Page 25 of Luke: The Bears

Happy she was in the truck, her arm against his on the console, their fingers linked.

Happy she wasn’t moving two hours away.

The gazebo project was in a park in Mill Creek. The town council wanted a small, covered space for events, and Five Pines had gotten the job when council members had seen the deck at The Howl and liked their work.

Colt was measuring boards for the base when they parked.

“Morning, Valley,” he said as he straightened.

“Good morning.”

“I heard you saved The Howl from a bun emergency.”

She smiled. “It was fun and a little stressful, but baking is like that.”

“I know they appreciated your help,” he said.

Valley sat on a bench nearby away from the workspace, her legs tucked under her as she perused online job postings on her phone. After a while, she offered to walk to The Coffee Shop Next Door and get them something, and they were happy to take her up on that offer.

He gave her money from his wallet, and she walked down the sidewalk toward the coffee shop.

“You look happy,” Colt said.

“Well, she’s staying. So I’m ecstatic, but also a little worried about her finding work since she’s worried about it.”

“I’m glad she’s staying. The right job will show up.”

“Yeah. I just never want her to feel like she gave up anything she really wanted because she chose me.”

“She chose you because you’re mates,” Colt pointed out. “She could have still wanted to go to her job and you would have been the one choosing her and following. But she changed her mind because finding you mattered more than her plans. And I think fate rewards that kind of trust, you know?”

“I hope so.” He finished nailing a board into place, and then said, “I want her to be my mate in truth. I want to mark her and mate her properly and show her my shift.”

“By yourself or with all of us?”

“Well, I don’t want her seeing anyone else’s dick, so how about I shift for her at my house and we join you, Riggs, and Tyler?”

“How about dinner first? We can have it at my house, bring the picnic tables over to the patio so we can all sit together.”

“I’d love that.”

Colt took out his phone and texted Maggie, asking if she minded ordering steaks and sides from the grocery in Mill Creek. He’d pick them up at lunch.

“Thanks, man,” Luke said.

“Anytime.”

After Valley came back with coffees and muffins, they took a break and talked about Mill Creek and King Lake, and then she took his truck and went to her house to visit with her family, promising to return at four to pick him up.

He kissed her goodbye and watched her leave, his bear letting out a disgruntled sound at her not being nearby for the rest of the afternoon.

By late afternoon, the base of the gazebo had taken shape, and Luke and Colt were both covered in sawdust. Valley returned before four, and when he got in the truck at the end of the workday and saw she’d packed a bag, he couldn’t stop his smile.

“So, you’re staying tonight?” he asked.

“If that’s okay.”

“Hell yes. I should have asked you before you left to go hang out with your parents anyway.”