Since what he knew about Lila could fit in a thimble and still leave room to spare, he was going to have to fall back on timeless traditions to court her. He picked up his cell phone, found the number for the local florist, and set the ball rolling on wooing his mate.
Later that evening, he swung by his friend Rick’s house for dinner. Rick had called earlier in the week and asked Stuart to drop by for a meal so they’d have time to discuss something important. However, the jerk wouldn’t say what he wanted to talk about, so Stuart had been left to wonder. Hopefully that would end tonight because he seriously hated being kept in the dark.
After work, he stopped at the grocery store and picked up a bouquet of flowers for Rick’s wife Sophie and a six-pack of imported beer for Rick. Then he made the long drive up to Rick’s cabin in the woods. Although he could see the appeal of living so far back in the middle of nowhere when it came to spending time in his fur, his human side chafed at the thought of being so far away from everything. He liked the convenience of being able to drive five minutes or less to the closest store when he wanted a beer or a burger.
He pulled up on front of the cabin a few minutes before seven and parked behind Rick’s SUV. He grabbed his purchases off the passenger seat and climbed out of his truck. Rick opened the front door and peered outside just as Stuart walked up the steps.
“Hey man.” Rick stepped out to greet him. His old friend was dressed in faded jeans and blue and black-checked flannel jacket. Between his exceptional height and the two days’ worth of stubble clinging to his wide jaw, the man couldn’t have looked more like a lumberjack if he’d tried. “Glad you could make it.”
“Thanks for the invite.” Stuart followed Rick inside and closed the door behind him. He held out the beers. “I brought you some brew.”
Rick took the six-pack. “Looks good. Thanks man. You want one now?”
“Sure.”
Rick plucked one out of the carton and handed it over. “Here you go. I’ll stash the rest in the fridge. Sophie,” he called out. “Stuart’s here.”
While Rick ran into the kitchen, Stuart walked through the large open space to the newly added dining room table located between the seating area of the living room and the kitchen counter. He pulled out a chair and had a seat. “I like the new table,” he called to Rick.
“Sophie insisted.” Rick walked back over with his own longneck beer hanging between his fingers and sat across from Stuart. “She didn’t like the thought of having all our meals in front of the TV.”
“Can’t say as I blame her for that.” Stuart popped the top off his beer and took a long swig.
Sophie walked out of the hallway beyond the kitchen with her stomach leading the way. “Hey Stuart. How’s it going?”
“Depends on what you’re feeding me for dinner,” Stuart teased. “I’m starving.”
“Don’t worry. Rick insisted we make a venison and potato casserole he thought you’d like.”
“Sounds good to me.” It’d been a while since he’d had fresh venison. He stood and walked over to her and handed her the wildflower bouquet he’d purchased in town. “These are for you. I thought you could use something pretty after looking at Rick’s ugly mug all the time.”
“Hey!” Rick yelled. “I’m sitting right here.”
Sophie giggled. “They’re lovely. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Just let me know if there’s any way I can help with dinner.” Stuart winked at her and walked back over to the table to sit with Rick.
Sophie followed behind him and claimed the chair next to Rick. “That’s okay. Rick helped cut the meat and vegetables. All I had to do was sit at the counter and supervise.”
Rick scowled. “Do you have to flirt with my mate right in front of me?”
“Would you rather I do it behind your back?”
“I’d prefer you didn’t do it all.” Rick put his arm around Sophie. “You’ll understand more when you find a mate of your own.”
“Don’t be so touchy. Stuart’s only doing it to get a rise out of you.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Besides, I can’t run away with Stuart until after I give birth to these huge babies of ours.”
“Very funny.” Rick glanced at Stuart. “You’re awful quiet all of a sudden.
“Yeah. About the mate thing...” Stuart cleared his throat. “I’m pretty sure I found mine.”
“Wait. What?” Rick’s face suddenly brightened. “You have to tell me more than that.”
“That’s wonderful,” Sophie said. “Tell us all about her.”
“I don’t really know very much yet. Her name is Lila Foster and she just moved back to town with her teenage son. I met her while I was out campaigning yesterday. She’s...” Stuart searched for the right words. “She’s amazingly strong, and smart, and beautiful.”
“That’s great, man,” Rick said. “When do we get to meet her?”
“Probably not anytime soon. She turned me down when I asked her out.”
Sophie gasped. “She said no?”
“Are you sure she’s your mate?” Rick asked.
Stuart shrugged. “As sure as I can be.”
Rick’s thick brows furrowed. “All right. Then what did you do to make her turn you down?”
“I didn’t do anything.” Stuart frowned, thinking. “Okay, so I might have busted her kid for smoking at the school. But I didn’t even know he was her kid at the time. And it’s not like I could just overlook someone breaking the law. I’m the damn sheriff.”
Rick laughed. “I’m sorry, buddy. I don’t mean to laugh, but only you could meet your mate, narc on her kid, and then get shot down all in one day. You are going to have some major butt-kissing in your future if you ever want that woman to give you the time of day.”
“I know.” Stuart sighed. “I already set the wheels in motion. I called the florist and had them deliver her enough roses to sink the Titanic.”
