Chapter Fourteen – Buck

Buck wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked up at the new ceiling. “Once it’s decorated, you won’t see the joins where the new wood meets the old.”

“It’s great. Thank you.” Haley looked relieved. “And thank you, Mason.”

“No trouble at all, Haley.” Mason began packing up his tools. “I should be thanking you.”

“Why?” Haley asked in surprise.

“For being Buck’s mate. I don’t know if I could have persuaded him to stay if he hadn’t met you.” Mason shut his toolbox and stood up straight.

“I thought you already liked Bear Creek enough to stay?” Haley asked.

“I do,” Buck confirmed.

“But the thought of your mate being out there somewhere would have left you unsettled.” Mason nodded. “You know I’m right. Now that you have Haley, everything is right with you.”

Nearly everything, his bear said through gritted teeth. They were having a hard time dealing with Harrison’s behavior and his bear was all for going out and hunting him down.

Not happening, Buck told his bear bluntly. All that will accomplish is getting our ass hauled off to jail and I do not want to miss one moment of the time we have with our mate.

You have a point, his bear reluctantly agreed. Although letting Harrison run roughshod over their lives with no repercussions was not an option either. They simply had to figure a way to get rid of him. Or at least make him realize his behavior toward Haley and her daughters was not acceptable.

“We should get going.” Buck looked at his watch.

“Wow, is that the time already?” Haley looked up at the kitchen clock. It was two-thirty and they were meeting Mike Adelson at three. He was the owner of the parcel of land that Buck hoped to buy and build his dream home on.

“Round up the girls while we get the tools packed away,” Buck instructed, hauling his toolbox off the floor.

“I’ll walk out with you.” Mason lifted his tools and followed Buck out.

“Thanks again, Mason. We’ll see you soon.” Haley left the two men in the hallway and went upstairs where Alicia and Marie were up in their rooms.

After Mason and Buck had sealed the bathtub and inspected the ceiling to check that it had dried out enough, Buck had given Haley the all clear to come home. They had arrived half an hour ago, and now that the ceiling was fixed they were heading out together to take a look at what might be their future backyard.

“They’re excited,” Mason said as they packed their tools away.

Buck secured his tools and shut the truck. “They are. This is a big step for us all and none of us has really had the time to get used to the idea.” He glanced at Haley’s house. “And honestly, the move can’t come soon enough.”

Mason nodded in agreement. “No sign of that piece of crap ex-husband of Haley’s?”

“None. And maybe he won’t come back. Maybe he did what he set out to do. But one thing I know for sure is if he as much as sets foot on my property, he is going to have an angry bear to deal with. I can assure you he will never show his face again.”

Mason slapped Buck on the shoulder. “Just don’t do anything rash.”

“I don’t intend to. But I can’t stand by and let him hurt Haley or the girls.” Buck looked to the mountains in the distance. “Why would you hurt your wife like that? He forced her to leave and yet he keeps coming back and picking at the wound.”

“I have no idea. As difficult as it is for people to understand the nature of a shifter, it’s just as difficult for us to understand how the things we hold true don’t mean squat to ordinary humans.” Mason let his hand drop and fished in his pocket for his keys. “Let me know how you get on at the land. I’d be more than happy to sit down and discuss plans with you.”

“Thanks. If we decide to buy the plot, I want to move forward as soon as possible. I want a fresh start. I’d like the house finished and us moved in by Christmas.” Buck grinned. “Isn’t that what people with families always want?” He was already looking forward to a Christmas with his new mate and family, although he needed to make sure he didn’t get carried away with the gifts and make Haley feel awkward. There was, however, one gift he would insist on.

“Christmas. I can’t wait myself.” Mason sighed. “I never thought we’d both get a mate and a readymade family.”

“We got lucky, Mason. And neither of us will ever forget that or take it for granted.” Buck waved as Mason got in his truck and drove away. After a moment of surveying the road to check that Harrison wasn’t skulking around somewhere, Buck walked back to the house.

“We’re all ready,” Haley told him as he entered. “Shall we go?”

“Yes.” He looked past her toward the kitchen. “Are the doors all locked?”

“They are.” Concern slipped over her face before she pushed it away with a smile. Buck hated that Harrison’s visit had left them both on edge. “Then let’s go. I thought we could get some takeout on the way home.”

“Oh, pizza!” Marie exclaimed.

“Or, I can cook,” Haley offered.

“Mom, please,” Marie begged.

“My treat,” Buck said quickly.

“But you’ve already done enough fixing the ceiling,” Haley insisted.

“And as a reward, you can let me buy takeout.” He placed his hand on her upper arm. “What’s mine is yours. We’re a team now.”

“Buck, I can’t just…” Haley let the sentence hang there between them.

“Why not?” How could he dispel all her arguments? How could he tell her he would give her everything he owned, even the shirt off his back, if it was what she or her children needed?

“I don’t know,” she finally admitted. “But I’ve fought so hard...” Her voice broke, and a small sob erupted from her throat.

“Hey, come on, this is a happy day.” He pulled her into his arms and Marie and Alicia, who had stood by silently, crowded in on her.

“It’s okay, we don’t have to have pizza,” Marie said quietly.

Haley sniffed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “Yes. Yes, we do.” She looked at Buck through her tears. “We’re partners.” She looked at the girls. “All of us.”

“We are.” Buck leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “Forever.”

