17. Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Seventeen
Raif
R aif watches Ash on Roscoe. She seems happy, really happy.
And it makes his bear stand up and puff out at the idea that he made that happen.
He leads her down the employee trail, past Axel and Gunner’s cabins.
He points them out. Tells her about how Axel’s is the one he grew up in.
He doesn’t mention that it was before his father died.
Before his mother moved to Florida. He has happy memories of that cabin, and he’d like to keep it that way.
His cabin is further out. They ride for a while in silence, slowly meandering like they have all the time in the world.
And maybe they do. Right now, it’s just the two of them in this comfortable space.
Raif has obligations at the lodge, but not at the moment.
Right now, he can show Ash around, show her his favorite spots.
“There’s a lake further out on the property. Fishing and kayaks. It’s nice this time of year. I can take you sometime.”
She hums but doesn’t say any more. He doesn’t know if he pushed too far or if she’s just taking everything in. When they arrive at his cabin, she dismounts and walks around the front of it. He ties up Joker and Roscoe and just watches her. Hands on her hips, eyes tilted up to the roof.
The cabin is smaller than the lodge. Only two bedrooms. He didn’t build it with a family in mind. Figured he’d never find a mate. Never in a million years did he think he’d be bringing his mate back to his cabin for the first time, randomly on a Wednesday.
She walks up the steps, letting her hand slide up and down the banister.
He watches her, sees the way she looks at the porch, touches the lone rocking chair in the front, and makes her way to the front door.
She stops, and he moves up the stairs to the door.
Unlocking it and opening it for her to go in first.
He can’t take his eyes off her. The way she moves around his space.
The way her scent is filling it, and he’ll be able to smell her in here for days.
His cock starts to thicken in his tight jeans, and he has to rein himself in a little, pull back his bear.
Because as much as he wants to pull her close and kiss her, he knows it’s not the time.
It’s not what she needs or wants right now.
“Can I see your room?”
She’s tentative, like she’s afraid to ask. And he doesn’t want her to be afraid to ask him anything, to ask him for anything. He’d give her the world if he could.
“Sure, this way.”
He leads her upstairs and through his bedroom door. The bed’s unmade, sheets kicked down, and blanket half on the floor. A romance novel rests on his nightstand, and an itch of fear crawls up him. What if she sees it? What will she think? Will she think he’s less of a man?
She walks around, getting closer and closer to his bedside table.
He has paintings on his wall that Gunner has done.
Landscapes done in oil of their lodge and the land.
One favorite in particular of a bear, his bear form in particular.
Gunner has done one for each of the brothers, and they keep them in their cabins.
He sees the moment she spies his book. She picks it up, flips to the back cover, and reads.
There’s a smile playing on her lips, but she doesn’t say anything.
He holds his breath, waits for the questions, the teasing, but it never comes.
She sets down the book and moves along the wall to another painting.
He lets out a breath. Of course, she wouldn’t make fun of him. She’s his mate, his perfect other half.
“It’s nice, your cabin. Homey.”
“Thanks. When I built it, I wasn’t sure what I wanted. I mean, I knew I wanted a couple of rooms and two floors. But I wasn’t too sure of the layout. I think it turned out all right, though.”
“You built it?” She eyes him now, eyebrows raised in surprise.
“Yes. Felled the logs myself and everything.”
“Wow.” It’s almost a whisper when she says it. Like she can’t really believe it. “It’s good, Raif, really good.”
He beams. He puffs out his chest a little, bear standing proud inside. She laughs and rolls her eyes, obviously seeing his display of pride. He doesn’t care, though, can’t help how it makes him feel to have his mate say she likes his home.
“Come on, I’ll make you some lunch.”
When he’s made them sandwiches and a small plate of cut peppers, she asks him about the furniture in the house, if he’s made those too. He tells her, yes, he has.
“My father, before he passed. He taught me everything he knew about woodworking. When he wasn’t busy in the lodge, he was out at the workshop.
It’s attached to the lodge. Really only gets used by me nowadays.
I built this table, the stand the TV is on, the bookcases upstairs, pretty much everything that’s wooden inside. ”
“Bookcases, huh?”
He nods and blushes into his sandwich, taking a bite so he doesn’t have to talk. He knows what she’s getting at, the romance novel she saw.
“You like to read those? Romance novels?”
“Yes, they…they’re my favorite.”
His cheeks are as red as can be.
“I don’t think I’ve ever read one. Maybe you can give me a recommendation?”
She looks earnest, not unkind, like she really wants a recommendation. He gives her one. Finds an old paperback, one of his favorites that he purchased from the library’s buy bin. She tucks it under her arm.
“I’ll get it back to you, I promise.”
“I know you will.”
After they finish their lunch and have made their way outside, Raif asks if she wants to see more of the grounds.
“I can show you the lake if you want?”
She looks around, absentmindedly stroking Roscoe as Joker buts his head against her shoulder.
“Yeah, that would be nice.”
He smiles and helps her untie the horses from his porch railing.
She hops on easily, and he remembers she was raised around horses and knows how to handle them.
With that knowledge, he takes off at a gallop.
She’s hot on his heels in a second. He knows Roscoe is a good horse.
Won’t throw her or misbehave. So he keeps up the speed for a while.
They don’t talk. Just maneuver their horses down the trail.
He slows when they get closer to the lake.
Takes her around the backside away from where he can hear the guests.
“This is beautiful,” she remarks as she dismounts Roscoe. Tying his lead to a tree.
“It really is.” He watches her, she walks around, looks at the ground, trees, and lake. Eyes flitting everywhere like she’s taking all of it in.
“You bring a lot of girls here?” she jokes.
“I’ve never brought anyone here,” his voice is firm. He wants her to know the importance of bringing her here. Bringing her on his land, to his private places.
She looks at him, eyes calculating.
“Never?”
“Never. This land, it’s special to me. The only people who have been in my cabin are family. This part of the lake, I’ve never come here with anyone, not even my brothers.”
“Why?”
He knows what she’s asking, why her. Why did he bring her here? Show her these things.
“Because I never wanted to bring anyone else. You...you’re important to me.”
It’s out there. How he feels, not all of it by a long shot. Not the fact that she’s his mate, his destined soul mate. Not the fact that he wants to be more than friends. Not that his feelings for her burn so bright inside him, he feels like he might burst sometimes.
She looks away, it’s too much. He’s said too much. And now she’s going to pull away.