“That is so sad.” Lynn flipped through the photo album; there were many photographs of the woman. “What was her name?”
“Heidi. She came from Scandinavia, would never say exactly where, but her accent was strong. At least it was when she arrived; it faded over the years. She was very beautiful and made Frederick happy.”
“Until she left.”
“Yes, but you can see in Adam, and in Jordan, once the mating bond rears up, there is no denying it. She would have left him for her mate, and she would also have made it plain from the beginning how things were.”
“Is this you?” Lynn put her finger to the photograph. “It’s labeled Russell and Judy.”
“It is. Wow, we look so young.”
“And in love,” Skyla said, looking at the photograph over Judy’s shoulder.
“The same look you give each other now.” Jordan put his arm around his mom and hugged her. “How you’ve put up with him all these years. It’s a good thing he has the mating bond to fall back on.”
“Jordan, you know your dad would do anything for any of you. He comes over as the tough guy, but he wants what’s best, which is why he’s changing his will and setting things up like you wanted,” Judy said.
“I know, Mom. I know,” Jordan told her.
“Oh wow, here’s a picture of me and Uncle Freddy. I never knew he had this.” Lynn looked at it closely.
“He must have thought a lot of you to leave the farm to you,” Judy told her gently.
“I’m sorry about that,” Lynn apologized. “I know you did a lot for him. Adam said his dad was upset about it.”
“He is, or was. But only because he promised his father he would try to put the Homestead back together. It was a stupid promise, but us bears hold our word dear,” Judy said. “Don’t you worry about it. He’ll get over it, I think he’s just happy to have another son mated.”
Lynn looked at Adam and Jon, who had stopped fighting and were discussing the barn roof, if she wasn’t mistaken. Samuel had joined them, he didn’t say a lot, but she liked him, he was a deep thinker, only speaking when he figured he had something worth saying. Lynn felt a strange flutter in her chest. It wasn’t so much love, but happiness; she was part of something. This ranch, her business, and a family. She only wished her mom and dad could be happy for her.
“Oh, here is your furniture if I’m not mistaken,” Skyla said as a big truck came down the road to the ranch.
“OK, let’s get this done, and then we are all going back to the ranch for dinner. That includes you, Lynn. Don’t worry, Russell was the one who suggested it.”
Lynn felt a sliver of apprehension cut through her good mood, but then she pushed it aside. She wanted to be part of this family, and she knew how much she meant to Adam. Having the mating bond gave her a head start; his family had to accept her.
Although what her own mom and dad would say when she told them she was in a serious relationship, after she had only just moved here, she had no idea.
That wasn’t true: they would be suspicious, thinking that Adam had set her up to steal her property. And to tell them that wasn’t true, to tell them he was her mate, would be to tell them the exact same thing that had caused the rift between Uncle Freddy and her family in the first place.
Somewhere, she was sure Uncle Freddy was smiling at the irony.
Chapter Sixteen – Adam
“And you lived in an apartment?” Adam asked, looking at the furniture that now littered the sitting room, not to mention the bedroom furniture that was already upstairs in Lynn’s bedroom. If his family hadn’t been here, he would have dragged Lynn off to bed to test it out, but since his family was here, he was trying to think of anything other than how she would look sprawled naked across the bed.
“Yes. Well, a suite really. I managed one of my parents’ hotels, and so I got a suite of rooms to call home.” Lynn was standing arms folded looking pleased with herself. And so she should, it had been a productive day. All of her furniture was safely stacked in the middle of the sitting room so there was access to the walls, which was needed because Ron had come, as promised, checked the wiring, made a lot of measurements, and then given Lynn a quote for the work and told her he could start next Monday.
Lynn had accepted the quote, as the price was within her budget and the start date exceeded her expectations. So a deal was struck. Now there was just the plumbing to take care of, and Adam was well-aware that Pete was due tomorrow, and he intended to get his chores done fast, and be here for when Pete the Plumber arrived.
“So Pete’s coming at ten tomorrow?” he asked, even though he already knew. And Lynn already knew that he knew. She covered her smile, and answered him all the same.
“Yes, he is. Why don’t you come around and hold his measuring tape for him?” she asked, raising her eyebrows and tilting her head, to let him know she could read his mind.
“I might come around, once my chores are finished, to check if he needs a hand,” Adam offered.
“Oh, I think he has two very capable hands,” Lynn said. “At least he thinks he does, and one capable mouth. But really, I think his flirting the other day was just his way of being friendly and getting an appointment to come back, although he did do a good job of fixing my faucet. He didn’t charge me either.”
“He didn’t?” Adam asked, his face turning red at the thought of another man flirting with his mate.
“You are a jealous thing, aren’t you?” his mom said, coming into the sitting room.
“No.” Adam shrugged. “I’m just making sure no one takes advantage of Lynn, since she’s new in town.”
“Of course.” His mom gave Lynn a knowing smile. “Right, we need to eat. Come on, I have a casserole in the crock pot. It should be starting to tickle your father’s taste buds, so let’s get home and eat.”
“Are you sure about me coming over?” Lynn asked. “Adam brought me a lot of groceries, I can rustle something up.”
