Page 16 of The Bear's Second Chance Mate
But in reality, everything had changed.
As he worked, he kept one eye on the clock.
It moved in slow, reluctant ticks. The shop grew quieter again after lunch, and he found himself glancing toward the door, hoping the next person to walk through it would be his mate.
By early afternoon, everything was spotless. Ready. Perfect. Or as close to perfect as Stanley could manage.
He fed the last of the turtles, wiped his hands on a cloth, and turned toward the front of the store.
Stanley exhaled hard and ran a hand through his hair. “What if Oli finds the place too loud?”
Then we help him find the quiet,his bear said gently.We show him he’s safe here.
He glanced at the clock.
Almost time.
Stanley crossed the room to turn down the tank lights, adjusting the dimmer until it was a softer glow. He moved through the presence of the animals, soothing the nervous energy that buzzed beneath his skin.
When he’d finished, he stood still in the center of the shop and looked around one last time.
“Please let this go well,” he whispered to no one in particular. Maybe to the universe. Maybe to his mate. Maybe to himself.
And then he sensed her drawing near. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end, and his knees went weak. He sucked in a breath and reached out to rest his hand on the counter to steady himself. He didn’t want June and Oli to walk through the door to find him face down on the store floor.
No, that is not the kind of second impression we want our mate to have of us,his bear said as excitement threaded through his veins.
Outside, a car came to a stop. A moment later, two car doors opened and then clicked shut.
His bear stilled.She’s here.
The bell above the door chimed, and Stanley stepped out from behind the counter just in time to see June guide Oli through the entrance.
She wore her dark hair tied up in a loose bun, and her expression was cautious as she scanned the store as if memorizing every detail, searching out any immediate triggers, before letting herself take a breath. Oli hovered close to her side,gripping his sketchbook to his chest like a shield. But his eyes were already darting toward the animal enclosures.
Stanley kept his tone light and steady as he approached. “Hey there. How are you doing, Oli?”
The boy clung close to June, not quite meeting his gaze.
“Do you want to check in with Herbert?” Stanley gestured toward the quiet corner where he’d moved Herbert’s crate.
At the sound of the rabbit’s name, Oli stepped forward.
“Herbert’s doing okay?” he asked, voice barely above a whisper.
“He’s doing great,” Stanley said. “He had lunch, hopped around a bit, and now he’s ready to say hi. He’s waiting in the quiet corner over there.”
June’s shoulders dropped a fraction, and Stanley didn’t miss the way she glanced around the room. Her eyes caught on the quiet corner near the window—the beanbag, the books, the soft pen—and lingered there.
“You set this up for him?” she asked.
Stanley nodded, keeping his tone matter-of-fact. “I thought it might help. I did a bit of research online. I hope I got it right.”
That earned him a smile. And his legs threatened to give way under him. Damn, he wished he could make her smile like that every day for the rest of their lives.
“Thank you,” she said quietly. “It all looks great.”
Stanley cleared his throat and said, “You are welcome. Now, shall we?” He led them to the pen where Herbert waited, sat up on his haunches, his whiskers twitching as he heard them approaching.
