Bearly Healed: Pacific Northwest Bears: (Shifter Romance) (12 page)

C
ash had heard enough
. He pushed away from the counter holding two cups of coffee. He made it to the couch as Connie stood and gave Cass an encouraging smile.

Cash sat the cups down and took her place. He leaned over putting his hands on either side of her head. Bringing his head closer to hers, he stared at her for a moment, letting her see not only him but his animal in his eyes.

“I don’t care if you can’t cook. I can. We already discussed you working; it’s not necessary. As for past relationships? Takes two to fail, any man that didn’t put the effort in for you lost out. You are good for me. I haven’t been this happy in decades. My heart feels like it’s ten feet wide just being around you. Even when you’re sassy, I just think it makes you cuter.”

Cassie gave him a total eye roll at that one.

“Now, today is a new day. You are spending the day out of bed with us in the open. You will have your therapy, and then Effie will be here. You will not talk down about yourself anymore. Cassie Hackett is my mate, and you won’t say mean things about her. Plus, from now on I’m keeping a tally of all the times you say negative things. Once you’re healed up, you’ll get a swat for every naughty thing you say,” he said with a promising growl.

“You can’t spank me! I’m not five you know,” Cassie hissed.

Cash leaned forward closer to her ear. “I’ll make you like it, Sprite.”

Cassie gave a shiver, damn him he probably could. Now she had to decide whether or not to be bad on purpose.

“I know that look. You wanna rack up the count. I’ll totally play along, baby,” he said with a wicked smile.

Hmm, that made her naughty bits shiver. Oh yeah, he was way too much man for her.

Cash sniffed and closed his eyes like he was savoring something. “Don’t tease me, Cass,” he warned.

“Oh yeah right, like I have control over that,” she scoffed.

“Try,” he said, his eyes glowing yellow.

“Bossy,” she whispered.

“Always for you, Sprite,” he said with a smile.

“Who’s hungry?” Connie called from the kitchen. She’d heard their conversation and didn’t want them to have sex on her couch. She figured a healthy dose of pancakes would thwart that.

“I am,” Cash growled. Cassie didn’t think he was talking about food.

“I want food.” Cassie gave him a pointed look.

“Fine, you need to eat. You’re too skinny,” he said, leaning back and giving her some room to take the plate Connie offered.

Accepting the food with a thank you, Cassie kept up her banter with Cash. “Sure, I know your plan. You are going to fatten me up so I’m as wide as I am tall, and I won’t fit through the door anymore.”

“Well, I think the shortest woman I ever dated was six foot. So I’m used to big and curvy. In your case, I can’t have the big, so I’m working on curvy. Twenty or thirty pounds should round you out nicely,” Cash said, forking in a heap of flapjacks.

“Oh yeah, nothing like having a butterball year round. Not just for Thanksgiving anymore! It can be a new slogan,” Cassie said, her mouthful of syrupy goodness.

Cash started laughing. “You think being a smartass is going to turn me off. I love it,” he said shaking his head.

“Uh, most people have a tolerance level for it. I just haven’t hit yours yet. Since you should be leaving for work soon, I’ll have to pick up where I leave off later,” she surmised, still eating way too big of bites.

“Nope, I’m all yours today. Cage and Edward are covering since I was covering for Cage. He’s happy to go back to give me some time off. Until I think you are back on your feet, literally, I’m all yours, baby,” Cash said, his mouth full. He took a drink of coffee and continued his meal.

Cassie was stumped. She needed Effie’s help on how to turn a guy off. True there were some time honored options. Nose picking, releasing noxious gasses, but she had her dignity. Sort of.

She stared at him with a thoughtful expression as she chewed. He grinned back at her like he was having too much fun with their little game.

Cash helped clean up the dishes, and Cassie found the TV remote. She was working on some snappy comebacks for later while she watched her favorite reality show. Cash joined her and slid her into his lap as she watched. She didn’t even protest; it was too comfy.

Her therapist showed up about an hour into her favorite show about people living in Alaska.

Mario was more than thrilled there was someone else to boss her around. Cash asked a million questions and got copies of her exercises that Cassie had been conveniently losing. Cash, on the other hand, would have “Mario” teach him the exercise so he could take over and do them.

Cassie had to admit she didn’t want to look like a wimp in front of him, so she pushed herself. After forty minutes, she was wiped. Her legs were sore, and she’d even worked up a sweat. By the time the therapist left, she was a limp mess on the couch.

The good news was that Mario said she was able to remove her walking cast and move into a much smaller ankle brace. It was still plastic and Velcro but much smaller and lighter. There was a chance she could shove it in one of her combat boots if she didn’t lace it up.

Cash brought her one of her pills and a glass of water without asking. Cassie happily swallowed the pill and drank down the refreshing water. She didn’t even protest when he picked her up without asking. He had her tucked into bed and told her to sleep, that he was going to check in on work. She nodded and fell into a lovely medicated sleep.