“On that old stove? No, you are invited, so you are coming. Russell will be on his best behavior, but if he’s not, you let me know and I’ll put him in his place. We’re mates, equal in everything. Except the family business, and then he has to do as he’s told.”
“My mom is the best at making dad suffer in the smallest, most agonizing ways.” Jon came to stand next to his mom.
“I’m not sure if I want to know,” Lynn said.
“Oh, nothing bad. But he does like his coffee a certain way. And his jeans laundered so that they are soft for when he rides. So, you know, little mishaps can make life uncomfortable.”
“Do not take ideas from my mom.” Adam walked over and put an arm around her waist.
“Oh, I’m taking notes.” Lynn held up her notepad, which she had kept in hand all day, taking notes of what was where, and what needed doing in each room. The list was endless, but he promised to help her work through it, as had his mom, who was very interested in Lynn’s business.
They made their way out of the house, Lynn pulling the door closed and locking it. Then she slipped the key in her purse, and took his hand as they walked across to his truck. The rest of his family were already in their vehicles and driving home. He wanted to take a moment, the first they had alone all day.
“Does it feel more real now?” Adam held her in his arms, her back resting against his chest, as they looked at the ranch.
“You mean now that my furniture has arrived?” she asked. “Yes. It’s stopped feeling as if I was just visiting. This is the first time I have lived anywhere but a hotel for the last ten years.”
“So you grew up living in a hotel?” He tightened his arms around her.
“Yes, my mom and dad sold their house to buy their first hotel, and we had to live there. Then they bought another one, and another one. When I was old enough, I moved into one of them as the manager.”
“And now you want a home of your own?”
“Yes. Just me and the alpacas, of course.”
“Alpacas,”
he repeated, with a chuckle. “My dad is going to love that.”
“It’s a good thing it’s not up to him, isn’t it?” Lynn said.
“It is. Although, you know anything over at the Homestead is yours to use. I’ll come over and cut the meadows for you, and Samuel offered to fix your barn roof.”
“He did?”
“Yes, he doesn’t say much, but he will do anything for family. And I will do anything for you.”
Lynn turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body against his. “I knew there must be a reason why we are fated to be together,” she said.
“And what conclusion have you come to?” he asked.
“I think you know.” She pressed her body against his, moving up and down just enough to make him harden.
“Now, I’m thinking we should have said we were busy unpacking, instead of agreeing to go to my house for dinner. That bed of yours has been calling to me all day.”
“I know. But I want to meet your father. I’d hate to offend him. Although I am nervous.”
“Don’t be. He wants us to get along. He wants his family to be happy more than anything else.”
“I wish my mom and dad felt the same way.”
“Are they so set against you living here?” Adam asked.
“Yes. Mainly because they always thought that I would take over the hotel business. I have to make this work,” Lynn confided in him.
“And you will. We will.” He took her hand and opened the door, helping her inside of his truck. “Let’s go eat, and then come back and work off some calories.”
“Great, I have plenty more cleaning to do,” Lynn said.
“That is not what I meant,” Adam assured her.
“I know. But you are so easy to tease. Your frown makes you look so sad,” she said, pouting. “Poor cowboy has the blues.”
“I did once, but not any longer, not while you are with me. I’ll never be blue again.”
“Blue. Now that would be a good color to paint the kitchen, don’t you think?”
“Blue matches those tiles,” Adam said.
“Yes, it does. OK, one thing I can cross off my list, one decision made.”
“Two. Me and you.” He leaned across and kissed her, feeling happy, feeling as if he were on top of the world. Dinner and then bed. That would be the end to a perfect day.
Chapter Seventeen – Lynn
The main house at the Williams Homestead was everything she expected, everything she would love her own ranch to be. The furniture was well-made and tasteful, fitting into its surroundings perfectly. Soft natural colors that reflected the landscape outside, blended with solid wood that had been lovingly polished, giving the ranch house an inviting warmth.
A warmth that was not altogether reflected in Adam’s dad, but he was trying, and she appreciated the effort. “So how are you settling in?” Russell asked. Dinner had been easy to get through; she’d sat next to Adam and Skyla, and they had talked about Bear Bluff, and the work Jordan was doing there with young offenders. Now she was alone with Russell, after he had made a point of asking her to help him with the after-dinner drinks
“OK. I’ll be glad when Ron has the rewiring done,” Lynn answered, trying to keep the conversation neutral.
“It’s a big job,” Russell agreed, at which point the conversation stalled. The rest of the family had drifted outside to sit on the veranda, and she felt the loss of Adam from her side.
Come on, she said to herself. You can do this, how many strangers have you struck up conversations with at the hotel? It was true: one of the skills she had mastered was being able to talk to anyone whom she met. There was always common ground, like the weather.
“This dry spell shows no sign of ending,” Lynn said.
Russell looked up at her quickly, an appraising look, which softened as she stood before him, a small encouraging smile on her face. “If I read the signs right, we’ll be having a big thunderstorm a couple of days from now.”
