“So? What’s it mean? Your mate?”
I leaned back and ran my hand through my hair, thinking of how to explain a shifter mate bond to a fifteen-year-old who’d never seen it happen before. “One of the special things about being a shifter is that you have one other person in the world that is fated to be your partner, your life companion, your mate. My parents are mates. They’ve been together for fifty years and still have that over-the-moon, butterflies-in-the-tummy kind of love like they had when they were kids. It’s like love at first sight, but better. A mate, when you have one, will be so special to you that they will take precedence above anything or anyone else.”
“My mom is yours?” She seemed skeptical.
“Yes, she is. She doesn’t know it yet, though. Humans don’t have the ability to instinctually sense it like we shifters do. I knew the moment I laid eyes on your mom that she was my one and only. She was made for me.” I saw that Kinsley wanted to argue, but I pressed on. “I was made for her, too. Your mom is the only woman in this world I want by my side—the only woman I will ever want. I was just thinking about how to explain all that to her when you knocked.”
She leaned forward and rested her elbows on Polly’s desk. “So, you like…want to marry her?”
I shrugged. “If she’ll have me. Marriage is a human institution, though. Shifter mates usually mark each other. It’s how they claim one another and bond themselves together forever. Whether she accepts me or not, there will never be anyone else for me. Until the day I die, your mom will be the only woman for me.”
“What about that old hag, Susan Bell, who was drooling over you yesterday? Or the other moms who talk about how hot you are behind your back? You’re not going to nab yourself a side chick when you get bored with my mom, are you?”
I leaned forward, too. “That’s not even a possibility.”
“So, what, you’re like going to try to be my dad, now?”
I grunted. “I’m not going to try to be anything but what I am, and I’m not your dad. I get the feeling that you don’t want me to be, either.”
Kinsley’s eyes narrowed, and she sat back and spun around. “I don’t need a dad. I had one. He was an ass. He knocked Mom up and then left before I was born, even though he knew about me. Mom doesn’t talk about him, but I found his name from one of Mom’s old yearbooks a few years ago. I called him, and he said he always knew I’d call one day, but he had no interest in being anyone’s dad and he wasn’t going to send money to pay for me just because my mom was dumb enough to get herself knocked up.”
I saw red for a moment. “What’s the fucker’s name?”
Kinsley spun back around, grinning. “I think I like you. Are you going to treat my mom good?”
“Better than good. And I really do want that fucker’s name.”
“Maybe I’ll give it to you if you teach me more about being a shifter. Not at some lame appointment, though. I don’t want my friends to see me coming out of the Children’s Clinic—I’m fifteen for god’s sake.”
I found myself tempted to take a page from her book and roll my eyes at her. “Deal. But only if your mom says it’s okay.”
“Ugh. Fine.”
“And before I agree to shifter lessons, you’re going to have to agree to adjust the rude ‘tude and be a whole lot nicer. You keep disrespecting your mom and I will shift into my bear and eat you like a snack. Do you understand me?”
She just rolled her eyes and stood up. “What. Ever. Like you even could.”
I grinned. “Lesson number one: Don’t start a fight you can’t win.”
14
Fern
I woke up late on Saturday after spending most of the night tossing and turning, dreaming of Harrison, and waking up periodically completely aroused and covered in a sheen of perspiration. I was restless and achy with need, a feeling I’d never experienced before. It was baffling. I’d never reacted to a man like I was reacting to him.
I had to take a cold shower and dress in a loose sundress because I was in such a heightened state of sensitivity that even the fabric on my skin was irritating. I also craved whipped cream. And chocolate. Instead of finding the kitchen a mess and Boots whining to get out, I found the dishes done, the crate empty, and a note on the counter.
Kinsley had taken him out front to walk him and play a little. She did her dishes, was exercising the pup, and left me a note to explain her absence? Had I entered the Twilight Zone? I fought the chocolate craving, slipped my feet into a pair of flip-flops and went out to find her.
