Page 26 of The Bear's Perfect Mate
For a breathless moment, Nero thought she might lean in closer. His bear stirred with anticipation, urging him forward.
But then Sophie stepped back, clearing her throat. “Our coffee will get cold.”
“Of course.” Nero placed the cloth down on the bench and fetched the coffees.
“Thanks,” Sophie said, not meeting his gaze as she accepted the cup and took a sip. “Will you show me more of your work?”
“What do you want to see?” Nero asked, relaxing a little as he looked around.
“Do you have a favorite piece?”
Nero’s gaze flickered involuntarily to the drawer where he’d hastily stashed his sketches of the heart-shaped pendant he’d been working on through the night. The piece was meant for her, inspired by their first meeting. His heart crafted into metal and gems.
But showing it now would reveal too much of his soul, too soon.
“This,” he said instead, raising a finger and moving toward one of the antique drawers across the room. He pulled it open with practiced ease and carefully extracted a bundle wrappedin soft, faded cloth. Unwrapping it with reverent hands, he revealed a diamond and ruby necklace of extraordinary craftsmanship, though clearly damaged. The gold was tarnished and worn in places, with several empty settings where diamonds and rubies had once glittered.
“I found it behind some shelves a couple of months ago,” Nero explained, holding it where the light caught the remaining stones. “It must have belonged to Paulo, but I don’t recall ever seeing it before.”
“It’s beautiful,” Sophie breathed, reaching out to touch the damaged necklace with gentle fingers. “Are you going to repair it?”
“I hope to,” Nero said, watching her face as she examined the piece. “But the rubies are hard to match—they’re of a particular hue. See? Deep, almost blood red.”
“Surely someone must have missed a piece like this,” she said, her fingers lingering on the damaged gold.
“I think that’s what intrigues me the most about it,” Nero admitted, dragging his focus back to the necklace. “I want to find out where it came from, who it belongs to.” He glanced down at the ground and gave a soft chuckle.
“What?” Sophie asked, looking up at him with curiosity in her eyes.
“Do you know that’s what I like best about my work?”
She tilted her head, intrigued.
“The stories,” Nero said, gesturing to the drawers and tools. “Everything here has a story.”
“That’s what I love about recipes,” Sophie said with a grin. “The way they become part of someone’s memory. Part of their life.”
“You give people those stories,” Nero said, watching her. “They cook your food, and it becomes…more. A birthday memory. A first date. A comfort meal after a hard day.”
She looked away, a little shy. As if she weren’t used to receiving praise.
“Hey,” he said, lifting her chin with gentle fingers. “Be proud. You give people something real.”
Their eyes held for a moment until she pulled away. “I should get back to those recipes. They won’t cook themselves.”
“Of course.” He carefully wrapped the necklace again. “And I need to finish Norman’s bracelet.”
Sophie hesitated, then smiled. “That bracelet has a beautiful story. Fifty years of love. That’s rare.”
If only she knew,his bear sighed.
She will,Nero replied silently.Soon.
“Come with me,” he said aloud.
“Come with you?”
“To deliver the bracelet. Norman’s giving it to Hilda tomorrow, for their anniversary. So, I’ll finish it up and then take it back to them this afternoon.”
