Epilogue
Doreen woke before the alarm, her body somehow knowing this moment was too precious to sleep through. After the storm, James had invited her, Jake, and Bash to stay with him. She had said yes. Now she could not think of any place she would rather live. And no man she would rather live with.
She propped herself up on one elbow, watching the steady rise and fall of James’s chest, the way his dark hair fell across his forehead, the slight curve of his lips even in sleep.
Mine, she thought with a sense of wonder that still caught her by surprise. This man is actually mine.
Without opening his eyes, James’s lips curved into a smile. “I can feel you watching me,” he murmured, voice rough with sleep.
Doreen leaned closer, pressing her lips to his cheek while her hand wandered across the warm expanse of his chest, fingers trailing through the light dusting of hair. “What can you feel now?” she whispered against his skin.
One eye cracked open, then the other, slate blue and intense as they fixed on her face. “Longing. Desire. Love.”
His simple words made her heart threaten to burst with love for him. Before she came to Bear Creek, before James, she’d convinced herself that love was something that happened to other people. That after Walt, she would spend the rest of her life alone, and she’d made her peace with that.
But here she was. Like Sorcha, she had found her man, her mate.
Her throat constricted for a moment as another thought surfaced—one she’d been nurturing quietly since Sorcha had shared her news.
After Doreen told her friend she was making arrangements to stay in Bear Creek permanently and transfer her office there, Sorcha had finally confided that she was expecting.
There had been tears. Tears of joy and shared dreams.
“Where did you go?” James murmured, cupping his hand around the nape of her neck and drawing her close, his thumb brushing the sensitive skin behind her ear.
She met his gaze, suddenly shy. “I was thinking about how much I’d like to have a child with you.”
His eyes darkened, jaw clenching with emotion as he searched her face. “There’s nothing I would like more,” he said, his voice rough and sincere.
Doreen’s eyes misted with tears. There was no man she would rather have as a father for her child.
Over the last few days, he’d proved himself again and again as he patiently practiced with Jake and Bash for the festival dog show.
The way he kneeled to Jake’s level, the gentle corrections, the enthusiastic praise when they got it right.
And today was the day when all that hard work would pay off.
Not that Doreen hadn’t worked hard too. Jake had gotten his wish, and Doreen, with the help of Sorcha and Sarah, and Maisie and Teddy, and Sarah’s daughter Emmy, had made the most amazing bear costume for Bash. It had been a real group effort.
Or family effort. Because the more time she spent with them, the more she saw them as more like family than mere friends.
But before the dog show, before Bash and Jake woke up, she wanted this—wanted him. Her mate. Her love. Her deputy.
Doreen leaned forward and kissed him, pouring all her love and longing into the kiss. Wanting him to know how much he meant to her. How much she cherished him.
With a groan, James slipped his hands beneath the sheets, caressing her breasts, his thumbs circling her nipples until they peaked beneath his attention. She arched into his touch, wanting more. Needing more.
“James,” she breathed, as heat grew in her core, intense and needy.
And he knew instinctively what she needed.
He slid down under the covers, replacing his fingers with his mouth, sucking and licking until each taut bud, until she was writhing with pleasure. Her hands clutched at the sheets as he grazed his teeth against the sensitive buds.
“Don’t hold back,” he whispered against her sensitive skin. “I want to hear you.”
She’d learned that her bear shifter mate liked nothing more than to please her, to coax those little sounds from her throat that told him exactly how good he made her feel.
And damn, he made her feel good!
He kissed the tip of each nipple and moved lower, his breath hot against her skin. He trailed kisses across her belly, inching lower, as she held her breath in anticipation.
With a gentle pressure, he eased her thighs apart and flicked her sensitive bundle of nerves with his tongue. She sucked in a harsh breath as the room spun.
But he wasn’t done pleasing her. While he licked and sucked her mound, he slipped two fingers inside her, hooking them perfectly as he grazed her inner walls.
The dual sensation made her gasp, her back arching off the mattress as he took his time, sucking and licking, bringing her to a shuddering orgasm that left her breathless and boneless against the sheets.
“James,” she managed, her voice breaking on his name as waves of pleasure crashed through her.
He emerged from beneath the covers, his expression one of pure satisfaction as he took in her flushed face and dazed eyes.
When she could move again, she reached for him, stroking his hardness.
He groaned against her neck, then lifted her knee, draping it over his thigh as she guided him to her entrance.
He inched in slowly, stretching her deliciously, his eyes never leaving hers.
Then he pulled out and thrust harder, filling her completely.
“James,” she gasped, her nails digging into his shoulders as he set a rhythm that had her climbing toward that peak again.
Every thrust drove her higher, the delicious friction sending sparks of pleasure racing along her nerves. She felt his control slipping, his movements becoming more urgent.
“I love you,” he whispered against her lips, the words punctuated by the steady roll of his hips. “My mate. My love.”
She wrapped her legs around him, drawing him deeper, wanting everything he had to give.
In this moment, with their bodies joined and hearts beating in sync, she could almost believe that new life might already be taking hold within her—their child, created in love, the next chapter of a story she’d once thought finished.
The thought sent her spiraling over the edge again, her inner walls clenching around him as pleasure crashed through her in waves. James followed with a growl that vibrated through her chest, his release pulsing deep inside her as he buried his face against her neck.
