“I think so,” Sue mulled over what Mac had said. “Saffron sounds like quite a woman to give up her old life and move to a new town for her nephews.”
“She’s quite a woman.” And she’s my woman, Mac thought as he finished his coffee surrounded by the people he loved.
Only now one person was missing. His mate.
Chapter Ten – Saffron
“My mom would like to meet you,” Mac said as they drank coffee in his office.
“Wow, that is a first,” Saffron said as she filed away the morning’s mail. Coming to work at the sawmill, knowing that Mac, her future husband, was here waiting for her had been the strangest commute ever. As she drove, she’d been mentally forming a speech for the boys, telling them how Mac was a shifter and he was going to help them.
Yet, without seeing a shifter first it all sounded like she was delirious or something.
“You’ve never met a boyfriend’s mom?” he asked.
“Nope, I have never been in a serious relationship. Not one that’s gotten so far as meeting the parents.” Saffron picked up her coffee cup, satisfied that everything was filed in the right place.
“I’m honored to be the first,” Mac said with a slight incline of the head.
“You might change your mind after your mom meets me. If you are the first, then I have no experience in mom meeting.” She stared at him over the rim of her coffee cup. He was just as handsome as she remembered from last night.
Even more so when the early morning sun shone through the office window and reflected off the silver streaks in his hair.
“She’s busy making brownies. I said we’d pop in and say hello after we’ve done the tour.” He circled his finger around. “And if it makes you feel any better, she’s as nervous as you are.”
“I doubt that.” Saffron took a nervous breath. “This is all happening so fast, it’s like I got on board a rocket ship and I don’t know how to land.”
“Hey, if it’s too much then we can slow it right down,” Mac assured her.
“No, it’s okay. I’m more nervous about telling the boys about shifters. I was rehearsing it in my head on the way over and it just doesn’t sound right. As for Nina, I still don’t know what to do. I want to be honest with her. But I don’t want to hurt her either.” She took a slug off coffee and nearly choked.
“Hey, are you okay?” Mac’s hand slid over her back and he patted her like a mother pats a child. For such a strong man, he was incredibly gentle.
“Went down the wrong way,” she gasped. “I’m okay now.”
“Come on, drink your coffee and then we can go outside. The fresh air will make you feel much better. The sun is actually warm enough to melt the rest of the snow today.” He went to the door leading outside and opened it a crack. “I can smell spring on the air.”
Saffron followed him and leaned forward, inhaling deeply. “I can just smell the trees and the damp earth.”
“Can’t you smell the first shoots stirring under the ground?” he asked as he inhaled again. “I can hear them stirring. Their little shoots fighting to burst their heads out of the dirt while their roots delve down deep.”
“You can really hear them?” Saffron asked.
“No,” Mac replied. “I just wanted to impress you.”
“Don’t tease.” Saffron laughed despite her annoyance.
“That’s better. I wanted to see your sunny smile.” He turned around and they stood facing each other, their bodies so close she could feel the heat emanating from him through her clothing. “Do you have any idea how adorable your dimples are?”
With heavy-lidded eyes, he stared down at her and she tried to cover her cheeks with her free hand while the other clung desperately to her coffee cup, not wanting to spill it all over the floor. “Adorable. I’ve been told that for as long as I can remember. It always makes me feel as if I’m five.”
Mac laughed. “Sorry. Inappropriate behavior for the workplace.”
“I don’t mind.” Her breathing rate increased as if she’d been running. But there was no way she was running anywhere. She was right where she was supposed to be. The last few months might have been a roller coaster ride but being here with Mac made her believe things were finally slowing down.
Not that she wanted them to come to a stop. As he lowered his head and kissed her lips, Saffron was excited to see where their future led and what life had in store for them. She refused to believe that tragedy would hit her family twice. She had to live with a belief in a long, loving future with Mac where they would watch Wes and Jonas grow from boys to men and, hopefully, have children of their own who they would watch grow up.
