by Layla Silver
Angie held the dress closer to her, running her fingers over the soft fabric. Was this date even a good idea? She wasn’t sure if she even trusted Josh because of who he’d been when they met. What if he was still the same guy, just better at hiding it? But even knowing that possibility, she couldn’t help but like him. When he’d shown up with the files from the auto shop, her heart had skipped a beat, and she hadn’t wanted him to leave.
When he’d asked her out on a date, she automatically had wanted to tell him no. Going out with him was, realistically, a terrible idea. She still couldn’t stop worrying about his history as a womanizer. But the fact of the matter was that he hadn’t freaked out after finding out that she had a daughter. He had kept his distance to give her time, and Angie had finally had enough time to settle into her emotions, to think more logically about the strange situation she’d found herself in. And she’d found herself saying yes to him.
She shimmied into the dress, smoothed it out, and admired herself in the mirror. The white fabric almost reached her knees, but it wasn’t tight, and unlike all those club dresses gave her lots of freedom to move. Even the sleeves were pretty short and loose. The print made it more casual than her other dresses, but it felt like a better fit. As another plus, it wasn’t as low cut on the chest and seemed more respectable and serious than her other possible choices. If she’d been skeptical about the dress before, she wasn’t now. Somehow her mother knew exactly what kind of dress she’d look good in.
Angie smiled and twirled a bit. This was going to be just fine.
Maybe Josh was a good guy, after all, too. He’d respected her wishes, kept his distance, and Angie appreciated that. That had to mean he wasn't just chasing her because she was around, right? If he was that patient, he had to be seriously interested in her. Perhaps going on the date wasn’t the best idea, but it wasn't the worst, either.
Now that she was in a better state of mind, she was starting to realize that it was very possible he was different than before. Offering to pay for her car repair, offering her a temp job to pay the bill when she refused, offering her a permanent position because she said it allowed her to spend more time with her daughter, and the way he’d made her feel so cared for that night they’d spent together a few weeks prior … It all started to add up. Maybe she just hadn’t been in the right headspace to notice it all before; she’d even thought, for a little bit, that he might have done that to trick her into sleeping with him. But she hadn’t felt that pressure at all.
So what would happen next? Well, she supposed she would just have to wait and see.
She sat on her bed and did her makeup in her dresser mirror. Nothing too elaborate, she wasn’t that kind of woman, just something to tidy herself up. Black eyeliner, mascara, and eyeshadow to make her eyes pop a little more, and some pinkish lipstick. Since she was short on time, she couldn’t do anything special to her hair, but she added a few curls to make it look a little wavier.
While she curled her hair, she thought about Emma. There wouldn’t be any risk of him seeing her before their date and asking any questions, but Angie couldn’t help but question her decision to keep the truth from Josh. Even if she wasn’t that afraid of him still being a womanizer, wasn’t it risky to tell him before she knew how well they’d click?
He could freak out, and whatever little good they'd scrounged up could disappear in an instant. But he seemed different, and he'd said that he wanted kids of his own, so maybe it wasn’t a big deal. Even worse, wasn’t it wrong for her to keep that information from him? For her to deny him and Emma that chance to get to know each other?
Angie bit her lip, messing up her lipstick a bit, and she ran the stick across her lips again to even out the color. Josh should be here any minute, but instead of worrying about their date, her mind was still stuck on him and Emma. After everything she’d seen, it was possible that he could be a good father. Him respecting her wishes after telling him she needed space, even though she’d clearly upset him, was a good sign. Part of her was surprised that he was still interested.
Depending on how their date went, maybe she would have to invite him over to spend some time with her and Emma. If the two got along well together, then ... then Angie would tell him. She had to. If there was any chance they could have a real relationship, then she had to take it, but she also had to be honest with him.
That was the hard part. She always had more secrets than she could handle.
There was a knock on the door, and Angie's breath caught. Josh was here. She checked herself in the mirror once more, adjusted the placement of her hair, and then slipped on some heels. She grabbed her purse and opened the door to meet him.
Josh looked as handsome as ever, his chocolate brown hair slicked back, his face clean-shaven. He wore a simple dress shirt and pants, nothing fancy enough to stand out, but he still looked great, like the clothes were custom fit. Angie was relieved. They were dressed about the same, nice but not too nice.
But when their eyes met, how he'd done his hair or what dress Angie had picked didn't matter anymore.
His eyes seemed a darker green than before, like a vast forest at twilight, sparkling just as stars glowed overhead. Angie could fall into just his eyes and the warmth in them, the warmth that told her he wanted her in his arms, to protect her from the world, but also to support her with every part of him.
Angie's cheeks burned, and she looked away long enough to break eye contact. She must have imagined everything she'd seen and felt. Or was that somehow related to Josh's Bear shifting abilities? She had to be crazy for thinking that, but part of her hoped it was true.
"You look amazing," Josh said. He looked her up and down, devouring the sight of her, even though he seemed like he was trying to hide it.
She smiled. "Thanks. Where are we headed?"
"That's a surprise." Josh grinned and led her to his truck.
“A surprise? You know this is my home town, don’t you?” she said.