“It may take a little more than that,” Sophie added.
“What do you mean?” Stuart asked, curious to get a female perspective.
A bell rang in the kitchen. Rick jumped up. “Dinner’s done. Be right back.”
“Well...” Sophie said. “Flowers are a good start, but you’re going to have to talk to her. Does she know she’s your mate?”
“No. She’s human and I didn’t get the chance to say anything about it.”
“There’s your problem. You need to be straight with her. Share what your senses are telling you and maybe she’ll be more receptive to giving you a chance. Either way, I’m sure she’ll respect the honesty.”
“You make a good point.”
He’d just have to figure out a good time and place to see Lila again and make his case. As little as the thought of getting shot down appealed to him, he wouldn’t ever win her over if he didn’t man up and take the risk. The prospect of letting her slip through his fingers was like a punch to the gut.
Rick waltzed in with two plates filled with steaming meat and potatoes. He set them in front of Sophie and Stuart. “Dinner is served. Sophie, if you tell me what you want to drink, I’ll grab it for you on my way back.”
“Water would be good.”
“Thanks,” Stuart said. He inhaled the scent of venison, potatoes, onion, and butter. “This smells great.”
“Trust me,” Rick said. “It tastes even better.” He whirled around and walked back into the kitchen. He came back less than a minute later with a plate for himself and a tall glass of water for Sophie. He reclaimed his seat and scooted his chair closer to the table.
As soon as Rick started eating, Stuart dug into his own meal. He groaned as the flavors burst over his palate. “This is really good.”
Rick nodded, his mouth too full to speak.
Sophie ate small bites, taking her time. “I don’t have much of an appetite these days. The babies are smushing my stomach and everything else.”
“How much longer do you have?” Stuart asked between bites.
“Technically I have two more weeks until my due date, but when I went to the doctor yesterday, she said it could happen any day now. Twins rarely make it to full term.”
“Are you getting excited?” Stuart had a hard time imagining what it would be like to wait on the arrival of your own kids. He was an only child and none of his uncles’ many wives had seemed interested in giving him cousins to play with either.
“We passed excited a long time ago. Now we’re just anxious for them to get here.” Sophie rubbed her stomach.
They finished eating and Stuart helped Rick carry the dishes into the kitchen and clean up, while Sophie excused herself to go to the bathroom. They were halfway through the sink of dishes when Rick cocked his head to the side and paled. He dropped the pan he’d been scrubbing and hurried down the hall.
Stuart picked up where Rick had left off, trying to help. While he scrubbed, he tried to avoid listening in, wanting to give his friends some privacy. By the time he’d cleaned and rinsed the dish, Rick was guiding Sophie out of the bathroom.
Stuart took one look at his friends and knew something was wrong. He set the wet dish in the drainer and hurried over. “What’s wrong?”
“My water broke,” Sophie said. She grimaced and grabbed her stomach. “Oh my God. Contractions hurt.”
“You’re having the babies now?” Stuart blurted without thinking first.
Sophie snorted. “Not right this second, if that’s what you’re worried about. I’m kinda hoping to make it to the hospital first.”
“Right. Of course.” Stuart looked to his friend. “Do you guys have a bag packed or something?”
Rick nodded. “In the hall closet.”
“All right. You help Sophie out to the vehicle and I’ll grab your bag. I’ll turn on my sirens and you guys can safely follow me in to the hospital.”
“Thanks, man. You’re a lifesaver.” Rick helped Sophie out the door and onto the porch. Once there, he must have lost his patience, because he swept Sophie off her feet and carried her down the steps bridal-style.
“No problem.” Stuart reached into the closet and grabbed the bag. He made sure to lock the front door and then pulled it shut behind him. He raced to his police cruiser and climbed behind the wheel, firing the engine up with one hand while he shut the door with the other. He glanced in the rearview mirror to make sure his friends were in their SUV and ready, then he dropped his vehicle into gear and hit the gas.
They were halfway to the hospital when he realized Rick and Sophie had never told him what they wanted to talk about.
* * * *
The twins, Claire and Chris, were born just before six a.m. the next morning. Rick came out to the waiting room and woke Stuart up with the good news. The exuberance so clearly etched on his friend’s face filled Stuart with happiness. Rick was a good man who deserved every moment of joy life could throw his way. Stuart embraced his friend and slapped him on the back. “That’s great news! How’s Sophie doing?”
“She’s worn out but in good spirits. She told me to pass along a message for you to get your butt back to see the babies before you go anywhere.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. It isn’t every day your best friend has twins.”
“Come on.” Rick turned and headed back through the double doors leading into the maternity ward.
Stuart followed him down the hall and into a tiny room barely big enough for the single bed in the middle of the floor and the two bassinets beside it. Sophie looked away from the swaddled babies in her arms as they entered the room and beamed at them. “There you are. I was starting to think Rick wouldn’t be able to find you. Come meet Chris and Claire.”
Stuart walked over to the side of the bed and gazed down at the babies. Or what little he could see of them. They looked like little baby burritos. All he could see was their cute little wrinkly faces. “They’re beautiful. Must have gotten their good looks from their mama.”