She wasn’t in the front. I found her in the back, playing fetch with Boots, tossing his ball back and forth, even retrieving it herself when Boots wouldn’t cooperate and instead just rolled over and begged for belly rubs. When she noticed me on the back porch, she actually smiled. Oh, I was definitely in an alternate dimension.
My heart leaped into my throat and my jaw dropped. For a moment, I got a glimpse of my sweet little girl, the Kinsley before she became the hormonally charged adolescent monster.
Kinsley scooped up Boots and brought him up to the porch. “Hey.”
I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat. “Hi there. Thanks for taking care of Boots this morning.”
“Well, he is my dog.” Her sharp tone was back, but she immediately cleared her throat and started again, lighter. “It’s what I’m supposed to do.”
I wrapped my arms around my waist and smiled at my baby girl, praying that this was a sign her anger was finally fading. “Can I make you some lunch?”
“Do I look like I want food poisoning? Hard pass.” She rolled her eyes and shoved Boots at me. “I’m going to listen to music in my room.”
I just nodded and took the pup, angling sideways so she could step around me. Well, it wasn’t a complete 180, but Kinsley did seem like she was trying to be more pleasant. It was obviously hard for her, but the effort was there.
“Oh yeah, would it be cool if Doc Daniels came over and gave me shifter lessons?” She tossed the question out as though it was an offhand thought, but I could sense her tension riding on it.
I let Boots lick my cheek and stared out at the yard. “Instead of at his clinic?”
“Yeah. Not a big deal at all, right?”
There was a sudden knot in my stomach. “Let me think about it, okay?”
“Fine. What. Ever.” The door slammed—an audible end to Kinsley’s pleasant behavior.
I blew out a long breath and looked up at the clear, blue Florida sky. I had no reason to feel panicked, did I? I’d been fine with allowing Kinsley to go to Harrison’s office and learn about being a shifter. Having lessons at our house, though, that somehow seemed so much more…personal.
I’d been careful not to get close to any man over the past fifteen years. We were a family, Kinsley and I, and I wanted her to grow up with that kind of stability. I didn’t want her world upended by having her get attached to someone who was just going to leave in the end. She didn’t deserve that kind of heartbreak. It terrified me to think of her getting too close to Harrison. His walking away might devastate her. As her mom, it was my duty to protect her from that.
Fern, I’m never going to be done.
The memory of Harrison’s words rolled over me like an ocean wave. He’d sounded so sure when he’d said it. I huffed a laugh. We’d only had one shitty date, and he had the nerve to declare he wasn’t going anywhere. As though he could predict what the future held.
No matter how good it felt to hear that he wanted to stick around, I wasn’t about to pin my hopes and dreams on it. I hugged Boots, petting him with my cheek. I wasn’t ready to give Harrison up yet, either. I really wanted to give whatever this attraction was between Harrison and me a chance to play itself out. What I wouldn’t do, however, was fool myself into believing that he would never leave. I’d done that once before. I wasn’t stupid enough to make that mistake twice.
Listening to Kinsley slamming and banging things around inside the house, I released anothe
r sigh. If Harrison promised to continue giving Kinsley lessons regardless of the direction our relationship took, even if we crashed and burned, I’d agree. I’d let her have the lessons at our house. She really needed some guidance from another shifter and I, as her mother, was responsible for seeing that she got it.
I’d just stepped foot into the house when Kinsley’s arm shot out, nearly smacking me in the face with my phone. I took it from her, frowning, as she stormed off and slammed her bedroom door. I set Boots on the floor while checking the display. It was a call from Laila. “Hey! Is everything okay?”
Laila growled. “I think your child just called me a nasty name.”
I sank onto the couch and groaned. “I’m sorry, Laila. I’ll talk to her.”
“No worries. I’ll talk to her. I planned to have a little she-wolf to she-wolf chat with her anyway. There are a few tidbits of wisdom about being a female wolf shifter I’d like to pass along.” She sighed. “Not why I’m calling, though. The real reason I’m calling is to tell you that you’re invited to girl’s night tonight and you can’t say no. You need to cut loose with friends and have a little fun. Parker agrees. In fact, we all need a night out.”
