Page 7 of The Bear's Second Chance Mate
June walked a few steps behind, watching the easy flow of conversation. Stanley shortened his stride without making it obvious, matching Oli’s pace naturally. When Oli stepped closer, gesturing with his hands as he spoke about a documentary he’d seen on desert animals, Stanley didn’t pull back or stiffen.
Most people did. They’d lean away, sometimes imperceptibly, sometimes obviously. They’d look to June with thathelp meexpression or try to create more space. Stanley just listened, nodding at the right moments, asking questions that showed he was actually paying attention.
It wasn’t that he was perfect. June could see the moments when he wasn’t quite sure how to respond to one of Oli’s more scattered thoughts, or when he had to pause to find the right words. But he tried. He stayed present. He didn’t check out or check his watch, or send June aneed to be rescuedsignal.
The realization made the handsome pet store owner more attractive than his charm and rugged good looks.
When they reached the truck, Oli hesitated, his excitement faltering. “The rabbit will be by itself when he gets to the store. And what if he is afraid of the dark when it’s all so strange?”
Stanley set the crate down gently and crouched to Oli’s level, not too close, just enough to meet his eyes. “I’ll make sure he’s comfortable tonight. He’ll have fresh food, soft hay, and I’ll leave a little night light on, so he doesn’t feel scared in the dark.”
Oli considered this, his brow furrowed in serious thought. “You promise?”
“I promise,” Stanley said, his voice unwavering.
June felt her throat tighten unexpectedly. Such a simple thing—a man keeping his word to a child about a stray rabbit. Yet it hit her with unexpected force. How long had it been since anyone had shown such simple kindness to her son? How many teachers and caregivers, and so-called friends, had dismissed Oli’s concerns or treated his questions as burdens?
Stanley was just...kind.
As he carefully placed the crate in the back seat of his truck, June stepped forward, drawn by an impulse she couldn’t fully explain.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice quieter than she’d intended.
Stanley looked up, genuine surprise in his expression. “For the rabbit?”
“For...everything.” The words felt inadequate, but they were all she had.
His smile made her heart skip a beat. “I’ll give you an update if you want.”
“Yes,” Oli said, and June took out her phone and added Stanley’s number to her contacts and then sent him a text, so he had hers.
“Got it,” Stanley said. “And I’ll see you on Tuesday.”
June hesitated, then nodded. “Tuesday.”
The smile that broke across Oli’s face, and the way he bounced on his toes again, this time letting his hands flap freely at his sides in his signature happiness gesture, made her chest ache. It was so good to see him happy.
“Tuesday it is,” Stanley confirmed, his eyes still on June’s. “No pressure if it doesn’t work out.”
But something in his tone, in the intense way he held her gaze, made June believe it mattered to him that they kept the date.
“Tuesday,” she agreed, surprised by how much she meant it. At how much she wanted to reassure him that they would not let him down.
As Stanley climbed into his truck and started the engine, June placed a hand on Oli’s shoulder, and they stood together and watched the taillights disappear around the corner.
“I like him,” Oli declared matter-of-factly. “He listens like you do.”
June squeezed his shoulder lightly. “Yes,” she said softly. “I think he does.”
“I like Herbert, too,” Oli said as they headed inside.
As she closed the door behind them, June felt a flicker of hope igniting within her. Maybe this was the start of their next chapter.
But would Stanley be part of their story?
Chapter Three – Stanley
The world outside the truck’s windshield looked exactly the same as Stanley drove away from his mate and toward the pet store. But nothing was the same. His world had shifted. Turned on its head. All because of one chance meeting in a stranger’s backyard.
