“Karen is looking forward to grandbabies,” Scott confided with a wink. “No pressure at all.”
Dean gave Elizabeth a look that made her insides turn to liquid fire. His hunger for her and their own children was a secret they shared, and it would stay that way. Until she got pregnant, she didn’t want anyone to know they were trying; she didn’t need that kind of well-intentioned pressure. Not when her age lowered the chances of Elizabeth conceiving and carrying a baby to full-term.
Those were tomorrow’s problems. If they were problems at all. Elizabeth needed to live in the present, and stop worrying about what might be.
“So we all have our tasks?” Suzie asked after they finished their coffee, and the delicious warm bagels Karen had laid out as a brunch.
“We do.” Karen picked up her list. “Scott can go to the store while I clean the kitchen.”
“Dean and I will do one final round of watering the garden and checking that all the plants look perfect. Then we can start setting out the chairs.” Elizabeth stood up, and Dean joined her at the back door. “Don’t stress, Suzie, go and make the phone calls you need to make. Then go and see Kit at work, have lunch with him, and relax. Leave it to us.”
“Thanks, Mom, thanks, Dean.” Suzie waved as they went out into the garden.
Elizabeth blew her a kiss and wagged her finger sternly. “No worrying.”
“Yes, Mom. No, Mom,” Suzie said with a genuine smile, her earlier nerves swept away as excitement took over.
“You are a changed woman,” Dean remarked as they went to fetch the hose to water the garden, and a wheelbarrow into which they could put any weeds or dead flowers.
“Am I?” Elizabeth asked, frowning.
“Yes. What happened to the woman I met in this garden only two days ago?”
Elizabeth pushed the wheelbarrow to the first flowerbed, and began to snip at any dead plant matter, while Dean pulled out any weeds that had dared to show themselves. “I don’t know. But I think it has to do with finding a man who accepts me.”
“And loves you,” Dean added.
Elizabeth paused, her body frozen. Even her breath caught in her chest, and her heart faltered. “You can’t love me, you don’t really know me,” she finally said.
“I know enough.” He stood up straight and looked at her earnestly. “I have lived a happy life, a full life, but these last two days have been the happiest for me. In a way I can’t explain. I know what love is, the love you share with children and friends, but this love is different, deeper, and it latches onto my soul and makes it want to soar over the mountain and beyond.”
Elizabeth simply stared at him. She had no doubt of the sincerity of his words. But she didn’t know if she felt the same. Yes, she liked being with Dean, she enjoyed his company, and any change he saw in her was down to him. But love?
She reeled at the thought. Suzie was the only person Elizabeth knew she loved. Loved with a deep profoundness she would not want to live without.
As she looked at Dean, watched the way his eyes caressed her face, oblivious of the birthmark she had lived in shame of, she knew that although not as deep, her need to have him in her life meant she did love him.
At some point over the last two crazy days, Elizabeth had fallen for this man who called her his mate, and she didn’t need to be a shifter to know she didn’t want to live without him.
Chapter Fourteen – Dean
They worked well together. There was no need to fill every moment with conversation. Instead they got on with their respective jobs, both aware of the importance of making the garden look perfect.
“Where did you learn to love gardening so much?” Dean asked, as he stood up to admire the neatly edged section of lawn he’d been working on, while Elizabeth banished all weeds from sight.
“When I moved into my present house. We didn’t have a lot of money, I barely scraped the rent together each month, so Suzie and I would spend a lot of time in the garden. It’s not big, but it is brimming with flowers.” She stared wistfully at the tulips that were still clinging onto their petals.
“I’d love to see it.” He wanted to add, before you move in with me. But he let those words go, he didn’t want to remind her of what she would be giving up when she moved to Bear Creek. Elizabeth had enough on her mind without him adding more pressure.
“I’d like that. When the wedding is over, I’ll cook dinner.” She gave him a playful smile. “Pizza.”
“I like pizza.”
“We built a pizza oven. I’ll even let you choose your own toppings.”
