“A bird,” he said quickly, his voice tight with emotion. “Your husband left. I’m sorry about that.”
“It’s not your fault.” Cath leaned an arm on the car door, and looked out across the magnificent scenery. “I poured all my love, all my emotion, into my boys. Sometimes I wonder if that’s where I went wrong.”
“Wrong? Liam seems like a good guy.”
“He is, but I have two sons.” Cath wanted to tell Julius what he was getting himself into. If he was interested in her, he needed to know she might damage his reputation. Mike’s actions made her feel tainted. Perhaps because she linked it to Hector leaving. “Mike, my other son, is in prison.”
Cath waited for Julius’s reaction. Perhaps he would turn the car around and take her back to Bear Creek, or make polite conversation and then take her home. “That’s tough. On you.” His answer was unexpected.
“It was for drug smuggling. I often think if I’d done things differently, been harder on him, then he wouldn’t have strayed from the path.” Her heart felt heavy, the shame of Mike’s actions settling on her chest.
“We all make choices.” Julius pulled into his parking space outside The Catherine Hotel. “We all make mistakes. But ultimately, we are responsible for our own actions. Mike was an adult?”
She nodded, the weight on her heart shifting. “Yes. I’ve told myself the same thing over and over, but it makes no difference, I still feel responsible.”
Julius smiled, and her spirits lifted. “That’s what being a parent is all about.” He switched off the engine and turned to face her. “Come on, let’s grab a drink and go for a tour of the hotel.”
“I’d love a cup of coffee,” Cath admitted.
“I was thinking of something a little more…adventurous.” He opened his door and got out, and like a real gentleman, came around to help Cath out of the car. As a modern woman, she was supposed to tell him she could manage, but Julius made her feel special and it was a long time since she’d felt anything other than ordinary.
“Is this the original façade?” Cath asked, looking closely at the front of the hotel. She gave him an apologetic smile. “When I was younger, before I married, I used to love architecture. I traveled around Europe one summer, just staring at the buildings.”
“A woman after my own heart,” he said easily, unaware of the effect his words had on her. She wanted to own his heart. A yearning to be loved by someone other than her children sprang up inside her. “The north side of the building is all original, but the southern side, here, is new. Can you see the blending of the two, the old and the new?”
Cath squinted as she looked; she really ought to put her glasses on, but they made her look old. Or at least older than she was. Cath laughed at herself. She must really have it bad if she was trying to impress a man.
“I can’t tell the difference.” Cath stepped closer. “Oh, yes. There, I can see the difference in the tone of the brickwork and the texture. But if you hadn’t pointed it out, I’d never have seen it.”
“Then the builders did a good job.” He pointed at the roof. “We reused what tiles we could when the roof was replaced, and instead of buying new, we bought recycled tiles to blend in. Cost a fortune, but it was worth it.”
“You really did lavish care on the building,” Cath said.
“The same care I would lavish on its namesake, given the chance,” Julius said cryptically.
“Shall we go inside?” Cath asked, not sure what to read into his words. She wanted to believe he meant her, but it was impossible, they didn’t know each other. If she’d met Julius before, she would remember, he was not the kind of man a woman forgot.
“Yes.” He reached for her hand. Cath hesitated, scared he had read too much into the situation. “It’s a hand. No more.”
She nodded. “Julius. I want you to know…” She looked down at her shoes, gathering her thoughts into some kind of order. “I have been on my own for a long time.” Cath raised her eyes to meet his. “I haven’t dated. I don’t know what you expect…” She shook her head, glancing back at the car, as if searching for an escape. “I’m not experienced at dating. Oh, goodness, this isn’t a date, is it?”
His face softened, and he closed the space between them. “I expect to spend an hour or two in the company of a woman I find incredibly attractive, not only for her body, but for her mind. I’d like to share the history of the hotel with you.” He chuckled. “Despite what you might think of me, I’m not a man who woos ladies into his bed at every chance.”
