Chapter 23 Thick-Headed Bear
Thick-Headed Bear
Suzie missed Niall, even though she was still angry with the thick-headed bear and ignoring his messages and texts.
They’d separated mere days ago, but it felt like a part of her was empty, and only Niall could fill that space.
She growled out a naughty word and thumped her hands on her piano keyboard.
The discordant notes echoed in the tiny room, and her breath hissed out.
If she continued like this, she’d wake her parents, and they needed their rest.
Her father had been in a rare state when Suzie arrived home and hadn’t settled until Gavin had allowed her mother to leave the clinic.
Her injuries had taken time to knit together, even with rapid shifter healing.
With her father so stressed, Suzie was caring for her siblings.
They, of course, were acting out more than usual.
Suzie got it. Their parents’ accident had scared them and made everyone realize that despite a shifter’s toughness, they weren’t invincible.
Suzie ran her hands across the keys, focusing on composing her desired song. Another pithy curse emerged, and she squeezed her eyes shut, wishing Edwina was here. She’d wrangle this tune in no time while Suzie focused on the lyrics.
This was a cheerful, upbeat song, but everything that emerged was heartbreak and he-done-me-wrong.
Suzie sighed and pushed away from the piano.
She’d be better off clearing the breakfast dishes and deciding what to prepare for dinner—a meaty soup.
Gavin had suggested making a beef broth for her mother, which would also work for her father.
Also, there were after-school snacks to prepare for her siblings.
They were always ravenous after a day of learning and playing with their friends.
Maybe she’d bake some bread. The kneading process might aid her temper that lurked in the background.
So far, she’d held everything together, but the longer she thought about Niall, the deeper the anger bubbled in her.
That she could miss the man and experience such deep resentment was contradictory.
Illogical. But she’d like to knock sense into the stubborn bear.
Her family was nothing like his. While her parents were still unwell and off balance, they were a loving family and supportive of one another.
Niall didn’t understand because his childhood had been horrid.
Some of her anger had dispersed, but boy, it had hurt when he hadn’t understood why she needed to leave Scotland earlier than planned.
A car door slam had Suzie jerking from her thoughts and hurrying to the front door. Their doorbell was loud, and she didn’t want their visitor to wake her parents. The piano room was insulated, but not the rest of the house.
Suzie flung open the door and blinked. Scott lifted his hand in farewell while a diffident Niall stood before her, his expression blank apart from his eyes. She could see his bear peeking at her, and her silly heart lurched.
She cleared her throat. “Why are you here?”
“Are you not going to invite me inside?” Niall countered, his familiar husky voice doing things to her insides.
She steeled herself when part of her wanted to throw herself into his arms. “I don’t want to wake my parents.”
“How is your mother?”
Gah! They sounded like polite acquaintances. “Want to go for a drive? I’ll give you a tour of Middlemarch, and we can stop by the cafe for coffee.”
Niall smiled then, the corners of his eyes crinkling. So cute! No! Devil take it, she was furious with this man. He needed to apologize.
Niall offered his arm. Suzie blinked and shrugged off his gentlemanly aid.
“The car is this way.” Suzie stalked in the right direction.
Once she sat behind the wheel, she realized her hands were shaking. What did the man want? Why was he here? Curling her fingers around the wheel, she took a deep breath and started the vehicle. She drove away from the house, exhaling when her confidence returned.
“When did you arrive?” So polite. Her mother would be proud.
“Scott and I flew in this morning,” Niall said.
She frowned. “What about Liam?”
“Liam is missing, presumed abducted. Angus is searching for clues, but we haven’t found one yet.”
“What?” Concern filled Suzie, and she wanted to demand why Niall and Scott hadn’t remained in Scotland until they found Liam. “You think one of the other shifters spirited Liam away?”
“That’s what it looks like. Scott, Liam, and I went for a run the day before Liam disappeared.
We know Liam wasn’t interested in anyone.
His passport and wallet were in the safe, and some of his clothes were still unpacked.
It looks as if someone scooped him up and grabbed his bag before fleeing. The cameras didn’t pick up anything.”
“Liam should be okay, right?”
“We’re hoping he won’t come to any harm,” Niall said. “I feel bad for leaving, but I know Angus is searching for him. Angus feels affronted that someone got past his security. He’ll look upon this as a challenge.”
