Chapter Twenty-Three – Alison
Oh my, what a night! And a morning!
Alison ducked beneath the covers to hide her embarrassment, even though she was alone in her bed. Pity. What she wouldn’t give to have Jay here beside her, touching her, kissing her, making love to her.
Heat crept across her flesh as she recalled the passion they shared just hours ago. Every touch, every kiss, every whispered word still lingered on her skin like a sweet, sensual memory.
But the bed beside her was cold. Jay was gone.
Which was probably a good thing. No, it was a good thing. She needed to get her head around what had happened and make certain she was doing the right thing for the right reasons before she talked to Tessa.
As she pulled the covers off her head and stared up at the ceiling, a niggling doubt crept into her head. Was she doing the right thing for the right reasons, or was she simply on the rebound?
Was Jay the love of her life, her mate, or was he simply a distraction, a way of convincing herself that everything Ronald had done to hurt her to belittle her was false?
No, of course, it was false. And, of course, Jay was the man for her. Her mate.
How could she even think of denying it when she’d watched him shift from a man to a bear and back again?
What she needed was a pot of hot coffee and some breakfast.
Five minutes later, she was in the kitchen, dressed in her robe, filling the coffee pot with water. Before she had even added the coffee, a thump from up above, followed by running footsteps, told her that Tessa was wide awake and on her way.
“Good morning!” Alison said brightly as Tessa rushed into the kitchen, Bumpkin held firmly in one arm. “How are you both today?”
Tessa let out a short snort as she came to Alison and wrapped her free arm around her thighs. “We’re starving!”
“And what would you like for breakfast?” Alison asked as she placed the coffee pot down on the counter and then bent down and scooped Tessa and Bumpkin up in her arms.
“Chocolate pancakes!” Tessa declared, her eyes sparkling with the kind of unrestrained joy only a five-year-old could muster at this time in the morning.
“Chocolate pancakes?” Alison raised an eyebrow and gave Tessa a mock stern look. “Are you sure Bumpkin wants chocolate pancakes, too?”
Tessa looked down at the stuffed bear in her arms, then back at Alison. “Bumpkin says he wants cereal, but I think he’s just being polite. He loves chocolate pancakes as much as me.”
Alison laughed and set the two gently down. “Well, if Bumpkin is willing to make that sacrifice, who am I to argue? Chocolate pancakes it is.”
“Really?” Tessa asked as she climbed onto a chair and placed Bumpkin in the one next to her.
Alison smothered a smile. “I figured we deserved a special treat.”
Tessa’s face lit up even brighter if that were possible. “Yay! Did you hear that, Bumpkin?”
As Alison turned to the fridge to gather the ingredients, she couldn’t help but think about last night again. The way Jay had looked at her with those intense, almost feral eyes just before he shifted. It was something out of a primal dream. Was it a dream?
Perhaps the whole thing had been part of some fever dream.
She shook her head, trying to dislodge the thoughts. It was real. Even if her mind tried to say otherwise, her body knew the truth. Her skin tingled at the memory of his touch, her lips bruised from his kisses, and there was an ache in her core filled with longing and desire. Desire to be in his arms. To be by his side.
To be part of his life. And for him to be a part of theirs.
“Mommy, you’re spilling!” Tessa’s voice broke through her reverie.
Alison glanced down to see egg white dripping onto the counter. “Oops! Thanks for the save.” She quickly wiped up the mess and resumed her pancake preparation, measuring chocolate chips with deliberate concentration.
“Are we going to the ranch today?” Tessa asked as she adjusted Bumpkin’s position in his chair.
Alison nearly dropped the measuring cup. “Well, we could head over there. If you want to?”
“Yes!” She grabbed Bumpkin and hugged him close. “Do you hear that, Bumpkin?”
“I should think the entire street heard you.” Alison cast a glance over her shoulder, happy more than she could say to see her daughter’s excited face.
Ignoring her mom’s comment, Tessa said, “We’re going to go and get dressed while you make the pancakes.” With that, Tessa slid off the chair and raced out of the kitchen.
Alison smiled, listening to Tessa’s excited chatter to Bumpkin as she bounded up the stairs. In the sudden quiet of the kitchen, her thoughts drifted back to Jay. The memory of his transformation still sent shivers down her spine. Not of fear, but of wonder. How on earth did a man shift into a bear?
She’d never believed in the supernatural, but she’d seen it with her own eyes.
She poured the batter onto the hot griddle, watching the perfect circles bubble and rise. She could not wait to see him again. But what if things were awkward between them this morning? Last night had been magical, in more ways than one, but what if, in the cold light of day, the connection they shared evaporated?
She was overthinking this. Jay had talked about fate bringing them together. That being mates meant fate had chosen them for each other. And hadn’t she felt the connection between them long before he’d showed up last night?
Yes. From the moment she’d set eyes on him, she’d felt it. Time to stop doubting herself and Jay and instead believe that it would all work out. Of course, it would be a lot easier to work things out if he got his memories back.
Her throat constricted. Would those memories cast a shadow over Jay and over this new beginning?
