Doctor Daddy Bear (Return to Bear Creek Book 8)

by Harmony Raines

  “The hospital fills many hours. My patients have always been important to me. But when I am at home, and I’m too tired to read, I have to resort to watching shows on the TV that probably lower my IQ.”

  Suzie giggled. “How do you know I don’t like those kind of shows?”

  “Then I suppose we slip together into mental mush.” He shrugged and began to fill the sink up with hot soapy water. “It’s not so bad if we join hands and go down together.”

  “How romantic,” Suzie exclaimed.

  “What do you like?” Kit asked. “We know nothing about each other.”

  “We know some things.”

  “Cooking, gardening, and kids,” Kit reeled off his short list.

  “Hmm. What else?” Suzie asked. “I’ll be honest, I’m like you, work fills up most of my day. When I’m not in the office, I’m at home doing paperwork. If not paperwork, then I am thinking about child placements, and checking whether my team is handling their caseload. I have seen what happens when social workers get burdened by their job.”

  “It’s a great responsibility, being left to ensure a child gets the helps it needs.” Kit placed a plate on the drainer.

  “More so for you,” Suzie said. “You must handle life and death cases.”

  “I do.” Kit hesitated. “Sometimes life is so fragile and so unfair.”

  “But you do your job anyway.” Suzie reached for the plate and dried it with the dishcloth.

  “Yes, I do.” Kit hesitated. “When I was a kid, my younger brother, Neil, got sick. I remember we spent weeks going back and forth to the hospital in Bear Bluff. At the time it seemed never-ending. But the nurses and the doctors were great, and we all got through it.”

  “And that’s why you became a doctor?” Suzie asked.

  “Yes.” He put a goofy grin on his perfect face. She loved the way he laughed at himself. “Sounds lame, I know. But there was this moment, when, after three weeks of no one knowing what was wrong with Neil, his doctor, Dr. Carmichael, was waiting for us. We all walked in, expecting the worst, but then Dr. Carmichael broke the news that they had identified the illness. Neil had a very serious virus strain, which had caused a bacterial infection that was resistant to most antibiotics. My mom just broke down and cried when the doctor said they had now prescribed an antibiotic that would kill off the infection. I knew in that moment I wanted to be like Dr. Carmichael.”

  “Did Neil make a full recovery?” Suzie asked.

  “Yes.” Kit returned to the dishes. “He works in the local fire department here in Bear Creek.”

  “Does all your family live locally?” Suzie picked up the next plate, dried it and set it on the counter.

  “They do. We have deep roots here.” Kit turned to look at her over his shoulder. “I hope our family will grow up here too.”

  “I have no argument at all about that. I grew up with no roots. And I don’t want that for my kids.” Suzie smiled sadly. How would her mom feel about Suzie leaving? But she had to leave home at some point. Yet her mom depended on her. They had been everything to each other since Suzie was born.

  “Your turn, why did you become a social worker?” Kit asked. “That must be another career where you get a calling.”

  “Like you, I wanted to make things better for kids. To make sure they are protected and supported.” Suzie turned her back on Kit. This wasn’t the time; she didn’t want to bare her soul to him, not now. A small mewling sound from the sitting room announced Storm’s need for attention. “I’ll finish up here.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to go to her?” Kit asked.

  “No. You are going to be the one who fosters her, not me. Anyway, she might need changing and if we want the diaper to stay on through the night, it might be best if you change her. You being an expert and all.”

  “You can do the next one,” Kit promised.

  Suzie grinned. “I can’t wait.”

  However, secretly, she was beginning to like the idea of being Storm’s mommy. Her biological clock had been ticking away for some time; she’d simply tried to ignore it. When she’d told Kit she was hesitant to have children in case she ended up as an abandoned single mother, she wasn’t making it up.

  Suzie had been raised by her single mom. She couldn’t complain: her mom did everything she could to make sure Suzie was happy and loved, despite her own low self-esteem. Their situation was compounded by the lack of any family support. What she had yet to tell Kit, was that Suzie’s choice of career was due to her own mom’s experiences as a single mom who had fought hard to keep her child when no one thought she could cope alone.