“Now you’re spoiling me,” Dean joked.
“We used to spend our evening out there together on the small patio, before Suzie met Kit.” Elizabeth looked at him, and added, “Sorry, I’m taking a trip down memory lane. It makes me sound as if I am jealous of the time Suzie now spends with Kit.”
“It’s understandable.” Dean walked across the lawn to stand next to her, staring at the same tulips as they opened up to the sun. “When Zak came home, my relationship with Louise changed. She used to come home and tell me all about her day, now she tells Zak.” Dean shrugged. “I’m happy for them. Unbelievably happy. But that doesn’t mean I don’t miss those times.”
“Kids grow up. They grow out of their parents, that’s how it should be.” Elizabeth gave him a sidelong glance. “I can be philosophical too.”
“We are a match made in heaven.” He sighed. “OK, let’s move on.”
They worked tirelessly all morning, and by lunchtime the entire garden was finished. Elizabeth stood back and cast a critical eye over it. “I think we’re done.”
“I think we are too.” Dean stood with his hands on his hips as he turned around in a circle. “I can’t believe this was just a patch of grass before you started.”
Elizabeth pulled out her phone and flicked through her photo gallery. “This is the proof.”
Dean looked over her shoulder, taking the opportunity to breathe in her scent. It mingled with the fresh scent of the spring morning, he couldn’t get enough of it.
“You should start a business in garden makeovers,” Dean suggested.
“I couldn’t.” Elizabeth shook her head firmly and put her phone in her pocket. “People and me…that is not a match made in heaven, believe me.”
“So what do you do now?” Dean asked. “Suzie said you worked in a plant nursery.”
“I do.” They turned to walk back toward the house. Karen and Scott had invited them to lunch, but they were a little early. “I suppose we have that in common. You nurture children, I nurture plants.”
“And when you move here?” Dean asked.
Elizabeth paused and let out a long sigh. “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll just commute.”
“Or start a nursery of your own?” Dean asked.
Elizabeth rounded on him. “I don’t want to run a business of my own.” She shook her head, her voice firm. “It’s not what I want to do. I know you are trying to help me, but I need space, and time to get used to all this.”
“I’m sorry.” Dean placed his hand on her arm, hating the look he saw in her eyes. “You’re right, I am being pushy. It’s because I’m scared.”
Elizabeth cocked her head and looked at him suspiciously. “What do you have to be scared about?”
“I’m scared that when it comes to moving here to Bear Creek, you will decide to not to.” He stepped closer to her, wanting to hold her, but afraid she would think he was putting more pressure on her. “You don’t have this burning need inside you. I’m scared that I won’t be able to make you want me in the same way that I want you.”
The words tumbled out of his mouth. Every one of them true.
“Dean. It’s going to take me some time. But I’m as committed to this relationship as you are.”
His shoulders sagged forward. “I can’t tell you how much it means to hear you say that.”
Elizabeth moved closer, he could feel the heat of her body, smell the scent of her sk
in. “I wish I could dive into a new life. I wish I could pluck a thing out of my head and try it. But I know my limitations.”
Dean gazed into her eyes, he wanted to tell her she could do anything, be anything, but no doubt Elizabeth had heard those words before. No, as her mate, he had to show her she could be anything. He had to support her, until she believed in herself, as much as he believed in her.
He settled for cupping her face in his hand and kissing her lips tenderly. “We’re in this together, never forget that.”
“I won’t.” She rubbed her cheek against his, her lips brushing his skin, before she tensed and straightened up.
“There you two are. Lunch is ready,” Scott called.
Dean took Elizabeth’s hand and they walked together to the house. He repeated her words over and over in his head, and allowed himself to let go of his own hang-ups. When she said she was committed to their relationship too, he believed her.
And more than anything, he believed in fate. They would work out how their lives were going to fit together; it was just going to take time.
Chapter Fifteen – Elizabeth
“Are you feeling better now?” Elizabeth asked Suzie. It was early evening and they were at Suzie’s house, getting ready to go to Fiona’s for the evening.
