Page 39 of Bear In A Boutique
“This deserves another round.”
Shifters were dedicated mates and fathers by nature, but having babies wasn’t something either of them had given much consideration to. Fox had been closed off to everyone for so long… until he met his mate.
“Lulu wanted to tell Olive, just the two of them. It’s a woman thing, I guess. That’s why I asked you to meet me here.”
The beers arrived and they clinked them together in celebration.
Ryker sat back, wondering if he should voice the question taking up space in his head. He didn’t want to ruin the moment, but he needed to know.
“Aren’t you worried about being a father?”
The excited glow never left Fox’s eyes and he answered without hesitation. “No. Not at all.”
How could he be so confident after what they’d gone through as kids? “What about… you know…”
Fox leaned low over the table, his expression soft and understanding. “We might have Brand Mitchell’s DNA, but you and I are more like Uncle Rowan than we are him. The only thing our father did for us was give us life. Rowan taught us how to be men. We were lucky to have him as a role model. I’m not saying the shadows and pain from our dad aren’t there. But everything Brand did is small in comparison to what Rowan did for us. If I ever question my ability to be a good father, I know who to turn to… and so do you.”
Their eyes caught. Was Fox seeing right through him?
“Ryker, I know things have been different since dad showed up in December and went after mom. It brought a lot of shit back to the surface, didn’t it?”
Damn him.
“I don’t want to focus on that. Not after your good news.”
“If we’d been there, we would have killed him and we’d be rotting in prison right now, following in his footsteps.”
We would have killed him.
The table rocked suddenly, tipping their beers.
A stocky man in a worn leather jacket and ripped jeans put his palms up in apology.
“Sorry. I’ll replace your drinks.”
“It’s all good.” Ryker put the bottles upright and grabbed napkins from the table next to them to mop the amber liquid.
The man looked between them. He swayed a little and sweat beaded his thinning hairline. The scent of ripe alcohol wafted off him like he’d bathed in it.
“Do you guys know when that fancy store a couple of blocks down is going to be open? I stopped today but it was closed.”
Ryker was immediately on edge. “It’s closed for repairs.”
“Well, shit.” He took a long drink and cradled his beer against his chest with one hand. “What about the lady that works there? Long, curly blonde hair. Dresses like a hippy. Real pretty. You guys know her?”
Ryker and Fox both straightened in their chairs and answered in unison. “No.”
Not reading the room, the interloper took another drink and caught Ryker’s eyes. “You sure you don’t know where I can find her?”
Ryker’s bear awakened with a low growl, urging him to get in this man’s face and make a point, but he controlled himself. Barely. The smug look on the little man’s face was too cocky. He was up to something.
“Who’s asking?”
The man’s face lit. “So, you do know her?”
“Can’t help you.”
With a frustrated sigh, the man walked away. “Whatever.”
