“You aren’t ready. As much as I want you to be mine, I’m not going to force you into anything. I’ll claim you when you want it every bit as much as I do. Until then, I’ll take every chance I can get to woo your socks off until I’m so indispensable that you can’t imagine your life without me in it.”
Relief coursed through Lila at how reasonable Stuart was being. Mated or not, no matter how tempted she was to throw caution to the wind and grab hold of what she wanted, she needed time to get her son used to the idea of Stuart being in their lives. “That’s your grand plan, huh?”
“Mm-hmm.” He ran his fingers down her breastbone. “Think it’ll work?”
“Maybe.” Lila shivered and scooted closer, pressing her breasts against his chest. Stuart radiated heat like a furnace. “You’re doing pretty good so far?”
“Only pretty good?” He put his arm over her and went back to rubbing her back. “I guess I’ll have to try harder.”
“You do that,” she said, leaning in to kiss him again.
Chapter Seven
Stuart stopped by the hospital twice during the week following their picnic date and joined Lila for lunch in the cafeteria. Although the visits were short, they brightened her day and gave her an opportunity to learn more about the man who would eventually claim her as his mate. The more she learned, the more she liked Stuart and his laid-back country charm.
On the days they couldn’t find time to see each other, they stayed in touch through quick texts and short phone calls. He kept her smiling with silly little memes and bawdy jokes he overheard in the office. She had fun searching for emoticons to convey just the appropriate level of fun and flirty. The provocative cartoon cat dressed in lingerie was her favorite.
After what felt like an eon, Saturday finally arrived. Lila took Quinn for a hike in the afternoon, hoping to kill two birds with one stone by working off some of her son’s excess energy and keep herself busy until her date with Stuart later that night. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d looked forward to something so much. If Quinn sensed her absentmindedness, he didn’t comment on it.
By the time Stuart arrived to pick her up, she was ready to sprint out to meet him. Instead, she kissed her son goodbye, thanked her parents for babysitting, and feigned a casualness she didn’t feel on the stroll outside. The fact that she hadn’t even given Stuart time to make it to the front door to knock didn’t cross her mind until he pulled her into his arms and gave her a hello kiss passionate enough to make her consider suggesting they skip dinner and go back to his place. That thought was deterred when Stuart’s stomach gave a mighty growl.
She pulled away from his sinful lips and smiled up at him. “Hey. Sounds like we need to feed you before your stomach starts chewing on your backbone.”
“Hey yourself. It’s so good to see you outside of the hospital.” He reached for her hand and entwined their fingers together. “Sorry about the rumbling stomach. I got busy at work and skipped lunch.”
She squeezed his hand as they walked toward his truck. “That’s okay. I’m ready for dinner, too.” The sooner they ate, the sooner they could go somewhere private and satisfy their other needs.
Stuart opened the door for her, waited for her to get seated, and then walked around the front of the vehicle to take his place behind the wheel. “I hope you don’t mind going to the diner.”
“No. The diner’s fine. It isn’t like we have much choice unless we go out of town.” One of the drawbacks of rural living was the lack of amenities. Sometimes she missed the pizza delivery and good Chinese food she got in the city.
“There’s always the sub place, if you’d rather that,” he offered.
“Nah. The diner works.” She scooted across the bench seat, wanting to be closer to him.
“All right then.” He started the engine and pulled away from the curb.
In no time, they reached their destination. Stuart parallel parked and helped her out of the truck. They walked inside, found an empty booth, and sat across from each other. Stuart plucked two laminated menus out of the holder by the wall and handed one over to her.
“Thanks.” She glanced at the menu, figured out what she wanted to order, and then looked around in wonder. “This place hasn’t changed a bit. It looks exactly the same as it did when I was a kid.”
“I know.” Stuart nodded. “It’s like it’s frozen in time.”
A middle-aged waitress sidled up to the table with a pen and pad in hand. “Howdy Sheriff. What can I get for y’all?”
Stuart nodded at Lila to go first. She turned her attention to the waitress. “I’d like the chef salad, with ranch dressing, and a sweet tea to drink, please.”
The waitress nodded, scribbled on her pad, and then looked at Stuart. “You want your usual tonight?”
“That would be great,” Stuart replied. “Thanks Melly.”
“No problem. I’ll be back in a jiffy with your drinks.”
Lila dropped her menu back in the holder. “You come here a lot?”
“Probably more than I should. I’m not much of a cook and it’s easier to just stop and get something most days.”
“I hear you. I was on a first-name basis with most of the pizza delivery people back in the city. There were some nights I just couldn’t bear the idea of hitting the grocery store, plus cooking, and then cleaning up all the mess. If not for Quinn, I probably would have lived off junk. Knowing he needed good nutrition was the only thing that got me cooking healthy meals after a long day of work.”
“How is Quinn?” Stuart asked.
“He’s been on his best behavior this week since his grounding runs out on Monday.”
“Smart kid.”
“He’s incredibly bright. He just makes bad choices sometimes and his temper gets away from him. It’s gotten worse in the last six months or so.”
“It’ll get better. Once he goes through the transition some of the aggression he’s suffering from now will even out.”
