bear shifter.
“What’ll you guys have?” the bartender asked. He was cute, with dark hair and sparking blue eyes. His smile was gorgeous. Mercy was mated, not blind. He could still appreciate hotness when he saw it.
At the table closest to the bar were four men in dark blue T-shirts with Fever’s Edge Fire Department logos on the left breast. They laughed and talked, and Mercy was so glad he was in town tonight.
God how he’d missed all of this.
He recognized Fire Chief Dalton Knowles as one of the firefighters at the table, but Mercy didn’t know the others.
“Wings and fries?” Ford glanced down at him.
“Sounds good.” Mercy didn’t have to raise his voice to be heard over the noise. Ford was a shifter and would be able to hear him just fine. “Some sodas, too.”
Mercy wondered if the drugstore would still be open. They might not need condoms because nonhumans couldn’t contract diseases, but they would need some lube.
Right there in the crowded restaurant Mercy felt his face catch fire.
Ford leaned down and pressed his lips to Mercy’s ear. “What has you blushing so badly?”
“It’s hot in here.” Mercy fanned his face. “I’ll wait outside.”
Ford shook his head as he slid his arm back around Mercy. “Not letting you out of my sight. You’re too handsome to trust around these single men.”
“Twenty minutes,” the bartender said.
“We’ll be outside,” Ford said the guy before he guided Mercy toward the exit.
Something caught Mercy’s attention. A guy with black hair and dark eyes was seated at one of the booths by himself. All that was in front of him was a glass of water.
The way his gaze followed Mercy and Ford gave Mercy the chills. It was the same expression Lloyd had had right before he flew into a rage.
Dark and malevolent.
Ford guided them onto the street, where Mercy took a deep breath, thankful for the fresh air. When he looked back to where the stranger had been seated, the booth was empty.
“Drugstore,” Mercy said as he tried to forget the stranger. For all he knew, the guy was pissed about something and hadn’t really been paying them any attention, just lost in his own thoughts.
“Toothbrushes.” Ford nodded. “Good idea.”
Mercy didn’t bother to correct Ford, and his mate was right. It wasn’t as though Mercy had brought his toothbrush with him.
He was caught off guard when Ford took his hand as they walked. Lloyd had never showed any public displays of affection, so Mercy wasn’t used to it.
But he liked it.
A lot.
“I think you picked the perfect location for your bakery,” Ford said. “This street seems to have a lot of traffic.”
“Lander Avenue has a lot of businesses and the park, which everyone loves to visit.” Mercy also felt as if he’d picked the right place for his bakery. He was surprised the building hadn’t been snatched up before now. It was a prime location.
“That’s right,” Ford said as if he’d just remembered. “You’re supposed to be my tour guide.”
“Maybe some other time.” Mercy was too anxious to get their food and go back to their apartment to take his time and show Ford around.
They entered the drugstore, and Mercy felt no shame in purchasing a bottle of lube as Ford grabbed toothbrushes, toothpaste, and mouthwash. When they met at the counter, his mate arched a brow but didn’t say anything.
They made it back to Cresting Moon, grabbed their food, and went back to the bakery.
“So, I was thinking…” Ford said as he laid the containers on the coffee table. “We should move in here tomorrow. I’m here already during the day, and to be honest, it makes more sense that you move into town sooner rather than later.”
Mercy sat on the couch and flipped open the lid to his container. Fuck, the smell of the wings had his stomach growling. He hadn’t been hungry before, but now he was starving.
“I was thinking the same thing.” Mercy shoved a fry into his mouth. “I just didn’t want to rush things.”
When Ford sat, their legs touched. He grabbed the remote off the table and turned the television on. Mercy was thankful the place had already been furnished. It was one less thing he’d have to worry about.
“I’ll work off your timeline, Mercy. Whatever you want to do.” Ford took a sip of his drink.
Ford knew of Mercy’s past, of his hesitation when it came to relationships. His mate was being accommodating, and damn it, Mercy had already been catching feelings for the guy. But