Tad

by Harmony Raines

  The impossible was possible.

  Tad had shifted from a human into a bear.

  “Wow.” Her hands flew to her face and she covered her mouth as she fought with reality.

  Tad. A man. Had shifted into a bear.

  The shadowy bear slowly became corporeal. Each strand of his brown fur full of luster, tinged with silver tips, was illuminated by the spotlight above their heads. His eyes, soft and full of longing, looked at her, really looked at her, just as Tad looked at her as if she were the most important thing in this world.

  “Tad.” It was him. At first, she’d thought this might be an elaborate hoax, but not any longer, not when those eyes looked at her and pierced her soul.

  The bear nodded his large head up and down as he snuffled the ground and then took a step forward.

  Heather responded by taking a step closer, too. She closed the distance between them, meeting him halfway. She was willing to put her trust in him just as he had been willing to put his trust in her.

  And this was a big leap in trust for both of them. She’d stood her ground when faced with a creature who could kill her with one swipe of his massive paw if he chose to, and Tad had trusted that she wouldn’t run and tell the national news that he was a freak of nature.

  A freak. That wasn’t the right word. “You are magnificent and amazing. And incredibly soft.” She knelt on the floor and stretched out her hand to the bear.

  The bear leaned forward, stretching his neck as far as he could as he huffed and puffed warm air over her fingertips. Heather shuffled forward on her knees, wiggling her fingers as she made first contact with the bear’s soft fur.

  A burst of static electricity caressed her skin and she shivered in expectation. This was magic in its purest form. She didn’t need to know how it worked, all she had to do was believe it was true.

  “Hello there, bear.” She opened her arms and the bear took a short step forward, resting his head on her shoulder. Encircling his thick neck with her arms, she hugged him and buried her head in his neck. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”

  Heather and the bear stayed still, enjoying the touch of two fated mates. A meeting of two souls bound together for eternity.

  The world around them moved. But here inside the craft barn, time didn’t move.

  “Damn.” Heather glimpsed the time on her watch. Time sure had moved on. “I have so much to do.” She pulled away from the bear but before she got to her feet, she dropped a kiss on his short snout. “See you again soon.”

  The bear stared at her and nodded before taking a couple of steps backward. The air shimmered once more, and the bear disappeared from the barn as the shifting process reversed. Seconds later, Tad Harrison stood before her looking as handsome as the first time she’d seen him in his workshop with paint on his shirt and clay in his fingernails.

  “You put on a clean shirt.” She placed her hand on his chest.

  He arched an eyebrow. “You’ve only just noticed?”

  “I have lived with artists most of my life, I don’t tend to look at clothes.” She inched her hand higher up his chest. “I am more interested in what is beneath the clothes.”

  Tad leaned forward, his breath warm on her cheek as he pressed his lips to her skin. “You really are my kind of woman.”

  Heather turned her head slightly and kissed his lips lightly. “And I think you might be my kind of man.”

  He chuckled. “You only think I might be your kind of man?”

  “Well, I did like the other side of you, too. The bear has certain qualities.” She leaned her head on his chest. “This is crazy.”

  “Which part?” His arms encircled her waist and he pulled her close, the warmth of his body igniting a fire inside her.

  “All of it. The craft barn, the opening, moving to Bear Creek. I thought I was crazy. But tonight tops it.” She lifted her head and looked at him. “In a good way. A really good way.”

  Tad inhaled deeply and sighed. “I wanted to show you tonight so that you would know that I will be here for you. Not just tomorrow, but for the rest of our lives.” He gave a small smile. “I should have waited, I didn’t want to upset you before tomorrow.”

  “Why would you upset me?” Heather asked.

  “You do remember I just turned into a bear?” Tad asked.

  “Oh that, that was cool.” She nodded. “I appreciate your concern.”

  “I hoped by showing you my bear you would understand what I meant about mates.” He held her tightly as if he never wanted to let her go. “Shifters have this sense of who their mate is. Their soul mate. There is only one person for them. One person who steals their heart for eternity.”

