Page 30 of The Bear's Second Chance Mate
Chapter Nine – Stanley
Stanley’s leg bounced under the table as he checked his watch for the third time in five minutes.
She’ll be here,his bear insisted, practically pacing inside him.Our mate wouldn’t stand us up on our first date.
It’s not a date,Stanley reminded his bear as he rearranged the sugar packets in their ceramic holder.It’s just coffee.
His bear scoffed.Sure. And I’m just a teddy bear.
Stanley ignored the comment and adjusted the sugar packets into a perfect line.It’s just coffee between...friends.
We’re notjustfriends,his bear reminded him for the hundredth time that morning.
Now, that is an exaggeration,his bear protested.But it’s true, we are not just friends. So maybe you are wearing your lucky shirt because today is the day you tell her the whole truth.
I can’t just blurt that out,Stanley said.She knows nothing about shifters or mates. I need to take this slowly.
His bear huffed.Slow is fine. Glacial is not.
The bell above the door jingled, and Stanley’s head snapped up, but it was just Mrs. Peterson from the library, come to collect their coffee order.
Stanley exhaled, rubbing his palms against his jeans. The waiting was killing him. What if she didn’t show? What if she’d reconsidered? What if…
She’ll be here,his bear assured him.She feels it, too, even if she doesn’t understand it yet.
Stanley wished he shared his bear’s confidence. The truth was, he’d spent most of his life feeling not quite enough.Not skilled enough like Finn, not artistic enough like Nero, not creative enough like Kris. He was just...Stanley. The quiet one. The steady one. The one who was good with animals but awkward with people.
What if June saw that and decided it wasn’t what she wanted?
The bell chimed again, and this time, Stanley’s heart leaped into his throat.
June stood in the doorway, scanning the room with cautious eyes.
She wore her dark hair loose today, falling in soft waves past her shoulders. Her green sweater brought out flecks of emerald in her hazel eyes, and for a moment, Stanley forgot how to breathe.
Something’s wrong,his bear growled immediately.
Stanley felt it, too. Her shoulders were tense, her smile polite but distant as their eyes met. She seemed more guarded. As if something had happened. As if something was wrong.
“Hey,” he said, standing as she reached the table. “Thanks for coming.”
“Thanks for the invitation,” she replied, her voice carefully neutral as she slid into the chair across from him.
Stanley sat back down, his bear pacing restlessly inside him.What happened? What changed? She was warming up to us at the store.
Stanley cleared his throat. “Can I get you something? They make a great caramel latte here.”
“Just black coffee would be fine, thanks.”
When Stanley returned with their drinks, June was staring out the window, her fingers tapping an anxious rhythm on the table. She thanked him with the same reserved smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Ask her what’s wrong!his bear demanded.And fix it!
But Stanley knew better. Pushing too hard might only make her retreat further. And he could not risk that. Instead, he kept his tone casual and the conversation neutral. “How’s Oli doing? Did he talk your ear off about Clive after you left the store?”
At the mention of her son, June’s expression softened slightly. “He couldn’t stop talking about the bearded dragon. I think he’s memorized every fact you told him.”
“That’s great,” Stanley said with a wide grin. “He’s a bright kid.”
