Page 23 of Bear's Rejected Love

“I didn’t bring a diaper bag. What kind of father figure am I supposed to be?” He looked like he truly regretted coming.

“It’s not a big deal. If he needs a change, I’m sure Elowen has some diapers stashed here for her baby. Here.” She pointed to one side of the booth closest to them. “Have a seat. I’ll get that milk and I’ll be right back. Want a coffee? We’re busy with an order in the back, but I can probably take five minutes.”

“Coffee. Yeah. Uh- thanks.”

“Alright. Be right back.”

Tabitha pretty much ran to the back. They had all sorts of cups and mugs and she had no problem getting something for Honor. She poured a mug of coffee and stirred in heavy cream before she paused. Her hands started shaking. What if Roan didn’t even like it that way anymore? Things changed. She should have asked.

The sandwich and wrap assembly was just about complete from what she could see. Still, she buzzed around the paper bags. “Is it alright if I take a quick break? I know this is a bad time to ask.”

Elowen, Carl, and Danny all paused. The whole back area smelled like turkey, ham, freshly cut lettuce, strong acidic tomatoes, and mustard.

“No worries,” Elowen said. And then, because she couldn’t resist. “Is Roan here?”

She frowned. She really was far too transparent. Also, was she even okay? Her heart was beating so violently that if it was a car engine it would blow through the hood.

“I would say that’s a yes.” Carl chuckled. He had a nice laugh.

“He came with Honor. He probably just wants to ask me about Corbin’s schedule. They made a kind of… I don’t know, a tentative agreement, I guess. About seeing each other. Sort of. It’s complicated.”

No one asked her for more details. They already knew the basics. Everyone in Greenacre knew. She didn’t want it kept some closely guarded secret that she and Roan were once mates, and that Corbin was his son. That made it feel like a shameful, dirty secret and she had nothing to be ashamed of. Besides, in Greenacre no one had any secrets, or at least if they did, they never remained secret for long.

“If you need rescuing just make excuses about something work related and we’ll make it so you’re too busy to continue the conversation. Or yell out a safe word really loud.” Elowen looked like she was having far too much fun.

“What safe word?” Good lord, she didn’t need that first and foremost in her mind.

“Deep fried bananas?” Carl suggested.

“Deep fried bananas?” Danny kept bagging up the order, but he was also trying to hold in laughter now. “I like that.”

“Deep fried bananas it is then, but I won’t need a safe word. I’m good. Roan and I are perfectly uncomplicated. I don’t feel any nostalgia and we agreed the past is the past. It’s just for Corbin’s sake that I’d like him to make an effort. There’s nothing… we’ll never be…” She looked down at the counter, “He wanted to do a formal un-mating ceremony. I was against it because I thought it would make Corbin so angry and upset, and destroy any chances that Roan might have of ever being friends with his own son, but now I wonder if I was wrong. Maybe in the future. It’s not like there will ever be anything between us other than a weird sort of friendship.”

“Yeah,” Elowen agreed. “That makes sense.”

“Makes so much sense.” Carl studied the floor.

“Say it was really hot back here,” Danny advised.

“Why?” Lord, could her heart do anything more furious?

“Because your face is red.”

“What?” She clapped her hands onto her cheeks. It felt like they were scalding.

“I used to pretend that I wasn’t into Clay too. I had my kids to think about. I was in a terrible relationship before. But then, one night he needed help with his friend, and he needed cheesecake and he had to come to me for it and—well, one thing led to another. We both tried to say it might be a mistake, but it wasn’t.”

“Oh. No. there’s not… there’s never going to… no, just no.” She wanted to rush to the nearest sink and douse her head in cold water. Now everyone thought the exact opposite. “My face might be on fire, and I might be stammering and looking silly, but that’s the way I’m always going to look and feel when that man is anywhere near me. I’ve had a crush on him since I was twelve years old. There. I said it. I’m also a fully grown woman who has been through a lot of life since then. Physically, I still get giddy, but mentally? I’ll always shut it down. We will never be anything other than passably nice to each other for Corbin’s sake.”

“That’s a good plan.” Elowen was ninety-nine percent skeptical.

“We’ve got this order. You take fifteen,” Carl told her, winking. Winking.

“Remember the safe word,” Danny advised as she turned and walked fast through the kitchen. “We should probably call it a code word.”

That milk was probably cold by now. She snagged a fresh oatmeal cookie because she’d also promised him a treat and it was the healthiest thing she could find. She still couldn’t stop thinking about that kiss in the woods. It was fresher than the way she’d known Roan so long ago.

She carried the tray out, her stomach doing flips.

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