He had pride in his achievements and friends.
A mate.
His bear released a satisfied chuff, and Niall felt his lips kick up at the corners.They were on the same page, with Suzie their objective.Niall wasn’t sure he could compete against her goal to attend university, but she’d agree to stay until his honey hit the stores.That was a win.
Suzie approached the table, several shopping bags in her hands.“I purchased a sweater and some underwear.I need more things, but I’ll have to wait for a bigger shopping center.
“You can come with me to Edinburgh next week when I speak with the owners of a gym chain,” Niall said.“I was hoping they could help me test my product on the sly.”
“Oh?”Suzie set her packages on the empty chair to her right before she reclaimed her seat.
“Their gyms all have juice bars and serve healthy snacks.I wondered if they could use the honey as an ingredient in several of their products and observe the changes.”
“How will you keep it secret?”Suzie asked.
“The gym owner was short of money and seeking a partner.I’m the partner who helped him.I prefer to approach him in person, but I’m positive he’ll help.”
“Sneaky,” Suzie said.“It looks as if the kitchen is ready to open.Do you think we could order now?I’m starving.”
“Did you check the menu?”
“I decided on fish and chips, although the steak and kidney pie sounded tempting.”
“That’s what I usually order.You can try some of mine.”
Suzie’s broad grin smoothed the last of his ruffled feathers, and he resolved not to think about his brothers until he and Suzie returned to the castle.He wanted to focus on this beautiful shifter and start the wooing process.He and his bear had a challenge before them, but that didn’t daunt Niall because he thrived on challenges.
“Did you find your tablet?”he asked.
“I did.The sweet shop owner makes it herself, and she’d just put out a fresh batch.I bought enough to share.Do you have a sweet tooth?”
Niall huffed out a laugh.“I’m a bear.It goes with the territory.”
“I’ll need to use the gym every morning and perhaps start swimming again.”
“Feel free to access the basement gym and heated pool anytime.”
“Thanks.”
Suzie’s beam had him smiling in return.Heck, his mouth was hurting with all this uncharacteristic smiling.His bear huffed, amused, while Niall shook his head.
“Will your brothers cause trouble?”
That knocked the amusement out of him.“Yes, they can’t help themselves.None of my brothers or sisters believe in hard work when taking the fruits of someone else’s labors is much easier.”
Suzie’s expression held sympathy, and it warmed him inside.Apart from Cameron, no one had ever cared about him before.He’d had to fight and struggle to reach his current position.
“Do you think your brothers shot at us?”
“They didn’t deny it,” Niall said, tightening the grip on his beer.“They would’ve loudly protested their innocence but shrugged it off.It was as if I mentioned the sunny weather.”
Suzie snorted.“Were they trying to scare us?”
Niall threw up his hands and almost sloshed beer over the table.“Who knows how their minds work?Maybe they wanted to frighten us.Me.”
“They sounded desperate when they asked for money.”
Niall tapped his free hand on the tabletop, his fingers striking one after the other in a rhythm.When he realized what he was doing, he stilled.Hell, he was regressing to old ways.Bad habits that let others know of his inner turmoil.But seeing his brothers again had plunked him right back to childhood memories and the uncaring cruelty they’d dealt him because he was unable to defend himself.He’d gone without food because he ate last and… Enough, dammit.He couldn’t afford to let them into his head.
