It wasn’t usually an issue. Everyone at the animal hospital knew not to try to engage her in conversation until she had at least two cups of coffee. And the animals, well, they were more concerned with scratches, pets, and cuddles than morning chitchat.
Standing as she was in the middle of the restaurant, there was nowhere to go, not without being exceptionally rude, so she summoned a smile of her own and changed direction. In a gentlemanly gesture, Beau stood and pulled out a chair for her.
“Feeling better this morning?” he asked.
“Much, thanks.”
“Glad to hear it. You looked pretty beat last night.”
“I was. It was a long day.”
The woman she’d spoken with earlier came by with a carafe, poured out a mug for Lainey, and nodded approvingly at Lainey’s full plate before pinning Beau with a motherly look of reproach. “Don’t you have somewhere you need to be?”
He grinned jovially and lifted his mug for a refill. “Nope. Not until twelve.”
The server sighed and addressed Lainey, “Sorry, hon. Don’t be afraid to tell him if he’s being a pest.”
Beau pretended to pout, but the server swatted his arm lightly and walked away.
“You know her well, I take it?” Lainey asked.
“He should,” said a deep voice from behind her. “She’s his mother. Mind if I join you?”
Lainey looked away from Beau and caught her breath. The deep voice belonged to a Viking god—or at least, what she imagined a Viking god would look like if one actually existed and took human form. Mesmerizing sea-green eyes, blond hair, broad shoulders, and tall. She guessed he topped her respectable five-ten height by six inches at least.
And he smelled fantastic. Like snow and sea.
“The more, the merrier,” Beau answered good-naturedly. “Doc, this is Finn. Finn, Doc Lainey.”
The Viking god—Finn—took the seat across from her and grinned.
She realized she was staring. “Nice to meet you.”
“The pleasure is mine, Lainey.”
She liked the way he’d said her name with just the barest hint of an accent she couldn’t place. Scandinavian perhaps?
“Is this your first visit to Aurora Falls?”
“Yes. You too?”
He smiled, showcasing a set of perfect white teeth and sending her heart into mild arrythmia. “Not quite.”
“Finn’s a local, like me,” Beau explained.
“Ah, I see. Do you give tours then?”
“No, he—” Beau’s words cut off suddenly with a grunt.
“Yes,” Finn said. “Yes, I do.”
Finn
FINN LIFTED HIS BOOT from Beau’s foot and ignored his narrow-eyed stare. So what if he didn’t officially do tours? No one knew Aurora Falls better than he did, and most certainly, no one knew more about polar bears—assuming, of course, that was one of the reasons she’d chosen to come to Aurora Falls as opposed to literally anywhere else.
The woman—Lainey—was even more beautiful up close than she’d been while lounging in the hot tub the night before. And her scent? Without the chlorinated water and fragrance oils of the hot tub, it was twice as potent, wrapping around him like a warm blanket. Finn had to hold back the sudden and powerful urge to pull her into his arms, nuzzle her, and coat himself with it.
Beau had called her Doc though, which could be a problem. “You’re a doctor?”
“A veterinarian,” she clarified, adding cream and sugar to her coffee.
Finn exchanged a quick glance with Beau. The surprise in Beau’s eyes suggested he hadn’t known.
“Do you specialize in anything particular?”
“Not really. I work for an animal hospital that partners with the regional wildlife rescue organization, so I see it all, goldfish to big game.”
Big game. He definitely fit into that category. “Polar bears?”
“No, we don’t have a lot of those in Vermont,” she replied. Her smile was enchanting. “But black bears? Definitely.”
Beau exchanged a look with Finn. “Aurora Falls is a popular destination among biologists and scientists. There’s a research center farther north. Are you interested in checking it out?”
She shook her head. “I read about that, but I don’t think so.”
Finn was encouraged by her answer. If she was the dissect first and ask questions later type, it didn’t matter how attractive she was or how much his bear wanted to nuzzle her, he would need to keep his distance and make sure everyone else did too.
He lifted his chin toward the trifold tourist pamphlet beside her plate. “Is there anything you are interested in?”
“Polar bears.”
Deep within, his bear stirred. “Like polar bears, do you?”
Her lips quirked. “Is there a better reason to come to Aurora Falls?”
He felt his grin widen. “Not really.”
“The brochure lists several different tours. Walking, tundra buggy, helicopter. Which do you recommend?”
“All of them,” he answered honestly. And he wanted to accompany her on each and every one. “The walking tour is good for familiarizing yourself with the town and includes local history, if you’re into that sort of thing. The buggy tour goes a bit farther out and hits some of the local bear hot spots. The chopper tour gives you a unique bird’s-eye view and allows you to see places you couldn’t get to any other way.”
“Except Finn doesn’t do helicopter tours.” Beau smirked.
Finn shrugged. “I prefer to keep my feet on the ground, but I could be persuaded, with the right incentive.”
He looked right into Lainey’s eyes, delighted by the rosy blush that painted her cheeks. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d flirted with a woman—or more importantly, when he’d wanted to—but there was something about her that called to him and his bear. He’d just have to tread carefully until he got it all sorted out.
“So, what do you say, Doc?” Beau asked Lainey. “Are you feeling courageous today?”
“You should give it a try, hon,” said Alice, returning with more coffee. “There’s no better pilot than my Beau, and with the storm brewing, it might be your best chance to venture beyond Aurora Falls for a while.”
Lainey looked uncertain but appeared to be considering it.
“I promise, you’ll be in good hands. I haven’t lost anyone yet,” Beau assured her with a wink.
Finn was about to step on his friend’s foot again when Lainey’s eyes focused on something over his shoulder. His only warning was the whiff of strong perfume that heralded Cougar Mae’s arrival. He struggled not to sneeze when she sat down beside him.
“Where did you get to last night, Finn?” she asked, her lips forming a practiced pout. “You didn’t even say good night.”
Beau’s cough sounded suspiciously like a laugh. Lainey sipped her coffee and shifted her gaze to her plate. That simply would not do.
“Mae, meet Lainey. She’s here for the holidays as well.”
“Pleased to meet you, Mae,” Lainey said politely.
“Same.” Mae turned her attention back to Finn. “So, what are we doing today?”