His bear might well be right. Being a shifter meant the only woman he was truly interested in dating was his mate. No other woman would ever satisfy him. Which was why he sat here with silver hair at his temples and an unfulfilled life.
Which was crazy. He’d traveled to amazing places, built incredible houses and made enough money to never have to work another day in his life. But without a mate by his side and cubs at his feet, what was the point?
“Can I get you anything, sir?” The waiter, Austin, a young man with a serious expression hovered at his shoulder once more and fluttered the pages of the notebook in his hand. Mason was certain that working in the restaurant was new to Austin and he hadn’t learned to relax into his job yet. Mason’s missing guest and delay in ordering compounded his nervousness.
“Five more minutes and then I'll order. Whether my guest arrives or not,” Mason read the waiter’s mind. It wasn't difficult because the same thoughts were going through Mason’s head. He’d been stood up. His blind date was a no-show.
Mason pulled out his phone and placed it on the table in front of him. He’d already texted Haley and asked if Tiana was coming. He hadn’t gotten a reply. But Haley was at work, and her phone stayed in her locker. She wouldn't check it until the end of her shift. Or maybe on her break.
Mason took another drink of his beer, this time a large gulp, savoring the sweetness. It was the first time he’d tried Bear Creek Honey Beer and he wasn’t disappointed. The beer itself was almost enough to make him relocate to Bear Creek.
It was an idea Mason and his bear were toying with, which was why he was here at the hotel. This was pleasure, not business, an unusual experience for Mason. However, a long time ago, he and his bear had made a deal. They would live and work in the city, build their fortune, and then retire to the mountains.
Well, retirement time was here. Although, Mason always figured when he came to live here it would be with a mate by his side and a handful of kids. Not a lonely man with silver at his temples and creases on his brow.
He rubbed his neck; a strange prickling sensation started at the base of his spine and worked its way up. He shuddered, feeling odd.
Great, you’re gonna die before we even venture out into the mountains, his bear said bluntly.
Mason chuckled but couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was off. Perhaps it was the beer? He lifted the glass and sniffed it. Smelled fine. He took another deep drink. Tasted fine.
But the feeling something was not fine grew stronger.
“Sir.” He jumped as Austin reappeared. Had it been five minutes already? He looked at the young man, with eyes that wouldn’t focus, and he fought for control of his senses.
“Yes?” Mason’s eyes slid past the waiter and rested on the person standing behind him.
“Your guest has arrived.” The young man looked faintly embarrassed as Mason simply stared at the woman.
Mate, his bear interjected drily. She’s not the woman. She’s our mate.
The words reverberated around Mason’s head, but he still made no reaction.
“I should go. This was a mistake.” Their mate backed away and his bear roared in his head, forcing him to wake up.
“No, don’t go.” Mason stood up so fast his chair tipped over backward. Before it clattered to the highly-polished floor, Mason reached out and grasped hold of it. Forcing himself to act normal, he set it down on four legs before straightening his suit and forcing a smile on his face.
Why was it forced? Because he was too shell-shocked to feel anything. He was numb.
“I’ll get you a menu.” The waiter made himself scarce as Mason slowly recovered. As if he was on pins and needles, the sensations slowly came back to him, painful and prickly, from his toes to the top of his head, his body woke as if it had been asleep since forever.
“Sorry.” Mason shook his head as if trying to get rid of a bee.
She, his mate, leaned forward and asked, “Are you drunk?”
“No.” He looked at her as if she were crazy.
“Drugs?” She raised one eyebrow.
He smiled. “No. I don’t do drugs, never have and only drink occasionally. I do eat red meat, but I also make sure I eat all my vegetables.”
His bear groaned, but she smiled.
Tiana, his bear reminded him. She does have a name.
He thrust his hand out—a little too fast. “Tiana. I’m Mason.” Wow, he really needed to rein it in or she’d run for the mountains.
“I know.” The corners of her mouth twitched. “Good to meet you, Mason.” She slipped her hand into his, it was warm, and the heat in his body crept up until he thought he might explode.
Mason held her hand, not really shaking it, just holding it as if he never wanted to let go. Which he didn’t—because she was his mate. Those words were never going to grow old.
“Shall we sit down?” Tiana prized her hand out of his. Only then did he realize his palms were sweaty with nerves. He wiped them on his pants, feeling like a nervous schoolboy on his first date. But in some ways, this was his first date. At least the first date that mattered.
“Yes. Please.” She moved toward the chair on the other side of the table and he hopped around to pull it out for her. “Thank you.” Tiana kept her expression cool, but he could see the amusement dancing in her eyes.
He groaned. He’d just made the worst first impression on the most important person in his life.
What gave it away? his bear asked.
Ignoring his bear, Mason walked around the table to his own seat, composing himself as he sat down. The waiter reappeared and passed Tiana a menu and went over the specials, while Mason breathed deeply and exhaled, ridding himself of the fog that had clouded his mind.
“I’m Austin, I’ll be your waiter this evening,” Austin began his little speech again, keeping his eyes firmly on Tiana.
“Thank you.” Tiana smiled at the waiter and looked down at the menu.
