Page 17 of Bearly Believable Romance

He didn’t take his eyes off Tabitha for the rest of the meal, mesmerized by the golden candlelight dancing across her hair and the sparkle of joy in her eyes. She glowed with contentment as she laughed with his aunts and joked with his uncles, drawing even his shyest cousins into easy conversation with her natural warmth and charm.

Bram’s cheeks soon ached from the force of his wide, uncontrollable grin. Tabitha fit here, at this table with his family. By his side. Like two puzzle pieces clicking into place. She brought light and laughter, magic and mayhem into his world and he couldn’t imagine his life without her in it.

As the evening wore on in a happy blur of clinking cutlery and raucous conversation, Bram knew one thing for certain. He never wanted to let Tabitha go. His head might tell him to take things slow, stick to the plan to win his witch’s heart gradually. But his bear had already claimed her, here in front of his whole clan. She was his.

Now Bram just had to convince Tabitha of that fact. And with his mother and all the Hartleys so firmly on his side, he already had one hell of a cheering section.

Game on. As Avelyn proudly carried out dessert--her famous mixed berry pie--disaster struck. Bram’s five-year-old nephew, Stroh, hopped up on too much sugar, careened into the corner hutch, sending Great-grandma Ida’s prized antique teapot crashing to the floor where it shattered into a thousand pieces.

Avelyn gasped, face crumpling as she bent to scoop up the shards. “Oh no, it’s ruined!”

But before the first tears could fall, Tabitha crouched beside her, hands cupped around the broken remnants. She closed her eyes and whispered something too low for Bram to catch. A faint glow emanated between her palms and when she opened them, the teapot sat whole and unbroken, good as new.

Avelyn’s jaw dropped as she cradled the restored heirloom. “Tabitha, did you just use magic to fix my…my family heirloom?”

Tabitha bit her lip, shooting Bram a guilty glance.

He cleared his throat. “Uh, did I forget to mention Tabitha is a witch?” He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. “Surprise?”

But Avelyn just threw back her head and laughed, rich and full-bodied. “Oh, is that all? And here I thought you were going to tell me something truly shocking like you eloped to Vegas.” She winked at Tabitha. “I had a feeling you might carry it in your blood like your grandmother. Lord knows this family could use a little more magic.”

Tabitha sagged with relief, grinning. “Well, in that case, who wants to see some sleight-of-hand tricks after pie?”

The rest of the evening passed in a blur of laughter, cheers at Tabitha’s magical party tricks, and an ill-advised game of truth or dare that had Bram’s uncles competing to see who could shift and howl at the moon the longest.

Through it all, Bram remained hyperaware of Tabitha--the brush of her knee against his under the table, her carefree laughter, the soft smiles she aimed his way when she thought no one was looking. His bear basked in her presence, preening at how seamlessly she fit in his world.

As the hour grew late and yawns began to punctuate the conversation, Avelyn started gathering coats and shuffling people toward the door. She pulled Bram into a fierce hug as he headed to the porch to see off the last stragglers.

“She’s perfect for you,” Avelyn murmured into his shoulder. “Don’t let that one get away.”

Bram’s throat tightened with emotion. “I don’t plan to.” And he meant it with every fiber of his being.

When the last car pulled away, Bram and Tabitha collapsed against each other, chuckling and exhausted in the sudden quiet of the house. They stood on the porch, his arms looped loosely around her waist, her hands braced on his chest.

Bram gazed down at Tabitha, her features soft and ethereal in the moonlight. “Have I told you how amazing you are? The way you won over even my most ridiculous relatives tonight...”

Tabitha ducked her head, but not before Bram caught the pleased blush staining her cheeks. “They’re not so bad. I like how much they obviously love you.”

“I--” The words lodged in Bram’s throat as Tabitha glanced up at him, eyes wide and luminous. He swallowed hard. “Tabby cat...”

But the moment stretched and splintered until Tabitha stepped out of the circle of his arms and the cool night air rushed between them.

“We should probably clean up,” she said with forced lightness.

Disappointment sank like a stone in Bram’s gut but he summoned a strained smile. “Lead the way, kitchen wench.”

He swatted her on the butt as he followed her inside, startling a laugh out of her. And just like that, the strange tension dissipated.

They worked side by side at the sink, Tabitha washing, Bram drying, talking softly as the night deepened around them. He snuck glances at her profile, committing every detail to memory. The delicate curve of her ear, the dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose, the plush pout of her rosy lips that he longed to taste.

When the last dish was dried and stacked in the cupboard, Bram walked Tabitha home under a canopy of stars. At her gate, she turned to him, eyes sparkling with some emotion he couldn’t name.

“I had a really good time tonight,” she said softly. “Your family is amazing. Thank you for sharing them with me. I had no idea having a family like this was possible. I mean, my parents don’t smile. They have dinners in formal dining rooms where we were seated like ten feet from each other on a table long enough to sit this entire town. But your family,” she sighed the words, a faraway look in her eyes, “they’re like the family I always dreamed of.”

Bram reached out to tuck a stray curl behind her ear, fingers lingering against her cheek. “They’re your family now too. In every way that matters.”

Tabitha’s breath hitched and for a second Bram was sure she would bolt. But then she leaned into his touch, lashes fluttering closed. “I like the sound of that,” she whispered.

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