by Zoe Jane Fox
I tell her what happened yesterday, putting my head down in shame at the feelings I had about her daughter as I let them leave.
“Son, it’s okay to feel that way. I would've been crushed if your father had a child without me, but you realized it’s not the end of the world before it’s too late. Now, let’s go shopping and liven this place up,” she declares as she drags me out the door.
I don’t see her car, so I ask, “Did you come here in bear form?”
“Yes, there’s no time to waste when your child needs you,” her tone is sharp as she replies, letting me know I should already know this.
We head to the furniture store first and she picks out new pieces, somehow managing to talk them into delivering it today. Next is the toy store because she says her grand-baby needs lots of them. We’re walking around, both unsure what a girl around five or six would want to play with when I see a giant teddy bear and know it’d be perfect.
“Oh, look at this! I always wanted one when I was a little girl,” Ma says. She picks up the box containing the princess kitchen set then hands it to me to put in the cart.
We choose some toys as we make our way through then pay before heading to a department store and picking out clothes we think she’d like. Our final stop is the grocery store because Ma tells me I can’t keep junk food around anymore. With enough to last a few weeks, we move to the other side for shampoo and body wash for them. I’m not sure which my mate would prefer and I don’t want any soaps to overpower her natural scent, so I grab one that smells like roses which it what hit me yesterday. Finally, we’re done and back at my place where Pa is waiting for us. After giving my mom a hug and a kiss, he tells me he was there to deal with the delivery. They help me unload everything and put it away. It’s actually starting to look homey and my bear makes a rumbling noise, letting me know he’s happy.
“Thank you for all your help, Ma. I don’t know what I’d do without you,” I say while pulling her into a hug.
“You don’t need to thank me. I’d do anything for my children.”
They leave after that, telling me to keep them updated. I look at my watch and realize it’s three, which means it’s time to call Penny.
“Hey, Damon. You’re not still beating yourself up are you?” She asks.
Yes, but I do understand it wasn’t my fault so I’m trying to let it go. However, I don’t want to get into that. I need to focus on my mate.
“Yes and no, but that’s not why I’m calling,” I reply nervously
“Okay. Pat, I’d like to buy a vowel,” she says with a laugh. I don’t really get her joke, so I shrug it off.
“Mabel is my mate,” I blurt out, unsure how to talk to her about it.
“My best friend? How did you even meet her? Oh wait, yesterday,” she says, then rambles on, “That’s what all that growling was for?” I hear her snapping at Monroe for not telling her sooner.
“I need your help. I didn’t get talk to her yesterday after seeing her with her daughter, and I’m wondering if you could tell me when she works.” I start pacing as her end goes silent.
“Are you still there?” I ask.
“Um…yeah.” I’m getting the feeling she’s not open to the idea of Mabel being my mate.
“Come on. I need to know so I can take her out, maybe plan an ice cream date with her daughter and get to know them,” I say getting frustrated she isn’t as forthcoming as I thought she’d be. We grew close over the last few weeks and I thought she’d be excited for me, even willing to help. Maybe she’s more upset I wasn’t able to save her than she lets on.
“Damon, she’s not-” She starts to say but I cut her off.
“Penny, I know damn well Mabel is mine. I’m doing everything I can on my own, and if you won’t tell me her schedule, I’ll just have to camp outside of Ted’s until I learn it,” I inform her.
“Stop Damon, I’m happy you found your mate because you deserve all the happiness in the world. I’m only saying the situation isn’t always what it seems. She works there every day from four to ten. Saturdays are her only day off from both jobs. Good luck and you better call and let me know how it goes,” she says sounding like she’s trying not to cry.
“I’m sorry for snapping. Thank you, Penny. I promise to call.” I grab my keys and head out. I have to stop by Grizzly’s, my brother’s bar, before I see my mate.
