by Ruby Shae
While her friends waited in line, Caroline searched the corner farthest from the register for an empty table. When she’d been about to give up, one opened near the window and she sat down, exhaling a sigh of relief.
The guy at the next table cast her an ugly, distasteful look, but she ignored him and pretended to check her phone. Anything to avoid looking in Luke’s direction.
She could admit in the privacy of her own mind that she’d lied to her friends about eating in the shop. Avoiding the place did seem silly and unrealistic, but she really hadn’t wanted to see him again.
Until she did.
Though she’d only glanced in his direction, knowing he was near sent her pulse racing. Her pussy ached when she thought about the way his muscled arm had held her so tenderly in the hours after they’d made love. She hadn’t expected his soft touch, but she’d reveled in it. He was muscular, handsome and tender all rolled into the perfect man.
In her eyes he was flawless—except for the fact that he didn’t want her.
She hated feeling so desperate for a man, but he called to her in a way no other had. She felt as if he desired her in a way that was far more than physical, and she longed to give him what he needed.
None of it made any sense.
They’d only been on one date, and since when did she pine for a man who had given her the brush off? Never. She never did. Once they ended their date or their night together, she never cried over the fact that the men disappeared, never to be seen or heard from again.
She was a one date wonder, and she knew that’s the way it would always be for her. Even though he seemed different, he wasn’t, and she had a feeling the shifter part of him had something to do with it. It wasn’t true love, or some desperate desire to be with her. It was animal magnetism and nothing more. The sooner she embraced the truth, the sooner she’d be able to shake off her lust for him.
Luckily, she’d be leaving town in two days.
With a few hundred miles between them, it would be easy to move on and forget about his perfection. Later, when she moved to the city, she doubted anything would change. She imagined he didn’t spend a lot of time out of Bear Canyon, and when she came to town, she’d try to avoid the sandwich shop as much as possible.
Soon he would be a distant memory.
The thought saddened her more than it should, but when she saw Dawn and Bree weaving their way through the tables, she plastered a smile on her face and welcomed their arrival.
“Just in time,” she said, laughing, “I was about to wither away here.”
“Me too,” Dawn said. “I’m starving. Standing next to the counter wasn’t a good idea. I almost wrestled a few people for their food.”
The innocent way Dawn delivered a joke always had her in stitches, and her laugh echoed around the room. The guy next to her looked up from his book and gave her another dirty look, but she ignored him again and continued eating and laughing with her friends.
A few minutes later, she laughed even louder at the end of one of Bree’s stories.
“Do you mind?” the man at the next table said, looking directly at her. “I’m trying to read and your cackling is beyond annoying.”
Silence stretched around them as everyone stopped talking and stared in their direction, but she didn’t know if they were looking at her or him. Usually witty comebacks were never in short supply, but he’d left her speechless.
To make matters worse, Luke had left his place behind the counter and approached them at a rapid pace. His anger was evident, and she knew he was going to ask her to leave. Embarrassment and betrayal caused her eyes to tear up, but she refused to cry in front of him. In that moment, getting over him didn’t seem so hard.
He stopped in between their tables and looked down at the man.
“Ben, the library is down the street. If you want quiet, go there. This is a place to gather with friends and I don’t care if Caroline wants to cackle, quack, crow or cluck, she’s welcome to do it here. Anyone who doesn’t like it can leave.”
He looked around the room as he finished his sentence, meeting the stares of the onlookers. No one moved except the man. His glare was hard to miss, but he picked up his belongings and left the shop.
“Enjoy your lunch, ladies,” Luke said, and then he turned and went back to work.
Soon, the noise level returned to a low roar as everyone went back to their own conversations.
How the hell am I supposed to forget him now?
“Oh my god,” Dawn whispered.
“Not interested my ass,” said Bree.
“Shh…,” Caroline reprimanded as she watched him duck back behind the counter.
When he was out of earshot, she faced them.
“I have to get out of here.”
She jumped out of her seat and raced for the door. Bree and Dawn moved with less urgency, but she didn’t have to look back to see if they followed. She knew they would.
Once outside, she leaned against the wall of the next building over and inhaled big gulps of air. So many emotions assailed her, she needed to keep things in perspective.
While his gesture had been wonderful, he would have done it for any patron. He wasn’t the kind of man to stand by and let someone openly pick on one of his guests.
He was just doing his job, nothing more.
She repeated the phrase over and over in her mind until she believed it.
Her voice wasn’t one people defended unless they had no choice and that’s exactly what had happened. It didn’t mean anything beyond that.
“Are you okay?” Bree asked when they caught up to her.
“Yeah, I just needed to get some air. Sorry about running out on you guys.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Dawn said. “I still can’t believe he did that.”
“He was just doing his job,” Caroline said.
“No way,” Bree said.
“I don’t think so,” Dawn agreed.
She shook her head and held out her hands to stop their sappy, made-up scenarios about her happily ever after.
“Just. Doing. His. Job,” she reiterated. “Understand?”