“I’ll give you a moment to decide.” The waiter smiled warmly and backed away, only when he was five or six paces away did he risk looking at Mason. Great, everyone in the restaurant probably thought he was a lunatic.
“I’m sorry about my behavior,” Mason told Tiana as she read the menu. She looked up at him through her eyelashes. Her cheeks were flushed, and his eyes were drawn to the bright red lipstick on her lips. Damn, he wanted to kiss her until it was all gone.
“No need to apologize.” Tiana closed the menu and set it down on the table. “I don’t suppose I’m what you expected.”
“No,” he agreed and then his eyes widened. “I mean, no, you aren’t. But then I don’t know what I was expecting with this being a blind date.”
She settled back in her chair and surveyed him with an experienced eye. “You don’t look like the kind of man who would need to go on a blind date.”
He gave her a lopsided smile. “I could say the same about you.” He picked up his beer and took a sip, realizing he should have asked the waiter to bring her a drink. “I told Haley I was thinking of moving to Bear Creek and planned to come over for a few days to check the town and the surrounding area out. When Haley suggested a blind date, I nearly said no.” He leaned forward and said, “But I’m glad I didn’t.”
“Mason, can we get one thing clear before we order?” She fixed him in the eye and he was certain he wasn’t going to like what she had to say. “After dinner, I’m going home.”
His brow creased as he tried to figure out what she was implying. “Oh, you think…” He pointed upward. “I never expected you to.”
“You didn’t?” Did she sound offended?
“No. I travel a lot, I eat alone a lot. As I said, when Haley suggested a blind date, I would normally have said no. Should have said no. But I figured it might be nice to talk to someone who lives locally. I’ve always found that the best way to get inside knowledge on an area.” He smiled gently. “Does that make me sound like a loser?”
“No. No, it doesn’t.”
Tiana looked up as Austin returned. “I am starving.”
They ordered, the waiter looking more relaxed as he wrote everything down and then collected the menus. “I think I frightened him,” Mason confided.
Tiana smothered a smile. “You did act a little strange when you saw me. Most waiters and waitresses have experience of blind dates not starting well, let alone not ending well. But I don’t think Austin has much experience at all with diners.”
“I thought the same.” He searched for a way to start a normal conversation when all he wanted to do was ask her if she would be his wife at the earliest opportunity. “You work with Haley, don’t you?”
“I do. We’ve known each other for years. We’ve worked at The Mountain View for years.” The waiter brought her drink, a soda with ice and lemon because she was driving.
Pity, his bear said.
“Do you enjoy it?” Mason asked, wanting to know everything about Tiana. “Working in the restaurant.”
She inhaled deeply and leaned back in her chair. “Is that a barbed question?”
His brow furrowed. “No.”
Tiana nodded. “Just checking. Some people don’t see waitressing as a good career choice.”
“True. But sometimes we don’t have the same choices as others.” He studied her for a moment. “My mom worked as a store assistant all my life. My dad worked construction.”
“And you?” Tiana asked.
He smiled. “I work construction, too.”
Tiana sipped her drink and then looked away before turning those laser sharp blue eyes on him. “I wait a lot of tables, I see a lot of people. And your watch and your suit put you at a higher wage than most construction workers. I’d say your watch alone is worth more than I earn in a year.”
“Astute and observant, I like it.” His eyes flashed. “Haley never told me anything about you other than she works with you at the restaurant. I’m guessing she didn’t tell you about me either.”
“Astute and observant.” Tiana raised her glass to him and grinned. “She also told me we were similar in some ways. But I don’t see it.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I’d say we’re both hard working. Know the value of life.” He paused and looked down at the pristine white tablecloth before he spoke the next words. “I also think we’re both lonely.”
Chapter Three – Tiana
Lonely. He had no idea what he was talking about. Tiana couldn’t remember the last time she’d spent time alone except for when she was in her car or in her bed.
She swallowed hard. Thinking of her bed while seated across the table from Mason was a bad idea. Since the moment he shook her hand all she could think about was how she’d like to feel his hands all over her body. That’s why she’d told him straight, that after the meal, she was going home to her own bed… No, no more thoughts about bed…
She was doomed.
“You don’t have to be alone to be lonely.” Mason’s voice cut through her thoughts of the two of them in bed. Any bed. “My schedule is hectic, and yet even in a room full of people I’m alone. Disconnected.” He gave short laugh. “Sorry, I’m projecting and probably revealing more about myself than you want to know.”
“It’s okay. I understand.” She was still ready to deny she felt the same way, but he was right. No matter how much she loved the people in her life, she had always figured one day she’d have that special someone to share the small stuff with. Just as her mom and dad had a special someone.
“Here’s the food.” He smiled apologetically at her and she wanted to set him at ease.
She listened to the waiter's spiel and thanked him with a reassuring smile that set Austin more at ease. Then she turned her attention to her food, which looked and smelled delicious. So delicious, that the aroma of her chicken pasta made her mouth water. She picked up her knife and fork and ate, savoring the first mouthful as the flavor exploded in her mouth. “This is wonderful.”