Chapter Five
Mabel
I’ve been at work for almost an hour now and it’s been slow so far for a Friday. I’m talking to Bob, a regular, and as I’m grabbing his order from the warming plate I get the same feeling I had yesterday. I hand Bob his order, asking if he needs anything as the door chimes. I don’t know how I know who it is, but I do. I don’t say anything, letting the other waitress, Jessica, seat him. Since Bob is taken care of, I leave him to eat while pretending I’m busy until Jessica tells me I have a table. I give her a confused look, knowing it’s her turn.
“He said he only wants you,” she says with an annoyed huff before flipping her hair over her shoulder and walking away.
I don’t understand why he would want me. He doesn’t even know me. Maybe he’s here on Penny’s behalf? I pull out my notepad, trying to act calm even though I’m anything but and move toward him.
“I’m Mabel and I’ll be your waitress this evening. Can I get you something to drink?” I ask while tapping my pen nervously because he’s even more handsome up close.
“Hi, Mabel. I’m Damon,” he informs me while sticking out his hand.
Most just greet me in return and tell me what they want. I’m a little shaky as I put my hand in his, and when they connect, I get a tingling sensation all over. My gaze goes straight to his to see if he felt it too. I notice his darken, snapping me out of my shock. I pull my hand back, wondering what the heck is going on with his eyes.
“If you don’t know what you want, I can give you some time to look over the menu,” I say after clearing my throat, but it still comes out squeaky.
“I’d like a coffee, please. If you’re not busy can you bring one for yourself and talk with me?” He asks, looking a little shy which, for some reason, gives me comfort. I nod then walk to the counter.
I check on Bob and he tells me everything was great, dropping cash by his plate before leaving. I ring up his ticket, sticking the leftover in the tip jar. They always go in there and it gets split between the waitresses at the end of the shift. I realize Damon is the only person left, so I grab two mugs and fill them. He stands as I get closer, grabbing them from my hands and placing them on the table. I can tell he’s a gentleman when he waits for me to sit before taking his own again. Between that and being so handsome, I could easily fall for him if I’m not careful.
“Is something wrong with Penny?” I ask.
“No. I came to see you,” he replies as he starts fidgeting under the table.
“Why?”
“It’s not easy for me to talk to others, but as soon as I saw you yesterday, I knew if I didn’t find a way to I’d be letting my whole world pass me by,” he says with a low growl in his voice. All the air leave my lungs at his admission as I realize it wasn’t one-sided.
“As much as I’d love to see where this can go, I don’t have the time. I’m sorry, but Melissa needs my full attention.” I make a move to stand even though I feel like my heart is breaking from having to walk away from this wonderful man.
“Wait, I understand you have a daughter. Please trust me when I say I wouldn’t start anything with you if I wasn’t serious,” he says sincerely.
“You think I have a daughter?” I ask, getting confused. Surely Penny wouldn’t have lied to him, so I don’t understand.
“You mean the little girl isn’t yours?” He asks happily. I have to admit, if I thought he had a kid with someone else I’d be devastated.
“She’s my little sister. How did you even see her from outside?”
“I came in to introduce myself, but you were leaving before I could. She looked
just like you, so I assumed she was yours,” he admits sheepishly.
“Damon, I’d love to get to know you, but I’m not sure how this could work. I have two jobs as well as a sister and mom to take care of,” I say in defeat. I really do have too much on my plate and would never have time to see where this could go. I feel like crying but don’t want to make a fool of myself in front of him.
“Penny said you’re off both tomorrow. How about we go out and get to know each other?” He asks.
“I told you, I can’t. There’s no way I can afford a babysitter.” I’m starting to get mad at him for not giving up and because life isn’t always fair.
“My ma will do it! She’s excited to meet her anyway,” he says like he has all the answers to make this work. Wait a minute…
“What do you mean your mom is excited to meet her?” As I ask I notice his cheeks turn bright pink.
“I…um…thought she was yours and called my mom for help. We went shopping so she’d have toys at my house in case you both came over,” he informs me while ducking his head in embarrassment.
