Daniel shrugged, but she could see how much it meant to him. “They’re incredible kids. I’m the lucky one.”
Holly’s eyes grew heavy as they talked, the bourbon warming her from the inside while Daniel’s deep voice lulled her.
The emotional whiplash of the day, the warmth of the fire, the safety of this unexpected haven, all conspired against her attempts to stay alert.
Her muscles ached with the kind of tired that went beyond the physical, the kind that seeped into bone and thought.
“I should probably let you get some sleep,” Daniel said, noticing her struggle to keep her eyes open.
“Just a few more minutes,” Holly murmured, not ready to leave this cocoon of comfort.
She fought to stay awake, to remain in this moment that felt suspended outside of time. But her body had other ideas. Her eyelids grew impossibly heavy, and her breathing deepened as Holly mused over the strange sense of rightness, of safety, she hadn’t felt in longer than she could remember.
Not since before her parents’ divorce, before her mother’s remarriage, before all the careful planning and compromising that had led her to almost marry a man who’d never really suited her at all. Somewhere along the line, she’d lost sight of herself, and she wasn’t sure why.
Here, in a stranger’s home, surrounded by the scent of cinnamon and wood smoke, Holly was finally ready to let go of that version of herself.
As Holly drifted in that hazy space between wakefulness and dreams, she registered being lifted up. She felt the solid strength of arms around her, caught the clean scent of Daniel’s shirt as her head lolled against him—woody cologne and laundry detergent. The world narrowed to warmth and the steady rise and fall of his chest.
Any rational person would feel weird about a stranger carrying them, but Holly felt oddly secure. Her sleep-foggedbrain surrendered to a certainty her fully conscious self might question. She was safe here.
Safer than she’d felt preparing to walk down the aisle, by a long shot.
With each step Daniel took up the stairs, he gently rocked her deeper toward sleep. Her ear pressed against his chest, picking up the steady thump of his heartbeat as he carefully navigated the dark hallway, trying not to bump her legs against the walls. The rhythm soothed her, slow and sure, like a lullaby without words.
When he set her down on the guest bed, the sudden absence of his warmth made her want to reach for him. But then came the soft rustle of blankets being pulled over her, the careful way he tucked them around her shoulders. Fingers light, respectful, never lingering where they shouldn’t.
“Night, Holly,” Daniel whispered, his voice low and close to her ear.
As she slipped under completely, Holly’s last clear thought was how bizarrely right it felt to be here—in this house with this man who’d somehow appeared when she needed someone most.
Chapter Five – Daniel
Daniel woke in the dark, his body clock pulling him from sleep before his alarm had a chance to sound. For a moment, he lay still, his mind slowly clicking through the day ahead…snow day, bakery closed, kids home…the good kind of chaos, familiar and usually comforting.
Then the memory hit him with startling clarity.
Holly. His mate. Under his roof.
How could you forget?his bear asked with some amusement.
He bolted upright, heart suddenly thudding against his ribs. The house felt different, almost humming, charged with her presence even through the walls and floors.
His bear stretched inside him, rumbling with satisfaction.Relax. She’s still here. Sleeping. Safe.
Daniel rubbed his face, trying to ground himself in the familiar rhythm of morning. He’d go downstairs. Start the coffee. Mix the dough for pain au chocolat, the kids’ favorite snow day treat. Normal things. Except nothing about this morning felt normal. Every thought seemed to loop back to the guest room and the woman sleeping there.
He dressed quickly in jeans and a soft flannel, padding down the hallway in sock feet. As he passed the guest room, he paused, listening. The gentle rhythm of Holly’s breathing filtered through the door, steady and deep.
His bear urged him to open the door, to check on her, but Daniel forced himself to continue down the stairs.
Let her sleep. Yesterday was... a lot for her,Daniel said.More than we may ever know.
One day she’ll tell us,his bear said with utmost confidence, that one day their mate would trust them enough to explain what happened on her would-be wedding day. But until then, he’d give her the time and space she needed.
While trying to win her heart,his bear said.
Of course,Daniel replied. He just had to figure out how to do that without scaring her off.
