Just a quick drive away from the Cowrie Cabana, Periwinkle Port promised visitors a day full of fun in the sun. Surf shops and sundry stores sold everything anyone would ever need to have fun at the beach, and the ever-present shush of the waves lapping against the shore tempted countless tourists to splash through the water.

When Brooke was a pup, her grandma would surprise her and Marina with spontaneous trips to chase seagulls and gorge themselves on ice cream. Life was so much simpler back then. There'd been no events to plan, no guests to impress, and no hole in her heart where her grandma used to be. There was only her family and all the fun they'd have together.

Although her grandma was no longer around to spend the afternoon with her, Brooke liked to think she'd be happy her oldest granddaughter had found someone else to share it with. With his form-fitting suit and perpetually serious expression, Jasper stood out from the rest of the tourists like a shark among clownfish. If everything went according to plan, she'd get him to lighten up and enjoy himself by the time they had to go back to the resort.

Judging from the way he kept sneaking out his phone to check the time and answer emails, she had her work cut out for her.

After spending much of the afternoon exploring Periwinkle Port, she and Jasper watched a group of selkies perform by the ocean. The pair on the pier danced as they played their instruments, with the bronze-skinned woman's fingers frolicking over her trumpet's valves as her partner tapped his feet in time with his accordion. Meanwhile, a trio of sleek gray seals performed all sorts of tricks with a series of hoops in the water, synchronizing their leaps and splashes with the other performers' music.

As the selkies finished their song, Brooke clapped so hard her hands stung. "Wasn't that amazing?"

"That was pretty neat," Jasper said, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. "I just wish this was all giving me more ideas for next year's perfumes. As cool as this and the sandcastle building contest were, they haven't given me any inspiration."

"What about the hermit crab race?" Brooke laughed, spooking a seagull into flying away. "I swear half of them crawl right off the track every time."

Jasper wrinkled his nose. "Those things smell like rotten seaweed." He sighed, holding his hand to his hip. "I don't think I can handle much more walking. Thanks for helping me get some fresh air, but I think the only way for me to help Uncommon Scents is to get back to my laptop."

Brooke's heart sank at the thought of returning to the resort. As much as she didn't want Jasper to overdo himself, she'd hoped he'd have at least a little fun with her. "We don't have to walk around. We could always, um..." Brooke's eyes darted around the boardwalk, finally landing on a shop whose sign depicted a seal balancing an ice cream cone on its nose. "Ooh, we have to get ice cream! My grandma always said leaving Periwinkle Port without getting a scoop is like going to the pool without getting wet."

"Sounds pretty important." Jasper wiped sweat from his forehead. "Alright, but we're going back to the hotel afterward."

"Deal!"

###

A blast of cool air welcomed Brooke and Jasper inside Caramel Cove. Barrels of saltwater taffy filled the air with the sweet scent of sugar, and rows of chocolates shaped like seashells beckoned from inside a display case. In addition to selling a wide variety of homemade candies and chocolates, Caramel Cove also boasted over two dozen flavors of ice cream. If there was one thing Brooke was sure would make Jasper enjoy himself, it was a cool treat on a hot day

Hudson, the son of the selkies who owned Caramel Cove, beamed at Brooke as he pulled a tray of waffle cones out of the oven. "There's my favorite customer! It's been way too long since the last time you treated yourself to a scoop." He pouted playfully, crossing his arms over his bright blue apron. "I was beginning to think you'd found someone else to satisfy your sweet tooth."

"It's only been a week," Brooke said with a laugh. As tall as a lighthouse with a cheeky smile that was just as bright, Hudson always knew how to make her feel welcome. "Mom's been keeping me busy prepping for the Blue Moon Ball."

Hudson let out a long, low whistle. "That fancy shindig? You know I love a good party, but I'm more of a balloon animals and cake kind of guy."

"You and me both," Jasper grumbled.

"Aw, I'm sure Brooke will make sure you have a good time." Hudson leaned toward Brooke and lowered his voice to a stage whisper, "Who's the Alpha?"

"This is Jasper, the guest of honor for the Blue Moon Ball," she said. "Jasper, this is Hudson. We used to date when we were in high school."

"Is that so?" Jasper narrowed his eyes.

"Yup! If we'd kept at it, I would have had to replace my arm with a scooper." Hudson lightly thumped his prosthetic. "But enough about me. As much as I'd love to chat, I doubt that's why you're really here. Did you guys have something in mind already, or do you need a minute to look around?"

"I can't believe I almost forgot about the ice cream!" Brooke dashed up to the counter, crouching down to get a better look at the different flavors. From classic chocolate to more unique varieties like Maple Macadamia Crunch and Lavender Honey, Caramel Cove had something for everybody. "What are you going to get, Jasper?"

He hummed softly. "I think I'll stick with vanilla."

"We come to the best ice shop place in all of Periwinkle Port, and you want to get vanilla?!?" Brooke asked.

Jasper shrugged. "What can I say, I like it."

"But it's so boooring." Next he'd tell her he wanted to attend a paint-drying seminar, followed by an exciting afternoon of watching the grass grow.

"I guess I could get sprinkles on it."

"Sprinkles..." Brooke gagged. As pretty as they were, sprinkles were the most boring topping anyone could possibly pick. "Hudson, tell him he's nuts."

"I would, but apparently peanuts are too adventurous for him." Hudson smirked. "What's the matter, Alpha? Too afraid to get out of your comfort zone?"

A low growl rumbled in Jasper's throat. "I'm not afraid."

"Hey, you can get vanilla if you want." Brooke put her hand on his arm, surprised to find his muscles tense. What had gotten him so worked up?

