“He’s so soft,” Tristan said.
The bear wrinkled his nose and shook his head in response.
“I don’t think he likes being called soft,” Breeze told her nephew. But as she curled her fingers in his fur, she added, “You’re right, he is soft.”
“I told you.” Tristan leaned forward and buried his face in the bear’s fur. “He smells like dirt and pine trees.” He looked around. “Like these trees. Do you rub your back on the trees like the bear does in Jungle Book?”
The bear huffed and turned away from them, heading for one of the nearest pine trees. When he reached it, he turned around, his big paws padding on the dried dirt, before he lifted himself on his hind legs and rubbed his back on the bark of the tree.
Tristan giggled and ran over to him. “Let me try.”
Dwarfed by the size of the bear, Tristan turned around and rubbed his back up and down, mimicking the bear.
“Let me try!” Jane abandoned her parents and ran to the tree. “It looks so fun.”
One bear and two children rubbed their backs on the pine tree that swayed from side to side. Breeze wanted to pull out her phone and take a photo of them, but she didn’t want to risk anyone seeing it and asking questions.
A photo of a large bear and two small children in such close proximity would mean questions she could not answer. Not unless she told everyone about shifters. And if she didn’t tell them, she might be arrested for child endangerment.
So, her phone stayed firmly in her pocket, and instead, she committed the scene to memory.
“This is the best day ever.” Tristan stepped away from the tree and ran to Breeze, throwing his arms around her and hugging her close. “Thank you so much for letting me come stay with you.”
“You know I love you,” Breeze told him and dropped a kiss on the top of his head. “And my home will always be your home.”
The bear dropped back down onto all fours and lumbered over to join them. Gently, considering his size, the bear rubbed his head on Tristan’s arm and huffed and puffed his warm breath over them both.
“I really like you, bear,” Tristan said then looked up as the two cougars raced off along the trail, followed by the wolf who looked back and waited for the bear. “I think your friends are waiting for you.”
The bear swung his massive head around and glanced over his shoulder, then he looked Breeze straight in the eyes. It was as if she were looking at Joey. There was the same kindness, the same loyalty, the same velvety softness that she was falling in love with.
“Why don’t you go run with your friends?” Breeze stroked his head, her hand small against his huge skull.
The bear nodded and then turned around and ran after the wolf, leaving Breeze alone with the two children.
“Come on!” Tristan took her hand and pulled her forward. “Let’s follow them.”
“They’re too fast for us,” Breeze said as she followed the two children along the trail.
“They’ll wait,” Jane assured her. “And they always know where I am.”
“Thanks to their super senses,” Tristan said wistfully. “I wish I was a shifter, it must be like being a superhero with superpowers.”
“I like you just the way you are,” Breeze told him.
“Don’t you think it would be cool to be an animal?” Tristan asked.
“Sure, for a little while. But I like being human. If I didn’t have my hands,” she held up her fingers and wiggled them, “I wouldn’t be able to do my job and I love delivering babies.”
“Isn’t it yucky?” Jane asked. She looked down at the ground and kicked up a pile of dry leaves that had accumulated on the side of the path. “Isn’t there blood and stuff when they are born?”
“There is but you get used to it and there’s nothing a bath won’t help with.” Breeze slipped her arm around Jane’s shoulders. “Are you worried about when your mom has her baby?”
“A little.” Jane looked up at Breeze, her eyes searching her face.
“If you have something you need to ask me then ask away. I’m fairly sure there is nothing you can ask that someone hasn’t already asked me and if I don’t know the answer, I will help you find it.” She squeezed Jane’s shoulders in encouragement.
“I’m scared,” she whispered.
“Of having a baby brother or sister?” Breeze asked gently.
“I really want a brother or sister. Really. I don’t mind the smelly diapers or the crying and I know we’ll argue because that’s what brothers and sisters do…” She paused, her eyes searching the trail up ahead.
Breeze stopped walking. Whatever Jane wanted to say, she was afraid of her parents hearing. Crouching down next to Jane, she brushed her hair back off her shoulder and said, “Why don’t you whisper to me?”
Jane sighed, took one more look up the trail and then cupped her hands to Breeze’s ear. Her breath tickled against Breeze’s skin as she whispered, “Joanna isn’t my real mom. Shawn isn’t my real dad. What if they love their new baby more than me?”
She stepped back, her eyes misted with tears as she looked at Breeze. Looking for answers that Breeze didn’t have. All she could do was give Jane advice and trust in the love that she’d seen in Shawn and Joanna. Love that shone brightly in the eyes of the cougar and wolf.
“They love you. I can see it in the way they look at you. That love doesn’t go away. And there is room in our hearts for lots of people and our love is without measure. It’s limitless and I think that your mom and dad know that.” She took hold of Jane’s hand. “You know, Joey told me that as a shifter, he loves Tristan as if he were his own because he’s a part of my family and so Tristan is a part of his family. I think it’s the same for all shifters, and both your mom and dad are shifters. So I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”
Jane nodded, looking relieved. “Okay.”
“You already knew that, didn’t you?” Breeze asked.
“I just needed to hear someone else say it.” She smiled weakly.