“It is.” His eyes lingered on her face and she wasn’t sure whether he meant her or the food. She stopped herself right there. Of course, he meant the food, they’d only just met and although Tiana couldn’t deny the instant attraction between them, that was all it was.
“You said you’re thinking of moving to Bear Creek.” She kick-started the conversation and hoped to keep it on neutral ground.
“I am,” Mason began. “What’s it like living here?”
“Amazing. The scenery, the wildlife, all of it is incredible. And the people, well, you couldn’t meet nicer people.” She thought back over her life here in Bear Creek and couldn’t find one bad word to say about it.
Then she had a sudden thought. Did Mason know about shifters? Wow, this was awkward. It wasn't her place to spill the secrets of Bear Creek and the surrounding towns, but he should know before he moved here.
“Have you lived here all your life?” Mason asked as he cut into his medium rare steak.
“No, I moved here when my husband got a job at the local timber mill.” Was she eating too fast? She looked at her plate, she’d already cleared half of it. It was so yummy she should eat slowly and savor each mouthful instead of hoovering it up.
Mason nearly choked, and her head jolted up as she tried to figure out what had upset him. “Husband.” His eyes flicked down to her ring finger as he took a drink to recover from his coughing fit.
“Ex-husband. We had a child, moved to Bear Creek and then he ran off with the love of his life.” She shrugged. “It’s all in the past.”
He composed himself and ate his steak, while he formed his next question. Tiana could almost hear his mind working. “You have a child?”
And there it was, the question that made most men run a mile. A child meant complications. A child meant the loss of freedom. No flying off for a vacation whenever you wanted. School rules. The motto of her life for the past eighteen years.
“I do. Although he’s not such a child anymore. He’s eighteen.” Tiana didn’t soften this news by telling Mason her son was about to fly the nest as he furthered his education.
“You raised him alone?” Mason asked.
“Sort of.” She studied his expression, which was all kinds of interested, as if he were hanging on her every word. “Don’t worry, I haven’t left a trail of ex-husbands in my wake.”
“So what does sort of mean?” Mason’s interest was a little overwhelming. Tiana had never hidden her history from people she met. She had nothing to hide. But Mason seemed too interested.
“I have friends, Haley and Sorcha who I work with, and a couple of other mothers from school. My parents also helped out as much as they could. They helped pick me up and put me back on my feet after Quentin left.” She would be forever grateful for the help and support her parents showered on Tiana, and Rhett, who they loved to pieces.
“You have a strong sense of family. Perhaps that’s what Haley meant when she said we had a lot in common. My parents have always been supportive of me. One of my proudest moments was when I paid off the mortgage on our family home. I would have bought them a more expensive house, but they were happy right where they are.” She finished her meal as he talked. “They are the people who kept me grounded, who made sure I never lost sight of who I was and where I came from.”
“They must be proud of you, too.” Tiana looked down at her plate. She never thought of whether her own parents were proud of her. Or if they saw her as a failure. Which was stupid, because how could she have failed when she raised a child to be such a wonderful human being?
“They are.” He watched her closely. “And your ex-husband?”
“He lives in a trailer in my back yard.” She watched him closely as his expression changed from one of disbelief to outrage. That revelation was hard for a lot of people to swallow.
“You allow your cheating ex-husband to live in your back yard?” Mason sounded suitably offended for her.
“I do. He moved in with his new love for ten years or more. Then his partner, Nicky, passed away. Cancer. Quent
in was suicidal. And no kid deserves to lose a parent.” Tiana sat up straight, ready to defend Quentin, although god knows he didn’t completely deserve it.
However, Mason surprised her. “That’s a pretty heroic thing to do.”
“Yeah. A hero, that’s me,” she joked self-deprecatingly.
“Don’t sell yourself short.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “It’s good to see there are people in this world who care.”
“You don’t see many people who take in their ex-husbands and let them live in their back yard?” she asked in mock astonishment.
“No, that is a first,” he told her, matching her lighthearted mood. He sat back in his chair and watched her as Austin returned to collect their empty plates.
“How did you enjoy your meal?” Austin asked as he carefully picked the plates up. He was not comfortable in his work, and Tiana wanted to offer him words of wisdom, but right now she couldn’t think of any.
“It was perfect, thank you.” She allowed her eyes to rest on Mason and realized she was acting the same as countless other diners she’d served. She was flirting. With a man. A man she’d met on a blind date.
“What’s so funny?” Mason asked after the waiter left, promising to return with dessert menus.
“Nothing.” She shrugged. “This is nice.”
“Nice. Don’t get all enthusiastic on me.” His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled.
“I didn’t expect it to be. When Haley admitted this was a setup, I figured… Well, I didn’t know what to expect.”
“What exactly did Haley say to you?” he asked.
“Haley and Sorcha set me up. Sorcha said she’d been set up on a blind date and planned to stand you up.” She was going to be honest. Mason could take it, she was sure. “I said it wasn't fair and felt sorry for you. So a little later, Sorcha suggested I took her place.”
“I got passed around.” He sat up and clasped his heart. “I’m wounded.”
Blind Date Bear Page 2
