“So, what if we go and get ice cream?” Andy asked. “Strawberry sundae, Zack?”
“Yuck, not strawberries,” his son answered.
“Zack always has chocolate chip,” Bella reminded her dad.
“Ah, silly me.” Andy looked directly at Heather. “Coming?”
“No. I have to network, but you and the kids go ahead.” Heather looked down at Bella and Zack. “If that’s what you want to do.”
“Sure.” Bella let go of Heather’s hand and went to her dad. Zack hesitated for a moment and then did the same.
“Are you sure I can’t tempt you?” Andy asked. “After being around country folk for so long, I would think you’d want to catch up on news of home.”
“This is my home.” Heather looked down at the children. “This is our home.”
Andy arched his eyebrows. “That might be open for negotiation.”
“What does that mean?” Zack asked, letting go of his father’s hand. “We like it here.”
“I’m just saying that now that I’ve hooked up with you all again, I might want you to come and stay with me. And it’s a long way from home. Perhaps now that you’ve gotten over your midlife crisis, you will see sense and move back.” Andy fixed his gaze on Heather.
“Mom’s right, this is our home,” Bella said firmly as she shook her hand free of her dad’s. “We like it here. I have new friends here.”
Andy looked at each of them in turn as he opened his mouth to speak. This was a man used to having his own way. But his family had closed ranks and made it clear that was over. “I don’t get a say?”
“We live in a democracy,” Bella said matter of factly. “And we vote to live in Bear Creek.”
“We could come and stay with you over the holidays,” Zack added kindly.
“And you are welcome to come for weekends. If you find somewhere to stay,” Heather added quickly.
“I could stay with you guys,” Andy suggested, sending a sidelong glance toward Tad.
“There’s no room in the house,” Zack said quickly. “Is there, Mom?”
“No. No room, sorry. Rosemary is staying in the spare room indefinitely.” Heather looked around the barn. “Think it over. I have work to do. I’ve neglected the people who have come to see the artists and their work for long enough. I owe it to the people who have supported me through everything to make today a success.”
“Ice cream.” Bella threaded her hand back into her father’s and pulled him toward Betsy’s refreshments stall.
“Thank you.” Heather linked her arm through Tad’s. “For everything.”
“You are welcome. For everything.” He dragged his gaze from Andy. “I should go and set up for my master class.”
“You should.” Heather didn’t relinquish her hold on him. “He was going to leave, wasn’t he?”
“Yes, he was. But I managed to persuade him to do the right thing.” Tad turned to face Heather. “He thought he would just walk back in here and win you back.”
She arched her eyebrows and nodded. “That does not surprise me in the least. At least he knows better now.” The people around them faded away as he looked down at her beautiful face. “You didn’t doubt me, did you?”
“Never.” He leaned down and kissed her lips. He’d wanted to kiss her all day and as he pressed his hand to the flat of her back and pulled her in close, he wished the day was over and they were alone with time to explore their relationship further. “How could you resist a country hick like me?”
“How could I resist indeed.” She broke away from him. “I really have to go and speak to people. Andy has taken up far too much of my time.”
“I’ll see you later. You’re still coming to our house after?” Tad asked.
“Yeah, my mom and aunt are coming too. Josephine invited them. Is that okay?” Heather asked.
“As long as I get time alone with you, it’s fine.” He held up his hands to the heavens. “Everything is fine.”
She laughed as he walked away. It was a good sound. And the sound he would keep with him as he taught his master class. Nerves prickled along his spine, but he pushed them aside. With Andy here, he could not show any weakness.
As he approached his workstation, which he’d hastily set up this morning, his eyes were drawn to the sold sticker on Zack’s drawing. It was one of the stickers Rosemary was using on her pottery pieces.
“Who bought it?” Tad asked Rosemary as he stood back and looked at it. “You didn’t cheat and buy it yourself?”
“No, a promise is a promise.” She folded her arms, looking pleased with herself. “It was a guy who runs a hotel over toward Bear Bluff. Julius, I think he said his name was. I’m not good with names. He wants to hang it in his hotel.”
“Really?” Tad chuckled. “Today is turning out to be a great day.”
And it wasn’t even over yet.
Chapter Twenty – Heather
“What are you going to buy with the money you made from your drawing?” Heather asked as she drove her family over to the Harrison house. The day had been a huge success, both on a business and personal level.
All of the artists had made money, some of them had made more money from their art in one day than in the whole of their career. Including Lillian, who was on an incredible high.
“I’m going to go to Betsy’s diner and buy all the ice cream!” Zack exclaimed excitedly.
“So does this mean you’ll sign the drawing?” Heather asked as she glanced at her son through the rearview mirror. It was good to see him so happy and so very proud of himself.
“We can practice our signatures together,” Bella offered. “I want mine to be all swirly with hearts.” She waved her hand in the air, writing her name in large invisible letters.
“Okay,” Zack agreed. “But I am not having any hearts. Or swirls.”
“And you won’t hide your talent.” Heather glanced at her son in the rearview mirror.
“No, not anymore,” Zack agreed. “I want to be like Grandpa.”
“Because art is not for losers,” Bella reminded him.
