Page 21 of Ours

“Ma’am, I’m not his secretary, but I can give him a message.”

There was a loud huff on the other end before the woman answered, “Well, what are you doing…? Oh, you are one of those girls, are you? All right then, put some clothes on and get a pen and paper to write down what I’m going to tell you.”

Sandy gritted her teeth, picked up Zack’s shirt, slipped into it, and walked out of the room, ready to tell the lady off, but the woman continued.

“Okay, surely I’ve given you enough time. Look, this is important. Tell Zack he has to be at the charity function tonight, and he has to wear a tux to cover his tattoos. And if the dates I have lined up for him ask what he does, tell him to just say he owns some businesses. Do you think you can do this before you leave?”

Trying to keep her temper in place because she knew this was a family member, Sandy asked, “May I ask who this is?”

“Yes, tell him his mother called.” And she hung up.

Sandy stared at the mobile. Oh God, she was the lovely woman Susie talked about. Surely Susie was joking.

Sandy looked around her at the extravagant interior and the hall she was now in with doors all along it. This house and this type of living was way out of her league. Sandy wondered if she should worry whether Jake’s and Zack’s family would accept her.

She chuckled at the thought of being worried about being accepted by the Bears when only hours ago her men carried her kicking and screaming out of a concert. Sandy hated to admit it, but their alpha ways turned her on big time. She would deny it if anyone asked, but she’d loved that they’d claimed her in front of so many people. She wasn’t one for Neanderthals, but Jake and Zack were changing her mind. She wandered the house, getting more anxious the more she saw.

Finally she found a door leading outside and opened it, needing to get away from everything. Sandy wished she was home so she could snuggle in her own bed and get up and make breakfast for her family. Finding a table and chairs that looked out at the valley toward the grapevines, she sat and listened, watching the morning fog lift, and tried not to think about last night.

She didn’t know whether to be angry at Jake and Zack for embarrassing her and probably getting her fired or grateful they saved her from Mr. Grabby. Oh God, what would she do without a job? What was she doing full stop?

Bringing her knees up, she tucked them under her chin and placed the phone she forgot she held on the table. Tears she’d been holding in since she spoke to Zack’s mother slipped down her cheek. Fuck, her life was so crazy right now. Dealing with being potentially unemployed and her boyfriends’ mothers not liking her was just too much to handle.

Sobs started to rack her body and she couldn’t seem to stop them. So much had happened in such a short time. Sandy didn’t know what to do.

Closing her eyes she sat for a while and just let it all out until she felt Jake’s hands come around her waist to pick her up and place her on his lap.

“Ah, Little Red, you’re breaking my heart. What’s wrong? Don’t cry.”

She hit his chest. “I’m angry with you.”

He hugged her tighter. “Why? It’s not like you to cry when you’re angry at someone.”

“Ha, what do you know? I’m usually very sweet, considerate, and never bossy. Well, that is before I met you two. You and Zack bring out the redhead in me. The only other people who can do that are my brothers and dad.” Sandy hit Jake’s chest again as his body shook with laughter. “Hey, don’t laugh at me. I’m telling the truth.” Sandy growled deep and pushed at him to get off, but he just held tighter.

“Oh sorry, Little Red, I’m just trying to imagine you as sweet and never bossy.”

Zack came out, his hands full of plates with toast, pancakes, and fruit. She felt heat cover her cheeks, and she moaned as memories of the last night flashed before her.

“Who’s sweet and never bossy?” Zack asked.

She elbowed Jake in the chest. “Me. I’m sweet and never bossy.”

She watched as Zack placed the plates on the table. His eyes lit up and his whole body shook like he was trying to contain his laughter. He sat on a chair and pulled her from Jake’s lap. “Firebird, you’re very sweet.” He nibbled on her ear and a shiver racked her body. “And as for the bossy part, I like a woman who can stand up for herself and knows what she wants.”

Sandy groaned as Zack’s mouth come down on hers and his hand slid up under her shirt. The ringing tone of The Doors’ “Light My Fire” pulled her away from the kiss and the blissful state she was getting to. When it went unanswered after a couple of times, she narrowed her eyes on Zack.

“Why aren’t you answering your phone?” She watched him give a fleeting look at it then shrug.

“It’s no one important.”

Curious, she reached for the phone and answered, only for his mother to say, “I just wanted to check that girl that I spoke to told you my message. I know the type of woman you usually go for, the ones with half a brain. This one sounded at least like she could follow orders, but I didn’t want to chance it. I know when they leave in the morning you don’t see them again. Which is good because I already have one human daughter-in-law and a human grandson. Thank God your sister has stopped her rebelling and is now helping me with my charities.”

Sandy gripped the phone tighter as Zack groaned and tried to get it out of her hands.

His mother continued, “That’s what you need to do, Zackary, stop rebelling. Get a real job or business. Get rid of the bimbos like the one I spoke to this morning, and come and marry or date a lovely bear shifter. I have three beautiful girls lined up for you tonight—”

Sandy had heard enough. Right now, she didn’t care if the woman was Zack’s mother or the friggin’ pope, Sandy wasn’t going to let her keep speaking. “Have you finished now? Because I’m really not in the mood to listen to any more of your shit.”