Elizabeth had worked tirelessly with Dean all day to make sure everything was perfect for tomorrow. If Elizabeth had her way, she would just collapse onto the sofa, and share a mug of cocoa and a good movie with Suzie. However, Fiona had insisted on them going to her house for dinner.
“I am feeling better.” She hugged her mom tight. “And you know what makes me feel really good about everything?”
“The weather forecast?” Elizabeth was certainly relieved they were not going to be dealing with any downpours. The transformation of Karen’s garden had been with one purpose, the wedding ceremony. The ground would not have coped with a deluge of rain, and Elizabeth would’ve been devastated.
“Sunny is a bonus,” Suzie admitted. “But seeing you so happy and relaxed with Dean trumps that.”
“Does it show? How happy he makes me?” Elizabeth looked in the mirror. Her reflection answered her own question.
“It does. You are glowing.” Suzie finished applying her lipstick. “Right, I’m going to go and give my fiancé a kiss goodbye, and then we can go to Fiona’s.”
“OK, take your time.” Elizabeth watched her daughter leave the room, and then turned a critical eye on her own reflection. Slowly, she turned her face to the right and studied her birthmark. It had faded so much, it was no longer the angry red which no amount of makeup could conceal. Coupled with the long days out in the sunshine, which had given color to her otherwise pale skin, and her hair, which she styled to curl around her face, she could almost forget it was there.
But it wasn’t just about what it looked like. The mark might be fading, but the scars on her subconscious were deep, although not as raw. Elizabeth could feel the change in herself, a healing that she had never allowed to occur. She’d never allowed herself to forget why she was a single parent. Never let go of the stigma of being an unmarried mother, whose parents had thrown her out the door to fend for herself and her unborn child.
The taunts of her youth still rang in her ears if she ever took off the lid of the box she kept them in.
“Maybe it is time to lock them all away for good,” she told her reflection.
“Mom, Dean’s here,” Suzie called from downstairs.
“I’ll be right down.” Elizabeth stared at herself in the mirror for one moment more. Then she turned and left the room, heading downstairs to her man. Her man. Her face cracked into a wide smile. Her man.
“Hi, you look beautiful.” Dean held a huge bouquet of flowers in his hands. “More beautiful than these.”
She reached out for them, and he pulled her into his arms, kissing her lips. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He looked so handsome. He wore a pale blue shirt, with black pants and a worn leather coat. Smart but casual, he carried it off well. “Is Suzie doing OK?”
“She is.” Elizabeth took the flowers through to the kitchen, where she rummaged around for a spare vase. The house was starting to look like a florist’s, since so many people had been giving Suzie flowers and congratulations for the last couple of days. “She and Kit are saying goodbye.”
“He’s staying over at Jacob’s, isn’t he?” Dean leaned against the countertop, watching her as she filled a vase with water and began to trim the stems before arranging them in the vase.
“I hope they have a quiet night.” Elizabeth ran an appraising eye over her arrangement, rearranged a couple of the flowers, and gave a nod of approval before finding a space on the windowsill for them.
Dean chuckled. “He’s a shifter, which means he’s probably going for a run over the mountain tonight. It helps work out some of the nerves.”
“I didn’t think Kit was nervous.” Elizabeth had always found Kit completely calm and confident.
“It’s a big day. He’s nervous.” Dean came to her and threaded his arms around her waist, kissing her neck and breathing in her scent. “And we’re going to go and feast with dragons.”
Elizabeth turned her face and kissed his cheeks. “A few hundred years ago and we would’ve been the feast.”
“Depending on Fiona’s mood, it sometimes feels as if there is still a chance of that happening.”
“Are you talking about Fiona behind her back?” Suzie asked, entering the kitchen, her face flushed.
“I find it the safest way to have a conversation about her,” Dean replied with a smile. He let go of Elizabeth and put his arm around Suzie’s shoulder. “Are you OK?”
