Chapter Fifteen – Lynn

Adam had stayed until the early hours of the morning, and then he had left her on the sofa. As she moved her stiff body, glad that by the end of the day she would have a proper bed to sleep in, Lynn was hit by a terrible thought that made her feel like a fool.

What if this had all been a setup? A man changing into a bear. The whole story of fated mates, and how they were destined to be together. What if she had been used, so they could make her a laughingstock of the town? What if the whole point of this was to make her feel so ashamed, so stupid, that she would leave the ranch, and sell it to the Williams family?

“Not happening,” she told herself as she filled the kettle with water and put it on to boil.

“What’s not happening?” Adam asked, coming into the kitchen behind her, a large box of groceries in his arms. “I went into town after I did my chores. You have nothing in these cupboards, and the guys bringing your furniture are going to want food and water, not to mention my family, who are coming over at about ten, to help.”

Lynn stood staring at him. “You know, I need to get my hearing checked, the amount of times you creep up on me.”

“It’s a skill. Too many hours spent playing hide and seek with my brothers. We used to go out into the forests and track too, both as men and bears. So I’ve learned to be quiet.” He kissed her cheek, and then pulled back, his face at once filled with excitement that quickly changed to concern. “Are you OK?”

She started, as if being sparked into life, her earlier worries gone, to be replaced by something else. “Your family is coming to help?”

“Yes. Everyone but my dad…” Adam held up his hands, as if to stop her thoughts, which he read perfectly. “Don’t worry. It’s not because he doesn’t like you or holds a grudge. He has paperwork to do. I think he’s figuring out the wording of the contracts we are all going to sign. He is going to make sure we are all bound so tight, we can’t renege on anything and split the ranch up when he’s dead.”

“I wasn’t thinking that,” she lied. “Are you sure though, about your family? Skyla and Jordan are visiting, they shouldn’t be lugging furniture around. What if Jordan hurts his back?”

“They insisted. Although Jordan will insist Skyla is on tea duty. Not that she’s going to be content with that.”

“I can find some light jobs for her to do. I have the kitchen to unpack. A lot of the stuff is going to have to stay in boxes anyway, at least until I have the wiring done.”

“Which also reminds me,” Adam pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket, “I took the liberty of asking Ron, the guy who does work over at the ranch, to come by later and give you a quote. I know you will want other electricians to look the place over, and I know you probably don’t want me interfering, but he’s good and he won’t rip you off.”

“Thank you.” Lynn stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “That is very thoughtful of you.”

“He’ll come over about eleven. I know you are busy, but since there are so many of us, I thought you would find time to speak to him. He’ll have to measure up, but he says if you want him to go ahead, he’s had a cancellation and might be able to squeeze the job in next week.”

She stood back, a shocked look on her face. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you either have a magic wand or a hold over the guy.”

“To be honest, he does owe us a couple of favors.”

“What kind of favors?” Lynn asked.

“Family secrets,” Adam replied with a wink.

“So when I become part of your family, I get in on all the gossip?” Lynn asked.

“You do,” Adam said. “So shall I make some tea while you go get ready?”

“Yes. One thing I will love when the wiring is fixed, is being able to put a coffee pot on while I go take a shower. I like baths, but sometimes you know when you just want to jump into the shower?”

“I do.” Adam hand snaked out and grabbed her around the waist. “A shower is just the thing. You know … after a hard day at work. All that soap.”

“Tea. I have some things I have to do before my furniture arrives.” She looked at her watch. “The truck is due in an hour.”

“So put me to work.” Adam offered.

“I was going to put all the furniture that belonged to Uncle Freddy in the dining room. Then all my furniture can go into the sitting room and the bedrooms. From there I can figure out what stays and what goes.”

“The lumpy sofa is staying though, right?” Adam asked, a wicked grin on his face. “You know, because if we conceived our first child last night, I’d like to have it as a keepsake.”

“Tea.” Lynn shook her head, blushing furiously, and left the kitchen, taking the stairs two at a time to put some distance between her and Adam, or else they might be finding a completely different activity to pass the time before the truck filled with her furniture arrived.

A quick wash, teeth cleaned, and a fresh change of clothes later, she stood at the top of the stairs, looking around her at the faded wallpaper and threadbare carpets. If she could get the house rewired and the plumbing fixed in the next couple of weeks, it would put her ahead of schedule.

Once today was out of the way, and her furniture, what little there was of it, had been stowed away, she would begin stripping all the wallpaper and paint, taking the house back to bare walls and floorboards. As soon as the wiring and plumbing were finished she would decorate throughout. At the same time, she planned on getting the land cleaned up and buying her first alpacas.

“It’s all coming together,” she said to the house, and the morning sun, its rays cast across the front of the house. There was a creaking as the timber boards expanded, which gave the house a voice. To Lynn, the voice was happy.

The scraping of furniture brought her back to the jobs that needed doing today, and she raced down the stairs, grabbing a hold of the end of the blue lumpy sofa, and lifting it, helping Adam take it into the dining room. Then they returned for an old dresser, one drawer missing, giving the impression of a lost tooth.

“I could repair this for you,” Adam said.

“Repair it? There’s a whole drawer missing.”

“I think Uncle Freddy used it as a dog bed. It’s out in one of the barns.”

“A dog’s bed?” Lynn asked. “He had a dog?”

“His only company for the last ten years of his life. It was a stray, he took it in, gave it a home. I think it kept him going. Dog died six months before your uncle.”

“Wow. Just one more reminder of how I don’t deserve this place.”

“Don’t let my father hear you say that.” Adam winked. “He is an expert in emotional blackmail.”

