Smoke (Bearpaw Ridge Firefighters Book 7)

by Ophelia Sexton

  To her pleased surprise, he had made omelets while she was washing and getting dressed, and he’d once again packed a lunch for her. She’d even gotten a goodbye kiss from him just before she dashed out the door.

  It was…nice. Really nice. And their second morning together had just reinforced her wolf’s opinion that Tyler Swanson was a keeper.

  Uncle Bill, Mark Swanson, and Owen Barenkamp were standing on the shady side of Main Street, sipping from travel mugs printed with Cinnamon + Sugar’s new cute gingerbread bear logo.

  Annabeth Swanson had given each of her regular customers one of the mugs on Earth Day and had started offering a discount to anyone who brought their own cups for their morning coffee purchases instead of using a disposable paper cup.

  “Where’s Dane?” Mary asked, noticing the fire captain’s absence.

  “I asked him to lay out a grid at your cottage and search it for any evidence of arson,” Uncle Bill answered. “Then I drafted Dimitri, Roy, and Annika to help him while we do the same here.” He jerked a thumb at the burned-out shell of Hawkins Hardware. “Now that you’re here, we can get started.”

  He headed across the street with a brisk stride. Owen fell in behind him, but Mark lingered at Mary’s side. She saw him take a deep sniff.

  His dark brows rose in surprise. “You’re mated?”

  It was useless to deny the truth, especially when she knew her scent had changed.

  “Don’t you dare tell the others!” With an effort, she softened her tone. “Just…don’t. Please, Mark. I haven’t had a chance to tell my family yet, and it’ll hurt their feelings if they hear it from someone else.”

  Mark nodded slowly. “Okay. But I have to tell you, I’ve already heard some interesting rumors about you and Tyler.”

  Thank you, Zack Barenkamp. “I know,” Mary said, as forbiddingly as she could.

  But Mark was an attorney when he wasn’t volunteering as a firefighter, so he was unfazed by her attitude. He just grinned at her. “Can I just say ‘welcome to the family?’”

  “Sure. And thanks…I think,” she said, returning his smile.

  The temperatures continued to rise as the day crept towards noon, which just added to the misery of searching the charred remains of Hawkins Hardware inch by inch.

  Same as last night, there was a grid of bright red string laid out inside the store. Owen Barenkamp handed each member of their little team a respirator mask and a camera with which to record the position of any evidence they found before they bagged and tagged it.

  The stench of burned plastics and other unpleasant charred items overwhelmed Mary’s sensitive wolf shifter nose as she and the others painstakingly searched through heaps of blackened items in the store’s interior.

  Owen and Mark didn’t look happy, either—if anything, bear shifters had an even keener sense of smell than wolf shifters did.

  The tedious work gave her plenty of time to think, especially as the afterglow from her bout of morning sex faded and she began to feel less euphoric. The stench of smoke and chemicals overpowered her mask, and a headache began to shoot sharp arrows through the inside of her skull.

  With the headache came questions about what she’d just gotten herself into. With Zack busily spreading rumors, she knew that she could soon expect more calls from her pack, and she found herself formulating angry, defensive responses to the anticipated criticism.

  But underneath all of that, niggling doubts sprouted, undermining her wolf’s confidence that everything was just the way it was supposed to be.

  Sure, Tyler seems like a nice guy under all those rough edges, her human half whispered, but let’s face it; he’s practically a stranger. And now you’re stuck with each other for life.

  As she picked through the rubble, stopping to photograph anything that looked out of place before bagging and tagging, she continued her imaginary debate with her critics.

  It was almost a relief when her phone finally rang during her lunch break. Mary had been expecting a call from her mother all morning.

  She was sitting with the others on a park bench under the shade of the giant cottonwood trees in the riverside park. As soon as she saw who had called, she excused herself and walked briskly along the hiking/biking trail that paralleled the river for miles.

  She knew this was a conversation that she wanted to have away from three sets of keen shifter ears.

  It was still hot, but at least the clean, moist air was a welcome break from the stink of burned things, and there was a faint, cool breeze coming off the water.

