“Go and wait in the car until this car crash is over?” he snarked. “No problems.”
“You gonna let a woman stack all these tables and chairs on her own?” I growled.
“Fine.” Mack walked over to the nearest table, stacking each chair noisily. “After I’ve packed up all the tables and chairs, I’ll go and wait in the car.”
“Got some help, have you?” The older woman from this morning appeared, shooting me a sly smile. “Maybe we’ll get out on time for once. Geoff!”
“What?” a muffled voice from the kitchen said.
“Get your arse into gear and I might let you control the remote tonight.”
“Woo hoo!”
“So are you guys auditioning for a job here or something?” Harper asked. “Fair warning, Sharon mostly employs young women to get the guys in the door.”
Yeah, I’d worked that out. The filthy comments some of the guys made this morning had my control over the bear fraying.
“No, but maybe…” I swept the floor between us, getting closer and closer. “We could go to the pub afterwards and have a drink? Maybe grab a counter meal?”
She stiffened, and that had every sense going on high alert, so I tracked the way her eyes dropped down to my lips and stayed there. Harper moistened her own and then forced herself to smile.
“What, like a date?”
“Like an opportunity to talk.”
If she heard what I had to say and didn’t go running, then it could become a date. Tor’s mop slowed as he eyed the two of us, obviously listening into the whole exchange.
“Oh-kay?” If I was in fur and she was a rabbit, I’d have said she was just about ready to bolt and every muscle would’ve been locked down, ready to explode. Harper wasn’t prey, though. She was my fated mate and I needed her to know that. “Yeah.” Suddenly she seemed very nonchalant. “I guess we can do that.” Her hand clapped over her mouth as she let out a big yawn. “Just can’t stay out too late. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
That had me smiling and Tor along with me. Her eyes darted, taking in our responses before she scuttled away.
“I’ll just… sort out the sandwich bar.”
And so we worked. All the focus I’d lacked today on the job came rushing back in. I swept the floor clean, picking up every crumb, every dust bunny, and then Tor came along and mopped until the floor was sparkling. Mack had threatened to go outside, and yet he lounged against the windows beside the front door.
“At least these ones are useful,” the older woman said, nudging Harper in the ribs. “Better than that last fella. What was his name?”
“No idea.” Harper grabbed her bag and then started heading for the door. “Catch you all in the morning!”
“Lovely to meet you…” I said, putting the broom back by the front counter.
“Sharon,” the woman replied, then shot me a stern look. “And you look after our Harper.”
“Trying to,” Tor replied, wheeling the mop bucket over.
That had Sharon’s eyes widening, but before we could answer her polyamorous questions, we made for the door, following Harper out into the car park. Mack was already in our car, the engine idling.
“We could go to the Red Lion,” I said, nominating a pub not far from here. “Beer’s cold and the meals aren’t too bad.”
“Beer sounds good,” she replied. “Food?” Her hand moved from side to side. “That’s always hit or miss after work. Being around the kitchen all day often leaves me feeling kinda blah. So I’ll meet you?—”
“Around the passenger side.” Tor plucked the car keys from her grip and then looked at the cars left, finding Harper’s beat up little sedan with ease.
“And then we’ll have a talk,” I said. I didn’t wait for her response, instead turning to get into our car lest I blurt it all out now.
That she was mine and Tor’s, and even Mack’s. That the wolf would pull his head out his arse, even if Mack seemed reluctant to admit that. That there never was a woman for me before her and there wouldn’t be one afterwards. That I’d spent my whole life waiting to find her. Instead, I settled into the passenger seat, taking one long breath then another, trying to keep the bear down. He trusted me to seal the deal and yet he wanted to come out and snuffle her, feel her hands scratch behind his ears.
“You alright?”