S
he had assumed
that Cash was going into the office. Instead, he parked himself at the kitchen counter and made phone calls to Cage and Edward. They, of course, didn’t need him to come in. It was their company after all. He then checked in with the mill. His brothers and cousins had everything handled.

Then he made a call to his mother.

“Hey Ma,” he said, his eyes on Connie, who was puttering around the kitchen prepping dinner for that evening.

“Cash Rochon, where have you been? I’ve called your house twice,” his mother asked. Cash’s mom Ruth was a lot like Connie, except she’d grown up in a fishing family. She’d married into the Rochon clan and had always been a hardworking woman. Cash had two brothers and a baby sister. He was the oldest and his mom’s rock when his dad was away.

“I’ve been over at Uncle Eddie’s. I was staying close to help out, but then things changed,” he said cryptically. He thought he would just tell his mom and be done with it, but now he was nervous for some reason.

“Oh, did someone get hurt? Was it that poor girl that’s visiting?” she asked.

“No Ma, I had spoken with her once but hadn’t seen her. Then I saw her…”

Cash let that statement hang in the air as he heard his mom suck in a breath.

“She’s your one?” his mother said, her voice a gasp.

“Yeah, Ma, she’s mine. I never thought it would happen. Then…bam,” he said, with a chuckle.

“You never do, then like lightning it hits you. Oh, sweetie, I can’t wait to meet her. We should probably introduce her to the rest of the family slowly. Just your immediate family first. Let me look at my schedule to see when everyone will be here.”

Cash could hear her rustling around. “Ma, she can’t meet anyone yet,” he started.

“What. She can meet your cousins and Aunt and Uncle, but not us?” his mother’s voice rose.

“She’s human. She is not as on board with the whole mate thing. In fact, she’s adamantly trying to convince me I’ve got the wrong girl. Plus, she is still recovering from her accident. She needs time. I need time to make sure she’s not going to bolt on me. Well, she can’t bolt, but she could crawl,” he amended.

There was silence on the line. He was worried he’d hurt his mom’s feelings. Her new daughter-in-law and she had to wait to meet her. Cash would understand if she was pissed.

“No, of course, you’re right. She is probably still a little gun shy around shifters. She knew about us didn’t she?” his mom asked.

“Well, she knew about the cougars. Not bears. It was a bit of a shock,” Cash added.

“Oh, I bet it was. Recovering from injuries, learning about bear shifters, and then you probably overwhelming her with your claim. Shame on you Cash,” his mother scolded.

“Wait, what? Ma, I didn’t. I was very nice and calm. I swear!” Shit, of course, his mom thought he’d done it poorly. She always called him her bull in a china shop.

“Cash, don’t you bully that girl. She’s human, and you need to take your time, be cautious. Give her some space. You aren’t staying over there are you? You’re going home to your house each night, right?”

“No Ma, I’m not going home. Cassie is way too skittish to leave alone right now. She’s looking for a reason to run. I have Effie coming in today. I’m hoping she will convince Cassie that it’s all going to be all right.” Cash hoped that a quick visit from Effie was going to work.

He was optimistic that she’d barely put any effort into sassing him this morning. He figured she always would to an extent. He thought it was cute. He just didn’t want her snark to be her sign of them not getting along. If she wanted to bust his balls she could, as long as she was staying.

“Well, you better be very aware of her tolerance of you. You push her too far, and you’ll be chasing after her,” his mother warned.

Cash knew she was right. It was a very big fear that with Effie showing up she’d want to go home. Even though Cash and his bear thought of her already being home. At least close to it.

“I will, Ma. Can you keep everyone off me for a while? Cage and the guys are keeping their distance to not overwhelm her. In fact, she still hasn’t even met some of them because she is uncomfortable about how she looks. I need time,” he told her.

“I’ll give you your time. I will only tell your dad. The rest of the zoo can wait until you are bonded,” his mother declared.

Bonded, hell Cash just wanted her to agree that they were mates. Bonding to her through the bite would introduce his DNA into her system. Her aging would slow to match his. She would also be able to handle the pregnancy of a shifter child. His dominant genes would mean any children they had would be shifters. Of course, he also had to convince her that sex would work between them.

First, he had to make sure she liked him.

“Thanks, Ma. I’ll keep you up to date,” Cash said.

“Love you, son, congratulations,” she said warmly.

“Love you too, bye,” Cash said, hanging up.

Poor Cassie, she thought meeting the people here was a big deal. Wait until the first family gathering.

Cash turned and leaned back against the counter. He saw Connie watching him as she stirred a large stock pot of chili.

“I don’t envy you,” she murmured.

“Why?”

“Because, meeting your mate should be all about the joy and love you feel. With another shifter, it’s easier. You both are pulled towards each other. That completeness is a craving. With a human, their brains get in the way. So while you are physically incapable of being away from her, she could deny you and not suffer the same pain. She might miss you, but she could get over you,” she said quietly.

Cash didn’t want to agree with her, but he knew she was speaking the truth. He was already addicted to her scent and her taste. His bear would growl loudly in his mind whenever he thought about not having her with him. It made them both agitated.

