Page 30 of More Than I Can Bear

“And when she smiles…” I swallowed hard, then reached for a glass and some water. “It’s like the whole world stops. I find myself drawing her whenever I’m not focussed.”

“Always with the drawing,” Jacko said with a smile. “That’s our boy.”

“And she’s artistic as well,” I added.

“Of course, she is.” Mum clasped her hands to her chest. “She’s perfect for you, isn’t she?” I nodded quickly. “Oh, River…”

“So what’s the plan, son?” Nick asked, putting his elbows on the table, but for once Mum didn’t fuss. “You know you need to win that girl to seal the deal. Not sure what the hell Adam was thinking that night.”

Of his dick, that was my working theory, but I understood why. Watching Freya move around the cafe was murder on my body. I ached and ached, my chest, my cock, all of me in complete agreement. Nothing would satisfy us but her.

“You need to take it slow, let her get to know the man we know you are,” Kev said, grabbing Mum’s hand and giving it a squeeze. “But she’ll come around. We know she will.”

Like your mate did with you lot?I wanted to ask. It was the elephant in the room, but one we all studiously ignored.

“That’s why I’m here,” I said instead, not brave enough to tackle that issue. “I gave her a lift home from work the other day to make sure she got there safe.”

“Good lad,” my dads all said.

“And I met her dad.”

“Shit.” Nick went pale. “How did that go? Your grandfather nearly took our faces off when it became clear we were all interested in courting your mother.”

“Good, I think. He invited me around for Sunday dinner.”

“To a family dinner?” Mum was fairly quivering with excitement. “Oh that’s a good sign, isn’t it?”

“Dad musta taken a shine to you, mate,” Jacko said, punching me in the arm.

“So what do I do?”

I hadn’t dated, hadn’t even really talked to girls when I was growing up. None of the girls in the bear shifter community were keen on me. I was never going to be a serious prospect for them. And other women? Sometimes they saw how tall I was and how reserved, and they seemed to take that as a challenge, but then… I had nothing to give them, not even small talk, so the gleam would fade from their eyes and they’d wander away, looking for someone more interesting to engage with.

“Dress nicely,” Nick said and then looked me up and down with a critical eye. “Wouldn’t be a bad thing to cut that hair of yours, either.” He gave it a ruffle. “Looking like a scruffy prick isn’t gonna do you any favours.”

“You need to take something,” Mum said. “It’s Sunday, isn’t it? I could make one of those apple pies your Nanna gave me the recipe for.” People fought over pieces of Mum’s apple pies. She only used the sweetest of Pink Lady apples to make it. “You could come by here first and I’ll have it made fresh. It’s lunchtime, right?” I nodded. “I’ll get up early and make sure everything’s done for you.” She got out her phone and started writing down some notes. “And wine!” Everyone jumped slightly at her declaration. “A nice bottle of something. What’re they dishing up?”

I shrugged, feeling that tight feeling in my chest start to rise again. It’d been coming and going since the minute Freya’s dad invited me around, getting worse whenever I was near her.

“He said a roast.”

“A nice bottle of red, then…” She frowned slightly. “Though if it’s chicken, then white. Oh, maybe get both, just in case.”

“Love,” Kev said to her.

“No, Kevin, we need to get this right. This is River’s only chance,” she said, her words coming faster and faster. “I’ll ask the nice boy down at the bottle shop for some advice on which bottles to buy. Nothing cheap, but not too fancy as to look like you’re trying to buy your way into the family. You need to set the right tone with her parents.”

“Love.”

“Maybe a nice pinot gris?” She grabbed the ladle in the stew pot and then started slopping serves onto everyone’s plate, frowning when a little of the gravy splashed on the table cloth. She was up and out of her seat, grabbing a cloth and dashing back again, when Nick hooked her around the waist and put her on his lap.

“It’snotRiver’s only chance,” he said in a low, urgent voice. “Right now he’s feeling a brutal pull towards this girl, but if she decides this isn’t going to work for her…”

No, not that, I thought furiously, but my lips remained stubbornly stuck together.

“But if she rejects him—”

“No…” Mum moaned. “No, she can’t.”

---