  “That’s why you and your brothers never married. You’ve been waiting for the right woman to come along.” Her heart ached for the sadness in Tad’s eyes. Lifting her hand, she stroked his cheek, wanting to chase all the pain and longing away.

  “It’s a lonely life.”

  “Fate. That’s what you meant, isn’t it? It’s not just some belief, it’s the truth for you and your brothers.” She understood now. She understood it all.

  “It is.” He sighed again and then let her go. “Come on, we have work to do.”

  “Wait.” She reached out for him and drew him back toward her. “There is one thing I have to do that is more important than work.”

  “There is?” Tad asked breathlessly.

  “There is.” She arched her eyebrows at him. “Do I have to do all the work?” Taking hold of his other hand, she threaded his arms around her.

  “Oh?” Tad’s tongue flicked out and he moistened his lips. “Very important task.”

  Heather slid her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoes as Tad’s arms tightened around her. Heat flooded her veins as their lips touched in a searing kiss. His lips moved against hers, gentle yet firm, he stoked the embers of fire in her belly until she wanted to say to hell with the craft barn, let’s go tear each other’s clothes off in Emily’s fairy grotto and make magical love.

  Tad’s hand slipped under her shirt and cupped her breast in his large palm, his work-roughened thumb rubbing over her nipple until it was a taut bud. Tearing her clothes off had never been more appealing.

  “We should stop,” he said against her mouth.

  “We really should.” She brushed her lips against his. “I don’t want to.”

  He stepped back and pulled her shirt straight. “Neither do I, but we have to put our feelings aside and get the barn ready for tomorrow.”

  She nodded, her lips burning from his kiss. “We have to.” Damn, it was hard.

  Tad clapped his hands. “Coffee. Then we can start.” He wagged his finger at Heather. “You know the one really great thing about being a shifter?”

  “You can make great coffee?” Heather asked.

  “No, although I can. And I’m great in the kitchen. I have fed my brothers for many years.” He grinned. “Maybe your mom can teach me some of her recipes.”

  “She’d like that and I’m certain your family will love trying out her favorite dishes,” Heather replied. “I’m sure they will love peanut butter coated fries.”

  Tad wrinkled his nose. “Sounds yummy.”

  “It’s not, believe me.” Heather collected the two coffee mugs. “Okay, I will make coffee.”

  “What do you want me to do?” Tad asked.

  Heather didn’t answer for a moment as a very vivid thought came into her head that featured Tad on the cash register counter. When she finally trusted herself to speak, she said, “Could you go around and check that all the floors are clean and the surfaces are dust-free?”

  “I can do that,” Tad nodded.

  After washing out the coffee cups, Heather went to her office to make a fresh pot of coffee. She could have used the facilities in the barn, but everything had been left clean and ready for tomorrow’s early start. Heather also had another reason for going to her small office. She needed time to gather her thoughts and take stock of what
had happened.

  Tad had turned into a bear. That’s what had happened.

  Surely she should feel scared or freaked out? But she didn’t. Even when there was a distance between her and Tad and she could think straight, she wasn’t worried about spending the rest of her life with a man who could turn into a bear.

  If anything she felt more positive about her future and that of her children than she had since she found out her husband was a douchebag who didn’t care if he ripped their family apart.

  Pouring two cups of coffee, she went back to the barn and to the man who was helping her make her dreams a reality. Her fears about tomorrow were gone. Her heart was light, not weighed down with the past.

  Because, as Tad helped her hang up bunting and balloons over the entrance, she was creating a happy future in Bear Creek.

  Chapter Fifteen – Tad

  “Are you excited?” Tad asked the next morning as he leaned toward Heather. They were standing outside Bear Creek Craft Barn with all the artists and crafters for a group photograph before their first visitors arrived. Neither of them had gotten to bed until the early hours of the morning. But as they’d kissed goodnight under the watchful gaze of the mountain, it had been worth it.

  “Excited, yes. Worryingly calm, though.” She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

  “You’re calm because you know you have everything under control,” Lillian said from the other side of Heather.

