Too Much To Bear

by Reina Torres

  Willa leaned against the seat back, her mouth falling open into a throaty laugh. “I have a raspberry pie at home… just for you, Boone.”

  “I think I love you, woman.”

  He heard her hard, indrawn breath and then her feeble laugh. “Don’t joke about something like that, Boone.”

  He turned into the parking lot along the side of the hardware store and steered the truck into his spot. He watched her struggle with the release on her seatbelt, so he reached over and covered her hand with his. He felt her tremble and gave her a little squeeze before they clicked the release.

  Boone didn’t want to make things more tense than they already were. He couldn’t tell her he was joking.

  Because he wasn’t.

  But he was also as sure that Willa wasn’t ready to say how she felt, or worse, that she really wasn’t feeling the same thing.

  His bear gave him a nudge, and unlike most times when the grouchy old thing would give him a growl or rake him with extended claws… his bear leaned hard against their bond and rubbed his huge shoulder against him, offering comfort.

  If there was one thing they both knew, it was that Willa was their mate. And if she wasn’t ready… or if she wasn’t feeling love for him, he was going to do whatever it took to make sure that changed.

  Boone lifted their joined hands and brushed a kiss over the backs of her knuckles. “I’ll come around and get the tray of pies for you.”

  He opened his door and started to slide down from his seat.

  She turned slightly to look at him. “You’re not going to offer to carry them for me?”

  Boone licked his lips at the rush of baked berry smell that he pulled into his lungs. Mixed with Willa’s distinctive honey scent, he felt a shudder roll through his body. “I need you to walk in front of me, so you have to carry the tray.”

  “Walk in front of you?” She laughed. “What, are you scared of your employees?”

  “Not afraid of them.” He held the tray out to her after he opened her door and gave her a hand down from the cab. “I need a little bit of cover until I can get everything under control.”

  She caught on quickly. Her smile taunted him and made him lean in to nibble a bit on her neck until her body leaned into him. “Keep that up and I’m going to need to fold my arms across my chest. Not fair, Mr. Wayland.”

  “What’s not fair is having to keep my hands and mouth off you, Willa. Let’s get inside so we can get this part of the day over with.”

  Her laughter trailed behind her, leaving Boone to catch up to keep his ‘cover’ behind her curvy form.

  When her visit was over, Willa gave the employees a final round of hugs before she met Boone at the door.

  He gathered her close and gave her a hug and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Are you trying to ruin them?”

  “Ruin them?” She leaned back from him and frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  Boone pulled her back against him and whispered into her ear. “Fairly sure they’re all head over heels for you.”

  She stroked his stomach and enjoyed the feel of his abs under her palm. “They love my pies and I’m fairly sure Nerissa likes guys, so you don’t have to worry there. Do you still have time to drop me off with Paige and Devlin?”

  “Only just, as long as you get in the car right now. I have to come back and actually make these people do some work if they don’t fall into a sugar coma from your pies.”

  Boone turned to open the employee exit door and Willa gave him a nice swift pat on his backside.

  He pulled her outside as the door gave and swung open. “I hope you know you’re going to pay for that later.”

  She sashayed past him toward the passenger side, her skirt swishing around her knees. “Promises, promises…”

  Paige Kerr was an absolute sweetheart.

  And she was largely pregnant.

  And glowing like a paper lantern in a cold dark night, warmth personified.

  Willa remembered some of the news coverage about her, the daughter of Sylvan City’s Mayor had been rescued by and married to a tiger shifter. Even when she squinted her eyes into the house, the man standing behind Paige didn’t really look like Devlin Kerr.

  Paige laughed a little. “Don’t worry, this grumpy gus is Cage Gamble.”

  Boone readily offered Cage his hand for a shake and Willa relaxed.

  “Sorry,” Willa apologized, “I feel like there’s so much I need to catch up on. Where I live, the only people I really know are our customers.”

  “Yes,” Paige grinned and took Willa’s hand in both of hers, “Devlin mentioned that you’re an amazing cook. I’m quite jealous.”