  “I knew you weren’t telling us the whole story yesterday!” Mom accused as soon as Mary hit Answer. “I don’t know why on earth you feel that you have to sneak around!”

  Maybe it’s because none of my pack mates have any boundaries, Mary thought but didn’t say out loud. No wolf shifter—except her—seemed to be bothered that there was no distinction between pack business and private life.

  Just another way I’m a lousy wolf shifter.

  Her mom was still talking. “…not like some of the other shifters in town, who would never accept a cross-lineage relationship, and you know that the Jacobsens and the Swansons have always been close. But—”

  And with a lead-up like that, Mary knew that there was going to be a big “but.” Mom didn’t disappoint.

  “—but why THAT Swanson?” Mom asked, then added, immediately followed up with a question that cut to the bone. “And why did you ever break up with Evan Swanson, anyway? I know you two were dating for a while, and he finally seemed to be ready to settle down.”

  “Because Evan didn’t want to settle down with me,” Mary snapped, irritated. “And you do know that Tyler grew up to be a responsible adult, right?”

  “I guess so,” Mom admitted.

  Wow. Talk about a lukewarm response. That kindled Mary’s own protective instincts towards her new mate.

  “He’s been volunteering as a firefighter for months now, and he’s the head of Schaeffer Construction in Portland. That’s a position with a lot of responsibility…as opposed to Zack Barenkamp, who’s still working as a hardware store clerk and drinking away his paycheck every Friday night while talking about his neighbors behind their backs,” Mary finished angrily.

  Mom was silent. Mary took a deep breath. It’s now or never. “Mom, Tyler and I got mated.”

  She heard Mom gasp. “What? So quickly? What on earth were you thinking, Mary Elizabeth Jacobsen?”

  “It just…happened.”

  “Then it can’t possibly be the real thing,” Mom retorted. “You don’t meet and mate someone just like that! It takes a real courtship before a true mating bond can be created.”

  Mary sighed. “Haven’t you ever heard of fated mates?”

  “Oh, that old fairy tale?” scoffed Mom. “Really, Mary! What’s come over you? Are you really that infatuated with Tyler?”

  “It’s not just a fairy tale,” Mary protested. But she couldn’t blame Mom for being skeptical. She’d felt the same way once. “Haven’t you ever wondered how Evan suddenly switched from being a total commitment-phobe to getting engaged to Steffi Tristan?”

  “I just figured that he finally found the right girl.” Mom’s tone was wary. “Isn’t that what happened?”

  “That’s exactly what happened,” Mary agreed. “He met Steffi when the old Bearpaw Ridge Inn burned down, and then boom! Just like that, I couldn’t even kiss him anymore. His bear nearly threw me across the room when I tried.”

  She remembered that day vividly, with her mingled feelings of loss at the end of her relationship with Evan and her glee at seeing him fall hard for someone who wasn’t interested in dating him at first.

  “The mating bond I have with Tyler is real, Mom, and it’s not going away,” Mary finished firmly.

  “Well, if you’re sure…” Mom sounded anything but enthusiastic. “Have you told your uncle yet? He’s the one who’s going to have to approve welcoming Tyler as a member of our pack.”

 
“No, you’re the first person I’ve told about this,” Mary said, knowing it would make Mom happy even if she wasn’t crazy about having Tyler as a son-in-law.

  “Well, I can tell you right now that Bill’s not going to be overjoyed about this,” Mom said dryly.

  Privately, Mary agreed with her mom. In the wake of Tyler’s return to Bearpaw Ridge in February, she’d heard Uncle Bill’s story about Tyler stealing his police car several times, each time with aggrieved commentary.

  Though Tyler joining the BPRFD seemed to have calmed Uncle Bill, and she hadn’t heard him say anything negative lately.

  Which was good, since as pack alpha, Bill Jacobsen was supposed to approve all pack members’ matings. It was mostly just a formality these days, but if he disapproved, it would make things really awkward for Mary.

  Maybe it’ll be okay.

  “Well, Tyler’s a Swanson. Maybe that’ll count for something,” Mary said, faking optimism that she didn’t feel. “I mean, aren’t Uncle Bill and Elle Swanson best friends?”

