Chapter Two: Levi

“How is it going?” Camille asked Levi as she walked into her kitchen. A smile spread across her face before he could even answer. “Wow.”

Levi stood back to admire his handiwork. He’d been working on remodeling Camille’s kitchen for the last couple of days, tearing out the old worn-out cabinets. But today he’d started building the framework for the new kitchen he was installing, all handmade in his workshop.

“I reckon this time next week, you’ll have the kitchen of your dreams,” Levi said with a satisfied smile.

“I can’t thank you enough,” Camille said as she went to the old range cooker she’d insisted the kitchen was designed and built around. The range cooker was one of the reasons Camille had bought the house and she had lovingly restored it over the last couple of weeks so that it would fit perfectly into her new kitchen.

“Ah, seeing you and Ezra so happy is thanks enough,” Levi said. Ezra was one of his five brothers and the first to find his mate, Camille, when she had moved to Bear Creek. They’d joked that when Ezra met his mate, he’d broken the family curse.

I hope the rest of us find mates soon,his bear said. Until then, I think we’ll all still feel cursed.

Give it time, Levi said, optimistically.

It’s been three weeks already, his bear replied.

“Tea?” Camille asked as she filled the kettle and set it on the stove. “I think you’ve earned it.”

“Sure, thanks,” Levi replied, dusting off his hands on his jeans. “How was your day?”

“Eventful. Rosie, you know the person who tried my pies at the first farmers’ market and got me a large regular order with that retailer for my pies…” As the kettle began to whistle, Camille grabbed two mugs tucked away on the windowsill, added a couple of herbal tea bags, and then poured on the hot water.

“I remember,” Levi said as he packed away his tools.

“She called today to ask if I could help out looking after her son, Elliott, while she’s in town. Her jerk of an ex-husband has let her down. Again. Cookie?” she asked as she handed Levi his tea.

“I’d love one, thanks,” Levi responded, taking a long sip of his tea. “I don’t understand how a man can be blessed with a wife and child and then let them down.”

Camille chuckled at that, shaking her head. “That’s because you are ruled by that shifter gene of yours. Shifters, at least the ones I have met, are not like other men.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Levi said, a small grin forming on his lips. He took a cookie from the jar and bit into it, the sweet taste of chocolate and walnut exploding on his tongue.

“Good?” Camille asked.

“Did you make them?” Levi asked as he took another bite.

“I’d prefer your unbiased opinion,” she replied.

“If you made these, then you should expand your range. Pies and cookies.” He ate the last of the cookie, savoring the taste.

“That’s my plan,” Camille said. “Rosie suggested it. While she’s in town, she’s going to help me with my branding and…” Camille covered her face with her hand.

“Hey, are you okay?” Levi asked.

“Yeah,” Camille squeaked as she nodded. “I just feel so incredibly blessed.”

“So do we. Having you as part of the family,” Levi said. “I can’t tell you how happy my mom is to have another woman in the family. I mean, she has my aunts, but they are equally outnumbered.”

Camille wiped her eyes and sniffed. “We need to get the rest of you married off. Then we would be equal men and women.”

“If you can work that miracle, Camille, none of us will complain, believe me.” Levi sipped his tea as she watched Camille.

Ezra sure is lucky,his bear said.

He is,Levi answered. He and Camille are a perfect match.

“I think you deserve another cookie,” Camille said, reaching for the jar and holding it out to him.

“I think we both deserve another one,” Levi said with a wink.

“I think we do.” She took one with a laugh, her earlier tears forgotten. “But we’d better save some. Rosie and Elliott will be here soon.”

“I’ll pack away the rest of my tools and leave you in peace.” Levi ate his cookie and then washed it down with his chamomile tea.

But as he bent down to pick up his hammer, he felt odd. Lightheaded.

“Are you okay?” Camille reached out and touched his arm lightly. “Levi?”

“I’m fine.” He cracked a smile to reassure her.

“You look kind of pale.” Camille hooked her hand under his elbow. “Maybe you should sit down.”

“No, I’m fine.” He put his hand to the nape of his neck as the hairs stood on end.

Someone is coming,his bear said.

Levi turned and looked toward the front door as a car approached. Could it be?

He didn’t dare hope. And yet he wanted to hope. He wanted to believe that at last, he was about to meet his mate, the woman he was destined to spend the rest of his life with.

“That must be Rosie.” Camille let go of his elbow and stepped toward the door. Then she turned around and her eyes widened. “Is this… Is she…?”

“I think so,” Levi managed to ground out.

“That’s… That’s wonderful.” Camille rushed back to him and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. “I could not be happier. Rosie is wonderful. She’s a great mother, and she deserves a man like you, Levi.”

“Wait.” He took a deep, steadying breath. “I…I don’t want to spring this on her. She might not know about shifters or anything.”

“And that news comes as a shock, believe me,” Camille said. “Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me.” Her brows knitted together. “Well, I might not be able to keep it from Ezra.”

Levi gave a wry smile. “And Ezra will tell my mom, and my mom will tell…”

This is not the kind of secret we can keep from our family,his bear said, doing a happy dance.