Mac’s arms tightened around her as their kiss deepened. She sighed and pressed closer to him, absorbing the heat of his body as a strong, cold breeze blew down from the mountains. The sun might be shining, and spring might be close, but the winter was not ready to relinquish its grip on the world yet.
Just as Mac Winter was not ready to relinquish his grip on his mate.
“Maybe we should just stay in here for the day and get to know each other,” he murmured against her ear as he nuzzled her neck.
Saffron shivered, not from the cold but anticipation. She longed to close the office door and shut out the world. In here, with Mac, everything seemed so easy.
“You have to go out in a couple of hours, remember?” She placed her hands on his chest and pushed him away.
“I do.” He stared at her, searching her face. “But I’d rather be here with you.”
“What happened to my business has to come first?” she asked.
Mac sighed. “You’re right. Let’s go on our tour. I’ll introduce you to some of the guys who work here and then we’ll go meet my mom.”
Mac switched to business mode and grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair and a bunch of keys from his desk drawer. Saffron slipped her arms into her warm coat and followed him out of the office.
“I don’t think I’ve ever worked in an office with such a stunning view.” Saffron paused and stared out across the forest. The tree line was around thirty feet away from Mac’s office, which was part of a larger building. The office itself had two doors leading off it, one into the timber mill and another, which was the one they were using, which led outside.
“As soon as I saw this place, I knew this was where I wanted to spend the rest of my life,” Mac told her quietly. “It was like coming home.” He took her hand and instead of going toward the buildings where the sound of machinery filtered out, Mac led her toward the trees.
“I can see why.” Saffron followed him over the half-frozen ground. As they walked, she lifted her chin and the cool mountain breeze caressed her face. Above their heads, the bare branches swished and swayed in a rhythm of its own, while birds flew from branch to branch searching for food or maybe a mate.
Mac was right, spring was waiting to burst out and sweep winter away. She could feel it, and a frisson of excitement passed through her. How many times would they walk from his office to the tree line as the seasons changed?
“The sawmill wasn’t turning a profit. It had been run into the ground by the previous owner. But as soon as I stood here and placed my hands on the trees, I knew I could turn it around.” He lifted his hand and placed it on the trunk of a gnarly old tree. “This is the same tree.”
Saffron placed her hand on the rough trunk. It was as if the tree was a living, breathing thing. “It’s amazing.”
He nodded. “Do you think Wes and Jonas will be happy here? And Nina, of course.”
“Yeah.” She nodded eagerly with tears glistening in her eyes, making it hard to see. “They would love it.” She dashed her tears away. The boys would have so much room to run around. As for Nina, Saffron didn’t know if her sister would ever be happy again.
“Come on. Let’s go meet everyone.” He turned away from the trees and they headed back toward his office, but instead of going inside, they headed around to the left and entered the timber
mill by a side door.
As they stepped over the threshold, they let go of hands by a silent mutual agreement. They were now at work and they had to be professional, even though it was obvious as Saffron was introduced to everyone that they all knew she was Mac’s mate.
“So, it’s true.” Mac had introduced her to Joey, who was casting a glance over her as if appraising a used car. “Mac finally did find his mate.”
“I did.” Mac’s body language changed, his hands balled at his sides and tension spread through his body. Joey was a shifter, Saffron was certain, she was also certain he was trying to wind Mac up.
“What is your job here, Joey?” Saffron asked, keeping her face friendly but her manner detached. They were not here to discuss Mac’s private life. They were here to introduce Mac’s new PA to the workforce.
“My job?” Joey asked, his eyebrows knitting together.
“Yes.” She gave him her best disarming smile. “The timber industry is new to me and Mac is trying to get me up to speed. I’d appreciate it if you could run through what you are doing and what your various other roles are. So that when I am trying to delegate work, I know what you are capable of.”
“Oh, I’m very capable,” Joey said with a smirk.
