Rollo kissed her hard on the mouth and all the guys in the station made teasing kissy noises at them. Rollo looked up at the men and smiled, still holding her tight.
“You are all just jealous I found my mate,” he said.
“We are,” Knox admitted with a good natured grin. “But we’re happy for you too, Commander.”
“I should go,” Zoe said, suddenly realizing that she was at Rollo’s work in the middle of the day.
“I’ll give you a ride back to the Institute,” Rollo said. “Then we can get you moved into my place.”
As they drove up to the Institute, Zoe couldn’t help but think about her life. Now that she didn’t have Dima and his gang to worry about, her relationship with her brother came into full resolution at the forefront of her mind.
She’d been a serious bitch to Corey yesterday. Maybe she’d always been a bitch to him. Maybe he deserved it, in a way. But she didn’t want to be on bad terms with her brother any more. She loved him more than anything. She was his flesh and blood, and he’d taken care of her for years. She couldn’t just leave things the way they’d ended the day before.
When Rollo parked in front of the dorm, she gave him a kiss and climbed out of the car, saying goodbye before he drove off back to work.
She went to her room and looked around, realizing that she had no idea what she was going to do next. This place wasn’t really a home. She’d just come here to study woodworking so she could break into Caitlin Somerset’s Louis the Fifteenth chest. Now she had an apprenticeship with Angus, a mate, and a family.
That’s when she remembered she hadn’t showed up to her job in days and hadn’t given Angus any word as to why. Great. Had she ruined her chance to learn from one of the top woodworkers on the West Coast?
She picked up her cellphone and gave Angus a call.
“Zoe Bright. I’ve heard you’ve been up to no good,” he said in a stern tone.
“I’m sorry,” she stuttered.
“I’m just teasing. I hear congratulations are in order.”
“Thank you, Angus. I’m sorry I ditched work without giving you a call.”
“You’ve had a lot on your plate. The job is still here for you if you want it. You’ve got a knack for this work, Zoe. I hope you decide to use it.”
“I definitely plan to. I never would have suspected I’d love working with wood so much, but I do. I’ll see you tomorrow morning. I have to go talk to my brother about some things today, if that’s all right.”
“You do what you need to. I’ll see you in the morning.”
They hung up the phone, and Zoe suddenly felt a thousand times better about everything. Angus was as sweet as they came, and she couldn’t wait to learn everything he could teach her.
Now that she’d smoothed things over with her mentor, she had to figure out what to do about her brother. Zoe paced around her room for a few minutes, memories of every time Corey had ever made her feel small flashing through her mind. Finally, she decided to just go over there. It was better to get it over with, like ripping off a bandage.
“Okay, Zoe Bright, you can do this,” she said, taking a deep breath as she opened the door.
She walked over to Corey’s house, noticing that his and Willow’s cars were both in the front driveway. She climbed the stairs and knocked on the door. No one answered at first so she rang the doorbell. A moment later, Willow answered, looking a little perturbed.
“Did I interrupt your work?” Zoe said apologetically.
“It’s fine. I’m glad you came. Come in,” Willow said, her face moving into a bright smile.
Zoe stepped into the front room of their house, and Willow led her through the front hall into the kitchen.
“Are you hungry?” Willow asked, opening the fridge.
“I came to talk to Corey,” Zoe said. “I feel terrible about yesterday.”
Willow closed the fridge and crossed the room, taking Zoe’s hands in hers.
“Corey feels terrible about it too. You know he loves you. That goes without saying. But I know my mate as well as anyone, and he can be difficult. He doesn’t share his feelings readily and when he does, it often comes out all wrong.”
“I know,” Zoe said, looking down at her hands. “I don’t know how to get through to him.”
“Don’t let his sharp edges bother you so much. He doesn’t mean to be unkind. He just wants you to be happy.”
Zoe heaved a sigh, knowing that Willow was right. She’d known her brother all her life. He was more like a father than a brother in a lot of ways, and she knew his strengths and his weaknesses. Willow let go of her hands and stepped back behind the kitchen island.
“Why don’t you go talk to him while I whip us up some lunch. Do you like turkey sandwiches with lettuce and pickles?”
“Heck yes,” Zoe said, smiling at her kind-hearted sister-in-law.
Someone as emotionally expressive as Willow was exactly the kind of women Corey needed to balance him out.
“Good,” Willow said. “Corey is in his cave. I mean office. Don’t get scared if he growls at you when you go in.”
“Hmm. Maybe I should wait for a better time.”
“Believe me. There’s never a better time,” Willow said, giggling as she pulled a bag of fresh sandwich rolls out of a cabinet.
“Point taken. Here goes nothing.”
“Good luck, Zoe. I’m rooting for you.”
“Thank you, Willow,” Zoe said, stepping out of the kitchen. She went back to the entrance hall and climbed the stairs to the second floor. All the way up the stairs, the view of the outside from the front windows expanded out before her. Her brother had a kickass house, and it made her wish she had a home of her own. And maybe she did, now that she had Rollo. Anywhere he was, she belonged too. He’d even asked her to move in with him.