  Her mom’s struggles had cemented an idea in Suzie’s mind. She would carve a career out in Social Services, one where she would do whatever she could to keep families together.

  Listening to baby Storm’s small cries, she silently promised that if there was any way she could reunite her with her mommy, she would. No matter what it took, no matter how far they had to search. Her training came tumbling back to her. Suzie reminded herself that sometimes people had their own reasons for not wanting to be found. And she had to respect that.

  But it wouldn’t stop her from trying.

  Suzie finished the dishes and went back to the sitting room. Kit wasn’t there. Neither was Storm. Following the sounds of a male voice singing softly, she found them in what she assumed was Kit’s bedroom. Storm was lying on the bed, her feet and hands waving in the air, while Kit was rummaging through some baby clothes.

  “A clean romper suit,” Kit announced proudly, holding it up. “The one she is wearing is from the hospital.”

  “As soon as the snow clears, I’ll go and buy her some clothes.” Suzie sat down on the bed and held Storm’s tiny hand. The baby stopped moving and turned her head to stare at Suzie. “You need a pretty dress, don’t you?”

  “I have enough clothes,” Kit said as he gently eased Storm into her clean onesie.

  “Oh, I didn’t mean…” She looked bashfully away. “I just wanted her to have something that was hers.”

  “You know what she could really do with?” Kit asked.

  “No?” Suzie shook her head, her hair covering her face.

  “A cuddly toy, all of her own. Something that no matter where she is, or where she goes, it will be there with her to comfort her.”

  Tears pricked Suzie’s eyes, and she wiped them away. This was stupid and scary: she was getting too attached to Storm. Much too attached. “I can do that.”

  “Want to talk about it?” Kit asked, his hand warm on her back, as he moved it in a soothing circle.

  “I hate to think of Storm, or any child not having a home. It breaks my heart.” She wiped her tears away. “Totally unprofessional of me. I know how things work and I know we don’t live in a perfect world.”

  “She’s lucky to have you watching over her,” Kit said.

  “Is she?” Suzie sighed.

  “Yes, she is. And her mommy is lucky too. If anyone is going to reunite them, it’s us,” Kit promised. “Which reminds me, I have to go and fetch the laptop. I’ll leave it next to the bed so if the alarm goes off, I’ll hear it.”

  Suzie looked around the room. “Do you have something I can wear to bed?”

  Kit didn’t hesitate or make any suggestions about not needing any clothes; he simply opened a closet and took out a fleece shirt. “Here, it’s warm. Why don’t you change while I warm a bottle for Storm, and get the laptop? The bathroom is across the hallway.”

  “What about Storm?” Suzie asked.

  “She’s safe enough on the bed.” He quickly dressed the baby in her clean clothes. “At this age, all they do is wriggle. It’s when they turn over and start crawling that things get interesting.”

  A wave of maternal love swept over Suzie. “Raising a child must be the most incredible thing ever. To see a child go from a helpless newborn to an independent young person must be so rewarding.”

  “I’ve only ever caught snapshots,” Kit admitted. �
��When we embark on this adventure, it’s going to be unique for us both.”

  Suzie stood staring at Kit, their eyes locked and a connection formed between them, unspoken, unbreakable. This bond was real: she could feel it, like a warmth in the pit of her stomach that spread out until her body was on fire.

  Only when Kit turned and left the room could she breathe once more. Taking the warm shirt he had given her, Suzie went to the bathroom and undressed, knowing that the woman who had put on her smart skirt suit this morning no longer existed.

  The woman who gazed back at her from the bathroom mirror was softer, more alive, and if not in love, then definitely in lust with Dr. Kit Malvern.

  Chapter Eight – Kit

  Sleeping was going to be difficult when the woman of his dreams was lying next to him in his bed. The same bed in which he had spent so many lonely nights, wondering if he would ever find his mate. So many years had passed, so many dreams.

  And now, here she was. Her scent on the air, her warmth within reach.

