"I don't know how you talked me in to this." Beckett shook his head. But one look at the mark on her shoulder and he knew how she’d done it. She’d asked. That was all she ever had to do.

It still sent shivers down his spine whenever he caught a glimpse of the mark she’d let him leave on her body. A sign of their love and forever bond. They weren’t married yet but it was as good as done in his bear’s mind. His animal was at her beck and call from here on out.

"You're not going to regret it." She straightened his tie. "I don't know why you had to dress so formally. They would've been fine if you'd worn sweatpants. They don't care how you look."

"You don't have to dress me anymore," he teased her. "And I had to wear a tie and jacket. It feels like a formal occasion."

"I've put on a pot of coffee," Potter sang as she came into the foyer. "Where are they? Shouldn't they've been here already?"

"Maybe they decided not to come?" he asked hopefully.

"Oh hush," Lenni said. "They're on their way up right now. They should be here any second."

"Should I go outside to meet them, sir?" Patrick asked.

"Sure, why not?" he told him. "We want to make a good impression. You only have one chance at the first."

"It's going to go wonderfully," Lenni told him again.

She said it a thousand times and he believed her. This was just a big deal for him. His stepmother and father would be here any second. This was his and Lenni's first time back in Hope Springs since they had been back on the East Coast for a season. They had meant to stay longer, but Lenni didn't want to be far from her father for so long. Professor Belle was going to be in town for the next few weeks and then he was headed out to spend time with a pack of wolf shifters in Canada. If they had waited to come back, they would've missed him entirely. Beckett didn't want to disappoint Lenni, so he pushed their trip to Hope Springs earlier.

It was only fitting that his parents got to see the mansion this time too. His stepmother wanted to come and see Lenni's ring in person anyway.

"They're here," he told her. He could hear his stepmother speaking outside.

The front door opened and Patrick announced them. "Mr. and Mrs. Hansen are here, sir."

"We're not going to be the only Mr. and Mrs. soon," Stephanie squealed. She entered the home with her arms spread wide and pulled Lenni in a tight hug and then pushed her back. "But let's see the ring."

"Let me kiss her hello first," his father said. He gave Lenni a quick kiss on the cheek. "But she's right. Show us the ring."

"I never thought this day would come," Stephanie gushed, pulling Lenni's hand close to her. "I knew you were special as soon as I saw you. This ring is almost as gorgeous as you."

"I could say the same thing," Beckett said.

"He sure didn't act that way," Potter chuckled. "But I'm glad you figured out your mistake in the end. I really thought you were going to let this one get away."

He growled. He hadn't been mistaken. He had just been slow to realize the truth. He hated when they teased him like this.

"So how did he propose?" Stephanie asked.

He looked at Lenni and smiled. He loved telling the story. "I put it on the top of pizza. When she opened the box, there it was spelled out in green peppers and pineapple. 'Will you marry me?'"

Stephanie's mouth dropped open. "Is that romantic for you two? Please tell me there is some significance to the pizza."

Lenni laughed. "There is. This whole thing started because of pizza. He met my father at a local pizza shop. My father came to ask him to give me a job and that's how I began to work here. If it wasn't for Beckett's love of pizza, none of this would've ever happened."

"I guess I better buy stock in that pizza place," his father laughed.

"That has to be the first love story brought to you by pizza," Stephanie shook her head. She hugged Beckett. "I'm so proud of you. I love you, honey."

He coughed and held his arms at his side. "Thank you. I love you too."

She looked like she wanted to cry. He was afraid he had said the wrong thing.

"We're so glad you guys came," Lenni said quickly. "Why don't you let me show you around, Steph?"

"I have a pot of coffee in the kitchen," Potter offered. "You're going to love the new remodel. Come on, dear."

Stephanie nodded. "Thanks. That sounds wonderful."

She was going to cry. He waited until they were a few steps away before turning to his father.

"Did I say something wrong?" he whispered.

His father shook his head. "You didn't do anything wrong, son. You said everything right. I'm proud of you too. You've come so far this last year. Your mother would be proud too."

"I hope so."

Even if he hadn't gotten a chance to know her, Beckett knew his mother wanted the best for him. And nothing was going to be better than what he had now. A family and a house full of love. And once he got married, he would fill it with children too. He had everything she could ever dream of for him. More than he could have ever dreamed of for himself. This was it. This was the life he was supposed to have and it was finally his.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Thank you so much for reading Beastly Bear. If you enjoyed this story, please consider leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads. And be sure to sign up to my so you don’t miss any new Lola Kidd books. Thank you :)

 

 

Up Next:

Book three in the Shifter Brides Everafter Series! Formally overweight lion shifter Connor fights for the love in this shifter tale loosely based on classic fairy tale Cinderella.

Coming Summer 2017

Sign-up to to be notified when this book is released.