“You still haven’t said why you’re here,” Suzie said, keeping her gaze on the road ahead. Not doing so well in the tourist guide stakes.
“Wait until you’re not driving. Make no mistake, I know exactly why I’m here, but I want your full attention when we talk.”
The man had never been super chatty unless it came to honey. That truly was his passion, and his enthusiasm was contagious. “Not going to give me a clue?”
“You didn’t respond to my messages or answer my calls.”
Suzie released an impatient sigh and made no secret of her displeasure.
“Fine. I’ve already told you Middlemarch is small and countryside surrounds the town.
The land we’re driving past now belongs to my family.
My grandfather and father. The Mitchells’ land flanks ours.
The Mitchell twins, that is. Their older brothers Saber and Felix own another large block of land while Leo runs the vineyard.
” Suzie rattled off the owners of the land they passed, their progress toward town slow because they encountered a farmer shifting his herd of Hereford cattle along the road.
“Bees are much easier to care for than these large beasts. Are those alpacas?”
“Yes, that’s Mitchell land. When I was a kid, they had mainly sheep, but they diversified when the market fell. They still have sheep, but they also have cattle, alpacas, and, as I mentioned, a vineyard over Cromwell way.”
“Makes sense. A bad honey season was why Angus and I started the gathering. We also rent out the castle to business groups for conferences and to regular tourists during the height of summer.”
Once they’d maneuvered past the cattle, old Mr. McWilliams tractor slowed them down. Suzie waved when he pulled over to let them pass.
She pointed out the school, the police station, the vet, a vehicle service station, a dress shop, and a supermarket. “This is the cafe,” she said, pulling into a parking space. Her stomach quivered as sudden nerves assailed her.
Suzie was acutely aware of Niall following her up the footpath to the front door.
The green scent from the rose bushes seemed especially strong, almost nauseating, on this bright winter day.
She breathed through her mouth, and her breath emerged in puffs of steam.
Two steps led up to a wooden verandah, hanging baskets full of trailing greenery bright against the stained wood.
The doorbell tingled as she pushed the door open and held it for Niall.
Coffee plus the sweet, sugary scent of baking hit her, and more of her angst faded.
He was here. A man wouldn’t travel halfway across the world to see her without reason.
She tried to tell herself that. Tried to listen, but fear darted in, adding to her confusion.
“Would you like coffee?” Niall asked.
Suzie nodded at one of the staff. “A latte, please, plus a cheese scone. I’ll grab a table.
” She pointed at one in the corner and retreated, turning her back on him and her discombobulation.
When he’d disagreed with her leaving Scotland, she’d been furious.
Disappointed. However, her positive outlook prompted her to view this as a sign to attend university.
Calls to Edwina had gone unanswered, but instinct told her Edwina wasn’t returning home.
She’d met Edwina’s mother in the supermarket, but from what she’d said, she had expected her daughter to arrive home with Scott and Liam.
Edwina’s grandmother had held an air of smugness and suppressed excitement, but Suzie knew better than to ask questions. Still, it had made her uneasy, and she’d feel better once she spoke with her friend.
Suzie slid into a chair and closed her eyes. It felt like she stood in a mushy swamp and was slowly sinking, no matter how hard she tried to reach solid ground.
“What’s wrong?” Niall’s low voice came.
She jolted, her eyes flying open. He pulled out the chair next to her instead of the one opposite. Seconds later, his big hands cupped one of hers.
“I’m sorry, Suzie. I didn’t understand until you’d left how much you meant to me. You’re more important than my honey. Much more important. Waking up in my bed without you by my side felt wrong. I need you.”
But did he love her?
What if he felt companionship, and she’d simply become a habit for him?
She’d seamlessly slotted into his life, and now he was taking her for granted.
Her ideal man should require her as much as she needed him.
Like her next breath. And she wanted respect, dammit.
Then there was her family. She loved her parents and her brother and sisters.
They were a close family. Sure, they had dramas because they were normal shifters.
They laughed together and fought together. It was what families did.
She glanced at Niall and found him frowning. He tilted his head, looking as if he was silently debating with himself.
“This is coming out wrong.” He tugged on his hair. “Suzie, I l—” He broke off abruptly when Emily, the cafe’s owner, arrived with two cups of coffee and two scones.