“I wish I could. My sweet and pleasant child is grounded, though. I can’t leave the house, or she’ll leave the house, too.”
“Already thought of that. Maxim is working tonight, so Parker had to find a babysitter for Stella. Bring Kinsley over to Parker’s house.”
“Ha! Are you prepared for World War III? No way I can send Kinsley to Parker’s with a sitter. She’d probably slip the sitter a roofie, steal their car, and go for a joyride around the island.”
Laila snorted. “I’d like to see her try.”
“I wish I could go. I think I could use some socializing and a drink or two.”
“Bring her over. She’ll like the babysitter, trust me.”
I stared at Kinsley’s bedroom door as the wheels in my brain turned. I could offer to take a week off her grounding if she behaves. Ugh! God, what kind of parent was I that I was thinking of letting my kid get away with calling me a slut just so I could have a night on the town? I could use the lessons with Harrison as leverage. I wouldn’t even feel guilty for doing it. If she’s not mature enough to behave herself for a few hours so I could have a much-needed evening to myself, then she’s not mature enough to warrant the privilege of the lessons she wants. Right? “Fine. I’ll do it.”
“Yay! Parker lives on Shipwreck Way, only a street over from you and a couple of blocks down. It’ll be the house with the perturbed-looking wolf in front of it.”
“Wait, why are you going to be perturbed?”
She giggled. “It’s not me. It’s Gray. He’s the babysitter.”
I coughed a laugh imagining her very handsome, very mysterious boyfriend babysitting. “Are you sure he won’t leave you after you pawn my daughter off on him?”
“I’m sure. We’re stuck like glue. Meet us at nine.”
I gasped. “Nine? What are we, teenagers? I’m normally in bed by ten.”
“Not tonight, you’re not. Tonight you’re going to live a little, Fern. Get ready to par-tay!”
After hanging up, I hesitated just a moment before calling Harrison. He picked up on the first ring and the sound of his deep voice sent butterflies aflutter in my stomach. “Hi.”
“Couldn’t stay away from me, could you?”
Grinning like an idiot, I caught myself twirling a strand of hair around my finger. “I have a question for you.”
“Proposing already? In that case, the answer is yes.”
“Stop.” Cheeks burning, I giggled like a schoolgirl. “I just wanted to know how you’d feel about working with Kinsley on her wolf shifter stuff over here. At my house, I mean.”
He let out a soft snort of a laugh that sent tingles through me. “Sure.”
“There’s a follow-up question.” I sucked in a deep breath. “Will you keep working with her even if this dating thing doesn’t work out between us? I don’t want to agree to it unless I know that you won’t disappear on her because of me.”
“I’m never going anywhere, honey.”
I let out a breath that was too audible. “Okay, good! Great! Um, gotta go!”
I hung up the phone and slumped back on the couch grinning as I replayed his final words in my head. They were warm and comforting like being wrapped in a warm down comforter on a chilly night. I’m never going anywhere, honey.
15
Fern
Laila and Parker had reserved a big table at the back of Mimi’s Cabana for us. I’d never been inside the place before, but I instantly took a liking to the owner, Mimi, and to its atmosphere, which screamed Polynesian tiki bar. I was surprised to find that they’d planned a bigger get-together than I thought. I was introduced to Hannah, Grace, Heidi, Kerrigan, and a very pregnant Megan. They were obviously all close friends and at first I felt slightly like an outsider. A little shy, I sat back and observed their interaction.
Parker noticed I was quiet and leaned into me. “What’s happening with the good doctor?”
Even though she whispered, everyone’s attention suddenly snapped to me. Laila grinned as Hannah leaned in quizzically. “The good doctor?”
“Doctor Harrison Daniels, Stella’s new pediatrician. A big, handsome bear shifter—grizzly, not polar.” Parker sighed. “I was trying to get him to sign up for Cybermates, but he found his mate before I had the chance to, apparently.”
