Page 43 of The Grizzly Situation

“We’ll be fine, I promise. Now go.”

I kissed the boys on their foreheads. They were still so warm. If they weren’t better by tomorrow, the doctor would be getting another call, that was for certain. As I leaned over, I caught a whiff of something that niggled in the back of my mind. I’d smelled it before, but wasn’t sure where. It was oddly comforting.

“I’ll have my phone. Call if you need anything.”

“Yes, Dad. Now get out of here.”

Chaim took my arm and led me from the room. All I wanted was to go back to my boys, to ensure they were healthy. I knew they were. I understood it, but that didn’t mean my mind and heart were in sync with the decision.

As we climbed into the modified Kia Telluride Chaim put a hand on my arm. “Tell me something, cub. What do you know about mates?”

“Mates? I know they’re a myth. Something parents told their children to get them to fall in line.”

“Hm.”

“You disagree?”

“We do,” Benjy replied. He leaned forward and tousled Chaim’s hair. “Chaim is my mate.”

That wasn’t possible. “Are you screwing with me now?”

“Nope. I knew Benjy was mine when we met. Tell me something. What attracted you to your wife?”

I smiled as I recalled meeting her. She was funny and considerate, but she was also a total badass. Some guy was teasing her friend and pinned her against the wall. By then I was much bigger and able to protect those around me. I stormed toward them, intent on getting him away from her. Jenna turned the corner and I swear steam was coming out of her ears as sherushed over to where they stood and drove her knee into the guy’s balls from behind. He went down like a sack of potatoes, clutching at the jewels and moaning in agony.

I was already in love with her.

“She was calm, strong, protective of people around her.”

“Think, cub. Was there anything else?”

When I got to where they were standing, Jenna bent down and punched the man in the face, telling him if she ever heard of him pulling his crap again, she wouldn’t be so nice. Then she got him on his feet and pushed him away. He stumbled off down the hall, still covering his goods.

“No, not really.”

“Close your eyes and try again. I want you to picture her, see everything about her.”

This discussion was bordering on uncomfortable. “We should get going. We don’t have a lot of?—”

“Do as he says, Brent,” Benjy exclaimed. “It’s important.”

It was Chaim. Of course I would do what he said. I closed my eyes and images of Jenna and our lives together flitted through my memory. As it all unfolded, I recalled something.

“She always smelled of wildflowers,” I said softly. “It didn’t matter how much she sweated, how much she ran, how much she swam. There were always notes of wildflowers around her.”

“That’s the mate scent, cub. Every mate has one. It’s as distinct as a fingerprint.”

But this made no sense. Why was this the first I was hearing about it? “I don’t get it,” I admitted.

Chaim smiled. “The day I met Benjy, I was overwhelmed by the scent of redwoods. I’d never even seen a redwood, but I knew that’s what it was. It was Benjy’s scent, and I’d never smelled anything like it in my life. I wanted to draw it into my lungs and hold it there forever.”

“Ew, Dad,” whined Jake. “Bad enough when you and Pop get all kissy face, but we have to hear about it too?”

“Suffer, brat,” Benjy cajoled. “Be glad the two of us are in love.”

Emily smiled. “I like it.”

Jake snorted. “You would.” Then he smirked. “It is pretty cool, though. Dad always knows how Pop is feeling, so they never have to hide it. It’s like… what’s the word? Instinctual.”