Bethany’s stomach flipped in revulsion. “Ugh, I might need to rethink this relationship if you like soft bacon,” she teased.
Throwing her a wink as he chomped away, he said, “It bodes well for me that you like your meat hard…”
“I’m so relieved you called, Bethany.” Veronica had picked up Bethany outside the Kodiak Lodge and they were heading back to her house to prep for her date with Jess. Since sending that email the night before, she’d been second-guessing herself and an outside opinion was just what she needed.
“I’m sorry I didn’t call last night but it was late. I didn’t want to wake up you or your boys.” Bethany shifted her bulk in the cramped front seat of the 4Runner. Climbing in had been a challenge, but Veronica was downright worried about how her passenger was going to get out gracefully.
Over the ten minutes it took to get to Veronica’s house, Bethany ran down Max’s list of rules. Veronica was impressed by his concern for his mate, and he clearly had a handle on the Brotherhood situation in town.
“Very smart man,” she said, catching the irritated look that flashed across Bethany’s features.
“So you don’t mind chauffeuring me around?”
Veronica laughed. “Not at all. I’m so grateful you actually made the effort to come up here to help me. I mean, what other matchmaking service would do that?”
“You mean besides the werebear International Council?”
Veronica glanced over at her, confused. “What do you mean?”
“That’s what Max does for a living. He works for the Council matching werebears.”
“Really? I had no idea they did that. Weird.”
“Well, I think it’s mainly the higher ups who can’t find suitable mates for their status,” she shrugged.
“That explains it, then. I’m just about the lowest man on the totem pole and the inner workings of the Council is a total mystery to folks like me.”
The silence that filled the cab made each woman squirm with unanswered questions. Veronica was dying to ask about their unconventional relationship but didn’t feel comfortable getting quite so personal yet. Bethany finally broke the silence.
“So tell me about Jess.”
Veronica’s cheeks flushed at his name, and she could see Bethany didn’t fail to notice. “He’s…he’s great. You know most of it already — it was all in my email — but Jess has taken me by surprise. I’ve never really been close with humans before, and I never imagined falling for one.”
Bethany looked surprised. “You’ve never had a human friend?”
“Oh sure, I work with humans and we’re all very friendly. But I’ve never had a close friend who was human. Too risky.”
“Risky in what way?”
Veronica smiled at the concern etched on Bethany’s face. “Oh! Don’t worry, not in a dangerous way. I just never felt like I could be myself with a human for fear of them finding out what I really am.”
“Then since I already know, maybe we can become friends?”
There was something about this woman — this human — that really touched Veronica. She was sweet and caring and, yes, she knew about Veronica’s kind so that obstacle was gone. It had been a long time since she’d had a new friend; she’d grown up in this small town where everyone knew everyone else’s business. Her smile spread into a grin.
“I think it’s too late,” she said. “We already are friends.”
After that, all awkwardness between them melted away and they started gabbing like lifelong besties. By the time they’d bounced their way across the rough roads to Veronica’s house, they’d covered everything from first loves to morning sickness.
Parking as close to the front door as possible, Veronica then ran around to help Bethany out of the truck, but she didn’t need it. Impressed by her new friend’s agility at this late stage, she opened the front door and swept her arm toward the living room like a gameshow hostess.
“Welcome to my humble abode.”
She’d tidied up the house this morning after her mother-in-law, Gretchen, had picked up the boys for the day, but it still looked like a disaster area. Toys were piled up in the general vicinity of the old laundry basket they lived in, but the odd race car or fighter jet could be seen poking out from under the couch or in a corner. Yesterday’s laundry was neatly folded…on the couch. A half-full cup of this morning’s coffee still sat on her desk next to a plate of crumbs that had once been a bagel.
“I’m sorry for the mess,” she apologized.
“Psh, don’t give it a second thought. You’ve got two boys to chase after. I’m sure having a museum-tidy house isn’t high on the priority list. At least, I hope not because I’m sure my place will look like a tornado hit it when mine finally arrives.”
