Grizzly Flying Free (Air Bear Shifters Book 2) (7 page)

“Sorry,” he said, his voice crackling in the headpiece. “The weather is a little squirrely up here today. I have a feeling we’re in for a bumpy ride.”

Yes, we are, buddy
, Lexi thought.
Yes, we are
.

When Anderson finally collapsed into bed that evening, he finally let himself face the reality of what he had done today. He had just invited his daughter’s ballet teacher, a full human, to stay in the middle of a town of grizzly shifters for two weeks. And not just any human. A human who was known to have been followed by paparazzi. Oh, and a human who made his heart beat like he’d overdosed on energy drinks any time she came within fifty feet of him.

“This oughta be fun,” he mumbled, putting a pillow over his face as though the cool, soft material could block out the truth of the situation.

He didn’t know what, exactly, had come over him. He’d felt a pang of sadness for Lexi when she’d said she would be spending Christmas alone. He could tell she was trying to sound lighthearted about it, but the dark shadows in her eyes gave her away. He knew she was dreading the holidays, no matter how brave she tried to look. And when Silver had jumped in to invite Lexi to Frost Peak, Anderson had been surprised but a little proud, too. He was proud of his girl for being sensitive to others’ feelings, and for realizing that people should do everything in their power to include others in celebrations, especially when it was someone who didn’t have anyone else to celebrate with.

But Silver was too young to understand how important it was to keep shifter and human worlds separate. Sure, she had been warned ad nauseam not to let anyone in Kodiak know that she was a shifter. Thankfully, she seemed to have followed those directions well. And she knew better than to let her bear out to play while around full humans. But, beyond that, the lines between shifter and human worlds blurred for Silver. She was young and innocent and accepted everyone as they were. She could not understand why anyone would judge someone else just for being different. So she had invited Lexi to Frost Peak for Christmas.

And Anderson, fool that he was, had agreed. He had a feeling Sawyer was going to want to strangle him tomorrow, but Sawyer couldn’t be too angry. After all, Sawyer’s lifemate was a human, too.

Lifemate.

The word always stirred a strange sadness somewhere deep in Anderson’s chest. He’d thought he had a lifemate in Silver’s mother. And he had, but her life had been too short. Anderson felt the old familiar tentacles of pain wrapping around his heart as he wondered yet again whether he would ever find another lifemate.

He knew deep down that he had invited Lexi here because he thought there was a possibility, however small, that she could be his new lifemate. Actually admitting that to himself was something of a shock, though. There was obvious chemistry and attraction between them, but their lives were so different. She was in Kodiak, running a dance studio. And he was here in Frost Peak, helping to run a clan of shifters.

Anderson wasn’t sure whether they could find any common ground, but, as he lay with his pillow pressed over his face, he determined that he had to at least try.

* * *

As the sun rose over Frost Peak the next morning, Anderson made his way to his kitchen and started mixing up batter for pancakes. He had been planning for weeks to make Silver’s favorite breakfast as a big welcome home, complete with buttery, syrupy pancakes and crispy strips of bacon. Anderson cracked a smile as the bacon started sizzling in the pan. Silver was definitely his child. She had a deep love for anything involving bacon.

Predictably, Silver appeared at the edge of the kitchen not long after the smell of bacon started filling the air. She saw the makings of pancakes and squealed.

“My favorite!” she said, jumping up and down in place.

“I know,” Anderson said. “That’s why I made them for you. Why don’t you run over to Miss Lexi’s cabin and ask her if she wants to come have some breakfast. I’m sure she’s hungry, and I don’t think there’s any food stocked in her guest cabin right now.”

Lexi nodded, then ran to put on her boots and coat over her pajamas. Anderson didn’t bother to tell her to change into real clothes first. It was Saturday, and they didn’t have anywhere to be. Besides, Silver often took her sweet time when getting dressed, and Anderson wanted her to get back quickly so her food wouldn’t get cold.

Fifteen minutes later, Silver arrived back at the front door, with Lexi following closely behind. Anderson’s heart leapt in his chest as soon as he saw Lexi. Her hair was neatly combed, and she was wearing makeup already. When she took off her coat and boots, he could see that she was wearing a pair of dark blue jeans that perfectly accented the curves of her ass. Her dark green sweater brought out hints of green in her dark brown eyes, and Anderson had to turn back to the stove and stop looking at her for a moment. Her beauty overwhelmed him.

She had obviously been up for a while already, since she had spent some time on her appearance. Anderson let himself momentarily imagine her waking up slowly in bed, with the gray light of dawn illuminating the soft outline of her face. He bit his lower lip and went to the cupboard to grab a few mugs. Anything to redirect his mind away from the thought of waking up next to Lexi. This was crazy. He was crazy.

“Coffee?” he asked, trying to make his voice sound normal.

Lexi nodded. “That’d be great. With cream, if you have it. I’m dying for some caffeine. The only thing I found in my cabin was peppermint tea.”

“Sorry about that,” Anderson said. “I should have taken you to the grocery store last night, but it was so late by the time we got in.”

“No worries. I’ll get some food today. And this spread looks amazing. Thank you.”