“I didn’t,” he said, opening the door to his truck for her. Angie slipped in, her heart racing all the while. “But I’m always up for a challenge.”
***
The sky was lit with the summer sun despite the evening setting in, splashes of gold and pink highlighting the clouds on the horizon. Angie admired the sky just to try and keep herself from staring at Josh as they drove, but it was difficult. He seemed more handsome than usual, like there was some aura about him that magnetically drew her eyes to him. From the corner of her eye, she admired the sculpted muscles of his biceps.
Since he wouldn't tell her where they were going for dinner, Angie watched the city zooming by, trying to guess based on what streets he took. But Josh would always drive right past those restaurants she thought they were going to and turn another corner each time, constantly surprising her.
When he finally pulled into the parking lot outside a long white building with dark windows and a blood-red sign reading The Devil’s Advocate, Angie was blown away. It wasn't a restaurant she'd ever been to before, let alone ever seen. But she did have a vague memory of an old friend telling her the place was great. It’d popped up shortly before Angie returned to town.
They entered the restaurant, the dark atmosphere wrapping around Angie like a blanket. Despite the apparent lack of light from the outside, it wasn’t pitch black inside, just dim. As soon as they walked into it, it was apparent why: streams of twirling crystals of all shapes and sizes decorated the restaurant, placed by subtle lights that passed through the crystals to leave sparkling reflections on every surface.
The warm glow of candles sent bursts of crystalline light spinning through the room in patterns of white, pink, and blue. Some formed patterns; stars, moons, the setting sun, and vast oceans. Josh slipped his arm around Angie’s waist while a server led them to their seats. Angie gawked at the elaborate crystal displays while Josh leaned in to whisper in her ear.
“It’s quite something, isn’t it?” he said.
“Consider me sur
prised,” she said, struggling to peel her eyes from crystalline statues of dancing couples filled with flickering light. Streamers of pink and gold crystals dangled from strands along the walls and from the ceiling. They sat at their table, and Angie looked up, admiring the crystal birds that soared above their table, glittering in the firelight whenever it hit the figures just right. The detail in their wings was stunning. Angie had never seen anything like it, and she was stunned and amazed at the beautiful sight.
“How didn’t I know this place existed?” Angie said.
Because she hadn't gone on a date since she moved into town, of course. Josh was grinning when Angie finally came to and looked at him again. He gazed at her with a mixture of amusement and pleasure, but Angie felt a pang of jealousy. How had he known about a place like this? Had he taken another woman here? She tried to push the feeling down. It didn't matter. It wasn't like they were together.
"I thought you knew every place in town,” he said with a wink.
Angie smiled absentmindedly, overwhelmed by the beauty of the place and her worries about if Josh had been here before.
“I thought I did,” she said. “But I’m at a loss for words …” Firelight near the table swayed and reflected through crystal settings nearby, washing Josh and Angie in a cover of sprinkled light and rainbow reflections. "This place is a work of art."
"That's why I wanted to bring you here," he said, leaning forward to look deep into her eyes.
That deep green drew her in, even though she wanted to look away in embarrassment. Warmth rose up to her neck and settled in her cheeks. She met his eyes, though she was confused and amused at how easily Josh made her feel like she were a teenager again, swooning at every nice thing a boy said to her. Josh wasn't like that. There was something touching about him taking her there, though, even when she wasn’t the first. She couldn’t place her finger on why.
Their waiter appeared a minute later. "Have you had a chance to look at the evenings' selection of wine?" he said.
Angie was about to say that they hadn't, since she'd been too occupied admiring the restaurant's atmosphere, but Josh spoke up before she had the chance.
“We’ll have the La Prohibicion,” Josh said.
“Excellent choice.” The waiter nodded his approval, not even bothering to scribble it down, and then disappeared.
Josh looked like he knew exactly what he was doing. Did he just know a lot about wine and restaurants, or had he really been here before with someone else? Each second they spent inside made her think the second option was the most likely. Even if he had changed in the last years, it didn’t seem possible that he would have done a full switch from bad boy to wine connoisseur.
Angie tried to tell herself it didn't matter. She had no reason to be jealous or worried. After all, she wanted to believe Josh wasn't a playboy anymore, that he'd spent the last two weeks waiting for her to come around. Even if she ended up getting hurt because of it, there was something different about him from before, and Angie would cling onto it.
When the waiter left, though, she couldn't help herself.
"Wow, you seem to know this place pretty well," she said, giving Josh an appraising look that wasn’t meant to be accusatory.
He froze in place, his mouth open a little, his eyes widening with something like shock or fear. Like he hadn’t expected her to say that. Maybe she shouldn’t have. But it was too late: Angie's worries spun inside her all over again. So he had been here with someone else?
"Well, no ..." Josh laughed nervously and moved as if he were going to run a hand through his hair, but stopped himself. "I wanted to bring you somewhere nice, and since I haven't been here long, I decided to ask around. One of the guys who works at the shop, Kyle, he takes his mate on dates all the time, and he suggested this place. I’d only seen pictures of it until now."
