Since his family had expanded, his need to protect them all had been kicked into overdrive. However, the need to protect them often strayed into unreasonable fear for their safety. This sense of unease had started when Milly first came into his life.
Guilt. His bear said the word in his head.
And his bear was right. Guilt born from not saving Milly’s mother, Sally. He should have done more to keep in contact with her. Jake and his brothers were her only living relatives and they’d let her slip away, slip into a downward spiral resulting in her death.
You can’t save everyone. And you can’t beat yourself up for not saving those who didn’t want to be saved, his bear told him bluntly.
Jake closed the distance between himself and the two cars parked on the side of the road. He could see the figure of the woman more clearly now—until his head swam and his vision blurred. He slowed the car and crawled to a standstill behind Heather’s vehicle. But he couldn’t get out. Not yet.
Leaning forward, he kept both hands on the steering wheel and then rested his forehead between them. Jake took a deep breath as his body shook. This was bad. Very bad. No virus came on this fast. Damn. Was it his heart? Black and shriveled up after all these years alone. No. He’d known love. Just not love for a…
Mate. His bear filled in the word for him. A word he dared not think let alone believe. You do recall how your younger brothers felt when they met their mates?
I do. He did. He was there when Max met Heather and Tad had given a similar account of feeling as if he were coming down with the flu.
Jake ran a trembling hand through his hair. He’d waited so long and yet he still wasn’t ready. What if she didn’t like him? What if she looked into his soul and saw the real him?
Get out of the car, his bear instructed. This is the moment we’ve waited for our whole adult lives.
But is it a moment we deserve? Jake asked in return.
Yes, his bear replied emphatically.
Jake reached for the door handle and yanked on it. The handle creaked, complaining about the force Jake inflicted on it. He took another steadying breath. He needed to calm the heck down.
Placing one foot on the ground, he levered his body out of the car and stood for a moment just staring at the woman talking to Heather. This was it.
He’d made deals worth millions, negotiated hostile bids and built an empire so his family would always be provided for. But this was the scariest thing he’d ever done. Because he was going to have to learn to be himself again. For his mate to fall in love with him, he needed to be honest and true. To show her who he really was.
But he’d lost sight of that. How could he show her who he was when he no longer knew for himself?
“Jake!” Heather came around the car as he approached. “Thanks for coming to my rescue.”
“I thought…” He cleared his throat as his voice came out in a high prepubescent croak. “I thought you had it under control.” Did that tone sound light and joking or condescending? He wiped his hand across his forehead.
Heather’s eyes narrowed as she studied him. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.” He forced a smile onto his face. His muscles twitched. Smiling wasn’t his thing.
“You sure?” Heather walked toward him while the woman…his mate…went back to her own car.
“I’m sure.” He nodded once, trying to focus on Heather, while his brain yelled at him to look at his mate.
Heather tilted her head to one side and dropped her voice as her eyes widened. “I’ve seen that look before.” She waggled her finger at him accusingly and then swung her head around to look back at the other car. “Is she? You know…”
Jake nodded. “At least I think so. But since I’ve never been through this before…”
Was he sure? Was he absolutely one hundred percent certain? He didn’t want to declare his undying love to the wrong person.
Of course, she’s the one, his bear said bluntly. I can feel it in my bones, in the way the blood thumps in my veins and my heart skips a beat.
“What do we do?” Heather whispered.
“We…” He dragged his attention away from the figure of his mate, who was talking to the other people in her car.
“Yes.” Heather rolled her eyes. “We’re in this together. All of us.” She gave a short laugh. “You have no idea how much Tad has agonized over you not having a mate of your own.”
“He has?” Jake asked.
“We all have.” Heather stood back a step and put her hands on her hips. “Look at you, all flustered.” She held up her phone. “Maybe I should capture this moment.”
“Don’t you dare!” Jake’s voice carried to the second vehicle and his mate turned around sharply.