“So I’ve been told. I’ll just be glad once he’s through this phase.”
“Don’t worry. He’ll be fine. We all go through it. And if you need any help with him, all you need to do is call and I’ll come running.”
“Thanks. I appreciate the offer, but Dad’s taking care of it. He’s excited about guiding Quinn through the change.”
“What is the other half of Quinn’s heritage, if you don’t mind my asking?”
Before she could answer, the waitress arrived with their drinks. Lila waited until they were alone again to speak. “I don’t mind. Quinn’s biological dad shifted into a black bear, so I assume that’s what Quinn will be when he shifts.”
Stuart nodded. “It’s good you brought him here. We have a large population of black bears.”
“Is that what you are?” Although Stuart had already told her he was a bear shifter, she’d never thought to ask what kind.
“No. I’m a grizzly.”
“Can I see you...I mean, would you mind showing me your other side sometime?”
Stuart smiled at her. “I’ll show you anything you want. All you have to do is say when.”
“Great. I’d really like to see you in both your forms. The bear is part of you, right? So I should meet him too.”
“Here you go,” Melly exclaimed as she arrived with their meals. She set Stuart’s chicken-fried steak and mashed potatoes in front of him and then gave Lila her salad. “Enjoy!”
“Thanks,” Lila called after her. She picked up her fork and poked at her dinner. “This looks good.” She glanced at Stuart, who was already slicing into his meat. “Yours does too.”
“Their chicken-fried steak is great.” He sliced off a hunk and held it out to her. “Want a bite?”
She shook her head. “That’s okay. Thanks for the offer though.”
Stuart popped the huge bite into his mouth and chewed. Lila looked back down at her plate and dug in. The veggies were fresh and the chunks of turkey and ham were just the right size. In a matte
r of minutes, she’d eaten over half the salad. She glanced at her date and realized he was already finished. “Wow,” she said. “I guess you really were hungry.”
“Yeah.” He frowned. “Actually, I think I’m still a little hungry. I might order dessert. Would you like something sweet?”
Lila thought about it. “I don’t think so. I’ll be lucky if I can finish all my salad.”
“All right. You can always change your mind after you’re finished with that rabbit food.”
“I’ll have you know my rabbit food is delicious.” Acting on impulse, she stuck her tongue out at him.
Stuart chuckled and waved at their waitress. Lila finished up her meal while Stuart put away not one but two pieces of cake.
After they were finished, Stuart paid the bill and they walked out into the cool evening air. Although the days had been overly warm for the middle of October, the nights were beginning to get cold. Lila rubbed her palms over her bare arms, trying to stave off the chill.
“Cold?” Stuart asked
“A little. I forgot how fast the temperature drops lately.”
Stuart took off his flannel overshirt and draped it over her shoulders. “There you go. Hopefully my shirt will ward off the cold until we can get somewhere private and I can warm you up.”
“Thank you.” Lila worked her arms into the warm shirt and pulled it around her. The fabric was still warm from Stuart’s body and smelled like him. She loved it. “Tell me more about how you plan to warm me up.”
“I thought you’d never ask.” Stuart opened the passenger-side door and helped her inside. Once she was seated, he leaned in, caressed the left side of her face, and kissed her softly. Just as things were heating up, the theme song from Cops blasted through the cab.
Stuart pulled away and cursed. “I’m sorry. That’s my work ringtone. I have to answer.”
“It’s okay. Go ahead.”
Stuart stepped back and closed her door. She looked on as he pulled out his phone and spoke to whoever was on the other end. Judging by his deepening frown, the news wasn’t good.
He climbed into the driver’s seat and looked over at her. “Bad news. One of my deputies has a family emergency and had to leave, which means I have to go in and cover until the midnight shift comes in later.”
She scooted over to the center of the bench seat. “You’re right. That is bad news. I hope everything works out for your deputy. Can you still drive me home or should I call someone?”
“Of course I’ll take you home. I’d never leave you stranded.” He started up the truck and put his arm around her, pulling her close. “I am so sorry about having to cut tonight short. I promise, I’ll make it up to you.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” She kissed his cheek and rested her head on his shoulder.
* * * *
Stuart dropped her off at home and let her go after a long, slow kiss and a promise to call later. Her feet barely touched the ground on her walk inside. Although their date was cut short, she’d enjoyed spending time with Stuart. The more she got to know him, the less nervous she was about their impending bond. Stuart was a good man and would make a good mate. Her certainty about that grew with every day that passed.
She entered the house and walked back toward her room to put away her purse. Realizing she still had Stuart’s shirt on, she removed it and made a mental note to return it the next time she saw him. She slipped off her shoes and changed into her favorite pajamas. There was no sense in staying dressed if she was going to stay home for the rest of the night.
Comfortable and ready to relax, she headed back out to the kitchen, where she found Quinn and her mom sitting at the kitchen table with bowls of ice cream.
Mom looked up as she entered the room. “You’re back early. Everything okay?”
“Yeah. We had a nice meal, but then Stuart got called in to work and had to leave.” She glanced at the ice cream. Although she wasn’t hungry, a sweet treat sounded good. “Is there any of that left in the freezer?”
