Boarlander Boss Bear (Boarlander Bears #1)(25)

If she left him, it would hurt deeply.

“I missed you,” she admitted in an emotional whisper.

He drew back and cupped her face, his brows lowering, worry pooling in his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

Her voice would tremble, so she shook her head and kissed him again. The noise from the eighteen-wheeler was deafening now against her oversensitive ears, so she covered them with her palms as Harrison shook Kirk’s hand and pulled him in for a mannish hug and resounding back clap. She was glad he was much gentler with her.

The big rig came into view as Bash and Clinton filed out of Harrison’s Chevy, and together, they stared in confusion as a truck pulling an old singlewide trailer behind it rumbled slowly through the park. With the hiss of brakes, the massive semi came to a stop in front of them, and Beaston rolled down the window. “I come bearing gifts.”

A dark-headed man leaned over and gave a two fingered wave.

“Hey, Mason,” Harrison said. He eyed the mobile home Beaston was dragging. “You know we have a trailer for you here, right?”

“Oh, this isn’t for Mason,” Beaston said. “My alpha and the alpha of the Ashe Crew are giving this to you.”

“To me?” Harrison asked.

“No.” Beaston jammed a finger at Audrey. “It’s a gift for her.”

Mason hopped out of the passenger’s side of the truck, and Beaston pulled on through.

Stunned, Audrey looked at the old cream-colored mobile home with its dark shutters and painted red door. It looked like a squirrel had tried to chew a hole through it to get in. But when she saw the crooked numbers by the doorframe, 1010, chills blasted across her arms. She rubbed her hands over her forearms to warm herself up, and beside her, the tall, dark-eyed boar shifter gave her an odd, knowing smile.

“That old trailer is magic. Take good care of her, and she’ll take good care of you.”

“Oh, but I don’t live here.”

“Uh, I actually wanted to talk to you about that,” Harrison said, his frown still following the progress of the trailer to the end of the road.

“Do you want to be a Boarlander?” Bash asked excitedly and way too loud.

“Bash!” Harrison reprimanded.

“Sorry.”

Audrey giggled and pressed her cool palms against her cheeks.

Rolling his eyes heavenward, Harrison muttered, “Excuse us for a minute.” He gripped her elbow, then led her closer to his trailer and away from the others.

“Look, I asked you to come by for a reason. That hotel you’re staying in is thirty-five bucks a night. That’s over a thousand dollars a month, and I know you can’t stick around and keep paying that.” Harrison stepped closer and pulled her hands away from her face. He gripped her fingers as he smiled and lowered his voice. “And every time I think about you leaving, I get this panicky feeling, like I’d be losing a piece of me that I only just found, you know? I’m not asking you to move in with me or to pledge under me. I know it’s too early for that, but I want you here. For a day or for a week. I’ll take whatever time you’re willing to give me.”

“But I don’t know if I belong here. I’m different than you and the others, Harrison. I’m a tiger, not a lumberjack werebear.”

“And he’s a gorilla,” Harrison said, pointing to Kirk, “and he’s a boar.” He pointed to Mason. “And I’m yours. I’m asking you to stay, Audrey. Here. With me. You don’t have to pledge to my crew. Just…stay.”

“In ten-ten,” she said on a breath as she looked at where Beaston was settling it at the end of the road. It did look inviting with the pink sunset and piney mountains behind it.

Harrison cupped her cheek and kissed her, then eased back by inches. “I wish I could give you more, but this is all I have—a shitty old trailer park, a half-crazed crew of idiots, and this.” He pressed her palm against his chest, right over his drumming heartbeat.

“But what about Clinton?”

“I already talked to him about the changes that will be happening. About you.” Sadness washed through his eyes. “Clinton will have to be fine with it.”

But when Audrey looked for Clinton, he wasn’t anywhere to be seen.

Harrison sighed. “He’ll get used to this. Just like you, Kirk, and Mason will have to adjust to life here. Clinton doesn’t like change, but I have to fix things, and it won’t happen without a complete shake-up. You’re part of that. Not the hard part. The good part.” Harrison grinned and dropped down to one knee.

“What are you doing, ridiculous man. Get up.”

“I’m on my knees, begging you, kitty. Pick this place. Pick me.”

Her eyes prickled with tears as she looked around Harrison’s dilapidated trailer park.

This could be her home. This could be where she grew her roots deep and strong.

She could be happy here.

Dashing her knuckles under her eye to catch a tear, she nodded. “Okay.”

Harrison stood in a blur and cupped her neck, pressed his lips against hers. She’d thought because of the growl in his throat he would be rough, but his mouth moved surprisingly gently over hers. As he eased away and rested his forehead on hers, he whispered, “I’ll make you happy here, Audrey. I’ll give you a good crew, I promise.”