He fully intended to go and politely interrupt the cozy scene, but as he watched the woman, he became transfixed. Her hair was long, thick, brown, and glossy. He could feel his hands twitch with longing, aching to go up and run his fingers through it, feeling its silky softness. He watched her full, curvaceous hips sway gently with her cooking movements, her backside full and heavy, calling out to him, making him want to see more. As she turned her head to speak to Chloe, he caught a glimpse of her profile, long thick lashes and rose-colored lips stretched into a beautiful smile that caused small dimples to form at the corner of her mouth.
As Tanner watched, he felt his lower abdomen tense and flicker as he grew hard, straining against the denim of his jeans. He felt foggy suddenly, his skin starting to hum and prickle with energy. He knew then that he was about to shift. The woman, the stranger standing in his kitchen, the woman with the heavenly body, who had introduced the floral scent into his home, was none other than his mate. The one woman he didn’t think existed for him.
He turned away from the kitchen swiftly. Tanner didn’t know how it had happened, how his mate—who he’d given up hope actually existed at all—had found her way to him. But the primal pull she had on him, the instant and overwhelming attraction that tugged him in physically, and in other ways that Tanner couldn’t even begin to explain, made it clear that this woman was his.
His bear was going to emerge any moment now, and he needed to run out his beast. It was calling to him, a primal shudder running through him, echoing the wilderness of the mountains. His ears twitched as he heard the calls of other beasts and creatures in the forests and valleys, bringing him to them.
Tanner ran outside, flinging off his jeans and t-shirt. He ran to an old outbuilding, which now served as the carpentry workshop for the ranch. He let the change consume him. He let his muscles break and tear to reform into a beast four times the size of Tanner in human form. Once the shift was complete, he bellowed up to the open sky, his thick coat rippling in the sun. His bear had taken over, and he surrendered to it, letting it lead him, running, into the brutal and majestic mountains of Wyoming.
9
The two men worked side by side in the final rays of the sun. They were felling a large spruce that had grown sick, contaminating the sagebrush growing around its trunk.
Tanner could feel the sweat trickling between his shoulder blades and stopped to wipe his forehead with his t-shirt, which was now hanging from his jeans pocket.
“Who did you think she was?” Tanner turned to Josiah, curious about what had happened last night. The old man removed his cap and sighed.
“Well, I didn’t like to ask,” Josiah replied, looking shiftily at the ground and clearing his throat.
Tanner grunted in reply. He tested the chainsaw, yanking the chord to get the motor running. It sprung to life smoothly, and he made his cut.
“What did you make of her?” he asked. He wasn’t looking at Josiah, so he didn’t see the man’s quiet smirk.
“I think she’s a lovely lady. Smart, beautiful, a born mother. Don’t know what she was doin’ on something like a mail order service, but I think you should be thanking your lucky stars.”
Tanner turned in surprise. Josiah was one of the most taciturn people he’d ever met. It was rare for him to be so vocal about his opinions.
“Don’t you think the whole things a bit weird?” Tanner insisted.
Josiah looked to the sky and then spat out a stream of tobacco.
“Sure. It’s a bit weird. Seen weirder.” He eyed Tanner briefly, and then got back to work. The conversation, from Josiah’s perspective, was closed.
Tanner eventually refocused on the task at hand, trying to push the woman out of his mind. He would deal with the situation tonight.
Heather laughed as Chloe accidently soaked them both at the out-building sink. They were washing paintbrushes, after spending all afternoon paining a mural on Chloe’s bedroom wall, one that depicted all Noah’s animals marching two by two. They’d spoken a lot about Chloe’s school, her friends, and Josiah and Wesley. Heather could see the girl had a soft spot for the younger boy, and she recalled her own early crushes. For Heather, they’d mostly been painful and awkward. The boys she’d liked, the big football jocks who had fast cars and smart mouths, always inevitably preferred the cheerleader types, and Heather had no choice but to swoon from afar, writing gibberish in her diaries and wistfully dreaming of the day that she’d be popular and adored. It sounded like Chloe was fairing far better than she ever did, and Heather was glad about that. All in all, the day had been perfect, Heather couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so content and at ease.