For long moments afterward, they lay tangled together, hearts gradually slowing to a shared rhythm. James pressed soft kisses to her temple, her cheek, the corner of her mouth, as if he couldn’t bear to stop touching her even now.
“I meant what I said,” James murmured, his fingers drawing lazy patterns on her bare shoulder. “I want a family with you. Our family.”
Doreen smiled against his chest, her heart so full it ached. “I want that too. More than anything.”
She held him close, enjoying this moment of calm. Because she knew all too soon, Jake and Bash would be awake.
They lay entwined, savoring the warmth of each other’s bodies, until Doreen’s eyes drifted to the digital clock on the nightstand. The red numbers jolted her back to reality.
“James,” she murmured, reluctantly pulling away from his embrace. “We should get up. They’ll be here soon.”
He sighed against her neck, then lifted his head to capture her lips in one last lingering kiss that left her breathless. The passion in it held a promise for later as he finally rolled away and stood beside the bed.
Doreen propped herself up on her elbow, watching as he moved around the room.
There was something mesmerizing about the way he dressed—the flex of muscle as he pulled on his blue button-up shirt, the practiced efficiency as he fastened each button.
When he stepped into his work jeans that hugged his form perfectly, she couldn’t help but admire how they accentuated his strong thighs and narrow hips.
“You’re staring again,” he said without turning around, a smile in his voice.
“Can you blame me?” she replied, finally slipping out of bed herself.
She pulled on a thick, cream-colored sweater that felt like a cloud against her skin, then stepped into a pair of charcoal slacks. As she finished dressing, James came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.
“Ready to face the day?” he murmured against her ear.
“More than ready,” she answered, turning in his arms for one more kiss before they headed downstairs.
In the kitchen, they moved in comfortable synchronicity. James measured coffee grounds while Doreen pulled eggs and bacon from the refrigerator. The familiar domesticity of it warmed her more than the heating system ever could.
As the bacon sizzled in the pan, they heard the telltale thump of paws on the stairs followed by Jake’s excited footsteps. James caught Doreen’s eye, and they exchanged secret smiles just as Jake burst into the kitchen, still in his pajamas with Bash dancing circles around him.
“Today’s the day!” Jake announced, his voice vibrating with excitement. “Bash and I are totally ready. We practiced sit and stay all night in my dreams!”
“Breakfast first,” Doreen reminded him, sliding a plate of eggs onto the table.
Jake nodded distractedly, already pulling Bash’s food from the cabinet. “Bash needs his special performance breakfast. Extra energy for all the awesome tricks he’s going to do!”
After carefully measuring Bash’s kibble, Jake finally took his place at the table and gulped down half a glass of orange juice in one go.
“Daniel said the judges look for precision and eye contact,” he continued, barely pausing for breath. “And Bash has the best eye contact. And Christopher said attitude matters too, and Bash has tons of that. And Michael said…”
“Slow down, buddy,” James chuckled. “Your breakfast’s getting cold.”
“Sorry,” Jake grinned, shoveling a forkful of eggs into his mouth before immediately launching back into his commentary. “The bear costume is going to be the best one there. Nobody else will have anything that cool. And Sorcha said Bash is going to win a rosette for sure. Maybe even a blue one!”
Doreen felt such love for her nephew. It was so easy to get swept along by his infectious enthusiasm as he continued his rapid-fire assessment of their chances in the festival dog show.
Suddenly, Bash’s ears perked up. He lifted his head from his food bowl, tilted it to one side, then bolted toward the front door with a whine.
“What’s wrong with Bash?” Jake frowned, pausing mid-sentence.
The distant sound of tires on gravel reached them. A car was approaching the cabin.
Doreen’s pulse quickened as she met James’s eyes. They’d kept the surprise so carefully hidden, making all the arrangements in whispered phone calls while Jake was occupied with Bash.
“Jake,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady, “why don’t you go see who’s at the door?”
Jake’s brow furrowed in confusion. “But we’re not expecting anyone, are we?”
“Just go look,” she encouraged gently.
With a puzzled expression, Jake pushed back from the table and headed toward the front door, Bash already scratching excitedly at the wood. Doreen followed a few steps behind, her heart thundering in her chest.
Jake pulled open the door, and Bash squeezed through the gap the moment it was wide enough.
Doreen stepped up behind her nephew, placing her hands on his shoulders.
“Look,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “Your wish has come true.”
There, climbing carefully out of a rental car, were Jake’s parents. His father balanced on crutches, his cast visible even from the doorway, but his smile was wide as he looked up at the cabin.
“Hi there, buddy,” he called, raising one hand in greeting.
For the first time since Doreen had known him, Jake was completely speechless. Then, with a cry that was half sob, half laughter, he launched himself down the porch steps, Bash bounding ahead of him across the snowy yard.
“Mom! Dad!” Jake crashed into his mother first, nearly knocking her over with the force of his hug, before carefully embracing his father, mindful of the crutches.
“Surprise!” his mother laughed, tears glistening in her eyes as she smoothed Jake’s hair. “We couldn’t miss your big day.”
Doreen felt James come up beside her, his arm sliding around her waist as they watched the reunion from the doorway. He pulled her close against him, and she leaned into his warmth, overwhelmed by her love for him.
And excited for their next chapter together.