They both frowned, but nodded in agreement.
“Good, now let’s hit the city. I need a cute top for tonight.”
***
“Just go talk to her already.”
Luke glared at Drew, sucked in a deep breath and faced his friend, turning his back toward Caroline and her friends.
“It’s complicated.”
“Complicated,” Drew repeated, deadpan.
“Yeah, complicated. I would think you of all people would understand that,” Luke said.
“Whatever,” Drew spat. “I’m going to make some rounds.”
Drew was the town sheriff, and his best friend. Though they never talked about Lily, he knew the guy was in love with his sister, but he’d never made a move beyond friendship. Luke had no idea why, but he knew his comment would keep his friend off his back.
He turned back toward the dance floor and Caroline, and took a long drink of his beer. He should have known she’d be here. The only bar in town was the place to be on Friday night.
Maybe that’s why he’d come, because he wanted to see her again.
It had been a rough week and a half and he knew Caroline’s vacation was coming to an end. He tried not to think about how much he and his bear wanted her to stay, and yet he stood behind her in the shadows, watching her like some creepy weirdo.
I’m creepy bar guy!
He smiled and shook his head when he remembered Lily telling him not to be creepy garage guy. As he stood at the back of the bar, he realized she definitely had a point. He decided to leave after he finished his beer.
Thinking about Lily reminded him of his outburst a week ago. He’d stayed in the canyon until her shift was over, and then he’d waited next to her car outside the shop. He apologized and, after reiterating her points from their earlier argument, she’d forgiven him.
He still
felt like shit for being such an asshole, but he took her advice and tried to let it go. People lashed out all the time, and a one-time mistake didn’t make him a bad man, or a bad brother. He knew the words were true, but he had a hard time accepting them.
An old, fast hip-hop song came on and the two couples with Caroline went to dance, leaving her alone at the table. He briefly wondered why she didn’t join them when another man he didn’t know walked up to her and motioned toward the dancing couples.
A low growl rumbled in his chest, and the urge to change into his bear form and charge the other man rode him hard. Shit, he needed to get a grip. If he wasn’t going to claim her, someday someone would.
The thought made his heart ache.
Caroline shook her head and relief swamped him until the other man put his hand on her elbow and nudged her toward the group of dancers.
Though they had the same lifespan as humans, and could be hurt or killed, shifters were stronger in both their forms. Seeing the other bear trying to push his girl out onto the dance floor had his canines lengthening, and the urge to shift was stronger than ever. It was the second time that day he’d been pushed to the brink over his woman. When he thought about the loser in his shop earlier, another low growl vibrated through him.
Mine!
He crossed the room and stood behind the man talking to his mate.
“Come on. I’m only asking for one dance,” her male admirer said.
“And I’m still saying no. Please leave me alone,” Caroline responded.
“Come on,” the man said, tugging her elbow again. “Once you get out there, you won’t be sorry.”
“I believe the lady said no,” Luke roared.
This time, the only attention gained from his outburst was that of Caroline and the man next to her. The music blared on, and the other patrons minded their own business.
Caroline jumped, but she seemed to immediately calm when she recognized him. The man next to her took one look at Luke, held out his hands and took a step back.
“Hey, you can’t blame a guy for trying,” he said.
“No, but you can blame him for not taking no for an answer,” Luke said. “Get out of here and don’t approach her again.”
Satisfaction filled him as he watched as the guy weave in and out of the dancers to get to the other side of the bar. When he looked back at Caroline, her smile pushed all of his anger away.
“Would you like to dance?” he asked, momentarily ditching his plan to stay away from her.
“I’d love to.” She placed her hand in his and he led her out to the floor.
The music transitioned into a slow song, and she placed her hands on his shoulders as he encircled her waist with his own.
God she feels like heaven!
One feel of her soft curves and his dick grew hard. She smiled and he knew she’d noticed, but she didn’t pull away.
“Thank you for saving me…again,” she said. “I promise I’m not usually this problematic.”
She let out a stilted laugh and he hated that she felt the need to apologize.
“Neither incident was your fault, honey, but I don’t mind saving you.”
“Well, I’m glad you took care of the guy from tonight, but I’m sorry you had to stand up for me in your shop. I know how difficult that must have been.”
Difficult? What the hell is she talking about?
“You don’t think I could have taken him?”
He couldn’t help the dangerous edge in his voice. The fact that she questioned his ability to protect her irritated him more than it should have, but her laughter stunned him. She wasn’t afraid of him.
“That’s not what I meant, silly,” she said, playfully slapping him on the shoulder. “I meant because my voice is so irritating. It must have been hard to defend something you found annoying as well.”
“I love your voice,” he said honestly. “Who says it’s annoying?”
“Besides that guy in your shop?”
“Yeah,” he said, waiting to track down whoever she named.
“Everyone,” she laughed.
“Right. Very funny,” he said.