  “Goodnight, Kit,” Suzie said sleepily. “And thank you.”

  “For what?” he asked, his lips burning to kiss her soft flesh, his fingers itching to undo the buttons of her borrowed shirt.

  “Everything.” Suzie turned around and faced him. Lifting her hand she stroked his brow, her fingers running down his cheek, and across his lips. His self-control was slipping. “I was lost. I didn’t realize it before today. But I was.”

  “I’ll always be here for you, Suzie. No matter what.” He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, stifling the groan that rose in his throat.

  “I know.” She kissed his lips and then turned away from him, puffing her pillow up and then settling down to sleep.

  Kit lay still for some time watching the rise and fall of her body, while in the crib, Storm wriggled around. Then he let his senses roam further. Was the cat out there, waiting, watching? For what?

  As he searched, he slowly slipped under the spell of sleep, only to wake up in the morning with the sun a pale ghost at the window, and the alarm from the camera beeping.

  He pulled himself fully awake and glanced at the screen of the laptop, just as Suzie was stirring.

  “Someone’s in the barn,” Kit hissed, and slipped out of bed, pulling on his pants as he directed his eyes to the screen. Sure enough, in the faint morning light, the shadow of a cat could be seen in the barn. It was sniffing around, ignoring the sandwich and the Thermos, but intent on the blanket.

  Kit was out of the bedroom, racing for the front door and nearly pulling it off its hinges before he had a chance to think through what he planned to do.

  The only thought in his head was that this was the best chance of finding out who Storm was.

  He opened the front door quietly, and closed it behind him, shifting through the air and leaping off the porch on silent paws. The barn was close, and as he ran, he picked up the scent of the cat. It was the same one from last night, his bear was certain.

  As he rounded the corner of the barn, he heard the sound of claws on concrete; the cat had heard him. With no time to lose, Kit skidded to a halt in the doorway of the barn, his big bulky body blocking the exit route of the cat.

  Or so he thought.

  With the blanket in his mouth, the cat ran at Kit and leaped into the air. Kit’s bear reared up on his back legs, bringing himself up to his full height. With his short stubby bear forelegs waving in the air, the cat had no chance of escape. But he wasn’t ready to be defeated.

  Unsheathing his claws, the cat curled his paws, ready to fight. Maybe he might have stood a chance if he wasn’t facing a bear who had brawled with his two brothers for years. And not just when they were kids. Whenever they got together the Malvern boys liked to challenge each other to a fight. Loser bought the beers, that was the rule.

  One swipe of his big bear paw sent the cat sprawling to the floor. It lay there, winded, giving Kit a moment to work out how he was going to end this with no bloodshed.

  Taking a chance, Kit shifted into his human form. “Hey, I don’t want to fight you.” He stood with his hands out, trying to calm the situation down while the cat, a large male cougar, lifted his head and stared back at him, his tail twitching menacingly.

  Kit stood, ready to shift back into his bear form. He was fast, he’d had lots of practice growing up. Fighting wasn’t the only thing his brothers were competitive about. They used to have shifting competitions too. He had some great childhood memories. It was another reason he was spurred on to help children who came into his care.

  Every child deserved a safe and happy upbringing. And this was maybe his only chance to ensure Storm had such an upbringing with her real mom.

  “I just want to talk.” The cat looked at him, unblinking, and Kit lowered his hands and let his body language soften. “I think we both want what is best for the baby. Right?”

  The cat sat up, tail still twitching, but at least he didn’t look as if he wanted to tear Kit’s face off. Small mercies.

  “I want to help you. I’m not the cops, I’m not here to judge anyone. I want what’s best for the baby, and her mom.” The cat showed no response, but Kit continued regardless. “Baby is fine and healthy, I checked her over myself. I only want to make sure Mom is too. Births can be complicated. I’m worried. I don’t need to know names, and if you don’t want the baby, that’s OK…”

  The cougar stood up, and went to the blanket, which had fallen on the ground. He sniffed it, and then looked up at Kit. He didn’t make a sound, nor did he shift back into his human form. What was he supposed to do? Let the cougar go, and hope he saw sense, or grab hold of him by his tail and swing him around until he did the right thing?

