Page 25 of The Bear's Second Chance Mate
Hugo chuckled. “That boy would lose his own shadow if it weren’t attached.”
“Is the rabbit doing okay at the shop?” Leanne asked as she placed the steaming bowls on the table and sat down.
“Herbert’s settling in fine,” Stanley said, breaking off a piece of bread. “No one’s claimed him yet.”
“Herbert?” His mother’s eyes twinkled. “You named the stray already?”
Stanley shrugged. “Not me.”
“Oh, he already had a name?” Leanne asked.
“No, Oli named him,” Stanley said, not meeting his mom’s eyes.
“Oli?” Leanne asked, turning her laser focus on her son.
“Yeah,” Stanley began, knowing he could keep nothing from his mom. “He’s June’s son.”
Quit stalling,his bear said.
“And June is…” Hugo asked, although when Stanley met his father’s eyes it was obvious he’d already guessed exactly who June was.
But he’s going to wait for you to say the words,Stanley’s bear said.
He is,Stanley agreed.
So just say them,his bear said in frustration.
“My mate,” Stanley blurted out.
For a moment, silence fell over the kitchen. Then, Leanne’s face lit up with pure joy as she clasped her hands together. “Your mate. Stanley! Oh, my goodness!”
Hugo broke into a wide grin. He stood up so quickly his chair nearly toppled backward, and he clapped Stanley on the shoulder with enough force to make him wince.
“My boy!” Hugo boomed. “I knew it would happen when you least expected it.”
“This calls for something special,” Leanne declared, already moving toward the cabinet where they kept their best wines. “Not that this isn’t lovely, Hugo, but…”
“You’re right,” Hugo agreed, taking the half-empty bottle from the table. “We need the really good stuff.”
Stanley watched his parents move in perfect synchrony, the way they always did. His mother reached for glasses while his father disappeared into the cellar, returning moments later with a dusty bottle of their vineyard’s reserve cabernet, the one they saved for truly momentous occasions.
“We’ve been saving this for exactly this moment,” Hugo said, carefully wiping the bottle with a cloth. “2010. The year you took over the pet store. Seemed fitting.”
Stanley’s throat tightened as his father worked the cork free with practiced hands. The soft pop echoed in the kitchen, followed by the gentle glug of wine flowing into glasses.
Hugo raised his glass high. “To Stanley and his mate, June. And to young Oli. May he find in you the father he deserves.”
“To mates and happiness,” Leanne added, her eyes shining. “And to family. The one we’ve built, and the one you’ll build.”
The three glasses clinked together, and Stanley took a sip, the rich flavor warming him from the inside. He watched as his parents exchanged a look—just a glance, really—but it helddecades of shared memories, inside jokes, hardships overcome, and a love that had only deepened with time.
That’s what I want,Stanley told his bear.That kind of deep love and connection. To be part of a couple who still look at each other like that after six sons and countless years.
It’ll happen for us,his bear said with absolute certainty.Well, perhaps not the six sons!
Stanley nearly choked on his wine, and Hugo thumped him on the back.
“So tell us about her,” Leanne said, settling back into her chair. “Tell us everything.”
