Blind Date Bear

by Raines, Harmony

  “Yes.” His voice held the tone of a man who was waiting for the punchline of a joke that was on him.

  “I’m not joking,” she insisted. “I think it would be good for us all to get to know each other before we move in with my parents. It will give you a chance to change your mind before you fully commit.”

  Mason stroked her face with the back of his hand. “I already am fully committed.”

  “You don’t know what you’re taking on,” she told him.

  “I think I do.” He leaned forward and kissed her lips. “I know I do.”

  “Good. Then pack your stuff, check out of the hotel and come over when you're ready.” She smiled at his confused face. “How long have you waited for me?”

  “A long time,” he admitted.

  “Well, the wait is over. I know it’s the right thing, even if you don’t.” She slid out of bed and headed to the bathroom. When she came back out into the bedroom, he was lying with his hands behind his head, looking up at the ceiling.

  He rolled onto his side as she gathered her clothes off the floor and got dressed. “I have a condition of my own.”

  “Do you?” Tiana sat down on the bed next to Mason. His face was serious, and her heart beat rapidly as nerves took hold. Had he changed his mind about living with them while she was in the bathroom? She could hardly blame him, it was a huge move forward. But the sooner he got used to her family, the easier it would be.

  Plus, she couldn’t bear being apart from him. She might not be a shifter, but she sure as hell liked having him by her side as much as possible.

  “You know I have a lot of money.” He looked at her directly. This wasn’t some rich guy trying to show off, there was a reason he’d brought the subject up. Tiana had a good idea of what that reason might be.

  “I do.” She nodded and scooted across the bed toward him.

  “I want to pay toward the house renovations.” He shrugged. “It only seems fair since it’s your parents’ house and you plan to sell your house to put money toward the renovations.”

  “I don’t need your money,” Tiana told him. During their short relationship, she’d never considered how rich he was.

  “I know, but I’m not offering it because you need it. I’m offering you the money because I want to be part of this, not the lodger on the sidelines.” He gave her a placating smile. “Will you at least think about it?”

  He reached out for her and she went to him, snuggling up to him as the first rays of sun lit up the sky. She could see his point. However, her parents, especially her dad, were proud people and they wouldn’t want to take money from a stranger. And Mason was a stranger, to them at least.

  “I’ll talk to my parents about it,” she promised. “My dad might not like it. At least not at first. But there must be some arrangement we can come to”

  “There is one other thing,” he said, his arms tightening around her waist as he kissed her neck. “When we get married, you won’t have to work. I want you to enjoy the time with your parents, with Rhett. And with me.”

  Tiana pulled herself into a sitting position and then turned around to face him. “I like my job.”

  “I thought you’d like the extra time. With your parents’ ill health, I figured you’d want to be around for them.” He sat up in bed, a confused expression on his face as he reached out to brush her hair from her face.

  “Work is important to me, too. At least for now. I love meeting people and being with Haley and Sorcha. I’m also used to being independent. I can’t let that go so easily,” Tiana told him honestly.

  He drew her head toward him and kissed her lips. “I hope I haven’t offended you. Part of us being mates is me wanting to protect you from harm and make your life easier.”

  “There are plenty of other ways you can do that.” She kissed him on the cheek and slid off the bed. “And I will talk to my parents about you contributing toward the house.”

  “I’ll see you soon?”

  “You can count on it,” Tiana promised.

  Mason watched her from the bed as she pulled the door open. It was all too tempting to climb back into bed with him, but she wanted to get home and check on her mom and Rhett. When she left last night, they’d still been consoling Quentin. For the first time, her mom had actually seen the heartbreak in his eyes and it had moved her to want to help.

  Perhaps the worry over Tiana’s dad had given Philippa a new perspective on what it was like to lose someone. Her husband might not be dead, but he was missing from her life, the couple of hours she visited each day were not enough to make up for the lifetime they had spent together.

