He smoothed down the tie self-consciously. “I have an interview later today. Didn’t know if I’d have time to stop and change.” I opened my mouth to ask if the interview was for Homicide Special, but he gave me a tiny head shake and said, “Get your coat, we need to go.”
I put Shadow in the megacrate Dashiell had sent me and got my jacket. When I returned to the door, Jesse was staring at the half-packed boxes. “I heard Eli was back. You moving in with him?” he asked, his voice detached.
“Just for a bit, until I can find a new place. One that allows really big dogs.”
“Are you referring to Shadow or Eli?” he asked innocently.
I swatted him on the arm, and Jesse smiled faintly. “He really loves you, doesn’t he?” There was sadness in his voice, and bitterness, and pain.
I looked up at him. “There are different kinds of love,” I said quietly. “His is the kind I need right now.”
Jesse nodded silently, stepping aside so I could make it through the doorway. I started to scoot past him, but impulsively stopped, brushing dust off on the back of my jeans. I met his eyes and held out my hand. “Friends?” I asked.
He shook my hand, a ghost of a smile on his beautiful face. “Partners, dummy,” he corrected. “Come on, I’ll race you to the car.”
Acknowledgments
Hunter’s Trail has been my most ambitious project to date, and it would never have come together without quite a few helping hands. Thank you to Tracy Tong, who didn’t have to handle as many fashion questions this time around, but who did suggest that Griffith Park might be a good location for a showdown, and to the endlessly talented Elizabeth Kraft, who is as good at beta reading as she is at bookmark design (which is really, really good). And a big thank-you, as always, to my entire family—both the huge one I was born into, and the one I made for myself—for all your support, encouragement, and interest.
My deepest thanks also go to Dr. Adrian Treves from the University of Wisconsin, who was willing to entertain any number of my bizarre questions about wolves. His generosity made this book better, and any misrepresentations of real wolf behavior are my own creative decisions, and not a result of his excellent advice.
Thank you to the team at 47North, who were as patient and accommodating as ever, and a very special, quite enormous thank-you to my fellow 47North authors, whom I leaned on many times when I needed help or advice, or to just rant a little when I got stuck. You guys have truly made this process into a pleasure.
Speaking of social media, I also want to thank those of you who e-mailed, messaged, or tweeted me to ask about Hunter’s Trail and tell me you like the series. You guys mean the world to me. My thanks to the people who took time out of your lives to post reviews—good or bad—for the books, and to spread the word when you enjoyed them. Without you guys, I wouldn’t be able to keep doing this. I am so honored that my books are in your lives.
For more information about me, adorable photos of the real-life Max, sound tracks for all three novels, and much more, please visit my website at www.MelissaFOlson.com.
About the Author
Photo ? 2013 Elizabeth Kraft Melissa F. Olson was born and raised in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, and studied film and literature at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. After graduation, and a brief stint bouncing around the Hollywood studio system, Melissa moved to Madison, Wisconsin, where she eventually acquired a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, a husband, a mortgage, two kids, and two comically oversized dogs—not at all in that order. She is the author of Dead Spots, Trail of Dead, and the short story “Sell-By Date.”