It had been a bad idea from the start. Writing out the message. Reinstating the Fetder profile. Imprinting on the play partner I knew from day one I couldn’t keep.
Okay, do it, man. Just do it.
I clicked through all the unnecessary screens and offers to reduce my monthly fee until I finally hit the big redDelete Accountbutton.
“Hey, Mayor, we’re here.”
I hadn’t realized the bus had stopped—or that all the humans flooding into town for Bear Mountain’s summer festival had already gotten off—until Brenda, our outsider driver, called out to me from the front.
Sliding my phone into the inside pocket of my suit jacket, I stood. “Thanks, Brenda.”
At the front of the bus, I placed a full hand on the older woman’s shoulder—just enough contact to connect on a bio-level. “How are the new grandbabies?”
“Oh, they’re the cutest, healthiest things you ever laid eyes on! Wanna see?” she asked, already pulling out her phone.
No.
The pain of wanting but not having a family had become a constant ache by this point, and looking at photos of Brenda’s womb-triplet grandcubs would only make it worse.
Out loud, I said, “Don’t tell anybody, but that’s the only reason I came back to Bear Mountain.”
Brenda let out a delighted chuckle and began swiping through what had to be at least fifty pictures—both human and full-bear versions of her three granddaughters—even though they’d only been born less than a month ago, part of the flood of late-spring hybrid babies.
“The birth went so smoothly,” she said. “Less than an hour of labor, and they were all here and dear. That Holly midwife new-turn is the best thing that ever happened to our little town. Can’t believe she got that bad boy Hawk to maul up with two constables.”
Frankly, I couldn’t either. But I wasn’t about to look a gift midwife in the mouth.
“Wish I could chat more, but…”I’ve already given you more than my allotted ten minutes. “…I’ve got a lot to do today.”
“Don’t you?” Brenda agreed. “Your brother-in-maul told me he’s already near sold out of the Christmas in July sweatshirts—and it’s only Christmas Eve.”
Tourists often didn’t take into account how cold a mountain town could get, even in summer. It was perfect weather for bears—and even more perfect for Wade’s second husband, who justso happened to be the only vendor in town, other than the Bear Mountain Bar & Grill, who sold hoodies.
Which reminded me—I still needed to add a note ordering Wade to gently convince his husband to update the design on the festival shirts, which hadn’t changed since our father was still the Mayor/MLA.
After saying goodbye to Brenda, as a few locals boarded for a free ride to Barrington’s Super Center, I made that note in the time.lytic app my ex had recommended.
Then, after months of stalling, I finally marked the Fetder task as done.
The rest of the walk to the mayoral den, I spent mentally rehearsing what I was going to say.
Fuck.I hoped he hadn’t done something stupid like bond-bite her.
Wade’s first maul husband—our lawyer—had made sure “bond bite only with mayoral approval” was clearly written into our maul formation contract. Both Red Outsider Twins had signed it—with eerily similar handwriting.
But bears could be bears.
That new midwife Brenda loved so much was only here because our normally reserved RCMP Commander, Takoda, had bitten the hell out of her in bear form. Same with her sister, though that time it had been the twins’ younger brother, Cody.
How many times had I paused a scene with my ex to calm myself down and retract my teeth?
Don’t think about her….
Also, where was the twins’ black Ford Raptor truck?
The tinny chant of some band declaring they weren’t looking for anything but a good time told me that at least Callum was still home.
I frowned. Gideon rarely left Callum’s side—unless I sent him on a clandestine mission or they were working. And it wasn’t time for either of them to report to their family’s businesses.