  Tiana ran down the stairs in the hotel and out through the back door. A stab of guilt hit her as she raced across the parking lot in the early dawn. She was torn between Mason and her family, which confirmed her offer for Mason to come and stay was the right one.

  Driving home, she mentally sorted through her closets. She’d have to make room for his stuff. Of course, when he moved to Bear Creek permanently he would have a lot of stuff. Maybe even furniture. Perhaps she hadn’t thought this through enough.

  But they had time. Some of the furniture could go into storage. Although plenty of her own furniture was old, bought when she and Quentin first married. Perhaps it was time to clear out and start fresh.

  As she pulled into the driveway outside the house, Quentin appeared, looking as if he’d been waiting for her all night. If he picked a fight with her at this time in the morning, he might be facing a fresh start, too.

  “Morning,” Quentin said as he approached, looking a little sheepish.

  “Morning. You’re up early.” Tiana locked the car and walked over to him, where he hovered around the door of the house they once shared.

  “I haven’t slept,” he admitted.

  “I kind of guessed by the disheveled look.” She studied him for a moment. “Shall we get some coffee?”

  “Yes, please.” Quentin followed her to the house like a sad puppy. He was dressed in jeans that were a couple of sizes too big because of the weight he’d lost as he mourned Nicky. They hung off his thin waist and the hems dragged along the floor, leaving them frayed and tattered, like his life.

  Tiana put her keys on the counter and grabbed the coffee pot. As she filled it with water and added the coffee, she watched Quentin as he sat down carefully at the table. He looked in pain, but she was certain it was an emotional, not a physical pain. Unless he’d been up all night drinking, but he didn’t look hungover.

  “So what’s this about?” Tiana asked as she put bread in the toaster and got the butter out of the fridge. Then she fetched some homemade strawberry jam her mom had made before her dad’s stroke had turned their world upside down.

  “Last night.” Quentin avoided her eyes as he sat staring at his hands clasped before him.

  “What about last night?” If this was about to erupt into an argument about Mason being here, she would withdraw any sympathy she had for the father of her child.

  “I wanted to apologize.” Quentin looked up at her as she released a long, drawn-out breath. “You thought I was about to cause trouble.”

  “I did wonder. After your speech last night about how you were trying to protect us, I thought maybe you were going to tell me how unsuitable Mason was for me.” She smiled with relief as she poured the coffee into two big mugs and set them down on the table. Then she retrieved the toast and grabbed a couple of plates. “Help yourself.”

  Quentin buttered the toast and then added a large dollop of strawberry jam. “I always did like your mom’s jam.”

  “I remember.” She watched him as she sipped her coffee, happy to let Quentin eat all the toast if he wanted it. He looked like he needed fattening up.

  “I’m sorry. About everything.” He placed his toast on the plate and rubbed the crumbs off his fingers. “I don’t deserve the kindness you’ve shown me.”

  She reached out for his hand, the hand she’d once accepted in marriage. “Quentin
, that’s all behind us. I know you thought you were doing the right thing when we married. Even if it was for the wrong reasons. You didn’t do it maliciously.”

  “I thought we could be happy. I loved you, Tiana. I truly loved you. I still do.” He smiled sadly. “I wish it could have been different.”

  “I wish it had ended differently,” she admitted.

  “Do you?” Quentin asked.

  “Of course I do. I wish you still had Nicky in your life. I know how much you loved him, Quentin. I think that’s what hurt the most. You never looked at me like that. Never.” A stray tear trickled down her cheek and she dashed it away. “But I’m over it. I have been for a long time.”

  “We have an amazing son, don’t we?” Quentin covered his mouth with his hand and he stopped himself from crying.

  “We do. And we made him. Together.” She picked up her coffee and drank. “Now eat. You’re beginning to look like a scarecrow.”

  Chapter Fourteen – Mason

  Mason drove to Tiana’s house after lunch, with his luggage in the trunk. He’d checked out of the hotel, after spending the morning drawing up plans on his laptop, which he hoped to show Tiana’s family when they were at the house. Experience told him it was much easier to explain things when you were looking at the building. Otherwise, when someone thought they were looking at the front of the building, they might be looking at the rear.

