Clay (BBW Secret Baby Bear Shifter Romance) (Secret Baby Bears Book 4) (31 page)

Olivia blushed. “I’m Olivia,” she said, offering her delicate hand.
 

“Jackson,” the man growled in return. Olivia felt a chill of pleasure shoot up her spine when they touched hands. The man’s touch was firm and pleasurable, and his skin was surprisingly hot.
 

“It’s nice to meet you, Olivia,” Jackson said. He smiled and showed a full mouth of bright white teeth. “And who is this little guy?” He smiled at Max.
 

“He’s really shy,” Olivia said cautiously. “Don’t be offended if he-“ She stopped speaking and watched incredulously as Max grinned and shook his stubby fist in the air towards Jackson. “That’s weird,” she breathed in amazement. “He’s not usually very good with strangers. Good job, little guy,” Olivia said to Max. “His name is Max, by the way.”
 

Jackson smiled. “That’s a great name,” he said.
 

Olivia smiled back. It was odd – she hadn’t really talked to a guy like this in ages, and she’d been expecting it to be difficult. But talking with Jackson was the opposite of difficult; he was one of the sweetest guys that Olivia had ever met. She was shocked to realize how at ease she felt around him, almost like she could tell him anything.
 

“Shall we sit?” Jackson steered them towards a table in the back of the barn. “Or do you need to go with the bridal party?”
 

Olivia glanced around the room. Kate and Ben were still dancing, nestled in each other’s arms, and she didn’t see Lisa anywhere. The other two bridesmaids were sitting at a table together and drinking champagne.
 

“I think I’m fine here,” Olivia said. “Kate is a pretty low-maintenance bride.”
 

“Looks like it,” Jackson said politely. “So, do you know all of these people?”
 

Olivia laughed. “Yeah,” she said. “We all went to high school together.” She blushed. “There’s another bridesmaid here somewhere – Lisa, the blonde one – she’s my roommate.”
 

Jackson nodded. “And are you seeing anyone right now?”
 

Olivia’s blush darkened to a reddish hue. “Um,” she said. “Well, no. Not really. I mean, it’s complicated, I…” She trailed off, suddenly intently focused on staring at Max as he squirmed around in the chair. “I was engaged,” she said, looking down at her left hand. “And it ended, but it was only a couple of months ago. I’m not really ready to date right now.” She swallowed. “I need to focus on being a good mom, and taking care of Max.”
 

Jackson nodded. For once, there wasn’t a single trace of amusement on his handsome face. “I see,” he said slowly. “I’m sorry I’ve asked, if it’s made you uncomfortable.”
 

Olivia licked her lips. “Not exactly,” she said. “It was just…well, it was ugly, and a lot of people here knew him.” She coughed. “I mean, he’s here, too. He’s one of the groomsmen.” She craned her neck and looked around the room for Derek’s close-cropped dark hair. “But I don’t see him anywhere,” she added. “Maybe that’s a good thing.”
 

Jackson nodded. He winked at her. “Well, I certainly don’t mind,” he said in a jokey tone that made Olivia laugh. “I’m more than happy to have you all to myself.”
 

Olivia smiled. Her fleeting discomfort melted away and she realized just how much she enjoyed being around Jackson. “Do you live around here?” Olivia waved her hand in the air. “Or did you have to fly in?”
 

Jackson nodded. “I live just outside of town,” he said, stretching. “I’m a mover,” he added, flexing his arms. “If you couldn’t tell.” He winked at Olivia and she blushed again.
 

“I work at dental office,” Olivia said suddenly. “I mean, I’m just a receptionist. But my boss wants me to train to be a dental hygienist.”
 

“You should do that,” Jackson said. He nodded. “I wish that I’d done better in school, but truth be told, I’m one of those guys who just does better outdoors.” He yawned. “I always had a hard time being around too many people.”
 

Olivia laughed. “I go crazy if I have to be alone,” she said. “That’s one of the reasons Lisa and I live together. I think I’d be so lonely without a roommate.”
 