“Ah. Damn, this is slipping.” The wooden dresser slipped through her fingers, tilting dangerously to the side. Adam, with that superhuman strength she found disturbing and exciting all at the same time, took the weight, somehow holding it up on his own. He paused for a moment, one of the remaining drawers sliding open, as the dresser jerked forward. “There’s something in there.”

“You can take a look when it’s in the dining room,” Adam said, carrying the dresser out of the sitting room, across the hallway and into the dining room, which was beginning to look full. There he placed it down so that they could access the drawers. “Here.”

Adam handed her a small photo album, which she took from him and opened eagerly, wanting to get a glimpse of the life of the man who had thought enough of her to leave his estate, despite her never visiting for so many years. “Look. Is this the woman he shared the house with?”

Adam looked up, his head tilting slightly to one side. “The others are here.”

Lynn tucked the album under her arm and followed Adam outside. A truck and a car had pulled up to one side of the courtyard, and Jon, Jordan, and Skyla, along with an older woman she hadn’t met, but by the resemblance to Adam, must be his mom, got out of the vehicles and came across to meet Adam and Lynn.

“Hello,” Skyla called. “We thought you might want the help.”

“I do,” Lynn said happily, unable to stop herself from glancing at Adam’s mom. She hoped, since the older lady had come over to help, that she would be accepting of Lynn, even if the ranch was going to stay in her name and not become part of the Homestead.

“Mom, this is Lynn. Lynn, this is my mom.” Adam held out a hand to his mom, who took it, looking equally as nervous as Lynn felt.

“Hi,” Lynn said, going up to her and giving her a hug. “It’s good to meet you.”

“And you, Lynn, I can’t tell you how happy I am that my son has found his mate…” She hesitated. “You know all about that side of things, don’t you? I haven’t gotten mixed up?”

“No, she knows. Saw my other side in all its handsome glory,” Adam said modestly.

“I expect you do look impressive by yourself,” Jon teased. “Of course, if Lynn saw the four of us together, then she’d think she was unlucky not to be the mate of the biggest and strongest bear.”

“Oh! You want to go!” Adam lunged at his brother. They fought, which consisted of the two of them trying to tip each other up. It was like watching WWE, not exactly convincing, but entertaining all the same.

“My sons will never grow up,” their mom said. “But no matter what their faults, they are good boys.”

“They are,” Skyla agreed, linking arms with Jordan. “I don’t know Adam that well, but if they are anything like my man, you are a lucky woman.”

“Thanks, I think I’m lucky too. Not just to have met Adam, but for the chance to live here.” Lynn took the photo album from under her arm, and opened it up to the photographs of the woman. “Adam said a woman used to live here with my uncle. Is this her?”

“Yes. Yes, it is. She lived here with him for some years, before moving out, it was so sudden, and Frederick never spoke of her again. We figured she’d found her mate, and left your uncle brokenhearted. He loved her, even though he was not her mate and so she would never give him her heart.”

“That is so sad.” Lynn flipped through the photo album; there were many photographs of the woman. “What was her name?”

“Heidi. She came from Scandinavia, would never say exactly where, but her accent was strong. At least it was when she arrived; it faded over the years. She was very beautiful and made Frederick happy.”

“Until she left.”

“Yes, but you can see in Adam, and in Jordan, once the mating bond rears up, there is no denying it. She would have left him for her mate, and she would also have made it plain from the beginning how things were.”

“Is this you?” Lynn put her finger to the photograph. “It’s labeled Russell and Judy.”

“It is. Wow, we look so young.”

“And in love,” Skyla said, looking at the photograph over Judy’s shoulder.

“The same look you give each other now.” Jordan put his arm around his mom and hugged her. “How you’ve put up with him all these years. It’s a good thing he has the mating bond to fall back on.”

“Jordan, you know your dad would do anything for any of you. He comes over as the tough guy, but he wants what’s best, which is why he’s changing his will and setting things up like you wanted,” Judy said.

“I know, Mom. I know,” Jordan told her.

“Oh wow, here’s a picture of me and Uncle Freddy. I never knew he had this.” Lynn looked at it closely.

“He must have thought a lot of you to leave the farm to you,” Judy told her gently.

“I’m sorry about that,” Lynn apologized. “I know you did a lot for him. Adam said his dad was upset about it.”

“He is, or was. But only because he promised his father he would try to put the Homestead back together. It was a stupid promise, but us bears hold our word dear,” Judy said. “Don’t you worry about it. He’ll get over it, I think he’s just happy to have another son mated.”

Lynn looked at Adam and Jon, who had stopped fighting and were discussing the barn roof, if she wasn’t mistaken. Samuel had joined them, he didn’t say a lot, but she liked him, he was a deep thinker, only speaking when he figured he had something worth saying. Lynn felt a strange flutter in her chest. It wasn’t so much love, but happiness; she was part of something. This ranch, her business, and a family. She only wished her mom and dad could be happy for her.

“Oh, here is your furniture if I’m not mistaken,” Skyla said as a big truck came down the road to the ranch.

“OK, let’s get this done, and then we are all going back to the ranch for dinner. That includes you, Lynn. Don’t worry, Russell was the one who suggested it.”

Lynn felt a sliver of apprehension cut through her good mood, but then she pushed it aside. She wanted to be part of this family, and she knew how much she meant to Adam. Having the mating bond gave her a head start; his family had to accept her.

Although what her own mom and dad would say when she told them she was in a serious relationship, after she had only just moved here, she had no idea.

That wasn’t true: they would be suspicious, thinking that Adam had set her up to steal her property. And to tell them that wasn’t true, to tell them he was her mate, would be to tell them the exact same thing that had caused the rift between Uncle Freddy and her family in the first place.

Somewhere, she was sure Uncle Freddy was smiling at the irony.