Doctor Daddy Bear (Return to Bear Creek Book 8)

by Harmony Raines

  “Then why dump her at the hospital?” Suzie asked perplexed.

  “When we finally get our kitty cornered, we can ask them,” Kit said, with a sigh.

  “I hope whoever it is comes back,” Suzie said hopefully.

  “So do I.” Kit sat up, his face alert.

  “You have an idea?” Suzie asked.

  “I certainly do.” He let Storm finish her bottle and then handed her to Suzie. “I have a camera we can set up.”

  “A camera?” Suzie asked, not sure what Kit meant.

  “Yes, it’s motion-activated.” Kit got up and left the room, coming back a few minutes later with a box containing a small camera.

  “We set this up, and when someone enters the barn it will start filming. I can hook it up to my computer and we can watch remotely.” Kit looked at the settings on the camera. “Couple it with some food and a warm blanket, and we might very well capture this cat…on camera, if not in real life.”

  “You have it all figured out, and there was me thinking you were just a pretty face,” Suzie said. She had to admit she liked Kit a lot. He was both kind and thoughtful, but also able to think outside of the box, something that happened a lot in her job with Social Services. The number of times she had worked out how to make families compromise, and how to fit round pegs into square holes, were too many to count.

  Her thoughts turned to Fiona. If ever there was a square peg to be fitted in a round hole, that was Fiona. But the dragon shifter made it clear there were always ways of working these things out. A wave of affection passed over Suzie. She might have butted heads with Fiona on more than one occasion, but Suzie knew Fiona was both older and wiser on so many levels, and she missed her input on this case.

  Fiona always seemed to have an instinct as to how a shifter parent or child might behave. Suzie was out of her depth here, and worried she was going to mess it up and Storm would never be reunited with her real mom.

  “There.” Kit came back from the kitchen with a packet of sandwiches and a Thermos of coffee.

  “Cats have paws. There is no way whoever is out there will open the Thermos,” Suzie said. “As far as I know, cats do not have opposable thumbs, even shifter cats.”

  “They don’t. But if anything is going to tempt our feline visitor to shift back into their human form, hot coffee is it.” He moved toward Suzie, and added, “There is one more thing I would like to add to this lure.”

  “And that is?” Suzie already figured it out. “The blanket.”

  “Yes, it has the scent of Storm on it.” Kit passed Suzie another blanket, and she swapped them over, making Storm wriggle. The baby was now fully awake, her legs kicking and her eyes, not quite able to focus, scanning the room. Suzie still had the impression she was searching for something. Or someone.

  “Go for it, we’ll sit right here.”

  “Good, because I need you to let me know if the camera is working. Do you have your phone on you?” Kit asked.

  “Sure,” Suzie said, taking it from her pocket.

  “Good, give it to me. I’ll add my number to your contacts. When you see the camera working, text me and let me know.” He stood up, the camera, Thermos, sandwich, and blanket in his arms.

  “You look as if you are going on an expedition,” Suzie said, grinning at him. “At least, a child's version of an expedition.”

  Kit looked down. “You are right. My brothers and I used to go out and watch the stars when we were kids. The light pollution up here in the mountains is negligible. This is about all we would take. Besides a flashlight, which my youngest brother, Neil, would always switch on and blind us. Then my oldest brother, Jacob, would yell at him.”

  “Why?” Suzie asked.

  “Because once he switched it off, we would have to let our eyes get used to the dark again before the stars really popped out of the sky at us.” Kit shook his head but smiled fondly. “Every damn time.”

  “I never had any siblings,” Suzie admitted. “I always wanted a brother or sister, if only to argue with.”

  “I hope that means you want more than one child,” Kit said.

  “I do.” Suzie’s eyes misted over, but she blinked her unshed tears away. “I just didn’t expect to meet someone and be talking about kids before we’ve even been on a date.”

  “Things move fast when you have a shifter as a mate,” Kit admitted. Then his expression softened. “But I’m willing to go as slow as you need to go. We have the rest of our lives, there is no need to rush into anything.”

  “Is that what you want, to take it slow?” Suzie asked.

