Bearly Begun (BBW/Bearshifter Romance) (Bachelor Bears of Yakima Ridge Book 1) (8 page)

She scooped more mashed potatoes into the baker and slid the baker onto a cookie sheet. “Have you got room in your fridge for this?”

“Nope. We’re going to make use of the great outdoors.” Maddie led the way to the back doors. “This is my engagement present,” she said as she opened the French door. “Well part of it.”

“Doug got you new windows and doors as an engagement present?” Hannah asked with a laugh in her voice.

“You bet. Also a new electrical panel.” Maddie showed them how the benches on her deck had lids that lifted so they could store stuff. “Put the baker in here, so no critters get into the food before we do. Doug built this deck last summer.”

“It’s great,” said Hannah mirthfully. “Not as great as a new electrical panel, but pretty great.”

Both women laughed.

“I don’t get it. You both have huge engagement rings. What’s your problem? Don’t you like that Doug is fixing up the house?” Erin was baffled by their lack of gratitude. Didn’t they realize what good men they had?

“You don’t understand.” Hannah waved her ring around still laughing. “Jack gave me this as a warning to other men.” Hannah paused for effect. “He told me so.”

Maddie bent double and whooped. “Doug told me that I could have any ring in the shop so long as it was large enough that other men could tell I was taken at twenty paces. His idea of romantic is home repair.”

“They’re such he-men. But we do love them and we appreciate the things they do. And they are always working to make us happy,” Hannah said earnestly when she realized Erin thought they were ungrateful.

“See all those planter boxes.” Maddie waved her hand. “Those were Doug’s idea. They’re empty now, but I came home one day last summer, and he had bought half a nursery and filled them with made up tubs. So I had an instant deck garden. “

“It was practical and thoughtful and beautiful,” Maddie declared. “But he was absolutely not trying to be romantic. Sure he wanted to please me, but it wasn’t a gesture, he was taking care of me. He didn’t want to discuss it. He only wanted to make me happy.” Maddie led them back indoors.

“Sounds romantic to me,” Erin said.

“I only mean that I’ve had empty romantic gestures, and I prefer my bear. Doug is worth ten of my ex, but modern metrosexual he’s not,” Maddie explained.

Hannah patted Erin’s shoulder. “Len is just the same. You’ll see.”

“Oh, Len and I aren’t dating, he’s just helping me out with my brothers.” Erin tried to set them straight.

Hannah and Maddie both roared with laughter. “You’re not dating because Len doesn’t want a date. He wants a, um, wife. You’re being wooed French Town style,” Maddie informed her.

“How do you mean wooed? He hasn’t touched me. Not even a pat on the ass.”
Unless dreams counted?

“Len would never pat you on the butt unless you were alone.” Maddie was emphatic. “But he is sure as shooting courting you. He didn’t take on your two hellions because he’s a nice guy. Well, he is a nice guy—none nicer—but that’s not why. He took one look at you and decided you needed help with those two and stepped up to provide it.”

“I don’t think so. I think I would know if a guy was interested in me.” Erin tried to end the conversation.

“Has he made your life easier?” asked Hannah.

“Oh, has he ever. Just not having to worry about Hunter and Cord, especially Hunter, has been such a relief. And because Len’s in charge I’ve been able to go back to making deliveries instead of working in food prep, which is a big improvement in my paycheck I can tell you.”

“Uh huh. Anything else?” Maddie inquired as she heated more milk.

“Well,” Erin thought, “Last Saturday morning, when I showed up at the house he had gotten my car working again. Hadn’t been able to drive that puppy in seventeen, eighteen months.”

“That’s how these guys court a woman,” Maddie said. “They do stuff for her. Show her they can take care of her. They’re not much for talking. They don’t buy romantic presents—unless you count windows and doors—but if you need something, they’re on it. Did you tell him about the car not working?”

Erin shook her head. “It was obvious we didn’t have one. Hunter and Cord must have said something.”

“What was wrong with it?” Hannah asked.

“What wasn’t? Mechanic wanted two grand to fix it. Isn’t worth two hundred. So I left it parked on the street and Hunter and Cord watched out for it and made sure the neighborhood kids didn’t break in.”

“And when you thanked Lenny, what did he say?” Maddie asked.