Mom nodded. “Help yourself.”
Lila turned to do just that.
“I can’t believe you’re actually dating that pig. Especially after the way he busted me and Justin and turned us in to the principal. What a dick.”
“Excuse me?” Lila turned back around. “That dick could have arrested you and hauled you in to the station. Instead, he let the school handle your punishment. All things considered, I think you got off pretty lucky, young man. And furthermore, I would appreciate it if you kept a civil tongue when speaking about Stuart. He’s a nice man. One who may eventually be your stepfather.”
“What?” Quinn exclaimed, pushing back his chair and standing. “You must be kidding. You’re going to marry that bastard?”
“I might.” A rush of guilt flooded through her at the way she’d blurted out her thoughts. She meant to break the news to Quinn a little more gently. “Stuart cares about me and I care about him. He says we’re mates.”
Mom gasped. “Oh my. That is serious.”
“That’s bullshit.” Quinn threw his spoon down on the table and stormed out of the room.
Lila groaned and sat down in her son’s vacant seat. “Well, that could have gone better.”
“It could have gone worse, too.” Mom spooned ice cream into her mouth.
“I can’t imagine how.” Lila folded her arms on the table and rested her head on them.
“Why didn’t you tell me Stuart is your mate?”
Lila looked up. “I don’t feel it like he does. Like you and Dad do. Don’t get me wrong, I feel the chemistry and there’s this...” She searched for the right word. “There’s this pull between us, you know? I wanted to be sure before I said anything.”
“I take it you’re starting to feel more confident about the two of you?”
“I really care about him, Mom.” She didn’t dare use the L word yet, though she was already thinking it.
“Well, I think that’s great. It’s about time you found someone to settle down with. You aren’t getting any younger, you know.”
Lila snorted. “Thanks for the reminder.”
“I’m just saying. It isn’t too late to give your father and me more grandbabies.”
Lila groaned. “It’s all I can do to take care of the kid I have right now. Don’t get your heart set on any more grandchildren just yet.”
“Don’t worry about Quinn. He’ll come around. Who knows, Stuart might even be a good influence on the boy. You should invite him over for dinner. Give us a chance to get to know him better.”
“I don’t know.” That kind of sounded like inviting disaster to Lila.
“It would be good for Quinn to see you together. To show him you’re really serious.”
“Maybe,” Lila hedged. “Let me talk to Stuart and I’ll get back to you.”
“That’s fine, dear. Just let me know which day he’s coming so I can cook something special.” Mom patted Lila’s hand. “Everything will be just fine. You’ll see.”
Chapter Eight
After double-checking everyone’s schedules, Lila and Stuart decided he would come have dinner with the family on a Sunday. The only obstacle was Stuart’s standing arrangement to eat with his uncle on that day. In order to keep the peace, Lila suggested he bring his uncle along.
Once the plan was in place, she had the rest of the week to stress about it. She and Stuart talked on the phone every day and met up for lunch twice. The short visits were more of a tease than anything else, making her long for some alone-time with her man. Judging by the heated looks Stuart had given her from across the cafeteria table, he probably felt the same way. They made tentative plans to go out Saturday evening, but Stuart had to cancel at the last moment because of work.
She spent most of Sunday helping her mom clean up the house and make preparations for dinner, including a quick run to the grocery store for supplies. Quinn hid in his room, afraid he might be asked to help.
When the doorbell rang a few minut
es before six, Lila reminded her son to be on his best behavior, took a deep breath, and opened the door.
The juvenile shifter standing on her porch grinned and fidgeted. “Yo, Ms. F., is Quinn home?”
Lila sighed. Justin was so not who she was expecting. “Hello, Justin. Quinn’s in the living room.” She stepped back and held the door open.
“Thanks.” Justin breezed by her.
She started to shut door, but froze as she spotted Stuart’s truck pulling up in front of the house. She stood in the doorway and watched Stuart and his uncle get out of the vehicle and head up the front walk. Stuart was dressed casually in a collared navy blue shirt and a pair of khaki pants. He carried flowers in one hand and what looked like a liquor bottle in the other. He strode toward her, strong and confident. She was so riveted by watching him that she almost forgot the man walking by his side. George Watson looked like an older version of Stuart, with a much slimmer physique and steely gray hair slicked back from his face. She found it a little odd that the older man was dressed in a navy blue suit for a casual family dinner, but figured to each their own. If dressing up made him feel good then more power to him.
Stuart reached her first and wrapped her up in his big strong arms. “It’s so good to see you. It feels like it’s been ages.”
Lila hugged him back with gusto. “It really does.” She kissed the side of his neck and whispered. “We really need to find some alone time soon.”
Stuart dipped his head and nipped her ear. “I could always throw you over my shoulder and made a break for it. Think we could make a clean getaway before anyone noticed we were gone?”
Mr. Watson cleared his throat. “I think your opportunity to flee has passed, young man.”
Stuart dropped his arms and stepped back. “Lila Foster, I’d like you to meet my uncle, George Watson.”
Pleasant Valley Bears: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Pleasant Valley Shifters) Page 14
