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Chapter 30: He Had to Leave
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Behr Brothers Chapter 31: Their House
"I am."Melinda didn't believe Josh, but he was brave. "I'll be right back."The officer brought her close to her house. Or what had been her house. The fire appeared to be out now, but they'd lost it all. The place was rubble and nothing else. Tears came out of her eyes as the officer rubbed her back."Is there anyone you can call?"Caleb came to mind. She shouldn't, but she had no one else. No one who had any resources. She knew he had a house and maybe a spare bedroom. She dialed his number. No answer. In fact, the call went right to voicemail."Caleb, it's Melinda. I wouldn't call, but I'm desperate. Our house burned down and I have no place to for tonight. Please call me back if you can help."Her next phone call was to her husband. He answered. "What is it?""My house burned down. Can you take Josh for a few days?"He sighed. "As much as I'd love to, I'm out of town on business and Brenda isn't feeling well. I don't think she could take care of Josh." He went silent.Wow. Thank
Behr Brothers Chapter 32: Caleb's Place
Melinda woke to an empty bed. She had decided to keep Josh home from school, so she hadn't set an alarm. Of course her son got up earlier than she did. Where was he?She sat up, shoving the sleeves up on a sweatshirt that Caleb had lent her along with sweatpants. It was all he had, but she was grateful.Now to find her son. She heard his voice, then Caleb's deeper voice. She followed the sound to the kitchen. Guess Josh wasn't worried about where they were. He liked his coach. She watched from the doorway into the room she hadn't taken much notice of when Caleb had poured her wine last night.She yawned as Caleb gave his full attention to Josh. No one gave their full attention to kids that way. At least not if they weren't the parent.""Do you think Mom will eat pancakes?" Josh said."She'll eat these pancakes," Caleb said.How could she not? Caleb, wearing an apron around his waist, was making them. She loved to watch a man being domestic and Caleb was especially sexy being domestic.
Behr Brothers Chapter 33: The Search for Josh
Caleb walked to his car as he talked to her. "Melinda. I grew up in those woods. I'm better than any boy scout. I promise, Melinda. I'll be home in ten minutes. We'll find him."He finally got her off the phone. Talking to his customer, Caleb promised he'd be back early the next day to finish the job. He hated leaving a job undone, but only he could find Josh. The boy would trust him.Melinda would trust him also.The drive only took nine minutes, but Melinda was pacing on his porch. His heart went out to her. If he had a cub, he'd hate to lose it. Then again, a cub would know the woods better than Josh could. He pulled her into his arms. "It's okay, honey. I'll take care of this.""Go find him, Caleb. I'm sure he's lost and scared.""Not for long. Go back inside. I'll call you when I find him."He waited until she was in the house before he entered the woods. He tucked his phone into the crotch of a tree, then started his transformation. His clothing disappeared with his human body. W
Behr Brothers Chapter 34: They Argue
Carl gritted his teeth. "Melinda. These are the woods. There are bears and all sorts of animals.""Josh knows not to go into the woods anymore. Not without me."Carl crossed his arms. "What do you know about the woods, city girl?"Not that Carl had ever been camping. Okay. Maybe when they were younger, but it had been years. He was just as much a city person as she was. "I've deemed this place safe. That should be enough. You've never questioned my judgment before now."There was something else going on. Something that he probably wouldn't tell her. He was feeling nervous, but not about the living arrangement. Not about being in the woods. Where was he going with this?"Well, you've never lived in the woods before. With a stranger.""A stranger? He's Josh's coach. You've met him," Melinda said. "You never had any problem with him before this."What was going on with this guy?"I don't like it, Melinda. I think Josh should come stay with me until you find a suitable place.""I can't fin
Behr Brothers Chapter 35: She Was It
