Page 21 of Bear Outlaws


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“If you don’t know by now, I’m going to have to do something drastic.”

What had gotten into him? “What are you talking about?”

“You’ll see. Let’s get the girls inside and I will figure something out.”

I unlocked the door and opened it wide. Wes strode through it, still balancing the girls like he was carrying paper. Usually if I spent that long holding them, I felt as if my muscles were severing. He must work out. I peeked at his ass while he climbed the stairs. He certainly did not neglect his glutes in whatever gym he frequented. When was the last time I looked at Wes? Wasn’t he chubby when I first met him? How had he changed from teddy bear to hunk right under my nose? “You look really good.” And I meant it. The words bubbled up, effortless. I paired it with a smile, hoping it wasn’t too cheesy.

Wes turned towards me with a raised eyebrow but turned back around and kept climbing. He set the car seat down on the dining room table and gently set Camille on the floor. She teetered for a few steps, then slammed down on her butt. I braced for a wail, but she spotted a dust bunny and started crawling away.

“What’s in the fridge?” He crossed the room and flung open the door.

My cheeks burned. I forgot to go to the grocery store. All that is inside my refrigerator is a soft orange. “I haven’t had the time to go shopping this week.”

“I see that. This won’t do. I’m going out.”

“It’s fine, really. The Chinese restaurant menus are in that drawer.” I pointed to the junk drawer next to the sink.

“Chinese food is lame.” His eyes sparkled. He was enjoying making fun of me.

“Well I must be lame because I survive on Beef Lo Mein and General Tso’s chicken.”

Wes shook his head and clicked his tongue against his cheek. The mock scolding noise was jovial. Heat spread from my belly into my hips and thighs. Teasing wasn’t usually my thing, but there was something in Wes’s eyes that was different today. He was observing me hungrily, drinking me in. He was flirting. Finally. I walked closer to him so that our faces were only a few inches apart. “Well if we’re not going to order Chinese, what are we going to do?” I leaned in suggestively. Heat emanated from his skin. The smell of smoke and leather was intoxicating. I tilted my face up towards his. His breath tickled my lips. A loud thump broke our moment. Camille’s wail filled me with guilt and rage. We forgot about her. Wes stepped backwards and grabbed the car keys from the table where I left them.

“I’m going to get food. I’ll see you in a few.” He hurried off without another word.

I picked Camille up and patted her back. She immediately stopped crying and curled into me. She must be exhausted. I peeked at Avery, who was still strapped into the car seat. She was sucking on her toes, completely oblivious to the drama. “Let’s get you ladies to bed.” I unbuckled Avery and scooped her into my arms. I remember the days where I handled the girls like fragile objects. Those days were no more. Now I one-armed them often. My biceps certainly didn’t look the part, but I felt stronger. Although they still did test my limits sometimes. Especially with accessories. Strollers, diaper bags, and car seats were always so damn awkward. It had to be a single man that invented those things. I carried Camille to her bed and tucked her in. Avery was beginning to fuss, so I popped her on my breast and turned on the television. After fifteen minutes of a paternity battle, Avery passed out. I carried her to her crib and tiptoed away. Should I use this time to straighten the house? Get ready for tomorrow? Probably, but I wasn’t going to do that. Inste

ad, I was going to get ready for Wes. He had already been gone for fifteen minutes. How long did I have? I went into my closet and pulled out a stretchy and forgiving house dress. The navy and white stripes skimmed over my lower belly pooch and emphasized my hourglass shape. I changed out of my sports bra and into something lazy that perked up my cleavage a bit. My hair was beyond repair, but I dumped some salt into a spray bottle with warm water and spritzed until my flyaway hairs were tamed and my waves activated. I grabbed the ancient Nar’s blush and swiped some onto my cheeks, chin and forehead. I prayed that I still had some mascara that wasn’t dried out. After digging through my bathroom cabinets, I found two completely clumped out mascaras. I tossed them into the trash and gave up. This was going to have to be good enough. I spritzed two sprays of perfume on my wrist and chest and then sprayed a bit into a perfume cloud and walked through it. When the doorknob turned downstairs, my heart leapt into my throat. Wes was back.

By the time I made it downstairs, he was already preheating the oven and heating olive oil in a skillet I forgot I owned. I tried not to think of the state of the kitchen cupboards that he needed to rummage through to find it. He looked up at me and smiled.

“You look pretty. I’ve never seen you in anything other than scrubs.”

I opened my mouth to object, but I realized that he was right. It made me feel shy. He scanned my body briefly, before diverting his attention back to the vegetables. Whether it was the heat of the kitchen, or his gaze, I wasn’t sure, but I was starting to overheat.

“I’m going to set up a place to eat in the living room.”

Wes nodded and continued chopping. I felt a bit disappointed. I wanted him to give me another look. I guess I would have to make him ogle me during dinner. I went back into the other room and grabbed a card table and two chairs that the previous tenant had left behind. I added a cheery yellow tablecloth I got for a dollar at the thrift store and a candle I received as a welcome gift from the hospital. After searching all over for a lighter, I found some commemorative matches stuffed in the back of an old purse. I hadn’t smoked since I found out I was pregnant, but apparently, I hadn’t cleaned out my purse since then as well. After refreshing my makeup and fluffing my hair, I went back downstairs to check on Wes. The smell of garlic and onions wafted in from the kitchen.

“Garlic and onions, the vampire’s serenade.” He laughed.

“Well, I must be a vampire, because I’m swooning.” I was amazed at how swift he was in the kitchen. He looked at home. Wes must cook a lot.

“You deserve a home cooked meal. Something someone’s put some love into.” He winked. My heart skipped a beat. I went to the cupboard and started rummaging around.

“I think I’ve got something to drink back here.”

Wes pointed to a paper bag on the floor. “I’ve already taken care of that.”

At this point, Wes is lucky if he makes it out of here. The only person on the planet that helps me this much is my mother. Mother. What day is it? “Hey what’s today?”

“I think it’s Thursday.”

“Well, if your wrong, my mother’s going to be very upset.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because I’m supposed to pick her up at the airport.”

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