“Not for losers at all,” Rosemary didn’t hide her disdain for anyone who cast aspersions on art of any form.
“Is this the house Tad shares with his brothers?” Bella asked, leaning forward in her seat as they turned off the road and drove down the driveway leading to the Harrison house.
“It is. The house has a lot of acreage,” Heather said. “Tad said they might build a couple more houses out here. Since Max and Josephine are married.”
“Are we going to come and live here?” Zack asked as he looked out of the window toward the mountains in the distance.
Heather fell silent, her son’s question had caught her off guard.
“I wouldn’t mind living out here,” Lillian said as she spotted the house. “It would be a perfect place to paint. Do you think Tad would mind if I stole his workshop and turned it into a studio for my work? The light from the mountains and the peace and quiet of being far from town would be wonderful.”
“Fancy sharing?” Rosemary nursed her broken arm. “That’s if I can still work when this thing comes off.”
“I’m sure you will be fine once you’ve had physical therapy,” Heather told her aunt.
“I hope so.” Rosemary patted her cast and looked out of the window at the green grass growing in the meadows leading down to a stream. “This is heaven.”
“You didn’t answer my question.” Zack leaned around Heather’s seat as she stopped the car in front of the house.
“That’s because I don’t know the answer,” Heather replied honestly. “I like Tad a lot, but I’m your mom and that is the most important job in the world to me. So whatever I do will be because we all are happy.”
“I’d be happy to live here if Tad buys me a pony,” Bella announced excitedly.
“That’s not how this works.” Heather switched off the engine and half turned in her seat to look at her children, who were sitting on either
side of Rosemary, while Lillian was seated in the front passenger seat. “We all have to like the people who live here. And you guys have to like Tad in particular. It’s not about ponies or ice cream, or anything else.”
“Gotcha,” Zack said lightly as he unbuckled his seatbelt. “Can we get out, please?”
“Sure.” Heather turned around in her seat and placed both hands on the steering wheel as Bella, Zack, and Rosemary exited the car.
“It’ll be okay,” Lillian told Heather gently. “Tad is the first man you’ve dated since Andy. I know he makes you happy, but don’t get swept away thinking that he is the only man out there for you.”
“I’m not.” Heather looked up as Tad opened the front door of the timber-clad house and waved at the kids. “And I do.” She turned to her mom and took hold of her hand. “This is different. I know it’s the right thing.”
“How do you know?” Lillian asked as she stroked her daughter’s hair back from her face. “I know you married Andy because you were afraid you were missing out. You had two beautiful children from your marriage and that is something to celebrate. But since the divorce, I’ve watched you bloom and grow into a woman who is brave and strong and clever.”
“What you’re trying to say is that I don’t need a man.” Heather searched her mom’s face for the answer.
“Yes,” Lillian finally admitted.
“And that’s the thing, I know I don’t need him.” She placed her hand on her heart. “But I want him so much it hurts.”
Lillian gave a half-smile. “I remember that feeling. I got it when I first met your father.”
“So you understand?” Heather asked. “Because it means so much to me to have your support.”
“You will always have my support and as long as you are not acting on impulse or because you are afraid to be alone, you also have my blessing.” Lillian rolled her eyes. “I know you were neither asking for it nor needing it, but it’s there all the same.”
“It does mean a lot to me,” Heather admitted. “Now, come on, let’s go and celebrate.” She put her hand on the door handle. “You know Tad invited Edgar?”
Lillian’s face paled. “No, I didn’t!”
“Be happy, Mom.” Heather leaned across the seats and kissed her mom on the cheek before she got out of the car and made her way toward the house. Lillian didn’t follow for several minutes, but when she did, she looked happy and relaxed.
“Everything okay?” Tad asked as she climbed the porch steps.
“Yes, we were having a mother-daughter talk.” She tilted her head to one side. “My mom was just concerned that I was rushing into things with you. I couldn’t exactly tell her I knew what I was doing because you are a bear shifter and I’m your mate, could I?”
He shrugged. “You could. But would that make it better or worse?”
Heather looked over her shoulder to where her mom was standing next to the car shielding her eyes from the sun. “Offer to build her an art studio here and she wouldn’t care what you turned into.”
“What about the children?” Tad asked as they waited for Lillian to stroll toward them.
“They will be fine. We just need to find the right time. Preferably when Andy isn’t around.” She gave a wry smile. “I’m sure he would love to use a piece of information like that to his advantage.”
“I would willingly eat his honeycomb candy bar in my bear form and let him use it for advertising purposes. Although I might eat him, too.” He laughed as she wrinkled her nose. “Gross, I know, but I’m a guy who likes to improvise.”
“And I’m not out to change you. But the guy is still the father of my children, so let’s settle for just breaking his jaw so it has to be wired shut.” Heather listened to the excited chatter of the children inside the house. “It sounds as if the fun has started already.”
“Max and Josephine blew up some balloons and hung up some of the decorations they bought already for Milly’s first birthday party.” His eyes lit up with love.
“They didn’t have to do that,” Heather insisted as Lillian finally joined them.
“Do what?” her mom asked.