“He didn’t say much, but he sort of sat up taller and looked pleased. He said the boys had done a lot of the work, and then they fell all over themselves explaining how they had changed the oil, and put air in the tires and I stopped thanking Len to listen to them.”

“That sounds like Len, or Doug, or Jack. Doesn’t it Hannah?”

“Uh huh. And then I bet he made those heroes clear the table and wash up?” Hannah predicted confidently.

“Yes, that’s what he did. I sort of thought he fixed my car to teach those boys to treat me better. They have been so rude. I literally can’t tell you the things they had started to call me.” Erin shook her head.

“That bad?” Hannah asked.

“Worse. You really think Len is courting me? Even though he never asks me out? Never tries to cop a feel?”

“Where would he ask you to that you wouldn’t have to take those boys? And Len would never, but never, treat you disrespectfully in front of your brothers. He just wouldn’t.”

“Huh.”

“Listen, Erin, you have to change your frame of reference,” Hannah said earnestly. “Modern women have been brainwashed to believe romance is some combination of useless luxury and shimmering lace and pearls. That’s not how Jack and his cousins see things. They might give you flowers, or buy you chocolates, but they would make sure they were the kind you liked and that you didn’t need snow tires more.”

Maddie gurgled and nodded in agreement. “And they’d think of the snow tires first. Which is good—no—great.”

“You have to stop thinking that romance is something separate from everyday life,” Hannah said. “These guys build their world around their women. Everything they do is to make her happy, or safe, or well-fed. But they are probably never going to stand in front of some rack of cards picking out something gooey. They’re going to be too busy building a pantry or what not.”

“That’s exactly it,” said Maddie.

“Huh,” said Erin.

CHAPTER TEN

Len was enormously pleased. Winnie Malcom had assured him that they would be done with the roof by dark. “I don’t say we won’t want to tidy up in the morning. But you’ll be tight and dry by sundown,” she told him with a big grin.

Winnie Malcom ran her own roofing business in Seattle and she had a lifetime of experience bossing crews. She had Len’s cousins sorted in no time. She had waved away Lenny and Joey’s thanks with one large hand and bellowed at Jack Enright to keep an eye on “Those danged cubs.”

Seemingly she did not mean her own well grown and competent lads, Jacob and Caleb. Her sons were doing the work of grown men with great skill, shoveling off great swathes of rotten shingles with effortless sweeps. Nope boss lady meant Hunter and Cord who were trying to help, but were stumbling over their own feet. Question was: Did she too think they were bears, or was cub just the word she used for kids? Something to think about when he had some time to spare.

Winnie explained again to Hunter and Cord that the bundles of shingles had to be moved twice. Once to the foot of the ladders, and once up the ladders. But nothing was to go on the roof until she had inspected the plywood. And the shingles had to be stacked so they were not in the way.

Even though Winnie was foreman, Len kept half an eye on Hunter and Cord out of habit. He noticed that there was a white panel van cruising up and down the sidewalk where a dozen people had gathered to gossip and watch the work get done. That seemed to be normal for this city neighborhood. Back home, watching your neighbors without helping out wasn’t considered seemly. But the van revived an unpleasant memory.

Len groped for his cell and flicked until he found the license plate he had photographed the day he caught the boys stealing. He went down the ladder and around to the front of the house. The second skip of new shingles was still wrapped in shrink wrap. Hunter and Cord had each picked up a bundle of shingles from the first one and were carrying them to where they would be needed.

The driver of the panel van was making peremptory gestures with his hand. Cord shook his head and scurried away. He ran right into Len. “Son, you put that down where Miz Winnie told you,” Len said. “Then go in the house and see if Gwen and Gabby need help with the coffee.” Cord sped off.

Hunter was looking uneasy. He seemed relieved when he spotted Len. “Friend of yours?” asked Len.

“My dad’s friend.” Hunter gulped and looked unhappy.

“What does he want?” Len asked calmly.

Hunter swallowed again and looked even more miserable. He shook his head. “I haven’t asked.”

“Can you guess?” Len asked.

Hunter nodded.

“I’ll take care of it. Would you tell the first man you see that we have a visitor?” Len sent the boy off.

Hunter’s raced off with the package of shingles bumping on his shoulder without looking at the van or its driver again. Len sauntered across the street. The guy inside the van glared at him and took off with squealing tires
. Subtle.
Len turned around to see his cousins Gideon and Asher Bascom standing behind him.

