Page 141 of Choose the Bears

“So that’s my future?” I looked up at the two of them through my lashes. “That’s what I’ll do one day for our kids?” You could have heard a pin drop, all of the muffled noise coming from down the hall dropping away as the atmosphere thickened. “I can become one of those insufferable mums who’s all in my kids business because…” I hadn’t heard a peep from my own family, which tracked. “That’s how much I love them.”

“I hope so.” Lucas smiled when I focussed on him. “I admit I think you’d be an amazing smothering mother.”

“You could totally cross every one of our kids’ boundaries, getting in their faces about everything,” Kyle continued.

“Be overly involved.” Lucas slapped his forehead. “You could be one of those boy mums that talk about never wanting their son to find a mate because that takes him away from you.”

“Terrify your daughters-in-law!” Kyle grinned and that had us all smiling. “Become a just-no MIL.”

My first giggle was one of those awful snorting ones, and that started them laughing, which just had me cracking up more. Was this hysterical laughter or the good kind, I wasn’t completely sure, but I knew this.

We were together.

Phil was in hospital, under police protection, because he’d be facing a magistrate as soon as he was well enough and being put in jail until his trial. I knew this because Mike was already cooling his heels in a cell for his role in what happened. The bad guys had been defeated, and we’d won the day.

But…

We giggled about our potential future, because we had no idea what was coming. The world had changed overnight and we’d changed it.

The guys noted my shift in mood and then went to work. Kyle popped my pills from the blister pack and Lucas retrieved an ice cold Coke from the bar fridge in his room, so I swallowed the medication dutifully.

“There you are.” Asher appeared at the doorway looking paler than normal. “Imogen, if you need rest?—?”

“I’m fine,” I said with a wave of my hand.

“Then we need to confront the hordes in the dining room,” he said, like he was a general facing battle, not a man with a room full of his loved ones waiting for him. “Ready?”

I slipped from the desk, even as Kyle and Lucas moved to steady me, but I didn’t need it. My head hurt a bit, but I was otherwise unscathed because of them. My hand gripped Asher’s and we walked down the hall together.

“There she is!” Gail said, rushing forward as soon as we entered the room.

People were all so verylovely, but I admit I was glad to be now sitting in the corner of the dining room, a table and a bunch of chairs between me and the crowds. The bear community was… intense.

And now I was one of them.

That was both lovely and overwhelming at the same time, a feeling that Asher seemed to share, sitting by my side, a quiet but watchful presence. So watchful he stiffened and then got up as Mary approached.

“I’ll go grab you a drink,” he told me, squeezing my hand, seeming to sense the woman wouldn’t get any closer if he was there.

“Thanks,” I said, staring up at him for a moment, then smiling at the woman as she crept closer.

“I…” Her voice cracked on the first word and her face fell, her hand fluttering through the air. “I…”

“Come and have a seat,” I said, patting the chair next to me. “This party is insane. The kids seem to be having a ball though.”

There was no petting zoo, but there was a clown who was making balloon animals for the kids. It was one of the many bear dads in a costume, I think. The kids wanted balloon bears, lots of bears, it appeared.

“I’m sorry,” she said finally as she sat down, able to speak when her eyes were focussed on the crowd, not me. “Phil?—”

“Is a fucking prick,” I replied.

She snorted, smiled, stopped herself from smiling, and then let out a nervous laugh.

“Yes, well, he is.” Her fingers picked up a discarded serviette, worrying the paper until she forced them to still. “And what you did… I’m sorry I… I’m just sorry.”

“We both are, aren’t we?” I smiled as Scott got his bear balloon. He roared and waved it around in the air, his little brother laughing. “I don’t know about you, Mary, but I never said yes to this when Mike asked me out.” I dared a brief look her way. “I didn’t say yes to being talked down to, treated like shit, being his personal maid.” I twisted slightly towards her. “I don’t think you did either.”

“No.” Her chin wobbled a little but her muscles tensed to firm it. “None of it. You’d never believe it, but when we first met…” She turned my way as well. “He was such a great guy. Attentive, interested in what I had to say.” She started to laugh but that was cut off abruptly. “He used to bring me flowers every day. From his mother’s garden, but still.”

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