She came to Corey’s office door, and rapped her knuckles on the door. There was a grumbling response from inside so she just swung open the door and stepped in without stopping.
“I thought I smelled your scent,” Corey said. “What are you doing here, Zoe? I’m working.”
“I just wanted to talk about yesterday,” Zoe said, running her index finger along the top of a discarded computer monitor on a table next to the door.
She moved further into the room and collapsed on an armchair, feeling like a kid annoying her big brother. He gave her a look that said ‘what the hell?’ and raised an eyebrow at her.
“What did you want to say?” he asked, swiveling his office chair toward her.
He was wearing khaki shorts and a polo shirt with a pair of trendy sneakers. He looked very much the image of the downplayed creative class billionaire he was. Zoe had to keep herself from rolling her eyes at him.
“Corey, I can’t stand things being so shitty between us.”
“There’s no reason for them to be,” he said dismissively.
“That is where you are wrong, Corey. Don’t you understand why we’ve had such a bad relationship for so long?”
“You and I are very different people, Zoe. I’ve never understood your motivations.”
“That’s exactly my point, bro,” she said, keeping her irritation contained as much as possible.
“Wait a minute, I’m confused.”
“Look, Corey, I love you. You’re my brother, and I’ll always be grateful for what you’ve done for me and for Mom before she died. But like you said yourself, we are very different people. What works for me isn’t what works for you, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong.”
“I’ve never suggested that it does.”
“Actually, you have. Constantly. My entire life… Don’t you get it?”
“Zoe, I had a lot of responsibilities very young and you were a wild kid. You never did what you were supposed to. It drove Mom crazy, and I had to bear the burden of making sure you didn’t self-destruct.”
“I understand Corey, but that was a long time ago. I’m not twelve anymore.”
“Sometimes
you act like you are.”
“See? That is exactly what I’m talking about. I do not act like a twelve-year-old. I’ve been traveling the world for seven years, Corey. Seven years. Money or not, the world is a big, dangerous place, and I’ve survived it on my own.”
“Tell me why you came here, Zoe. You’ve always hated small towns and small town people. Isn’t that what you said when you left?”
“Yes. I did say that. And I meant it at the time. But things change and so have I. I came to Fate Mountain to go to the Bright Institute for Shifters to learn woodworking.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“And so I could steal jewels from Caitlin Somerset’s Louis the Fifteenth chest and give them to my psycho ex-boyfriend the mob boss.”
“Oh. Well, that sounds more believable.”
“I’m glad you finally believe something I say.”
“How did you get involved with the mob?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at her.
“It’s a long story. But I just want you to know that I didn’t get involved with crime to be a criminal. I had real feelings for Dima when we first got together. I was just part of his entourage for a long time. When he found out I was a shifter, that’s when things changed.
“He wanted me to start using my abilities for his benefit. After I lost a million dollars’ worth of jewels in an airport, he held me like a prisoner, with the threat of death hanging over my head every day.
“Then he told me to come to Fate Mountain to steal the jewels. Enrolling in the Institute and studying woodworking were all my ideas. He stopped giving me money so I needed a way to pay my way while I studied for the heist. Caitlin didn’t even store her jewels at her Oregon estate until a week ago when I was finally able to break in.”
“So this was all just preparation for a heist?” he asked.
“Yes. It was.”
“I should have known.”
“But since I’ve been here, I’ve realized there’s been a huge hole in my heart. I finally see what I’ve been missing all along. Now that I have Rollo in my life, everything makes sense.”
“What about your apprenticeship with Angus?” Corey asked. “Was that just part of the heist too? Because Angus thinks you are really talented.”
“Angus is the best. And I’m going back to work at the woodshop tomorrow. I never would have imagined myself as a woodworker, but I love it. I can’t wait to learn everything Angus can teach me.”
“I’m glad, Zoe. I’ve worried about you for a long time, but it seems like you’re finally finding your way after all.”
“I am Corey. I really am.”
“I’m glad we had this talk,” Corey said.
Zoe stood up from her chair and threw her arms around her brother, giving him a tight squeeze. He returned the hug, and patted her back like she was making him uncomfortable.
“Me too,” she said, letting him go. “Come downstairs. Willow is making us turkey sandwiches.”
“I love her sandwiches,” Corey said with a gleam in his eyes.
They walked downstairs together and found Willow finishing up lunch in the kitchen.
“How do you find time to take care of this guy and write all those books, Willow?” Zoe asked.
“By making time for two of my favorite shifters,” Willow said, smiling at the Bright siblings.
They all took their lunch out onto the deck and ate in the fresh air at a dining area on the massive porch. As the cool breeze blew up from the lake and swept through Zoe’s hair, she finally felt like she was part of a family again.
Chapter 18
Rollo and Zoe pulled up in front of the Fate Mountain Lodge in his SUV. In the months since the helicopter explosion, Zoe had moved in with Rollo and they had moved on with their happy little life together. Things had been going so well and so smoothly for them that it was hard to believe that things had started out so dramatically.
They hopped out of the car and made their way around the side of the lodge toward the big backyard and patios that faced the lake. There was already a big crowd of people, enjoying the summer celebration. Rollo held Zoe’s hand, feeling the warm glow of community rise in his chest. He could tell that Zoe felt it too as she squeezed his hand and they walked into the party.