Jackson laughed. “Even with this little guy?” He reached over and ruffled Max’s hair. Olivia waited on the edge of her seat to see if her son would start screaming, but to her surprise and immense relief, he grinned right back at Jackson like they were old friends.
 

“He’s a loud roommate, all right,” Olivia said. She rolled her eyes. “He won’t stop throwing these parties, and I have to pick up after him all the time,…” She started giggling at her own joke, reaching forward for a flute of champagne on the table. “I love him,” she added. “He’s the best part of my life.”
 

“I bet it was hard for your fiancé to leave,” Jackson said.
 

Olivia shifted in her chair. “Right,” she replied. “I’m sure it was.” She tried hard to keep her voice as neutral as possible. “Maybe he should have thought of that before he started stepping out.”
 

Jackson’s jaw dropped. “He cheated on you?”
 

Olivia gave a brief, terse nod of her head. “Yes,” she said after a pause, feeling some of the pain worm its way back into her heart. “He made that decision, though, and far be it from me to keep him from being happy with other women.” She realized how bitter she sounded, but it was impossible to stop. “I’m sure that a college girl is a lot more fun than a fiancée and a baby.”
 

“He’s a complete idiot,” Jackson said smoothly. Olivia was relieved to hear that he hadn’t seem to pick up on her bitter tone. “Biggest fool on the planet. I’m sure he regrets that decision every day.”
 

Olivia shrugged. She was already starting to feel better. “I don’t care if he does,” she said nonchalantly. “Max and I are much happier on our own, aren’t we?”
 

Max beamed up at her. “Mom!” He cried loudly. “Where’s Lisa?”
 

Olivia frowned. “That’s a good question, honey,” she said. “I haven’t seen her in quite a while.”
 

“Want me to look for her?” Jackson motioned to get up from his seat. “I don’t mind, you know.”
 

Olivia shook her head, sending her brown curls flying everywhere. “No worries,” she said. “Lisa’s an adult. I’m sure she can take care of herself.”
 

The rest of the reception was magical. Kate’s mom loved Max so much that she took him for a few songs. To Olivia’s shock and amusement, Jackson asked her to dance three times in a row. On the dance floor, he was surprisingly graceful: his long, muscular limbs swept Olivia around and made her feel weightless. She couldn’t believe how much fun she was having with Jackson. Olivia couldn’t help but think deep down that she’d never had this much fun in her life, not even with Derek.
 

When the evening came to a close, Olivia was surprised at how disappointed she was to say goodbye to Jackson. They hugged and Jackson wrapped an arm around her waist, sending warm chills and flutters through her whole body.
 

“Can I walk you to your car?” Jackson’s voice was husky and deep and Olivia received a purely sexual thrill from listening to him speak.
 

“I wish,” she said, sounding slightly dazed. “But Max and I came with Lisa, and I can’t find her anywhere. We have to leave soon,” she said, eyeing her son. “He’s getting really cranky. He needs a snack and then bed.”
 

Jackson nodded. “Want me to help you look for her?”
 

Olivia pursed her lips, thinking about it. After a few seconds, she nodded. “Yeah,” she said softly. “Thanks.” After leaving Max with Kate’s mom, they tracked down the other two bridesmaids and began scouting the barn for Lisa. Couples had wandered outside to kiss beneath the stars, and Olivia ducked her head out of the barn, calling Lisa’s name loudly.
 

“I can’t find her anywhere,” Olivia complained to Jackson. “I mean, I don’t know where she possibly could have gone. This isn’t a huge barn,” she added.
 

“God, and there’s a huge line for the bathroom,” one of the other bridesmaids, Megan, said. “I really have to pee!”
 

Olivia’s heart sank. “God, I hope Lisa’s not inside,” she muttered. When Jackson shot her a worried look, she rolled her eyes. “She has a problem of drinking too much at these things,” Olivia explained. “Last time we went to a wedding I had to carry her out of the venue.”
 

Jackson laughed. “If I had to be a bridesmaid, I’d probably do the same thing,” he admitted. “I don’t even like wearing the same
shirt
as anyone else.”
 

