to clubs and have dinner together frequently, but those dinners were a thing of the past. Last summer, Branch had never had to call around to find someone to go out with. This summer, he was having a hard time finding people to even answer his texts.
Chet’s wife was heavily pregnant and the twins preferred to stay in with their new wife. He understood. When he found his mate, he would get right down to business making a calf. He would never leave his single buddies out in the cold though. You could have friends and have a wife too. His thoughts on the matter didn’t change the fact that it was shaping up to be a lonely summer for the elephant shifter.
There were still lots of single guys on the island to be friends with, but it wasn’t the same. He, Chet, and Finn had been the terrible trio. They mixed together just right. It was depressing trying to recreate that vibe with all new people. Most frequently he ended up with Shane Cole. The hyena shifter had been Max Nunez’s best friend before the twins got married. Shane knew Branch’s pain and was usually free too.
But Shane wasn’t Chet or Finn. Shane was more of a gym rat and fist-pumping partier than Branch. Quiet dinners weren’t something Shane did, and Branch couldn’t be the third wheel at another dinner with one of the couples. Or sixth wheel on their double dates. He shuddered at the thought. It seemed like the only option was to find a girl of his own to settle down with and join the happy couples’ group.
The only problem was, he wasn’t looking to settle down anytime soon. He was happy with the way his life was going excluding the friend problem. He was making good money as a safari tour guide on the island and his job was very secure. The company couldn’t find qualified tour guides fast enough to keep up with demand for tours, so they fought hard to keep the tour guides they already had. That meant Branch made way more money than he’d ever expected to see from guiding tours. He wasn’t about to walk away from all of that to settle down and be boring.
“You want to come over to our place for dinner?” Chet asked.
“I’m good.” Branch opened his phone to text Shane and another friend Brent.
Chet stopped the golf cart in front of Branch’s rental home. “If you change your mind, you know where to find us.”
“Thanks, buddy.”
Branch hopped out and was already opening a text from Brent. Shane texted him back a second later. Both guys were down with going out. Branch suggested the bar in Safari Town, since they’d gone to Club Safari twice that week already and Branch didn’t feel like making it three. The table waitress outside was starting to think he had a thing for her. She was a nice enough girl, but Branch wasn’t about to ruin the club for them.
If he went out with the waitress, that date would end like all the rest. A night of bliss and then nothing. He had somehow managed to avoid getting a reputation even though he’d gone out with someone new at least once a month for the last nine years. Island living was great. There was always a new tourist to keep him company or a new crop of summer employees.
He changed out of his work clothes into a pair of workout shorts before going to his kitchen. He looked in all the cabinets and the fridge but nothing looked good. He debated going to Chet and Addison’s but decided against it. It was probably a fake invite just to be nice.
He put on a pot of water and made himself ramen noodle soup. It wasn’t his favorite meal but it was a frequent staple in his diet now. Cooking for one wasn’t much fun, and he couldn’t eat at a restaurant alone every night.
Branch got dressed in his favorite jeans and gray t-shirt before heading out to Shane’s. He might not have a mate, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t still have fun. Marriage was for chumps when you could have a new girl all the time. The best cure for loneliness was a beautiful woman. He was going to find Mrs. Right Now
Chet’s wife was heavily pregnant and the twins preferred to stay in with their new wife. He understood. When he found his mate, he would get right down to business making a calf. He would never leave his single buddies out in the cold though. You could have friends and have a wife too. His thoughts on the matter didn’t change the fact that it was shaping up to be a lonely summer for the elephant shifter.
There were still lots of single guys on the island to be friends with, but it wasn’t the same. He, Chet, and Finn had been the terrible trio. They mixed together just right. It was depressing trying to recreate that vibe with all new people. Most frequently he ended up with Shane Cole. The hyena shifter had been Max Nunez’s best friend before the twins got married. Shane knew Branch’s pain and was usually free too.
But Shane wasn’t Chet or Finn. Shane was more of a gym rat and fist-pumping partier than Branch. Quiet dinners weren’t something Shane did, and Branch couldn’t be the third wheel at another dinner with one of the couples. Or sixth wheel on their double dates. He shuddered at the thought. It seemed like the only option was to find a girl of his own to settle down with and join the happy couples’ group.
The only problem was, he wasn’t looking to settle down anytime soon. He was happy with the way his life was going excluding the friend problem. He was making good money as a safari tour guide on the island and his job was very secure. The company couldn’t find qualified tour guides fast enough to keep up with demand for tours, so they fought hard to keep the tour guides they already had. That meant Branch made way more money than he’d ever expected to see from guiding tours. He wasn’t about to walk away from all of that to settle down and be boring.
“You want to come over to our place for dinner?” Chet asked.
“I’m good.” Branch opened his phone to text Shane and another friend Brent.
Chet stopped the golf cart in front of Branch’s rental home. “If you change your mind, you know where to find us.”
“Thanks, buddy.”
Branch hopped out and was already opening a text from Brent. Shane texted him back a second later. Both guys were down with going out. Branch suggested the bar in Safari Town, since they’d gone to Club Safari twice that week already and Branch didn’t feel like making it three. The table waitress outside was starting to think he had a thing for her. She was a nice enough girl, but Branch wasn’t about to ruin the club for them.
If he went out with the waitress, that date would end like all the rest. A night of bliss and then nothing. He had somehow managed to avoid getting a reputation even though he’d gone out with someone new at least once a month for the last nine years. Island living was great. There was always a new tourist to keep him company or a new crop of summer employees.
He changed out of his work clothes into a pair of workout shorts before going to his kitchen. He looked in all the cabinets and the fridge but nothing looked good. He debated going to Chet and Addison’s but decided against it. It was probably a fake invite just to be nice.
He put on a pot of water and made himself ramen noodle soup. It wasn’t his favorite meal but it was a frequent staple in his diet now. Cooking for one wasn’t much fun, and he couldn’t eat at a restaurant alone every night.
Branch got dressed in his favorite jeans and gray t-shirt before heading out to Shane’s. He might not have a mate, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t still have fun. Marriage was for chumps when you could have a new girl all the time. The best cure for loneliness was a beautiful woman. He was going to find Mrs. Right Now
Similar Books
