Running Wild
Page 14
“Will he?” I questioned everything. Tessa was probably pulling a huge paycheck, but as a potential Werewife, I was paid little more than minimum wage. I could barely cover my bills with my earnings. “I just promised my son a magical Christmas and I have no idea how I’m going to pull that off.”
I couldn’t lose him. It was bad enough he didn’t have his father. I couldn’t push him away from me, and make him think I didn’t put him first.
Tessa pulled me into a hug. “You’ll do it. That’s what good moms do.”
Jeremy’s request echoed in my head and there was nothing I could do to make it stop. Thankfully, I had a coffee date that morning with my former Werewife roommate, Naomi. A perfect distraction. She was already there when I arrived, mug in hand. She must’ve had rocket fuel in that thing, the way she looked up at me with her signature devilish grin. It faded as I sat down.
“Who did this to you?” She motioned to me, wincing like her coffee went sour. “I don’t care that he’s a shape shifting football player. I’ll kick his ass. It can be the halftime entertainment at the next game.”
The halftime entertainment at the last game was when Naomi’s mate, Sebastian, proposed to her. In her words—he was the first one on the team to put a ring on it and make her a Real Werewife of Alaska. Shockwaves still resonated through the Werewife compound. The rest of us were on our second or third Bloodhound, hoping to capture some of Naomi and Sebastian’s magic.
That was the thing—it was magic. And like my son, I wasn’t sure I believed anymore.
“I want to go home.” I gave a wobbly grin to the waitress who brought my cocoa. It was a whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles kind of day.
“What? No. You can’t do that. I read the whole contract and there’s no way out. Or I would’ve been on the first plane. And it’s a good thing I didn’t.” She held up her hand and let her ring sparkle in the sunlight. “Seriously, what happened? You’re always the one talking me off the ledge. And you have a plan. You’re doing this for Jeremy.”
“Jeremy wants me to come home.” I put the mug down. The temptation was too high to down it like a shot of tequila. “He’s ten. He wants his mom. I can’t explain to him I’m up here looking for someone to be a dad to him. He used to think it was cool I was ‘working’ with the football players but now he doesn’t care about football anymore.”
Naomi frowned over her mug. “Have you considered bringing him here?”
“I planned on having him come up for Christmas all along. I thought it would be fun for him to meet the Bloodhounds and see some snow on Christmas. But he just dropped the bomb that he thinks Santa is a fraud. And that hurts worse than him begging me to come home.” My voice broke on the last word, but I wouldn’t cry again. “My little boy isn’t so little anymore, and I don’t know what I’m doing here.”
“Yikes. I’m sorry.” She scooted closer to me on the couch and put her arm around me. “So yeah, bringing Jeremy up here is technically against the contract, but you can talk production into anything. Sorry Tessa, but it’s true. If they think something will be good for ratings—”
“This is my kid. Not an advertising ploy.”
Tessa rolled her eyes over the camera.
“I know, but viewers will feel for you because you lost the love of your life. If they meet your son, they’ll be rooting for you like crazy. So that’s why production will go for it.” She leaned over and wiped a tear away from my cheek. I wasn’t even feeling them anymore. “And when the guys meet Jeremy, they’ll be fighting over you.”
Naomi hadn’t believed in happily ever after until it happened to her. “They already see a middle-aged woman with a ton of baggage.”
“I don’t know who you’re talking about, because I don’t know that woman.” Her face brightened and she grasped my thigh. “I have an idea. Not to get you your own personal Bloodhound, but I think we might be able to cook up a little Christmas Magic.”
“It’s October.” I sounded like I was sipping on lemons instead of a peppermint hot chocolate. “What’s your idea?”
“Sebastian’s best friend has the most magical toy shop on Faraway Island. You have to take a ferry there, which I bet a little boy would think was bad ass.” She sang the last two words. “But back to the toy store. Gunnar makes all the toys there, and they’re fantastic. Trains and cars and robots, and they work! I’ll totally go with you, and make some introductions.”
It sounded good, but I had my doubts. Jeremy sounded more grown up every time I talked to him, and I didn’t know if toys would be enough to sway him anymore. “I’m willing to try anything. I just have to figure out how to make it work.”
“Well, there’s a spare bed in your room since you conveniently don’t have a roommate anymore. You’re welcome.” Her face brightened again. “Gunnar’s pretty hot, too. Maybe....”
