“Why are you so interested in why we’re here?” Shannon asked. “We could just be here on a vacation.”
“You could, but it’s out of season. And unless Lorcan is home-schooled, he should be at school.” Jason tilted his head to one side and studied his mate as she ate the last piece of chicken off her plate.
“Are you the education police?” Shannon placed her knife and fork down on the plate and wiped her mouth with a napkin.
“No, just an enquiring mind.” He focused on the taste of the salad dressing as he tried to block out his need to lean across the table and taste his mate’s lips instead.
“Have you lived in Bear Creek all your life?” Shannon dodged his question about why they were here once more, which aroused his suspicions that they were not here on a sightseeing trip.
“No, I moved here a few years ago. I needed a change of life and focus.” He raised his eyes to the ceiling of The Happy Bear Bar. “And so, the bar was born.”
“Why the name?” Shannon had switched the interrogation around. She was asking the questions and he couldn’t deny her the answers.
“Because it was what we hoped to all be one day.” He sighed and placed his fork down. “We all had a past we were trying to outrun. I guess there is a certain irony in the name.”
“So, you called it The Happy Bear Club because you were all unhappy?” She arched an eyebrow in question.
He chuckled. “It seemed a lot cooler at the time.”
“And now? Did you all find your happiness?” Shannon was direct, not afraid to ask the questions that mattered.
“Yes, I think we finally have.” A surge of joy coursed through him. He’d fought his bear for years over their need for a mate. Jason was scared he wouldn’t be worthy. He was still scared he wouldn’t be worthy, but he knew he had to try.
Shannon looked down at her empty plate. “I envy you.”
“For finding happiness or opening a club with such an inspired name?” His comment came off as light, but as he watched her mouth droop, he realized she was fighting not to cry. “Hey. I’m here for you.”
When she lifted her eyes to his, they were misted with tears. With a sweep of her right hand, she wiped them away. “Sorry, I’m tired. It’s been a long day.”
“Tell me why you are here.” He took hold of her left hand and had no intention of letting it go until she told him her troubles.
Even if that took until eternity and beyond.
Chapter Six – Shannon
Tell me why you are here. Did Jason have any idea what he was asking? How could she answer? Not with the truth.
Or could she? As she stared into Jason’s eyes, something flashed there, something hidden deep within him.
“Why bears?” she asked. “You could have chosen any name, but you chose The Happy Bear Club.”
“Because we live in Bear Creek.” It was a non-answer, and she suspected he was skirting around the real reason.
“We didn’t really win a competition for a free meal here, did we?” Shannon was no longer scared to ask that question. Jason wasn’t here to hurt her.
“No.” He gave a wry smile. “Am I that see-through?”
“Yes.” She pulled her hand away from his and immediately wished she’d kept the contact with this man before her. However, sliding her hand back under his would be awkward. “So why?”
A small crease intersected his brow. “You know why.”
“No, I don’t.” She shrugged. “Men don’t usually approach a stranger and offer them free dinner unless they want something in return. So what exactly do you want, Jason?”
“Does Lorcan take after his father or mother?” Jason’s question was unexpected and her back straightened as her heart rate increased.
“Why does that matter to you?” Shannon asked more sharply than she intended.
Jason leaned forward and sniffed the air. “I’d say his father.”
“Why?” Her cheeks burned hot and she wished her glass was filled with cool soda so she could press it to her skin.
“Because you smell different.” Jason’s eyes were laser-focused on her face, he could read every shift in her body language, every change in expression on her face.
“Are you drunk?” She’d smelled liquor on his breath. It was a simple line of defense.
“No.” He shook his head decisively. “I was on the mountain this afternoon.”
The heat in her cheeks evaporated, leaving her stone cold. “In the valley.”
He nodded. “You were looking for something.”
“I should go.” She made to get up, but his hand shot out and grabbed her arm, although not unkindly.
“Stay. Let me help you.” His eyes were filled with honesty as she slumped back down in her chair. “There’s a connection between us. I think you can feel it, too.”
She shook her head, but it felt like a lie no matter how many times she told herself it was the truth. Each time Jason was close, each time they touched it was as if there was a bond between them, a bond that grew stronger every minute they were together. “If this is some kind of come-on, I’m not interested.”
Jason sat back in his seat as if she’d slapped him across the face. “Do you already have a mate?”
“A mate?” Her brow furrowed. “Is that what you call a boyfriend around here?” She’d never heard of a partner of either sex being referred to as a mate before, but sometimes local dialects threw up strange names.
“Lorcan’s father.” Jason’s eyes narrowed as he studied her face. “He wasn’t your mate? You weren’t his mate?”
“I’m still not exactly sure what a mate is, but whatever it is, Lorcan’s father was not it.” She paused. “Not to me at least.”
Jason sighed with relief, however, he still looked concerned. Concern that was magnified as he switched his gaze from her to Lorcan. “Why were you in the mountains?”
“Why does it concern you?” Shannon was skirting around the truth. She wanted to trust Jason. With every fiber of her being, she wanted to trust him. She might not admit the connection between them to Jason, but she couldn’t deny it to herself. It was there, it was real. Yet she could not just abandon caution and spill her story out here in a crowded bar.