  “No. Not at all, but what I want is not as important as what you need,” Kit said.

  Suzie stifled a yawn. “I think what I need is to go to bed.” She looked at her watch, but it was only seven.

  “Listen, I’ll go set this up, and then make you something to eat. We can watch for any movement on the camera at the same time.” Kit backed out of the door.

  “Do we have to keep watch?” Suzie asked. “You know, take it in turns?”

  Kit chuckled. “No, there is an alarm that will go off if the camera is activated. I’m a light sleeper, I’ll hear it.”

  “OK.” Suzie nodded, and stifled another yawn as Kit left the house to go and set up the camera. It was a smart idea, and once it was activated, the images it sent back to the computer were clear.

  Can you see me? Kit texted to Suzie’s phone as he waved his hand at the camera.

  Yes, Suzie sent back her reply.

  Great, all working, he answered.

  If the animal Kit had seen came back, this was their best chance of identifying it. Even if they never shifted into their human form, maybe one of the local sheriffs might be able to put a name to the animal. In this way, they might just find Storm’s mommy. Even if they were not reunited, Suzie desperately wanted to know that Storm’s mommy was OK.

  “Do you hear that, Storm? We might find out who you are.” Suzie bent her head and kissed the baby’s head. “And if we don’t, then I promise I will make sure you find the perfect home to grow up in.”

  An unbidden, but not unwelcome thought popped into Suzie’s sleepy brain. What if Storm was the first of many children she and Kit welcomed into their lives? Fiona had successfully adopted. Why couldn’t she and Kit?

  Because you have only just met, her subconscious tried to tell her. But Suzie no longer cared. She knew she was with the right man, and that it didn’t matter that they had only just met, and had never been on a date.

  They were meant to be together. She didn’t need to be a shifter to understand that.

  Chapter Six – Kit

  Kit’s visit to the barn to install the motion-activated camera did not last long. He didn’t want his human scent to linger in the cold barn, so he quickly set up the camera, pointing it directly at his bait, the chicken sandwich, which he’d wrapped in tinfoil with the hope of stopping it from freezing too quickly, and a Thermos of coffee.

  Once satisfied everything was set up, Kit went back outside, leaving the barn door ajar, and jogged back to the house, his boots making a crumping sound in the freshly fallen snow.

  The temperature was dropping rapidly as the snow clouds thinned completely, leaving a clear sky with a crescent moon. Even with his hot bear-blood pumping through his veins, he could feel the chill in the air. With one backward look at the barn, he entered the house and shut the door firmly, bolting it securely.

  “I didn’t think people locked their doors around here,” Suzie commented. She was standing looking at him from the doorway leading into the sitting room.

  He looked at the door guiltily, and then back to Suzie, who still held Storm in her arms. “I don’t want whoever might be out there to come in here.”

  Suzie's face paled, and he knew she got his meaning. “Why would someone dump a baby at the hospital and then come back and take her away?”

  “We are assuming it is the exact same cat. What if it’s another cat, same shape prints, similar size? I
got a good scent of this cat, but not the one at the hospital.” He took a deep breath and carried on, although he didn’t want to upset Suzie. “We are also assuming the paw prints at the hospital belong to the cat who left baby Storm. What we don’t know is if the cat was coming to retrieve what was his, or hers. Or if Storm’s mom left her at the hospital to keep her safe from someone else.”

  “I didn’t think of that,” Suzie admitted. “So someone else might have left Storm at the hospital and the cat tracked them?”

  “Perhaps.” Kit walked toward the sitting room, and Suzie went back to the fireside, while he checked the camera screen. It was blank; there was no movement in the barn. “If that’s the case, we have to make sure the house is locked, and Storm sleeps with us.”

  “Us?” Suzie asked. “I thought separate rooms were the plan.”

  “They were.” He turned to her, an apologetic look on his face. “I’m going to be honest. I want you two where I can see you, where I can protect you.”

  Suzie looked down at Storm. He was ready to defend his decision, he was ready to argue his point of view, but Suzie simply nodded. “OK. We’re better together.”