Angie's heart lifted, and all her worries dispersed. She'd been completely wrong. The relief welling inside her was much stronger than she expected, but she was glad for it. It made her feel braver.
"Mate ... is that what you Bear shifters call your significant others?" Angie said. The term had struck her as odd at first, but it made sense after a bit of thought. Animals had mates. Josh was a Bear shifter. She resisted the urge to bite her lip, her sudden surge of bravery dwindling when she realized it was probably a stupid question.
But Josh looked really happy. His face lit up like a candle, an enthusiastic grin spreading across his face. It seemed to illuminate the space around him, banishing the darkness that’d grown in the absence of light. "Yes, well—"
The waiter came and presented their wine, a red with a powerful and spicy aroma. When he was gone, Angie smelled it and immediately wanted to take a sip, but let it sit a while longer so the wine could breathe. Josh did the same.
"For us Bear shifters, a mate is ... a mate is more than just a girlfriend or boyfriend. Or even a husband or wife," Josh said. He didn't quite meet Angie's gaze when he said this, instead looking to the side, but the look was strained, almost like he was resisting the urge to glance elsewhere. "They're the one meant for us. Our special someone."
His eyes flicked to hers then, and Angie's heart skipped a beat. Was he implying that she was his mate? Was that why he was so determined to go out with her?
Angie struggled to breathe. She wasn't sure what to think. Did she think of Josh like that? Maybe after all this, his patience, the restaurant, his thoughtfulness, there was the chance she could, but right now?
She released a held breath. She was overreacting, of course. He was just talking about Kyle and his mate because Angie had asked, not because ... because that had anything to do with her. The idea was completely ridiculous, anyway. They barely knew each other.
"That sounds ... intense," Angie finally said after a too-long pause. Josh didn't look like he really noticed how long it had been since her last response. He seemed lost in his own world.
“So you’re really not intimidated about me being a shifter?” he said.
She shook her head. “Of course not. I guess it’s a little strange, but I’m not scared or anything. I do wonder how it all works, though. Your lifestyle seems completely different, living out on the edge of town with a bunch of people. Do you even get to choose your mate, or ...?"
Josh shook his head. "We choose to live that way because it’s what’s most comfortable us. We’re all close like that, and it’s easier to support each other when we’re close. I guess having that sort of control helps mediate the lack of control we have over deciding who our mates are.” He shrugged. “That’s something that just happens. No one knows how it works; it's always been that way. Before we have a mate, we're free as any other animal, but once we get one, it's like the whole world shifts."
Angie nodded, trying to think of what to say, but thankfully the waiter came and asked for their order before she had the chance to say anything. It gave her the opportunity to think a little longer while Josh placed his order. She took a sip of her wine, letting the heat of the spicy liquid soothe her.
It sounded like a lot of what Josh was saying was out of personal experience. But was that really the case, or just from what he'd heard from those around him? It didn’t seem likely that Josh had a mate, since he was out with her, and not with that special someone, but a whole world of questions opened up at the mention of the concept of mates.
A swirl of pink and blue light hovered over Josh and Angie for a moment before the light settled. Angie hadn't really thought about whether or not there might be more Bear shifters than just Josh until now. Real bears were rather solitary, after all, but the way Josh spoke about them made it seem like there were lots of them. She took another sip of her wine and gathered the courage to speak again.
"So there are quite a few others like you, then," she said. Angie thought about the ranch, how all the workers at the auto shop seemed to live there. "Are all the guys at the ranch shifters?"
Josh didn't hesitate to reveal the truth. "They are. There a
re the six of us who work on the cars: Kyle, Greg, Pete, Ben, Ryan, and me. I mean, Ryan’s also a cop, but he works as a mechanic sometimes, too," he said, taking a sip of his wine. "And then there are a couple of other guys. But they live on the other side of the ranch with their families, so we don’t see them that much. We all used to be part of a larger clan, but we broke off from them because there was a ... disagreement, to say the least." He chuckled, but it sounded a little strained, so Angie smiled out of politeness, even though she was a little confused. "I'm sure you don't want to hear all about that, though. It's not that exciting."
The candle on their table flickered and sent spirals of light over Angie and Josh's faces, lighting up the dim space between them. Angie did want to know more, and she was glad to get to know a little more about the people Josh worked with and lived around. But she didn’t just want to know more about his friends. She was interested in learning more about him, too. She wanted to know everything there was to know about him. And not just because he was her daughter’s father. It was because she … cared about him. The realization sent a shiver down her spine.
She cleared her throat, trying to get her head on straight again, then smiled and tapped the base of her wine glass. "So, that's why your shop has been buying all those materials. You're building some kind of settlement on that ranch property you guys own."
"That's right. One of the guys inherited the land from his great uncle. We were fortunate," Josh said, nodding, taking another slow sip of wine. "We built the shop from scratch shortly after we arrived here, and now we're each building our own houses on the land. There's room for a lot more of us, but right now we're just working on getting established."
Angie was immediately interested. His group of Bear shifters breaking off from the larger group probably explained why he moved all the way to southern Nebraska in the first place. But the fact that he was building his own house from scratch … she had to admit that it was kind of hot.