by Anya Nowlan
“Oh, trust me, Freckles. We’re far from over. I know why you’re being like this. It’s because that other Arder is back, isn’t it? The billionaire? You’re still pining over him and think that he’ll come and sweep you off your feet? Fat chance. Stick to real bears, not cop-outs like that billionaire asswipe. I’ll be seeing you around, Freckles. I bet you’ll be more receptive the next time we see each other,” Drake said, the growl obvious in his voice. He whirled around and strode out of the diner, tossing Alice a murderous look as he passed her. As soon as the door closed behind him, Alice rushed behind the counter and put a hand on Susie’s arm.
“Are you okay, Suse?” she asked, worry firmly seated in her amber eyes.
“I… Yes, I’m fine.” Susie stammered, watching the big 4x4 drag out of the parking lot with a hail of gravel flying behind it.
He’s back? Julian is back!? The thought hammered back and forth in her head, making her chest constrict and her breaths come faster. Susie bit her lip slightly, trying to make sense of her feelings about the sudden news. I didn’t think he would come back… What happens now? She inhaled deeply, trying to ground her rushing thoughts and make them line up in a way that would make sense.
“Alice, do you know if Julian Arder is back?” Susie asked, still paralyzed in place. Her heart beat like a jackhammer in her chest as the waitress considered her for a moment before replying cautiously.
“I think so. I mean, I haven’t seen him or anything but there was some chatter that he had seen Jackson and was settling into his cottage again. But you know I can’t tell you much,” Alice said, her expression turning pointedly cautious. Susie nodded quietly, squeezing Alice’s hand. As a prominent business owner in the community, Susannah Marie Maple was well aware of the difficulties between the Arder and Bitterroot clans. Her loyalties lay with the Arders, as they had done more for the community over the past few centuries than anyone could account for. But, at the end of the day, she could also make up her own mind. Employing Alice had been one of the decisions that she had chosen to make despite what the Arder clan thought of her.
Alice was a good girl, sweet and sensible, and she needed a job. Plus, she was invaluable in keeping in touch with what was going on in the area, as she had her ear to the ground. After her little falling out with Julian all that time ago, Susie had felt that her connection to the local werebears wasn’t nearly as strong as she would have preferred it. As such, any little bit helped. Susie pursed her lips, shaking out of her revelry.
Just the time to start getting bear troubles, she thought to herself with a smirk. Her stomach was still in knots at the thought of seeing Julian again, but she had to keep herself calm, cool and in the moment. Drake would enjoy nothing less than to see her get nervous and doe-eyed at the thought of running into her old flame again, and she couldn’t even be sure if Julian would want to see her again after what had happened. But she would have been lying if she said that she didn’t hope he’d come around, even if only for old time’s sake. The effect just hearing about him had had on her told her that her feelings for him were not quite as settled and put to rest as she had thought. Maybe the Arder kind of trouble was just what she needed.
CHAPTER THREE
The diner had hit its usual afternoon lull, giving Susie some time to catch up on the less exciting side of running a company – paperwork. She had curled up in a wide-backed leather chair, worn in by decades of continued use by several owners. A steaming mug of lemon tea was sitting on the table before her, surrounded on each side by countless stacks of bills, reports and open notebooks. Susie was slumped over all of it, her chin resting on one hand as she flipped through some notices, trying to match them to what she had written down when she had originally received the bills.
Having two companies was both thrilling and terrifying at the same time. She had never imagined that her life would take her there – making sure families had food on their table and that she had enough logging hauls to keep a roof over the heads of herself and her employees. Growing up, she’d dreamed of a big house with a dog, lots of kids and a man who dealt with all of the distasteful parts of keeping clothed and fed. The older she got, though, the more she realized that she wanted to be the master of her own destiny. Bear’s Grove was her home and she wouldn’t dream of leaving it – a capable woman could make a decent living even in a small place like that. She’d been hooked after her first paycheck and now she couldn’t dream of just taking care of a household while a guy gets to do all the fun stuff like figuring out business strategies and slaving away over proposals until the early dawn hours and making sure everything runs the way it needs to.
Nothing seems to add up lately… she thought to herself, frowning at two conflicting bills. She wasn’t sure whether it was the news about Julian that had made her more distracted, or whether something was actually wrong with her paperwork. Over the last few months odd peculiarities had started popping up in her otherwise pristine bookkeeping. Logging hauls had gone longer than expected or the trucks had taken more time to make a round trip than they should have. Gaps started appearing in the logbooks the drivers submitted. She trusted most of her drivers, having known them for years, but she was getting the sneaking suspicion that a few of the seasonal guys could be up to no good. Still, she wasn’t the type to go pointing fingers before she knew for certain what she was looking at.
And then, of course, there was Julian. Since Drake had spilled the news that he was back in town, Susie had been on the edge of her seat. She kept jumping a little every time the diner door opened, her heart beating wildly in the hope that the next person walking in through those doors would be Julian. But, he hadn’t come yet.
