4. Grant
Chapter 4
Grant
Now that I’ve made friends with the little Frenchie, I’m hoping to cement my relationship with his owner.
“I’m glad to hear it.” I take her gloved hand in mine and lead her back to the hotel entrance.
Inside the hotel’s small café, we grab a table near the heater. Lennon pushes the stroller next to the table, and Oreo snuggles up in the thick blankets.
The waitress, looking like she’s been up since dawn, takes our order before coming back with two steaming cups of coffee.
Lennon fixes her gaze on the steaming mug of coffee in front of her and takes a sip, seeming to savor each drop. “So, what’s the story about your job that wasn’t quite right?” I ask, curious about her. Clay won’t have the report on her for a while, and I want to know everything about my mate.
“Well,” she starts, rolling her eyes, “I’m on my way back to Anchorage from Glacier Pass. I went there for a job interview, but it wasn’t what I’d been led to believe.”
What the fuck? “Oh yeah? What kind of job?”
She sits back in the chair, a little laugh escaping. “It was supposed to be for a live-in housekeeper position, but… let’s just say the guy wasn’t exactly who he said he was, and the job definitely wasn’t what he advertised.”
Who the hell do I have to kill for fucking with my mate? My inner bear stretches under my skin as rage cuts through me at the thought of something threatening my mate. “Explain to me what happened?”
Lennon sighs, clearly appalled. “The guy was super creepy,” she explains, swirling her coffee slowly. “He’d sent me these pictures of his supposed mansion, but when I got there, I realized they were stock photos or something because the actual house was a dump. A small, creepy cabin in the middle of nowhere. Totally different from what he showed me. Then he started talking about mail-order brides and I freaked out. Talk about false advertising.”
My hands clench in my lap as I listen to my mate. “What happened next?”
“My intuition told me to get the heck out of there.” Her expression shifts to something warmer as she glances at the small dog snoring loudly in the stroller. “I didn’t waste another second. I grabbed Oreo and hit the road before the creep could stop me.”
Motherfucker. I need to find out more about this asshole from my hometown who’s preying on unsuspecting women.
“What was this guy’s name?” I ask, and Lennon glances over at me with a raised eyebrow.
“Why are you so curious?” She sits back, a little more closed off than she was a few minutes ago.
There’s so much I need to tell my soulmate and I don’t even know where to start. “I’ve lived in Glacier Pass my entire life, and I want to know who the asshole is that’s pulling this shit in my hometown.”
Her mouth opens and closes a few times before she mutters, “His name is Henry Helson.” Red-hot rage flows through my veins when she tells me his name. Son-of-a-bitch. I figured Henry had left town when his cousin, Harold, moved clear across the country to get away from my younger brother’s wrath. “Do you know him?”
“I do, but it’s a long story.”
Her eyebrows shoot up in surprise, and there’s this sparkle of curiosity in her eyes. “Really? Well, looks like we’ve got time. The snow doesn’t seem in any hurry to let up,” she says, nodding toward the window where snowflakes are still drifting down at a steady pace.
I take a breath, leaning back in my chair, debating how to put this bizarre tale into words that won’t scare my mate off. “It sounds like something from a bad made-for-TV movie,” I start, amused at just how surreal it sounds out loud. “Henry has a cousin, Harold, who’s a piece of work. The fucking weasel is always looking for a way to twist any situation for his benefit.”
Lennon leans in slightly and places her elbows on the table. “Go on.”
“A while back, Harold decided to take his life in his own hands and started blackmailing the office manager at my brother’s snow removal company. The weasel got her to steal information about Dillon’s business contracts so he could undercut his bids.”
Lennon’s eyes widen. “Seriously?”
I nod, smirking at the absurdity of it all. “Dillon, my brother, isn’t one to let things slide, especially when it involves his business. My brother fired his office manager and let all the clients know about Harold’s shady business practices. He thought everything was said and done, but Harold lost his goddamn mind and decided to confront Dillon’s mate about the situation.”
Her jaw drops a little, clearly as appalled as I was back then. “What happened?”
“Dillon made sure Harold got the message loud and clear that he needed to move on permanently. After that, Harold suddenly felt the urge to relocate.”
Lennon laughs, shaking her head. “Wow, sounds like your brother doesn’t mess around.”
“Not when it comes to family,” I agree and reach across the table to take her soft hand in mine.
“You said that Harold confronted your brother’s mate?” She stares into my eyes and swallows. “Are you a shifter?” I’ve been trying to figure out how to tell her I’m a polar bear shifter. It looks like the universe just handed me my opportunity.
“I’m a polar bear shifter.” She doesn’t pull her hand away from me, so I guess that’s something.
“And you called Harold a weasel.” Not much gets by my mate. “Is he a weasel shifter?”
“Sorta,” I confirm, realizing how crazy this must sound to my human mate. “He’s actually a badger, which is in the weasel family.”
“Wow.” Lennon sits back and blows out a breath. “I don’t even know what to say.” She processes this, her eyes wide but not scared, just thoughtfully taking it in.
“There’s more.” I forget all my plans to take things slow with my human mate and blurt out, “You’re my mate, Lennon. In our world, that means you’re meant to be with me for all eternity. It’s why I’ve felt this pull toward you since we met.”
That shocked expression flashes through her eyes again. She sits back silently. As the silence stretches on, I start to worry I made a mistake blurting it out like that. “That sounds... intense. And, also, a lot to take in.”
Relief slams into me when she doesn’t flee. “I understand that you likely have reservations, and we don’t have to jump into anything right away.” But there’s no way I can ever let her go.
She looks at me, thoughtful and sincere. “It’s not that I’m against it. I just... I need some time to figure out what this means for me. For us.”
“I’ll give you whatever time you need.” I know humans need time to come to grips with being a shifter’s eternal mate, so I ignore my inner polar bear’s demands that I rush this. An idea suddenly hits me, a way we might manage this. “Look, I’ve got an apartment over my garage in Glacier Pass. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s cozy. You could stay there while we get to know each other. I really do need a live-in housekeeper, and it would give us time to figure all this out without any pressure.”
Her eyes brighten a little, considering my offer. “You’d really do that? Let me stay there and work while I figure things out?”
“Of course,” I reply without hesitation. “We can take it slow. You can have your own space and see how you feel about everything. No strings attached unless you want them.”
Lennon nods, a small smile playing on her lips. “That actually sounds kind of perfect as long as you don’t live next door to Henry.”
“You don’t have to worry about Henry. That fucking weasel will never get anywhere near you,” I reassure her, feeling a weight lift off my chest.
She laughs, the sound light and genuine, and it feels like a new chapter is opening up for both of us. “Okay, Grant. Let’s give it a shot. I’ll cook and clean for you, and you can test out my services before you commit,” she jokes.
“Baby, I don’t need to try out anything. I have no doubt you’re the one for me. I just want to give you time to see it for yourself,” I assure her, staring into her shocked eyes. “Besides, I’m sure Oreo will love having some extra space to roam.”
As we chat over the last of our breakfast, I can’t help but feel like things are falling into place.