Bear's Surrogate (Shifter Surrogate Service Book 3)

by Sky Winters

  “You lawyers, always trying to sway the jury,” she quipped.

  “Yes, but it’s true. You look beautiful. Are you ready to go?”

  “I am. Do I need to bring anything with me?”

  “Nope. Just yourself. I’ve got everything we need for the day.”

  “Great,” she replied, retrieving her small backpack, which she’d filled with the items that normally belonged in her purse. She’d already moved her things into it while waiting on him, having decided that a purse would be awkward out in the middle of the woods.

  “I am so glad you agreed to come with me. I was going to go either way, but it’s going to be so much nicer with you there to keep me company,” he told her after they had gotten into his car and headed off toward their destination.

  “I’m glad you asked,” she replied.

  “I just brought a simple lunch. Some ham and cheese sandwiches, potato salad, and fruit, along with some bottles of water. I hope that’s okay.”

  “Oh, um. I guess I forgot to mention that I’m a vegetarian.”

  “Oh, God,” he said disdainfully. “I didn’t even consider that you might not eat meat. I’m so sorry. I don’t know how I could have not even have thought about that.”

  “It’s okay. I guess I’ll just eat the potato salad and fruit,” she said in a disappointed tone.

  “The potato salad has eggs in it and small bits of ham,” he said woefully, looking ashamed.

  “I guess it’ll be just fruit then. You didn’t put ham in that too did you?” she groaned.

  “Wow. I’m just so embarrassed. Look, we’ll stop by somewhere along the way and find you a vegetarian meal of some sort. I just can’t believe I didn’t think to ask before putting together the food for the day.”

  “It’s okay. The fruit will be just fine. Don’t sweat it,” she said, trying to hold back a snicker.

  “If you say so,” he said in a tone that told her he was livid with himself for his oversight. She smiled broadly at him as he frowned over the steering wheel. She was about to let him off the hook when he suddenly looked over at her, noting her smile and made a clucking noise with his tongue.

  “What? Did you put ham in the fruit too?” she asked, an eyebrow raised in disapproval.

  “You little minx! You aren’t a vegetarian. I can’t believe you got that over on me. You were eating a chicken salad sandwich when I ate lunch with you!”

  Mandy burst into laughter as he scowled at her, even as a smile began to spread across his face. Before long, he was laughing too.

  “I thought I was going to have to confess I was yanking your chain before you remembered that,” she laughed.

  “You almost did have to tell me. I was sitting here wondering why I wouldn’t have thought to ask you that in this day and age and then it dawned on me. I hadn’t asked because I’d already seen you eating meat. You got me pretty good though before I remembered that. I was mortified. I wanted so much to make a good first impression on our first official date and I thought I had really fucked it up! Bad girl!”

  “I’m sorry. I just couldn’t resist. Don’t you hate that though? When you offer someone something delicious like a juicy steak or rack of lamb and they give you that condescending ‘I don’t eat meat’ tone?”

  “Yes! It’s like you just told them that you murdered your mother and ate her liver with a bottle of white zinfandel.”

  “You can’t eat your mother’s liver with white zin. Human liver is always served with chianti.”

  “I take it back. You aren’t just a bad girl, you’re a twisted girl!”

  “What? You never saw Silence of the Lambs? ‘I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.’”

  “Yes. I’ve just never heard anyone agree with it so wholeheartedly. Maybe I should be the one worried about being out in a secluded area with you instead of the other way around.”

  “Be afraid. Be very afraid!”

  “I think I am.”

  They laughed again, continuing to have a rather macabre, but comical discussion on their way to the lake. By the time they pulled onto the road that led to the small country park in which it was situated, both of them were in stitches, their sides hurting from laughing so much. Mandy couldn’t remember the last time she had laughed so much. In fact, she had hardly smiled or felt happy for weeks. It was a change for the better.

  “Alright, we’re here. Just wait until we get out of view before you kill me. Otherwise, you’ll have witnesses to deal with. It’ll be much easier to escape conviction if you can claim self-defense or temporary insanity for killing one person. You start committing mass murder, it’s a whole new ballgame. Get caught and you might end up in the chair. Trust me, I’m a lawyer.”

  “Trust me. I’m a lawyer?” she repeated. “How can you even say that with a straight face. No one likes lawyers, much less trusts them.”

  “No one? No one at all?” he said, poking his lips out in a pout.

  “Well, maybe one person likes one lawyer. In fact, because I do like you, I might just kill you last.”

  “That’s good news!” he laughed, retrieving the bags with picnic fixings in them from the backseat after they had piled out of the car.

  “I thought you’d be pleased.”

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m kind of hungry. Perhaps you might even let me eat before you do me in.”

  “I swear, give you an inch, you take a mile.”

  “Consider it my last request,” he joked, holding the bags with his left arm and reaching for her hand with his right.

  They were still laughing at their playful conversation as they wound their way, hand in hand, along the path up one side of the lake. They passed by several other couples who seemed to have had the same idea in mind. When they finally reached the lake, they made their way to a less crowded spot on the far side. There, Weston pulled a thin blanket from one of the bags and spread it on the ground. He even pulled out a couple of inflatable cushions for them to sit on. Mandy burst into laughter again.