  Willa turned and rubbed a palm over Boone’s bicep. “If you’d like, tell me what you like to eat, and I’ll send it over with one of the boys.” She heard the cautioning ‘cough’ from Boone. “I’ll bring it over with Boone. The boys may just eat it… they’re all bottomless pits so far. I have dreams of actually making one of them ‘full’ someday in the near future.”

  Cage shook his head. “If they’re shifters? Good luck.”

  Paige shared in the laughter, but Willa saw a twinge of something in her face. “Are you feeling all right?”

  The mother-to-be laid her hand on the side of her belly. “It feels like the baby is doing acrobatics.”

  Willa looked at Boone. “I’m going to get her inside to a chair.”

  “That’s good.” Boone’s warm smile made Willa feel warm all over. “Call me when you’re ready for someone to pick you up. If it’s not me, I’ll send one of the boys.”

  Willa nodded as she helped Paige inside, following her directions into the living room. Cage followed along, looking a little green as Paige giggled with Willa.

  “I don’t know if you saw the look on Boone’s face when you walked me away from the door.”

  Willa moved over into the open kitchen and got a glass of water that she brought back to Paige. “Oh, he wasn’t upset, was he? He said he had to get back to the store.”

  “No, but he looked a little lost.” Paige accepted the glass and took a long sip. “I’ve seen that look before on Dev’s face when I don’t rush to kiss him goodbye when he leaves and I’m staying home.”

  “That’s so sweet,” Willa couldn’t keep the dreamy sigh from her voice.

  “Can we avoid all the romance stuff?”

  Willa looked at the last remaining man in the room. “Sorry, Mr. Gamble.”

  “Cage,” he corrected her with a little bit less of an edge than his last words. “And I guess I shouldn’t complain,” he rolled his muscular shoulders in an uncomfortable gesture, “since I came here to ask Paige for her help.”

  Paige touched her hand to Willa’s arm. “I was telling Cage he should talk to your Boone.”

  Willa felt herself warm all over at Paige’s words. “My Boone?”

  It sounded like Cage groaned in his throat. “There you go with the romance stuff.”

  Paige leaned over to get a good look at him. “Suck it up. I’m trying to get you the help you need.” Waiving her hand at him, Paige told Willa. “Mr. Grumpy Jaguar there just found out he’s becoming a dad,” and before Willa responded, Paige continued, “to a bouncing teenage girl shifter.”

  Cage, if it was possible, managed to look even more uncomfortable. “She’s the daughter of my best friend and she’s arriving in a couple of weeks. I have no idea what I need to buy for her room.”

  “So, he came here to get my opinion. I thought Boone would have a better idea with all of his boys.”

  “Boys,” Cage responded back, “that’s the problem here. What boys need and what girls need are two different things.”

  Willa gave him a sweet smile that had Cage frowning in reply.

  “What?”

  “That’s so sweet, you’re going to be a good dad.”

  Cage cracked his neck and crossed his arms across his chest. “Is it going to be like this?” He pointed his chin at them. “All this
talking and shit.”

  Willa and Paige shared a look and started to laugh.

  “Ah fu-”

  “Language!” She picked up two throw pillows and placed them over her stomach. “Dev won’t like it.”

  Cage muttered under his breath. “So, you can’t come and take a look at my place? Tell me what I need?”

  Paige leaned back against the back of the couch and put her feet up on the ottoman. “If I walked around anymore, Devlin would tie me to the bed…” Paige’s eyes took on a wistful look, “as exciting as that would be… I’m sorry. I can’t, Cage.”

  The tired mom-to-be looked at Willa. “Maybe Cage could borrow you from Boone until he finishes work for the day.”

  Willa hesitated. “I was going to make steaks for the boys tonight.”

  “Steaks?” Cage grumbled, his eyes changing with a feline slant. “Just throw them the raw things out of the package.”

