Chapter Seven
Moira was really doing this.
She’d really let Cam convince her to go to his nephew’s hockey game, like they were some normal couple celebrating Valentine’s Day.
“You ready?” he asked.
“To meet your sister? No. I don’t know if you have been paying attention, but I’m not much of a people person. More of a plant person. An inanimate object person, etcetera and so on.”
He chuckled and told her, “Wait there.”
“Why?” she asked as she watched him hop out of his truck.
“I’m going to open your door.”
Moira panicked and shoved it open and tried to get out before he got there, but her seatbelt was still buckled. “Gack!” she yelped as she fumbled to unfasten her seatbelt.
He was standing there giving her a weird look as she freed herself.
“I don’t need a man to open doors for me.”
“Cool, you opened your own door, you win.” He offered his hand to help her down.
“You’re breaking the rules!”
“What rules?”
“I don’t need all the romantic Valentine’s Day stuff.”
He scoffed and rolled his eyes, called her, “Exhausting,” and yanked her out of his truck by the waist. “Purse,” he said, pointing to the purse she had indeed left behind on the floorboard of his truck.
“Maybe we shouldn’t do this—”
“I’m not doing this right now, Moira. I don’t have time.”
“Time for what?”
He rounded on her and kissed her, and ooooh this was cheating. Her sass retreated into her body, and she was left quiet, with lips throbbing from his kiss. She stumbled forward as he released her.
His voice was low as he said, “I don’t have time to fuck you into a good mood right now. Get it together, Jennings.”
Oh. He’d called her by her last name. Why was she smiling at his back as he walked away?
He glanced over his shoulder, and she could see the smile in his dancing gold eyes. That boy was fun.
And like a well-behaved and obedient golden retriever, she trotted after him. She only nearly broke her ankle one time in these heels that she’d definitely bought to dress up for tame dinners at the lodge this week, not traipsing around the snow.
He reached for her hand, but there was a trio of kids playing in the snow nearby, and they might see the affection, so she swatted his hand away.
Cam snorted and grabbed her hand.
“People will see us!” she whisper-screamed.
“What do you think we’re doing wrong?” he asked, amusement dancing in his gaze.
“I don’t know. Touching?”
He belted out a laugh. “God, you are damaged.”
“Hey, that’s not nice.”
“You get mad when I’m nice to you.”
They were almost to the door of the building, and Cam was going to open it for her, she just knew it. She walked faster, but his hand was really strong around hers. Cam started walking faster too, aiming for the door.
Moira tossed him a dirty look and picked up to a jog.
So did Cam.
Just as she reached for the handle of the door, he yanked her back and threw her over his shoulder. She yelped as he opened the door and walked through with her.
“Put me down, you rat.”
“You’re scared of rats. I’m one hundred percent sure you aren’t afraid of me, you little battle-axe. Pick a different insult.” He set her on her feet in the entryway, out of the way of the family that was filing in after them.
“You…you…” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Stranger.”
His grin was obnoxious. “I’ve had my dick in you. Ain’t no strangers here.”
“Shhh,” she hissed out, looking around. “I’m not like that. I don’t do that. Or this.”
“Go on a date with another shifter. You’re literally not doing anything scandalous.”
“A date?”
“I’m going to go pay for your ticket now,” he said.
“I refuse to go in if you pay.”
“Moira,” he gritted out, turning to her. “Do you like me?”
Moira froze under the intensity of his bright gaze.
“Well, do you?” he asked.
“Like you how?”
“Like me in any capacity. Even one percent?”
She didn’t want to answer. She wanted to say no just to be stubborn, but shifters could hear lies.
He wasn’t letting her out of this though. “I like you just fine.”
“Great. I haven’t spent Valentine’s Day with anyone in a while, and you haven’t either, so what do you say we just have fun tonight?
Hmm? And when you leave, you owe me nothing.
You don’t have to speak to me ever again if you don’t want to.
But for today, can we just have fun? When are you leaving town? ”
“Tomorrow.”
His smile disappeared instantly. “Tomorrow?”
She huffed a breath of frustration and pulled him farther to the side to get out of the way of the people filing in the door to pay at the ticket table. “Yes, tomorrow. The UnValentine’s Day celebration is over. I head to the airport on the eleven o’clock shuttle tomorrow morning.”
His dark eyebrows drew downward. “Why did I think you were going to be here for a few more days?”
Moira shrugged, looking around. This talk was making her sad and frustrated, but she couldn’t pinpoint why. She didn’t want to talk about leaving.