The only blight on her day, she reflected, had been the noticeable absence of Tanner. She had known that he’d seen her that morning as she was making breakfast. She’d felt his presence behind her and caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye, as he was vanishing out of the room.
Heather couldn’t understand if he was simply rude or had taken one look at her and decided that she wasn’t the right woman for him. She had kept trying to push the question to the back of her mind all day and focus on being with Chloe. But it was hard being in someone’s home when they apparently didn’t want you there.
She and Chloe walked toward the house. They both needed showers. Chloe was pretty much covered in paint from head to toe—she’d even managed to get it in her ear somehow.
Heather took at the Wyoming landscape, admiring the majestic mountains in the distance. She took in a breath of fresh air, savoring its sweetness and the scent of fresh pine. She decided in that moment to make the best of things. She would cook for Chloe and Tanner tonight, if he showed up, and try to be the perfect guest. She was here—the house and the surrounding area were impossibly beautiful—and she loved spending time with Chloe. She didn’t want to waste that. She would do her best to enjoy the last remaining days here and not waste a second moping or wondering about Tanner’s feelings.
“Hi.” A voice came from behind her, startling her out of her reverie. She turned and came face to face with Tanner Holt.
She stared at him, taken aback by his broad frame. He towered above her, blocking out the last of the sunlight, as tall and imposing as the mountains behind him. Studying him, she observed how his hair was lighter than in the picture he’d sent, but his eyes were so dark they were almost black. His gaze was direct and unflinching, unnerving Heather.
“Hi” was all she could reply in return. Her brain felt like it had been scrambled. She wanted Tanner to look away so she could recalibrate, but he stayed still, watching her. Waiting.
“I’m Heather. The woman you sent for, from the agency.” She looked around for Chloe, but she had completely vanished. Great.
Tanner nodded, “Thanks for coming.” His voice was low and deep, his words unhurried. Heather found herself hypnotized by his voice, his gaze, his presence. There was something about the man that drew her in completely, something aside from his undeniably sexy looks, something that seemed to be based on a deeper connection. Rationally, though, Heather knew that to be impossible. The man was a stranger. Then how, she wondered, did he make the rest of the world melt away?
“I was going to cook. For you and Chloe, I mean. Is there anything you’d like, this evening?” Heather stumbled over her words. Her voice sounded overly high-pitched and jumbled, and she winced slightly, embarrassed by her awkward behavior.
“Anything you make would be great. I’m not much of a cook,” Tanner stated.
“Oh, yes, you said so in your letter,” Heather smiled at him.
“I did?” he questioned, looking baffled.
“Yes. That and the complicated hair styles.”
“Right. Of course.” He seemed to smile to himself, as though at a private joke, and then turned back to her. “Well, I’m looking forward to it. No doubt Chloe will be, too.” He gestured for her to continue inside. She did so, feeling uncomfortable to be leading the way.
10
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“Dad’s taking a shower. Can I use yours?” Chloe peeked her head around the door of Heather’s room. Heather already had the shower warming up and was trying to find a towel in the linen closet.
“Of course, you can. Hop in.” She let Chloe go ahead, handing her the towel. Heather sat on the bed, waiting for her turn. She ran through the ingredients she could recall in the fridge, planning the evening meal. She wanted to impress Tanner with her culinary skills and make herself useful.
She wandered out into the hallway. Heather could hear that the main bathroom shower was no longer running and decided she’d use that one instead. That way she could get a head start on the dinner.
She walked toward the door just as Tanner was exiting. His torso was still dripping wet, and he had a towel slung low around his waist. Heather was momentarily stunned by his half-naked appearance and stared for a few seconds too long before blushing furiously and looking away.
“Oh, God. I’m so sorry. Chloe’s in my shower,” Heather blurted out.
