How It Has to Be
Page 8
The heavens hadn’t fallen, and Hell hadn’t engulfed them in fire. The world still existed.
For now.
Brick tied his work boot on the stairs of the porch, and looked up at the echo of laughter that filled the clearing in front of his cabin.
Tuck was balanced on one of the fence posts, petting Denim. The horse had taken to the boy and followed him around like a lost puppy now.
Trinity opened the door behind him and the sound of her footsteps drew an instant warmth into his chest. He knew what was coming next—her touch.
She slid her arms around his neck from behind and rested her chin on his shoulder. Brick rolled his eyes closed and pressed his palm over hers to keep her in place, with him. Never would he ever take her touch for granted.
This was the cadence of their mornings. They spent quiet moments together, just like this, before the chaos of the day started. Before Tuck went to school, before Trinity went to work at the diner, before he spent the day mending fences and managing the herd in their winter grazing grounds. Before Aux and Gwen checked in, or asked what they were doing tonight. Something strange had happened since the Bane brothers had gone to war. He and Aux had found a way to spend time together. Sure, they fought like animals sometimes, but they could both see the benefit of Gwen and Trinity growing their friendship, so they tried. And most of the time? Their newly forming bond succeeded.
Before the good and organized chaos of the day started, he and Trinity did this. They just took a breath, enjoyed the sunrise, and appreciated peaceful moments.
Because Brick knew it might not always be like this, he sank himself in the present and took stock of that feeling of belonging he’d always been missing. Tuck was the child of his heart, but he was crow blooded and his people would fight him being raised by their enemy—Brick.
And Moore? Moore wasn’t done with his hunt. He never quit on a hunt. Hell would come for them, but not right now.
Not right now.
Right now, he could just appreciate the happiness an old bruin like him never thought he would have.
“I love you,” he growled out, because she deserved to start her day knowing exactly how important she was to him.
Trinity hugged his neck tighter, her eyes on Tucker as he played. “I know.”
Their words were always the same in the mornings. She gave him a moment of anticipation so he could appreciate what she was really about to say.
“And I love you, too.”
Brick angled his face and kissed her. She liked affection and he would always try for her. She hadn’t hesitated or stuttered a single step after the night of the war. She’d locked her legs against that storm and put her hand in his, and there she’d stayed—steadfast and true.
Strong human.
Strong woman.
Strong mate.
A man was only as good as his word, and he had broken his oath for Trinity.
He was good with that. If he had it all to do again, he wouldn’t change a thing.
A man was only as good as his word, but he was okay with being a monster now. And if war found them again, he would show the world just what a monster he could be to keep his mate, and his boy, safe.
He didn’t know what an old grizzly shifter like him had done to get a woman like Trinity, but he would spend the rest of his life making her smile, just like she was doing right now.
She had tears in her eyes though, and that, he didn’t understand. Brick brushed a thumb under the moisture and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong. Everything is right,” she whispered thickly. She rested her forehead against his and said, “I’m so happy.”
His eyes prickled, too. They were burning and he didn’t understand. He didn’t know what it meant that all of this emotion inside of him dredged up a sensation in his eyes like this.
All he knew was that he was happy, too.
Up Next in this Series
Moore gets his story in
How It’s Meant to Be
Coming April 2021
Newsletter Sign-Up
For new releases, exclusive sneak peeks, and giveaways, sign up for T. S. Joyce’s Bear Shifter Romance Newsletter HERE.
More Series from this Author
Battle of the Bulls
Two Shots Down (Book 1)
Dead of Winter (Book 2)
Quickdraw Slow Burn (Book 3)
First Time Train Wreck (Book 4)
Tuff Enough (Book 5)
Kaid Ranch Shifters
Steal Her Heart (Book 1)
Make Her New (Book 2)
Lift Her Up (Book 3)
Love Her Better (Book 4)
Keepers of the Swamp
Swim Deeper (Book 1)
Dig Deeper (Book 2)
Bite Deeper (Book 3)
Daughters of Beasts
Novak Grizzly (Book 1)
Beck Bear (Book 2)
Ash Bear (Book 3)
Sons of Beasts
Son of the Cursed Bear (Book 1)
Son of Kong (Book 2)
Son of the Dragon (Book 3)
Red Havoc Panthers
Red Havoc Rogue (Book 1)
Red Havoc Rebel (Book 2)
Red Havoc Bad Cat (Book 3)
Red Havoc Guardian (Book 4)
Red Havoc Bad Bear (Book 5)
Harper’s Mountains
Bloodrunner Dragon (Book 1)
Bloodrunner Bear (Book 2)
Air Ryder (Book 3)
Novak Raven (Book 4)
Blackwing Dragon (Book 5)
Kane’s Mountains
Blackwing Defender (Book 1)
Blackwing Wolf (Book 2)
Blackwing Beast (Book 3)
Bears Fur Hire
Husband Fur Hire (Book 1)
Bear Fur Hire (Book 2)
Mate Fur Hire (Book 3)
Wolf Fur Hire (Book 4)
Dawson Fur Hire (Book 5)
Chance Fur Hire (Book 6)
Saw Bears
Lumberjack Werebear (Book 1)
Woodcutter Werebear (Book 2)
Timberman Werebear (Book 3)
Sawman Werebear (Book 4)
Axman Werebear (Book 5)
Woodsman Werebear (Book 6)
Lumberman Werebear (Book 7)
Fire Bears
Bear My Soul (Book 1)
Bear the Burn (Book 2)
Bear the Heat (Book 3)
Gray Back Bears
Gray Back Bad Bear (Book 1)
Gray Back Alpha Bear (Book 2)
Gray Back Ghost Bear (Book 3)
Gray Back Broken Bear (Book 4)
Lowlander Silverback (Book 5)
Last Immortal Dragon (Book 6)
For More from this Author
Check out her The Official Reading List of T. S. Joyce
Or visit
www.tsjoyce.com
or
T. S. Joyce’s Amazon US page
About the Author
T.S. Joyce is devoted to bringing hot shifter romances to readers. Hungry alpha males are her calling card, and the wilder the men, the more she'll make them pour their hearts out. She lives in a tiny town, outside of a tiny city, and devotes her life to writing big stories. Foodie, bear whisperer, ninja, thief of tiny bottles of awesome smelling hotel shampoo, nap connoisseur, movie fanatic, and zombie slayer, and most of this bio is true.
Bear Shifters? Check
Smoldering Alpha Hotness? Double Check
Sexy Scenes? Fasten up your girdles, ladies and gents, it’s gonna to be a wild ride.
For more information about T. S. Joyce and her work, visit her website here.
filter: grayscale(100%); -ms-filter: grayscale(100%); filter: grayscale(100%); " class="sharethis-inline-share-buttons">share