Page 4 of The Bear's Reluctant Mate

She is not Mary-Ann,his bear said.

No, she is not,Alfie answered as he closed the distance between him and his mate.

“Then you are in the right place,” Alfie said, trying to sound normal, even though he was sure life would never be normal again. “Is Mary-Ann okay?”

“Mary-Ann?” She quirked her eyebrow, obviously unaware that Alfie was expecting Mary-Ann, not her. Then her expression cleared. “Oh, that might explain it.” She scrolled through her phone and tapped on the screen. “I think the DM I got might have been sent to me by mistake.”

“I guess our meeting was just bemintto be,” Alfie replied with a sheepish grin.

Finn!his bear roared.

Yes, it seemed Finn had indeed struck again. And he was never going to live it down!

Chapter Two – Marion

She’d come to Bear Creek Garden Center by mistake, so why did it feel as if she were standing exactly where she was meant to be?

Perhaps because there was something about the man who had come to greet her that made her feel...something. And that was more than she’d felt for a while now. Numb. That’s what she’d been. Going through the motions of each day, focused solely on Charlie’s needs, on making their new life work.

Or maybe it was his easy smile, the way it lit up his whole face like sunshine breaking through clouds. Or his broad shoulders that stretched the fabric of his shirt just right, and sun-kissed skin that spoke of hours spent outdoors. While his boyishly tousled hair gave him an approachable quality that made her fingers itch to smooth it down.

Or maybe it was his T-shirt emblazoned with the words, “I’m Rooting for You.” As she read the words, her throat constricted, and she had to blink and swallow hard to stop the tears that threatened her. Such a simple message, but it hit her like a physical blow. When was the last time anyone had rooted for her? For them?

“Did my brother send you the DM?” the man asked, and Marion came back down to earth with a jolt.

“Your brother?” she asked, sounding like a fool. She glanced at the name on her phone, even though she already knew the DM had come from Finn Thornberg.

“Yes, my brother Finn?” The guy stepped forward and thrust out his hand. “I’m Alfie Thornberg. Alfred.” He screwed up his face. “But everyone calls me Alfie.”

He sounded like a child wanting to be taken seriously as an adult, but Alfie suited his rugged yet boyish good looks perfectly. The name matched the warmth in his eyes and the genuine quality of his smile.

“Yes, Finn,” she replied, taking his hand. The contact sent an unexpected jolt through her body, and she quickly pulled back. “I suppose he must have typed Marion instead of Mary-Ann.”

“He’s good at making mistakes,” Alfie replied. “Very good,” he added somewhat cryptically, a knowing look crossing his face.

“I see,” she said and glanced back toward the car again, needing to ground herself. Charlie was her anchor, her responsibility, her reason for being here.

“Is everything all right?” Alfie asked, following her gaze.

“Oh, yes, my nephew is in the car,” Marion explained. “I was just checking he was okay.”

“Your nephew?” Alfie bent to the right and stared at the car. “So he is.”

Alfie sounded surprised. As if he hadn’t been aware there was someone else in the car, but why would he? Charlie was slumped down in the backseat, the glow from his game illuminating his face. It was the reason she had volunteered to help with the Bear Creek Garden Project, to get him out of the house and into the fresh air. Plus, she’d hoped they might both make friends. Or at least acquaintances.

And she would sure like to get better acquainted with Alfie. No, no, she was not here for romance. She needed to focus on Charlie. On their new life. And anyway, he was not her type. That much was obvious from his T-shirt. Men who wore their hearts on their sleeves—or, in this case, clothing—were dangerous. They made you hope for things you couldn’t have.

“Would he like to come look around? See the plants?” Alfie asked, glancing back at the building behind him. “We have a butterfly garden that kids usually love. And the fountain makes rainbows when the sun hits it just right.” He glanced up at the early morning sun. “And that would be about now.”

Marion hesitated. Charlie didn’t do well with strangers, especially men. But there was something about Alfie that felt...right. He wasn’t pushy, he certainly didn’t come over all alpha male… How could he when he was wearingthatT-shirt?

“Believe me, it’s abloomingshowstopper,” Alfie added.

“I can ask him,” she said, looking over her shoulder. “He’s a bit…shy.”

“No pressure,” Alfie said quickly. “The plants aren’tgrowinganywhere. Well, except home with my customers…eventually. Hopefully.” He grinned, and Marion found herself almost smiling back.

She walked back to the car and opened Charlie’s door. Shy wasn’t exactly an accurate description of her nephew. Guarded would be better. “Hey, buddy. Want to come see some plants? Alfie says there’s a butterfly garden.”

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