“Okay,” he said softly. “Okay. Can I give you a ride to the airport tomorrow?” he asked. “I have time. All I have scheduled is a couple ATV tours in the afternoon.”
She searched his eyes. He was so nice for a bear shifter. Moira didn’t like that sadness was filling the air between them. “I like you a lot, okay?”
The smile returned to his lips just slightly, and he nodded. “I knew it.”
She rolled her eyes. “You may touch me in public three times. I give you permission.”
“And let me pay for your ticket.”
She sighed. “And you can pay for my ticket if you allow me to pay for the snacks.”
“Deal.” He offered his hand for a shake and said, “The handshake doesn’t count as one of my touches.”
She allowed a soft giggle as she shook his hand.
“I like you too,” he told her as he led her to the ticket table. A burly lady with two braids and a permanent looking scowl on her face glared at them. “Twelve bucks.”
Cam paid and then led her down a wide hallway and to a set of double doors. There was an ice rink in the middle of the cavernous room, and to the left were some bleachers to sit on. He searched the stands.
A brunette lit up like a Christmas tree and waved at him, then gestured to a seat beside her.
Oh God, here it was. She was going to have to meet this lady, and then find a seat, because it was definitely crowded here, and there was only one seat by her.
Cam grabbed her hand right here in front of the entire stands and led her up to his sister.
His sister gave Cam a quick hug, and then to Moira’s shock, she turned to her and gave her a hug too, then pulled her down to the seat she’d been saving.
“What am I?” Cam asked. “Chopped liver?”
“That’s such a weird saying,” his sister said. She pointed to the ice rink, where a bunch of kids were warming up and shooting hockey pucks at a goal. “Coach Matt was sick tonight, and Coach Daniel asked if you could help.”
Moira thought Cam would’ve balked, but he nodded and said, “Yeah, no worries. Hey, be mean to that one,” he teased, pointing to Moira as he backed slowly down the stairs. “She doesn’t like nice people.”
“Are you going to introduce us, idiot?” his sister asked.
“Oh yeah. Avery, Moira. Moira, Avery.”
Mortified to be alone with yet another stranger, in a sea of strangers, she turned awkwardly to Avery and offered her hand. “Hi. Hello. I’m…Moira. Moira Jennings. Your brother’s…” Fuck buddy? Friend.
“Girlfriend,” Avery finished for her, shaking her head.
“Oh no, not even close. We barely know each other.”
“Mmm hmm. Well, he hasn’t brought anyone around the family since Sarah and that was an eternity ago. He likes you. Let’s go, boys!” she called as the little hockey players took their positions on the ice.
Cam had reached the box with the other coach and was talking to one of the players.
“Does he know what he’s doing?” she asked, curious.
“Yep. He coached for a few years, but the business is keeping him too busy to make all the practices now.”
“How is your son playing? You know…with humans?” she whispered.
“Cam didn’t tell you?” she asked.
“Tell me what?”
“He’s the only shifter in our family,” she whispered. “He’s adopted.”
Moira frowned. “Oh.” She looked back down at Cam, who was talking to one of the players now as he taped up a hockey stick like he’d done it a hundred times. “But how does that work? Raising shifters is hard.”
“Well, he was an absolute nightmare in his younger years, but by the grace of God, my parents survived him. Now, he’s the best.” She rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell him I told you that.” Avery shrugged. “My son is number ten.”
“Ten?” Moira asked, scanning the kids on the ice. He was near the center, leaning on his stick by a referee, ready. “I see him.”
“Uncle Cam has had him on ice skates since before he could even walk.”
“Is he close with your mate?” she asked, then realized her slip up and clapped her hand over her mouth. “I mean husband,” Moira said softly. “Sorry, I thought you were all shifters this whole time. I’m catching up.”
“There is no husband,” she said low. “There was a drunk night and some questionable decisions, and then I was pregnant, and alone, and didn’t even know the guy or how to get ahold of him.
And I was terrified, and that’s when Cam really stepped up as my big brother.
He doesn’t let Nathaniel feel the loss. He’s at every father-kid-donut breakfast, every game, every school play, every awards ceremony.
” She nodded thoughtfully, watching the boys flying all over the ice, passing the puck.
“He’s a pretty great brother and uncle. He’s also really reserved and private, and I saw him holding your hand.
I never saw him holding Sarah’s hand, and she was supposed to be the one, you know? ”
“I had one of those once,” she said softly.