Veronica couldn’t help noticing the sweet way Bethany rubbed her belly. She was going to make a great mom.
“We better get down to business. What time did you say you were meeting Jess?”
“Two.”
Glancing at her watch, Bethany’s eyes widened. “That leaves us three hours to get you gorgeous.” Veronica was embarrassed by the appraising look Bethany cast over her.
“That’ll take about thirty seconds, which will leave us plenty of time to get you prepped on how to handle the discussion,” she finally said.
~ * ~ * ~
It took a little longer than thirty seconds, but in the end, Veronica could hardly believe she was staring at her own reflection. The long auburn hair she normally kept in a ponytail or a bun swung freely around her shoulders in soft curls. Bethany had brought her own large-barreled curling iron for the occasion and worked on hair while Veronica applied make-up for the first time in months.
A flourish of hairspray and a light swipe of bronzer later, and her mirror offered an image of a beautiful, bountiful woman ready for a date. Her eyes were bright with tears as she caught Bethany’s gaze in the mirror.
“No tears, Ronnie. You’ll ruin your make-up. Now let’s go find the perfect outfit.”
As she yanked item after item from the closet, Bethany listed off the qualities she should exude. “Available but not easy, confident but not arrogant, gorgeous but…not but. Just gorgeous. Oooh!” She pulled out a oversized white linen button down shirt. It was wrinkled beyond belief but her eyes lit up.
“Go set up your iron. I think we’ve hit paydirt!”
By the time Veronica came back to the bedroom with the ironed shirt, Bethany had laid out the rest of the outfit: Black jeans that Veronica knew would look painted on, a black strappy tank top and a drapey belt. It had been a birthday present from Gretchen several years ago, before Keith had died. She forgot she even owned it, which was too bad because she loved the handmade copper swirls that interlinked.
Holding up the belt to Veronica’s hair, Bethany nodded. “Yup, perfect complement.”
Laying it back on the bed, she gave Veronica a sideways glance. “I don’t mean to be indelicate but, um, did you shave your legs this morning?”
Veronica blushed but nodded bravely. “It’d been awhile,” she conceded. “I’m gonna itch like crazy for a couple of days!”
Giggles filled the room. It felt good, having a girlfriend to share this with. Grace had been her best friend for forever but she couldn’t share this with her. The rift between humans and were was pretty big here, and she wasn’t sure Grace would accept her decision, regardless of what she’d said yesterday.
“Underwear. Go pick out your prettiest panties.”
“Now hold on, Bethany. I’m not planning on sleeping with him at the cafe!”
Bethany rolled her eyes and lowered herself to the edge of the bed, feet spread to accommodate her girth.
“Duh. But it’s for the same reason you shaved. You want to feel as pretty as possible, so it doesn’t matter if he sees them at all. You’ll know what’s under these sexy jeans.” Clapping her hands, she added, “Now go get changed.”
Five minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom feelin
g about ten years younger, and definitely more beautiful than she’d felt since the twins were born. Bethany actually gasped.
“Ohmigod, you’re gorgeous,” she whispered. “Tell me again how you’ve stayed single for so long?”
Pleasure at the compliment filled a gaping emptiness she hadn’t even known was there. She was starting to feel feminine again. She’d been ‘Momma’ for so long that she’d forgotten how to feel attractive. And it hadn’t been all that hard.
Regardless of how things worked out with Jess, she was determined to dress up more frequently — not every day, mind you, but often enough to get much-needed boosts to her ego.
“You’re going to knock him dead,” Bethany said as she wrapped the copper belt around Veronica’s waist, cinching it just enough to show off her curves and blousing the shirt expertly.
“Are you ready, Ronnie?”
Cupping her hand around her mouth, she breathed out. Satisfied that her breath didn’t stink, she sniffed each armpit and nodded, causing Bethany to collapse in laughter. She was ready.