Tanner ducked his head, “My fault. I forgot we had a guest.” She should have moved away, but she stood, transfixed in her embarrassment, ogling Tanner’s naked chest. They stood awkwardly in the hallway until Tanner cleared his throat.
“Um, it’s all yours,” he said and then moved toward his room.
“Yes, thank you. Sorry… again… sorry.” Heather rushed into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.
She closed her eyes as soon as she was in there, mentally kicking herself for behaving so strangely. But she couldn’t help the small smile twitch at the corner of her lips as she recalled Tanner’s torso rippling with muscles and a smattering of light brown hair in a tantalizing line down his lower abdomen to his groin hidden beneath the towel. She could feel the heat flaring up in her face again. She was blushing just at the recollection.
In the shower, Heather let the hot water rain on her, restoring her to sanity. After Tanner’s behavior this morning, he clearly wasn’t interested in her physically. She needed to get any lustful thoughts out of her head.
She blamed Bertram. Before breaking up, he’d barely touched her in months. When he had, it had been when he was exceedingly drunk and could hardly get an erection. Whether this was because of the quantities of liquor he’d consumed, or because he just wasn’t attracted to her, Heather didn’t know. She suspected it was a bit of both.
She never wanted to feel like that again. She’d rather remain celibate for the rest of her life with a companion than be with a man who had to force himself to be intimate with her.
Heather had made fried chicken, biscuits, and mashed potatoes, southern style. Before Heather’s mother had passed, it had been a Saturday staple that she’d always prepared for the family. It was also the one recipe Heather thought she could probably make with her eyes closed.
“That was amazing,” Tanner declared, leaning back in his chair. He gazed directly at Heather, giving her a slow, appreciative smile. She blushed in return and looked down at her plate; she’d hardly been able to eat a thing.
“Teach me to make it, please. Will you, Heather?” asked Chloe. She’d finished her food long before Tanner and was proceeding to lick the crumbs off the plate with her finger.
“Manners, Chloe,” interrupted Tanner, pointedly looking at her plate.
“Sorry.” Chloe glanced mischievously at Heather.
“Of course, I will, honey.” Heather smiled at her, pleased her food had been appreciated by the both of them.
“I think it’s time for a movie, and maybe we can show Heather how we make our world-famous Holt popcorn?” Tanner got up from the table as Chloe squealed in excitement. He picked up the plates, ignoring Heather’s protests that she’d clean up.
“Okay, fine. I’m looking forward to this popcorn, though. Can I help with that?” asked Heather.
“Yes! Of course, you can. Can’t she, Dad?” Chloe tugged on her dad’s shirt sleeve as he placed the dishes in the dishwasher.
“I was kind of hoping that Heather could just enjoy being waited on for once. I think you’ve been running her ragged, Chloe.”
Heather laughed, “Not at all. She’s been a delight today.” Heather met Tanner’s eyes this time, their dark brown warmth making her stomach somersault. She suddenly felt like the kitchen was too small, and she was too close to Tanner’s large frame.
“Chloe, why don’t you show me how to get the movie on, and we can pick one of your favorites?” Heather re-focused her attentions on Chloe, who was only too happy to usher her into the living room, listing a host of princess-themed Disney-Pixar blockbusters.
Tanner came in a few minutes later with fresh popcorn and began working on getting a fire going. There was one sofa and an armchair in the room, but only the sofa faced the screen. Chloe insisted that they all pile onto it and placed herself in the middle, popcorn balanced precariously on her lap.
They watched The Princess Diaries in complete silence, except when Chloe joined in quoting some of her favorite parts.
Heather couldn’t concentrate. She kept glancing over at Tanner’s profile, lit up by the flickering fire and the light of the screen. She couldn’t help but notice his hard jaw line and full lips. He didn’t touch the popcorn and kept his gaze fully trained on the screen, not moving a muscle. Every now and then, his jaw would twitch slightly, as if he were angry or annoyed about something, but he had been perfectly polite to her all evening, so Heather just chalked it up to boredom, rather than irritation at her presence.
As the credits rolled, Tanner stood up abruptly.
