Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The airport is hectic, and I'm staring at a map to see which way to go. I can't find Lastgrove, and without a phone, I can't look it up either. Maybe throwing my phone out the window wasn't the best idea after all.

When I turn to walk to the information desk, a big guy almost knocks me over. “I'm terribly sorry, are you okay?” He says before I can snap at him. I check to see if Claire is okay. She looks at him with admiring eyes. She seems to find him very fanatic. "We're okay," I answer as I take him in. I can't put my finger on it, but there's something about him that seems familiar. Claire continues to stare at him. He gives her a small smile, and she giggles. He looks from her to me, and for a moment, there is surprise in his eyes. "Can I help you? You look like you don't know where to go." He says and takes Claire's hand, which she has extended to him in the meantime. I'm taken aback for a moment; she likes attention, but this is somehow different. Could he be a wolf, too? Does she senses that and feels a connection? I consider asking, but of course, that's not possible. If it isn't, I'm endangering not only Claire but all the werewolves.

"So, can I help you?" He asks again. Because of my thoughts, I forgot to answer. “I have to go to Lastgrove, any idea how to get there?” I ask, his eyebrows shooting up. “Lastgrove?” I nod. "I happen to have to go there, too. I live there." He says, his gaze lingering on Claire for a moment. I don't know how to respond, unsure whether he means that I can travel with him. I look at him again. He looks remarkably good. Not necessarily his appearance, although that's not bad either, but he looks like he's got it together pretty well. He extends his hand to me.

“Bruce Bell.” His name rings a bell in my head. “Bell?” I say in surprise as I shake his hand. "Are you related to the owners of Bell's B&B by any chance?" He nods. "Yep, that's my mom." He answers with a smile. With that, he gained my trust a bit. “Are you on your way there?” He asks, and when I nod, he takes my suitcase from me. "Let me take you. It's the least I can do after almost running over you and your daughter." He almost wants to walk away when he realizes that I'm standing there in doubt. "I won't hurt you. I promise." He assures me, but I still have doubts. “I may look big and strong, but I would never hurt you or this little pup.” He says as he caresses Claire's cheek. Did he just say pup?

I try not to show my shock, and he continues to look at me questioningly, not even noticing his own slip of the tongue. I think I'm debating with myself. If there's one thing I remember from my father's lessons, it's that you shouldn't trust strangers. But there's something familiar about him, maybe because he's a wolf, just like Claire. She seems to like him; maybe I should trust that? And if there is indeed a pack in Lastgrove, it wouldn't hurt to get to know them. Maybe they'll be willing to help me with Claire because if she's the right age, I'm definitely going to need help. "I understand that you can't just come along. Otherwise, call the B&B; if my mother hears my voice she can confirm it," he suggests.

"Um, I don't have a phone." I stammer. He looks at me, confused. "No phone?" He says it like he can't believe it. "It broke along the way." I lie. He hands me his phone. The number of the B&B is already on the screen.

When someone answers, I put the phone on speaker. "Bell's B&B, this is Beth. How can I help you?" Sounds a cheerful woman's voice.

“Hi Mom.” he says with a smile. "Bruce, honey. Why are you calling the B&B?" The woman sounds surprised. "I just arrived at the airport, and I'm standing here with one of your new guests," he answers.

"Hello, Mrs. Bell." I say doubtfully. "Oh, Hi. You must be Lilly. Everything is ready for your arrival." Her voice is as cheerful as she answered the phone.

"Can you tell her it's safe to ride with me? That I'm not a creep, and I'm not going to try to hurt her." He looks at me with a teasing smile, and I roll my eyes at him. The moment she mentioned his name, I had already decided it seemed safe to ride along. On top of that, Claire still can't take her eyes off him. I think that's because he's most likely a wolf, too, and she's never met another wolf outside of her father.

There's a chuckle on the other end of the line.

"Good thing you don't just go with anyone. But my Bruce can be trusted. Although, don't listen to his smooth talk too much, he's quite a womanizer." I chuckle at her last sentence.

"Mom!" He shouts, offended, but there is amusement in his voice. "Don't pretend it's not true, young man." Beth says. "Okay, mom. See you later." He responds and ends the call.

“So, will it be an expensive taxi or a free ride?” He asks and grabs the handle of my suitcase; he already assumes that I agree to come along. “Well, my daughter seems to trust you, so yes please.” I say with a smile. We walk to the parking garage.

"I'm really not as bad as my mother just made you think." He says as he puts my luggage in the car. "Don't they say mothers always know best?" I answer with a chuckle. "Yeah, well, not always," he answers.