“Pancakes are my faaaaaaavorite!” Silver sang out, clapping her hands excitedly as she sat down at the table.

Lexi laughed, and Anderson smiled as he set down a coffee mug in front of Lexi. “I always make her pancakes on special occasions. I figured getting home after being gone for such a long time was a special occasion.”

“You must have really missed her,” Lexi said. “Thanks for letting her come study with me for so long. She really has an amazing talent.”

Anderson nodded as he started assembling generous piles of pancakes onto three separate plates. “I missed her like crazy, but I’m trying really hard to not be an overprotective dad. Or, at least, not as much of an overprotective dad as I have been in the past.”

Silver let out a big sigh. “Sometimes you’re so clingy, Dad.”

Anderson laughed as he set one of the plates of pancakes in front of Silver. “I know, pumpkin. But it’s only because I love you so much. Now, eat your pancakes up before they get cold.”

Silver reached for the butter and syrup as Anderson set another plate in front of Lexi, and then set the last plate in front of the empty chair where he would sit.

“So, what are your plans for the day?” Lexi asked as Anderson took his seat and reached for his coffee mug.

“I’m baking cookies with Auntie,” Silver chimed in before Anderson could answer. “Daddy, can Lexi come? Please? Pretty please?”

Anderson sighed. “You’ll have to ask Auntie Grace if it’s okay with her.”

“It is. I already asked her. She said to ask you if it’s okay with you.”

Anderson laughed. “Well, aren’t you a little go-getter,” he said. “Then I guess the only thing left to do is ask Lexi if she’d like to go.”

“I’d love to,” Lexi said. “Baking cookies used to be one of my favorite things about the holidays, and I haven’t baked any in ages.”

“Well, then, that’s settled,” Anderson said. “I have some business to take care of down at the airport, but I’ll be back in the afternoon. We can go get you some groceries, then, if you want.”

Anderson looked expectantly at Lexi who nodded as she chewed a big bite of pancakes. Anderson watched the way her mouth moved, and wished he could kiss her soft, pretty lips. Honestly, he didn’t want to send her off to bake cookies with Silver. He wanted to take her for a long walk in the forest, and find a secluded path where he could find out if she was as interested in kissing him as he was in kissing her. But Anderson did have some business to take care of, and, besides, he had to go warn Sawyer that he had brought a human to Frost Peak. He wasn’t sure that his alpha would be happy about it, but, Sawyer had been the one to tell him not to run from love, hadn’t he? Surely, he would be understanding.

In the meantime, Lexi would be safe with Silver. Auntie Grace would know how to make sure that Lexi didn’t accidentally discover that she was in the middle of a clan of shifters. That’s something that Anderson would have to explain, if and when the time was right.

And if and when he managed to figure out whether he had chance at a future with Lexi Shaffer.

“You did
what
?” Sawyer asked, his eyebrows raised so high that Anderson thought they might slide right off his alpha’s face.

“I asked Lexi to come spend the holidays here,” Anderson replied, trying to sound calm. Sawyer didn’t seem mad, exactly. Shocked was perhaps the better word.

“I thought you said you didn’t have any feelings for her.”

“I guess I was wrong.”

Sawyer rubbed his chin. “Wow, man. Congrats. I’m not surprised to find out you like her, after all. But I didn’t think you had it in you to ask her out.”

“Well…I didn’t exactly ask her out yet,” Anderson said, forcing himself to meet his alpha’s eyes.

Again, Sawyer’s eyebrows raised nearly off of his forehead. He didn’t say anything, just waited for Anderson to explain.

“She said she was spending Christmas alone in Kodiak, and I just told her that no one should spend Christmas alone. I told her she was welcome to come to Frost Peak and hang out with Silver and me over the holidays, and then I set her up in one of the guest cabins by the airport. I didn’t make it sound like anything beyond a friends’ thing. Honestly, I don’t even know what came over me. I had already decided that things would never work out with her, even though she drives me and my bear crazy. I guess I just made an in-the-moment, gut decision to go for it.”

“So, by ‘go for it’ you mean invite her here as a friend?” Sawyer asked. “Dude, you have to make an actual move if you want to snag a girl. You realize that, right?”

“Yes, of course I realize that,” Anderson said, feeling defensive. “But I wanted to make sure before I took things further with her that you knew I had brought a human to Frost Peak.”

“Oh, come on, man. You know there’s no rule against bringing humans up here. That would be impossible to enforce while still running a successful air tour company. The only rule is to not be stupid and let a human who can’t be trusted know that we’re shifters. I’m assuming, if you’re interested in dating this girl, that you think you can trust her.”

“Well, yeah,” Anderson said, feeling a bit foolish. Sawyer was right. He had never forbidden anyone to bring humans to Frost Peak. He just told his clan members to be careful. Anderson was slowly realizing, in the middle of this conversation with his alpha, that the real reason he was hesitating was still that he was afraid. He was afraid of being rejected. He was afraid of being hurt. He was afraid of losing someone he loved again. After all this time, the pain of losing his wife still held him captive. He might be a big, tough guy on the outside, but he was afraid of opening up his heart and realizing that he wasn’t quite as tough on the inside.

