Page 12 of The Bear's Reluctant Mate

“The tomatoes go in the back,” she found herself saying. “They’ll need the most sun.”

Alfie’s smile was swift and true. He really did wear his heart on his sleeve. “I can help if you’d like. I mean, I do this for a living.”

“I noticed the shirt,” Marion said dryly and was rewarded with a startled laugh.

“Best birthday present ever,” Alfie said, plucking at the fabric. “From my brother. Not Finn, a different brother. He said itsuited mebecause I’m asentimentalsapwith a soft spot forseedlings.He thought it was hilarious.”

“How many brothers do you have?”

“Five.” Alfie kneeled beside the plot. Not too close to Charlie, but near enough to be included. “Big family. You?”

“Just me and...” Marion’s throat closed. “Just me and Charlie now.”

Alfie didn’t push for more. He didn’t ask the questions she could see forming behind his eyes. Instead, he picked up one of the tomato plants. “Hey, Charlie, do you want to learn how to plant tomatoes for the best crop?”

“Sure.” Charlie placed the rock in his hands down on the pile and came to hunker down next to Alfie.

“Okay. See how the stem has these little fuzzy hairs?” Alfie held the plant out so Charlie could take a closer look. “When you plant tomatoes, you want to bury them deep, right up to the first set of true leaves. Those hairs will become roots.”

Charlie scooted closer, fascinated. “Roots? Really?”

“Really. Makes the plant stronger. Want to dig the first hole?”

As Charlie eagerly began digging, Marion felt a rush of relief. Maybe she’d been wrong to be suspicious. Maybe, just maybe, Alfie was exactly what he seemed, a kind man who grew things and made terrible puns and somehow understood that the way to her heart was through kindness to Charlie.

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

Alfie looked up at her, dirt already smudging his hands. “For what?”

“For following us,” she said, surprising herself with the admission. “For caring enough to check if we were okay.”

His expression softened. “Anytime, Marion. Anytime.”

The way he said her name sent an unexpected shiver through her. Not of fear or wariness, but something warm and unfamiliar. Something she was not ready to name. But was she ready to let herselffeel? To be vulnerable. To trust again.

“Look what I found!” Charlie’s excited voice broke through the moment. He held up a worm, grinning.

“That’s a good sign the soil here is healthy,” Alfie said, crouching down to Charlie’s level but maintaining that careful distance Marion had noticed earlier. “Worms are a gardener’s best friend. They help make the soil rich and healthy.”

“Really?” Charlie carefully placed the worm back in the dirt. “How?”

As Alfie explained about worm castings and soil aeration, Marion found herself studying him again. The patience in his voice. The way he let Charlie lead the conversation. The genuine enthusiasm that lit up his features when he talked about growing things.

“You know a lot about dirt,” Charlie observed when Alfie finished.

“I know a lot about helping things grow,” Alfie corrected gently. “Sometimes that means understanding the dirt. Sometimes it means knowing when to water or when to wait. And sometimes...” He glanced up at Marion. “Sometimes it meansplantingyourself nearbyeven when you’re not sure you’re wanted, just in case someone needs an extra pair of hands.”

Marion felt her defenses wavering, and that scared her. In some ways, Alfie might be more dangerous than Razor.

“Can you teach me more about worms?” Charlie asked. “And maybe about the butterflies, too? Do butterflies like tomato plants?”

“Some do,” Alfie said, straightening up. “We could plant some marigolds between the tomatoes. They help keep pests away and attract beneficial insects.”

“Can we, Aunt Marion?” Charlie turned those big eyes on her, more animated than she’d seen him in months.

How could she say no to that? How could she deny him this small happiness when he’d had so little to smile about for so long?

“If Alfie doesn’t mind coming back to help us plant them,” she said, carefully testing the waters. Giving him an out if this was just about today, just about making sure they were okay before moving on.

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