  “We are,” he replied. “And please don't think this is a way for me to push you into my bed. If you prefer, I’ll sleep on the floor, or there’s a chair in the corner of the room…”

  Suzie put her hand up. “It’s OK, you don’t have to explain yourself. Sleeping in the same bed, doesn’t mean sex is mandatory, does it?” She looked down at Storm and said, “Sorry, you don’t need to hear things like that, do you, sweetheart?”

  “I think you are OK. Sex won’t be the first word out of her mouth,” Kit joked.

  “If you keep saying it, it will,” Suzie chided.

  “Come on, let’s eat. I’m starving.” Kit headed for the kitchen, and then stopped, turning to Suzie, hands on hips. “You are going to have to put her down at some point.”

  “I don’t know where,” Suzie said, looking around.

  “I’ll go grab the crib. She can stay in here where it’s warm while we make dinner.” Kit left Suzie and went into the guest bedroom, which was where his foster children slept, unless they were babies. Kit always set a crib or cot up in his bedroom when he fostered babies. Thankfully, abandoned or orphaned shifter babies were rare.

  He grabbed the crib and came back to the sitting room. “Here we are.”

  “Do you foster many babies?” Suzie asked, passing Storm to Kit.

  “I do,” Kit admitted. “Any shifter baby in need of a temporary home usually ends up at my door.” He kissed Storm’s head and then placed her in the crib. “As a pediatrician, I’m committed to giving all children the best start in life, and then helping them throughout their early years.”

  “You are a committed man,” Suzie said.

  “Does it bother you?” Kit asked.

  “Why would it?” Suzie replied with her own question. She didn’t understand what he was asking. If he asked her outright about how she felt about fostering children, what would her answer be? Would she make him choose?

  “I foster shifter children. When we're together…” Kit hesitated. “And I truly believe we are meant to be together.”

  “It’s OK.” Suzie placed her hand on his arm, sending all kinds of wonderful sensations coursing through his body. “I know what you are asking. And no, I will not be telling you to give up fostering. Maybe when we have a child Storm’s age, I might not want a house full of other children for a week or two. But aside from that, I’m OK with it. More than OK.” She touched his cheek, brushing the back of her hand across his stubbly chin. “We’re in the same business. So to speak.”

  Kit sighed in contentment, ignoring his need to take Suzie by the hand and show her how much he wanted to make a child with her. This wasn’t the time, not yet. “We are in the same business, the business of making children’s lives better.”

  “You are a lucky girl, Storm,” Suzie said to the baby, who was drifting back off to sleep.

  “I hope you think you are lucky too,” Kit said, and then winced. “I didn’t mean that to sound so conceited.”

  “It didn’t. And I know what you meant. And I hope I am a lucky girl too.” Suzie gave him a soft smile, and her cheeks, already reddened from the cold wind, flushed a brighter red. “So far, I believe I am. If that makes you happier.”

  “It does,” Kit said. He was leaning in toward her, and he pulled back, snapping out of the delirious state of happiness that threatened to smother him.

  “What about that food?” Suzie said, her cheeks redder, her tongue slipping out to moisten her full lips.

  It took all of Kit’s self-control not to reach for her, and pull her into his arms. However, he didn’t want to go too fast. He wanted them all to sleep in the same room tonight, preferably with Suzie in bed with him. If he pushed her too fast now, she might chicken out and insist on staying in the guest room. A shudder passed through him, and his hackles raised. Until he knew for sure who, or what, was out there, he wanted Suzie and Storm close to him.

  “Let’s see what I have in the cupboards.” He glanced back at Suzie as they walked into the kitchen. “I am going to admit that cooking for one is not my favorite thing. I often eat at the hospital.”

  “This from a man who keeps his house prepared in the event he has to foster a child at a moment’s notice,” Suzie asked, eyebrow arched.

  “That’s different.” He grinned. “I have Tater Tots, or I could rustle up mac and cheese. There’s probably a pizza too.”

  “Comfort food at its finest,” Suzie commented with a sliver of a smile.

  Kit turned to face her. “When a foster kid arrives, that’s all they want, comfort.” His face was serious, all humor gone. “It’s heartbreaking.”

