Page 44 of The Grizzly Situation

Yes, that was how I felt with Jenna. She knew me balls to bones. It was the weapon she had that allowed her to penetrate the thick skull I’d developed.

“I don’t understand what this has to do with anything.”

“If you read the books, they’ll tell you that you will only ever have one mate. That isn’t true. Fate wouldn’t be so cruel as to give you something, then take it away to make you suffer for the rest of your life. Of course, Fatewillmake you work for it. If your mate dies, another person takes their place. Not in your life, because you still need to find them, but they’re out there.”

My head was spinning. Was he trying to tell me I had another mate somewhere? And did I even want one? Me and the boys were fine. Yes, it was lonely at times, but we got through it okay.

“Now I want you to think again. Have you ever met someone else who smells like wildflowers to you? Anyone at all?”

Well, that was easy. “No, most definitely not.”

“Are you sure?”

What the hell was he getting at? “I think I’d know if someone near me smelled like wildflowers.”

“See, I don’t think so.”

“What are you talking about?”

Benjy reached out and put a hand on Chaim’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze. “Chaim, let it go. Maybe he’s not ready yet.”

A deep sigh slid out of him. “You’re right. Sorry, cub. Let’s just go. We can discuss it later, if you want.”

You just don’t know how much I hate it when people do that.

ULY

“Momma, we’re hungry,”the twins whined.

“I can have someone make you something light.”

“Nooooo! We want you to make it for us. Like you used to do.”

This was getting us nowhere. I’d tried dropping some subtle—and a few not so subtle—hints, letting them know I couldn’t be their mother because I was a guy. Even though they seemed to understand it, they still refused to believe I wasn’t her.

“What do you want?”

“Chicken soup!” Eddie called out.

“Yeah!” Jack agreed. “You make the best soup.”

But the thing was, when I was down with a bug, I didn’t get anything chunky. I got dry Saltines and a can of 7-Up. I wasn’t sure it was a good idea.

“How about some broth? Just something light for now, okay?”

“No! Your soup always makes us feel better, Momma,” Eddie complained.

I sighed. I had no idea how sicknesses were handled in Brent’s house. Maybe this was normal for them. “Okay, you lay down and I’ll go make you some soup.”

“No, don’t leave. Please.”

The tenor of Jack’s voice broke me. He’d lived through losing his mother already, and now he’d somehow imprinted on me and it showed. If I twitched, they were on me, touching my face, asking if I was okay.

“I have to go into the kitchen if you want soup,” I reminded him. “And you’re still sick, so you need your rest.”

“Then we don’t want soup. We want you to stay with us.”

“If you’re hungry you need to eat. I’ll make something fast, okay?”