Page 36 of The Bear's Second Chance Mate
And in every moment, Stanley looked her in the eye.
Love? Was that really what she saw there? Yes. She suspected it was.
“You’re smiling,” Barb said, almost accusingly. “Must’ve been excellent coffee at the café this morning.”
“I think it might’ve been the best coffee I’ve ever tasted,” June replied, setting her cup down.
“Hmm,” Barb said, and returned to her crossword.
Maybe it was time they all said exactly what they meant. It certainly would make life easier.
Or would it simply complicate things further?
Chapter Eleven – Stanley
Another sleepless night, another early start. Stanley moved quietly between the enclosures, refilling water bowls and checking on the animals before the store officially opened. He was thorough as always, checking that each creature in his care had everything they needed, but his mind was elsewhere.
Or, more precisely, back at the coffee shop where he’d met with June yesterday.
You didn’t exactly leave June with the impression you wanted to marry her and spend the rest of our lives together,his bear said.
Don’t remind me,Stanley replied as he switched on the aquarium lights.
Coffee with June yesterday hadn’t gone exactly according to plan. Instead, moving their relationship from friendship to something more, something romantic, he’d used the wordprofessional. Again. As if that was all they were to each other.
Professionals. Acquaintances.
Not mates who were supposed to spend the rest of their lives together.
You could have chosen your words a little better,his bear said, trying to console him.
I was trying not to pressure her,Stanley said. In truth, he’d been thrown by the news that she did not see Bear Creek as a place to set down roots, but more of a stepping stone until she found a job.
The thought of her leaving Bear Creek made his stomach drop. But if she left, he’d follow, wherever she went, he would follow.
Even if it meant leaving everything he knew, everything he loved, behind.
Because she and Oli were all that he truly needed.
He’d miss the store, he’d miss his customers and the animals, and he’d miss his family in a way he could not bear to think about. But he would visit as often as he could.
And maybe he could persuade one of his brothers or cousins to take over the pet store and care for the animals, both here and at his house in the mountains.
Suddenly, it felt as if he were running out of time. If June were offered a job, her days in Bear Creek might be numbered. And perhaps so was his.
But losing June and Oli would be unbearable,his bear said.
It would.Stanley reached Herbert’s enclosure and opened the latch. The white rabbit hopped forward, nose twitching in recognition. He scooped the animal up, cradling it against his chest, finding comfort in the steady thump of the small heart against his palm.
There must be a way to persuade her to stay,his bear said.
I’m not going to trap her here,he murmured, stroking Herbert’s soft fur.
Stanley sighed. Every moment with June felt like walking a tightrope. He wanted to draw closer. Of course, he did.
But he also feared he’d push her away if she knew the truth.
That she was his mate. That they had recognized her instantly. That the connection she felt wasn’t just attraction but something ancient and unbreakable.