I think about it what he said, realizing it’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. I can’t keep him at arm's length knowing it would cause me to miss out on the best thing that could ever happen to me. I grab his hand across the table and give it a squeeze to get him to look at me.
“That is the most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for us. Thank you. We’re visiting my mom in the morning, but if you’d like to pick us up around four, it’ll give me time to meet your mom so I’m not leaving my sister with a stranger,” I say with a smile.
When we get up, he holds me close like I’m the most precious thing in the world. When someone comes in, Damon growls as I back away to tell them their waitress will be with them in a moment.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, love,” he says before placing a soft kiss on my cheek then walking out. My heart flutters at the endearment but remind myself many use it all the time and don’t mean anything by it.
I hear Jessica greet the couple and get to work while thinking about everything Damon said. Every once in a while I raise my hand, touching the spot he kissed, still feeling the warmth he left behind. I don’t understand why but I’m sad he’s gone. Tomorrow can’t come soon enough because I can’t wait to see him again.
Chapter Six
Damon
I’m happy after finding out Melissa is actually Mabel’s sister, but also sad knowing how much she has to do on her own. Hopefully, I can change things for them. If she’ll let me, that is. I ran back by Grizzly’s to tell Rhys what happened and, after laughing at me, he said I didn’t need that shot of liquid courage before seeing her. I spent the rest of the night hanging out with my brother and helping when he needed a hand before heading home.
I head outside, shifting to go for a run before making my way to my parents’ house. Now that it’s morning, I need to let Ma know what I found out and make sure she’s okay with watching Melissa. I’ve always loved being in bear form, but it doesn’t have the same appeal now without my mate by my side. I make it to my parents’ in no time, not stopping to play in the pond as I normally would. I shift back before knocking because when you’ve shown up unannounced and barged in once, you’re scarred for life. I still cringe at the memory.
“Oh no, what happened now?” She asks. She must’ve seen my expression, not wanting to rehash that conversation or the visual, I decide to not say anything.
“I saw Mabel last night. She’s so beautiful,” I say with a smile, remembering how flustered she looked when I kissed her cheek.
“And?” She asks with attitude.
I can tell she’s getting frustrated I’m not giving her information as fast as she likes, so to calm her down, I tell her everything, including that she gets to babysit.
“Yes! I may be sad I’m not getting a grandbaby as soon as I’d like, but I’ll take what I can get. Who knows, I may even let her call me Grammy anyways,” she says.
I’m laughing at her silliness when Monroe and Penny walk in. I notice she’s glowing with happiness while Monroe seems like a proud peacock and, as they walk closer, I catch the scent that explains why. I look up from the couch and he shakes his head, silently telling me not to say anything yet. I’m so happy for them and it makes me excited for when Mabel and I have cubs of our own.
“So, did you go see her last night? You were supposed to call me!” Penny says in a huff. I see Ma has a small smile playing on her face, knowing Penny’s secret as well.
“We have a date tonight,” I inform her, probably resembling Monroe when they arrived.
“And I get to watch Melissa,” Ma says just as proud.
“So, you know?” Penny asks.
Now that I know what she was trying to tell me, it makes me feel even more like shit for the way I treated her. She pats me on knee, silently letting me know she understands before changing the subject.
After spending a few hours with my family, I decide to head home. I tell Ma I’ll call when it’s time to come over since all the toys we bought are there. She agrees but says she needs to shop for more and get baby things for her house now that the grandbabies are coming. Laughing, I walk out and shift, thinking of where I could take her. It isn’t until I’m in the shower that it hits me that I don’t know what she likes to do for fun or if she even gets to have any working two jobs and taking care of her family. That’s when I decide I’ll give her that chance now.
Once I’m in my truck to pick them up, I realize I didn’t get her phone number or address yesterday. I start banging my head against the steering wheel when I remember Penny can help, so I pull my phone out of my pocket and fire off a text. She quickly replies with what I need while calling me a dumbass for not getting it earlier. I reply with a thanks then smile as I send Mabel a quick text that I’m on my way.