  “I know,” Suzie said. “I think it’s an amazing thing that you do. To take a child into your home and make them feel safe.”

  “I’m no hero, Suzie,” Kit answered humbly. “I do what I do because I can. Because I needed to fill this void within me. A void made by my need to have a mate, a woman in my life.”

  “Wow, that is scary.” Suzie reached out her hand to steady herself, resting it on the countertop. “I’m going to say it back to you. I am no hero either.”

  Kit smiled, all tension leaving him. “You might think differently when you've lived with me for a few months.”

  “Only a few months?” Suzie asked.

  “Yeah, by then you’ll know I’m a terrible cook. I’m not so great at yard work either.” He shrugged apologetically.

  “That’s OK. I love cooking, it’s one of the things my mom and I used to do together. Outdoors is where my mom feels at home, so we tended the back yard, and filled it with blooms.” She gave Kit a sly smile. “So yard work is one of my favorite pastimes.” She sighed. “It’s going to be difficult for me to leave my house and garden behind. And my mom…”

  Kit cocked his head thoughtfully. “That means you intend to live here with me.”

  “One day.” She dipped her head and her long, mousy brown hair slipped across her face. “I want to be sure.”

  “I know you do.” Kit closed the space between them, wanting to comfort his mate. Stroking her chin with his fingers, he tilted her face up so she had to face him. “Are you scared?”

  Tears misted Suzie’s eyes. “Not of you,” Suzie told him honestly. “But of this whole relationship. Yes, it scares me. Part of me knows it is the right thing to do. I might not feel the same bond as you, but it doesn’t mean I don’t feel something.” She sighed. “And then there is the other side, the practical down-to-earth side, that is yelling I am making the biggest mistake of my life. A mistake I swore I would never make.”

  Kit frowned. “What made you swear to not make a mistake?”

  Suzie tried to tear her eyes from his, but he held her gaze. “I didn’t want to end up pregnant and alone.”

  “You won’t ever be alone.” He slipped his hand around her waist and placed it on the sma
ll of her back. “I’m not the kind of guy who runs out on a woman. Shifters don’t do that.”

  Suzie turned and looked out of the room. “Is that what Storm’s mommy thought?”

  “Hey, we don’t know Storm’s parentage. She might not even be a shifter. But one thing I do know, and that is if she was born from a shifter bond, something catastrophic must have happened for her mother to abandon her, and for her father not to be around to stop it from happening.”

  Suzie brushed her tears away. “I know. Deep down, I know.” She nodded. “It’s going to take me a little while to believe it, though.”

  “We have all the time in the world,” Kit said, and unable to help himself, he lowered his lips and kissed her.

  “Sealed with a kiss,” Suzie murmured.

  “And by fate,” Kit replied.

  Chapter Seven – Suzie

  Between the two of them, they had made dinner. Suzie had found some ground beef in his freezer and Kit had unearthed a jar of sauce and a packet of spaghetti noodles. This, coupled with some half-stale bread, which Suzie had masterfully turned into garlic bread, with the help of butter and a couple of cloves of garlic which were dried up, but just about usable, made a satisfying dinner.

  “Now I see why fate has sent you to me,” Kit acknowledged, sitting back in his chair, looking sated.

  “You think I’m here just to feed you?” Suzie asked.

  “Oh no, I think there is much more than that to our relationship,” Kit said, a glint of humor in his eyes.

  “You know, I don’t think I want to know,” Suzie said. “Not yet.”

  “I was not going to use a double entendre,” Kit answered, offended.

  “Really?” Suzie asked, getting up from the small kitchen table where they had eaten their meal, while Storm slept peacefully in the next room.

  “Nope.” He shook his head. “I was going to say you’ve been sent to save me from myself.”

  “In what way?” Suzie began to clear the table, and Kit helped. Her body was attuned to his every movement. She didn’t want to admit it, but sleeping in the same bed as him tonight was going to be a challenge. She wanted to touch him, to run her fingers down the front of his shirt, and then slowly unbutton it to reveal his hard, toned body beneath.