Caleb knew Melinda was uncomfortable with living here with him, but he figured that was because of the nature of their relationship. That was going to change. At least he hoped so. She seemed to mull that over. "Okay.""Good. Then well head off to my cousin's office after lunch.""You think he can help?"He hated the desperation in her voice. He wanted to take her in his arms and soothe her. Among other things. Getting naked might take her mind off of this, but he doubted this was the time to mention that. He wouldn't be that guy. He wanted to be a good husband and father. Starting now."Yes. I think he can help. He's very good at what he does.""I can't pay much.""You don't have to pay him anything," Caleb said.A den member wouldn't charge another den member, and as his mate, she was a member. He couldn't explain that. This was getting old. He just wanted to come out and say it to her. Explain it all. "He can't do this for free."He patted her hand. "He'll do it for free. Just let
Behr Brothers Chapter 36: She Leaves
"No, honey. He's staying at his house. We need to find a new place to live," she said.Melinda pulled into a bed and breakfast she knew had opened in the last year. She hoped someone would be there at this time of night.A very pregnant woman opened the door. She smiled at them. "Come in.""Thank you. I was hoping you were open.""I'm up with heartburn."A large man came down the steps. He could've been Caleb's brother. "Everything okay?"He stood close to his wife as if protecting her. "Everything's fine. These people just need a room. Take their suitcases up while I check them in," the woman said. "I'm Sally. This is my husband Sebastian."The large man nodded at her, then hoisted their suitcases as if they didn't weigh anything. Sally took Melinda's credit card then Melinda signed the receipt. Josh leaned against her, probably ready to be back to sleep. She guided him up the steps to a room that had a double bed. She tucked him into it then thanked the man.He handed her the key, t
Behr Brothers Chapter 37: Complications Always
Melinda snatched her phone off of the counter, then pressed the button to answer it. What else could go wrong today? Or these days?Her heart hurt because of Caleb and she didn't want it to. She hadn't realized how much she'd been having feelings for him. Not what she needed in her life."This is Melinda Leight.""This is Harmony Elementary School. Principal Higgins.""Yes, Principal?"What had Josh done now? He was a good kid who had impulse control problems. He hadn't been to the principal's office, but she'd been called by more than one teacher in his short academic career. Today was not the day she needed this. "We wanted to inform you that your ex-husband picked up Josh. We didn't have a note from you, but he is on the list of acceptable people to pick him up. I had a bad feeling about it after they left but have not been able to get ahold of him."A chill went down her spine. Carl hadn't mentioned picking up Josh. Not even at the end of the school day. "Okay. He didn't tell me
Behr Brothers Chapter 38: He'll Find Josh
Emboldened by Melinda's trust, Caleb stepped away from her. "Do you want to watch?"She looked at him puzzled for a minute. "Oh. That. I guess.""How about I change, then you can touch me. Know that it's me," he said.Her accepting him as he was would be key to her staying with him. He waited. He could go into the woods, out of her sight, but he wanted this all to be normal. If she thought it was normal, he would have a chance to win her back. She bit her lip. "Go ahead."He led her off the porch and into the yard. He started the transformation as he watched her. Her face showed a little fear, but she didn't ever remove her gaze from him. That was a good sign.Her eyes were a little wide and he can only imagine what this must look like to her. He would never hurt her or Josh. Hopefully she knew that. With his transformation complete, he stayed on four legs. He was even taller as a bear. Melinda studied him. She finally nodded and some part of him knew that she was okay with him. At l
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Behr Brothers Chapter 61: His Secret