  “Are those the cushions they give people who have hemorrhoids or that get shot in the behind?” she said between howls.

  “Maybe,” he said with a big grin.

  “Do I want to even ask?”

  “Probably not, but the answer is that another lawyer gave them to me as a present.”

  “A present? I’m not sure I want to know what the occasion for such a gift might be.”

  “It was after a very long, drawn out case. I lost. He presented me with a small gift bag and inside, there was a pack of two of these that he had gotten from a friend that worked at the local hospital.”

  Mandy looked at him, not really grasping the implications of such a gift until he said the words.

  “He said I’d need them until I got over the ass whipping he’d given me in court.”

  She burst out laughing again. “That’s hilarious.”

  “Not so much so at the time. Question is whether it is as hilarious as bringing them along on a first date?”

  “I’m not sure. Let me get back to you on that.”

  “You do that. The truth is that I knew the ground would be hard and I didn’t want to drag full sized cushions out here. I saw these still hanging out in my closet and thought they would suffice.”

  “I’ll give you one thing, Weston. You’re one of a kind.”

  “I think that’s good. That’s good, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah, it’s pretty great.”

  They sat eating their lunch and chatting while looking out over the lake. It was a bit crisp out today, but by the time she had gotten a bit chilled, they were finished with their food and ready to go for a short hike along one of the trails. Weston packed up the remnants of their meal and they walked back to the car to deposit them in the trunk before heading toward a tree with a large blue arrow on one side as a guide.

  “This is the easy path. If you’re up to it one day maybe we can go on one of the harder ones, but I thought that today it might
be nicer to just take it easy and go for a stroll that will allow us to talk to one another.”

  “That sounds like a great plan.”

  In fact, it was an incredible plan. They walked, once again holding hands, as they talked. From time to time, they stopped to look at nearby landmarks that could be seen from their path or to watch small animals play along the wooded area that was quickly swallowing them as they continued further into the forest.

  Mandy felt oddly at ease with him in a way she had never experienced with Cameron. Though she had loved Cameron deeply, she had always felt like she was trying so very hard to please him. Weston was effortless, but for her, that meant there was no passion, that perhaps he was someone who would become a great friend, but not really a serious relationship. She was okay with that. Her heart needed time to mend and having someone who wasn’t so intense would be a nice change of pace.

  “Do you have any pets?” Weston asked, noting her fascination with a nearby squirrel working on entry into an acorn.

  “No. I love animals, but I’ve just never had time to really invest in one. You know, they need to be fed, watered, walked, house trained. I just can’t deal with all of that on my schedule. You?”

  “No. Same problem here. I spend so much time in court or the office and when I’m at home, I tend to review briefs that I’ve brought back from the office. Even if I managed to take care of a dog’s material needs, I wouldn’t have time to pet him and how sad is a dog that can’t get a good scratch behind the ears?”

  “I don’t know. Pretty sad, I’m guessing, but why just a dog? There are other pets available. You could get a cat. They’re much lower maintenance.”

  “Cat? No, I don’t think so.”

  “What’s wrong with a cat?”

  “They don’t like me. Not a single one of them.”

  “So, what you’re saying here is that even cats dislike lawyers,” she teased.

  “They certainly don’t like this one,” he laughed.

  “I wonder why?”

  Weston looked at her for a moment as if he wanted to say something, but then he looked back at the squirrel, now carting his acorn up the side of a tree as others turned up to dig around in the fallen treasure.

  “Ah, you know cats. They are just finicky little creatures.”

  “Yes, that they are,” she said.

  “So, no pets. What do you usually do for fun when you aren’t taking your own life in your hands with strangers who lead you into the woods for who knows what nefarious purpose?”

  “The lawyers I have chained in the basement keep me amused.”

  “The basement? I thought all the missing lawyers were at the bottom of the ocean?”

  “No. That’s just a good start.”

  They both laughed as they turned a corner into a nearby clearing that led to a cliff. At the edge, they stopped to sit on a large rock situated near the edge, allowing them to rest for a moment while looking out over the large lake, which was now below them. The path had been at such a slight incline, that it was hard to realize they had traveled so far above it, but it was well worth the hike. The view was spectacular.

  “I can’t believe I’ve never been up here before. It’s gorgeous!”

  “Yes. I spend a good deal of time up here. It’s one of my favorite places. Stick with me and you’ll know every inch of this property as well as I do.”

  “Well, we’ll see. It depends on whether I survive this first trip, I suppose.”

  “Ah, rest assured that even if I were the most maniacal serial killer on the planet, I would never be able to harm a hair on the head of such a majestic creature as you,” he said softly, looking down at her.

  Before she knew what he intended, he had taken her face between his hands, and brought his mouth down to meet hers. His mouth was soft but firm on hers, insistent without being demanding, powerful without being pushy. Mandy felt a surprising surge of electricity go through her body and she pulled away, her heart racing. Only moments ago she had been busy putting him firmly on a center rung of the friendship ladder. Now, she felt something stir inside of her, something completely unexpected and it frightened her a bit to feel anything at all after so many weeks of pain.

