Roxi entered the apartment humming softly to herself. The wedding she’d been working at had ended hours ago but one of the guests had caught her eye. One thing led to another and she’d spent the rest of the night talking to him.
Matthias.
Matthias Bendov.
Damn, he was hot. Tall, built, gorgeous blond hair, blue eyes and a great smile. Plus, he’d taken her to an all-you-can-eat buffet when she’d said she was hungry. Things were definitely off to a good start.
So far, the only thing against him was that he was a shifter, a bear to be specific. It shouldn’t have surprised her. The wedding had been between a witch and a Lycan, the guests an eclectic mixture. And there were worse things than being a shifter, she supposed.
He worked in construction—hence the muscles—and also helped out at Club Mystique as a bouncer. She’d never noticed him there; either she’d not been at the club on the days he worked, or he’d been hired after she’d sworn off going to Mystique. Whatever the case—
“You’re late.”
She gave a start of surprise, so engrossed in her thoughts she’d not noticed Lulu sitting in the living room.
“Yeah. I went out with a guy after the wedding.”
“What guy?”
“His name’s Matthias, or Matt. The groom introduced me to him of all things.”
“And you like him.”
“Matt?” She shrugged. “He’s okay.”
“Right. That’s why you came in humming.”
“So, I’m in a good mood. Is that a crime?”
“No.” Lulu smiled and took a sip from her cup. “I’m glad you had a good evening.”
“And what about you?” She kicked off her shoes and wandered into the living room.
“Me? It was a thrilling night. I fed Caleb. Burped Caleb. Changed Caleb. Bathed Caleb.”
“And you loved every minute of it.”
“Yep.” She sighed and set her cup down on the coffee table. “I was also doing a lot of thinking.”
“About what?”
“Me and Armand. And Caleb. And Canada. And my job and going to school and if I should stay or if I should go.”
“Come to any great decisions?”
“No. Well…some.”
“Such as?” She sat down on the other end of the sofa.
“When I was pregnant, I didn’t want Armand to think I was only looking for someone to help with the baby. And I didn’t want him to drag me back home. If I went, I wanted it to be my decision, not something forced on me. And going back there pregnant...well…it wouldn’t look good, you know?”
“Yeah, I understand.”
“And I was sure the only way I could get my degree and have the job I wanted was to stay in Chicago.”
“You were so focused on one path, you couldn’t see there were others that might be just as good if not better.” She winked. “I read that in one of your text books, by the way.”
“You were reading my text books?”
“I was bored.” She shrugged. “Anyway, it’s like if you’re heading to the mall and have to take a detour—”
“And the detour leads you to this great restaurant—”
“With better food than the food court.” Roxi grinned. “I love it when we can finish each other’s sentences.”
Lulu smiled. “The point is, detours can be good.”
“Especially if there’s a guy like Armand waiting at the side of the road.”
“So I guess that means I should try going back…at least for a while.” She pressed her hands to her stomach. “I get butterflies just thinking about it.”
“Then just say you’re only going for a visit. It doesn’t have to be permanent.”
“Right.” She worried her lip. “I think I’m going to see if I can get a flight this weekend before I lose my nerve.”
“I’m sure Ashton will give you the time off. He’s an awesome boss.”
“Of course, Armand might not even want me back.” Lulu stared down at her hands.
“Not want you?” She shook her head. “Don’t be ridiculous. He adores you!”
“He adores his son. I get that from his texts. But as for his feelings for me…I’m not so sure.” She gave a rueful smile. “He came all the way to Chicago to check on me and I basically showed him the door. Most guys would say good riddance.”
“Then you’re lucky he’s not most guys.”
Lulu gave her a curious look. “You’re awfully full of sunshine and positive vibes.”
“My stomach is full. It puts me in a good mood.”
“This guy you met—Matt? Let me guess, he fed you?”
“Yep.”
She laughed. “He’s a keeper then.”
“For the time being.” She shrugged. “They always screw up after a while.”
“Well, I hope he lasts for at least several more meals. He can keep you company while I’m gone.”
“Thanks.”
“And on that note, I’m heading to bed.” Lulu stood up and yawned. “Caleb will be awake again and hungry in a few hours.”
“Night.”
“Night. Sleep well.”