Rollo saw Shane Keenan making hamburgers at the huge grill on the patio. Levi, the owner of the lodge, and his mate Juliet were sitting at a picnic table drinking margaritas while their daughter Sunshine ran around with a gaggle of other shifter children. It did his heart good to see the shifters on Fate Mountain doing so well and celebrating with their families.
It was everything that he wanted to facilitate as chief of police. Now that he had Zoe, he could create his own family. Angus Grant and his wife Poppy waved them over to the picnic table where they were sitting on the lawn under a big maple tree that cast a wide swath of shade over the green grass. Rollo and Zoe walked over to Angus and Poppy to join them at the table.
“Are the burgers ready yet?” Rollo asked with a grin.
“You can go ask Shane, but I would stay out of his way while he’s cooking,” Angus said.
Everyone laughed. Shane was known for his wild side. Rollo glanced over and saw Shane flipping the patties onto a tray for the waiting guests.
“I’ll go get us some food,” he told Zoe.
He rose from the table and Zoe smiled up at him and thanked him. He walked over to the end of the table that was full of picnic food and dished up two plates for him and Zoe. When he got to the end of the line, he greeted Shane and thanked him for the delicious burgers.
“Not a problem, Commander Morris,” Shane said. “All of the Rescue Bears are happy that the alpha of the Bear Patrol has found his mate.”
“That means a lot to me, Shane,” Rollo said, giving the tattooed chef a pat on the back. “The life we build here on Fate Mountain is a legacy for our children.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Shane said, glancing over at his beautiful blonde wife Lily and their eight-year-old son Theo.
Theo Keenan was a rambunctious little bear shifter who was walking on his hands and showing off for all of the other children. His mom called out to him from her picnic table, “Now do the backflip, sweetie!”
Rollo knew that Lily was a bear shifter now after Shane had turned her. It probably made things a lot easier for her as the mom of a shifter cub.
Rollo took his plates back to the picnic table where Zoe was discussing planing techniques with Angus. His beautiful, worldly mate had become a bit of a wood geek. Angus had even started taking her out on cabinet installs, and she was a regular part of his crew. No one would have believed that the girl with flashing green eyes and bright red lipstick would be one of the best woodworkers in town. But she was, and Rollo couldn’t be more proud.
Zoe thanked him for the burger right when Willow and Corey walked over to sit beside them. Poppy stood up abruptly to go check on her child, who was the youngest of the Rescue Bear’s kids. Still being a human, it was hard for Poppy to deal with her high-spirited cub’s physicality.
“He’ll be all right,” Angus said.
“Those kids are a handful,” Zoe said, looking over at the children playing on the grass.
All of the Rescue Bears had cubs except for Willow and Corey. Zoe had told him that Willow wanted children, but she just wasn’t ready to get pregnant yet. Rollo remembered that story because Zoe had told him at that time how she also wanted to put off having children.
He absolutely respected anything that Zoe wanted to do with her own body, and he would never dream of pressuring her to bear his cubs. But he couldn’t help feeling the urge to become a father. Then their family would be complete.
“When are you and Willow going to have a cub?” Angus said before taking a sip of Fate Mountain lager from an amber bottle.
“We’ve talked about it,” Willow said. “We’re just both so busy right now. But I think in a year or two, we’ll be ready.”
“There’s no rush,” Corey said
. “Willow and I have time.”
“Are you trying to convince these two to have a cub?” Drew asked, setting another six pack of bottles on the picnic table.
Drew Bock was known as Brew Bear to the Rescue Bears because he owned the Fate Mountain brewery.
“We’ll do it in our own damn time,” Corey growled.
“Fatherhood has changed my life,” Drew said, picking up his little son Max off the ground.
The Rescue Bears had all had a headstart on the Bear Patrol when it came to mates and families. Rollo, the commander of his crew, was the first on the Bear Patrol to find someone.
Deputy Bear Knox joined the picnic just in time to hear the discussion about babies. He moved around the table and slapped Rollo on the back.
“Corey isn’t the only bear who needs to get busy making cubs,” Knox said.
Rollo couldn’t be any more furious at his deputy for Zoe’s sake, but he knew that Knox was only kidding around.
“I’m ready to do whatever Zoe is ready to do,” Rollo said, putting his hands up in the air.
“Kids take a lot of time,” said Damien as he sat down at the picnic table with a beer.
“They do,” Willow said.
“Is the whole Bear Patrol here?” Rollo asked Damien and Knox.
They had decided the patrol should take a short break from their duties to join the Rescue Bears at the summer barbecue at the lodge today. There were humans on the force who were happy to take over while the bears had a picnic.
Rollo thought it was important that the bears of Fate Mountain stick together, especially since the Rescue Bears and the Bear Patrol worked together so often on cases. They were really like one big happy family. But he wanted his crew, and Levi’s crew to know each other better.
“I’m here,” said Heath.
Heath sat down next to Zoe and gave her a friendly pat on the back. “What are you guys talking about?”