“Everything all right over there?” she asked as she pushed herself off the car and walked toward Heather and Jake.
“Everything is just fine.” Heather spun around. “Jake was just warning me not to tear his upholstery.”
“Thanks,” Jake muttered before his mate stole his breath away. She was beautiful. It was as if the early evening sun broke through the clouds and shone down on her. His world lit up. His heart grew lighter and the weight on his shoulders lessened.
“We can pack some of your things in my car,” his mate offered.
“I think we can…” Heather stopped mid-protest. “That would be very kind. As long as it’s no trouble. I am on my way home. You could stay for dinner.”
“It’s no trouble. And thanks for the offer, but we need to get to town and find a place to stay. I should have done it before we left, but it slipped my mind.” His mate stared at him. And he stared right back.
Name, his bear said sharply. Ask for her name and then stop her from leaving.
Yeah, because kidnapping them and holding them prisoner while we make them see we should spend the rest of our lives together is a really good first impression.
Get creative. That’s what you do, his bear retorted. This is the most important deal you’ll ever do in your life.
“Booked up.” The words came out of his mouth with a staccato beat.
“What?” his mate asked.
Jake pointed vaguely in the direction of Bear Creek. “There’s a beer festival in town this weekend. Everywhere is booked up.”
“Yes. That’s right. We’re expecting to be really busy at the craft barn over the weekend,” Heather confirmed.
“We have room.” In Jake’s head, an invitation for his mate to stay seemed perfectly natural.
Too soon, his bear sighed.
All eyes settled on Jake. Even Heather looked at him as if he were crazy. However, she backed him up.
“We do have room,” Heather said calmly. “We’ve just finished constructing a new house. Next to the old house.”
“Oh, you two are married.” His mate waved her finger at Heather and then Jake.
“No!” Heather and Jake chorused in unison.
Heather laughed. “No, I’m Jake’s sister-in-law.” She indicated Jake’s mate. “Lana here stopped to check that I was okay. Lana, this is Jake. My brother-in-law.” She opened her mouth to say more but clamped it shut again.
“The knight in shining armor.” Lana looked past Jake toward his car. “Or a knight in a shiny black Porsche at least.”
“I’m trading it in. For a family car. Something bigger. For Milly. She’s my daughter. Adopted daughter.” He stopped talking and stuck out his hand. He needed to touch her to feel that shock of first contact. To be sure.
Lana tilted her head to one side as she studied him. Was she going to leave him hanging? With a sigh, she lifted her hand and slid it into his. Her eyes widened and her breath quickened.
She was his mate.
Chapter Four – Lana
Skin against skin, her nerve endings buzzed, and a warmth spread through her body. A comforting warmth, as if Jake had wrapped her in a soft thick blanket and cradled her against his chest. A sob erupted in her mouth, but she swallowed it back down. S
he couldn’t admit weakness, she had to stay strong.
Yet the thought of being cradled against Jake’s chest, of his strong arms surrounding her, encircling her, chasing away all her worries and fears consumed her. She longed for someone to tell her it would be all right. She longed to share her burden with another person. A person she could trust. A person who was strong enough to shoulder the load.
Alone. Despite her father and Ursula being a large part of her life, she was utterly and completely alone when it came to searching for Kiki. Lana’s father had been too distraught when Kiki disappeared to go on the journey Lana had undertaken that day when they realized she was not coming home. A journey to find Kiki, or at least find out what happened to her.
Not knowing. That was what ate her up inside and put nightmares in her head.
“Lana.” His voice was smooth, coaxing, as if she were a frightened animal hiding under the porch.
She was still holding his hand. Holding on to it as if she dared not let go. Because if she did, she would float away and never be seen again.
“Sorry.” She yanked her hand away from his and he let it go, although there was a reluctance, a moment when his fingers tightened around hers. Maybe it was her imagination.
“We should get the items from my car,” Heather said gently.