“I needed to be sure.” Cath smiled shyly. He found her attractive. What an ego boost.
“Come on.” He held out his hand once more, and she slipped hers into it. “Let’s go and give my staff something to talk about. I’ll order us some champagne.”
“No.” She pulled back from him, but he wasn’t letting her go.
“Let me have some fun.” He flashed her a smile and winked.
“You are incorrigible!” Cath exclaimed as they went in through the front entrance. Immediately, a young man around the same age as Liam came across to meet them.
“Mr. Harrison, back so soon. I hope everything is all right.” The young man cast an eye over Cath and smiled warmly. She must have passed some kind of test. It appeared this young man looked out for his boss. Was he afraid Julius was being taken in by a temptress after his money?
“Adam, this is Catherine…” Julius let those words hang, as if they had some kind of significance, and Adam’s face lifted, a smile playing across his lips.
“The Catherine?” Adam asked Julius, and then stiffened. “Sorry, the coincidence of the name.”
Julius patted Adam’s arm. “Would you get us a bottle of champagne? We’ll be on the second floor, in the Meadow suite. Ask someone to bring it up, please.”
Adam stepped back, bemused. “I’ll bring it myself.”
“Thank you, Adam.” Julius nodded to Adam, and then led Cath to the elevator.
“I think you have succeeded in your goal,” Cath said quietly.
“I have?” Julius asked hopefully.
“Yes, I believe that you have given everyone something to talk about. I’m not sure how I feel being the center of attention.” Who was she kidding, being here with Julius was the most fun she’d had since the boys had grown up.
“And the day is still young,” Julius said, as the elevator opened and they stepped inside.
As the doors shut, the air inside the elevator seemed to evaporate, leaving her breathless. Or perhaps it was the predatory look Julius gave her.
Cath wasn’t sure she wanted the day to end with nothing more than conversation. But was she brave enough to admit that, even to herself?
Chapter Six – Julius
They’d drunk champagne and explored the old part of the hotel although it blended so well with the new, Cath admitted she could not tell where one part started and another ended. He was pleased she liked it. He was pleased she liked him.
“And this is my favorite room.” Julius held the door open to the penthouse suite. They were on the top floor of the hotel, and he wanted to share the view with her. And the bed…but he’d given his word he was only interested in her company. Julius was a man of his word. Even if he was certain Cath would not deny him a kiss or two. But would that ever be enough?
“Oh my!” Catherine exclaimed as she walked across the room to the large expanse of glass that made up half of the wall in the living area of the most luxurious apartment in the hotel. This was where he called home.
“It’s magnificent, isn’t it?” Julius watched her for a moment, drinking in the sight of his mate framed against the Bluff.
“It’s as if you could reach out and touch it,” Catherine whispered, reaching up as if she were going to test that theory.
“When we rebuilt the hotel, I knew I wanted a room with that exact view.” Julius looked down at Catherine’s excited face. She was half a head shorter than him, but since he stood at six-foot-four, that did not
make Catherine small. If he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, she would be the perfect height. His arm twitched, wanting to experiment to see if he were correct, but he didn’t want to spook her. The time they’d spent together was too precious to spoil.
“This is where you live?” Cath asked, looking up at him, surprise on her face.
He nodded. “I wanted you to see it.”
“Thank you.” She looked back out toward the mountains. “I’ve explored some of the mountain, but not as much as I want to. Will you show me some of your favorite places?”
“Of course,” he stammered. “Perhaps we can take a picnic? Tomorrow afternoon.” He sounded like an eager young man, desperate for his first date.
“I’d like that.” She turned to face him. “Who was Catherine?”
He melted into her eyes, the power to speak gone as he pictured the chance moment they had brushed against each other so many years ago. “A woman I saw once, standing outside a town hall with a handful of forget-me-nots in her hand and yellow hair like the sun.”
Cath tore her gaze away from his and stared at the mountain. “And what happened to her?”