  “I hope that’s the reason and it’s not just because my brain has decided to shut down under all the stress.” Heather shivered as he threaded his fingers through hers. “Okay, my brain hasn’t shut down.”

  They all smiled as the camera flashed and the photographer put his thumbs up. “Good one. I think that’s the best yet.”

  “Are we done?” Heather asked, looking down at her watch. People were due to start arriving in forty-five minutes, but the consensus among the artists was that people would arrive early. They always did.

  “Yes, that one will make a great official photo of the inaugural members of the Bear Creek Craft Barn,” the photographer announced as if he were the one doing the opening speech.

  Maybe we could hand the job over to him, his bear suggested.

  I can do it, Tad said, although he might not be able to hold onto the notes of his speech since his palms were so sweaty. He rubbed them on his black suit pants once more while wishing he’d stuck to his denim jeans and paint-covered shirt. They were like a second skin to him, while his smart black slacks and crisp blue shirt constricted him. Or maybe it was just his nerves that were making it hard to breathe.

  “Shall we go and pop the cork on the champagne?” Edgar asked as they all turned around and headed inside. “Might steady everyone’s nerves.”

  “Yes, I think so.” Heather touched Edgar’s arm affectionately. “It was very kind and thoughtful of you to bring champagne. And glasses.”

  “This new venture of yours has given me a new lease on life,” Edgar admitted as his eyes lingered on Lillian. “If you’ll excuse me.” He dodged away from Heather and ran to catch up with her mom, who looked radiant.

  “He likes her a lot,” Tad commented to Heather.

  “He does. I just worry about my mom since she hasn’t been in a relationship since my dad died.” Her expression saddened. “They were soul mates. Not in the same way as…”

  “Soul mates are not solely for shifters.” Tad wiped his hands on his pants once more as the sound of a car driving toward the barn caught his attention.

  “An early arrival,” Lillian shielded her eyes from the sun. “A taxicab.”

  “Rosemary,” Heather stopped walking toward the barn and stood still, watching as the taxicab came to a halt and her aunt got out.

  “Hello there.” Rosemary waved with her good hand, while her broken arm rested against her body in a sling. “I didn’t want to miss the grand opening. But I truly didn’t think we would make it.”

  “Does this mean you don’t want me to make a speech?” Tad asked hopefully.

  Heather swung around to look at him. “You don’t want to do it.” She nodded. “I can ask Rosemary to do the speech, but she can’t do a master class.”

  As she walked toward her aunt, Heather’s troubled expression left Tad feeling horrible. He needed to face his fears and do the speech and open the craft barn.

  “Wait, I’ll do it,” Tad told his mate.

  Her body relaxed and her expression brightened. “Would you?” Heather looked toward her aunt. “You know how my mom is with her cooking?”

  “Not firsthand, but yes,” Tad said.

  “Well, Rosemary can be like that when she talks, especially when she’s on painkillers.” She glanced over his shoulder toward the barn. “We might become famous for all the wrong reasons if Rosemary makes an opening speech while she’s on her pain meds.”

  “Understood.” His forehead creased as his fingers tightened around his notes. “I didn’t want to step on her toes if she came all this way to open the craft barn.”

  Liar, you were just trying to get out of it, his bear exclaimed.

  “It’s important to me that all of your family like me,” Tad explained further.

  “They do. They will.” She stood on tiptoes as she whispered in his ear. “Especially Zack when he finds out you are a bear.”

  “So all I have to do is buy Bella a pony and they will love me for life,” Tad joked. He would do whatever it took for them to love him and accept him into their lives, and he wasn’t above bribery, but he really wanted Heather’s children to want him in their lives because he made their mom happy.

  “Let’s leave ponies and bears off the table for now,” Heather said. “They should get to know you first.” She linked arms with him. “Come on, let’s go say hello to my crazy aunt.”

  Crazy Aunt Rosemary was watching the taxicab driver get her luggage out of the trunk while also trying to retrieve her wallet from her purse. “This cast is so inconvenient.”

