Page 17 of Bear's Midlife Bridesmaid
She sensed the vulnerability in him just then, the same hesitance she’d felt a moment ago. They were entwined on a level so deep they couldn’t explain it, but there was still so much to learn. “I’m listening.”
“There’s one other person I’ve told my shifter secret to, a human. Her name was Maggie, and she was Ian’s mother,” he began quietly.
Erin waited. The sadness was evident on his face and in his shoulders. It was never easy to discuss past relationships, but there was obviously more to this story.
“I was young, and I lived like it. I was always having some adventure or another. If I wasn’t out on the water, I was on my motorcycle. I partied quite a bit and ended up having a one-night stand with Maggie. Ian was the result of that.” His thumb brushed up and down the back of her hand. They were in the corner of the kitchen, each leaning against the counter so they almost faced each other. “When she told me about the baby, I had to tell her the truth about my identity. There was a fifty-fifty chance that Ian could be a shifter, after all.”
“Did she take it well?” Erin asked quietly.
One corner of his mouth lifted, and he let out a small huff of a throaty laugh, but he was looking at the floor. Through the floor, really, and into the past. “Yeah. She was a pretty chill person. I knew we weren’t mates, but we both decided that we’d do everything we could to raise Ian together. He was our son, and that was what mattered more than anything. When Ian was a few months old, we left him with my mom and went out to dinner. Maggie didn’t want to go. She just wanted to be with the baby, but I thought she deserved a bit of time out. It also felt like we needed to talk about our schedules and how we were going to raise Ian, stuff like that. Anyway, we were coming back on my motorcycle and a garbage truck pulled out in front of us. I did everything I could, but I wasn’t able to avoid it. My shifter genes and quick healing saved me, but Maggie was human. She passed away.”
“Oh, Jace,” Erin whispered. “I’m so sorry.”
“I always felt like it was my fault and that I had deprived Ian of his mother. My son means the world to me. He would’ve been my number one even if Maggie were still here, but I feel like I’ve been trying to make it up to him ever since.” Jace sighed and blinked. “I’m sorry. That’s a hell of a downer to start the day with.”
“No, it’s all right.” She tightened her fingers around his. “It’s part of who you are, and I’m glad to know about it.”
He lifted his head and looked at her, pulled out of the past and back into the present. “With all that out of the way, do you want to do something fun?”
“What do you have in mind?” she asked. She hadn’t been sure what they’d do with several days to themselves, but she’d been eager to find out.
“Let’s get dressed and I’ll show you.”
9
“That’sa tall mast you’ve got there.”
“Why, thank you,” Jace replied with a wink. “I haven’t gotten any complaints yet. I know we just got off the water, but I thought it might be fun to get back on it in a completely different way. Is that all right?”
Erin stood next to him on the pier, taking it all in. “Yeah, it’s just…You know I don’t know how to sail, right?”
“You made that pretty clear earlier. In my line of work, it’s safest to assume that no one knows how to sail.” He stepped down onto the deck and held out his hand. “Here. I’ll help you.”
She laid her hand in his and climbed aboard, butshe still looked scared as she took in the sails and the rigging. “It’s a lot. Do you have a crew?”
“Nope. Just me.”
Erin blinked and looked up at the mast again. “You can’t sail this by yourself, can you?”
“I can, actually. The rigging is set up so I can do everything from the cockpit.” He spared her all the nautical jargon. Jace could teach her later about the spinnaker or jigging, but none of that really mattered right now. He just wanted to share a bit of his life with her while they had a chance. He didn’t know what would happen when they reached the end of the week. They’d have to discuss that at some point, but right now, the water was calling him.
“That’s impressive.”
“And you haven’t even seen me sail it yet.” He moved over to a storage locker and lifted the lid, pulling out a couple of life jackets. “The first rule, though, is safety.”
“I don’t mind being safe, but I admit this makes me a bit nervous.” She pulled on the life jacket and buckled it in the front.
“I know it’s not the luxury of the yacht, but I think you’ll have a better time.” That was practically guaranteed, considering no wedding would be takingplace aboard this boat today. Jace fired up the small outboard motor that slowly pushed them out of the harbor and into the bay. The breeze was picking up, promising a perfect day of sailing. He unfurled the sails and used the wind to take them further.
“Oh!” Erin held onto the railing.
“Are you good?” he asked. He didn’t want to scare her.
“As long asyou’regood,” she replied, her hands tight. “This feels completely different, like we’re out of control.”
“That’s part of what made me fall in love with it,” he admitted as he made a few minor adjustments. “Everything about this boat is manmade, but there’s an element of nature to it that you can really feel. The yachts are nice, but this makes you think about what it was like back when people were first learning how to conquer the seas.”
“I can’t even imagine,” she murmured. “What if the wind isn’t going in the direction you want to sail?”
