Caleb had realized Melinda's cupboard was bare, so they'd stopped for sandwiches on the way. Melinda had insisted that she pay half. This wasn't a date. He insisted that he invited her out, so he paid. She could pay next time. She grumbled, but let it go.
This was a date. He was thinking of it that way. He had to. She was his mate and he couldn't change that. Taking Sebastian's advice, he was giving in. For now. He would move at glacier speed in this affair so as not to spook her.
Except for the repairs to her house. She'd understand once he could tell her about being a bear. It would all make sense. He had a deep desire to protect her and Josh. It was a part of him the same way breathing was. The same way his desire to mate with her was. A bear took care of its own and she was his.
Ev