“You predict the weather?” she asked, interested in learning everything she could from a man who had lived and breathed the outdoors for so many years. It reminded her of why, as a girl, she had loved coming to visit Uncle Freddy. The old man had fascinating bits of natural lore to teach, and he enjoyed passing it on.
“I try,” Russell said modestly. “Ice?”
“Yes, please.” She waited for him to put two pieces of ice into her gin and tonic, hoping she would like it. Not big on drinking alcohol—being on duty twenty-four hours a day at the hotel had taught her she always performed best with a clear head—Lynn had picked the first after-dinner drink to come into her head.
“There you go.” He handed her the glass, and she took a sip, and liked it. At least she wasn’t going to have to find a plant pot to empty it into. Lynn smiled, yes, she had seen that done in her years in the hotel. “Are you OK?”
“Oh, yes,” she said. “Just reminiscing.”
“About your old life? Adam said you were in the hotel trade.”
“I was. My parents have a chain of hotels, and I worked for them.”
“Ranch life must be a bit of a shock, after hotels,” Russell said, guiding her toward the veranda.
“Yes. But I needed to get out. I don’t suppose you would understand, having lived and worked outside all your life, but it was stifling. As if the four walls were crowding in on me.” Lynn hadn’t admitted that to anyone else before. Great, now she was confiding in a man who would probably like to push her buttons just enough to get her to leave. No, he wouldn’t do that, not now he knew she was Adam’s mate.
“I’ve felt something like that. You don’t always need four walls to feel as if everything is closing in on you.” He lowered his voice, and pointed to his family. “When Jordan lost the use of his legs, that was hard. I remember hearing the news and not being able to breathe. He was my boy, I was supposed to protect him. And I wasn’t there, and there was nothing I could do.”
“That must have been tough,” Lynn replied.
“It was. I always knew the ranch life wasn’t for him, but it never stopped me dreaming he might one day retire from the army and come home.” Russell looked wistfully off into the distance. “Now I’m just grateful he can walk. It gives you perspective.”
“Is that why you are OK about Adam’s decision to share the ranch?” Lynn asked.
“I wasn’t. My father’s dream was for the ranch to be whole again.” He smiled at her. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to bend your arm and make you hand over the Hawkins Ranch. I’m getting used to the idea that the ranch and the land will never belong to the Williams Homestead again.”
“I’ll tell you what, Russell. Adam said the ranch splits your land. Something about access to the lower pastures,” Lynn said, wanting to make some reconciliatory gesture toward Adam’s dad.
“It does,” Russell said with a nod. “I think that is what irked my father the most. His dad split the Homestead in such a way that my dad and uncle were supposed to depend on each other.”
“I’d like to let you have the use of the land. If you come over tomorrow, we can discuss it.” She held out her hand to Russell. “I’d like to put this feud in the past. What do you say?”
“I say I’m going to be proud to call you my daughter, Lynn,” Russell said, taking her hand. “It’s a deal. And in return I can lend you whatever you need to get your venture off the ground. Alpacas, isn’t it?”
“It is. I’ll warn you, I’m planning on knitting everyone alpaca wool sweaters for Christmas, and if you are really lucky, I will even throw in matching gloves and hat.”
Russell laughed out loud, drawing a surprised look from his family. “I look forward to it, Lynn. I’m glad my son has found a woman with a sense of humor, because sometimes he can be a little serious. Gets it off me.”
“Everything OK?” Adam asked, coming over, his face concerned.
“She doesn’t need rescuing from your Pa,” Russell drawled.
Adam looked even more shocked. “How much have you two been drinking?”
“Not enough,” Russell said. “I think we have some celebrating to do.” Russell offered the drinks he’d placed on a serving tray to his family, and they all helped themselves, the conversation moving around the room, among a sea of thanks, Dads.
“What did you do to my father?” Adam asked Lynn, as he moved to stand beside her, looking out of the window across the home paddocks of the Homestead, where horses grazed with their young foals by their sides. The view outside was calm and comforting; the foals knew they were safe while their moms watched over them, and that feeling was magnified in Lynn. The Williams family, including Russell, had made her feel at home, and welcome. No need to worry about being alone, or having no one to call on if she needed help. Still, a pang of loss hit her. She would always miss not having her parents’ support.
“I gave him what he wanted,” Lynn said.
“You handed him the ranch?” Adam asked shocked.
“I gave him use of the land. I don’t need it all. So he’s coming over tomorrow, and we are going to strike a deal. He said he would lend me whatever I need to get the farm up and running.” She leaned into him, and whispered. “I’m going to ask for you. Full use of Adam Williams, morning, noon and night.”
“I like the idea of you making full use of me at night,” he said. Looking around, he then added, “Want to get out of here?”
“Are you sure? I don’t want it to look as if I’m eating and running.” Lynn took a bigger sip of her drink. “I’m going to have to drink this at least.”
“I’m not sure I can wait,” Adam said.
“I guess you’re just going to have to try.” A mischievous grin spread across Lynn’s face. “It will be worth it.”
“You’re teasing me,” Adam said.
“I am,” Lynn agreed, nursing her drink, and looking at the man who was hers, with a sigh of contentment. “I’m also trying to let this all sink in.”
Hero Bear Page 23