“You know, I found another reason I like having fingers so much instead of paws with claws.” She held up her hands and wriggled her fingers.
“What?” Tristan asked as he came closer. Her nephew had been listening to part of the conversation while he picked up sticks and stones and examined them closely. Breeze hoped it might help Tristan understand he would still be loved even if Breeze did have a full-on relationship with Joey.
“Fingers are for tickling.” She grabbed hold of Jane and tickled her sides and the young girl collapsed into a mess of giggles. “That is such a good sound. Everyone should laugh every day.”
“Thank you,” Jane gasped as her laughter subsided and she threw her arms around Breeze’s neck.
Tristan came over to them and joined in the hug. Breeze wrapped her arms around both children and held them tightly, wishing she could take away all their pain and make the world right for them, but that was not how the world worked.
“I love you, Aunt Breeze,” Tristan whispered against her ear.
“I love you, too, Tristan. Very much.” She hugged them for a few minutes longer before she let them go. As she stood up, she saw the shifters coming back toward them along the trail.
“They’re back!” Jane announced. “Come on, Tristan. Joey will let us ride on his back.”
“Is that safe?” Breeze asked with concern.
“Safe as shifters, that’s what Joey always says,” Jane cried out happily.
And Breeze believed her. Joey made her feel safe. Emotionally and physically. He would protect her heart and her body. All she had to do was let go of her reservations and open her heart to him.
Chapter Fifteen – Joey
Joey’s bear swung his head around and sniffed Tristan’s foot. The boy straddled the bear, with Jane behind him, her hands wrapped around Tristan’s waist. It was good to see them so happy. It was good to hear them laugh.
“Are you okay, big bear?” Breeze asked. She was walking by his side
, her hand on his shoulder as they followed the trail through the trees. As they climbed higher, the sun broke through the leaves above their heads and shone down on them, bathing them in warm sunlight. It was the most perfect day.
For his bear at least. The human side of Joey wanted to break free and hold his mate in his arms and kiss her lips. Now that she knew about shifters and about the mating bond, he was ready to push their relationship forward. He’d heard her explaining to Jane about shifters and their capacity to love. He only hoped she honestly believed it.
Although, Breeze had no idea how deep and wide his love was. Especially his love for his mate. It was fathomless. Even Joey was shocked at how much he loved his mate already.
His bear turned and huffed at Breeze, wanting her to know he would carry the children to the end of the Earth and back if that was what she wanted.
The other shifters ran along the trail, circling around before heading back, thrilling at their own speed and strength. The two cougars seemed hell-bent on trying to outdo each other, O’Malley in particular seemed to have something to prove.
As they left the forest behind and climbed higher along the trail, the low afternoon sun warmed them, while the cool breeze that swept down from the higher peaks ruffled his fur. They should turn back soon, Breeze looked tired and in a couple of hours the sun would dip behind the mountains and the air would grow cold.
If they were caught out on the mountain after dark, the temperature would drop rapidly. Not a problem for the shifters, but potentially deadly for the children and Breeze.
The bear headed off the trail and loped toward the edge of a cliff. The approach was level, with barely any rocks and stones, it was the safest place to take one last look at the view below. Joey’s bear walked with great care, secure in the knowledge that the children were safe on his back and his mate was holding onto his fur. There was no way any of them could get too close to the edge and fall off.
You have developed a sense of fear, Joey told his bear.
They are the most precious thing in the world to us, his bear replied. I need to keep them safe.
“This is incredible.” Breeze’s voice was filled with awe as she stopped walking and looked out across the world below. “It’s like we can see to the end of the world.”
The bear looked up at her and marveled at how lucky they were to have found a mate like Breeze. Kind, sweet, capable, and strong.
“If I was a shifter, I would like to be a bird so that I could fly to the edge of the world,” Tristan said.
“You do know the world is round, right?” Jane asked him.
“Of course,” Tristan scoffed. “Okay, then I would like to be a bird and fly all around the world. The sights you would see.”
Joey waited with bated breath. He hoped Jane was not going to tell them about Kelos being a dragon. There was only so much people needed to hear in one day. Breeze and Tristan had coped well finding out the truth about shifters but hearing that dragons were also real might be a little too much.
“If I were a shifter, I’d like to be a cougar, just like my dad,” Jane said. “Although wolves are pretty cool, too.” The wolf who was standing closer to the edge looking out turned and lifted her head and howled a melancholy howl. “I love you, Joanna.”
Breeze chuckled. “What happens if two shifters have a child? Do they get to choose what animal the child becomes?”
“No, they have to wait until the first shift which happens when they are teenagers,” Jane said.
“Wow, and some people have trouble waiting nine months to see what sex their baby is. That takes some patience.” Breeze glanced at Joanna’s wolf. “It’s incredible. It truly is.”
At least we won’t have to wait to know what our children will be, Joey told his bear.
We don’t, his bear agreed. They will be just like me.
I suppose that’s a good thing, Joey answered, and his bear snarled in reply.
With one last look at the view, the bear shuffled around and headed back down the trail with the children clinging to his back.
