Bear's Surrogate (Shifter Surrogate Service Book 3)

by Sky Winters

  “He did you a favor,” Kellye told her over lunch the following day.

  Mandy scowled, picking at her salad. “I don’t know about that.”

  “He did. It’s better that you know he’s a piece of garbage now than to have found out years down the road after you were married and had children tugging on your skirt tails when he abandoned the lot of you.”

  “That’s true, I suppose. It just doesn’t feel very nice.”

  “I know it doesn’t, honey, but it will get better. Hey, tell me about Weston.”

  “Who?” Mandy asked, the name not registering at first.

  “Mickey said he met you at the party and hasn’t stopped asking him questions about you. He was really taken with you it seems.”

  “Oh, the ghost. I don’t even know what he looks like. I kind of blew him off. I’m just not ready to date again yet.”

  “You should reconsider. I haven’t met him, but Mickey says he’s a super nice guy. Most importantly, he’s not a psycho like Cameron.”

  “Maybe in time I’ll want to go out with someone again. I’m just too jaded right now.”

  “You know what they say. The best way to get over a man is to get under another one.”

  “Certainly seems to be Cameron’s philosophy based on what I saw. Of course, he wouldn’t have to get over me if he hadn’t skipped out on me. I guess there was really nothing to get over for him.”

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you at the party. My sister grabbed me the moment I came in and put me to work in the kitchen. By the time I tore myself away from her indentured servitude, you had already left. I didn’t know why until you told me. Then, I remembered seeing him practically climbing down Amelia’s throat in the corner.”

  “Amelia? That’s her name?”

  “Yeah. She’s a friend of a friend of my sister’s. She brought him to the party. No one there knew him. I didn’t either. I’d never met him. It wasn’t until you told me what happened that I put two and two together as to who he was.”

  “Great. I’ll look forward to running into them again,” Mandy said sarcastically.

  “That won’t happen. She told my sister that she hadn’t heard from him since the party. He told her he would call her the next day and didn’t. Then he blocked her from all his social media like she was the freak.”

  “Sounds right. He blocked me too. It took him a couple weeks. Maybe he was deciding if he was going to talk to me again or something, I don’t know. But then he blocked me and that’s when I really began to realize it was over.”

  “It took you that long?”

  Mandy grimaced. “Unfortunately, yes. I just thought he was having some sort of personal crisis and would come back. Which obviously didn’t happen.”

  “Awful. I don’t know why we let men do that shit to us.”

  “Me either, but no matter what we tell ourselves, we all do it. We all let them drag us down to their level and hurt us in ways we can’t just bounce back from, no matter how hard we try.”

  “Well, it’s over now. It’s time to move on. Why don’t you let my brother-in-law give your number to Weston?”

  “Hold up! I’m getting over things, but I’m still not ready to jump back into the cesspool again!”

  “Alright. I’ll tell him I tried. If you change your mind, I have the feeling the invitation will be open for a while from what I’ve heard.”

  “Perhaps the damsel in distress syndrome. I don’t know why men can’t resist a woman in pain.”

  “Or putting her in pain.”

  “Ain’t that the truth,” Mandy groaned. “I’ve got to get back to the office.”

  “Yeah, me too. I’ll talk to you later.”

  The two women parted ways, both returning to their offices. Mandy felt oddly content, at least more so than she had felt for quite a while. She knew that there would be moments where the discontent would seep in like rain water through any crevice, but she was grateful to just feel at peace for whatever time it lasted. The night would take it away. It always did. But it was getting better. The dreams had lessened. The loneliness had subsided. She didn’t think about him as much, but unfortunately the result was a sort of numbness that held her in a gray area she couldn’t seem to shake.

  Still, life went on and the shock of seeing Cameron with someone else, while it had been devastating at first, had somehow been cathartic for her in the end. It had shown her just how wrong she had been about him and what a complete waste of time pursuing him after their demise had been. There was something innately devoid in his narcissistic personality that she had missed while looking at him through the eyes of love. Now, that love was fading and there was no disguising who he was ever again.

  “Mandy? Is that you?” a voice said from nearby.

  Mandy had been lost in thought. It was her day off and she had ventured downtown to do some shopping, deciding that she was well past due for a treat for herself. After buying a few articles of clothing in some nearby shops, she’d sat down to have a quiet lunch at one of the sidewalk cafes that were common in this part of town.

  “I’m sorry. Do I know you?” she asked. Something about his voice seeming familiar, but she would have most certainly remembered him had she seen him before. He was tall and slender, but athletic. His olive skin complimented his jet black hair and soulful brown eyes. With good looks like that, she would have remembered seeing him before wouldn’t she?

  “Of course. You never saw my face at the party, it was covered by a sheet. Mickey introduced us at the Halloween party. I’m Weston.”

  “Oh! Yes. It’s nice to see you again, Weston. Or perhaps, to see you for the first time I guess.”

  “Do you mind if I join you?”

  “Sure. Go ahead, though I feel a bit underdressed with you in a suit and tie.”

  “Yeah. I just got out of court. You look fabulous though.” He smiled broadly at her. “I suspect you’d look good wearing nothing but a cotton sack.”