“I’m gonna go for a run. You keep an eye on her for me?” Cash asked.

“Of course, dear. Go let your animal out. He could use it,” she surmised.

C
ash nodded
and headed out the back door towards the deck. He stripped off his clothes and left them folded on the porch.

He stepped off the covered deck and took a deep breath. His bear was itching to come out, and it didn’t take much encouragement to have the shimmering start over his body. His body stretched and contorted as his bear pushed out from his skin. Fur sprouting, joints reshaping as the huge grizzly found his feet.

His bear stretched and dug his claws into the dirt. He sniffed around the ground for a bit, and then Cash gave him his lead. The bear shot off, bounding through the river to head up the mountainside.

Cash and his bear ran for the better part of an hour. His bear found some early berries and stopped for a snack. He sharpened his claws on a tree, digging deep into the bark.

By the time he was done, both man and bear were ready to see their mate.

He hit the back porch, dressed and went inside to see they had visitors.

Walking through the back door, Cash saw Dax and Connie talking in the kitchen. He swung the door open, his eyes on Dax. Dax was a cougar, but he was still an Alpha. His bear recognized him as a leader even if he wasn’t clan.

Dax stared at Cash shaking his head. Cash could see it wasn’t in a negative fashion; it was like he didn’t know what else to do.

“You just go running after trouble, don’t you?” Dax said, looking at him with an unreadable expression.

“I’m not in trouble,” Cash said, closing the door behind him. He leaned up against it. Until he could read the other man better, he wasn’t getting any closer. He’d easily be able to take Dax in a fight, but he didn’t want to get into that situation.

“I know Cassie. I know you. You are in it so deep you should have trouble breathing. And Cassie isn’t the least of your worries. You’ve also got a very pregnant, very uncomfortable best friend that thinks you are a very bad choice for her girl.”

Shit, Cash hadn’t thought about Effie’s take on this. “I’ve got it all handled. Cassie had a good day. She’ll keep having good days,” Cash said confidently.

“She better, or I’m gonna end up hearing about it,” Dax said.

Cash nodded then looked towards the hallway. “Effie in there?”

“Yeah, she headed straight there. It’s been quiet. I’m taking no screaming as a good thing,” Dax said thoughtfully. His brow wrinkled in worry.

Cash moved toward the coffee machine. Lucky for him, Connie kept it going pretty much twenty-four-seven.

“I know you have a lot on your plate right now, but we have another problem,” Dax said, turning his attention away from the closed bedroom door.

“Oh, yeah? What’s that?” Cash asked, sipping his coffee. He didn’t want to get in to what kinds of problems he had with Dax. He had enough eyes on him.

“Got a call yesterday, before Cage called me. The local DA is thinking of bringing charges against Cassie for the crash,” Dax said.

“What? She wasn’t even driving!” Cash angrily whispered. His bear was rearing up in his head to protect his mate. “That asshole could have killed her!”

“Well, apparently his parents hired a very good attorney who is trying to convince the DA that Cassie supplied the alcohol, encouraged him to drink it, and forced him to drive by threatening him. It’s all complete bullshit, but the process still has to play out. I don’t want to worry Cassie. We can hire the best lawyers for her, and it shouldn’t be a big deal, but she’s fragile right now. Old Cassie would come out fighting. This Cassie? I don’t know if she’s got it in her,” Dax said honestly.

“Fucking hell, she doesn’t need this shit. I just got her out of that damn room. I haven’t convinced her about us so that she can feel confident and secure; now I have to tell her someone wants to lock her up? Even if it’s bullshit and will never happen, it’s still going to cause her stress. When will we find out? Does she need to fly back to deal with this?” Cash asked. He was a pretty easy going guy. But sometimes even he got overwhelmed.

“Not yet. I’m keeping an eye on the situation. I made some discreet inquiries and found out that they are just grasping at straws. I also made a brief visit to her mother’s house, letting her know where I stand as far as their pursuit of a lawsuit.”

“Still, I’ve given our family lawyer a heads up. He’s on retainer. He said it will never stand. There is no proof of Cassie threatening the driver. I’m having him preemptively get statements from her friends at the party before the DA can get to them. I figure we can get a jump on it. I’ll let you decide when and if she can handle the news,” Dax suggested.

“No, I appreciate that. I’m sure you made your point clear with them. I want to at least get her to agree to being my mate first before handing her anymore trouble,” Cash said with a sigh.

Dax looked over at Connie, who was silently listening to the guys. He gave her a wink then turned back to Cash. “I find overwhelming them with orgasms makes humans very compliant.”

“Damn straight,” Connie muttered behind her coffee mug.

Cash smiled, that was certainly part of the plan. He was hoping that Effie would be the biggest part. He knew she was happy with Dax and that their family was growing. Effie knew enough about the shifter world to know it was the best place for her friend. He just hoped that Cassie was receptive and didn’t flip her friend too much shit.