  A growl purred from Paige’s throat and both Cage and Willa turned to look at her. With a shrug, the gentle woman sighed. “I’m carrying a tiger cub, deal with it. But seriously, Cage? She’s Boone’s mate, and I’m Dev’s. Remember your manners.” She winced and smoothed her hand over her large belly. “Calm down, sweet-pea. Cage is going to play nice.”

  The man’s upper lip curled back revealing long, sharp jaguar fangs. “Nice? The fu-”

  “I’ll go with you.” Willa fished her phone out of her pocket and dialed.

  Boone answered just after the first ring.

  “Boone? Hey, it’s Willa.”

  “Hey, Honey. You okay?”

  “Yeah, Paige is awesome. I was wondering if I could go and help, Cage for a bit.”

  “Cage?” She was sure she misheard the edge in his tone. “Honey, give the phone to Cage.”

  Willa blew out a breath. “Okay.” She held out the phone and Cage took it in his hand, bringing it up to his ear. It took just a few seconds and a growled epithet before Cage handed the phone back to Willa.

  “It’s your lucky day, Miss Barnes,” he smiled, and his teeth were all human again, “you get my kid-glove care. Shall I truss you up in bubble wrap?”

  The two women sat there in shocked silence until Cage started to laugh. Then the two ladies were laughing until Paige had to get up and pee.

  The apartment upstairs over the Six Guns’ office was sparse to say the least, but the room that Cage showed her was clean, so clean you could likely eat off the walls and floors.

  She looked over at him as he walked up beside her. “Don’t take this wrong. This looks military clean.”

  “I served two tours in my time.”

  Willa felt her cheeks warm. “Sorry.”

  He shrugged. “At least the room is clean.” He turned around in a circle and she watched him move, trying to read his mind. “What color do you think I should use? The guy at the paint counter said people buy a lot of yellow and pink for girls. He said lavender too, but that sounds better for an old lady.”

  “Maybe,” she hedged, “you should wait to personalize the room when she gets here. It’s been a few years since I was a teenager, so I’m not up on the ‘in colors’ but what if we just go over some basics furniture-wise and you can give her a chance to personalize her room with rugs and sheets and stuff.”

  To his credit, Cage looked disappointed.

  “Do you know what kinds of things she’s bringing with her?”

  “Shit!” Cage crossed the empty space and braced his hands on window frame. “I have no business taking care of her.”

  “Is there someone else?”

  He bumped his head on the glass a few times. “My buddy was really specific. Her mama’s family are craptastic. They’d have to be to stick her with me, but I’m gonna ruin her.”

  “Hey,” Willa spoke at his back when it became clear he wasn’t planning to turn around, “did you trust your friend?”

  He spun around, and she saw the anger in his eyes and the way his irises bled into the lethal stare of his jaguar.

  She held up her hands in surrender, trying to give his animal the least amount of provocation. “Her parents wanted you to have her. If he trusted you and you trusted him, you just have to make it work, Cage.”

  Willa let him think over her words as she found a pad of paper in her bag and a pen. Quickly she wrote out the basics that she’d need. Bed, desk, chest of drawers… she felt someone looking over her shoulder and smiled. “Did I miss anything?”

  He gave an instinctive shrug and then looked over the list again. “You think that’s it for now?”

  “It’s a good place to start.” She gave him an easy smile. “When she gets here, you should bring her over to…” Willa hesitated. “I mean, I’m sure Boone wouldn’t mind if you came over to visit.”

  Cage gave her a curious look. “Hey, I’m not one to get my nose caught up in your business, especially because you’re with Boone.” He looked away and then shoved his hands in his back pockets, rolling his shoulders back. “Look at me, doin’ girly talk.” He sighed, “when Boone was on the phone, he made it clear, really damn clear that I better treat you like glass or he was gonna hand me my nuts on a platter and make me eat them raw. You may worry about your place in his life.”

  Willa bit down on her bottom lip, waiting for him to finish.

