As Aiden sat, trying to decide what to do, he heard Doc’s snowmobile in the distance. A few minutes later, he spotted him heading down the path toward him. That was convenient.

Aiden stood up, careful with his right paw, Doc stopped in front of him and turned off the motor.

Doc studied him, a bemused expression on his face. “I received a phone call.”

Aiden cocked his head to one side and held up his paw.

Doc closed the distance and took Aiden’s paw in his hands. “You’re going to have some explaining to do.” Doc nodded toward the cabin.

Aiden felt his stomach drop. Emma. Emma would have called Doc.

Doc took a long trench coat from his snowmobile and held it up. “You need to shift back, so I can set your broken wrist.” He held the coat out.

Aiden glanced around, but it was almost dark, and he didn’t see anyone watching. He shifted into human form.

He wrapped his naked body in the coat and tied the belt at his waist. “Emma called you.”

Doc shrugged. “Like I said. You’re either going to have to tell her that you’re a bear shifter or come up with something creative in the next few minutes. We need to get you inside, so I can take a look at that wrist.”

Aiden sighed with a glance toward his cabin. Careless. He was being careless on so many levels. He was having an off day. An off couple of days, truth be told. Ever since he’d laid eyes on Emma. It was like his brain wasn’t working right. Even as a bear, he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

It struck him then how unusual that was. Typically, his bear didn’t feel any emotional attachment.

Still trying to sort out that thought, he followed Doc into the cabin. He supported his limp right wrist with his other hand. Beau came in at their heels and curled up on the rug in front of the fireplace.

Doc stepped aside to set his black bag on the kitchen table and Aiden looked up toward the living room. Emma sat on the couch, her eyes wide as she watched him.

Well, hell.

He’d just come in out of the cold, his feet bare, wearing a trench coat. If she was suspicious of him before, what must she think now? This was going to take more than a simple explanation. He wouldn’t blame her if she asked Doc to take her away from here.

“Sit.” Doc slid a dining chair out while putting on his glasses.

Aiden’s eyes locked onto Emma’s wide ones, as he did as he was told.

Doc examined his wrist. “What is it with you two? First a sprained ankle and now a fractured wrist?”

He wrapped it with a bandage similar to what he had done for Emma. “This might take a few days to heal.” He said for Aiden’s ears only. “It’s best if you don’t shift until it’s mended. It might throw something out of whack.”

“Got it.” Aiden kept his eyes on Emma. Her face was a little flushed.

“I’m just going to leave now.” Doc slipped away and closed the door behind him.

“You must be cold.” Emma said.

Aiden glanced down at the trench coat and bit his lip to keep from bursting out into laughter. “I think I’ll get dressed.”

She nodded. “Good idea.”

Aiden went into the bathroom and stepped into the shower. Nothing like taking a shower while trying to keep one arm dry. Nonetheless, it was worth it. He went into his room and pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He ran a comb through his hair and decided not to try shaving with his left hand.

He still had no idea how he was going to explain himself as he walked back into the living room.

“I fell,” he said in answer to her questioning look.

“You fell and broke your wrist.”

“Yeah. Clumsy, huh?”

“Yeah.” She knitted her brow. “It’s interesting that your clothes fell off, too.” Beau lifted his head and looked at her.

Aiden cleared his throat. With most humans, he would have formed an excuse by now. But with Emma, he didn’t want to lie. Not even a little white lie to protect her from knowing that he was a shifter.

He went to the couch and sat on the opposite end from her, one arm across the back and one knee over the other.

She pulled her feet back and wrapped her arms across her knees.

An image, a memory this time, blazed through his mind of his mouth on her toes… And other places.

Her face flushed, possibly with her own memories, and Aiden smiled.