Page 11 of Bearly Mine
“I like fixing my own problems. Knowing I can solve them on my own.”
“There’s no reason you can’t do that. But I want to support you. Be with you when you do.” I held out my hand, giving her a choice to take it or not. “And if sometimes you choose to let me rescue you and handle some of your load, what’s wrong with that? We can be a team.”
She hesitated, but reached out, about to lay her hand on mine. Then her phone rang, and she jumped up to answer it. “Maddie. I was going to call you. Can you-”
Lily paused, listening to her friend. Her eyes darted to me, and she bit her lip. “No, of course not. Don’t worry about me. My car should be running again by tomorrow.”
She was quiet again as she ran her free hand over the back of her chair. “Seriously, Maddie, I’ll be fine. I’m sure I can stay here another night.”
A smile curved my lips, and I nodded at her. She could stay forever, but I wouldn’t voice that right now. One day at a time.
Lily
I hung up after reassuring Maddie that she didn’t need to say no to the extra shift request from her boss. Apparently, the flu had spread even more among her coworkers, and as one of the few healthy ones, she needed to work another double.
Dean looked pleased with my side of the conversation. An hour ago, I probably would have hung up with Maddie and begun calling cab companies, desperate to leave, but he said all the right things. I wasn’t used to men apologizing. My dad never did, and neither did my stepfather. Nor was I used to men taking care of me. But I had to admit, it was nice to have someone think about me. From the simple recognition that I might want a shower and change of clothes to the table full of food options.
He might be right, and it was okay to allow myself to be cared for sometimes. I still wasn’t thrilled with how he created a job for me, but he apologized for it, and his intentions weren’t bad. And if, as he said the day before, a shifter’s mate was their everything, I could understand him coming on strong. I may not feel the bond as intensely as he did, but the longer I was with him, the more he pulled at me. As if there was something connecting us. Physically, mentally, and emotionally.
“Want me to give you a tour?” He asked, clearing the table. “We can take the quad, and I’ll show you Shifter Alley.”
“That would be nice.” It would give me a chance to get to know Dean better. And see where I stood on this mate issue. I got caught up in the feelings he inspired the previous night, but I needed to step back a bit and consider whether a relationship was possible. He might believe we were fated to be together, but I was human, and needed more than fate.
I carried some dishes into the kitchen and handed them to him. He was right about his appetite. There was very little food left. Hip checking him to the side, I took his place in front of the soapy water. “I don’t know where anything goes, so I’ll wash you dry.”
My hand raised when words of protest left his mouth. “I want to help. Please.”
He relented and picked up a dish towel. We worked in comfortable silence, and the work flew by. The window above the sink had a view of the forest, and the quiet calm soothed me. I’d never lived outside a city before, but I could definitely see the appeal.
When we finished, Dean grabbed a crate with canned goods and a few books. “I hope you don’t mind if we stop by my buddy Bryce’s place. I picked him up a few supplies.”
“Is this your friend that didn’t pass the bear control test?” Nerves jangled.
“Yeah. But don’t worry, I wouldn’t take you if it wasn’t safe.” He adjusted the crate in his arms, his gaze earnest. “He only has trouble when he shifts.”
“I guess it’s fine.” His assurances didn’t completely calm my nerves, but I did trust that he wouldn’t put me in danger. “He lives on his own, right?”
Dean nodded. “We all try to visit him occasionally, to keep him socialized, and at least borderline civilized. He’s not the friendliest guy you’ll meet, but he’s had a rough go of it.”
Leading me to a quad, he loaded the crate on the back before helping me up. He got on in front of me and reached back for my hands, guiding them to his waist. I gripped his sides, his muscles firm through the thin material of his shirt. The machine rumbled to life, and he drove forward, slowly at first, then building up speed until the wind blew my hair back. My hands slipped around to his stomach, and I held him tighter, enjoyingthe warmth of him against my front and the view of trees flying by.
We slowed and came to a stop in front of a small, rustic log cabin with a narrow front porch. The door opened, and a massive man ducked through the frame. He had a full beard, and his almost black hair hung to his shoulders. I couldn’t see what color his eyes were from this distance, but I watched them narrow when they landed on me.
“Hey, Bryce. I have some supplies for you.” Dean hopped off the quad and untied the crate. “And I brought my mate, Lily, to meet you.”
I slid to the ground, suddenly aware I was wearing Dean’s clothes. Not the best first impression, but going by Bryce’s ripped jeans and worn flannel shirt, he wasn’t concerned with fashion. I tucked my wind-blown hair behind my ears and smiled at the frowning man. “Hello. You have a lovely spot here.”
He stared at me, arms crossed. His gaze bounced between Dean and me before he cleared his throat, his voice rusty when he spoke. “Thanks.”
“Lily’s a schoolteacher.” Dean handed the crate off to Bryce, who tucked it inside his front door. “I’m hoping to convince her to take over teaching the young bear shifters.”
Bryce shuffled his feet, shoulders slumping as he swallowed. “That would be good.”
He said nothing else, but as we left, I felt his gaze on me, considering. When we got a little further away, Dean leaned back and said, “Bryce’s dad raised him alone in that cabin. He had no education until he had to attend school when he approached shifting age.”
“Is that why he has trouble controlling his bear?”
“Possibly. After his mom died, his dad spent most of his time as a bear.” Dean glanced over his shoulder. “If we had an officialclass for the younger kids, bears like Bryce wouldn’t fall through the cracks.”
