Billionaire Bear Shifters A Paranormal Romance Complete Series Boxset - Brittany White Page 0,73

go back to? She had left her awful sleuth a long, long time ago. She had no real ties in Washington and she’d brought everything important with her. The thought of being lonely in Washington was a lot more dismal than the thought of being lonely, even with Eric just across the lodge from her.

Lydia climbed out of the bath and dressed in the yoga pants and sweater she’d bought with one of Eric’s gift cards. She was considering ordering food when the knock came at the door and she tensed, expecting Eric. Except, it didn’t smell like him.

When she opened the door to Cody Strauss, she sighed in relief. “Hey, Cody.” She grinned genuinely. She had not had a chance to catch up with all the Strauss brothers, though she had only ever been dimly aware of them as Eric’s intimidating older brothers when she was younger. But Cody laughed and gave her a big hug, clapping her on the back. He was holding a covered platter and he held it carefully aside as he hugged her. “How are you?”

“Me?” Cody raised an eyebrow. “I’m just fine. I’m more interested in how you are. Judging by the pouty expression on my brother’s face, I’m guessing not great.”

“Really?” Lydia shut the door behind Cody and padded over to the mini-bar. If they were going to be talking about Eric, she at least wanted to be buzzed. “He seemed pretty happy with himself the last time I saw him. I’ll get you a drink.”

He’d looked perfectly happy to her mind, tossing their time together off as hot sex and nothing more. It hadn’t been only that to her. Not when they’d seemed to connect on every level.

“He wasn’t,” Cody said firmly. She tossed him a mini bottle of Grey Goose and he caught it neatly, throwing it back all in one swallow. “But we Strauss brothers aren’t always great at talking about our…” Cody sighed dramatically and waved a hand around as if batting away insects, “feelings.”

“Wow.” Lydia couldn’t help but laugh. “You really aren’t.”

“My feelings are usually that I’m kinda pissed and everything else is a dull roar,” Cody cracked.

Lydia cackled at that and she sat down at the dining table. Cody set that mysterious platter of his on the table. “I brought you dinner, by the way. Shrimp scampi, creamed spinach, potatoes au gratin, tiramisu for dessert…”

“Oooh.” Lydia’s mouth watered. She was more in the mood to go on a hunt and get her paws dirty, but she was hardly about to turn down shrimp. “That looks delicious. Thank you! I must have been a fool to fall for the concierge and not the chef.”

“Fall for?” Cody’s eyebrows shot up.

Shit.

“I’m just… I don’t mean…”

“I won’t say anything.” Cody shook his head and Lydia blushed, digging into her shrimp scampi. On second thought, it was much better than a hunt would be. Though she still wanted to go on a run in the snowy woods to stretch her legs. “It’s your business. But I think it’s stupid.”

“I left and he never got over it,” she said quietly. “I was doing it for his own good.”

“You might have given him the choice, you know.”

“I was young. Didn’t always think things through.”

“Right.” Cody shrugged. “Well, I hope it works out. If it makes any difference, my brothers and I have been trying to knock some sense into him.”

“If he’s sensible, he’ll tell me to go,” Lydia said. It sounded morose, she supposed. And pitiful.

“Hey, now.” He squeezed her shoulder. “I never got to know you too well, but I always liked you a lot better than any other girl Eric ever knew. Not that there was anything wrong with them. You just always felt like one of us.”

Lydia smiled sadly, poking at her shrimp. “I was never one of you though. That was the problem.”

“Well, if I had to guess, I’d say Eric’s madly in love you,” Cody said. “So that shouldn’t matter. You belong because you love each other. If you can work it out.”

“Maybe.” She only felt marginally better. But there had been too many years of being alone to let Lydia feel optimistic or believe that love conquers all. “We’ll see.”

The next day, Lydia was just picking up her phone to call Eric when his text came through. She liked to think that was part of their occasional telepathic connection, and even if it was probably a coincidence, it still made her smile.

Can we talk?

Lydia had to laugh. At