“I am.” She sniffed loudly and pulled out a tissue. “I’m going to miss Kit, that’s all.”
“It’s one night and then the rest of your lives together,” Dean reminded Suzie.
She let out a jagged breath. “I know. I just worry that something might go wrong.”
Elizabeth put the last of the flowers in the vase and set them on the table. “Nothing will go wrong.”
“We’re so happy. Sometimes I wonder what we did to deserve it.” Suzie’s breath caught in her throat. “Let’s go, I’ll be OK once we get out of the house.”
“Good girl,” Dean said and left the kitchen, heading to the front door. “I’ll drive, at least then if you two ladies want a glass of wine, you can. And if you want, I’ll even go check up on that man of yours later tonight.”
“No, he’ll be fine.” Suzie walked out of the house and took a deep breath. “I love it here. I never want to leave. Well, except for our honeymoon.”
“Are you packed?” Dean asked, keeping Suzie talking as they all got into the car and he started the engine.
“Yes, we are going to Yellowstone for a couple of weeks. Kit knows some bears over there. Some distant cousins or something.” Suzie sounded calmer now.
“I thought Kit was keeping your honeymoon a secret?” Elizabeth asked.
“It was supposed to be. But he let it slip when I asked what I needed to pack.” Suzie smiled wryly. “It’s one step away from going into the mountains. But truthfully, a villa in a hot climate is not exactly Kit, is it? All that fur.”
“Does Karen know?” Elizabeth asked, remembering their previous conversation with Kit’s mom.
“No. Not yet. We’ll tell her when we get there.” Suzie seemed relaxed about the whole thing. “You will be all right living out here for a couple of weeks, won’t you, Mom?”
“I’m looking forward to it.” She looked out of the window into the dark night. The moon was behind the trees, leaving them silhouetted against the sky. “I like the solitude.”
“I’m sure Dean will stop you from getting lonely,” Suzie said playfully. “Have you two thought about your lives together?”
“Not yet, Louise, Zak and Storm wouldn’t want me living at Dean’s house too,” Elizabeth replied.
“They wouldn’t mind
. It’s a big house.” Dean sounded disappointed.
“There’s plenty of time.” Elizabeth was set on her decision. It would give her and Dean a chance to get to know each other. Moving in with a man she hardly knew was daunting, moving in with four people she hardly knew was terrifying.
“How is the house hunting going?” Suzie asked
“Louise and Zak have made an offer on the house they want to buy. If it’s accepted, they will begin renovations while living at home, and then get married before they move in. They plan to fit in a honeymoon in Australia too.”
“Oh, to be young again,” Suzie said.
Elizabeth laughed. “You are only in your twenties,” she reminded Suzie.
“Yeah, you sound like an old married woman already,” Dean teased.
“I soon will be.” She sighed contentedly. “I can’t wait for tomorrow.”
Elizabeth smiled, happy that Suzie had gotten over her jitters. “One more sleep,” she told her daughter.
“If I sleep.” Suzie looked out of the window, and they all sat in silence as the truck climbed the rest of the way to Fiona’s house.
“Here we are. The dragon’s lair,” Dean teased as he parked the car and switched off the engine.
Before they had even gotten out of the car, the front door opened and Sapphi and Ruby stood on the front porch waiting for them.
“We thought you weren’t coming,” Sapphi called.
“Sorry, we are running late,” Suzie apologized as she got out of the car and went to hug them.
“Just don’t be late tomorrow,” Harlan called from inside the house.
“It’s tradition for the bride to be late. It keeps her man on her toes,” Fiona could be heard answering.
Ruby laughed. “Fiona keeps us all on our toes,” she confided.
“I heard that.” But Fiona didn’t sound particularly upset.
The girls giggled and pulled Suzie into the house, leaving Dean and Elizabeth to follow. They were such incredibly happy children, despite having lost their parents. Whenever Suzie talked about them, it made Elizabeth understand that with the right love and support, it was always possible to turn your life around.
Silverback Bear (Return to Bear Creek Book 10) Page 9