Fiona had no idea what Wyatt was so concerned about. What could he possibly show her that would be a problem? Things had been going well. "You wait on the porch, but you can approach me when I'm done. I won't hurt you. It's still me."Okay. That was weird. She didn't know what to expect. She wanted to lean, pretend a casual posture, but she couldn't. Not with the uncertainty in his eyes. Wyatt had never done anything to scare her. Until now. "You ready?"She nodded. "Go ahead."She only had less than an hour before the kidnappers would call again. Impatience warred with curiosity. He turned to her while standing in the yard. At first she blinked her eyes as if she wasn't sure what she was seeing. A few minutes later, where Wyatt had stood, a bear now stood. She looked around the yard. Wyatt hadn't moved. She'd been watching the whole time. The bear went down on all four paws. Her brain told her to be afraid. She wasn't. This had to be Wyatt, but what had happened? The bear approac
Behr Brothers Chapter 60: She Needs Money
Wyatt squeezed her hand. Asking for help was hard for Fiona. He was proud that she was putting aside her pride to save her sister. When the forms were filled out, Colin sent them via email to his boss. "Let me walk over to his office and talk to him," Colin said.He left. Fiona turned to Wyatt. "I'm not sure how I'm going to repay this.""We'll work it out.'"You shouldn't take this debt on. It's my problem. I'll figure it out."He wished she would stop. She would understand as soon as she realized they were fated to be together. "Fi, it's okay. Let's worry about getting your sister back.""I'm scared for her," Fiona said."I know."Wyatt kissed her hand. "They have no reason to hurt her.""I hope not."Colin came back with a smile on his face. "Good news. It's all set. The money will be in your account in twenty-four hours."Wyatt stood, then hugged his cousin. "Thanks, Colin.""Not a problem."Fiona hugged him also and Colin sent Wyatt a leer over her shoulder. Wyatt showed his co
Behr Brothers Chapter 59: They're Together
Wyatt shifted off of Fiona, then came back to lie next to her. He nuzzled her neck, his hand resting on her stomach. "I wish we could stay here forever," he murmured."That would be glorious. Pretend that the world wasn't out there. That nothing was wrong.""We'll work it out, Fi. I promise.""How can you be so sure?" she said. He groaned. "I just am. Trust me. I know that's hard for you."He was right. She didn't trust easily. Too many important people had let her down in life. Including Wyatt. He seemed as if he wanted to make that up to her. She patted him. "We need to get to work.""Ever the practical one," Wyatt said.He kissed her cheek, then stood. He held out his hand, helping her up. He pulled her into his arms, his face against her neck.She couldn't imagine being anywhere else. She loved this man, and as much as that scared her, she knew he wouldn't break her heart. At least not intentionally. He was a grown man who clearly knew what he wanted. And that was her. Her phon
Behr Brothers Chapter 58: Fiona's Trouble
"That bitch is trouble. You should stay away from her.""I don't take advice from punks. I expect you to deliver this message to your boss.""Fuck you."Wyatt smacked his head against the wall again. "Do it… Or what I do next will be worse."The man gritted his teeth. Then he nodded. "Fine."Wyatt pushed him down. He wanted to let his bear loose to tear this man from limb to limb, but he couldn't do that on Main Street. He'd threatened his mate and that was not a forgivable offense. "Tell your boss," Wyatt said, then walked back to his truck. He didn't look back at the man. The message had been clear enough and Wyatt knew the man was a bully. He wouldn't attack Wyatt because he knew he'd lose. Wyatt climbed into his truck. He let his heart slow down. He wasn't one to beat up people, but he wouldn't back down from a fight. Not when he had to defend someone in his den. Especially when he had to defend his mate. When he was sure he was calm enough, he started the truck. He pulled up
Behr Brothers Chapter 57: Vandalism
"Can't say. Have you called the cops?""I wanted to wait until you got here," he said. "Or Wyatt.""Wyatt hasn't been here?" Fiona said."No. I was waiting for one of you.""Call the cops. We need to make a report to get the insurance money."But she knew who this had been and there would be no evidence left behind. He must've left her place last night and come here. He must have been following her to know where she'd been working. Fiona pulled her phone out of her pocket. She was going to have to fire her crew. They weren't going to be needed. She was giving the job to Wyatt. And getting out of town. No matter what he said, he couldn't protect her from this. She couldn't let this spill over onto him.She walked outside with Jeb who was calling the cops. Wyatt pulled up. He climbed out, concern on his face. Fiona knew that she didn't have a poker face. He could probably tell something was wrong. He glanced at Jeb then back to her."What's going on?" he said."Someone pulled out the wi
