Boarlander Beast Boar (Boarlander Bears #4)(45)

Beside her, Mason swung Ryder up on his shoulders, held his legs in place with one arm and pulled her against his side with the other. “I know you’re worried.”

“Mason, I just signed my kid’s rights away. I just signed mine away.” The morning sun peeked over the top of the courthouse. “Up until now, the shifter stuff worried me, but it didn’t affect me. I was good at hiding. I was good at keeping us protected, and now I feel completely naked.”

“You ain’t naked, Momma,” Ryder said from way up high on Mason’s shoulders. “You got lots of clothes on.”

Beck looked down at her power pants and matching charcoal-gray jacket. She smiled at Ryder. “It was just a metaphor. I meant vulnerable.”

Ryder scrunched up his nose. “Huh. I’m hungry.”

The worry didn’t leave Mason’s eyes, but he pulled her to a stop and squared up to her. “Beck, I swear I won’t let anything happen to you and Ryder. You’re mine to protect now. You aren’t alone.”

Her eyes burned with those damn traitorous tears that she’d been trying so hard to hide from Ryder. She shook her head for a long time and admitted low, “It would’ve been different if we could register to the Boarlanders. It would’ve taken the sting off this, but we’re listed as rogue.”

Mason pulled the paperwork from her hands and rifled through to page three as Ryder clung like a barnacle to his forehead. “I’m not a rogue, and neither are you. Neither is Ryder.” Mason jammed his finger at the box on his paperwork that said Mate. He’d written her name in bold, dark capital letters. Rebecca Anderson. “It sucks we had to register, but even if we can’t marry, or claim each other legally yet, we’re bound right here on this legal document.”

Stunned, Beck took the stack from him and stared at her name written proudly in the box. Fumbling, she rifled through her paperwork and held up page three. Mason looked up from where she’d printed his name neatly, and a slow smile transformed his face. “So, I was thinking. Today wasn’t our choice, and it was a forced, raw deal, sure. But it’s also kind of important for you and me and Ryder, so I planned something.”

“Planned what?” Ryder asked in that cute little voice of his.

Mason pulled him from his shoulders and settled Ryder on his feet next to Beck. “I planned a surprise adventure, but we have to go back home to do it. And it means we can’t be fiddlef*ckin’ around town too long because we need daylight.”

Ryder formed his mouth into a F shape, but Mason said, “Don’t say fiddlef*ckin’. That’s an adult word.”

Ryder clacked his mouth closed. Then excitedly, he said, “I never been on a surprise adventure before.” He bounced beside Beck, clutching her power pants in his little fists.

Home. Mason had said they had to go home, and it was the first time he had said that to her. Beck bit her lip hard so she wouldn’t lose it in front of the boys.

Pulling his hand, she led Mason toward a fountain in a park next to the courthouse, and then she gave Ryder a few coins to make wishes with.

“Tell me what’s going on in your head,” Mason said as he sat on the stone ledge of the water feature. He pulled her between his knees and cocked his head, his eyes lightening just a shade. “Don’t think, just tell me. What was that look for?”

“I’ve been working so hard to get Ryder out of that little apartment in Douglas. I mean, my focus has been on building a better life, and this whole time, I thought a better life meant more money, a bigger place to live, a puppy, better clothes. Those were the thoughts that kept pushing me to go for bigger jobs while Robbie was falling farther behind on his child support payments. I was determined to give Ryder this cushy life and prove that I could make up for Robbie’s shortcomings.”

“I wish for a puppy!” Ryder yelled and threw a penny over his shoulder.

Mason tossed him a quick look and then lowered his voice. “And now you’re settling for an old trailer park.”

God, she would’ve laughed if he didn’t look so concerned. “Not settling, Mason. I see things differently now. In Damon’s mountains, Ryder will grow up with other kids like him. Dragons, ravens, falcons, and bears. He won’t have to feel alone like I did growing up. You know what Brooke asked me the last time I was visiting the Ashe Crew?”

“What?”

“She was wondering if you would be interested in helping Tagan coach a baseball league for the kids in the mountains. And not just shifter kids, but creating teams with the locals who are too far out to travel to Saratoga for baseball season. Humans and shifters, and Ryder could play ball without having to hide his strength or agility. I could imagine you coaching him, and him being a part of something. Mason—” Beck’s voice cracked, so she tried again. “I don’t care about the money, or living in an old trailer, or any of that. I care about the smile on Ryder’s face. Even when his lips aren’t smiling, his eyes are. So yeah. Maybe I’m settling for something different than I imagined, but only because it’s better than I could imagine.”

Mason dragged her against his chest and sipped at her lips. “You know I’ll coach his team, right?”

She huffed a laugh and rested her forehead against his. “Somehow, yeah, I knew that you would be interested.”