I felt my face burn. “No, it’s…”
“It’s what?” Laila laughed. “I still want the deets about happened in that massage room.”
“In what massage room?” Grace waved her hands in the air and shook her head. “What did I miss? Tell me all the juicy gossip and don’t leave any of the smutty parts out.”
“Fern here had Dr. Daniels on her massage table until something or another went down and she ran out of there like her butt was shooting flames.”
Heidi giggled. “Was it? Sometimes these bears can get carried away with their love spanks.”
My head felt like it might explode. I took another shot of the strong tequila they all seemed to like and coughed. “Love spanks?”
Parker waved it off. “I’m sure if you and Harrison decide to experiment with spanking, you’ll love it.”
Laila was really having a good laugh by then. “You should see your face!”
“Let’s get back to Dr. Harrison Daniels. Are you two a thing? I’ve met him.” Hannah wagged her eyebrows. “He’s so handsome. I know a few moms on this island whose kids only need one or two more illness before they’re diagnosed with Munchausen by proxy because of that man. Mom’s love him, if you know what I mean.”
I shrugged and had to hold back a monstrous wave of jealousy. “We’re dating, I guess.”
“Dating?” Parker scowled.
“Things got kind of heated between us right away, but I put a halt to it. I told him I wanted to date first. He came over last night and cooked dinner for me.” I made a face. “Well, for me and Kinsley. She made the evening a little tense. And she called me a slut.”
Laila growled. “That girl! She could use a spanking. And not the fun kind.”
Parker grunted. “Kids can sure be cockblockers.”
“Are you and Maxim not getting enough sexy time?” Kerrigan sounded like she didn’t think that was a possibility.
“We’re barely having sex once a day anymore. I’m so tired and Stella has some sort of sixth sense that kicks in whenever Maxim comes near me. One good ass-grab and she instantly starts screaming.”
“Once a day?!” I couldn’t help but raise my voice. The tequila was already getting to me. “Once a day, every day?”
“Yeah… How often do you have sex?”
“Once…” I snorted. “Ever.”
Hannah screamed. Actually screamed. “No!”
Laila shook her head. “No. Not possible.”
Parker just gaped.
“I got pre
gnant with Kinsley my first time. That kind of soured me to the whole idea of sex from then on. Plus, I was pregnant, then there was childbirth, postpartum, single parenthood… I don’t know. The whole idea of dating got pushed to the back burner. Very, very far back. Like a burner in another state.” I shrugged and drank another gulp of tequila. “I seriously never even wanted to have sex again. At all. Until recently.” Another swallow of tequila. “I want to sleep with Harrison, though, and I think I’m going to.”
The table erupted in whoops and cheers. Heidi held up her drink. “To our new bestie, Fern, getting laid by the good doctor!”
They all clanked glasses in a toast to that sentiment and spent a good several minutes teasing me about it before the topic of conversation broke off into other things. I seemed to be the lightweight of the group—good and tipsy before anyone else. My lips were numb. I excused myself and hid in the ladies’ room. Leaning up against the sink, I pondered my life and the direction it was taking.
It’d been so long since I’d gotten drunk, and at that moment, it felt nice. It also lowered my inhibitions and made me crave Harrison something fierce. Despite knowing better, I pulled my phone from my purse and dialed him. As soon as he answered, I giggled.
“Fern?”
“Harrison.”
“Are you okay?”
“Mm-hm. I’m drunk.”
“Where are you? Are you at home?”
I giggled again. “Nope. I went to the bar with my new girlfriends. I’m in the bathroom.”
“You good?”
I sighed. “I’m good. But I’d be better if you were here.”
“Don’t do that to me, honey.” He groaned. “You’re killing me.”
I bit my lip. “Want to come and get me?”
“What bar?”
“Mimi’s Cabana. Are you coming?”
“I’ll be right there.”
I grinned. “You’re so hot. I mean nice. I meant to say you’re so nice.”
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