  “Flattery will get you everywhere,” she laughed as he sat down across from her.

  “Have you already eaten or did I get here in time to enjoy lunch with you?”

  “You’re right on time, I’d say. He just took my drink order, I haven’t even ordered food yet.”

  “Perfect,” he said, not taking his eyes off her face.

  “So, you were in court? What are you charged with?” she asked, not wanting to disclose that she had already had a conversation about him with Kellye and knew he was a lawyer.

  “Contempt, almost. The judge got a little flustered with me,” he said. “I’m a lawyer. I specialize in corporate litigation, but I sometimes take pro bono cases for the local social services department. I got a little out of hand in defending a single mother against her abusive ex, an asshole who was trying to paint a picture of her that wasn’t very nice in order to take custody of their children.”

  “I take it that he was unsuccessful?”

  “You take it exactly right,” he said with a sneer.

  “A real shark in the courtroom, huh?”

  “I’m some sort of animal, yeah,” he said with a twinkle.

  “I’ll keep that in mind if I’m ever in trouble and need a good lawyer.”

  The waiter appeared with her glass of chardonnay and took Weston’s drink order before returning with a glass of water and another place setting.

  “I’d much prefer to have a glass of wine with you, but I have to be back in court in another hour. They’d probably frown on my showing up and slurring my objections.”

  “Now, I just feel like a wino.”

  “No. Don’t feel that way. If I could, I’d be more than happy to join you.”

  “Perhaps another time then.”

  “See? Now you’re coming around to my way of thinking,” he said with a charming smile.

  The waiter brought out the soup and sandwiches they had ordered. They continued to talk about their respective jobs for a bit as they ate their food, but then Weston raised his hand
, waving it around a bit as he finished off a bite of his food.

  “Let’s not talk about work anymore. Tell me what you like to do for fun.”

  “Fun? I can’t remember the last time I had any?” she said quietly.

  “Then we should change that. How about you take me up on my offer to take you out. We won’t do anything boring like go to the theatre or to a dinner party. How about we go up to the lake on Saturday and have an old-fashioned picnic and a peaceful walk through the woods where we can get to know all about one another?”

  “The woods? On a first date? How do I know you aren’t a serial killer?” she said playfully.

  “You don’t.” He waggled his eyebrows at her, grinning. “That’s the exciting part, isn’t it?”

  “Exciting for which one of us, though?”

  “Remains to be seen,” he said with a big grin.

  “Okay. You win, counsellor. I’ll take my life in my hands by going into the woods with you.”

  “Finally! A cooperative victim, um, I mean woman.”

  “Very unfunny,” she laughed.

  “I’ve heard that before. Look, I hate to eat and run, but I have to get back to court for my next case. Can I get your number so I can call you and firm up plans for Saturday or should I just hope you turn up at the lake?” he asked, pulling out some cash and putting it on the table to pay for their meal.

  “I suppose I could give you my number,” she replied, writing it down on a scrap of paper from her purse and handing it to him.

  “Perfect. I’m looking forward to it, Mandy.”

  “As am I,” she replied.

  The truth was that no matter how nice looking he was, no matter how funny and charming, she just wasn’t feeling it. Lunch had been pleasant. It was nice feeling attractive, wanted for just a while. Past that, she wasn’t sure she was in a state of mind to pursue any more than just that fleeting moment of happiness. It all seemed so downhill once you got past the flattery stage. In all likelihood, she would probably cancel on him when he called to firm up plans. It was nothing personal, she just didn’t know if she could do it when push came to shove.

  Chapter Seven

  Later that evening, Mandy looked solemnly at the text message on her phone. It was from Weston.

  “I’m so glad that I ran into you today. Looking forward to Saturday. I will call you tomorrow, if that’s okay.”

  She put the phone to one side of the sofa without answering him. If only she could go back to where she had been a couple of months ago, before Cameron. Now, although she was able to discern it as being an attractive part of his personality, his charm was somewhat lost on her. She remembered an old song that she’d heard once. It was country, which she usually didn’t like, but the song had struck her as touching. The words went something like, “I could have missed the pain, but I’d have had to miss the dance.” In her case, she couldn’t risk dancing into more pain. She had already lost too much of herself and was just now getting it back.

  Rather than thinking about any of it anymore, she got lost in a movie. It wasn’t her usual fare, but a lot about her had changed lately. She couldn’t bear the usual chick flicks that she secretly adored. They only brought her to tears with their fairytale endings, picture-perfect happiness that she would never achieve. Instead, she was soon riveted to a historical action movie that she actually found quite good now that she had given it a chance.

  Climbing into bed a few hours later, she had all but forgotten the text from Weston. She no longer bothered putting her phone by her bed or even bringing it into the room with her when she climbed between the covers. After many nights of waiting, hoping for it to ring or buzz with a message, she had started just leaving it out on the table by the sofa. It hardly made a noise these days, which told her that she had invested too much time in the wrong person and become alienated from her friends. She needed to start fixing that.

