"Stay tonight?" she asked, suddenly feeling vulnerable in the aftermath.
"Yes." No hesitation. "Always yes."
"No claiming," she reminded him, needing to be clear even in this soft moment.
"I know." He pulled her back against him, skin to skin. "I would never…”
"Good," she said. "Let's go to bed."
They climbed the ladder to her loft. In her narrow bed, they arranged themselves carefully—Andre on his back, Joy tucked against his side. It was a tight fit, but neither complained.
As sleep pulled at her, Joy realized something had shifted. Not just the physical intimacy, but something deeper. She'd shown him what she needed, and he'd given it willingly. This could definitely work.
Chapter
Thirteen
Andre grippedthe steering wheel so hard his hands ached. He hadn’t been able to relax since Joy announced she wanted to introduce her 100% match to her family. A German chocolate cake sat secured in the backseat, its carrier wedged between towels so it wouldn't slide. Three layers of his grandmother's recipe, the coconut-pecan frosting made at five this morning while his bear paced the kitchen.
Through the windshield, Timber Bear Ranch stretched under the afternoon sun. Fence posts marked the boundaries of Joy's world, each one a reminder that he was in her family's territory. His collar felt too tight. He tugged at it with one hand, keeping the other steady on the wheel.
The scent of Joy's lavender shampoo filled the truck cab, mixing with the cake's sweetness and his own nervous sweat. She'd dressed casually, in jeans and a soft blue blouse that made his bear want to nuzzle into her warmth. Now she watched him with those knowing eyes.
"Your bear's showing." Her voice held gentle amusement.
Andre forced his grip to loosen. The leather creaked as blood flowed back into his fingers. "That obvious?"
"Just a little." She reached across the console, her hand settling on his thigh. "They're going to love you."
He turned onto the ranch's main drive, gravel crunching beneath the tires. The house came into view. Cedar siding weathered to silver-gray, a wide porch wrapping around the front. Work boots lined up by the door. There was a cluster of vehicles parked in the driveway. He recognized Gabriel Reynolds’ truck and Chief Reynolds’ SUV from the station. Others he didn't know. His pulse hammered against his collar.
"Your uncle is my boss." The words scraped his throat. "I should have told him the moment we matched. Joy, when he finds out?—"
"He'll probably open champagne." Her fingers squeezed his thigh. "This is Fate Mountain. Mate matches are sacred."
Andre's bear bristled. Sacred didn't mean simple. Sacred didn't erase the fact that he'd been keeping secrets from his commanding officer. He parked behind Gabriel's truck, cutting the engine. His stomach clenched.
"Ready?" Joy asked.
"No." But he was already climbing out, moving to retrieve the cake from the backseat. The carrier felt slippery in his sweating palms. Three layers of please-accept-me wrapped in German chocolate and coconut.
He could smell grilled meat and Maria's spices floating on the air. The screen door opened before they reached it, and Joy’scousin Valeria bounced on her toes in the doorway, eyes lighting up when she saw them.
"Joy!” Then her gaze landed on Andre. "Wait, who's—" Her eyes went wide, ping-ponging between them. "Oh my God. OH MY GOD.You'reJoy's match?" Valeria stepped back inside. "You guys won’t believe who the match is!”
Andre followed Joy into the living room. Voices layered over each other, the television playing a baseball game. Heath sat in a leather armchair, beer bottle halfway to his lips. The bottle froze as his eyes found Andre.
Joy’s aunt Rosa sat in the matching armchair across from Heath, a book forgotten in her lap as she looked up at the new arrivals. Gabriel was on the couch, his detective brain already calculating. Andre could see the pieces clicking into place.
"So..." Joy's voice carried clearly through the sudden stillness. "Yeah... Andre is the one I matched with on mate.com."
The room erupted. Rosa's hands flew to her chest with a delighted gasp, her book sliding to the floor. Gabriel sat up straight, muttering a curse before apologizing to his mother. Valeria started bouncing again. And Heath watched with assessing eyes.
"The farmers market." Gabriel's eyes narrowed—the detective look. "That's why you were so weird during your announcement. You saw her for the first time that morning."
Heat crawled up Andre's neck. The admission felt like peeling off body armor. "I had just matched with her that morning."
"Is that chocolate I smell?" Joy’s mother Maria said, appearing in the kitchen door.
