a Thursday night if you weren’t upset about what happened. Dee Dee Duncan is not your competition.”
Tasha blew out an audible breath. Emmaline was one of her best friends. It was only fair to tell her the truth. “He is intriguing, I’ll grant you that. Even if I wanted to see if there was something special between us, I wouldn’t know how to go about attracting him. I’m not even sure why any woman would want a man who flirts with every female he meets. Not to mention he’s probably slept with most of them.”
Em drained her bottle. “For the right woman, a man will change.”
“What’s in that beer? Clearly, you don’t understand bears. They’re stubborn as they come.”
“But faithful, right?”
“For the most part.” There were always exceptions.
Emmaline pointed a finger at her. “Work your magic on him and then we can see if he’s right for you.”
Wonderful . “If I decide I actually like him, as opposed to being in lust with him, and then find out he’s either cheating or he’s not interested, my heart will be broken even worse.”
“Stop being so pessimistic. You said yourself he can’t keep his hands off you.”
“All that means is that he’s horny.”
Her friend laughed. “You’re hopeless. Listen to me. Ask him out and we’ll figure it out from there.”
“Since you’re orchestrating this romantic interlude, where do you suggest I take him?”
Emmaline brought her bottle to her lips and sipped. “What does he like to do?”
“Have sex.”
She cracked up. “Besides that. We want Burke to see you for the wonderful person that you are. What do you both like to do?”
She drew a blank. “I like to read. He claims he’s read Stephen King, but if he has, I’m betting it’s the only book he’s ever opened. He loves his motorcycle, but I’m not a fan of them. In fact, I hate them. They’re too dangerous.” Emmaline rolled her eyes. “He dances with grace while I’m as clumsy as a bear. Pun intended.”
Emmaline shook her head. “There has to be something you both like to do.”
“I like to fish, though I’m not sure he does.”
“You fish? As a human or in your bear form?”
Tasha laughed. “Both. My dad loves fishing, and he taught me to appreciate it at a young age.”
“There you go. Invite him to some remote fishing hole—remote being the operative word here.”
The idea had merit. “Maybe I’ll pack a lunch and see if he wants to join me after I get off work Saturday.”
Emmaline grinned. “Now you’re talking!”
Her palms sweated just thinking about bolstering her courage to ask him out. “What if he says he hates to fish?”
“Stop it. If he does and still goes with you, it means he’s interested.”
“Or he’s horny and wants to seduce me again.”
“Would that be a bad thing? You said yourself that he rocks between the sheets.”
“He does.” But if she asked him out, it would signal a new phase in their relationship—one of actively dating. She prayed that she was ready for this big step. Hell, she’d been content without a man in her life for as long as she could remember. Burke’s sudden appearance in town had made her question her long-held belief.
Em huffed out a laugh. “You are a piece of work. Now drink up then get some rest. You need your beauty sleep.”
She opened her mouth. “Are you saying I’m a tired looking hag?”
Em held up her beer bottle. “If the shoe fits.”
“I should shift and eat you.”
Her friend laughed, cutting her anxiety in half.
* * *
As Burke helped another worker dig more postholes, the sun beat down on his back. They’d made good progress on the library extension this week, and while his boss said he expected the job to last a good three months, at the rate they were going, Burke believed they’d be done in two.
While he loved manual labor, he’d been distracted today. The memory of his brother often intruded in his thoughts, but ever since he’d been
Tasha blew out an audible breath. Emmaline was one of her best friends. It was only fair to tell her the truth. “He is intriguing, I’ll grant you that. Even if I wanted to see if there was something special between us, I wouldn’t know how to go about attracting him. I’m not even sure why any woman would want a man who flirts with every female he meets. Not to mention he’s probably slept with most of them.”
Em drained her bottle. “For the right woman, a man will change.”
“What’s in that beer? Clearly, you don’t understand bears. They’re stubborn as they come.”
“But faithful, right?”
“For the most part.” There were always exceptions.
Emmaline pointed a finger at her. “Work your magic on him and then we can see if he’s right for you.”
Wonderful . “If I decide I actually like him, as opposed to being in lust with him, and then find out he’s either cheating or he’s not interested, my heart will be broken even worse.”
“Stop being so pessimistic. You said yourself he can’t keep his hands off you.”
“All that means is that he’s horny.”
Her friend laughed. “You’re hopeless. Listen to me. Ask him out and we’ll figure it out from there.”
“Since you’re orchestrating this romantic interlude, where do you suggest I take him?”
Emmaline brought her bottle to her lips and sipped. “What does he like to do?”
“Have sex.”
She cracked up. “Besides that. We want Burke to see you for the wonderful person that you are. What do you both like to do?”
She drew a blank. “I like to read. He claims he’s read Stephen King, but if he has, I’m betting it’s the only book he’s ever opened. He loves his motorcycle, but I’m not a fan of them. In fact, I hate them. They’re too dangerous.” Emmaline rolled her eyes. “He dances with grace while I’m as clumsy as a bear. Pun intended.”
Emmaline shook her head. “There has to be something you both like to do.”
“I like to fish, though I’m not sure he does.”
“You fish? As a human or in your bear form?”
Tasha laughed. “Both. My dad loves fishing, and he taught me to appreciate it at a young age.”
“There you go. Invite him to some remote fishing hole—remote being the operative word here.”
The idea had merit. “Maybe I’ll pack a lunch and see if he wants to join me after I get off work Saturday.”
Emmaline grinned. “Now you’re talking!”
Her palms sweated just thinking about bolstering her courage to ask him out. “What if he says he hates to fish?”
“Stop it. If he does and still goes with you, it means he’s interested.”
“Or he’s horny and wants to seduce me again.”
“Would that be a bad thing? You said yourself that he rocks between the sheets.”
“He does.” But if she asked him out, it would signal a new phase in their relationship—one of actively dating. She prayed that she was ready for this big step. Hell, she’d been content without a man in her life for as long as she could remember. Burke’s sudden appearance in town had made her question her long-held belief.
Em huffed out a laugh. “You are a piece of work. Now drink up then get some rest. You need your beauty sleep.”
She opened her mouth. “Are you saying I’m a tired looking hag?”
Em held up her beer bottle. “If the shoe fits.”
“I should shift and eat you.”
Her friend laughed, cutting her anxiety in half.
* * *
As Burke helped another worker dig more postholes, the sun beat down on his back. They’d made good progress on the library extension this week, and while his boss said he expected the job to last a good three months, at the rate they were going, Burke believed they’d be done in two.
While he loved manual labor, he’d been distracted today. The memory of his brother often intruded in his thoughts, but ever since he’d been
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