“It’s bedtime for you, kiddo.” He announced, picking up a drowsy Chloe and placing her small frame over his shoulder. She murmured a reluctant agreement, but then called for Heather.
“I want Heather to put me to bed, Dad.” She yawned loudly, and he laughed.
“Are you trying to make me jealous? I’m taking you. Let your old dad get some time with you.” He rolled his eyes at Heather, and she smiled in response.
Once they were gone, and Heather had said goodnight to Chloe, she went about clearing up the room and the half-spilled popcorn that lay scattered about the floor.
“Dad?”
Tanner had been about to walk out of the room and turn Chloe’s light off, but he returned at her call.
“What is it, pumpkin?”
“I don’t want you to send Heather away. I want her to stay.” Her voice sounded small, half lost in drowsiness and duvet.
Tanner sighed and came and sat on the end of her bed, “I don’t know, honey. She might not want to stay. We still haven’t talked about why you did this—and you know you’re still in trouble, right?” Tanner reprimanded her gently.
“Yeah, I know, but I love her, Dad. You will, too. And,” she yawned loudly, “I need a mom. You’re the best dad in the world, but you don’t know about stuff like hair styles, and I’m going to get periods soon because loads of girls in my grade already have them, and you don’t know about those. That’s girl stuff. I won’t know what to do if I don’t have Heather.”
Tanner’s heart ached. He had no idea that Chloe was worried about these things yet. He assumed it would be a while before the subject of puberty came up. He was unprepared. For Chloe to carry that around on her shoulders was too much. He berated himself for not realizing any of this sooner. He’d let his daughter become so anxious about it that she’d taken it upon herself to send off for a mom. He hated himself for that.
Years ago, he’d sworn to her mother that he’d protect her child, look after her as his own. He’d tried every day to keep that promise. He loved Chloe with all his heart, yet he’d let her struggle through these feelings on her own. He was ashamed.
“Chloe, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize, I didn’t think…” He looked down at his daughter. She was already fast asleep. He cursed quietly to himself and walked out of the room, closing the door quietly behind him.
11
“Heather, we should talk.” Tanner stood in
the doorway to the living room, just as she was on her hands and knees clearing away the last of the popcorn. She hurriedly moved to a more dignified position, perched on the edge of the sofa.
Tanner sat down in the armchair, keeping a physical distance between the two of them. He ran a hand through his hair in agitation.
“You need to know, I didn’t… well, I wasn’t exactly the one who… invited you here,” Tanner finished his sentence lamely.
“What do you mean?” Heather folded her arms across her chest.
“Well, I didn’t send the application form. It was Chloe.” Tanner bit out the words and then raised his eyes to meet hers. “I actually had no idea about any of this until you were already here.” He forced a half smile, hoping she’d see the funny side of the situation.
Heather’s heart sank. Quickly replaced by the heat of utter shame and humiliation spreading across her body.
“Oh my God, what you must have thought of me.” Her arms clenched tighter, hugging herself as if she could make herself so small she might disappear.
“No, please. It’s not like that, Heather. I’m sorry to have…” Tanner hesitated trying to find the right words, “inconvenienced you.”
“The letter, then, that wasn’t you at all, was it?” She’d been such an idiot.
“Letter? No. That was Chloe, I haven’t actually seen that letter.”
Heather closed her eyes, as if she could block out the reality of her current situation. She’d made a complete fool out of herself in front of a man who was not only a total stranger who had no idea who she was, but also a total stranger that she was developing inappropriate feelings for.
“I’ll leave tonight. I’m so sorry about this.” Heather looked down at the carpet, desperately wanting to flee from the room.
“No!” Tanner burst out, then amended more quietly, “I mean, no, please don’t go. Chloe would be heartbroken to find you gone. I was thinking that maybe… maybe we could give this a try.” He paused, waiting for Heather to respond. He was met by complete silence, so he continued, “For Chloe’s sake. Maybe it’s not such a bad idea?”
Jackson Valley Shifters Complete Series: Bear Shifter Romance Page 4