“Helping is what I do.” He looked a little uncomfortable about this. “It’s what I try to do.”
“Is that why Isla called you a Silverback Savior?” Shannon tilted her head to one side as Jason’s eyes crackled in the dim light of the alcove. It reminded her of Lorcan.
“Yeah.” He ducked his head, looking embarrassed as he picked up his fork and chased a stray lettuce leaf around the salad bowl. “It’s a name the people of Bear Creek gave to us.”
“Why?” She wanted to know. “What did you do to earn that name?”
“Nothing that many other people don’t do every day.” He raised his eyes to hers. “When we opened the bar, we were all in a dark place. Each for our own reasons. We slowly built up the business and got to know the local people. They accepted us. So we started helping them. Someone needed a shingle fixed, we were there. Car broke down, we could fix it.”
“You saved people.” She nodded. “Do you only save people of Bear Creek?”
“No.”
She drew in a deep breath. “There’s something on the mountains that we have to find.”
“What kind of something?” Jason asked quietly, understanding how much trust she’d put in him to share this morsel of information.
“I don’t know. Not exactly.” She tucked her hair behind her ears and leaned forward. “Lorcan can sense it. I don’t know how.” She sat upright. “I know that makes me sound crazy.” She hadn’t realized how crazy until she’d said the words to a man she’d only just met.
“He can sense it, but you didn’t find it today?” Jason asked. “Why?”
She’d expected questions, but not that one. “You believe me, without question.”
“Why wouldn’t I?” His gaze slid across to Lorcan once more. “
Why do you have to find it?”
“That is not something I’m ready to share with you.” She pressed her lips together. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. We all have secrets. I just hope that when you get to know me better you might be willing to share yours with me.” He slid his hand back and forth across the table. “And I might be willing to share mine with you.”
“Sounds like we both need to open up a little and learn to trust other people.” She smiled apologetically. “I never used to have a problem with trust.”
“Me neither. But life has a way of changing us, doesn’t it?” He held out his hand to her. “I promise not to push you for answers. I also promise to be by your side whenever you need me.”
“That’s a big promise. Two big promises.” She lifted her hand but didn’t slide it into his. Was it right to accept promises from a man she didn’t know? Was there a catch? “I’ll accept your promises, as long as you accept mine. I promise not to push you for answers. I also promise not to ask you to do anything you don’t want to do.”
“Deal.” He slid his hand into hers before she could pull it back from his reach. Not that she had any intention of not shaking his hand to seal their bargain. Lorcan was right, they needed help. They had to succeed. They had to find what was hidden here in Bear Creek. Failure would mean hard consequences. “So do we go back on the mountain tomorrow?”
She nodded as she reluctantly slid her hand from his grasp. His fingers tightened around hers for a moment as if he refused to let her go, but then he relaxed, and she placed her hand on the table in front of her. “I need information, though. The landslides that filled the valley. Do you know anything about them? I presume they were some time ago.”
“Mostly. Long before I moved to Bear Creek. There were landslides last winter due to a heavy rainfall that swept away some of the mud and trees. Although that was higher up the mountain.” He cast a glance over her shoulder, his eyes resting on Lorcan. “I can ask around for more information. Since the mountain has probably shifted over the last few centuries...”
“I don’t think we’re looking that far into the past.” What they were looking for concerned Lorcan’s father so it could only have been in the last four or five decades.
“I see. I thought perhaps you were looking further back than that.” He switched his gaze back to hers. There was something unsaid in his expression. If only she’d promised not to ask...
“We should really get going.” She looked down at her empty plate. “I should pay for the meal since we are not really competition winners.”
“No.” Jason shook his head. “I invited you here. It’s my treat.”
“I still don’t understand why. I don’t understand this connection you say we have.” She pointed at him and then back at herself. “Or is that part of the secret you don’t want to share?”
“I do want to share it, very much.” His eyes darkened with desire, and heat crept across her skin. “But not tonight.” His eyes flicked to the right and she had the uneasy sensation someone was watching them.
“Do I have to worry about a jealous lover?” Shannon asked, forcing herself not to turn around in her seat.
“No, not a lover. Not jealous either. Nosier.” He lifted his hand and waved. “There are some people who would love to meet you.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Would they?” She half-turned in her chair and a dark-haired man about the same age as Jason ducked out of view. “I don’t see why they want to meet me.” She turned back to face Jason. “Oh, is this to do with the link between us?”
He nodded. “It’s called a bond.”
“A bond. That sounds permanent. Like we’re stuck together.”
“That just about explains it.” He stood up and gathered the empty plates. “Why don’t we go sit at the bar and have dessert?”
“Dessert. I guess I could stay a little longer if there is chocolate involved.” She stood up and helped him clear the table. “My treat.”
“Your treat.” He grinned. “I’m not going to argue.”
“You’re learning fast.” She stepped out of the alcove and followed Jason toward the bar.
Lorcan was leaned over the pool table, his cue resting between his finger and thumb as he took aim. As he pocketed the ball he stood up, his gaze locked on Jason and Shannon as they navigated their way to the bar past all the other tables. He was checking up on her. Just as she’d checked up on him since the day he’d come into her life.