“You think of yourself as a valuable member of the workforce?” Saffron asked as she kept her expression neutral. She had come across men like Joey before who liked to break everything down into innuendo and she was not prepared to stand for it or play a part in it.
“I do.” His eyes shifted nervously to Mac who had relaxed a little. “Aren’t I, Mac?”
“You are,” Mac agreed. “But if you could answer the question, Saffron is good at her job but she is only as good as the honest information she’s given.”
“Okay.” Joey’s forehead creased. “I can work all the machinery in here. I also go out on jobs and cut down trees that block roads as part of the emergency crew. I also fell timber in the forest when that’s needed.” He breathed deeply and then added, “I feel as if I am a valuable member of the workforce because I can turn my hand to pretty much anything, I’m never late and I always show up for work and work overtime if I’m needed.”
“Great, thank you.” Saffron nodded to Joey. “So, I can call on you for any job that might come in while Mac is out?”
“You can.” His expression cleared as Saffron held out her hand to shake.
“Thank you for your time, Joey, I’ll let you get back to work.” They shook hands, Joey’s large hand warm as it enveloped hers, but he didn’t hang on to her for longer than necessary, his need to tease Mac seemed to have waned.
“No problem. Anything you need, I’m your man.” Joey stood and watched Mac and Saffron as they walked away.
“Is that everyone?” Saffron asked as she shot a look around the timber mill. “I think you’ve introduced me to everyone in here.”
“Yes, that’s everyone in the mill. There are a couple of other people out in the field, including Hex and Beck. They are due back in the next hour or so. If we go and meet my mom now, we can meet them afterward.” Mac’s fingers touched hers lightly as they walked side by side out of the sawmill. It was as if she’d touched a livewire, her body reacted as if she’d been shocked into life.
“Is this going to work?” Saffron asked suddenly.
“Is what going to work?” Mac asked as they crossed the timber yard heading toward the house.
“Us working together.” She gave him a sidelong glance. “You don’t think it’s going to cause a conflict of interest?”
“A conflict of interest? You mean is it possible for us to keep our relationship businesslike when we need to?” Mac stared ahead, his eyes fixed on the gate leading from the sawmill into the backyard of his house.
As they walked through the gate, Saffron saw movement in the window. Mrs. Winter was watching for them. Saffron’s nerves spiked and she smoothed down her skirt and straightened her plain blue sweater which she wore under her coat.
“She’ll like you,” Mac insisted as he rested his hand on the doorknob but didn’t open it. “In answer to your other question, yes, I do think we can keep our relationship businesslike when we need to. I think it’ll take work and sometimes we’ll slip but that’s because we’re only human and not robots.”
“Well, I’m only human, you are a shifter.” She smiled, satisfied that they could work through this together. Even if she became Mrs. Winter and moved here to live with Mac, she would still want to work and help him with his business. She’d always had a strong drive to work and earn her own way and that was not about to end now.
Even if they were blessed with a child of their own, she would find a balance between work and home.
“Mac.” The door opened and Mac nearly fell into the kitchen.
“Mom.” Mac reached out a hand and placed it on the doorframe.
“Is everything okay?” Mrs. Winter asked, her eyes resting on her son before they transferred to Saffron.
“Everything is perfect.” Mac kissed his mom on the cheek before he said, “Mom, this is Saffron. Saffron, this is my mom.”
“Hello,” Saffron said brightly. She might have rehearsed how to tell Wes and Jonas shifters were real, but she hadn’t considered how she should greet Mac’s mom. She wanted to be open and friendly but not appear too friendly.
She wished she’d done this before.
“Oh, it’s so good to meet you, Saffron.” Mrs. Winter reached out and pulled Saffron into her arms, giving her a warm hug. “So good to meet you. And please, call me Sue.”
Saffron caught Mac’s eye as he watched his mom and mate. He looked as relieved as Saffron felt. “It’s good to meet you.”
The two women parted, and Mac’s mom shot off across the kitchen, busying herself with making coffee and placing warm brownies on the table. “Come, sit. Help yourself.”