“She walked out of my life. And I let her go, because I thought she was happy. I didn’t want to hurt her. Part of being a shifter is not wanting to hurt your mate in any way. Even if it means sacrificing a part of yourself.”
“I used to believe in all that.” She sniffed and wiped a tear away. “But Hector, my ex-husband, told me the exact same thing. H promised me forever, he gave me his children, and then he walked away.”
“Catherine, he couldn’t have been your true mate.” Julius reached out to her and touched her arm; a jolt of electricity ran up his arm. Catherine jumped, she felt it too. “You can feel it, the connection between us.”
“I don’t know what I feel,” Catherine admitted. “You want me to believe in a dream. But I’ve already believed in it once, and I got my heart trampled into the ground.”
“I’d never do that to you,” Julius promised.
“How do I believe in more words?” Catherine asked. She turned to face him, her hand reaching out to stroke his cheek. “I don’t know if I have the strength to believe again.”
“Then don’t,” he said simply. “Just believe that we are two mature people, who are mutually attracted to each other. If we date, and you like me, then we date some more.” He took her hand and pressed his lips to it. “I’ve waited so long for my Catherine, I can wait a little longer.”
She nodded. “I can do that. But no more.”
Julius smiled, his gaze resting on her face, so he could memorize every line, every wrinkle. They were a roadmap of her life, and he wished he’d traveled those roads with her. But their journey together was just beginning, they would add more laughter lines, and more silver hairs as they continued along the path of life, wherever it may take them.
“Shall I order lunch?” he asked, breaking the moment. He didn’t want to pressure her. “We can count this as our first date.” He picked up a menu and passed it to her. “Room service, I know the hotel manager, he’ll give us a discount.”
Catherine burst out laughing. “I don’t think I’ve ever ordered room service.”
“Then this is a day of firsts. Order whatever you want.” He went to the small dining table that sat beside the window. He liked to work here, when the hotel was quiet. Just him and the mountain. “Please, sit.”
“Thank you,” Catherine said graciously, and allowed him to push her seat in. “This all looks so expensive. I am used to scraping by.”
“One thing I can assure you is I am a sound investment.” He gave her a wicked grin. “If you want to marry me for my money, I am more than willing.”
Cath set the menu down on the table. “I don’t know if I will ever marry again, Julius.” She shook her head and placed her fingers to her temples. “What am I saying, we’ve only just met.”
He took hold of her hand and kissed her fingers. “No, Catherine, we met thirty years ago. We’re old souls.”
“When we met…when you saw me, I was getting married, Julius. I swore I’d never tie myself to another man.” She let her words sink in before she continued, “The betrayal was almost too much. Only the love of my children pulled me out of the darkness that nearly consumed me. I was so angry. So hurt.”
“I understand.” Julius guessed what she was trying to tell him. “So let’s live in sin.”
“If only I could be that carefree.” She got up and strode to the window, staring out to where the sun kissed the top of the Bluff, giving it a halo. “I’ve forgotten how.” She took a shaky breath, and Julius went to comfort her.
He rested a hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him. “We can learn together.”
Cath turned to him, tears running down her cheeks, and his heart ached for her. If only he had watched over her, and been there to pick up the pieces of her life when her marriage fell apart. He truly was cursed for not being the man she needed.
“I want to believe there’s a way.” She shook her head and laughed at herself. “Stupid, isn’t it? Scared of taking a chance on happiness. I’m such a coward. Afraid of getting my heart broken again.”
“Oh, Catherine.” Julius wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She rested against his chest, her breathing ragged, until she erupted into heavy sobs that wracked her body. Like the breaking of a dam, her admission had opened up the well of emotion and betrayal she’d kept sealed. He understood perfectly, because a dam broke inside Julius too. A slow trickle was turning to a tumultuous roar as the love and longing he’d shut away flowed out, filling his veins, coursing through his body. Unstoppable, and unimaginably strong.
He placed his hands on Cath’s back, and soothed her, wishing the feelings inside him could flow through his fingertips and fill her with happiness. He wanted to sweep her sadness and loneliness aside, and replace it with joy and hope. “You are one of the bravest women I know. And I’ll work to make you happy. Work to make you mine.”