Shannon lifted her hand and waved, setting him at ease. “Dessert?”
Lorcan straightened up and nodded before he turned and said something to Shane. The two teens moved around the pool table pocketing balls, their slow leisurely game cut short by the promise of a sweet treat.
“Michello’s desserts are the best in Bear Creek.” Jason’s teeth flashed as he grinned with pride. “Although the diner in town might argue that point.”
“If the desserts are as good as the main meals, I can certainly see why your bar is busy.” Shannon swallowed nervously as they approached a group of people seated at the bar. These were Jason’s friends and she desperately wanted to impress them. Although she had no idea why.
A pang of guilt stabbed her in the heart. She wasn’t here to make friends and she certainly wasn’t here to start a relationship. She was here to find a way to get the hunters who had tracked down Lorcan out of their lives. As she contemplated dessert, her father was in some obscure place on the globe attempting to lead the hunters away, giving Shannon and Lorcan time to find the treasure they wanted.
What exactly that treasure was and where it was hidden had so far evaded them. So why was she here choosing a rich calorie-laden dessert instead of going back to their hotel room? They should both be having an early night so they could get up in the morning and once more tackle the mountain and try to pry its secrets from its stony claws.
“I recommend the tiramisu.” One of the women seated at the bar smiled as Shannon and Jason approached. “Or the chocolate sundae.”
“Anything with chocolate sounds good to me.” Lorcan came up behind her and looked at the menu Jason had handed her.
“You might be right.” She patted his cheek. “Although, since you didn’t eat your greens, I’m not sure you should get dessert after all.”
“Mom,” Lorcan whined in her ear.
She chuckled as she scanned the short dessert menu. “Okay, the chocolate brownie with ice cream sounds delicious.”
“Can I have the Oreo sundae?” Lorcan hugged her and kissed her cheek. “Please?”
“Okay.” Shannon looked at everyone else at the bar. “Does anyone else want a dessert? My treat.”
“No, we’re fine,” the woman who had recommended the chocolate sundae said. Patting her stomach lightly, she added, “I’m trying not to eat for two.”
“Oh, when are you due?” Shannon asked as Jason went to the kitchen and put in the orders.
“Not for another five months.” She sighed. “It’s a long way off. But I hear it goes by super-fast.”
“I’m sure it does.” Shannon glanced over her shoulder to where Lorcan was talking to Shane and another man who she presumed was his dad.
“They’re getting along well. Shane is still adjusting to moving here so it’s nice for him to make a new friend.” The woman thrust out her hand. “I’m Petra, by the way.”
“I’m Kelly. And this is Sadie.” Kelly grinned as she sipped her beer. “We’ve all been waiting for Jason to find his mate.”
Sadie coughed and Kelly’s cheeks flushed red. “So, how long are you in town?” Sadie asked.
“I’m not sure. A couple of days more at least. Maybe more.” Shannon nodded, she didn’t want to lie to her new friends but neither did she want to tell them why she was in Bear Creek with Lorcan. Not because she didn’t trust them but because she was certain the less they knew, the better. “I like the town.”
“Enough to move here?” Petra asked brightly.
Shannon’s m
outh tweaked up at the corner. “I have a life elsewhere. A life I’ve made for Lorcan and myself.” A life she used to think was safe, now she wasn’t sure if she’d ever feel safe again. Certainly not in her apartment. Not when the hunters knew exactly where to find her.
“It’s a good place to raise a child. Especially a teenager. Shane is learning how to climb. Lorcan is welcome to join him tomorrow morning for a practice session.”
“Thanks.” Relief flooded her veins as Jason carried her dessert over. “But we already have plans.”
Lorcan cast her a sideways glance. He’d heard the offer and she could tell by his expression he would love to go into the mountains and climb with Shane. But they both knew they had more important things to do.
If they slacked off, even for an hour, it might mean her father getting hurt. Or worse. The men they were dealing with meant business. She closed her eyes and the face of the man who had come to their door appeared as if it were tattooed on the back of her eyeballs. His eyes, fierce with a hunger she could not fathom, pierced her brain. She would never forget them.
“It’ll melt if you leave it on the bar and don’t eat it,” Jason was watching her closely, could he sense her fear?
“These look delicious.” She forced a smile onto her face as she dug into the warm brownie and ice cream. It truly was delicious, and her mood brightened. “But after we’ve finished, we have to go.”
“What time do you need me tomorrow?” Jason asked and grinned as her eyes widened. “Should I phrase it differently?”
“I think you should.” She hadn’t needed a man for years but when Jason was close, he addled her brain and overloaded her senses.
“What time do you want me to swing by the hotel tomorrow?” His innocent expression was accompanied by a twinkle in his eye.
“Nine would be great. We have a large area to cover tomorrow and any knowledge you have of the landslides will help us.” If not, they would waste another day and she had no idea how many days her father could keep the hunters busy.
They needed to hurry up and find the treasure. Of course, it would help if she knew exactly what kind of treasure they were looking for. She only hoped it was worth all this anguish when they found it.
Jason - Silverback Redemption Page 5