“So let’s go look at this land and then get pizza.” Haley forced a smile onto her face and opened the front door. With one last look at the interior of her house, she shut the door as if saying goodbye.

“Are you okay?” Buck asked as they walked to his truck, the girls had already gone on in front, talking happily and texting on their phones.

“I am.” She gave a short, apologetic laugh. “It was easier to quit my job than to let you buy pizza.”

“I didn’t mean to upset you.” He slipped his arm around her shoulder, wanting her to believe he only meant the best for them.

“I know. It’s my own stupid pride that gets in my way. I want to commit to this relationship fully.” Buck’s love for her grew with each moment he was with her and each obstacle they overcame. Real or imagined.

“But when you’ve been on your own so long, it’s hard.” He gave her a knowing smile. “I’ve been on my own for a long time so I do understand.”

“And yet you’ve embraced us.”

He arched one eyebrow and nodded. “Because I’ve been on my own for so long. For me, it’s like I want to grab ahold of you all and not let go. I can reverse that feeling and see how it’s hard for you to let go of your independence.”

“Which is crazy since I already quit my job.” Haley sighed. “We’ll get there. As long as we pull in the same direction.”

Buck opened the passenger door of the truck and Marie and Alicia got in first. “This is an exciting time, let’s all agree to enjoy it. We’re going to make mistakes, we’re going to feel uncomfortable about some things. Things we hold dear now won’t matter so much in six months or a year.”

“You are a wise man.” She kissed his lips and then got in the truck.

Buck went around to the driver’s side, checking the street for any sign of Harrison. It was quickly becoming a habit. But life experience told him they had not seen the last of the man.

“Let’s go.” Buck started the engine and pulled out onto the road, heading toward the mountains with the windows rolled down and music on the radio. He inhaled deeply and let out a long sigh of contentment. When he left home on the long journey to Bear Creek, he could never have guessed where his life would end up. In such a short space of time, he’d gone from a confirmed bachelor to being the mate of a wonderful woman.

If he could hold a tune he’d sing at the top of his voice and tell the world how wonderful life was. But he didn’t want to chase away his new family with his tuneless warbling. He was good at many things, but along with reading, singing was not one of them. But he’d learned to accept himself and his faults.

“Is this it?” Marie asked, leaning forward as they came to a stop next to a smart black Mercedes.

Buck leaned forward and looked through the windshield. “I think it must be.” He grinned at them. “It’s a big plot, right under the mountain.” He raised his eyes and looked at the peaks towering above them. “What do you think? Better than pizza?”

Alicia nodded. “Better than pizza. We could camp out here in the summer.”

“You liked camping with Rhett, didn’t you?” Haley asked.

“We liked it a lot. It would be great to have our friends over.” Alicia waited for Haley to get out of the car and then jumped down beside her mom. “Do you like it?”

“I do.” She hugged Alicia and then reached for Buck’s hand just as Mike Adelson approached.

“Hi there.” Mike waved and beckoned them through the wooden gate that had seen better years. “Good to meet you.” He shook everyone’s hands, including Alicia’s and Marie’s, and smiled broadly. “So this is it. Four acres of mountain.”

“Enough room for a horse,” Buck said, glancing at Marie and then giving Haley an apologetic look. “Sorry, I should have mentioned that before. It was supposed to be a surprise, but…”

“You mean it?” Marie asked excitedly.

He looked again at Haley who nodded, leaving him relieved he hadn’t offended her. “It’s a wonderful idea.” She turned to her daughter. “As long as you look after it. I am not mucking out a horse stall every morning.”

“I will.” Marie promptly burst into tears. “I can’t believe it.”

“Looks as if you’re sold on the plot before I even show you around,” Mike said happily. “But let’s go take a look anyway.”

They spent an hour walking the plot through knee-high grass, planning where the house would sit and where Marie’s horse would live. The plot had a planning permit in place, so they were a step closer to building the house of their dreams than if they were starting from scratch.

“All we have to do is agree on a price, and it’s yours.” Mike inhaled deeply. “Good mountain air. I don’t charge extra for that.” Mike chuckled at his own joke.

“Can I ask why you are selling, Mike?” Haley turned away from the view and focused on the man before her.

“I always thought I’d move up here and build a house.” He smiled warmly and cast his eyes over the girls who were playing under the shade of the trees at the top end of the plot. “And then I met my mate, she has kids and a beautiful house. I slipped into their lives. No upheaval, no drama.”

“Lucky you,” Haley said and glanced at Buck.

“Things not so easy for you two?” Mike asked and turned to look at Alicia and Marie. “Your girls look happy. Which is the most important thing.”

“They are. We just had a couple of bumps along the way.” Haley didn’t say more. “But I think it’s behind us. We just have to find a rhythm to live by. A new rhythm.”

“This is the place to do it,” Mike said. “The mountain has a rhythm all of its own.”

“It does.” Haley nodded. “I’ll leave you two to talk business while I go and check on the girls.”

“You’re a lucky man,” Mike said. “And I know you’ll build a wonderful property here and have a great life.”

“We will,” Buck agreed as he watched his mate walk away. The need to have her near had lessened, the bond between them no longer stretched taut. They were slipping into their own rhythm. Buck had to make sure they didn’t slip into a rut.

His life with Haley was going to be full of wonderful memories and moments they would look back on forever.