Truly, Madly, Whiskey(70)
Chapter Seventeen
IF ANYONE HAD told Crystal that one day she’d be happy and in love, she never would have believed them. Even during all those months when Bear was claiming her and she was unknowingly falling for him, she had still expected the floor to drop out from under her at any minute. But it had been a week since they’d first made love, and every day that passed had brought them closer together. Her legs weren’t being kicked out from under her. They were becoming stronger, and she was learning that it was okay to take her trust to another level and rely on Bear.
Most mornings she woke up wrapped in Bear’s arms, with a happy flutter in her chest. She’d noticed that Bear’s need to throw threatening glances at every male they passed was easing, though it wasn’t gone completely. It helped that every time he did it, Crystal threatened to withhold kisses. Her hungry Bear was a very fast learner.
Crystal had discovered other, unexpected pleasures of staying overnight with the man she loved, like how nice it was to be a real couple. Sharing their deepest worries and their dreams. She’d learned that lying in his arms talking until the wee hours of the morning could be as intimate as making love. She enjoyed listening to his stories about the uncle he’d admired and still missed, and her heart broke over how conflicted he was about the offer from Silver-Stone. The fact that he hadn’t just walked away from his family’s businesses when he’d gotten the original offer was proof of his loyalty, but she worried for him. If he went his whole life without doing what he really wanted, wouldn’t he regret it? Maybe even blame his family? They talked about that, too, and it was clear that whatever decision Bear made would be what he thought was the right one.
On the nights Bear bartended, Crystal worked on the costumes for the boutique and went to sleep in a bed that felt too big, longing for him in ways she never imagined possible. Not for sex or the electricity that accompanied every kiss—although she missed those things, too—but for him. With the exception of a few of life’s frustrations, such as Bear’s dilemma over working with Silver-Stone Cycles or helping his family and her ongoing discomfort about visiting her mother, she felt happy and fulfilled.
Most of the time.
While she was no longer bearing the weight of her secret alone, there was no denying the stab of guilt she felt when she was with Gemma. Yesterday when she’d driven Jed to his attorney’s office she’d felt guilty for keeping secrets from him, too. One thing at a time. She’d resolved to keep her past to herself until after the wedding, but the wedding was still weeks away. Even though they’d had fun last weekend with the wedding cake tasting and work was going well, Crystal couldn’t fight the uncomfortable feelings building up inside her. How could she be Gemma’s maid of honor knowing she’d deceived her? Knowing Gemma thought she’d been sleeping around before she got together with Bear? She wanted Gemma to understand just how special Bear was, and for that to happen, she needed to be honest.
Mentally debating that situation, she pushed through the doors to the stockroom Wednesday afternoon, pulling the costume rack for their next party. Despite a minor meltdown by a four-year-old, their first party of the day had gone off without a hitch, and the hours had flown by. Their new warrior princess costume had gone over well with both the parents and most of the little girls, although two of the girls had chosen the frilliest, laciest costumes they offered. That had prompted Gemma to ask Crystal to design a costume highlighting those two elements.
“I’ve got it,” Gemma said from behind the counter. “We can design a pink and white costume like the old-time Victorian dresses. They have frills and lace. We can do entire themes and parties based on the Victorian era.”
She was so excited about their recent success, and about Bear and Crystal, that Crystal’s happy flutter was once again overridden by guilt. “Brilliant. Those dresses will take much longer to make than this.” She waved at her warrior princess outfit. “But we can definitely make them.”
She’d made two more costumes, and Gemma had begun spreading the word with an article in the boutique’s newsletter. Tru had been making up fairy tales for the kids since the night he’d rescued them, and he made up a fantastic story to go along with each costume for the newsletter. They already had orders trickling in. It felt good to see their hard work growing into something bigger.
Crystal parked the rack by the dressing rooms, trying to muster the courage to talk with Gemma.
“You have that look on your face again,” Gemma said.
“What look is that?” She joined her by the register and checked her cell phone for messages, smiling at the selfie Bear had sent of him and Lincoln.
“The cat-that-ate-the-canary look.” She peered over Crystal’s shoulder at the picture. “Our boys sure are cute.”
“The cutest.” Crystal shoved her phone beneath the counter as Gemma answered the boutique phone. Crystal motioned toward the back room and mouthed, I’ll get the other rack.
Gemma held up her finger and shook her head, then spoke into the phone. “I’m so sorry to hear that. Okay. No problem. Sure. Let us know when you have a date. Thanks for calling.” She hung up and said, “Our afternoon is clear. That was the Patricks. They had to cancel. The birthday girl fell and chipped her tooth. They’re on their way to the dentist’s office.”