  A slight flutter in his stomach reminded him of the nervousness that had built inside him since Tiana left this morning. Had he misunderstood her offer of cohabitation? And would her family be happy about it, too? Or would she come out and tell him she’d made a mistake?

  He needn’t have worried. When he arrived at her house, Tiana, Rhett, and Philippa were all waiting.

  “Hello!” Philippa waved, looking in good spirits.

  “Hi.” Mason walked around the car and across the driveway to meet them. “You’re all ready.”

  “We are.” Tiana kissed him on the cheek. “We’ve arranged to pick dad up in half an hour, he’ll have had his lunch by then.”

  “Shall we get you all in the car?” Mason looked at the hamper next to Philippa. “Have you packed some of those wonderful cupcakes, Philippa?”

  Philippa beamed. “Yes, I have. I made a batch and gave some to Quentin, too. That man needs fattening up before he fades away.”

  Tiana grinned at Mason as he loaded the hamper into the trunk beside his luggage. “Aren’t we going to take your things into the house?”

  Mason looked up warily. “I wasn’t sure if you told them.”

  “Of course I have. Rhett, want to come and give Mason a hand with his suitcase, or we won’t fit Grandad’s wheelchair in the trunk.” Tiana looked sideways at Mason. “You thought they’d object.”

  “I wasn’t sure,” he admitted. “Kids and parents can get funny over that kind of thing.”

  “Thanks for being considerate, but it’s fine. We’re all adults. Even Quentin has given us his blessing.” Tiana watched for his reaction, but he was past getting jealous of her ex-husband.

  “You’re right, we’re all adults.” Mason took his luggage out of the trunk and Rhett came to help him carry it inside.

  “Just put it in the living room until we get back.” Tiana looked at her watch. “If we’re not careful, we’ll be late.”

  Rhett led the way through the house and into the living room, which was just off the kitchen. “Put it all here, and I’ll help you carry it upstairs later. Mom’s spent all morning clearing out space for your things in her closet.”

  “How do you feel about me moving in?” Mason asked Rhett as they stacked his luggage just inside the room.

  “Good. I want my mom to be happy and you have put a smile on her face. She’s even cleared the air with Dad. He came over this morning and they talked things over.” Rhett put his hands on his hips and surveyed Mason. “You’ve certainly shaken us all up.”

  Mason didn’t let Quentin’s visit bother him. “Does that mean I’ll be in charge when you go to college?” he asked as they walked back outside.

  “You need to talk to my mom about that. She’s the one in charge,” Rhett said, patting Mason on the shoulder.

  As if to prove Rhett’s point, Tiana began shepherding them all into the car.

  Five minutes later, they were on the road, heading to the inpatient rehabilitation facility where Tiana’s dad lived temporarily. It was a nice enough place, with well-tended gardens and the building itself was light and airy. But Mason could see why her dad would miss his home in the mountains.

  Too many people, his bear interjected. All fussing around.

  They’re here to take care of the patients, Mason informed him. But his bear was right, the place was busy.

  “Do you want to wait here, and we’ll go and get Dad?” Tiana asked.

  “Sure.” Mason and Rhett waited outside, with Tiana’s son amusing himself with his phone, while Mason strolled around the garden area, his eyes constantly being pulled toward the mountains which overshadowed the area.

  His bear longed to shift and make a run for it, scared if he stayed here too long he’d get shut away forever.

  At last Tiana and Philippa appeared from inside the building. Tiana pushed an elderly man in a wheelchair. The similarity between father and daughter confirmed this was her father. Mason planned on making a good first impression.

  “Hello.” Mason approached but didn’t offer his hand to shake since he knew the stroke had taken away the use of her dad’s right side.

  “Dad.” Tiana tapped her father on the left shoulder. “This is Mason. Mason, this is my dad, Norman.”