Chapter Seven
Mabel
I woke up excited about tonight and called Penny to tell her about the date and see what she thinks of Damon. She told me they became close friends while she was in hiding and thinks we’d be great together. When she started squealing and going on about us becoming sisters, I figured it was time to get off before she started talking about wedding dresses when we hadn’t had our first date yet. As the day went on I became nervous and started second guessing myself.
When Melissa and I visited Mom after breakfast, I tried not be disappointed when she wasn’t standing. She was sitting up in bed and I reminded myself this kind of healing takes time. She could tell I was different today and asked who he is. I tried to play it off as nothing, but she said she knows me better than I know myself and not to lie to her. I told her everything that happened over the last two days and she just sat there with a smile on her face, telling me I made the right choice to accept. That it’s just what I need. She even got Melissa in on it saying if I tried to back out it’s her job to not let me. As we left the rehab center, I realize I didn’t tell him where I live or a way to contact me and started wondering if I imagined the connection we shared.
Now Melissa and I are sitting on the couch, both disappointed our plans have changed when my phone beeps with an incoming message. It’s from an unknown number, so I almost ignore it but figure I’d see what they want. I start freaking out when I see it’s Damon, letting me know he’s on his way. I rush to the bathroom to check my appearance then put on my favorite red silky blouse and a pair of jeans before slipping on my black flats with the pretty fake rhinestones. I left my hair down in soft, big waves and am messing with it when I hear the doorbell and Melissa chanting, “Damon is here.” God help me, I’m going to die of embarrassment because she’s letting it be known I’ve been talking about him. I make my way out of the bathroom, telling her to be quiet as I head to the door, glancing through the peephole prior to opening it.
“You look beautiful,” he tells me with a smile. I notice his eyes have darkened again before returning to normal, just like they had at the diner. It makes me think he shou
ld have them checked out.
“Thank you,” I say shyly, then introduce him to Melissa.
“Let me get our things and we can be on our way.” Turning, I grab my purse and switch off the lights. As I’m getting Melissa’s booster seat, Damon informs me he’ll carry it. Even though it’s not heavy, it’s a nice gesture. Once we’re outside, I see his massive truck in the driveway behind my old Dodge Neon. I’m wondering how in the world we’ll get into the damn thing without a running jump when I notice Damon has the door open with the seat already in place. I watch as he bends down and picks Melissa up, putting her in and fastening her seat belt. I melt at the sight thinking he’ll make a wonderful father someday.
“You getting in or do I need to lift you too?” He asks while laughing.
“Very funny, but I will need some help. We can’t all be giants.”
He comes to my side, grabbing my waist and giving it a little squeeze before lifting me up. Once I’m in, he shuts the door and walks to the driver side. I take a deep breath, trying to get myself under control. I’ve never had a man touch me like that, not even the simple gesture of helping me into a vehicle. I have to admit it felt nice and I can’t wait to feel his hands on my body again.
“Wasn’t that fun?” Melissa asks, startling me.
“It sure was,” I reply. I can’t believe I forgot she was back there.
We make small talk and he tells us the reason his truck is so big is he sometimes has to go to sites which can be muddy or full of gravel. Melissa ends up talking the rest of the way, telling him about school and everything else she can think of. Pretty soon we’re pulling up to a gate and I watch as Damon presses a button on his phone and it swings open. After a few minutes, I see a beautiful home with a wraparound porch. There are a lot of windows and they’re tinted, which I assume means you can’t see inside. It makes me realize Damon is way out of my league. Not only is he handsome, but, based upon his house, he’s rich as well. I start to overthink things again and I hear my mom’s voice in my head telling me to give this a shot. Shaking off the judgmental thoughts, I focus on the woman standing on the porch with a smile on her face while clapping excitedly. While Damon is helping Melissa, I carefully start climbing out trying not to hurt myself.