“He’s not a Bloodhound.” That would make it even worse, if I fell for a great guy I was contractually obligated not to be with. “The producers would freak out if I fell for someone who wasn’t on the team.”
Tessa shrugged.
“Oh, whatever. That contract is the legal equivalent of swiss cheese.” Naomi rolled her eyes. “Besides legally trapping us here, it makes no guarantees that any love connections will happen. They want the thrill of the chase. Gunnar’s a buck, and if he’s anything like Sebastian, you’re in for a treat.”
She waggled her eyebrows and got me to laugh. “If we can pull this off, I might start believe in Santa again,” I said.
“Never doubt a fat man in a red suit.” She couldn’t hide the grin that said nothing but trouble behind her mug. “Or a smokin’ hot buck who’s good with his hands. On paper, Gunnar and Santa seem to have nothing in common. But they both have amazing toys. And they’re going to team up to give Jeremy a Christmas he’ll never forget.”
Keep reading Reindeer Games!
Don’t miss every episode of The Real Werewives of Alaska!
Silver Fox
The Alaska Bloodhounds are the newest team in the Continental Football Association. These wild shifters are rough and ready for the season.
They only need one thing: women.
Do you have what it takes to be a Real Werewife?
In this episode—
Landon Fox dedicated his life to football, a dream that was once bigger than anything else—including his daughter. With his football career nearing its end, and the Real Werewives breathing down his back, he realizes that chasing his career has led him to a dead end. And when chaos erupts during a Werewife event, and a figure from Landon’s past emerges from the shadows, he can no longer run from his past.
Jenna came to Alaska on a mission—to reconnect her wild child daughter with her father, Landon Fox. Love is the last thing on the mind of this Real Werewife. But when Landon unknowingly bids on her for a sexy date, the dinner she cooks for him isn’t the only thing heating up the cold Alaska night.
Like Landon, Jenna chased her dreams, but never realized the thing they always needed most was each other. She’s ready to take another chance on the man she left behind—that is, if he’s ready to be a part of something bigger than football—his family.
Read now!
Catching the Vixen
The Alaska Bloodhounds are the newest team in the Continental Football Association. These wild shifters are rough and ready for the season.
They only need one thing: women.
Do you have what it takes to be a Real Werewife?
In this episode–
Fiona Fox crashed a Real Werewife auction, but instead of getting hauled out in handcuffs, she got offered a contract to be on the show. She was in it for the adventure, not the commitment, so when her wild scheme to create a dramatic episode with Tyler Jones takes an unexpected turn, Fiona’s plans for drama and fame become more real than reality TV.
Tyler Jones is an alpha with an image problem. He’s playing backup QB to Fiona’s dad, who’s threatened to skin him alive if he lays a hand
on his daughter. And worse, his Pride back home is getting impatient, waiting for him to take a lioness as his mate and rebuild their village. But Fiona Fox has captured his heart, and his Pride won’t take kindly to the red-headed vixen. If Tyler can convince Fiona he’s playing for keeps, then he’ll have to persuade his Pride to accept a creature of prey as his true mate.
Read Now!
Wildcat
The Alaska Bloodhounds are the newest team in the Continental Football Association. These wild shifters are rough and ready for the season.
They only need one thing: women.
Do you have what it takes to be a Real Werewife?
In this episode—
Romance author Molly Clarke has a huge problem on her hands. After her latest relationship came to an unexpected and disastrous end, she doesn't believe in love anymore. It's put a damper on her dating life and has her career in a chokehold. Answering the open call for The Real Werewives of Alaska is just the thing she needs to spark inspiration for her next book.
But she's skeptical she'll find a forever mate for herself.
Lynx shifter Graham Chase is not a pack animal. After years of looking out for himself, this wide receiver's getting his first taste of success with the Alaska Bloodhounds. But he has a reputation with the Werewives as a major player. And he'll be kicked off the show soon if he doesn't start taking finding a forever mate seriously.
When Molly approaches Graham at a party, he's ready to up his game. And when he picks up one of her books, he knows she's his mate.
Can this player convince the romance author that happily ever after doesn't only happen in her books?
Read now!
Don't miss out!
Click the button below and you can sign up to receive emails whenever Kristen Strassel publishes a new book. There's no charge and no obligation.
https://books2read.com/r/B-A-XWTB-RPNP
Connecting independent readers to independent writers.