Not like I can blame him, we didn’t leave things off very well, Susie reminded herself with a grimace, trying to brush the memories of their last few encounters from her mind. Julian had been a big reason as to why Susie had taken on the challenge of trying to run a company. His almost meteoric success had taken everyone around the Cabinet Mountains by surprise; most of all his brothers, Susie felt. Jackson and Jonah were a different kind of man (and bear) than Julian and their ruthless drive was best used in other ventures. Julian, on the other hand, had made it work for him in a way that was as unorthodox as it was brilliant. Werebears were known for their steadfast determination, if not to say stubbornness, and territorial ways. Julian had made his mark on the business world the same way Jackson had claimed the mountains. While it may have made some of the more traditional werebears scoff, Susie understood where Julian was coming from.
She’d kept a small book of clippings about his success and the news articles that were written about him. He had conquered one area of business after the next, making most of his billions in software, but also having several successful plants, real estate deals and restaurants across the globe. No one knew much about him, Julian preferring to keep out of the limelight, which just made him more compelling to the wider public. He was the most desirable bachelor in the world – young, rich, smart and so handsome that most women couldn’t take their eyes off of his sparkling blue eyes and his toned, hot body. Yet, he was rarely seen with a woman on his arm and the relationships never seemed to last. Susie hadn’t exactly been a nun after he left, but she had to admit that she was yet to know a man who could match up to him, or at least the memory of him. As such, she didn’t particularly mind when she saw in US Weekly that another one of his relationships had ended.
Susie smiled to herself, finding herself staring out of the window of her small office. It was all a bit silly, she knew, but getting Julian Arder out of her mind was no easy feat. She wiggled her toes in the thick woolen socks she was wearing – the purple knit one of her rare attempts at handicraft. Montana was getting into its usual pre-winter swing of things and thick knitted socks and sweaters were becoming a must. It wouldn’t be long until the first snowfall came and made the picturesque mountains even more beautiful. That time of the year always brought back bittersweet memories.
Of
course he’d show up again right around this time. Just when you were starting to get over him, she thought, taking a sip of her tea. Her blonde hair was tucked away in a ponytail and she was wearing comfortable clothes, not anticipating having to see anyone during the day, aside from her cat maybe. She lived in a house right behind the diner, and Alice had promised to take care of the diner for the rest of the day so Susie could catch up on the rest of the work. As such, it was a bit of a surprise when she heard a heavy knock at the front door.
“Just a minute,” she hollered, uncurling from the chair. After a moment of hesitation, she grabbed the mug and sauntered out of the office, through the living room and to the front door of her cozy cabin. She’d bought it from the last owners along with the diner, and it had been worth every penny, what with the thick walls and just enough space to make her feel like taking care of it wasn’t another thing on her list of never-ending commitments. Susie was expecting to see Alice or one of the cooks at the door, needing some kind of a small disaster quickly solved, but she wasn’t anywhere near prepared for the person waiting for her on the other side of the door.
Julian’s bright blue eyes seemed to bore right into her, as Susie stood paralyzed at the door, eyes wide with surprise. He grinned slightly, flashing that boyish smirk she knew and loved.
“Hey, Susie. Mind if I come in?” he asked, quirking a brow at her. Susie hesitated for a moment before stepping back and letting him pass.
Oh my god, he’s actually here! she thought, feeling a mix of panic and excitement boil at the pit of her stomach. When he stalked past her, his heavy, musky scent filled her nostrils and she felt her knees go a little weak under her. She closed the door behind him, lingering with her hand on the doorknob for just a moment too long, trying to gather herself. As much as Susie had hoped to see him again, she hadn’t expected him to actually show up at her door, looking so good that she could almost see herself falling into his arms at the slightest possibility.
When she turned around to face him, Susie found Julian standing in the middle of the cottage, his hands in the pockets of his deliciously worn jeans, studying his surroundings.
“So, you bought the James’s place? Impressive. I like what you’ve done with the place,” he said, his blue eyes resting on her again. Being under his striking gaze made goose bumps appear on her skin, and Susie suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious both about herself and the situation in general.
I wish I wasn’t wearing sweatpants and a sweater. He looks so good… has he actually got taller?
Her thoughts rambled on while Susie managed a small smile and waved Julian towards her worn brown-leather couch.
“Yeah, it seemed like a good idea to live close to the truck stop and diner after I bought them. You know how it is, can’t trust anyone as much as I can trust myself,” she said, feeling her cheeks light up with a red blush. He made her feel as if she were a teenaged girl again – curvy and awkward, and amazed beyond belief that a guy like Julian Arder could be interested in her. She remembered how he had loved her unconditionally, telling her all the time how much he loved her womanly shape and her ample ass.
“Bears like something to hold on to,” he had said with a devilish grin once, and over time Susie had learned that he wasn’t kidding about it. She’d been courted by a few werebears since him, and they all sang the same tune. As self-assured and capable as she was, Susie was surprised at how girlish and uncertain she could feel around Julian. He was just as she remembered him from their happier times before the incident, or even better in a lot of ways. There was something about ten years of not seeing a man that gave him plenty of time to fill out just right. His broad shoulders and strong back that she had loved so much when they were teenagers had become even wider, and there was an aura of calmness about him that she didn’t remember. He was like a man in charge – an Alpha who knows his worth and his place in life. She hadn’t even noticed that there had been a pause in their conversation until he spoke again, Susie having been too busy trying to muddle through the plethora of thoughts and reactions that both her body and her mind kept throwing at her.