  Her thoughts drifted away as she began to get sleepy. At least that part of her miserable life had improved. Sleep was finally returning. Sweet, dreamless, peaceful sleep. It was long overdue after all the horrid nights filled with nightmares or the nights that were entirely sleepless altogether. It was only one small step on the road to finding some happiness again, but she would take what she could get at this point.

  ***

  “So, I hear that you ran into Weston yesterday,” Kellye said the next day at work. They hadn’t been able to lunch together due to their schedules, but they’d run into one another during a break and had a short chat.

  “Yes. He happened by a little sidewalk café where I was eating lunch and joined me.”

  “Sounds like kismet to me.”

  “Right. Why are you trying so hard to push the virtues of Weston with me?” Mandy laughed.

  “I’m not. You’re capable of making up your own mind. I just know you’ve been through a lot and Weston is a really good guy. I don’t know him as well as my sister and brother-in-law, but I’ve never heard anything but good things about him. Plus, he’s hot!”

  “Kellye, I just can’t handle a relationship again so soon.”

  “Who said anything about a relationship? Maybe it will be one, maybe it won’t. You need to not try to categorize things so much. Just give him a chance. Go out and have some fun. It will be whatever it’s meant to be. If nothing else, it might do you some good to get laid.”

  “You sound like some sort of hippy love guru.”

  “Aren’t I one? I mean, come on. Look at me.”

  “You have a point, I guess. You are a little flowerchild-like.”

  “You could stand to have a bit more peace and love in your life. Shit. I’ve got to go. My ball breaker bitch of a boss will be back before me and I’ll have to listen to her lecture on taking too much time on my break. I really need to get transferred out of her sweat shop soon.”

  “You’ll make it. You’ve only got a couple semesters left to finish your journalism degree and I’ve already got a spot lined up for you when you do. Try not to get fired before you graduate or I’ll have a hard time rehiring you.”

  “You know they’ll say you only hired me because we’re friends.”

  “And they will be wrong. You’re sharp as a tack. All you’re lacking are the proper credentials I need to hire you in my department. I’ll see you later.”

  By the time Mandy made it home that afternoon, she had decided Kellye was right. There was no harm in spending time with Weston. She didn’t feel anything intense toward him, which wasn’t to say he wasn’t attractive or not the kind of guy she could be with in a more serious way. She could see spending time with him as being enjoyable without it being a huge attachment, which meant she wouldn’t lose her perspective too quickly like she had with Cameron. When Weston called later that evening, she chatted lightheartedly with him. She had to admit that it felt good just to flirt and talk a bit, just like it had at lunch the day before.

  “Okay, I’ll pick you up Saturday morning at ten, if that’s okay with you. It’ll take about an hour and a half to get to the lake and another thirty or so to hike in. That’ll put our picnic around noonish.”

  “That sounds perfect,” she told him.

  “Doesn’t it? I’m really looking forward to it. It’s been a while since I’ve had the time to just get out and enjoy nature. It seems I’m always behind a desk, in front of a judge or it’s late at night when you can’t really feel the warmth of the sunshine shining down on you. Moonlight isn’t quite the same.”

  “You often go out to the lake in the darkness?”

  “When I can.”

  “You aren’t scared out there alone?”

  “I never said alone,” he laughed.

  “Oh. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be nosey.”

  “No, not what I meant. I go there with some friends at night to escape the confines of the city.”

  “You drive an hour and a half to the lake in the middle of the night?”

  “Something like that. We get there a bit faster at
night.”

  “Ah, I guess so. Less traffic and fewer cops.”

  “Yeah. So, I’ll see you Saturday at ten then?”

  “You certainly will,” she told him.

  “I’m excited about seeing you again. We’re going to have a good day, Mandy.”

  “I believe we will,” she replied, smiling broadly.

  After ending the call, Mandy smiled into the empty space of her living room. Everything was going to be okay. It wasn’t that she was investing too much interest in what happened with Weston, but she felt like she was moving forward for the first time in a while instead of being stuck in the limbo where Cameron had left her. It had been a struggle, but she was feeling more like herself now. His latest hurt, seeing him with someone else, hadn’t done as much damage as it had felt like in the moment. Instead, it had freed her to move on.

  Chapter Eight

  Mandy found that she was nervous as she dressed for the lake on Saturday. It was always this way when she was going out with someone new and today was no exception. She had to manage to look chic and casual at the same time. It was getting cooler outside, winter was right around the corner, but she didn’t want to look like a whale in some huge sweater. Instead, she opted for jeans, hiking boots and a fitted sweater that showed off her figure quite nicely.

  Topping it off with just a hint of makeup, lip gloss, and a sleek ponytail, she looked appreciatively in the mirror at her reflection. She looked pretty good. Slipping a simple pair of tear drop earrings on, she decided it was a good look for her and waited anxiously for his arrival. It didn’t help that she was ready at least a half hour early. She had never been one of those women that made a guy wait when he’d already told her what time he would arrive. Her heart raced as the doorbell rang promptly at ten. Apparently, he believed in being timely, as well. So far, so good.

  “Wow. I never knew a woman could look so good in a ponytail and jeans,” he said when she opened the door.