Jake nodded absently as he flexed his hand, opening and closing it as if he had pins and needles. He’d felt it, too. He’d experienced the same tingling sensation, the same warmth invading his body.
Oh, no. He’d looked pale and shaky as he got out of the car. Please, don’t let him have a virus. Getting sick in a strange town with her dad and Ursula would be a disaster.
“Are you sure you can fit these in Jake’s car?” Lana asked as they went to Heather’s trunk and began lifting the items out. There were paintings and carvings. Something with wings. A fairy. The kind of fairy Ursula would like to have on her dresser. “I have plenty of room for all of them in mine.”
“Are you sure? Maybe I can squeeze some in Jake’s car. Since he came to help.” Heather looked down at the painting in her hand. “But I’d rather not risk damaging any of the bigger pieces. It’s so kind of you to offer to help a stranger in need.”
“No problem. I’m happy to help.” Lana glanced back at her car as the front passenger door opened and her dad got out. “Hey, Dad, you should stay in the car with Ursula.”
“Ursula?” Jake looked up from the trunk of his car as he placed a statue in the small cramped space.
“Yes, she’s my granddaughter,” Lana explained even though she didn’t owe anyone an explanation.
“Little she-bear.” Jake looked at Lana. Really looked at her, as if he could see beneath her clothes, and deeper. She shivered.
“This all looks interesting,” her father said as he joined them. “It looks like a heist and you’re moving all the merchandise.”
“My dad watches too many movies now that he’s retired,” Lana explained. “Why don’t you get back in the car, Dad?”
“Ursula’s fine. I need to stretch my legs.” He grinned. “And I’ve never been involved in a heist before.” He went to the trunk. “Anything an old man can carry?”
“Sure.” Heather handed over a small painting. “Thanks.”
“I’m Donald, by the way. Most people call me Don. Although these days I’m mainly just Dad or Grandpa.” He nodded at Heather and then winked at Lana as he walked to Jake’s trunk.
“So where is all this stuff from?” Lana asked, her father’s words stuck in her head. What if the pieces of art were all stolen?
“The Bear Creek Craft Barn. You probably saw a signpost for it as you turned off the highway. I own it and run it. You should come take a look while you’re in town.” Heather lifted another painting from her trunk and pulled the protective packing down to reveal an abstract painting. “This is one of my mom’s.”
“It’s good.” Lana had no idea about art even when it looked like the thing it was supposed to be. When she looked at a painting of a cow, she could tell if it was a good likeness for a cow. Or a church, or a country scene. Abstract art was a step beyond that. It took some imagination and appreciation to see what the artist intended. The painting in Heather’s hands was like mixed-up jigsaw pieces and Lana couldn’t mentally shuffle them around and put them in the correct order.
“You should try my mom’s cooking.” Heather wrinkled her nose as she recovered the painting. “It reflects her art.”
“That good?” Lana asked lightly as she carried the painting across to Jake’s car where she paused. “That is a small trunk.” Jake’s trunk was nearly packed solid. “The rest will go in my car.”
“The offer of a place to stay still stands.” Jake stood up straight from where he’d been trying to rearrange the handful of items in his trunk to make more space.
“Let’s take this one step at a time, shall we?” Lana’s voice croaked like a damn frog. What was with this guy? He had an effect on her.
“Sure. One step at a time.” He closed his trunk. “I want to thank you for stopping.”
Lana looked down at her comfortable sneakers which she wore when she drove long distances. They were nearly worn through at the toe, but they were so soft and pliable. “A woman alone on the road…can’t be too careful.” Her voice cracked and she turned on her heel and stalked away, shoulders hunched.
Jake watched her. His eyes on her back and the sense that he was penetrating her soul and taking a good look at what was inside her covered her again. Then he moved, his footsteps light despite his size, as he followed her to Heather’s car.
“Thank you so much,” Heather gushed as they stacked the rest of the items into Lana’s car.
