“What’s the verdict?” Hannah asked Roy, her voice steadier now that she was warm.
Roy sucked in a breath through his teeth. “Well, it’s not going to be cheap. Parts for these old cars are hard to come by.” He handed her a piece of paper. “But I sourced what we need, and it’ll be here in a day or two.”
Hannah’s jaw clenched as she looked at the quote, her eyes widening slightly. “A day or two?”
Roy nodded. “Best I can do.”
“Or,” he added, “I can do you a deal on a part-exchange.”
No, Caleb’s bear growled.We need her to stay.
But if she needs to go...Caleb said, even though he hated the idea of losing her when he’d only just found her.
Hannah shook her head firmly. “No. I don’t want to part with her.” She swallowed hard as she looked at the car, then swiped ahand across her eyes and sniffed. “Do you know any cheap hotels around here?”
The question hung in the air, and Caleb felt something shift inside him. His house sat on the edge of town, and he lived there alone, so there was plenty of space. More than enough for a guest.For a mate.
For her.
His bear perked up immediately, eager and hopeful.Our den. Our mate.
But Caleb knew better than to rush things. This wasn’t about what he wanted or what his bear craved. It was about what Hannah needed... safety, shelter, and the space to make her own choices.
Even if every part of him wanted to offer her everything.
Chapter Three – Hannah
Hannah held the quote for repairs in her hands. No matter how many times she reread it, the figures stubbornly refused to improve. She folded the paper neatly and slipped it into her purse.
Two days for parts, Roy had said. Two days minimum before her car would be roadworthy again. The timing couldn’t have been worse.
“Is there a hostel or something cheaper than a hotel nearby?” she asked, mentally calculating how much she could afford to spend on accommodation while still covering the repair costs.
A bench in the park was beginning to look like a viable option.
She didn’t say that part out loud. She didn’t want them to think she wasthatdesperate. And honestly, she wasn’t. But paying for both the repair and a place to sleep would leave her financially exposed.
A feeling she hated. It brought back too many memories of the person she’d once been.
Roy scratched his beard. “Nothing like that in Bear Creek. The Mountain View Inn over in Cougar Ridge is about the cheapest, but even that’ll run you...”
“You could stay at my place.”
Hannah turned to Caleb, certain she’d misheard him. But his expression was neutral, his offer hanging in the air between them without pressure.
Still, Hannah’s spine stiffened instinctively. This was the point where kindness usually came with conditions. Where thebill for generosity eventually came due in ways she couldn’t anticipate. She’d learned that lesson early and repeatedly.
Believing in kindness had cost her too much in the past.
“That’s... very generous,” she said carefully, “but I couldn’t impose.”
“It’s not an imposition.” Caleb shrugged. “My guest room’s sitting empty either way.”
Hannah weighed her options, which were rapidly dwindling to none. She already felt indebted to Caleb for coming to her rescue on the road and arranging the tow truck... and for lending her his sweater. Taking more felt risky, like stacking favors she couldn’t repay. Yet the alternative was spending money she couldn’t spare on a hotel she couldn’t really afford.
Independence had always cost her something. Tonight, it threatened to cost too much.
“All right,” she said finally. “Thank you. Just until the car’s ready.”