  “Well, I hope for your sake that Elle can sweet-talk Bill.” Mom didn’t bother to hide her pessimism. Her next words were spoken with forced cheerfulness. “So, where will you be having the wedding? And will you be moving to Portland after you’re married?”

  “Uh…I don’t know,” Mary confessed. “We haven’t talked about our plans yet.”

  And Tyler hasn’t said anything about marrying me. Maybe he wants to live together for a while, first, to see how things work out.

  Close on the heels of that thought came another, more worrying question: And what if we aren’t as compatible as we seem right now? Then what do I do?

  They didn’t have a lot of latitude now that they were sealed with a lifetime bond.

  Mom sighed, and Mary heard a universe of condemnation in that sound. “Honestly, Mary, I don’t know what’s gotten into you. You’re usually so responsible, but now I just don’t know.”

  “I promise I’ll let you know as soon as we’ve made any plans,” Mary promised. Then she remembered something. “Tyler did promise to rebuild my house, so we’re going to stay put for a few months, at least.”

  “Well, you need to tell Bill about your mating as soon as possible,” Mom said. “Don’t let him find out from other people.”

  “I’ll go talk to him right now,” Mary promised and ended the call.

  Then she gathered her courage and walked back to where the others were still sitting.

  “Uncle Bill, can I talk to you in private?” she asked.

  He gave her a long look from behind his mirrored shades and rose.

  “Is it about you and Tyler?” he asked when they were out of earshot. “Am I wrong, or are you two mated all of a sudden?”

  She should have known that he’d smell the truth as soon as they were away from the horrible masking odors of the hardware store.

  “It took us both by surprise,” she admitted.

  “Well, you could do a lot worse,” he said, surprising her. “I won’t lie, I wasn’t happy when Tyler returned to Bearpaw Ridge, but he does seem to have turned over a new leaf. And his efforts as a volunteer firefighter have really been appreciated with all the fires around here.”

  “So…you’re okay with bringing him into the pack?” Mary asked cautiously.

  Uncle Bill nodded. “I would have objected strongly a few years ago, but not now. And you’ve always struck me as a sensible woman and a sensible wolf. I can’t imagine that either of you would have mated Tyler if he hadn’t changed for the better.” He looked at his vintage Omega wristwatch. “Go on and head back to the store. I have a couple of phone calls to make, and then I’ll join you.”

  * * *

  Two hours later, when Mary and the others were back at the ruins of Hawkins Hardware, her phone rang again.

  To Mary’s surprise, it wasn’t anyone from her pack. Instead, Elle Swanson’s Caller ID popped up.

  Uh-oh. Mama Bear alert. Mary braced herself for a fresh round of recriminations and hit Answer.

  “Hello?” she asked warily.

  “Mary, I heard the news about the fire, and I was just calling to see how you were doing,” Elle said, her voice low, warm, and comforting.

  “I’m doing okay,” Mary said. “I’m just really glad I woke up in time to call the fire department. The house is a total burnout, though. Thank goodness for insurance!”

  She’d spoken those words over and over again yesterday, and repetition had worn all the jagged edges of emotion away from them.

  “Insurance is a big help, but I know from experience it can’t replace everything.” Elle’s voice was filled with sympathy.

  “Yeah,” Mary admitted. “To be honest, it doesn’t feel real yet. I should probably swing by my place after work and see what’s left.”

  “No one’s going to judge you if you need a little time to mourn your loss,” Elle said. “I’m so glad that you got out safely, but it’s a horrible thing to lose your home.”

  Unlike most of the people who had expressed sympathy and curiosity yesterday, Elle sounded like she really understood.

  “It wasn’t a fancy house—it was really small, and it needed a lot of work, but it was mine,” Mary heard herself saying.

  “I’m so sorry,” Elle said. “If there’s anything you need—furniture, bedding, dishes—we have lots of extras here at the ranch, and you’re welcome to anything and everything.”

  “Thank you so much,” Mary said. “And thank you for understanding.”

