Curse of the Alpha: Episodes 1 & 2: A Tarker’s Hollow Serial Read Free Page B

get back to New York.
    “Sorry, Mr. MacGregor,” she said. “I’m not interested in choosing a mate.”
    “I know you’re not. And even if you were, I shouldn’t be on your list.” He smiled ruefully. “There are several promising candidates, and one in particular your parents hoped you would choose.”
    Her parents had a mate in mind for her? Lovely.
    “Okay, I’ll bite, who’s the lucky guy?”
    “Erik Jensen.”
    Ainsley swallowed. The thought of Erik Jensen always made her feel a twinge of regret. Erik had been her best childhood friend. When the boys in school decided that girls were dumb and couldn’t play in the woods, Erik had stubbornly insisted that Ainsley Connor was super neat and that they would kick her out over his dead body.
    He’d won out over the other kids and Ainsley was allowed to keep her place by his side. By third grade they had ruled the woods and creek and even built a massive tree fort, just the two of them.
    But when the school labeled Ainsley as gifted, she had been pulled out of their shared classes. The extra homework cut into her playtime, and she found herself spending more time with Grace Kwan-Cortez and her studious, less “outdoorsy” crowd.
    She never exactly had a falling out with Erik. But by middle school, Ainsley realized that not only did she not hang out with him anymore, he wouldn’t even look at her when they passed in the halls.
    By high school he was really handsome. His strong jaw contrasted with soft, dark eyes that were framed with long lashes. His hair was so dark it almost black. He wore a black leather jacket that Ainsley secretly thought was pretty cool.
    Although he had bad boy good looks and excelled at sports, it was common knowledge that he was a nice person. He even headed up a group of boys who would shovel out the senior citizens around town in the frequent winter storms.
    Realizing now that Erik Jensen was the man her parents wanted for her gave Ainsley a pang of longing. At ten years old, Erik had shown her more respect and kindness than any other man she’d ever met. And like every other person of importance in her life, she’d dropped him like a hot potato.
    Ainsley realized Mr. MacGregor was waiting for her to respond.
    “Wow, Erik Jensen?” she said.
    “That’s who your father told me he hoped you would choose. That was a long time ago, but I know he didn’t say it lightly.”
    “Well, I appreciate the insight but I’m not going to be choosing a mate. I’m sure you guys can vote or something. Can we take care of the paperwork for the hardware store?”

Chapter 7
    A insley shook herself out of her reverie and continued her walk. She didn’t have time to reminisce. No good would come of that.
    Mr. MacGregor had kept up her mom’s tradition of putting out some seasonal items on tables out front with silly signs reminding everyone why they needed them. There was a collection of rakes and paper leaf bags laid out with the sign: You’ll be raking in the compliments on your beautiful fall lawn! MacGregor clearly did not have her mother’s wit. But she was glad he tried.
    She caught a glimpse of him grinding a key for Patty Loveless, one of the local real estate agents. That reminded her that she had better stop by and talk to Charley about the house. In her periphery she could sense them turning toward her as soon as she shifted her gaze.
    Ainsley wasn’t about to risk getting pulled into a conversation. She looked both ways and crossed Yale. There was nothing over there except the empty construction site.
    No one to bother her.
    The construction vehicles seemed out of place, especially for a town that feared change as much as Tarker’s Hollow. The former ball field was going to be an Inn and restaurant soon. The town had approved it fifteen years ago but they were only just now breaking ground because there had been such a fuss.
    As Ainsley crossed Yale she studied the temporary fencing, trying to picture the size of the building