“Max and Josephine have gone overboard on the decorations. And they haven’t even drank any of Jake’s best wine.” He grinned. “I smuggled a couple of bottles out of the wine cellar.”
“I can’t drink too much since I’m driving,” Heather told Tad as they entered the house.
“That’s the other thing I wanted to ask you. I should have texted, but you would have said no…” Tad glanced from Heather to Lillian. “We thought it might be fun if you stayed over.”
“Yes, please,” Lillian said quickly. “I’d love to wake up here and see the sunrise over the mountains.”
“Mom!” Heather exclaimed.
“It’ll be fun. We have spare beds and toothbrushes.” Tad took them through the house and into the kitchen, where bunting was hung around the edge of the room, with balloon bouquets in each corner.
“Wow. This looks incredible.” Heather stood on the spot and turned around to take in all the decorations. “Is that a Halloween decoration?”
“Oh, yeah!” Jake came into the kitchen and stood in front of a ghostly apparition. “It was so cool I thought Milly would love it.”
“In about four years’ time,” Josephine called out. “Until then it will give her nightmares.”
Jake leaned forward and the ghost’s head split in two and its brains spewed out all over the floor. Bella screamed and Zack dashed across the kitchen to take a look as the ghost’s brains were reeled back in and the two halves of its skull closed back up.
“That is so cool!” Zack ran at the ghost and made a face at it which prompted the head to pop open again and spew its brains.
“I like this boy.” Jake put his hand on Zack’s shoulders. “Can I go trick or treating with you this Halloween?”
“Sure!” Zack agreed. “As long as I get to eat all the candy.”
“Hey. I already had dibs on going trick or treating,” Josephine told Jake.
“There’s enough of me to go around.” Zack patted his chest and grinned.
“What about me?” Bella asked as she crossed the kitchen, eyeing the ghost warily.
“You can’t come if you don’t pass the test,” Zack told her.
“What, this?” She pointed at the ghost. “That doesn’t scare me, it’s not real. You can tell because ghosts don’t have brains. You should have bought a zombie.”
As if to prove herself, she jumped forward, her hands waving in the air as she blew a raspberry at the Halloween toy. The head popped open and its brains, which were spring-loaded, spewed out.
“Okay, you made the team,” Jake told Bella.
“See,” Bella told Zack.
“Okay, let’s eat and drink and make very merry,” Josephine said. “Here, you two, you don’t have a drink in your hand.”
“What is this?” Lillian asked as she sipped the cocktail Josephine thrust into her hand.
“Who cares?” Rosemary said in return. “It’s tasty, cold and very alcoholic.” The sisters collapsed into a fit of giggles.
“Edgar is here.” Max went to the front door to let in their guest, while Tad guided Heather toward the back door.
“So are you staying here for the night?” Tad asked as Heather sipped a cocktail made with rum and fruit.
Heather placed her hand on his chest as the alcohol-laden cocktail worked its magic, helping her unwind from a long day. A long but successful day, she reminded herself, where all her plans had come to fruition. She’d done it. At least she’d succeeded more than her wildest dreams on the opening. There was a long way to go until the craft barn was a long-term success…
She stopped the ream of thoughts streaming through her head and took another long drink of her cocktail. It was time to unwind and relax and enjoy this evening with her family. A family that had grown since she’d met Tad and he’d told her he was her mate.
“Yes.” She nodded. “
We’ll stay.”
His face cracked into the widest smile she’d ever seen, and his eyes danced, just as her heart danced at the thought of being with this man.
Chapter Twenty-One – Tad
“You’ll stay?” Tad wanted to make sure he’d heard her say the words and not just imagined it.
“Yes. If I can get another cocktail.” Heather held up the empty glass. “That was delicious and refreshing.”
Tad reached out for her glass. “Anything you want.”
“Now, that is a leading question.” Heather slipped her hand further up his chest. “One I’d like to explore later.”
“Usually Max is the explorer, but for tonight, I’ll take on that role.” Tad backed away from his mate. He didn’t want to turn around. He didn’t want to tear his eyes away from her. Ever.
Would it be too soon to ask her to stay forever, instead of just one night?
Yes, his bear answered lightly.
“Everyone looks happy,” Josephine said as Tad lifted the half-filled pitcher of rum cocktail.
“They do.” He pecked Josephine on the cheek. “Thank you so much for doing this.”
“You are welcome.” Josephine held out her glass for a refill. “It’s good to see everyone happy. Including Jake.” They both glanced in Jake’s direction, he was goofing around with Zack and Bella.
“I haven’t seen him this happy or relaxed for years,” Tad admitted.
“And Edgar and Lillian are a cute couple. Although Rosemary might cramp their style. If only we could find someone for her.” Josephine sipped her rum cocktail. “Oh, this is good.”
“Even if you do say so yourself,” Tad joked.
“Oh, I say so.” Josephine lifted her glass and took a long drink. “That hits the spot.” She laughed. “Max is on babysitter duty tonight, so I’m going to relax and let my hair down.” Josephine shook her hair back and took another sip of her drink.
“How much rum did you put in the cocktail?” Tad asked as he poured himself a glass and took a sip. “Oh, a whole lot.”
Tad Page 15