After Lulu left the room, Roxi drew her feet up so she was hugging her knees. For all that she’d been encouraging and positive, she had her own reservations about Lulu’s visit to Canada. If Lulu went back, it was going to be permanent, she was sure of it. And that meant they might not see each other again.
The idea had her throat tightening which was stupid. She was happy for Lulu. And it wasn’t like she couldn’t find another roommate. It was just that things were nice and comfortable as they were. She and Lulu and Caleb were like a little family.
Everybody went on and on about how change was good for you but really, sometimes change sucked.
Armand watched as the realtor walked around the bar, peering into the washrooms, testing the floor for squeaks and giving the bar a jiggle to see if it was sturdy.
“I made sure all the repairs were properly done when I purchased the property.”
The realtor nodded, barely looking up from the notes he was making.
Knots of tension had been growing in his shoulders ever since he’d considered putting the bar up for sale. However, if he was going to live in Chicago, he needed to make plans. He had money, investments, some income from his part-ownership in the King’s Plate, but he couldn’t leave the bar unsupervised indefinitely. Ryne’s pack generously managed it on occasion; asking them to do so on a full-time basis would be expecting too much.
“All right. I’ve seen enough. I’ll write up a proposal and get back to you. If you agree, we can have a for sale sign on this place in a few days.” The realtor extended his hand to shake. “I’ll be honest with you. Given the location, you can’t expect top dollar. There aren’t a lot of buyers in the area. Buildings sit on the market for ages in these small towns.”
“I know.” He shook the man’s hand. “That’s why I thought I would start investigating the possibility of selling early.”
“Good idea.” The realtor nodded. “If I were you, I’d be prepared to accept the first offer you get, even if it’s low. Take what you can and get out or this could be an albatross around your neck.
He scowled as the man left, not appreciating his home being referred to as an albatross.
His bear grumbled as well. We worked hard to make this a good home and a gathering place for the town.
But they’d do what they had to do.
For the sake of our mate and cub, the bear agreed.
He went about his usual routine of preparing the bar so it was ready for customers that night. Everything he touched brought back memories, of course. The plumbing he’d cursed, the light fixtures he’d hung, the pool tables he’d purchased at an auction and then struggled to fit them in through the doors. Leaving would be like saying goodbye to a friend you had nursed back to health.
All good things came to an end, he reminded himself. And there were better things to come. He just needed to stay focused on Lucy and Caleb. As long as he had them, he would be happy.
The bar, the townspeople, even the forest are nothing if we are alone. His bear concurred.
However, being alone was not a problem that day. The realtor must have stopped at Ruth’s and let slip why he’d been in town because, before the day was out, rampant rumours were buzzing through the town and a stream of people kept appearing at the door of the Broken Antler, all hoping to get an inside scoop on what was happening.
It wasn’t until the third visitor that he became suspicious. It was Al from the diner, coming to ask what hours the bar was open while standing right beside the sign.
“Have the hours changed in all the years I’ve operated the bar?” He raised a brow.
Al shrugged. “Not that I can think of.”
“Then why are you asking?”
“Well,” Al cleared his throat. “Truth is, Ruth sent me. There was a realtor in the diner earlier today and…”
Once he knew what was happening, he’d been amused. Each person had a supposed reason for stopping by while trying to get information from him, and their inventiveness had him chuckling…for a while. Eventually, the humour faded into annoyance and he’d been about to lock the door so as to get some peace and quiet, when Josh Kennedy from the newspaper popped in to see if Melody should be writing an article.
“It would help stop the speculation if we ran a piece on you and the future of the bar,” Josh explained.
“And sell more papers.” He crossed his arms.
“That, too. But I’ve heard everything from you dying of a rare disease to you having won the lottery and are moving to a tropical island. Telling your story would mean a lot less questions for you to answer.” Josh continued to pitch his idea. “It would be front page news.”
Considering Harley, the dog, crossing the street at the light had also made the front page of the newspaper, it wasn’t that grand an honour. He shook his head. “I don’t want to be in the paper. Not the front, the back or the middle.”
“Hmm…”
Sensing Josh wasn’t about to leave anytime soon, he gave an abbreviated explanation. “This is off the record but I’m considering selling and starting a new business elsewhere. There’s nothing definite. And that’s all I’m willing to say.”
“If you do sell, could we do a feature piece? We’d entitle it ‘the end of an era’ or something like that.”
The look on his face must have shown his patience was almost at an end for Josh beat a hasty retreat.
