he was as nervous as she was about seeing each other again. She smoothed down her hair and tried to smile.
"I imagine as a lawyer you do a lot of sitting. Chiropractic work is—"
"I came to see you."
"Oh." Amanda swallowed. "You know where I work?"
"I would have called, but I couldn't get your number. Your mom told me where I could find you. I hope that's okay."
It wasn't okay. It was so far from okay that Amanda held her breath for a minute to stop from blurting out how much she still loved him. After six years, she should have been over him. It was clear she wasn't his mate, which meant that her own mate was out there somewhere. Pining over a high school boyfriend wasn't healthy and would only lead to a life of misery.
But she wasn't going to tell him any of that.
Instead, she made herself smile and nod. "It's fine. If you leave me your number, I can call you when I'm done working."
Jace glanced at the clients, who by this time were pretending to read their magazines rather than intrude on the conversation. "Actually, Mandy, I was hoping that we could maybe go grab a cup of coffee and catch up."
"Oh."
When he said catch up, did he mean… No, of course he didn't. He had a gorgeous, sophisticated girlfriend. What would he want with her? She was far from the glamorous partner that a billionaire-Alpha-lawyer like him wanted. He probably just wanted to talk about old times or something. Maybe clear the air so he could propose to his current girlfriend.
What should she say if he asked about her family?
"Well, I'm working right now." Amanda stared at her computer for a moment. She was being completely obvious. There was no way that Jace didn't know why she was so nervous.
Unless he thought it was something entirely different. Like she was nervous because he had a son that she had never told him about. She tensed, glancing up at him again. Did he somehow know about Logan? What would she do if he did? How could she explain it? What could she say to justify herself?
"Actually, let's go get coffee," she blurted. "I'll just pull out the temp we have working in the back to man the computer and tell my boss where I'm going."
Jace smiled. "Great."
***
Soon, she found herself sitting in a coffee shop across the road. It wasn't the best place in town, the décor being old without any sort of vintage charm. The coffee was delicious, though. Much better than Amanda had expected.
"So." Jace smiled at her. "You look fantastic. I always said that your eyes were like stars. I think working suits you. You look a lot more comfortable and confident than you did in high school."
Amanda shrugged uneasily. "I haven't really changed that much. People still stress me out, but I guess working comes with a certain amount of forced change. I couldn’t do my job if I didn't learn how to stand up to the occasional rude client. Yet, it's a great job. I love it. Not too stressful, and my interactions with other people are pretty relaxed."
"And you live in town with humans now," Jace added. "I remember how intimidating you found it being one of the few Shifters in school."
"I found everything in school intimidating." Except you. "I'm doing a lot better now, though. And I know all about what you've been up to. A bigshot lawyer. Insanely rich. Your girlfriend is one lucky woman."
"Girlfriend."
Had they mated already? Amanda's heart seized. "I'm sorry, I meant—"
"Don't be. Clarissa and I are just dating right now. She's not a Shifter and she's not sure she believes in the whole mating thing. But you're the first person to call her my girlfriend, and not assume that she is my mate, so it just surprised me. In a good way."
"Oh. I get it. Trying to date when you're a Shifter is tough. Everybody expects that you'll end up mating the first person you go out with."
"Do you? Have a mate, I mean," Jace quickly added. "I heard that you started dating someone after I went to Harvard."
He was checking up on her? Amanda couldn't stop the swell of happiness that filled her at that thought. So, he didn't just forget about her once he was away from the packlands. "I did. He was nice, but not for me. He left me."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Don't be. It was for the best. So, Clarissa," Amanda quickly said, wanting to drive the conversation away from herself. "Did you meet her at Harvard?"
"At a coffee shop like this one, actually. I couldn't go out and buy a latte every day, but there was this cheap place near my apartment that I frequented when I needed a change of scenery. They actually had duct tape holding the tables together. We bumped into each other there and started talking. We learned that we were both going to Harvard. She's in biology and thought that I was fascinating."
"How could she not?"
Jace gave her a smile that evoked all her high school feelings. The fluttering in her stomach, the blush on her cheeks, her heart jumping erratically. She knew he didn't mean anything by it. He couldn’t help the way she reacted to him.
"We were study buddies for a while and started officially dating after I passed the bar exam. I don't think I could have gotten through university without her."
The fluttery feelings died along with the smile on Amanda's face. He couldn't have done it without her?
What about me? You broke up with me to follow your dreams, why was there room for her and not me? She knew it was ridiculous to feel this way. After all, how could lugging your pregnant girlfriend with you to Harvard help you do your homework? He didn't know I was pregnant.
"I'm probably going to marry her," Jace continued, stirring his coffee and not seeing how much Amanda was dying inside. "She's a great woman. Strong, smart, and she is supportive about the pack and everything. I never realized until I left town how high anti-Shifter feelings can run, but she never thought of me as a Wolf instead of a person."
"But she's not your mate."
Jace looked up. The smile seemed forced now. "I'm not sure that I have a mate, Mandy. If I did, I would have found her by now."
"I have a son," Amanda blurted, because if she didn't she was going to demand what was wrong with her, why she wasn't his mate. "Logan. You should have seen how excited he was that the Alpha was coming to his school."
Jace froze. He swallowed thickly.
Crap. He knows.
"The father isn't in the picture?"
Amanda dropped her gaze. "No. He left me."
A long, awkward silence fell. Finally, Jace cleared his throat and stood. "I really need to get home and make sure Mom's not smothering Clarissa with pies and beef jerky. You remember what she was like. But I'd love it if you could meet her. I was a jerk, the way I left you here, and I'd like to be friends. I can't tell you how many times I saw something and wished you were there, so I could share it with you."
"Then why didn't you ever call me?"
Jace shrugged helplessly. "Too afraid you wouldn't want anything to do with me, I guess."
Amanda grabbed her jacket. The feelings were too raw, even after six years. If she stayed any longer, she would end up saying something she regretted. "I really need to get back to work."
"Clarissa wants me to take her to the amusement park down south," Jace continued, speaking quickly. "I'd like it if you and Logan could come with us. You said he was excited about the Alpha coming to his school, think about how excited he would be meeting me in person."
Was this because he was trying to put old demons to rest, or did he suspect Logan was his son? Not even Jace's parents had ever asked her about whether he was the father, although they often bumped into each other. But was it really right to keep them apart?
"I think he would love that," Amanda said. "How about Saturday? I have the weekend off and I'm not sure when I'll have another one."
"Yeah." Jace nodded. "That would be great."
"Okay. See you then." Amanda threw a couple bills on the table and left quickly, trying to calm the pounding of her heart. What had she just gotten herself into?