Olivia laughed. “These dresses are pretty, at leas-“
 

“Oh my god, Olivia!” Megan grabbed her by the wrist and tugged her away. “You have to come here!” Olivia threw a glance over her shoulder at Jackson and was relieved to see him smiling. She almost tripped over her feet as Megan dragged her to the corner of the room.
 

“What is it?” Olivia narrowed her eyes.

“Lisa’s in the bathroom, with a
guy
,” Megan said. Her eyes were wide. “We can hear them.”
 

Olivia swallowed hard and listened. Sure enough, there were grunts, moans, and slapping sounds coming from the bathroom. She felt sick. “I don’t know, Megan,” she said. “Maybe we should just get a ride with someone else. I’m sure Lisa’s just having fun.”
 

Suddenly, the door to the bathroom burst open and a tumble of naked limbs and pink tulle came splashing out. Lisa was naked to the waist, the top of her dress bunched around her middle. She was blushing bright red and as she leapt to her feet and tried to pull her dress up, Olivia glimpsed the man sprawled underneath of her.
 

It was Derek.
 

Chapter Two

“Oh my god,” Olivia breathed. She covered her mouth with her hand as tears came to her eyes. Whirling around, she smacked right into Jackson.
 

“Hey,” Jackson said. He reached down and took Olivia’s arms, steadying her on her feet. “We really need to get you out of those shoes.” When he saw Olivia’s face, concern appeared in his creased forehead. “What happened? What’s wrong?”
 

“Derek,” Olivia spat. A single tear rolled down her cheek and she wiped it away. “They were….ugh, they were having sex in there!” She stamped her foot in frustration and took a deep breath. “My best friend, my roommate…she hooked up with him!”
 

“Sh, it’s okay,” Jackson said. He put his arm around Olivia’s shoulders and guided her away. “Would you and Max like to stay with me tonight?”
 

Olivia sighed. She bit her lip. “I really hate to impose,” she said honestly. “Are you sure about this?”
 

Jackson nodded. “Of course,” he said. “I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t mean it.”
 

Olivia swallowed hard and looked over her shoulder. Lisa was hanging off to one side of the room, fidgeting with her dress. Part of her wanted to go confront her roommate, but she wasn’t sure that she’d be able to keep her calm.
 

“Okay,” Olivia said. She tried to plaster a smile on her face. “Let me go get Max.”
 

The ride to Jackson’s house took almost an hour, and Olivia stared out the window at the treetops and the dark sky filled with stars. She wasn’t surprised to find that he lived
completely
outside of town, but she was shocked at the size of his house.
 

“This is beautiful,” Olivia said.
 

Jackson raised an eyebrow as he pulled into the driveway. “You say that like you’re surprised,” he replied. “What, you thought I lived in a shack?”
 

“No!” Olivia said, blushing and fighting back a wave of giggles. The bad scene at the wedding already seemed like something from a bad dream. “Just most single guys, you know…they’re kind of slobs.”
 

Jackson laughed politely. “I had my days as a slob,” he said. “Just ask my college roommates. I’m pretty sure our room was so fucked up you couldn’t even see the floor.”
 

Olivia nodded sagely. “Yup,” she said. “And I bet you all ate takeout every night, and thought the vacuum was just another piece of furniture.”
 

Jackson gave her a faux-wounded expression. “You’re hurting my fragile masculine ego,” he teased. “Better give it up for the night.”
 

Olivia rolled her eyes as she climbed out of the passenger seat and reached in the back to grab Max from his car seat. He’d fallen asleep in the car and he was making little snoring sounds. Olivia’s heart melted and she hugged her sleeping son.
 

“He’s so cute when he sleeps,” she whispered loudly to Jackson. “You have no idea what a holy terror he can be during the day, but this is always just adorable.”
 

Jackson laughed quietly. “He seems like a perfect kid,” he said. “Come on in, this way.”
 

Olivia followed Jackson into the darkened foyer. When he flicked on a light, she gasped. The inside of the house was even more beautiful than she’d imagined: it was all decorated in glossy hand-carved wood and dark, neutral colors.