“Damn right they did.” Rick walked around to the other side of the bed and gazed down at his mate and children like he’d never seen anything more precious.
Seeing that expression on his friend’s face did something funny to Stuart’s insides. It made him feel cold and lonely. Jealous. As happy as he was for Rick, Stuart longed for the love and sense of belonging he saw so clearly in front of him.
“So,” Sophie said. “Thanks for sticking around.”
“I wouldn’t miss this for anything.”
“Actually,” Rick said. “There was a reason we wanted to talk to you last night before all the excitement happened. We wanted to ask you a favor.”
“Name it,” Stuart said.
“We were wondering if you’d like to be Chris and Claire’s godfather?”
Whoa. “Really?”
Rick grinned. “Yeah, really.”
“Neither one of us could think of anyone we would trust more with our babies,” Sophie added.
“Wow. I would be honored to be their godfather.”
“Great.” Sophie gazed down at the twins. “Would you like to hold them?”
Stuart backed away from the bed. “Oh no. I couldn’t. They’re so tiny. I think I’ll wait until they’re a little bigger.”
Rick laughed. “They aren’t going to bite you.”
“I know that. I just think they should stay with their mama while they’re so little and helpless.” Also, he didn’t want to take a chance on squishing them or dropping them on their head. He didn’t think Sophie would appreciate him putting a dent in their perfect little round noggins.
“All right, man. Thanks for staying.” Rick brushed the damp hair from Sophie’s face.
“No problem. I was happy to be here. Congrats on your little bundles of joy. You guys did good. I’ll come around and see you guys up on the mountain in a few days. Just give me a call if you need anything.”
“Will do,” Rick said. “You drive careful. Don’t fall asleep behind the wheel.”
“I’ll be fine. See you all later.” He walked out of the room, found the elevator, and headed downstairs. A yawn split his lips and he stifled it with his palm. A glance at his phone revealed it was almost seven. He had a little over an hour to get home, get changed, and get his butt to work. A huge amount of strong coffee was the only thing that would save the day.
The elevator chimed and the doors opened. Standing on the other side was none other than Lila Foster. Time slowed to a crawl while he stared, unmoving, and uncertain about what he should say or do. Then the corners of her full, pink lips tilted upward and his paralysis broke. He made a split-second decision to stay on the elevator and stepped back, making room for her. He glanced over at her as the doors started to close. “What floor?”
“Weren’t you getting off?”
Her scent filled the elevator and scrambled his brains. His bear rose up to the surface of his consciousness and rumbled to get closer to her. “You don’t mind if I ride up with you, do you?”
“No. I guess not. I’m going up to twelve.”
Stuart pressed the button for her floor.
“Thank you for the roses you sent yesterday. They were really nice.”
“You’re welcome. I figured that was the least I could do after what happened.”
“You must know I don’t blame you for what happened with Quinn. If you hadn’t caught him, one of the other teachers would have. Besides, the last thing I want is for him to pick up a nasty habit like smoking. I hope you scared him enough that he won’t try it again.”
“I hope he learned his lesson, too.” Stuart swallowed. Now was his chance to make things right, and yet he couldn’t think straight. Between his lack of sleep, her delicious scent, and his bear clawing at his control, he couldn’t come up with a single charming thing to say. With his time running out, he decided the blunt truth would have to suffice.
“Listen, I know we got off to a rocky start, but I’d really like it if you reconsidered going out with me. I really like you and think we could have somethin
g special if you’re willing to take a chance on me.”
Lila’s pretty eyes widened. “You’re a pretty persistent guy.”
“I am when it comes to the things that really matter.” He gazed deep into her eyes and hoped like hell that she understood what he was trying to tell her. She was important to him; she was his future.
“All right.” She nodded. “I’ll go out with you.”
Chapter Five
Despite being busier than a bee, Lila still found time to worry about her upcoming date with Stuart. As much as she genuinely wanted to get to know him a little better, she felt guilty for even thinking about taking the extra time away from her son when he needed her most. Quinn was already resentful over the move. She wasn’t sure her son would be overjoyed at the possibility of a new man in her life.
By the time Saturday rolled around, she was one big ball of nerves. She woke early, took a hot shower to wake herself up, and padded barefoot into the kitchen to fry bacon and pancakes for breakfast. Once she’d cooked enough to feed a small army, she washed the dishes, rolled a couple of pieces of bacon up inside a pancake, and ate her meal standing up by the sink.
She thought about waking everyone up to eat, but decided against it. Let them sleep. Quinn was always a little more cordial in the morning if he’d had an extra hour or five before he rolled out of bed. She stowed the food in the oven to stay warm and then decided to pass the time waiting for the others by organizing the cabinets. They were a nightmare of new and old kitchen equipment. Some of the stuff she pulled out had to be older than she was.
“As much as I appreciate your organization skills, don’t you have something better to do today?”
Lila jumped and banged her head on the top of the cabinet. Rubbing her head, she backed out and looked up at her mom. “That isn’t until later. Stuart isn’t picking me up until noon. Um... are you sure you and Dad don’t mind keeping an eye on Quinn later? Because I could cancel—”
Pleasant Valley Bears: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Pleasant Valley Shifters) Page 11