  “Thank you,” she said, politely, mentally distancing herself from the way his words and his kiss had affected her. “Shall we head back down?”

  “Sure. If you’re ready to go.”

  “I should get back home. I didn’t realize it was getting so late and I have other plans for later.”

  The look of disappointment and perhaps a little hurt were evident on his face for a moment, but he quickly shielded that, standing and turning to look at the path back down toward the lake.

  “Absolutely. Let’s get going,” he said, smiling faintly as he offered her hand to stand up.

  Mandy instantly felt horrible. Not only had she lied about having plans, but she could see that he took it personally. She knew the feeling. How often had Cameron made her feel this way when it had been him that was the problem, not her? The fact that she was doing the same thing to someone else only reaffirmed that she had no business dating anyone. The conversation between them lagged on the way back down, as well as on the way back to her place, each seemingly lost in their own thoughts.

  “I really enjoyed today,” she told him as they pulled up to her apartment.

  “I did too,” he said.

  “I guess I’ll get upstairs.”

  “I’ll walk you up,” he told her, shutting off the car and hopping out before she could refuse, which she had been debating. Mandy wanted him to walk her up, but a part of her felt things had become awkward between them. She wanted to avoid any further discomfort for both of them.

  “Thank you,” she replied.

  They walked up the stairwell to the landing outside her apartment in silence. Mandy kept wishing she hadn’t blown him off so quickly, but she could hardly take it back now. It was just her way of keeping some distance between them. The kiss, her reaction to it, had spooked her.

  There was something about him, something much more primal than she had anticipated. On the surface, he seemed like your average guy. He was obviously very much the alpha male, but he had a sweet and kind side you didn’t usually find in his kind. She had a hard time envisioning him as the cutthroat attorney he made himself out to be, but when he’d kissed her, she felt something else entirely. Put simply, his kiss had shaken her to the core and that frightened her. She wasn’t ready to want someone else, not so soon.

  “Thank you for walking me up, Weston. I really did enjoy today.”

  “Enough to do it again soon?”

  “Yeah, I think so.”

  “You aren’t certain?”

  “Listen, Weston. I’m sorry. I had a great time today, I really did, but I’ve just recently gotten out of a horrid relationship and I’m just not quite myself I guess.”

  “Fair enough. I won’t push you too much, but I would like to see you again. Very soon.”

  “Call me. Okay?”

  “I will. Talk to you soon, Mandy.”

  “Yes. Bye, Weston.”

  He didn’t try to kiss her again, instead turning to walk away as she made her way inside her front door. Mandy closed the door and leaned against it, letting out a loud sigh. Why must she feel so confused? What had become of the days when she could just date someone without worrying about how it would turn out? She hated how much Cameron had screwed up her thinking, making her overanalyze everything. Weston was a perfectly nice guy and she felt attracted to him. The only thing holding her back was her own fear.

  ***

  “Well, how did your date with Weston go?” Kellye asked on Monday.

  “It was okay,” Mandy told her.

  “Just okay?” She frowned. “That doesn’t sound very promising.”

  “Honestly, it was a good first date. I enjoyed it, but I just can’t seem to wrap my head around dating anymore.”

  “You can’t stay home and pine over Camer
on forever, Mandy.”

  “That’s just it. It’s like we talked about before. Seeing him with someone else hurt, but it also helped me to get over things. I mean, why should I sit around all hung up on a guy that obviously isn’t hung up on me at all?”

  “Then, what’s the problem?”

  “I don’t know. I just can’t move forward. I guess I’m afraid that if I give Weston a chance, it will just be more grief for me.”

  “I know you have to do what you feel is best, but you’re going to have to just let things be what they are. You can’t try to anticipate what will or won’t happen with someone and hold back because you think you might get hurt.”

  “I tried. I told myself that it was just casual dating, to just enjoy the day and not worry about it. I was having fun, but then he kissed me and I panicked.”

  “He kissed you?” Kellye said, a big smile spreading across her face. “How was that?”

  Mandy bit her lip, remembering. “I felt it all the way down to my toes.”

  “I’ll bet. He’s such a cutie pie.”

  “Yeah, he is that. I can’t believe he’s never asked you out.”

  “I’m not his type.”

  “You’re everyone’s type.”

  “Not really. I intimidate some men and others just don’t take me seriously. It’s a weird thing. They take one look at me and either feel like I’m out of their league or I’m a bimbo based on nothing more than my looks. I know that sounds bad for me to say, but it’s true. The ones who do want to go out with me are more interested in my getting undressed than getting to know me. I probably date less than any woman on the planet.”

  “I guess we all have our issues.”

  “Yes, and yours is being too fickle because you had the misfortune of dating one sociopath. If you aren’t all that into Weston, fine, but don’t kick him to the curb just because you had a bad experience with someone else.”

  “I know I shouldn’t be faulting him for something he had no control over. I just can’t seem to help myself. I can’t seem to shake off my reluctance.”

  “Well, I guess it’s better for you to shrug him off than to let him get close to you and then flake out on him. That will just hurt him and make you feel guilty. It’s not like I really know anything about romance. I’m nearly twenty-eight and have never been in a serious relationship.”