No, it’s not, Levi agreed.

“The car has stopped,” Camille said, heading for the door. “You stay here and compose yourself.” She glanced over her shoulder. “Maybe have another cookie to bring some color back to your cheeks.”

It took all Levi’s strength not to follow Camille out of the kitchen. After waiting so long to meet his mate, every instinct urged him to rush out the door and greet Rosie. But he held back, grinding his teeth. He tugged at the hem of his flannel shirt, smoothed his hair back, then immediately ruffled it up again.

His bear growled lowly in anticipation. Rosie.

The name made his stomach clench in anticipation. As the front door opened with a muted creak, he looked around the kitchen and grabbed his screwdriver, the familiar weight comforting in his hand, grounding him when he felt as if his soul might soar right out of his body.

Take a breath,his bear told him.

Levi forced air into his lungs as the sound of muffled voices reached him. Her voice.

And then footsteps came toward him. He could pick out Camille’s familiar footsteps, and those of a young child, lighter and quicker. But the third set…those were Rosie’s.

The kitchen door swung open. Camille entered first, a knowing smile gracing her lips. Behind her, wide-eyed and curious, clutching a game console in his hand, came Elliott.

And behind Elliott…his mate.

“Levi, this is Elliott and Rosie.” Camille fought to keep her smile in check. “Rosie, Elliott, this is Levi.”

“Good to meet you.” Rosie held out her hand to him and he stared at it like a man seeing fire for the first time.

And fire was what he felt, a flame of desire burning within him as he reached out, his rough hand enveloping hers in a gentle grasp. Warmth spread from their joined hands to the rest of his body, as though he had just stepped into sunlight after a long winter. He suppressed a shiver of delight and locked eyes with Rosie, who returned his gaze with a startled blink.

“Nice to meet you, Levi,” Rosie said as she regained her composure.

“Likewise,” Levi managed to reply. She withdrew her hand slowly. Reluctantly, leaving a trail of tingling warmth in her wake.

“Camille has told me all about you.” Rosie glanced around the room. “I can see why she is so excited about her new kitchen.”

“I showed Rosie your concept designs,” Camille said. “I’m so lucky to have Levi as my soon-to-be brother-in-law.”

“Camille tells me you have a big family.” Rosie placed her hand on Elliott’s head and smoothed his hair. It was a protective gesture, one that tugged at Levi’s heart.

Before he met Rosie and recognized her as his mate, he’d been angry toward her ex-husband for letting them down. Now he wanted to shake his hand and thank him for being such a jerk. Which was messed up.

Not at all,his bear told him. His loss is definitely our gain.

“We’re a tight-knit group,” Levi confessed, his gaze drifting back to Rosie. He tried not to stare, but everything about her seemed to captivate him—the way her eyes lit up when she smiled, the softness of her voice.

“Must be nice,” Rosie said softly, looking down at Elliott with something akin to longing.

“Nothing says you can’t be a part of it,” Levi found himself saying before he could stop himself. His words seemed to hang in the air, carrying a weight that caught everyone in the room by surprise. Rosie looked up at him, her eyes wide and questioning.

“Oh, yes,” Camille said. “Levi’s family is so welcoming, you’ll feel like part of the family. You and Elliott.”

“We have a ranch with horses and cattle,” Levi said, trying to recover his composure. “I can give you both a tour.”

“Oh, I don’t want to impose,” Rosie said.

“Can I ride a horse?” Elliott asked as he peeked out from behind his mom’s thigh where he’d hidden when he set eyes on Levi.

Levi hunkered down, so he was at eye level with the boy. “I’m sure that can be arranged.” He glanced up at Rosie. “If it’s all right with your mom.”

“Please, Mommy!” Elliott said.

“The ranch is incredible,” Camille said eagerly. “I don’t know which I fell in love with first, the ranch or Ezra.”

Rosie laughed. “From what you told me, I thought it was love at first sight. Didn’t he answer the door in a towel and a floral scarf?”

Camille’s cheeks flushed pink. “I’m not sure if that was love or lu…” She glanced down at Elliott as the color in her cheeks deepened. “Where are my manners? I made cookies.”

Rosie chuckled and her eyes locked with Levi’s for a fleeting moment before she tore her gaze away. “Are these cookies part of the extended range we talked about?” Rosie asked as Camille offered one to Elliott.

“They are,” Camille said with pride.

“They are delicious,” Levi said.

“Try one,” Camille offered the jar to Rosie.

“Thanks.” Rosie took a cookie and examined it, then she smelled it before she took a bite. “Oh, these are good.”

“I took the recipe from the recipe book Levi’s mom loaned me and added a twist,” Camille said, looking justifiably pleased with herself.

“I think you have the makings of a range of irresistible baked goods,” Rosie said. “And I am here to support you every step of the way. We can brainstorm while I’m here for a week and then, when I get back home, I can get some samples made and send them over to you.”

A week,his bear said.

A week,Levi replied. A week to persuade her to stay here in Bear Creek forever.

Or a week for Levi to choose to leave forever, to be by his mate’s side.