Bearliest Catch by Bianca D'Arc Page B

to wear on
land?” Drew thought, starting to warm to the logistical problems.
“And where do they come ashore? We have a pretty steady flow of
tourists nowadays. We can’t have mermaid sightings drawing
crackpots up here. It’ll have to be discreet.”
    Jetty laughed at his crackpot joke, but
nodded. “If there could be some sort of structure…like a boathouse
or something, where we could surface indoors and clothes could be
stored.”
    “That’s perfect,” Drew replied, already
thinking of possible locations for such a building.
    “And we need at least one of the shops to
begin stocking more women’s clothing. And a bank branch would be
awesome too. Our people have ties in the banking industry since we
tend to pop out of the water all over the place and need funds in
the local currencies. We could probably arrange for a satellite
branch to open up here, if you all agree,” Grace put in, surprising
the heck out of Drew. She was being a lot more forthcoming with
information about her people now that Jetty was here.
    The women went on planning, and John made a
few phone calls to get more of the unit to join them. It looked
like this was going to be an all-out effort, and it was important
to have all the guys on board from the beginning. One by one, the
key individuals arrived at the bakery for an impromptu meeting.
Tables were pushed together and coffee served as the planning began
in earnest.
    As Jetty was introduced and the situation
explained, every single guy agreed with the plan. Drew was proud of
his buddies. Not one of them even entertained the idea of leaving
those mer out there, in danger. Before long, a plan was devised,
and work would begin at sunset. The basic structure of the
boathouse would go up overnight, with all the guys pitching in.
Some of the other things would take a bit more time, but the
important point was that things were being set in motion.
    Through it all, Drew watched Jetty interact
with his friends. The single men mostly found her attractive. Some
flirted. Some even issued invitations, which made him want to
growl, but she just smiled and remained noncommittal with them all,
which made him feel a little better. If she was going to accept an
invitation, he preferred it was one of his.
    He was planning to throw his hat in the
ring—for better or worse—before he’d let her swim away. His bear
was having a hard time with the idea that they had to let her go,
though he knew she had to communicate what she’d learned to her
people. The furry side of him growled at the knowledge that she
would have to leave. It wanted to stop her. It wanted to keep her.
All to himself.
    It was way too early in their relationship—if
they even had a relationship—to be thinking things like that. Drew
knew his thoughts were a little too possessive. A little too
emphatic. A little too primitive. But there it was. Caveman Drew,
at your service.
    It didn’t make a whole lot of sense. He was
fighting instincts he didn’t fully understand. Animal instincts.
The bear was clawing at his insides, trying to get at her, but not
to hurt her. No, the bear just wanted to be near her. To rub up
against her and stand between her any possible danger.
    When the meeting finally broke up, it was
nearly dinnertime. They’d spent all afternoon in the bakery, having
a marathon planning session. A lot of good points had been raised,
and a lot of really solid plans had been set into motion. All in
all, Drew was really pleased with the outcome of the day.
    The only thing that would make him happier
was if he could convince Jetty to stay with him just a little
longer. It was selfish, he knew. Every minute she delayed her
departure was a minute her people were still in danger. The sooner
she spread the news of Grizzly Cove and the welcome that waited
here for the mer, the better.
    But he’d only just found her. The more he was
around her, the more he wanted to be in her presence. He would
follow her into the depths of the