Page 10 of Alpha Bear Accountant

The right thing to do would’ve been to decline and head home. I was toeing a line, and it was best to take a step back. But did I? Nope. Instead I asked if there was a place I could clean up a little before it arrived.

After rinsing off as best I could, I joined Todd on his back porch. We got to know each other over a yummy meal of Pad Thai,green curry, and fried rice. It was one of the nicest dinner dates I’d ever been on.

Except, it wasn’t a date. I didn’t like reminding myself of that reality, but I couldn’t ruin my business arrangement with Todd because I wanted more than that. My business needed him more than I did. Maybe.

If he had noticed my attraction in the office, he’d done a great job ignoring it, and I was grateful. This was better. Mixing business with sexy times when an audit was on the horizon was asking for trouble.

The sun was nearly gone on the horizon, and as much as I hated it, I knew it was time to leave. But there was one more question I had to ask. The question that seemed appropriate in his home and over dinner. “Can I ask you something before I head out?”

Todd cocked his head, and his brow furrowed. “Of course. Anything.”

I cleared my throat, not sure how to bring up the topic that had always felt taboo, even though it was clearly part of the mainstream now. “Um, you’re a shifter, right?”

He grinned. “Yep, I am.”

“May I ask what kind?” Why was I so nervous?

Now his smile covered his whole face. “I’m a bear shifter. Grizzly, to be precise.”

My jaw slowly dropped as I processed his words. “A grizzly…”

“But don’t worry, Niam. I’d never hurt anyone…” He placed his hand on my knee, and my eyes immediately snapped up to his. “Especially not you.”

“I know. Not for a single second did it cross my mind that you might.”

”I mean it.”

I nodded, but my mind was going in ten different directions and I needed some space from Todd so I could think. “Okay, so, do you want to take tomorrow off and start up again later in the week or do you want to meet up again at ten? I don’t know your schedule at work work.”

His lips were pursed, but he just took in a deep breath and blew it out. “Ten is good for me. Do you want another hot chocolate?”

Some of the tension I’d been feeling drained out of me, but I was still…unsettled. “You bring the hot chocolate and I’ll bring breakfast burritos.” Now that I knew he was a freakin’ bear, I wasn’t afraid that he wouldn’t like what I chose. Bears would eat anything. Or was that pigs? I sure as shit wasn’t going to ask him that. He seemed to like the idea, so I went with it didn’t matter which animal that was.

"Great, then I’ll see you tomorrow, Todd." I stood up and headed around the side of his house.

"Good night, Niam."

Once I was home, my mind went straight to the list of things that needed to be done at Todd's house. Many of them were beyond my expertise, so I called Andrew, my best plumber and my dad’s right hand for so many years. That man could work miracles with pipes and silicone, and if there was anyone who could help me honor my debt to Todd, it was him.

He picked up on the second ring. “Hey, boss. Everything okay?”

"Yeah, but I’ve got a special job for you. It won’t be billed through the normal channels, but you’ll still get paid, obviously."

"Sure thing, boss." Andrew was always ready to help, with no questions asked. "What's the damage?"

I read off the list of things he could do, detailing each issue so he knew what I was asking him to finish. From the area in the house with no water to the pipes that would all need to be replaced to the shaky guest toilet upstairs, everything I mentioned was met with a grunt of acknowledgement.

"Consider it done." Andrew was probably already planning a list of his own. "I'll drag Michael along. We'll squeeze it in between jobs."

I knew I could count on him. "Thanks, man. I appreciate it."

"Don’t mention it, boss. We want this company to survive just as badly as you do. We’ve got you."

Tears sprang to my eyes, and I was grateful Andrew couldn’t see me. “I know you do. Have a good night.”

Knowing Todd’s house was in capable hands helped ease my mind long enough for me to relax a bit. I’d given Andrew some of the work, but there was still a long list of things I wanted to do myself.

Something in me just needed to spend more time in Todd’s home.

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