Gerri squinted. “But I can tell he’s not human. What exactly am I picking up? Panther? Jaguar?”
“Tiger.”
“Ah, nice! He’s even more rare,” she said, tilting her head before nodding approvingly. “He’s certainly quite the specimen. I’d love to know more about him. Does he have a mate? Is he looking for a mate? Oh, before I forget, how is everything with Sierra?”
“Perfect, actually. We couldn’t be happier. In fact, she’s going to be meeting us in the city.”
“Great. So, what brings you by?”
Eddie pointed his thumb over his shoulder. “Rev, actually. He needs help. Your kind of help. This is going to sound odd coming from a wolf, but Rev and I have been best friends, like brothers actually, for as long as I can remember.”
“Ah, yes. A tiger isn’t normally welcomed among wolves. Let me guess, Sierra doesn’t know what your friend is.”
“Yes, but that isn’t the issue. You see, according to Rev, since tigers are scarce, it’s extremely rare for them to find their true fated mate. They overcome it by going into arranged matings. I guess some can make it work. Others are forced to compromise and are miserable.”
“I see. So, you’re hoping I can help Rev find his true mate?”
“Exactly. But you can’t tell him that you are involved in any way. I mean nothing.”
“What? Why?”
“Because if there is one thing he is opposed to, it’s the arranged matings of tigers. He hates the very idea and would rather live alone for the rest of his life than feel forced into something like that. And if he knew I was asking a matchmaker to help him find his mate, it would be the end of our friendship. That’s the last thing I want.”
“Okay. That makes perfect sense. But is he even ready? If I can’t talk to him about this matter, how can I know if he is truly looking for a mate? For all I know, he could be happy with his lone-wolf … er, lone-tiger … lifestyle.”
“I don’t know. Hell, you’re the expert in this stuff,” Eddie said, half-joking.
“Invite him in. Let me get a good look at him and a sense of what he’s like.”
Without hesitating, Eddie opened the door and shouted. “Hey! Come here for a minute. I figured it would be rude not to at least introduce you to someone.”
Entering the cabin, Rev reached out his hand. Gerri clasped it, holding it while her instincts gave her an idea of the man, and beast, standing before her.
“It’s nice to meet one of Eddie’s friends,” Gerri said with a smile.
“You mean his one and only friend since I’m probably the only one who’d put up with him. Except for his new mate, I guess. I wonder what spell he has her under.”
“Smartass,” Eddie sneered.
“Well, he needs a good friend, especially now that he has a mate. You’d be surprised how well that works when things get bumpy.”
“I wouldn’t know.” As the words spilled from Rev’s mouth, Gerri instantly picked up on a very subtle hint of loneliness in his voice. To be fair, he certainly wasn’t whining, but her trained ear still knew what he yearned for.
“Well, we never know what the Fates have planned for us, do we?” she said, mentally shuffling through the possible matches she’s been in contact with. “Hmm … maybe,” she added.
Rev cocked his head, unsure of what Gerri was mumbling and why.
Deciding to cut the introduction short, Eddie quickly flung open the door. “We should probably get moving along. See you again soon, Gerri.”
“Yeah, nice to meet you, Gerri.”
“Thanks for stopping by. Stay in touch!”
Eddie and Rev sped back to the highway and soon cruised into the city. Approaching the French Quarter, Eddie slowed and parked in front of a small restaurant. Not usually his sort of place, but it was exactly the quiet, cozy bistro that Sierra loved.
And his raven-haired beauty happened to be standing out front. “Perfect timing. I just got off work and made it here only a minute ago,” she said, greeting Eddie with a hug and kiss. “And this must be the notorious Rev I’ve heard so much about.”
Rev offered a warm smile and a handshake. “So, you’re the unlucky soul Eddie tricked into being his girl. Nice to finally meet you, Sierra. Just blink twice if you want me to help you escape.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll stick around.” She laughed, patting Eddie’s chest.
As the afternoon blended into the evening, Sierra and Eddie made sure that Rev never felt like a third wheel. And he couldn’t be happier for his best friend … and his new mate.
At the end of the evening, he had to point out the obvious. “Thanks for hanging out. It was nice to meet you, Sierra. I’m happy for you, man. But I also know what else you’re up to.”
“Oh, really? And what’s that.”
“That you think it’s time for me to find someone and settle down. Even though it usually ends up something much different for tigers than what wolves get.”
“Well, like Gerri said earlier, who knows what the Fates have planned?”