“Trouble?” asked Ash.

“Could be,” admitted Len. “I think that sumbitch just tried to get Hunter and Cord to steal our materials.”

Gideon and Asher instantly looked like the deadly shifters they could be. The family resemblance between them and Joey and Lenny was evident. Right now the three huge men looked like fierce, battle ready warriors—instead of the genial, easy-going, regular guys they usually appeared to be.

“Those young’uns looked a mite uneasy,” Gideon said matter-of-factly despite his grim expression. “Do we need to advise that feller that those boys are off limits?”

“We might just have to do that,” allowed Len. “Let’s see what Hunter and Cord have to say first.”

The boys knew the driver as their father’s friend Blow. They didn’t know his real name. He lent their dad the van sometimes. Sure they knew his house. He lived over on forty-seventh in a big house with a porch.

“You come get me if he comes back,” Len said. He put a hand on Hunter’s shoulder and turned him so he could see Cord. “Blow means you no good. Neither one of you. If he has a message from your pa, maybe it’s a true message, maybe it’s a con. If he comes back, you come get me or lock yourself in the house. Hear me? I don’t want him speaking to you.”

“He said that Dad needs money for when they release him,” Cord blurted out.

“Oh, and when is that going to be?” Len asked him.

“I dunno.” Cord shuffled his feet. “He said that Dad went to prison instead of us.”

“Your dad broke the conditions of his parole all by his lonesome.” Lenny paused to let that fact sink in. “You think a fine, upstanding citizen like Mr. Blow would make up a tale to get you to steal stuff for him?”

Cord’s eyes widened. Hunter looked grim. “You think he was lying,” he growled.

“Ever known him to lie, son?” Len asked quietly.

Hunter scowled. “Everybody lies,” he said.

Len said, “If you can’t trust a man’s word, it isn’t good for much is it?” He put a reassuring hand on both boys’ shoulders. “We best go get ourselves some of that cake Erin made, before my cousins eat it all.”

Both boys bolted for the kitchen. Gideon, Asher and Len followed more slowly. “Could be those boys need a complete change of scene,” Asher remarked. “What you might call a holiday from crime.”

“I’m working on it,” Len assured him.

* * *

At the end of the meal, when the chocolate cake and ice cream and pie were demolished, Len took the opportunity to rise to his feet. “Joey and I are sure grateful that you all came today. Our roof is just about done. All that is left is the trim. A pretty fine day’s work. Thank you.”

“If you guys want to go home in the morning, I’m sure Joe and I can get her done tomorrow.” Len grinned at his kinfolks.

“Wouldn’t think of it,” Jack put in, with a look at Hannah.

“Maddie and Erin and I have been cooking all day,” Jack’s wife said. “If everyone goes home, who’s going to eat all that food?”

There was general laughter. “Let’s say we start at eight and clean up and come for lunch, like we planned,” Winnie Malcom said. “I don’t like to leave a job half done, and I’d like to check that roof by daylight.”

“In that case,” said Len, “It’s time to lend a hand with the dishes, boys. Let’s let the cooks have a bit of a rest. Doug you can tell us where things go.”

Doug shook his head. “You better take these youngsters home, Lenny, time they were in bed. And Erin probably didn’t get enough sleep last night to be driving herself. Joe should take the truck, and you should drive Erin’s car for her.”

Red blazed on Len’s high cheekbones. “Sorry, Erin, I should have thought,” he said. “You must be some tired too. Joe, if you take the boys home, I can walk from Erin’s place.”

“I’m not that tired,” Erin protested. Someone kicked her ankle under the table and she shut up.

Beside her Jack finished his coffee. “Hannah, darling,” he said innocently, “You should put your feet up. Remember you’re standing for four these days.”

The Bascom twins got to their size fifteens and took the dessert dishes out to the kitchen where they could be heard respectfully teasing the Malcom girls. Joe and the boy said goodbye to Doug and Maddie, and went for their coats.

Before she could argue that she didn’t have to be in bed by nine, Erin was in her coat and saying goodbye too. On the way to her car, Cord slipped something into her hand. “The boss made this for you,” he whispered and ran to climb in the truck with Joe and Hunter.

Erin turned on the overhead light to look at the small object. Her own face looked back at her from her palm. Her hair flowed around her face and when she turned it over, the back was a mass of carved curls.