follows before we go back to school. We proceed down the long driveway to their house. I stare in amazement at the house ahead of us. Although fortress might be a better word for it. The windows have the wood shutters one would use to protect the glass from a severe storm. Even the pine trees that line the edge of the lawn appear to be taller than any I’ve ever seen. And when we park, I notice that the front door is high enough that Andre could walk through without ducking his head.
Ginny whistles under her breath. “Tori’s living large.”
I grin as I ask, “Do you think it’s a werebear thing?”
She shrugs and unbuckles her seat belt with a click. “Probably.”
Before we manage to get out, Tori bursts from the house and jogs down the stairs toward us. We do the group-hug thing, and the faint scent of pine makes me think Tori has been playing in the woods. She says, “I’m so glad you came! Tonight is going to be so fun.” She steps back and restrains the urge to bounce, without much success.
I ask, “Okay, what’s the surprise, because you still can’t keep a secret after all these years.”
“There just so happens to be two very sexy blond men inside waiting for you.”
Ginny squeals and races inside while I bite my lip. Tori touches my arm, and her werebear heat seeps through my sweater as she asks, “You’re still not sure?”
I sigh. “I don’t know. I’m close, but yeah, I’m still not sure.”
She hugs me again. “You take all the time you need. He’ll wait.”
I pull away and gaze into her face. “Will he?”
Tori nods. “C’mon. I can’t wait to show you Keith’s house. You’ve got to see his living room window.” She moves toward the back of the car. “I’ll get Ginny’s bag.”
When I step inside, I’m suitably impressed. The main floor is a large, open space with plenty of natural light illuminating an exposed-beam ceiling and dark-stained hardwood floors. Ginny and Adrian are snuggling on the couch while Tori introduces me to her mate. “Keith, this is my sister Nessa.” Large like all the werebear, Keith is less intimidating with his warm smile and the way he looks at Tori as if she hung the moon.
He takes my hand in his. “It’s a pleasure. I hope you enjoy your stay.”
Tori says, “We’re having all the lobster and clams you can eat tonight.” She turns to Keith to ask, “Did we get oysters too?”
His eyes twinkle as he gazes at Tori, and it’s clear he’s just as taken with her as she is with him. “I was just about to go get them.”
Andre is standing behind Keith, and I smile at him.
Tori says, “Come see the window I was talking about.” I gaze past Andre at an amazing sight. I walk over to the far wall with Tori, which is actually a floor-to-ceiling window. It looks out over a fantasyland of snow and trees. “Oh my gosh, it’s amazing,” I say.
Ginny has joined us and asks Tori, “Is that where you’re going to get married?”
Tori says, “Yes. Won’t it be spectacular in the snow?”
“It really will,” I say. “Can I go outside?”
Keith says, “Sure.”
I walk over to the door and let myself out. Frigid air chills my nose as I breathe, and snow crunches under my feet as I walk. I don’t have a coat on, so I wrap my arms around myself as I gaze at the magical landscape.
Someone followed me out, and I turn to the voice I’ve missed as Andre begins to sing,
“I didn’t know I was lost,
You showed me the way.
You told me to leave,
You asked me to stay.”
I sing the next line.
“The love that I’ve found.”
Andre’s rich baritone fills me with warmth as he sings. “It won’t go away.”
I step closer to him. Andre continues with new lines.
“We’re no longer lost,
We both know the way.
I’ll never leave,”
I add to it one that’s been rolling around in my head all day. “I’m here to stay.”
I step toward him and take his hands that he offers as I sing, “The love that we’ve
Ginny whistles under her breath. “Tori’s living large.”
I grin as I ask, “Do you think it’s a werebear thing?”
She shrugs and unbuckles her seat belt with a click. “Probably.”
Before we manage to get out, Tori bursts from the house and jogs down the stairs toward us. We do the group-hug thing, and the faint scent of pine makes me think Tori has been playing in the woods. She says, “I’m so glad you came! Tonight is going to be so fun.” She steps back and restrains the urge to bounce, without much success.
I ask, “Okay, what’s the surprise, because you still can’t keep a secret after all these years.”
“There just so happens to be two very sexy blond men inside waiting for you.”
Ginny squeals and races inside while I bite my lip. Tori touches my arm, and her werebear heat seeps through my sweater as she asks, “You’re still not sure?”
I sigh. “I don’t know. I’m close, but yeah, I’m still not sure.”
She hugs me again. “You take all the time you need. He’ll wait.”
I pull away and gaze into her face. “Will he?”
Tori nods. “C’mon. I can’t wait to show you Keith’s house. You’ve got to see his living room window.” She moves toward the back of the car. “I’ll get Ginny’s bag.”
When I step inside, I’m suitably impressed. The main floor is a large, open space with plenty of natural light illuminating an exposed-beam ceiling and dark-stained hardwood floors. Ginny and Adrian are snuggling on the couch while Tori introduces me to her mate. “Keith, this is my sister Nessa.” Large like all the werebear, Keith is less intimidating with his warm smile and the way he looks at Tori as if she hung the moon.
He takes my hand in his. “It’s a pleasure. I hope you enjoy your stay.”
Tori says, “We’re having all the lobster and clams you can eat tonight.” She turns to Keith to ask, “Did we get oysters too?”
His eyes twinkle as he gazes at Tori, and it’s clear he’s just as taken with her as she is with him. “I was just about to go get them.”
Andre is standing behind Keith, and I smile at him.
Tori says, “Come see the window I was talking about.” I gaze past Andre at an amazing sight. I walk over to the far wall with Tori, which is actually a floor-to-ceiling window. It looks out over a fantasyland of snow and trees. “Oh my gosh, it’s amazing,” I say.
Ginny has joined us and asks Tori, “Is that where you’re going to get married?”
Tori says, “Yes. Won’t it be spectacular in the snow?”
“It really will,” I say. “Can I go outside?”
Keith says, “Sure.”
I walk over to the door and let myself out. Frigid air chills my nose as I breathe, and snow crunches under my feet as I walk. I don’t have a coat on, so I wrap my arms around myself as I gaze at the magical landscape.
Someone followed me out, and I turn to the voice I’ve missed as Andre begins to sing,
“I didn’t know I was lost,
You showed me the way.
You told me to leave,
You asked me to stay.”
I sing the next line.
“The love that I’ve found.”
Andre’s rich baritone fills me with warmth as he sings. “It won’t go away.”
I step closer to him. Andre continues with new lines.
“We’re no longer lost,
We both know the way.
I’ll never leave,”
I add to it one that’s been rolling around in my head all day. “I’m here to stay.”
I step toward him and take his hands that he offers as I sing, “The love that we’ve
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