  The cougar paced back and forth, and Kit prepared to shift once more and use the full strength of his bear body to tame the kitty. However, the cougar stopped in front of the blanket and bent his head to sniff it, his body language softer. When the cougar looked up at Kit, his eyes looked mournful.

  “If you shift, we can go and see her,” Kit offered by way of a bribe. This would all go so much smoother if they didn’t have to fight.

  The cougar sighed and then the air shimmered around him. The hair on Kit’s arms and neck stood on end as static electricity filled the cold air. As the cougar disappeared from this world, the image of a young man replaced it.

  “Good choice,” Kit said, smiling easily. “I never like to fight before my first cup of coffee of the day.”

  Cougar boy shrugged and looked away. “Is the baby OK?”

  Kit was relieved this was his first concern. “She is. Want to come see her?”

  “Sure.” Cougar boy took a step forward as Kit backed away.

  “Have you got a name?” Kit asked, giving the young man, who couldn’t be more than about eighteen years old, an appraising look. His hair was fashionably long, tied up in a man bun. His blond looks gave him a kind of a surfer-dude vibe, but Bear Creek was some way away from any surf.

  “Ollie,” came the reply.

  “Well, Ollie, it’s good to meet you.” Kit held out his hand, which was looked at with a great deal of suspicion. “I’ve never met a cat that wasn’t suspicious.”

  “Comes with the territory,” Ollie replied.

  “Are you from Cougar Ridge?” Kit asked.

  “No.” Ollie looked past Kit and out into the early morning light, leaving the doctor with a sense he wasn’t being strictly honest. Kit let it slide.

  “I’m Dr. Kit Malvern, I work at the hospital in Bear Bluff.”

  “I know,” Ollie said.

  “So you followed my car all the way up here?” Kit asked, trying to get some sense of who this young man was.

  “I had to see that the baby was OK.” Ollie didn’t make eye contact.

  “You must care about her a lot,” Kit replied, turning around and walking toward the house. It was a gamble; there were no assurances that Ollie wouldn’t shift into his cat form and run.

  “I do,” Ollie confirmed.r />
  “Are you the one who left her at the hospital?” Kit asked, and was met with a stony silence. “It’s OK, I’m a doctor, not the sheriff. What you say stays between us.”

  “No, I’m not,” Ollie replied, and Kit believed him.

  “You did go to the hospital though. To check that she was OK.” Kit glanced over his shoulder as he took the steps of the porch one at a time. The snow was thick, but it hadn’t reached the door.

  “Yes.”

  “That was a good thing.” Kit hesitated, one hand on the door, but before he opened it, there was one question he wanted to know the answer to. “If she hadn’t been found, would you have taken her with you?”

  Ollie cocked his head. “Yes…I guess. She belongs with her mom.”

  “There, we agree on something,” Kit said with a genuine smile. “Only difference is, you know who her mommy is.”

  “I do.”

  “And you are not ready to tell me. I get that,” Kit said. “You want to protect her.”

  “I do,” Ollie replied.

  “Of course you do,” Kit gave him a gentle smile. “I want you to remember, making sure everyone is happy is all any of us wants. I don’t know why the baby was left, but it would be better for everyone if you could help us with that.”

  “I promised I wouldn’t.” Ollie looked up at Kit, a helpless expression on his face. “I can’t betray her. It would kill her.”

  “I’m not asking you to betray anyone.” Kit opened the door and ushered Ollie into the warmth of his house, trying to figure out what Ollie meant by it would kill her. Was Storm’s mom a shifter too? Were they mates? But surely Ollie wouldn’t have allowed her to give up their baby. It wasn’t the way shifters behaved. “I need coffee.”

  Inside he found Suzie in the kitchen, making a fresh pot of coffee. The stove and fire had been stoked and fresh wood added, making the sitting room and kitchen an inviting place. There was no sign of Storm.