“Let’s do this thing!”
~ * ~ * ~
Fifteen minutes later, they were parked outside the Caribou Cafe, waiting for Jess to arrive first. Veronica explained her plan to wait till he arrived so she could be sure there were no werebears in the cafe. It was unlikely because most weres frequented her in-laws’ diner across town, but it wasn’t impossible. If a were was inside when he arrived, Bethany would go in, sit down across from him like they knew each other and pass him a note.
“Now be sure you don’t say anything to give yourself away, don’t even whisper,” advised Veronica, her voice shaking as her hands had a death grip the steering wheel. “You know we have, like, supersonic hearing, right?”
Bethany nodded and laid her hand on Veronica’s shoulder. “Ronnie, it’s going to be okay. Take a deep breath.”
After a few cleansing breaths, Veronica glanced at Bethany. “I’m okay. Really. This is just…scary. On so many levels.”
“Relax, girl. You’re not going to share your secret with him, you’re just going to share a cup of coffee. No big thing. Just enjoy yourself. If sparks fly, we’ll work together on how to tell him, and you’ll do it privately. That way, if he freaks, you’re not creating a scene in public. Sound good?”
Veronica’s lips tightened to a thin line as she watched Jess walk toward the cafe. She knew it was him the moment she saw him. His dark brown hair tousled like he’d just woken up, his lithe body moving with the grace of a swimmer and that handsome face she wanted to stare at all day.
She didn’t point him out to Bethany, but the human was smart. It only took a moment for her to follow Veronica’s gaze. She heard a low whistle come from the passenger side.
“Whoa. Good choice, Ronnie. Brava!”
She knew Bethany was trying to ease her tension but it wasn’t working. This was a very small town and another werebear could walk by at any moment. An elder could get a hankering for a cup of joe and see her talking to a human male. What would she do if that happened? She had no idea. Claim him as a co-worker, maybe.
Shit, this is so risky, she thought. But of course that was part of the appeal. She was being naughty, defying authority, reaching for the forbidden fruit. But that wasn’t all of it, or even most of it.
Watching his tall form settle into a window booth made her body ache with need for him, but his frequent glances out the window looking for her made her heart ache even more. She truly cared about him and she’d be damned if she didn’t at least explore the opportunity sitting right there waiting for her.
Without a word, she got out of her truck and locked the doors behind her. Even with being so preoccupied, she was conscious of her promise to keep Bethany safe. No matter what anyone said, she was part of their world now and deserved protection.
Jess hadn’t spotted her yet so she gave the street one last long look, trying to spot any weres who might recognize her. Bethany was giving her a double thumbs up from the front seat of her truck, but no one else seemed to be paying any attention to her. Moving to the entrance, she paused in front of the door, took a deep breath and pulled.
The jangle of the door’s bells drew Jess’ gaze. Though she hardly resembled the Veronica he’d gotten to know over the internet, he knew instantly that the stunning creature that was sashaying through the cafe’s door was her. His mouth went dry at the sight of her, and he was grateful he was sitting down because his pants had become uncomfortably tight.
Veronica’s eyes came to rest on him immediately, as if she knew where to find him. Of course she did, dummy, he thought to himself as she approached. You’re on display to the world in this booth.
She was standing in front of him and he knew he was supposed to say something, react in some way, but all he could do was gawk at her. “Beautiful,” he breathed finally.
She blinked in surprise and dipped her head as a flush pinked her cheeks. He was coming back to himself and motioned for her to sit across from him, but she glanced out the window and shook her head.
“Let’s take that booth over there,” she said, pointing to one in the back by the kitchen. “It’s more private.”
Jess couldn’t take his eyes off her rear as she swayed in front of him to the other booth. This view wasn’t helping his situation but he didn’t care. It was all he could do to hold himself back from ripping that long, blousy shirt from her body so he could get a better look at her.