  “Hello,” Norman said, his speech slurred but easy to understand. “Thank you for taking us home.” He reached up with his left hand and Philippa took hold of it and smiled her appreciation at Mason through a veil of tears.

  “You have a beautiful home,” Mason complimented as he opened the passenger door of his large SUV. “I’m going to lift you into the seat, is that okay, Norman?”

  Norman nodded, although he didn’t look too pleased. Mason understood why. This must be a real dent in his pride. After supporting his family all his life, now he was being forced to look to others for help with things he no doubt took for granted.

  Mason scooped Norman up and slid him onto the passenger seat with hardly any effort at all. Then, without pause, he folded the wheelchair and stowed it in the trunk while Tiana buckled her father in securely.

  “Thank you,” she whispered as she moved to get into the back of the SUV.

  “You’re welcome,” Mason said in reply and jumped in the driver's seat and switched on the engine. A quick glance around the car informed him they were all ready and he drove away from the inpatient rehabilitation facility, heading toward the house on the hill.

  The drive through the wooded valleys, and the climb toward the house along the winding road had a remarkable effect on Norman. The right side of his mouth, which had been permanently turned down when he got in the car, was now tugging upwards as he tried to smile.

  Mason glanced at Tiana in the rearview mirror and wished he could share what he could see with her. This was great. It meant, although Norman might never be completely back to his normal self, he would make more improvements.

  “I never thought I’d see the house again,” Norman said as the house appeared before them. A tear trickled down his face, which he wiped away with his left hand.

  “We weeded the garden, Dad. Shall we go and have a look?” Tiana asked.

  Norman nodded and they all got out of the car. Mason went to the trunk and retrieved the wheelchair. Once he had it set up correctly, he pushed it around to the passenger side of the SUV and helped Norman out.

  “Where to first, Grandad?” Rhett asked, taking control of the wheelchair.

  “Roses,” Norman answered.

  “Why don’t you go around the garden while we take the hamper inside?” Tiana suggested. “And then we can discuss Mason’s plans
.”

  Norman nodded, and Rhett pushed him toward the roses, with Philippa walking next to him. Mason fetched the hamper and they strolled toward the house, enjoying the day. It was beautiful, summer was nearly done, fall was a shadow stalking it, waiting for a moment to steal the heat from the days as the daylight hours seeped away.

  Tiana opened the door leading into the kitchen and they went into the now familiar building. “Your parents seem relaxed. Does your dad know I’ll be moving here, too?”

  “Mom told him. Yes. He’s just grateful to have the chance to return home.” She put the coffee on and Mason set the hamper down on the table. “You’ll have to forgive him if he’s quiet. He gets self-conscious about his speech.”

  “He looks good. In the car driving up here he smiled, a real big smile. The right side of his mouth twitched. Is that something you’ve seen before?” Mason asked her.

  Tiana’s bottom lip trembled. “No, I haven’t. I thought when he spoke his speech sounded clearer, but I dared not hope. I thought it was wishful thinking.”

  “Maybe when he comes home, he’ll continue to get better.” Mason slipped his arm around Tiana’s waist and held her close. “I also thought about turning the barn into a gym for him. Somewhere he could continue his physical therapy without going to the hospital.”

  Tiana stroked his chest, then stood on tiptoes to kiss his lips. “You are full of good ideas, aren’t you?”

  “I try.” He stroked her cheek.

  “Shall we go and explain your plans?” Tiana said, gazing into his eyes.

  “There’s only one plan I want to explain right now,” Mason said. He put his hand in his pocket and took out a small box, then he dropped down on one knee. “Tiana, if I’m going to live with you, I’d like to make it official. Will you marry me?”

  Her face paled, he’d taken her completely by surprise and for a moment he wondered if she might not give him the answer he wanted. But then her face broke into a smile and she said, “Yes. Of course, I will.”

  “Wait, you haven’t seen the ring yet.” He fumbled to open the small box, his fingers didn’t seem to be his own.