Cath lifted her head and looked at his face through red-rimmed eyes. Her face was blotchy from crying, and he wanted to kiss every inch of it. “You’re a good man, Julius. And I want to believe you.”
Julius wiped her tears away with his thumb. “I want you to believe it too. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
Cath looked out at the view once more, her breaths interrupted by shuddering sobs as she fought to control her emotions. “Maybe it is time to let go. Coming to Bear Creek is a chance to change my life, get out of the rut I’ve lived in for so long.”
Julius took her hand. “Allow me to help you out of that rut.”
She nodded and smiled, turning to face him. “I believe if anyone can, Julius, it’s you.”
Julius held her close and dropped a kiss on top of her head, inhaling her scent. Orange blossom and a scent he could not identify filled his nostrils. A scent that was uniquely Catherine. “Let’s eat, Catherine.”
She blew the air out of her cheeks. “I’ve worked up an appetite with all that crying.”
“I can recommend the Pan-Fried Scallops.” He led her to the dining table and they sat down together.
“Not the anchovies?” Cath asked.
Julius looked up sharply, and a hint of color covered his cheeks. “Those are for my bear. He has a craving for them.”
She laughed, a real belly laugh that chased her tears away. “Now, that I’d like to see.”
“Tomorrow. We can picnic, and you can hand feed my bear his anchovies.”
Her eyes were bright as she smiled at the thought. “I’d like that, Julius.”
“Then it’s a date.” His heart stuttered as he waited for her answer. After all the emotional turmoil of today, would she want to see him again? Would she give him the chance to prove his love for her?
“It’s a date.” She blushed and looked down at the menu. “Pan-Fried Scallops. I think I’ll go with your recommendation.”
Tell her you also recommend a bi
g grizzly bear who will watch over her for the rest of her life, his bear butted in.
Julius chuckled. One thing at a time.
His bear sighed, and settled down to sleep. Both sides of him were content for now. They had taken a huge leap forward. They would stay the course until Catherine was theirs.
And she would be theirs: nothing would stop him this time. Nothing.
Chapter Seven – Cath
“That was wonderful,” Catherine told Julius as she placed her knife and fork down on her plate. “You have a good chef.”
“I do. I try to tempt the best of the best to my hotel. Of course, it helps that he is a mountain lion shifter and loves the outdoors. The surrounding mountains were the deal-clincher.” Julius sipped his coffee. She watched him, her eyes drawn to the fullness of his lips, and the mesmerizing flecks of amber in his eyes and the way they crinkled up when he smiled.
“The hotel setting is unbelievable. You must get a lot of repeat business.” Cath poured herself a cup of coffee, focusing on the hot liquid rather than her hot host. She stifled a giggle. Since her great outpouring of emotion, she’d felt lighter, younger even, as if when she shed that emotion, she also shed a thousand years of sadness.
“We do. Especially of the shifter variety. Word-of-mouth advertising has done us very well. Once a shifter samples the freedom of a vacation here, with good food and comfortable beds, they come back, year after year. Sometimes a couple of times a year for weekend breaks, to recharge their batteries.”
“Can we explore more of the hotel?” Cath asked, finishing her coffee. Her phone beeped in her purse. “Do you mind?”
“Not at all.” Julius had been doing his own fair share of watching. A warm sensation threaded its way through her veins, he made her feel attractive. As a woman, not a wife or a mother, just an attractive woman.
“It’s from Liam.” She read the text and replied, telling him she was having fun. “All those times I checked up on him are coming back to haunt me.”
Julius chuckled. “It’s good that he cares.” After wiping his mouth with a napkin, Julius stood up and came around to offer her his hand. He was an old-fashioned gentleman in so many ways. Or perhaps he simply liked the feel of skin on skin. Cath sure couldn’t mistake the frisson of electricity that passed between them each time they touched.
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