“Thanks, Emily,” Suzie said when it appeared Niall wouldn’t do anything other than scowl. A little devil prompted her to push him. “Niall, this is Emily. She’s Saber’s wife.”
Niall nodded. “We met this morning. Scott and I visited Saber. I wanted him to know I was visiting his town and to give him a progress report on the search for Liam.”
Suzie blinked, baffled that he’d thought and planned when she’d assumed he’d charged in like a raging bear.
“We did,” Emily said and grinned. Before she turned away, Suzie caught the woman waggling her eyebrows. She winked at Suzie.
Suzie frowned.
“Is something wrong?” Niall asked.
“No.” She picked up a cup and took a sip. “Ugh! Too sweet. I think this is your coffee.” She shunted it toward him.
Niall ignored the coffee, his expression one of frustration. “Suzie,” he said, his voice tight with suppressed tension. “I—”
“There’s Scott,” Suzie said and jumped to her feet.
Niall’s bark of aggravation had her flinching, but she wove through the tables to reach Scott.
“Hi,” she said. “Niall said Liam is missing.”
Scott’s brows drew together. “Niall and Saber are in close contact with Angus regarding the search, but they haven’t found him yet. No one saw him leave the castle.”
“That’s weird,” she said.
“Suzie, I’m trying to speak with you,” Niall said. He reminded her of the testy bear she’d first met.
She whirled to glower at him. “You had a chance to talk when we were in Scotland. And you haven’t even apologized yet.
” Belatedly, she realized she’d shouted in the middle of the cafe.
Heat raced to her cheeks, and her fists clenched at her sides.
The chatter ceased, and everyone stared wide-eyed at her and Niall.
“Why don’t you take your coffee and sit outside?” Scott suggested in a low voice. “It might be cold, but at least you’ll have privacy.”
Suzie growled. She didn’t even attempt to restrain her feline.
“Suzie,” Scott snapped, grasping her forearm and dragging her toward the door that led to the outside seating.
Niall strode to their table and grabbed their coffees.
“I’ll bring your food,” Emily said in a low voice.
Suzie struggled with her temper. She rarely lost it, but she was a volcano when she did.
She wrenched her arm from Scott’s grip and stomped outdoors.
Not even the whoosh of cold air dented her anger.
How dare he? She didn’t stop when she reached the nearest table, and her restless urge for movement prevented her from sitting.
She kicked at a pile of leaves. It wasn’t enough.
She whirled and found the bear watching her. And it was the bear flashing in Niall’s eyes. “What do you want?”
“You,” he said, holding her gaze. “I want you.”
“Why?” she spat, giving a harsh sigh. “Why do you want me?” Heck, he’d never voiced the L word, and right now, he hadn’t mentioned they were mates. She had no idea what he expected from her.
Finally, finally, emotion slid across his face, and what she saw had her holding her breath.
Niall crossed the distance between them and reached for her hands.
The warmth from his palms was almost searing, and it shook her.
“Suzie, I love you. You’re my mate, and I can’t live a diminished life without you.
I’m so sorry for how I treated you when you needed my support.
” He paused to pull a packet of what looked like letters from his pocket and handed them to her.
“When you didn’t answer my messages, I wrote you a letter.
It turned into a long letter. There’s some other stuff there, too. ”
She stared at him wordlessly, blinking slowly as she noticed the number of envelopes. Her mind didn’t help her formulate a reply, so she kept staring at him.
“Say something,” he said, his expression uncertain. “Please.”
That vulnerability jolted her brain into gear. “You love me?”
“Since we first made love, my bear and I fell. That first day when I thought you were my temporary secretary, I saw you. My bear saw you. But we’re males.
Sometimes, we have thick heads and are slow to make decisions.
We behave stupidly. I love you, and I’m sorry I behaved like an idiot when you told me you had to come home.
Once you’d left, I realized how much of a jerk I’d been.
Please marry me, Suzie. I want to spend my life making you happy and helping you to achieve your dreams.”
Finally, she found her voice, but her heart pitter-pattered so hard she could barely hear herself think. “You truly love me?”
“Yes, sweetheart. I can’t imagine my life without you. My business is in Scotland, but you can visit your loved ones as often as you want. They are always welcome to stay with us.” He grinned. “I have friends in Middlemarch, too. So, will you marry me?”