She flipped the pancakes and watched the golden-brown surfaces sizzle against the hot griddle. Whatever memories Jay recovered, they couldn’t change what she’d felt in his arms last night. That soul-deep recognition that had nothing to do with logic and everything to do with something ancient and primal.
“We’re ready!” Tessa announced, bouncing back into the kitchen with Bumpkin tucked under her arm. She’d dressed herself in mismatched polka dot leggings and a sparkly unicorn T-shirt. Her blonde hair was partially brushed, sticking out in places where she’d clearly grown impatient with the task.
Tessa was as eager to get to the ranch as Alison. Although, for different reasons.
“Look at you, all dressed and ready for the day,” Alison said, sliding the first batch of pancakes onto a plate. “Though I think your hair could use a little help.”
Tessa shrugged. “Bumpkin likes it this way.” She held up the stuffed bear as evidence. “He told me so.”
Alison laughed, the sound easing some of the tension in her shoulders. “Well, if Bumpkin approves, who am I to argue?”
“He does always know best.” Tessa gave Bumpkin an extra big squeeze, then set him down on the chair, giving him a final pat on the head before she seated herself in front of a plate of pancakes.
Alison’s smile faded for a moment and her throat constricted. Bumpkin had been a constant companion and source of comfort to Tessa, especially through the breakdown of her parents’ marriage.
How strange was it they both loved bears, in totally different ways?
“Mommy, you’re doing that sad face again,” Tessa said, drizzling syrup in elaborate patterns across her pancakes.
“Just thinking.” Alison forced brightness back into her voice. “Eat up now. We don’t want to keep Jay waiting.”
“I like Jay,” Tessa said, kicking her feet under the table. “He’s nice. His eyes get all crinkly when he smiles at you.”
Heat bloomed in Alison’s cheeks. “Does he now?”
“Uh-huh. Like this.” Tessa demonstrated by squinting dramatically, making Alison laugh despite herself.
“I hadn’t noticed,” Alison lied, turning back to the stove to hide her deepening blush. Of course, she’d noticed the way Jay’s eyes softened when he looked at her, the slight crinkles at the corners that appeared when his usual brooding expression gave way to one of his smiles.
“You’re fibbing,” Tessa said through a mouthful of pancake. “Your ears get all pink when you fib.”
Alison touched her ear self-consciously, wondering when her five-year-old had become so perceptive. “Eat your breakfast, little miss. And try not to wear half the syrup, please.”
As Tessa happily demolished her pancakes, Alison poured herself a cup of coffee and then sat down at the table to eat.
“These are yummy,” Tessa said as she forked another piece of pancake into her mouth. “Bumpkin thinks we should eat them every day.”
“But if we ate them every day, we might get bored of them. It’s much better if we save them for special days,” Alison said.
“Is today a special day because we are going to the ranch?” Tessa asked innocently enough.
She had no idea how close to the truth she was.
“In a way,” Alison said. “But today is special because our visit to the Thornberg Ranch is a reminder of how many new friends we have made since we moved to Bear Creek.”
“I’ve made a lot of friends,” Tessa admitted. “But I don’t have a best friend yet. Is Jay your best friend?”
“I like all the folks up at the ranch,” Alison said, deflecting once again.
She sighed. If Jay was going to be part of her life, her mate, she was going to have to explain things to Tessa sooner rather than later.
“Do you think Jay likes pancakes, too? Maybe we should bring him some.” Tessa was obviously not ready to give up on the subject of Jay. Perhaps her daughter had sensed their connection.
If she had, she certainly seemed to be okay with it.
Because it was fate, the voice in her head said. A voice that was not Ronald.
No, Ronald had been firmly evicted from her head. All thanks to Jay.
“I’m sure he can make his own breakfast,” Alison said.
“But yours are special,” Tessa insisted. “They’ve got cinnamon.”
Alison smiled and reached over to wipe a smudge of syrup from her daughter’s chin. “Maybe another time. Jay has probably eaten breakfast at the ranch house before starting his chores.”
She picked up her fork and began to eat, forcing herself to focus on her food, when all her mind wanted to do was picture Jay shirtless, as he chopped wood.
“All done!” Tessa announced, pushing her empty plate away. Her face was a sticky mess of maple syrup and cinnamon, but her smile was bright enough to light up the whole kitchen.
“Good job. Now go wash your hands and face and brush your teeth. I’ll be up in a minute to get dressed and then we can leave.” Alison sipped her coffee as Tessa grabbed Bumpkin and skipped out of the kitchen, already humming a little tune to herself.
Alison closed her eyes, allowing herself a moment to savor the quiet and her coffee. But her mind drifted back to Jay, as it had been doing with increasing frequency over the past weeks.
She hadn’t expected to find anyone in Bear Creek, let alone someone who made her heart race the way Jay did. When she’d fled Ronald, all she wanted was a quiet life for herself and Tessa. Romance had been the furthest thing from her mind.
How quickly life could change.
But that was perhaps a blessing and a curse. Would life change as quickly if Jay got his memories back?
And if it did, would it before the better…or worse?