“How are you, Susie? I’ve missed you,” Julian said, and it sounded like honey to her ears. Susie stuttered for a second, walking to one of the big plush recliners next to the couch. She sunk down into the soft leather, silently giving thanks for not collapsing on her way there. Her cheeks were burning red.
“I’m… I’ve… I’ve missed you too, Julian. I’m glad you’re back. I’m good. The businesses are doing well, I think, and the community has been really supportive about everything. I’m not doing quite as well as you are, obviously, but I’m a small fish in a small pond and it seems to suit me,” she said, feeling like she was rambling again. “How about you? What brings you back?”
Julian paused for a moment and Susie could feel his eyes rowing across her body. She felt the heat move up and down the length of her, and it was becoming harder and harder to push down the feelings she knew were still there. He had a way with her that she had missed terribly, and being so close to him in all his intensity was physically painful. She doubted he’d get one word of objection from her if he were to kiss her right then and there.
“Jackson called me. Ryder’s back, but I’m sure you’ve heard.” He waited for her to nod her confirmation before continuing. The leather jacket he was wearing sat just right on his shoulders, and the white tank top underneath it showed off his perfect, masculine body. He’d really grown up, and Susie appreciated the new and improved Julian. “I think they just want me for the posturing. They know I probably won’t be quite as much help if things get down to a territorial fight, but there’s strength in numbers. And I am the second in command, I guess. That’s clan rules for you,” he said, shaking his head slightly. A lock of hair fell on his forehead, and Susie had to restrain herself from brushing it off of his face. He was still the somber, sensitive man she remembered, but the Alpha in him had grown now. Even if it was different from Jackson’s, the bear was firmly rooted in him.
I wonder if he knows how much he has changed.
“It’s nice being home for a change, though. There’s no cell reception around here and the internet is basically a joke. So I can’t work even if I want to, which I think was what Jackson was banking on. Oh well. There is some rest for the wicked, it seems,” he said with a chuckle, and the laughter resounded through Susie in a warm wave. She hadn’t expected him to have such a strong hold on her after so long, but his presence was undeniable, and she couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the enigmatic Alpha. Susie knew him as the gangly young werebear who she had fallen for because of his sweet smile and his clever mind, and here he was – successful, in control and gorgeous. Julian seemed to hesitate for a moment, and a soft purr grumbled in Susie. Could it be? Was he affected by her as she was by him?
“I’m glad you’re doing well, Susie.” He looked up, his blue eyes locking on hers, and she thought she would drown in them. There was intensity and strength in them that she didn’t remember and had only seen in Jackson before. “I don’t feel good about how we left things,” he said, stabbing at a memory that Susie had managed to successfully gulp down for a while. Now, it all came flooding back, and she squirmed uncomfortably in her seat. “I think the feeling’s mutual. I’d like to make it right. Are you with anyone?”
The question struck her out of the blue, and Susie licked across her lips, thinking of how to respond. Technically, she was single and proud of it. But, Drake had done his best to be a problem recently, and she was rather certain that if she were to ask him, he would not agree that she was quite as untaken as she thought she was. Then again, it was Julian Arder asking her that question. How could she say anything but how she felt?
“No, I’m not with anyone right now,” she replied cautiously, drawing an almost relieved smile out of the billionaire.
“Good. Then you can’t have anything against me taking you out on a small outing, right? So we can talk things through and clear th
e air, so to say. Would tomorrow work for you?”
“An outing… like a date?”
“I wouldn’t mind calling it a date, sure.” Julian grinned, looking like a bear who had just got into a pot of honey. “Wear something warm. I know exactly where we’re going.” I’ll come pick you up after noon.”
With that, he stood up and stretched, giving Susie an uninterrupted moment of eyeing his delicious body without trying to hide it. He was carved to perfection, and she ached to reach out and touch him – the bond was still there between them, and she felt it clearly. Even though they hadn’t seen each other for years, little had dulled between them. The emotions were still raw and sharp, both physical and mental. Susie knew that saying no to him would be impossible. The Alpha knew what he wanted, and she gladly gave herself to the moment, even if it seemed like only a pleasant dream.
“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said, standing up as well. Only a few feet separated them and they both stood still, looking at one another. Sparks were in the air, the glow of a heated love from the past coming back in full force right before their very eyes. It almost took her breath away. Julian shook out of the revelry faster than she did. He took her hands in his big palms – the man warm and comforting. She gasped, feeling a hot jolt run up her spine from the touch.
“I’m glad you’re still here, Susie. Life hasn’t been the same without you.” A note of softness entered his voice, and she tucked it away in her memories to replay it again later. She’d never been the kind of woman to get all starry-eyed because of a man, but most men weren’t like Julian Arder. Well, no one was like him, really.
