Page 73 of Cowboy Bear's Hope

“Um, actually, I kinda knew too,” Jezebel confessed.

Penny worried her lower lip, and I had the sneaking suspicion she knew, too.

“Are you kidding me? You guys? That’s it. I am going to have to call a mandatory meeting to go over all our Girl Club rules,” I snapped and shook my head.

“Wait. Does that mean I’m in Girl Club?” Jezebel asked, eyes wide.

“Duh,” Penny said, then turned to me to add, “I’m sorry, Av. We all had suspicions, and we weren’t trying to exclude you, but we just weren’t sure how to bring it up. I mean, what could we say? ‘Hey, did Rosie’s sperm donor maybe sprout fur and turn into an animal that time he got you pregnant?’”

“Well, when you say it like that,” I murmured. “No, you’re right. I haven’t exactly been truthful about how much she’s been struggling at school either. I guess I didn’t want you to think I was a bad mom,” I confessed.

It was true. The fear of being called out for everything I lacked as a single parent was very real. Mr. Dryden had touched on a lot of my insecurities earlier that day.

The three of us moved our chat to the sturdy wood rockers on the porch. I turned on the electric heaters there, and then I told them everything.

“Geezus. What a dick,” Jezebel said.

“Wait, Dante punched him? In front of the principal and the lady from Child Services?” Penny asked.

“Well, yeah. But he deserved it.”

“No doubt.”

“No, I know that. But the secret, Av. It’s important,” Penny said.

“I get it, but it was a tough situation, Penny. Also, something else was weird. That woman seemed different. I swear she was making the air sparkle around them.”

“Um, that’s weird.”

“Yep,” I said.

We chatted for a few more minutes until the hairs on the back of my neck started to stand up.

Then I paused, and my head swiveled to the left. That’s when I saw them.

A giant, proud Grizzly was leading the way home with a smallish, little Bear following behind him. God, he was beautiful. They both were.

I didn’t really pay attention to the others. Not to the big, black Wolf with green eyes. Nor to the red-skinned Devil with huge, bat-like wings.

Kian and Zeke remained in their human skin and walked on either side of the group, bracketing them.

The big Bear slowed, turning to nuzzle the small one. Then the air around them shimmered, and Dante stood completely naked and more gorgeous than I could have ever imagined.

His dark eyes met mine, and my vision blurred at the depth of emotion I read in them. He leaned down and hoisted the cub in his arms.

He had more scratches. New ones. Some were red. Others a pale pink, from healing I assumed. But none were bleeding, which was good, right?

The furry bundle in his arms shimmered and squirmed, and suddenly, it was Rosie again. I covered my mouth to stem my gasp. But it was no good. It poured out anyway, unstoppable, as I ran down the steps with my blanket flying around me.

I took it off my shoulders as I neared them and held it out for Rosie.

“Mama?” she whispered, and I gathered her to me.

“I’m here, Rosie Posie. I’m here.”

I kissed her temple and glanced at Dante.

He seemed to be waiting for something, but I had no words for him.

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