You’re on,his bear roared.Invite them in. Maybe take them through to the courtyard. Then let Matt’s cooking wow them. While you woo Isla.
“Hello,” Kirk croaked, his throat dry as he pulled the door open.
“Hi,” Percy said, stopping in front of Kirk and looking up with unabashed interest. “Do you work here too?”
Kirk found his voice, though it came out rougher than he intended. “I... no. I mean, my family owns the restaurant, and I was delivering chilies to my brother, Matt.”
Isla approached more slowly, her gray-blue eyes wary. “We meet again,” she said with a small smile. “I’m not stalking you, honestly. We were on our way to Bear’s Rest when I realizedwe’d forgotten Percy’s sunscreen. I didn’t want to start our stay with a sunburn.”
I wouldn’t mind if she were stalking us,Kirk’s bear said.
“Would you… Would you like a table?” Kirk managed, gesturing toward the dining room. “We’re between lunch and dinner service, but the kitchen is always open for…” He stopped himself before sayingfor my mate. “For diners,” he finished lamely.
“Oh, I hadn’t planned…” Isla began.
“Can we, Mom? I’mstarving,” Percy said with the theatrics of a child.
“That would be great,” Isla said. “We haven’t had a proper meal since breakfast, and the journey’s taken longer than I planned thanks to a couple of unplanned pit stops.”
“I know just the table,” he said, finding his footing at last. “The best view in the house.”
“Lead the way.” Her smile was polite, but Kirk could sense something more beneath it, a flicker of interest, perhaps, or at least curiosity. It was enough for now.
More than enough,his bear said.
Percy slipped his hand into Isla’s as Kirk led them through the restaurant, past the polished wooden tables and the soft amber lighting, guiding them toward the back door.
“This way,” he said, holding the door open.
The courtyard opened before them, bathed in late afternoon sunlight. Kirk’s mother, Eleanor, had transformed the area into a vibrant garden when she first met his father, Thaddeus. Over the years, it had grown from a simple service area to a haven for wildlife. Tables were arranged to maximize both privacy and the spectacular view.
“Look!” Percy broke free from Isla’s grasp, rushing forward with the unbridled enthusiasm only children could muster. “A butterfly!”
The delicate creature, its orange-and-black wings fluttering between the blooms, had captured the boy’s attention completely. Percy tugged Isla forward, pointing excitedly at the monarch as it danced from flower to flower.
“It is beautiful out here,” Isla said, turning to look at Kirk.
“I thought you might find it more relaxing than sitting inside,” Kirk said. “I mean, with Percy. After the drive here...”
“You’re right. He needs fresh air and room to move, or he starts to fidget.” Isla watched as Percy stopped and watched a bug on a leaf. “These flowers are stunning.”
“It’s not just the courtyard that’s stunning,” Kirk said, finding his voice. He gestured toward the horizon. “The view...”
He swept his arm in a wide arc toward the world beyond the courtyard. The mountains rose in majestic silhouette against the deepening blue sky, their rugged peaks swathed in mist. Pine forests blanketed the lower slopes in rich green, climbing until the trees gave way to stone and snow.
Isla followed his gesture, her lips parting slightly as she took in the panorama. The breeze lifted a strand of her hair, and Kirk fought the urge to tuck it behind her ear.
“It’s like they’re standing sentinel,” she whispered, her voice hushed with reverence.
“And always have,” Kirk replied, the familiar landscape suddenly new through her eyes. The mountains that had watched over generations of his family, that had witnessed the building of this restaurant, the planting of each seed in his greenhouse. Constant, protective, eternal.
And always will,his bear added silently.Just as we will stand sentinel over our mate and her son forever.
And that was a promise.
Chapter Three – Isla
Isla stared out at the distant peaks beyond the courtyard. What a view it was! Percy was right, the mountains were massive, the tallest she had ever seen. But it wasn’t just the size. It was the... majesty. There really was no other word for it. They rose like ancient guardians, their peaks wrapped in misty halos that caught the golden afternoon light.
