Page 11 of Warlander Grizzly

Mom’s face softened. “Not all men.”

“Moooom.”

“Well, your siblings are settling, and I want you to consider it someday. It doesn’t have to be right this moment, but someday. You have to open your heart at some point, honey.”

“Landon Fuller isn’t my soulmate. That’s barking up the wrong tree, in the wrong town, in the wrong state, on the wrong planet, in the wrong galaxy. I like men who can read.”

“He can read. Probably.”

“Did he even go to school?”

“Of course. He graduated two years before you.”

“I heard he skipped his graduation ceremony, and also half of his senior year.”

“Any sign of her?” Mom asked, changing the subject.

Lucia thinned her lips. “Is everyone talking about me losing the animal?”

Sympathy swam in Mom’s eyes, and that was answer enough. Crap. She was hoping people wouldn’t figure it out, but in Damon’s Mountains, speculation spread like wildfire.

“Can you Change?” Mom asked.

“You already know that answer. If I had access to the bear, I would’ve been growling my way through this conversation. Why are you asking? How many calls have you had this week asking about my missing animal?”

“A couple. People around here care. They’re worried about you, is all.”

“Yeah, well, they should worry about their own lives,” she grumbled, spinning her half-empty soda bottle slowly around the ring of condensation it had left on the plastic tablecloth.

“You’ll get her back.”

Lucia shook her head. Mom wouldn’t say that if she knew what had happened.

The bear wasn’t coming back.

“Do you need grocery money?” Mom asked.

Lucia laughed. “I haven’t needed grocery money from you in years, but you always ask.”

“Work is going good?” she asked.

“Actually, yeah. I hit another record last week. I am interviewing two new hires this week, and I get full control over who I bring in. I even get a little salary now on top of my tips. Work is good, stop worrying over me.”

“It’s a mom’s job.”

Lucia picked at the label of her soda. She understood those instincts. “You’re a good mom, just so you know.”

Across the table, Mom melted. She grabbed her chest and puckered out her bottom lip. “Really?”

“Of course. Best mom I could’ve asked for.”

“Do you want to hug me now?”

“No,” she deadpanned. Mom was used to it. Lucia wasn’t a hugger. Never had been.

Mom wrapped her arms around herself and whispered, “I’ll pretend.”

Lucia rolled her eyes heavenward and stood, then made her way around the table and sat beside her mom. She leaned into her as Mom wrapped an arm around her.

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