Joey had never known his bear to be so happy as he was at this moment. He had children on his back who he counted as family and his mate by his side. The only thing that would make this day any better would be honey, in some form. His bear was too fussy.
Joey smiled to himself. His bear was truly in his element, at last part of a family.
We always were part of Shawn’s family. Jane is like a daughter to us.
She is, Joey agreed. But now that Shawn has Joanna and they have another baby on the way, they’re not going to want us hanging around so much. We certainly do not want to overstay our welcome with them. You know how it is, old bachelor bear doesn’t know when to stay out of the way.
Joey glanced at O’Malley, I get the feeling that prize is going to go to someone else. He wished they could find a mate for the cougar shifter.
At least he has his bar opening to look forward to, his bear replied.
They both fell silent, lost in their own thoughts as they carried the children back down the mountain. They soon reached the picnic spot, but they didn’t hang around there for long. The shifters all shifted back into their human forms and headed to the trucks with two tired children. Joey carried Tristan on his shoulders, while Shawn carried Jane, cradled in his arms. She had her arms flung around her dad’s neck and her head lolled on his shoulder as she fought to stay awake.
However, by the time they reached the trucks, Jane was asleep, and Shawn placed her on the back seat of his truck and carefully secured the seatbelt around her. O’Malley climbed into the rear passenger seat beside her and carefully rested Jane’s head against his shoulder.
“Jane’s had a great time,” Shawn whispered to Tristan.
“I did, too,” he admitted. “It was so cool seeing you all shift.”
“This is our secret, okay?” Joey asked.
“I like secrets,” Tristan said sleepily as Joey carried him to the truck. Breeze hurried forward, reaching the truck first and opened the door.
“If you get in first, Tristan can lean against you,” Joey suggested. “Unless you want to walk down the rough patch of the trail that leads back to the road.”
“Oh, no, that seemed like a good idea this morning, but my nephew needs me, so I’ll just get in the truck and hold on tight.” Breeze lifted her foot and reached for the side of the truck as she wearily climbed inside. “I think I might fall asleep on the way home.”
“Did you have a good time, though?” Joey asked hopefully as he lifted Tristan onto the cab seat and buckled his seatbelt.
“I did.” Breeze lifted her arm and rolled Tristan toward her before pulling him where he snuggled up close with a smile on his face. “It’s been good to see Tristan acting like a kid. A happy kid. Sometimes I worry that the relationship between his mom and dad weighs heavily on him.”
“Kids need to have fun and forget all their cares,” Joey agreed.
“Like a bear rubbing his back on a tree?” Breeze laughed.
“Yeah, my bear needs to get out and be one with nature and have some fun, or else he’s grouchy,” Joey confessed.
Who are you calling grouchy? his bear asked.
You and you know it, Joey answered.
Making sure Tristan and Breeze were safe inside, Joey shut the truck door and went around to the driver’s side.
“This was fun, we should do it again,” Joanna said and kissed Joey on the cheek. “You have a perfect family there.”
“And so do you.” He opened his arms and hugged her. “We just need to find the perfect family for a certain cougar shifter.”
“I wish there was something I could do,” Joanna agreed. “Maybe fate is waiting for him to move to Cougar Ridge. Perhaps the lucky lady will walk into his bar and it’ll be love at first sight.”
“I can hear you,” O’Malley said.
“We know,” Joanna told him. “Anyway, you get your family home. We’ll see you soon.”
&nb
sp; She took a step backward, gave him a brief wave, and then got into the truck. Joey stood and watched as Shawn backed his truck up and turned it around. With one last wave, they drove away, leaving Joey alone with his mate and her nephew.
He breathed in the cool mountain air. The heat was going out of the sun and the sky was turning a deep red as the sun set slowly behind the mountains.
Not wanting the day to end but knowing it must, he got into the truck. His mate’s eyelids were drooping but she jerked awake when he closed the truck door. “Sorry.”
“No, I prefer to be awake,” she admitted. “I want to look at the scenery as we go back down the mountain. On the journey up here it was all fresh and bright but now the light is fading, and the world is filled with shadows.”
“I like this time of day,” Joey confessed. “It’s like the world is settling down to sleep.”
“Don’t say the word.” Breeze yawned widely.
“I think I’ll be carrying you both up to bed when we get back to your house,” Joey said and then bit his bottom lip. “Sorry, I didn’t mean…”
“I know what you meant,” Breeze assured him. “I might just take you up on the offer. That’s the farthest I’ve walked for ages. The trail was steeper than I am used to, and my legs are complaining.”
“Sorry, I hope you’ll be okay. Maybe a nice hot bath when you get home. A good soak should ease your muscles.” He sighed contentedly as the smell of warm pine seeped in through the window. The tangy scent invigorated his senses. He could probably run back up the trail and back and still not be tired. Sleep might be hard to find tonight. He was scared that if he closed his eyes and let the world slip away, he’d wake to find it had all been a dream.
“I like the idea of a bath.” Breeze stretched out her legs. “But I have some chores I have to do when I get home.”
“Anything I can help you with?” Joey asked.
“What are you, the perfect man?” Breeze joked sleepily.
“For you, yes,” he replied.
Joey: Spring (Shifter Seasons Book 6) Page 11