Broken River - Ruby Shae Page 0,30
he’d met Gavin? How had her brother saved him?
She knew that he was embarrassed by the story, mostly because it involved him messing up and jeopardizing the safety of his family, but she hoped that one day he would trust her with the words. If he didn’t, that would be okay, too—she wouldn’t love him any less—but she hoped he would.
She glanced toward the house and noticed a big pile of wood sitting on the otherwise empty floor of the carport, and in front of the house, Liam’s truck and the golf cart were lined up behind her SUV. She understood about the golf cart, but he usually left his truck at the main house, and it was odd that he had left the vehicle by the cabin.
Something was going on, and after one more look at her bear, she walked inside the cabin, glanced around the cozy space, and suddenly stopped in her tracks when her gaze swept over the kitchen.
The old, broken oven was gone, and in its place was a brand-new, beautiful, top-of-the-line range with a gorgeous stovetop and duel ovens. The unit was exactly what she would purchase if she was buying something for her own home, and she had priced them in the past, so she knew they weren’t cheap. She also knew that they had to be special ordered, and that Liam had likely purchased this for her the day after she’d found out that his oven was broken. Long before he’d opened up to her, and before they’d had sex for the first time.
Tears filled her eyes at the sheer kindness and love behind his gift, and when they started to escape, she didn’t try and stop them. He had been willing to marry her, to take care of her for two years at her brother’s request, and he had gone all in to make her happy while expecting nothing in return.
The gesture only increased her love for him, and cemented her decision to stay with him forever…if he would have her. She would have to change her dream about opening up her own bakery, but as long as she was baking every day—or almost every day—new plans didn’t bother her. Besides, she and Lacey had already been making new plans for the store that would keep her busy for a very long time.
She raced outside the cabin, and ran toward the fire pit. The bear sat up taller, but other than that, he didn’t move until she stood beside him. When he looked at her face, a low growl grumbled through him, and his eyes held a question she knew she could answer.
“These are happy tears,” she said, looking around. She was pretty sure that Liam and the bear were one, but just in case she was wrong, she was pretending to scan the area looking for him. “Do you know where he is?”
She looked pointedly at the bear, but his only response was a very human-like shoulder shrug. He didn’t look away, though, and she had a feeling he wanted to tell her everything, but he didn’t know how.
She decided to lead by example.
“He bought me an oven,” she said, “and not just any oven. It’s a brand that I’ve only ever dreamed of having, and it’s really fancy. I love it so much…and I love him, too. When I first got here, I told him that Gavin was the only good man I’ve ever known, but that’s no longer true. Liam is a good man, too, and I want to stay married to him forever, not just for the duration of our contract.”
The bear let out another low growl, and rubbed his head against her hip. She automatically placed her hand on his head in response, and gently patted his fur. They stayed like that for just a moment, but it was enough. She wanted Liam back in his human form, and she wanted him now.
“If you see him, tell him I’m looking for him,” she said, taking a small step away from the animal. It was just far enough to break their connection, but that had been her goal. She wasn’t going to run from the bear, but she wanted to tease Liam a little bit. “I’ll be waiting for him inside our cabin, and in our bed. Naked.”
The bear let out another growl, but this time it was louder, as if he was frustrated with her, and since that had been her goal, she laughed and hurried back