Behr Brothers Chapter 56: Wyatt Being Stubborn
Wyatt wasn't going to budge on this condition. He wanted Fiona in his life. In his house. In his bed. That way he could prove to her that they belonged together. Prove that she was his mate, and if he did, he wouldn't have to live alone for the rest of his life. He'd protect her. Protect her sister. They were all part of his den. He'd die for them. That's the deal.So she could sleep with him. Fiona used a band on her arm and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. He preferred her hair down, but this meant she was getting down to work. "I guess I'll pack."He couldn't hide his grin. With Fiona, the victories were few and far between. He wouldn't gloat, but he'd enjoy it. "How can I help?"She looked around, then laughed. "You think I have trunks and trunks of clothing hidden somewhere?""I guess not."He settled on her desk chair to watch her. She scurried around in a haphazard way. Of course she would. That was Fiona. If there was an efficient way to do something, she would do the op
Behr Brothers Chapter 55: She Has a Secret
"Fi, come on. I'm here. I'm willing to listen without judgment. If nothing else, we are friends. We work together. I respect you and your skills. At least give me a chance to help."Fiona shook her head. Shit. She was going to be stubborn. Wyatt looked around her apartment. It was her usual mess. He found a chair and sat on it. "I'm not leaving until you tell me."Sometimes with Fiona, you just had to dig in and wait. He'd stay all night and into tomorrow to figure this out. She was his mate. He owed her at least that much. Even if she never felt anything for him, he was going to protect her. She was part of him, part of his den. He couldn't walk out of here knowing she was in danger. Especially not knowing if that person could come back. Nope he was here for the duration. If she left, he'd follow. He wasn't letting her go that easily a second time.She sighed. Her gaze traveled back up to him and held his. "Okay, I'll tell you."***Fiona couldn't lie to Wyatt, but she didn't really
Behr Brothers Chapter 54: His Protective Instinct
Fiona huffed, then turned back to stomp her way to her truck. Damn, that woman could be stubborn. Wyatt climbed into his truck, then waited for Fiona to pull out. She did and didn't try to lose him. He stopped in front of her apartment. She walked up to him. He rolled down his window. "Happy?" she said."Yes.""Good night, Wyatt."She turned away from him. He watched her climb the steps to her place. He waited until she unlocked the door, then turned on a light. He waited a few more minutes before driving off. Something wasn't right about this situation. Someone could've been waiting in her apartment. He should have checked first. Shit. He turned his truck around. Wyatt knew he wouldn't sleep until he was sure she was safe. That was his job. Even if she didn't know that she was his mate, he had to protect her. He'd failed when she left, but now she was back. She was his responsibility even if she didn't like it, no matter how stubborn she was, he would always push back when it came
Behr Brothers Chapter 53: Not Talking Business
"What are we supposed to talk about? Business is what we have in common.""How does it feel to be back here?" Wyatt said. Fiona hadn't really thought about it. Her only reason for coming back to was show Wyatt that she didn't need him. That she was as competent as an electrician as he was. She'd done that, sort of. "Uh, I guess okay.""It hasn't really changed much.""No, it hasn't."What a banal conversation. Was this how it was going to be for them for the rest of the job? This awkwardness?"How's your sister?""She's fine. In college and loving it.""You didn't want to go to college?"She'd had that dream at one point, but when her parents died, the desire had died with it. "I'm not cut out for sitting in a classroom."He nodded, then sipped his beer. "I can understand that. I'm not interested in theory. Tell me how something works for me. How can I use it in my job?""Exactly. You wire something, a light works. It's more rewarding," she said."Instant gratification.""Yeah, in a w
