Chapter Seven

I didn’t know what I would have done if not for this traveling omega my bear was calling mate. Although I was feeling a little less intelligent than I liked to give myself credit for. Turn off the water! Of course, that was what someone did when there was any kind of water leak. Although I did not know there was an actual shut-off valve on the machine, but I did know where the main one was for the shop, and it had been no more than a dozen steps away just outside the back door. Under ordinary circumstances, I liked to think I would have remembered that helpful information and run for the valve right away. But with my bear’s radical arguing from inside me, his insistence that we stop messing about with chores and go meet our mate—I never thought of the shut-off.

My bear had been right this time, and I should have recognized the difference between his behavior previously and just now. Oh, he wanted me to look every time, but not as strongly as at this last ring of the bell. And once he got a glimpse of Pike…well, he was ready to mate with him and settle down immediately.

But so far, all I’d managed to do was get most of the mess cleaned up, with the omega’s kind help. What were the odds of a handyman coming along just when I needed him? Surely better than the fact that person would be my mate. I took him in, guessing he was about five or six years younger than me and wore worn jeans and a T-shirt that clung to muscular arms.

We lingered over coffee and pastry and talked for a bit while things were slow and Glen could handle the customer flow on his own. Pike was animated and adorable, and I couldn’t look away from his face. “So, this dishwasher is the holy grail. How much did you say you paid for it?”

“A few hundred dollars.”

“Wow. That owner did not know what he had. I’ve fixed a few professional models and this one was made before the manufacturer decided to cut corners and opened their factory overseas. This one is well over twenty years old. Did you know that?” As he launched into a description of the differences in appliances he had known and loved or hated, I realized I could listen to him talk all day long.

“No. This is my first foray into the restaurant industry, and I probably got incredibly lucky not only to get this dishwasher at all. Not to mention managing to open the shop and live the dream.”

“What did you do before this?”

I chuckled. “Whatever it took to save up for what I wanted. I have a business degree, and after graduation, I went into finance. Turned out, I had a gift for helping others invest, so I was able to not only work in the field but build my own portfolio until I was able to return to Oliver Creek and do what I preferred.”

“Stocks. I’ve never understood those at all,” he said. “You must be very smart.”

“Not necessarily. I think it’s one of those things you either find interesting or not. I did have to liquidate for the opening, but since then, I’ve been able to reinvest and start the rebuilding of my nest egg. As much as I love my work, this industry is not stable. Of course, neither is the stock market, but while I invested for fast gain before to meet this goal, now I am going another route. Saving for the future.”

He shook his head, a lock of hair falling forward over his forehead. “Smart.”

“It’s nice of you to say so. But I’m the one who stood back there while water sprayed everywhere until you came in and had Glen turn it off.” I took a sip of my coffee. “Not smart in the least.”

“It’s easy to be rattled by things like that.” He was so sweet, trying to make me feel better about myself. “If you want, while I’m still in town, I can come by and check it out, maybe see if it needs anything like hoses replaced. The one I reattached looked fine though.”

“Really? That would very helpful. I need to pay you for that though. You can’t just save every shop owner from himself.”

“You’re not every shop owner.” His eyes glowed, but I tried not to make too much of it. He was my mate, but he didn’t have to be if he didn’t want to. He was younger, incredibly hot, and obviously fit. I had the body of a shifter, but I hadn’t done anything to add to that, and as a bear, I was probably more bulky than most.

“How long are you going to be in town, by the way?” I cleared my throat. “I mean, I don’t want to make you change your plans just to go over my dishwasher.”

“I haven’t decided yet, but I don’t have anywhere to be in a hurry.” His cup was empty and only crumbs remained on his plate.

“That’s right, you travel, you said.”

“Mm-hmm.” He pushed back his chair. “I should go.”

Panicked, I reached for his hand. “Listen, where are you staying?”

“I don’t know yet. I camp out a lot. Is there a hostel here?”

“Stay with me.” The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could consider how it sounded. “I mean…at my home. I have plenty of room and I owe you for saving me.”

“I couldn’t. It’s too much for what little I did.”

“You’re also going to go over the whole dishwasher. My guest room is very comfortable…”

“Okay, but I won’t take pay for that either. Deal?”

We shook on it. A handshake had never before sent electricity up my arm.