Page 15 of The Bear's Mail Order Mate

“Just making sure you haven’t had too much wine!” Philip teased.

Leanne’s face broke into a radiant smile as she rushed around the table, ignoring the carrots, ignoring dinner, ignoring everything but Kris. “Oh my goodness, Kris. This is wonderful news.” She reached for his hand, her motherly love washing over him as it always did. “Who is she? When did you meet her? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” The questions tumbled out in a rush.

Kris took a steadying breath. “I just… She just turned up, basically.” The adrenaline from Cassia’s departure still thrummed in his veins. “Her name is Cassia. She arrived this afternoon, responding to the job ad.”

“Job ad?” Hugo repeated, confusion flickering across his face. “We’re not hiring. You have enough staff for harvest and…”

“Well, funny story,” Kris said, waving a hand. “Cassia thought the job ad was for the restaurant. The one we talked about but never actually started.” He forced a rueful laugh, noticing how bewilderment now flared in both Leanne’s and Hugo’s eyes. “Remember the idea about a small restaurant on the vineyard property to showcase our wines?”

“Of course,” Hugo cut in. “We’ve tossed that around for a while. But we never agreed to post any ad about it.”

Kris grimaced. “Well, apparently my brothers thought it would be amusing to write an ad…”

“Hey, to be clear, it wasn’t for a job,” Philip cut in as all eyes turned on him. “It was more for a mate. For Kris. We were teasing him about working too hard. It was never meant to be posted.”

A snort of laughter escaped Hugo. “But fate stepped in and it got posted, huh?”

“Yes,” Kris confirmed, crossing his arms. “Cassia saw it and showed up this afternoon. She was, understandably, confused to learn the restaurant was nonexistent. But I convinced her to stay for a trial period—two weeks—to help us plan it.” He paused, inhaling. “And since she is my mate...”

Leanne pressed her hand to her chest, eyes bright with tears of joy. “We have to make it work,” she murmured.

“Exactly,” Kris whispered, swallowing a surge of emotion. “She’s perfect, Mom. It’s like we fit together in every way.”

The three people around the table fell silent as the news sank in. Then Hugo set aside his napkin, rising to clasp Kris’s shoulder. “Well, that’s the best news we’ve heard in a while. Congratulations, son.”

Philip’s grin returned in full force. “I can’t believe you found your mate because of that ad. And I swear none of us knew Finn posted it. But you know he’ll never let you live it down.”

Kris exhaled a laugh. “You’re not wrong there. Although, it could have turned out entirely differently if anyone but Cassia had shown up for the job.” He didn’t quite agree with his brother’s meddling, but all the same, Kris owed Finn a debt. For bringing Cassia to Bear Creek, no matter how unorthodox the method.

Leanne squeezed Kris’s hand, giving him a soft, searching look. “You said she’s staying for a trial period?”

Kris nodded. “Yes.”

“Come on, sit down, before you fall down.” Leanne smiled at Hugo, who pulled out a chair for his son.

Kris sat down heavily. It was as if something had zapped his strength now that the adrenalin had worn off. The smell of warm chicken and roasted veggies reminded him he hadn’t eaten in hours.

“So, do you have a plan?” Philip asked as he picked up his fork and went back to eating his dinner.

“Not exactly.” Kris nodded his thanks to his mom as she set a plate down in front of him. “The problem is, she thinks we’re more ready for the restaurant than we are. I mean, we don’t have any plans at all.”

Hugo eyed him thoughtfully. “But you want to build it for her, so she won’t leave.”

Kris rubbed the back of his neck. “Is that too rash? She’s my mate. I can’t risk her going off to find some other job, some other life.”

“Sweetheart, building a restaurant isn’t the simplest project, but this family has done bigger things when the time called for it.” Leanne glanced at Hugo, eyes lighting up. “Remember the expansions we did on the tasting room when we were first married?”

Hugo chuckled. “I do. My brothers all pitched in. Just like all your brothers will pitch in.” He nodded sagely at Kris. “And I’m sure your cousins will help, too, if we need them to.”

“Of course,” Philip said, reaching for a glass of water, “just as you would do the same for us.”

Relief flooded Kris’s chest, so intense he had to lean back in his chair to breathe. “Thank you. Really. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

Philip grinned. “I hope one day soon I get a chance to find out.”

“All my sons mated,” Leanne said. “What more could I ask for?”

“Well, it happened for our lucky cousins up at the ranch,” Philip said. “So there’s hope.”

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