"Are you sure about that?" I ask teasingly.

"Well, I'm quite popular with the ladies, and yes I enjoy that. But can you really blame me? I mean, a young man like me can enjoy all the nice things. If I... " He stops mid-sentence and glances from me to Clare. "When I find the love of my life, it will all be in the past." He finally says.

I pretend not to notice his hesitation, but now I'm pretty sure he's a wolf, and I'm willing to bet he wanted to say, mate. "So tell me. Your mother owns a B&B, do you work there, too?" I ask to change the subject. "No, I train people in martial arts. Although, sometimes, I help her with maintenance," he says.

I am surprised by his answer. He looks more like a businessman at the moment because of the suit he is wearing. "Special outfit for someone who teaches sports." I comment, laughing, and he chuckles.

"Yeah, it's not my favorite outfit, but the big boss wants us to wear this to important meetings. Apparently, it looks intimidating." He says, and I look at him a little closer. I understand why he is popular with the ladies. His muscular arms are clearly visible through the fabric of his suit. Since I think he is a wolf, I can somewhat imagine what his body looks like. My cheeks turn red when I think about it. Immediately, a wave of guilt goes through me. Brent has only just died, and I'm already thinking about someone else's body. I can't allow myself to do that. I get a lump in my throat, and my eyes start to sting. I quickly look away so he doesn't see my sadness. I try to swallow the lump in my throat and discreetly wipe away the tear that rolls down my cheek.

"It's so beautiful here," I say, hoping he doesn't notice my broken voice. I clear my throat. "Are you okay? Did I say something wrong?" He sounds worried, and out of the corner of my eye, I see him hold out his arm in doubt. Finally, he withdraws his hand without touching me.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I say and smile briefly. He drives on in silence, and I admire the surroundings. After a while, I start to wonder how long it will take, and just when I want to ask if we are almost there yet, we drive past a sign with elegant letters saying 'Welcome to Lastgrove.' The further we drive into the city, the closer the houses are built to each other. We pass several parks, which look beautiful from the outside. I have to go here with Claire one day. Maybe we can have a picnic. Bruce turns onto a side street. The further we drive, the bigger the houses become again. Bruce drives on, and just before the end of the street, he pulls into a driveway. The B&B has a long driveway and is hidden from view by a large tree. Bruce parks the car in front of the door, and I get out to admire the house. It looks wonderfully cozy. It has a veranda that is furnished as a sitting area. There is a nice old-fashioned rocking chair. I can just imagine myself sitting here with Claire at night.

Bruce kindly takes my luggage while I get Claire out of the car seat.

“Why do you even have a car seat in your car?” I ask curiously. I haven't heard him say anything about children, and to be honest, he seems a bit young for children. "It's not my car." He says, but before he can explain further, a middle-aged woman walks out. If I had to guess, I think it's his mother. Bruce looks just like her. “Ah, you must be Lilly.” She greets me warmly and with the friendliest smile ever. "Bruce, be a gentleman and bring her luggage inside." She says and holds the door open invitingly. "Yes, Mom, that's what I was planning to do. Don't worry." He answers and gives me a wink. I shake her hand and introduce myself and Claire. As with Bruce, Claire looks at her mesmerized. And Beth also looks at her longer than necessary. When she sees me, she quickly walks to the decks to check-in.

“You seem exhausted girl, let me check you in quickly so you and that little one can rest from the long journey.” Beth says.

"That sounds wonderful, although I don't think Claire will be sleeping here anytime soon. She slept most of the trip." I respond as I hand over my papers.

Bruce and Beth exchange a look. And I can only imagine, but I could have sworn I saw their eyes go blurry, which means they're communicating with each other through a mind link. I just pretend I don't see it so as not to worry them. "If you want, I can babysit her for a while." Bruce suggests. “She seems to like me.” He adds and pats her head. She smiles and extends her arms to him. "Um, it's a nice offer, but I'd rather not." Getting into the car with him to get to our destination is one thing. But leaving Claire with a stranger, no matter how much she seems to like it, doesn't sit well with me at all. And besides, I'm a single mom now, so I'm going to have to get used to doing everything on my own. Things have been going well in recent days, although partly on autopilot, but we made it. "Okay, I understand that. But know that the offer still stands." He says with a smile.

Bruce helps us to our room, and I am amazed at how spacious it is. The baby cot for Claire is already set up. There's plenty of room for her to crawl around, and at first glance, the room seems quite child-proof. When I put her in her bed so I can unpack, a smile appears on my face. There is, how appropriate, a small wolf cuddly toy in the bed. Claire immediately grabs it and happily waves it back and forth.