He looked over her head at the other couples on the floor. He was disappointed, but if she didn’t want to confide in him, he wouldn’t push her. Considering he’d done the same to her, he shouldn’t be offended, but he was.
“Luke,” she waited until he looked down at her. “I’m not trying to be a bitch. Besides a few close friends, no one likes my voice. At parties, sure, people like to hang out with me, but on a date? Forget it. As soon as they have to spend time with me alone, they cringe and run for the hills.”
“That’s not true,” he said.
Why is she lying?
“Why would I lie?” she asked matter-of-factly. “Ask Bree or Dawn, they’ll tell you the same thing. They’ve witnessed it.”
“People run away from you? Really?”
“They usually make a less than graceful excuse and walk very fast, but yes, really.”
“Well, I like it,” he said, pulling her flush with his body.
“Well, you’re the only one,” she said, “but, thank you.”
She slid her hands under his arms, placed them on his shoulder blades and rested her head on his shoulder.
He tensed, but if she noticed, she kept the knowledge to herself.
He wanted the moment to never end almost as much as he wanted to end it as soon as possible. Holding her had been a mistake, not only because she’d reciprocated, but because he wanted to hold her forever.
He had to leave before her hands started to roam, otherwise he’d be forced to explain more than he wanted to. In one swift motion, he grabbed her biceps and took a step back.
“I’m sorry, but I have to go.”
“Okay,” she said quietly, her confusion evident.
I’m sorry! I love you! Please mate with me!
He turned and briskly walked through the crowd, toward the back door. He couldn’t waste time looking for his friend, so he decided to text Drew as soon as he got far enough away from her. He didn’t look back, and he didn’t slow his steps until the warm summer air cooled his heated skin.
His bear urged him to go back, but he knew if he did, he’d beg her to stay.
He texted Drew, shifted into his bear, and ran.
Chapter Six
Caroline watched, speechless, as Luke walked away from her. Again. Then she followed his path through the bar. She pushed through the heavy metal door, and walked out into the night in time to see a huge grizzly bear disappear into a row of trees at the edge of the parking lot.
Luke’s strange behavior left her confused, hurt, and curious, but as much as she wanted to know more, she let it go. She was leaving the day after tomorrow and they obviously weren’t meant to be.
She went back into the bar and vowed to forget about him.
The rest of the night passed in a blur as she danced with more men than she’d ever had before. She had a feeling Bree and Dawn were sending the men her way, but for once she didn’t mind. Laughing and talking with others occupied her enough to keep her feelings and concern for Luke buried deep.
It was only after she was alone in her hotel room later that night that she’d started to wonder about his welfare.
Why had he asked her to dance only to run away? She thought back to their first encounter in the sandwich shop, their date that followed, and the night they spent together. He’d said no when she’d asked him out, and then rescued her twice in one day.
It was as if he wanted her…but he didn’t want to want her.
It was the only sensible excuse for his behavior, and yet it didn’t make any sense at all.
The riddles had kept her up most of the night, and by morning she’d decided she had to see him one last time before she left town. She had one last dinner with her friends that evening, but her entire morning and afternoon were free.
The next day, Sunday, she would leave Bear Canyon before the s
un came up.
With a plan in place, she’d ordered room service for breakfast, showered, got dressed and walked to the sandwich shop. The place was crowded, as usual, but she didn’t see Luke anywhere. She approached Lily for help.
“Excuse me, Lily? Is Luke around?”
“Hi Caroline,” Lily said, when she looked up from her station. “He’s off today, but I bet you can find him at home.”
“No,” she shook her head, “that’s okay. Can you just tell him I stopped in to say goodbye?”
“Sure—”
“Thank you.”
Caroline turned and rushed out of the shop. Her heart ached in a way she couldn’t explain and she had to get out of there before she did something stupid like cry for absolutely no reason.
Get a grip! You went on ONE date!
The fresh air helped her calm down and she swallowed huge gulps until she felt like herself again.
“Caroline, wait up.”
No, please no!
She turned around just as Lily caught up to her.
“Please don’t give up on him,” Lily pleaded.
“Lily, I…,” she searched for the right words. “There’s really nothing to give up. I like him, but he doesn’t feel the same, or he does but he doesn’t want to, which is basically the same. I only stopped in because last night was…weird, and I wanted to make sure he’s okay.”
“Go check on him,” Lily said. “Then you’ll know for sure. If you leave without seeing him, you’ll always wonder.”
“You’re probably right, but I still don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Look, he’ll kill me for butting in, but he’s in love with you,” Lily said. “I don’t know what happened between you guys, but I know he loves you. Please don’t leave without saying goodbye face to face.”
He loves me? No, he doesn’t.
“I know you want him to be happy,” Caroline started, choosing her words carefully, “but he doesn’t love me. He might like me a little, but he doesn’t want to and he usually pushes me away.”
“Did he tell you anything about our childhood?” Lily asked, determined.
“Very little. He said you had a lot of rules when you were little, and then later there were a lot less rules and that’s when he’d started creating sandwiches.”