“I’ll laugh about this at some point,” he muttered.
It shows they are concerned for us, his bear pointed out.
Or nosey. He rubbed his neck. At least in a big city, he probably wouldn’t have to worry about everyone knowing his business.
Three days later…
The hustle and bustle of the airport swirled around Lucy as she waited for Roxi to finish her shopping at the newsstand. Roxi had insisted on purchasing some magazines for Lucy to read during the flight. It was sweet of her, even though Caleb would likely ensure reading time was at a premium.
Thinking of Caleb, she checked with one hand that his air-safety harness was in her carry-on. Flying with a baby was a lot more stressful than she’d ever imagined.
Once Roxi returned, she’d get her friend to hold the baby while she checked in and dealt with the paperwork. Ryne had, once again, surprised her soon after the birth of her son. The same good-looking messenger who’d delivered her replacement I.D. all those months ago had turned up at her door with a package containing a passport complete with a photo of her son and note saying ‘just in case you ever want to travel’. She was sure it had been intended as a not so subtle hint to return to Stump River but, upon receiving it, she’d been more puzzled on how he’d managed to get a picture of Caleb. She really needed to get Ryne alone some day and ask him about his ‘contacts’.
She shifted her hold on the baby, idly noticing her reflection in the polished chrome pillar beside her. It was a blurry image, which was probably good given her eyes were bloodshot and her nose pink from attacks of weeping. Leaving was just as hard as she’d thought it would be and yet she knew in her heart it was time to go home. The signs were everywhere and growing stronger each day; her dreams of Armand, her longing for the cool fresh air of the forest, the fact she no longer stood in front of the mirror each morning calling herself ‘Lou’…
Roxi appeared beside her, interrupting her thoughts. “Okay, I have two fashion magazines, a home decorating one, a parenting one and another on food. That should keep you entertained.”
“Thanks.” She turned so Roxi could stuff them in the outer pocket of her carry-on. “I’m sure I’ll enjoy them.”
The task complete, Roxi held out her hands to take Caleb. “Come on, let’s get you checked in.”
Together they walked towards the counter and she handed over her documents to the clerk. With an effort, she put her suitcase on the conveyor noting the read-out showed it was nowhere near the maximum allowed for a checked bag. Not surprising considering most of the contents were baby clothes!
Stepping back from the counter, she went to take Caleb back from Roxi who held on tighter.
“Nope, I’m going to hang on to this little guy until the last minute. I’ll walk with you to departures and then I’ll give him back.”
“Okay.” Lucy smiled at her friend, tears springing to her eyes. “I’m going to miss you, Roxi.”
“I’m going to miss you, too.” Roxi sniffed, her lower lip trembling as she stroked Caleb’s cheek. “And this little guy, what will I do without him?”
“Look at the bright side, no diapers, no crying in the night.” She tried to sound positive despite the lump in her throat, her steps slowing as they got closer to departures.
“I’ve decided I like crying in the night.” Roxi gave a watery smile.
“Sort of like how I feel about your dirty dishes in the sink, right?”
Roxi laughed, then gave Caleb one last hug and kiss before handing him over. “I know this sounds awful but I’m sort of wishing things between you and Armand don’t work out so you’ll come back.”
Lucy blinked back tears. “And I know this sounds weird but that’s such a nice thing for you to say. It means you really are going to miss me and won’t start celebrating the minute I step on the plane.”
“As if!” Roxi shook her head. “You’re my Lulu and no one will ever replace you.”
She hugged Roxi again and then whispered in her ear. “I’m sure Matt would like to try though, if you’d let him.” She nodded towards the man standing a few feet away. He’d been trailing behind them, trying to act as if he wasn’t surrounded by teary women.
Roxi glanced at him and Lucy noticed a look pass over the girl’s face. Roxi was falling in love with the guy, she was sure of it.
“We’ll see.” Roxi turned back to her. “Be sure to use that international calling card I gave you and let me know how things are going.”
“Don’t worry, I will.”
“And…I guess I really do want you and Armand to be happy together, so I’ll say good luck as long as you promise to come back and visit.”
“Or maybe you can come visit me in Canada.”
“It’s a deal.”
After one final hug, they parted. Roxi went to stand by Matt who put an arm around her shoulders. Lucy took a deep breath and headed towards what she hoped was her future.