But he wasn’t looking at me. He turned his gaze to the room. The diner had gotten busier, and several bears now ate standing at the counter, creating an impenetrable wall of muscle around it.
“I like it when people pretend not to know who I am,” Laurel said. “It’s eerie, but I like it. Is it because of the shifter thing that everyone’s minding their own business?”
“That, too. But it helps that Monty’s been telling everyone to leave you alone.”
Laurel whipped his head around. “What?”
“Yeah. He made it his mission. I heard him giving the talk to Sedric, our server at the pub. Be friendly but with boundaries. Act like you would toward a cousin twice removed who just appeared in town.”
“That’s actually…clever.”
“When you left, he got up onto the bar and announced that if anyone contacted the press about you or posted anything on social media, he’d close the pub until spring.”
Why was I telling him this? But Laurel’s eyes got big, and for some stupid reason, his reaction made me happy. Monty had been trying so hard; he deserved some appreciation.
“He really did that?” Laurel breathed, hand on his chest.
I gave a grim nod. “As threats go, that one’s devious.”
Laurel straightened the cutlery on his plate, his cheeks getting a little pink. “He’s a character.”
Holy shit. Did Laurel actually like Monty back? No way!
But he was smiling dreamily, looking way less tired than just a minute ago.
Hell, I should give him the speech.If you hurt him…But I couldn’t do that without revealing just how big a crush Monty harbored.
Seeing Laurel’s smile, I felt something in my chest shift. One sore spot stopped aching, only to give way to a different kind of tension.
Monty had never been mine, and I’d always known that. If he had even a rat’s ass chance with Laurel, I’d be happy for him.
Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Orson.
The thing was, if Monty hadn’t been clear about wanting Laurel, I would have totally made a move myself. It would have been interesting to see if Laurel was a spoiled brat in bed. Or would a good dicking make him soft and pliant? How would he look all sleepy and satisfied, without the constant wariness around his eyes?
7
LAUREL
The goodbye in front of the diner got awkward. I almost offered Jordy my hand to shake, as if it had been a business meeting, but realized in time how weird that would seem. I stuffed my hands into my jacket pockets.
“Yeah, so. Thanks for the, eh, experience.”
“My pleasure.” His crooked smirk looked sarcastic. Did he suffer through my company, or did he enjoy himself at least a little? I couldn’t read him at all. And I hated that, because yeah, I was totally attracted to him, with his smoldering gaze and that stupidly cute beanie.
Jordy headed for the pub to prepare for opening, and I went to the grocery store. I bought a salad for dinner, because the meatloaf would probably stay with me for a while, and walked back to the B&B.
Monty wasn’t there, which bugged me. I had been looking forward to seeing him. Selfishly, I thought that Monty’s undivided attention would be a nice compensation for Orson Jordan’s mixed signals. I made myself tea and hung arounddownstairs for almost two hours, wasting time aimlessly scrolling on my phone. He didn’t appear.
The B&B’s breakfast room, which also served as a bar and reception, had four tables surrounded by mismatched wooden chairs. A two-seater sofa, two armchairs, and a low coffee table stood by the fireplace. An antique-looking cabinet held a few leather-bound books. The walls were natural wood, with dark beams lining the corners, and old tools and copper pots hung here and there as decorations. Above the fireplace, instead of a deer’s head or something similarly morbid, was an ancient kiddie sled. A meticulously clean burgundy carpet and a grandfather clock completed the cozy vibe.
When I sat in one of the armchairs, I caught a faint woodsy scent with a hint of cocoa. Monty’s scent. He must sit in the armchair often. I wriggled, settling deeper, and leaned my head back. I thought of sitting here in winter, fire crackling in the fireplace, the scent of cocoa in the air.
Monty was nuts. Threatening to close the pub to protect my privacy? That was crazy…and one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for me. That was chivalry right there. Should I thank him, or would he get mad at Jordy for telling me? I couldn’t imagine Monty getting mad at anyone. Every time I’d met the guy, he’d been so eager to please and happy to help, with his puppy dog eyes and good-natured grin. It was such a contrast to his imposing physique, but I liked it. If Jordy was bad-boy sexy, Monty was teddy-bear sexy. I could see myself cuddled up to that chest and drinking hot chocolate on a snowy day… Monty did smell a little like hot chocolate, didn’t he?
And what the hell was I doing, mooning over not one but two bear shifters in one fucking day? Didn’t I have enough on my plate as it was?
Right then, Sam called as if to save me from my own thoughts. He was on his way to Beauville. Finally, we were moving on with the repairs. Thank fuck.