"No, let's hear what Hudson thinks an Alpha would order." Jasper spat out his name as if it tasted like curdled milk.

Hudson put a hand to his chin. "I don't suppose you're brave enough to tackle the Super Sundae Challenge?"

Brooke's stomach ached at the memory of her last attempt at that challenge. Not even she could handle that, and she had the biggest sweet tooth at the Cowrie Cabana. "Goddess, Hudson, are you trying to make him throw up?"

"Nah, I'm trying to get him to Alpha up and live a little." Hudson jabbed an ice cream scooper in Jasper's direction. "You and her. Three extra jumbo scoops in our biggest bowl with all the toppings y'all want. Eat all that in thirty minutes, and you get your pictures on the Wall of Winners and free ice cream for life. Think you can handle it, Alpha?"

"Well, Brooke did say we absolutely had to have some ice cream before we head back to the resort." He raised an eyebrow at her, his lips twitching into a playful smile. "You up for it?"

Brooke gulped, glancing at the massive bowl Hudson used for the challenge. There was a reason the locals often joked half the reason it was so big was so you could throw up in it afterward. As much as she loved ice cream, there was only so much she could handle.

But Jasper wouldn't let himself have fun unless she did it with him. There was only one thing she could say. "Count me in!"

The pair of them quickly decided which flavors they'd go for—Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Ocean Breeze, and Maple Macadamia Crunch—and Brooke requested for it to be topped with chocolate sauce and cookie crumbles. "One Super Sundae Challenge, coming right up!" Hudson said.

Brooke and Jasper grabbed a mountain of napkins and took a seat at one of the shop's bright yellow tables. "Goddess, I hope this isn't a mistake," she said.

"If it is, then at least we'll get ice cream out of it." Jasper chuckled. "Don't count us out yet, though. After that hunt this morning, I worked up quite an appetite."

The table shuddered as Hudson set a massive bowl full of ice cream in front of them. "Alright, you have thirty minutes. Starting..." He turned on a timer. "Now!"

Brooke and Jasper dove into the frozen feast in a flurry of clanging spoons. Chocolate sauce mixed with cookie crumbles in a sweet symphony, and the blueberry and mango that made up Ocean Breeze melted across Brooke's tongue.

Jasper shoveled ice cream into his mouth so quickly Brooke was surprised he didn't shift and thrust his muzzle into the bowl. As it was, watching him eat was like watching a wolf tear into a deer. A handsome wolf with his sideburns dripping chocolate sauce.

Slowly but surely, the ice cream receded like the tide. The mountain of deliciousness shrank to a half-melted hill, with what was left of the scoop of Ocean Breeze pooling beside the last of the cookies' crumbs. Rivers of chocolate sauce shrank to a trickle, and every once in a while, their spoons would thunk against the bottom of the bowl.

But their momentum didn't last. Couldn't. Not when each mouthful of ice cream landed in Brooke's stomach more heavily than the last.

Her stomach quivered as she forced herself to swallow another spoonful. The glob of maple ice cream sliding down her throat might as well have been pureed broccoli. "Jasper, I don't think I can... hold on." She covered her mouth with her hand. A burp escaped, but thankfully she didn't puke. Yet. "I've gotta stop."

"Don't worry." Jasper flashed her a smile dripping with chocolate sauce. "I've got this."

"You've got five minutes left," Hudson called out.

"Come on, Jasper!" Brooke slapped her hands on the table in a thundering drumroll.

Jasper laughed, holding the massive bowl steady with one hand as the other scooped a heap of half-melted ice cream into his mouth. "Careful, you're going to spill the ice cream."

"One minute left!" Hudson hollered.

"Fuck it." Jasper heaved the bowl into his arms, abandoning his spoon. His tongue darted from his mouth not as that of a human but as the long, slobbering tongue of a wolf. Now Jasper was truly eating like an animal, growling and licking every last drop from the bowl.

"Five. Four. Three. Two."

"Done!" Jasper slammed the bowl back on the table and threw his head back in a victorious howl.

"You did it!" Brooke leaped out of her chair and swept Jasper into a hug.

Jasper laughed and wrapped his arms around her. "Don't squeeze me too hard, or else I'll throw up the world's biggest milkshake."

"Smile!" Hudson snapped a picture of the two of them.

To anyone else, the photo might look embarrassing. Brooke had her eyes shut and a crust of cookie crumbs clinging to her lips. Chocolate sauce and half-melted ice cream dripped down Jasper's sideburns, leaving dark brown blotches on his suit. Somehow, the crumpled-up napkins scattered across the table were less messy than the sticky stains smeared across their faces.

But none of that mattered. Jasper's smile shined with all the softness of a moonbeam as he looked at her, his arms holding her close. Now that Brooke's eyes were actually open, she could see he'd leaned forward when Hudson took the photo, his lips perilously close to her own.

"You two are going to look so cute on the Wall of Winners," Hudson said as he rifled through the cash register. He handed each of them a bright yellow card depicting Caramel Cove's logo. "As promised, here are your passes for a lifetime of free ice cream."

Jasper burped so loudly the napkins on the table rustled. "Don't even mention ice cream right now."

"Gotta wait at least a week before we come back," Brooke said with a wink.

The pair of them wobbled to their feet, careful not to upset their insanely full stomachs as they waddled outside. "Safe to say we won't be doing any more walking today," Brooke said. "Ready to head back?"

"Actually, I was thinking we could just relax for a bit. Maybe watch the waves for a while." He smiled sheepishly. "You were right. I think I needed to take a break."

Brooke beamed. She knew she'd finally get him to relax.

As they strolled down the pier in search of the perfect seat, Jasper slipped her hand in his.