  “Do you need a hand with that?” Heather dodged Rosemary’s broken arm as she flailed around.

  “Thank you, sweetheart.” She paused and looked over to the barn. “Doesn’t this look good. When Lillian first told me about your idea of turning an old barn into a craft center, I thought you were crazy.”

  Heather glanced up at Tad and grinned. “You thought I was crazy?”

  “I did. But it looks wonderful. I can’t wait to see inside.” Rosemary looked around. “Where is Lillian, I thought I saw her here?”

  “She’s inside, they are having champagne to celebrate the opening.” Heather wrestled Rosemary’s wallet out of her purse. “Here.”

  “Champagne!” Rosemary licked her lips. “I didn’t know you were splashing out for champagne.”

  “I didn’t, Edgar Marlborough did.” Heather watched Rosemary count out the cab fare and then put her wallet back in her purse and fastened it securely.

  “Oh, a man who likes champagne. I didn’t know there were such men in a backroad place like this.” Rosemary patted her purse and then indicated her luggage. “What do I do with these?”

  “I’ll put them in my car.” Heather strode toward the luggage as the taxi drove off and Tad followed.

  “I’ll take that.” Tad’s hand curled around the handle of the suitcase. “You go and enjoy the champagne.”

  “We’ll go together,” Heather replied, catching hold of another suitcase and lifting it up.

  “Thank you both. Once my luggage is secure, you must introduce me to Tad Harrison and this Edgar Marlborough.” Rosemary fanned herself with her hand.

  “This is Tad,” Heather said as she wrestled Rosemary’s suitcase into the trunk of her car.

  Tad placed two other suitcases next to it and shut the trunk securely. He was beginning to understand why Heather wanted him to open the barn and make a speech. “Good to meet you.” He turned around and held out his hand to Rosemary.

  “You’re Tad Harrison?” Rosemary asked in surpr
ise.

  “I am.” Tad grinned as Rosemary slid her hand into his and batted her eyelids. He was mature, but Rosemary was still old enough to be his mother.

  “Well, I hope all the men in Bear Creek are so well…built.” Rosemary squeezed his hand and smiled coquettishly at Tad.

  “Okay, Aunty Rosemary. We need to talk,” Heather put her hands on her hips as she spoke. “Tad is mine and Edgar has invited my mom on a date. I’m asking you not to screw it up for her.”

  Rosemary dropped Tad’s hand like it was a hot rock. “You and your mom are dating?” She grinned broadly. “Well, aren’t I glad I got the first ride to Bear Creek. Is it mating season?”

  “It might well be, Aunty. And if it is, we’ll do our damndest to find you a mate.” Heather let her hands drop to her sides. “You know what a big deal this is for Mom.”

  Rosemary’s expression sobered as she nodded. “I do. I never thought she would be interested in another man after your dad died.” Her eyes misted with tears. “When I saw them together, they made me believe that true love existed. Sometimes I think it’s why I have always stayed single. I never found a love that matched theirs.”

  Heather’s eyes widened and she put her hand over her mouth before turning away. “I’ll just check that I locked the trunk.” She walked away, her head down as she wiped her cheeks. Whether it was sympathy for Rosemary, or just the memory of the love her mother and father had shared, her aunt’s words had hit her hard.

  “Are you okay?” Tad asked quietly as he strode across to Heather’s car.

  “Yeah.” She reached for his hand and threaded her fingers through his. The sense of recognition made his fingers tingle as if he’d leaned on his hand awkwardly for too long. The tingling threaded along his finger and up his arms, then across his shoulders. “I just…”

  “What Rosemary said. About your parents?” He brushed a stray strand of hair back from her face. “You didn’t stay single because of them. You got married and had children.”

  “But I never considered why I got married until now.” Her forehead creased and she turned away from him and looked up at the mountains. “I didn’t meet Andy until I was in my mid-thirties. I knew he wasn’t the one. But I knew I was running out of time. My biological clock was ticking very loudly.”