Except five minutes after being shown to a booth, Julie began to realize that something significant had changed while she was away.
People knew her. People she’d never met greeted her by name. They smiled at her and patted her shoulder as they passed by. They waved from across the room before sitting down to their meals. And then, a too-perky blonde dropped into the opposite side of the booth and pushed a cupcake toward her. It was mega large and decorated with a grizzly bear face, complete with chocolate drops for eyes and a long icing nose.
“You’re Julie Simon, right? I’m Becca, Carl’s fiancée.” Then she gestured to the cupcake. “What do you think? Too on the nose?”
“What?” Julie said.
“On the nose. It means too obvious. Too on point. Too?—”
“I know what it means,” Julie interrupted, not upset. More confused and off-kilter. “Why are you asking me?”
“I’m a baker. I have a store in Kalamazoo, but I’m setting one up here, too. So I thought, what better way to welcome you to the fold than to give you a grizzly bear cupcake?” She grinned, and Julie had to admit that the look was infectious. The woman seemed to be just naturally perky, which was endearing. A little annoying, but generally endearing.
“Uh. Thanks.” What else was she supposed to say? I don’t want to be part of your freaky magic cult? I don’t like suddenly knowing something I can’t share with anyone else and makes my father treat me like a six-year-old? Yeah, she’d been stupid enough to broach the topic with her father. Could real shifters exist? Maybe? He’d laughed in that condescending way men have when looking at a silly woman. “I thought you’d grown out of your fanciful childhood,” he’d said. And when she’d stiffened, he’d patted her hand. “You’re a good girl,” he’d said and then his eyes had drifted closed.
So much for hoping her father was aware of the truth. But looking around at the friendly faces in the café, she realized she wasn’t completely alone. All of them were part of the secret. And they were welcoming her into the tribe, so to speak. “Is everyone here a…Do they all…?” She cut off her words, struggling to find a way to ask what she wasn’t supposed to talk about. What she could barely bring herself to comprehend.
“Part of the Gladwin grizzly clan?” Becca asked cheerfully. She looked around at the crowd, about twenty strong. “About half,” she finally said. “Big events bring people out for gossip. And this morning was a big event.”
Julie looked away. In her mind there were two big events. The first was the hot morning with Mark. The second was…well, the violent, awful morning with grizzly bear Mark.
“Too soon, huh?” Becca asked, her voice sympathetic. “I can relate. I was, um, brought into the fold in less-than-ideal circumstances.”
Julie’s gaze jumped back to her. “What happened?”
“My adopted son was kidnapped. Long story, but with a happy ending.” She flashed Julie a quick smile. “Look, you’re probably freaked out right now.”
“Ya think?”
“But it gets better. I promise. And we’re all really happy that you and Mark have found each other.”
Julie took a moment to process what she’d heard. And another moment to make sure the words meant what she thought they did. “Mark and I…Do you think that we…” She looked around the room. There were no less than three people beaming smiles at her that very second. “I knew small towns had a good rumor mill, but this is ridiculous.”
Becca frowned as she looked down at the cupcake. “Okay, maybe I’m off here, but Tonya said you know about…um…”
“That Mark can stand up really tall and furry? Yeah. I know that.”
“And Carl told me that the two of you were together.”
“At the time of the attack? Yes, he was there with me.”
“Er, right.” Becca shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “The thing is, bears can smell really well. They can scent?—”
“Oh, shit.” Now it was her turn to flush bright pink. So everyone here knew that she and Mark had made love. Great.
Becca touched her hand. “We think it’s great.”
“Except it’s not great,” Julie snapped. “It’s not anything at all. I’m here for a week to help my dad. And even if there was something…there isn’t.”
“Because of the bear thing?”
Well, yeah. Plus the fact that before yesterday, they hadn’t seen each other in years. “Look, it’s not the 1800s. Sometimes single adults hook up. Don’t make more of this than it is.”
“Okay. Sure. But you should know that Mark doesn’t.”
“What?”
“Mark doesn’t hook up. He’s the most reclusive guy I’ve ever known. He barely speaks, rarely comes out of his den, and when he does, it’s to be surly.” She shrugged self-consciously as if suddenly realizing what she’d said. “No offense.”