A low groan actually escaped his lips when she bent to toss her purse to the far side of her seat. Visions of bending her over the table in a fit of passion clouded his mind. Shaking his head, he sat across from her, trying to get himself under control. But looking into her dark chocolate brown eyes nearly sent him over the edge again.
Clearing her throat, she said, “It’s nice to finally meet you, Jess.”
The sound of his name on her lips was heaven. He wanted to hear it again, but while they were making love. Cool it, brother, he thought. Don’t scare her off now.
“Veronica, I have to apologize.”
Her brow furrowed. “For what?”
“For wanting to clear this table and take you right here, right now.” Classy, man. Way to play it cool.
Her lips twitched, and he wasn’t sure if she was going to slap him or kiss him. In the end, it was neither. But his heart nearly stopped at the smile she gave him.
“I can’t deny that sounds tempting,” she teased. “But we’re here to get to know each other in person, not ravish one another.”
“Are the two mutually exclusive?”
Flustered, she looked distractedly out the window behind him. Dipping her head in apparent embarrassment, she giggled.
“Not always, but for the sake of this date they are.”
He held up his hands in surrender. “Fair enough, my lady. Henceforth, I shall be the epitome of a gentleman.”
Just then, the waitress shuffled over. It looked like she’d had a rough night, and an even rougher day.
“Whaddya have?” she rasped.
As Veronica opened her mouth to order, Jess held up his hand.
“This is a test,” he said to her with a wink. “The lady will have a decaf mocha with whipped cream and cinnamon on top. Right?”
Veronica nodded, impressed.
“And I’ll have a half-caff latte, whole milk, please.”
The waitress, whose grimy name tag read ‘Madge’, gave him a withering look. “Where do you think you are, Seattle? You get black coffee here, fella.”
He was surprised his eyebrows weren’t singed from the burning glare she was giving him.
“But I tell ya what I can do. I’ll bring the whole damn can of CoffeeMate over for you to make your own frickin’ frou-frou drink!”
With a huff and a swish of her apron, she turned and stalked back behind the counter, casting irritated glances at them, but they barely noticed over their muffled laughter.
“Can’t…breathe…” Veronica was tryin
g to say through her tears. “So…funny…”
“Yeah, she got me good. Hope she doesn’t spit in it.”
The waitress was back in an instant, slopping their coffees down in front of them and slamming the can of powdered creamer in between them. This just set them off on another laughing fit.
“You know,” he said between guffaws, “I think she’s got a thing for me.”
Veronica waved her hand as the other clutched her stomach. “Stop…stop…” She finally caught her breath as the giggles subsided. “Oh, my abs are gonna be sore tomorrow.”
“Laughter is not only the best medicine but it’s also a great workout. Who knew?”
They lapsed into a comfortable silence while they stirred the creamer into their coffee. Jess couldn’t believe the effect she had on him. He’d thought her online profile photo was attractive, and when she’d given him that webcam show, he was floored by her luscious body. But this Veronica…this Veronica took his breath away.
“How are the boys?” he asked as a way to break the ice. Her devotion to her sons was one of her most endearing characteristics. He loved kids and couldn’t wait to get to know hers, when she said the time was right. Obviously it wouldn’t be right away, but it couldn’t come too quickly for him.
He always assumed he’d have a family some day, but as his feelings for Veronica grew over the months he wondered if he was prepared for a ready-made family. He still wasn’t entirely sure but he really wanted to find out.
She lit up at his question about Sam and Jason. “They’re great,” she said, beaming with pride. “They’re growing up so fast. Pretty soon I’m going to have two little men running around my house.”
“I can’t wait to meet them,” he said, sipping his cup of very old, very bitter coffee. It reminded him of their waitress.
Grimacing, he set it down but looked up in time to see a flash of worry cross her features. “Oh, I don’t want to rush it; we’ll do in on your timeline, of course. But they sound like such terrific kids…”
Laid Bear 2: The Kodiak Clan Page 7