“Hello? Earth to Anderson? You still with me, buddy?” Sawyer asked.

“Huh? What? Oh, yeah. Sorry, I got distracted. What were you saying?”

“I was just asking whether you think the paparazzi are still following her,” Sawyer said.

“No, I don’t think so. She hasn’t seen them in months, and nothing about her has been in the magazines for quite some time. It looks like the world of celebrity gossip has moved on to other things. Which is exactly what Lexi wanted.”

Sawyer nodded. “Well, then, I have no problem with her being here. What I do have a problem with is seeing one of my best friends hang back like a coward and not tell the woman he cares about that he’s interested in her. Don’t let the past hold you back, anymore. You like her. Silver likes her. She’s a kind and talented woman. When you find a good one, you gotta make a move while you still can. You’re a bear. A grizzly. Start acting like one.”

Anderson nodded, a feeling of pride rising in his chest. “You’re right. I’m going to talk to her today. No more standing on the sidelines while life passes me by.”

“Attaboy,” Sawyer said, giving Anderson a hearty slap on the back. “I’m going to be asking you how it went next time I see you, so there’s no backing out now.”

Anderson grinned at Sawyer. As annoying as his best friend could be sometimes, he had to admit that Sawyer really had a good heart and gave solid advice. Anderson could only hope that Sawyer’s advice to go for it was going to pay off in this situation.

Several hours later, Anderson drove to Auntie Grace’s house to pick up Silver and Lexi. When he arrived, he let himself in and was greeted by the smell of freshly baked cookies and the sound of energetic laughter. When he rounded the corner to the kitchen, he found Lexi, Silver, and Auntie Grace all gathered around the kitchen island, wearing aprons and covered in flour. Silver, ever the observant one, was the first to spot him.

“Daddy!” she cried out. “We made five different kinds of cookies.”

“Five different kinds? Wow!” Anderson said, scooping Silver up off the stepstool she had been standing on. He was going to get flour all over his clothes, but he didn’t care. He wanted to cuddle his little girl. He spun her around, eliciting a series of high-pitched squeals and laughter. Then he set her back down and gave her a gentle shove in the direction of the bathroom.

“Go get cleaned up,” he said. “We need to swing by the grocery store and get some food.”

Silver did as she was told, and Anderson turned to face the other two women, who were both watching him with interest.

“You really don’t have to take me to the grocery store,” Lexi said. “If you just give me directions, I’m sure I can walk over myself and get some stuff.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Anderson said. “You don’t have a car here, and I’m not going to make you lug a bunch of grocery bags around. It’s no trouble for me to drive you. Besides, I should really pick up some things myself. Now that Silver is back home, my stockpile of snacks is quickly disappearing. It’s amazing how much food a six-year-old girl can put away.”

Lexi laughed. “Okay. Well, then, I’m going to go wash up, too.” Lexi went to join Silver at the bathroom sink, leaving Anderson alone with Auntie Grace.

“So,” Auntie Grace said, as soon as Lexi had left the room. “When’s the big day?”

“The big day?” Anderson asked, confused.

“The wedding for you and Lexi. I want to put it on my calendar.”

Anderson rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on, Auntie. She’s just a friend. I won’t try to claim I’m not interested in her, but I think asking for a wedding date is getting a little ahead of the game, here. For all I know, she’s not even interested in me.”

Auntie Grace laughed so hard that she snorted. “Oh, she’s interested, all right. It would take an idiot to miss the way she looks at you. Or the way you look at her. Besides, the two of you don’t stand a chance of staying apart, what with that little girl of yours playing matchmaker.”

“Silver’s playing matchmaker?” Anderson said, a feeling of dread creeping over him. What had his daughter been saying to Lexi all day in his absence?

Auntie Grace nodded. “Oh, she’s been putting on the full court press. Telling Lexi all day about what a great man you are and how you just need a wife to be happy. And dropping not so subtle hints that this ‘hypothetical’ wife should have a lot of the same personality traits as Lexi.”

Anderson sighed. “That girl,” he said. “Never a dull moment. She has her heart set on getting a mom. I’ll talk to her later.”

“If I may make a suggestion,” Auntie Grace said. “Why don’t you talk to Lexi instead? It’s obvious you both like each other and are just fighting your feelings.”

“Are you scheming along with Sawyer to get Lexi and me into a relationship? He was on my case this morning about making a move, too.”

“I’m not scheming with him, my dear,” Auntie Grace said. “I think it’s just rather obvious that you’re falling head over heels for Lexi. And I think you should stop fighting it and just let yourself fall.”

Anderson paused to listen to the sound of laughter drifting down the hallway. “I’m going to let Lexi know how I feel,” he promised. “But don’t say anything to Silver just yet. I don’t want her to get her hopes up only to have them dashed if Lexi doesn’t want a relationship with me, after all.”

“I won’t say anything to Silver,” Auntie Grace said. “But I wouldn’t worry too much about Lexi turning you down. She can’t keep her eyes off of you when you’re in the room.”

“Yeah, well, that might be the case right now,” Anderson said. “But she doesn’t know yet that I’m a grizzly. That little piece of information could change everything.”