“This old thing has plenty of room.” She tapped the roof of her station wagon. “Old and reliable.” Was she describing herself or the car? She didn’t need a flashy sports car.
Oh, maybe Jake had bought it when his midlife crisis hit. Men sure had a habit of going off the tracks when they reached a certain age. Sorrow and pain swept over her again.
Maybe coming here was a mistake. Too much was getting stirred up inside her like a stormy ocean dredging up lost ships from the seabed and exposing them to the light and air. Some things were best left buried on the bottom of the ocean.
“Are we going to the mountains now?” Ursula asked from the back seat.
“Not yet, Sula. It’s getting late. We can go exploring tomorrow,” Lana promised. Even though she was here to follow Mr. Jefferson’s lead, she was also here for her granddaughter to see the mountains. Lana couldn’t lose sight of that.
“I can show you the mountains tomorrow,” Jake offered. He gave her a lopsided smile. “You’re suspicious of me.”
Lana opened her mouth to deny it but there was no use. “Yes.” She walked back to Heather’s car where the last couple of bulky items remained. “Normally, people don’t invite strangers to come and stay at their house.”
“People around here do.” He arched an eyebrow as she answered with a disbelieving look. “They do.”
“Is the town really booked solid?” Lana asked.
“If you want to call around and ask, I won’t hold it against you.” His soft brown eyes made her insides melt. She’d love to be held against him. Tightly. Naked.
Lana pressed her lips together and turned away from him so he couldn’t see the color rush to her cheeks. The woman in her had been dormant for a while now. Since Kiki’s disappearance, she’d had no interest in men. No interest in life beyond being a good mother and daughter.
“It’s very kind of you.” Lana concentrated on the large fairy Heather passed to her to transfer to her car.
“It was very kind of you to stop for Heather.” Jake’s voice was soft and smooth like melted caramel.
“Okay. I think we’re done.” Heather closed her trunk and placed her hands on it with satisfaction as she looked into the distance. “Great timing. Here’s the tow truck.”
“I’ll move my c
ar out of the way,” Lana suggested.
“Don’t worry, we won’t drive off with your artwork. Quick, get in the car, Lana, and drive!” Donald winked as Lana rolled her eyes and Heather giggled.
“So this is a heist. Did you tamper with my car, Donald?” Heather joked accusingly.
“You have to excuse my dad. He doesn’t get out much.” Lana shot her father a warning glance and he hopped up and down on one foot. “There must be something in the mountain air.”
“There is. I feel twenty years younger.” Donald’s eyes danced as he chuckled. “I’ll get in the car.”
Lana smothered a smile. “I’ll pull forward to give the tow truck some space and then I’ll follow you back to your place when you’re ready.”
“Good plan.” Heather stepped out from her car and raised her hand as the tow truck approached.
Walking around to the driver’s side, Lana got in the car. “Everyone buckled up?”
“Yes,” Ursula called from the back seat.
Donald clicked his seatbelt closed. “I am now.”
“What do you think of them, Dad?” Lana asked as she turned the key in the ignition and the engine fired to life.
“They seem like good people.” He glanced sideways at his daughter. “I think we should take up their offer and stay.”
Lana’s brow wrinkled. “We don’t know them.”
“No, we don’t. But if we turn them down and find there is nowhere to stay in town, what are we going to do?” Donald looked in the side mirror as Lana drove forward to make room for the tow truck. “I have a good feeling about them.”
“Okay. We’ll go on back to their house. But I’m not making any decisions until we get there.” Lana looked in the rearview mirror, catching a glimpse of Jake before the tow truck obscured her view. “But if they live in some tin shack like a couple of hillbillies then we drive away as soon as the stuff is unloaded.”
“Tin shack? Did you get a look at Jake’s car?” Donald asked.
“And his suit.” She’d noticed the cut, the way it clung to him, accentuating his broad chest and narrow waist.
Jake Page 3