  “I know how it feels to lose something really important. And I wanted to tell you—the pain may never go away entirely, but it does get better. Eventually.”

  Mary recalled that Elle had lost her mate in a terrible car accident while she was pregnant with Ash, and she felt embarrassed to feel so upset about a mere house.

  “I’m planning to rebuild,” Mary said.

  “I’m glad to hear that,” Elle said with warm sincerity. “Anyhow, I wanted to see how you were doing, but that wasn’t the only reason for my call. I’d like to invite you to dinner at the ranch this Sunday.”

  “But that’s your clan dinner—” Mary began, and then it hit her. “Oh.”

  Mark, you rat! You promised you wouldn’t tell anyone!

  He must have phoned or texted his mother as soon as Mary had finished her phone call with her own mom.

  Elle chuckled. “Yes, I understand that you and Tyler have an important announcement to make.”

  “News travels fast in Bearpaw Ridge,” Mary said glumly.

  Elle’s chuckle turned into a full-throated laugh. “Not many secrets in a shifter town,” she agreed. “See you at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday.”

  Chapter 13 – Brother Wolf

  Tyler and his assistant Larry were just finishing up the installation of the new kitchen cabinets at Tyler’s mom’s house when Larry’s phone buzzed with an incoming text message.

  With insulation added to all the walls and the drywalling complete, the new HVAC system was doing a fine job keeping the place cool while they worked. The next step would be to create the templates for the countertop fabrication.

  Larry stopped what he was doing and pulled his phone out of his pocket.

  He was a tall, lean wolf-shifter with long brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. His fondness for wearing a cowboy hat, combined with a drooping mustache, made him look like an Old West gunslinger in Tyler’s eyes.

  “Uh oh,” Larry said a few seconds later.

  “What’s up?” Tyler asked.

  Larry glanced up at Tyler with a worried expression. “Dean and Kenny are on their way over here. They want to talk to you.”

  “Should I be expecting trouble?” Tyler asked warily.

  He didn’t really know either of Mary’s brothers very well. Her older brother Dean was a successful rancher who lived about a half-hour outside of town. Her younger brother Kenny was a cop like his sister and served as Bearpaw Ridge’s combined Community Service Officer and Animal Control Offi
cer.

  Dryly, Tyler wondered in which capacity Kenny might be visiting today.

  He figured he knew the reason for their visit; they’d heard that he and Mary were involved. A mating bond changed a shifter’s scent, so it was nearly impossible for either him or Mary to conceal their change of status in a shifter town like Bearpaw Ridge.

  From experience, Tyler knew that male shifters tended to be overprotective of women in general.

  He wondered how that would translate to Dean and Kenny’s visit. Would they be looking for trouble because he’d been messing around with their sister?

  Larry’s answer didn’t make Tyler feel any better.

  “I don’t know,” his assistant said honestly. “But I’ll stick around, okay?”

  Tyler shook his head. “Hey, I appreciate it, man, but I’m a bear shifter, remember? Two wolf shifters aren’t going to give me any real trouble…and I don’t want to put you in a bad position with your pack. If you want to run on over to Annabeth’s café and pick up a snack for us, I’d appreciate it.”

  “Are you sure?” Larry glanced around nervously, as if he expected Dean and Kenny Jacobsen to come roaring up the driveway at any second. “Congrats, by the way. I didn’t even know that you and Mary were dating.”

  “Thanks,” Tyler said. “It all happened pretty fast. Hey, if you spot any of those honey-almond slices at the bakery, get me a couple of those, would you? Otherwise, I’d love some of those lemon bars. And maybe pick up something for Dean and Kenny…I’d like to get off on the right foot with my new in-laws.”

  He dug in the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a couple of twenties.

  “Sure thing, boss,” Larry said, taking the money. “Good luck.”

  He touched the brim of his cowboy hat in an ironic salute before he spun on his heel and strode towards his truck.

  Kenny and Dean arrived ten minutes later.

  From the newly installed living room windows, Tyler watched them climb out of Dean’s Jacobsen Ranch pickup truck. Both men looked grim and unhappy, but neither of them looked like they were out for bear shifter blood.