  “But Boone is all in where you’re concerned. The only thing you need to figure out is where you are.” He let the words hang there in the air until his head tipped back on his neck and he let out a string of expletives that had her ears wringing. “The next thing you know I’m gonna be sewing drapes for this damn place!”

  Cage stomped out into the hall and kicked an empty packing box into the middle of the living room. “Freakin’ female infestation!”

  Willa pointed at the front door. “I’m going to go outside and call Boone, tell him I’m ready to go home.”

  The fighter was bent over with his head in his hands questioning his own sanity when she left the note with the list on the table just inside the door.

  Chapter Seven

  By the time she reached the street, Willa looked up at the sky and smiled. The shifter community in Sylvan City was opening up a whole new world to her. It had taken moments to connect with Paige and a heartbeat more to see how gloriously happy she was.

  Had she ever been that happy? Had she ever drifted off in thought about another person?

  Willa’s smile was easy and full. Yes, she had. When she was thinking about Boone. Their chemistry and heat were off the chart, but the best thing about it was how Boone treated her. He wanted her, that was easy to see… so easy to feel, but he wasn’t putting pressure on her. He knew she wanted him too. They teased, they flirted, but when she needed, not wanted, to stop, he stopped.

  He gave her space, and it only made the anticipation more, tingling all over her skin, making each breath deeper, more precious.

  Another string of expletives started in Cage’s apartment and she pulled her phone out from her purse and called Boone. After a few rings it went to voicemail and she smiled. There must be a bunch of people in the store and really, neither of them would have anticipated her errand finishing so quickly. She started to leave a message for him.

  “Hi, Boone, it’s me, Willa.” She saw some movement across the street near the corner of a vacant lot. A bunch of men who were smoking and drinking had just perked up like a bunch of prairie dogs, the thought made her laugh softly to herself. “I just wanted to let you know I’m done. No need to rush, just let me know when you can come, and- hey!”

  One of the men stepped off the curb into the street and shoved someone into the center of the group. The boy looked like he was just a little younger than Boone’s boys, and while she couldn’t hear what they were saying to him, she understood what he was feeling. Angry, nervous, cornered.

  She knew that feeling, because she’d felt it herself numerous times. People had picked on her enough.

  Realizing she hadn’t finished her message she did it quickly. �
��I’ve got to go, someone needs my help.”

  Dropping her phone back in her purse she started across the street. She’d gone about a fourth of the way across the street when one of the men grabbed the boy’s backpack and pulled him up onto his tiptoes.

  “Hey, you stop that!”

  Willa shouted at him, but they didn’t seem to hear her.

  The boy was struggling to hold onto his backpack, his teeth grit together, eyes narrowing.

  “Hey, let him go!” She hustled across the street, but her short stature and her curvy figure made her hustle more of a quick walk. “I’m going to call the police!”

  That got someone’s attention. A couple of the men turned around to stare at her, but a couple of the tough guys held tight to the boy as he struggled.

  “Look, lady. Turn around and go away.”

  She reached back into her bag, now regretting that she’d dropped her phone inside. “No. You can’t treat him like that.”

  The man closest to her gave her a look over from head to toe. “We’ll treat him however we want to. Little boy owes us some cash.”

  “I’m not giving you shit, Pete. I don’t owe you a thing.”

  “Like we told you before,” the man got up close to the boy, leaning down to glare straight into his face, “you owe us what I say you owe us.”

  Willa left her phone in her purse, instead, she pulled out her wallet. “How much?”

  The majority of the crowd just looked at her, including the young boy who was staring at her like she’d lost her mind.

  She turned to look at the other man, the one that had been doing all the talking. “What does he owe you?” She opened her wallet and looked at the contents. “I don’t have much, but I want to help him.”

  The boy spoke up. “Lady, come on! Put that away!”

  “How much to make you let him go?”

  The man nodded at her and one of the men lurched forward and snatched the wallet from her hands. Another grabbed at her purse. A stab of fear went through her when she realized what a stupid position she’d put herself in.

  The one who’d taken her wallet tossed it to someone else.