“Thanks,” Saffron followed Mac across to the large kitchen table and they sat down. “These smell wonderful.” She leaned forward and inhaled deeply. The sweet scent made her mouth water.
“They taste good, too.” Mac passed Saffron a plate and then offered her a brownie.
“When you have a houseful of men and the stragglers from the sawmill who don’t always have homes to go to, you learn to bake. Nothing wins the heart and respect of a man in the same way as a trayful of brownies.” Sue seated herself across the table from them. “Well, brownies and a no-nonsense attitude. But I like to think it’s the brownies.”
“I am not going to argue with that,” Mac replied. “Although, I think you earn their respect by being respectful to them. No matter who they are and where they’ve come from.”
“Do you have a lot of workers passing through?” Saffron asked as she searched for a topic of conversation. Her tongue seemed too big for her mouth and her mouth was dry. She was worried that if she took a bite of the brownie on her plate, she might not be able to swallow it. Despite Mac’s mom’s friendly welcome, she still felt incredibly awkward and afraid of saying the wrong thing.
“In the summer months,” Mac replied. “A lot of shifters come to the mountains in the summer. They spend their days working and their nights running through the wilderness.”
“That sounds like a good life,” Saffron replied and eyed Mac curiously. “Is that how you spend your summers? Am I going to be a widow to the call of the wild?”
Mac’s mom chuckled. “No, but you might be a widow to that sawmill.”
“I’m a reformed character,” Mac insisted.
“Good, because now that you have a mate, you have new different priorities.” Sue gave him a knowing look.
“That was before I employed my new PA who is going to keep us all in order. She’s already transformed my office.” Mac gazed lovingly at Saffron and her cheeks flushed pink.
“I’m only doing what you pay me for,” she reminded him. “Although, I do want to run a couple of changes by you.”
“Oh,” Mac looked immediately worried and his mom laughe
d. “What?” Mac switched his attention to his mom.
“You have run that office the same way since you bought the sawmill. You hate anyone moving anything or anyone making a suggestion that might make things more streamlined.” Sue’s eyes danced with laughter.
“That’s not true. I can’t remember the last time anyone made a suggestion,” Mac insisted.
“That’s because they all know there is no point. You like things your own way. You always have.” The older woman glanced at Saffron. “But I have an idea Saffron is going to change that. She’s going to open you up to a whole heap of new possibilities.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Saffron said quickly. “I’ve never set out to change anyone.”
“Oh, but you will change Mac,” his mom said. “You already have.”
Saffron picked up her coffee cup, unsure of what to say.
“For the better,” Mac assured her as he caught her worried expression.
“I like you just the way you are,” Saffron admitted.
“And that is why you are perfect for each other,” Sue said, her eyes misted with tears. “You see the best in each other and can help each other be the best they can be.”
“And there was I thinking I was already perfect in your eyes,” Mac joked at his mom who nearly sprayed her coffee across the table.
“Perfect, is that what you think?” Sue asked. “Oh, no, you’re close but no one is perfect and don’t you ever forget that.” She wagged her finger at her son but wore a big smile on her face. The love she had for her children was immense and endless.
Just as the love for a shifter and his mate. That’s what Nina had told Saffron. Only now she was beginning to believe it for herself.
Chapter Eleven – Mac
Mac’s mom and Saffron seemed to like each other. A lot. Maybe too much.
Never too much, his bear said as the two women talked about teenage boys and their faults. Which were many.
“I was never that bad,” Mac told his mom.
“You were. I used to despair, that bedroom of yours was never clean.” She shook her head, but her expression was filled with love. Despite her many criticisms of a younger and more foolish Mac, she loved him. He could not remember a time when he hadn’t felt loved by his mom and his dad. Which made him sad for Saffron and Nina. When they needed her the most, their mother had caused them more pain and anguish.
Mac (Winter - Shifter Seasons Book 3) Page 8