Dammit.
Watching over the kids at lunchtime, Adam spotted Emmett sitting by himself again. The kid was always by himself. He wasn’t aggressive or unfriendly but simply went his own way and made little attempt to make friends. Any overtures were quietly rebuffed. Emmett just didn’t believe it was worth getting to know people when he’d have to leave them behind.
Except, from what Hope had said, she had no intention of leaving. Perhaps Emmett would realise that eventually.
Sighing, Adam went over to sit with the kid.
“Hey, Emmett.”
The boy looked up as he continued chewing.
“Anything good for lunch?” Adam asked.
“Sandwich with chocolate spread.” Emmett popped the last of it into his mouth.
“An excellent choice.” Adam watched as a bear cub chased a wolf pup around the playground. The school was designed so that the playground wasn’t visible from the surrounding streets. Spontaneous shifting happened a lot when the kids were playing. Technically, the kids were supposed to stay in human form, but it wasn’t a big deal as long as it didn’t happen too often.
“Did you enjoy the Christmas lights being switched on?” he asked.
Emmett shrugged. “I guess.”
“Not a fan of Christmas, huh?”
Another shrug.
“Your Aunt Hope seems to really like it.” Even thinking about Hope had his inner moose riled up and ready to track her down. “And she seems determined that you’re all going to celebrate.”
“Maybe.” Emmett took a drink from a carton of apple juice.
“So, what do you want for Christmas?”
Emmett looked out at the other kids. A small fox was now chasing the bear cub, nipping at its heels.
“Emmett?”
“Doesn’t matter.” The kid’s shoulders slumped.
“Sure it does.” Adam frowned as he spotted a tiny bunny leap onto a lion cub’s back. Yeah, this was getting out of hand now. “Excuse me a moment, Emmett.” He stood up and yelled, “Shift!”
The kids all shifted back to human form and scrambled for their clothes. When Adam had decided he wanted to be a teacher, he hadn’t ever suspected it would involve quite so many moments like this. Of course, having been a shifter kid, he should have known better.
“Sorry, Emmett.” He sat back down. “So, why do you think it doesn’t matter?”
Yet another shrug. “I won’t get it anyway.”
Adam frowned. “How do you know? Is it something weird? Like your own spaceship?”
Emmett shook his head.
“A full-size T-Rex?”
Emmett’s lips twitched. “No.”
“A bright red Ferrari with huge green spots?”
Definitely a smile this time. “No.”
“Your own private helicopter?”
An actual giggle. “No.”
“Hmm…” Adam pretended to think. “I’ve got it. You want a pet yeti.”
“No.” Emmett laughed.
“Then what’s the problem?” Adam asked.
The smile faded. “I never get what I ask for.” He sighed. “I used to make a list, but I never got much of anything.” He squinted at Adam. “And I’m pretty sure Liv made the things I did get, although she says she didn’t.” He looked away. “We didn’t really do Christmas. Mum always went out somewhere. Liv tried, but…” He trailed off.
Adam’s heart was breaking. Emmett didn’t have to finish. He’d already painted a bleak picture. A mother who didn’t bother trying to give the kids a good Christmas, and a sister who tried her best… but what could a young girl do by herself with no money? How many times had Emmett allowed himself to get excited by Christmas, only to be let down again?
“I have a feeling this year will be different,” Adam told him. “You’re here now. And Bearbank? This is a special town. The people here will have your back, Emmett. You just have to let them. Besides, you have family. Lots of people just waiting to welcome you.”
Emmett remained quiet.
“And I know that your Aunt Hope wants to make it a good Christmas. She’s not going to leave you, Emmett. No matter what.”
Emmett blinked up at him. “I want Bella to have a good Christmas.”
Bella. Not himself.
“You can all have a good Christmas,” Adam insisted. “Even you. I’m sure Hope has some fun stuff planned. Your Aunt Joy probably wants to do things too.”
“Maybe. And Auntie Anna came to visit.” Emmett closed his lunchbox. “She says we’re having Christmas whether we like it or not.”
“Well, there you go.” This Auntie Anna was perhaps a little more forceful than Adam would have been, but at least someone was trying.
“Auntie Hope says we should always just do what Auntie Anna wants, because we’ll do it in the end anyway. Better to give in quickly.”
Adam frowned. That sounded suspiciously like…
“Um… Auntie Anna?” he asked. “I don’t think your Aunt Hope mentioned her.” The name ‘Anna’ didn’t seem to fit with the family names. Unless she was from Hope’s father’s side of the family.
“Oh, Auntie Anna’s not really our aunt.” Emmett looked up at him. “She’s our hon… hono…”
“Honorary aunt?” he guessed, a feeling of dread beginning to settle in.
“Yeah, that’s it!” Emmett glanced at him. “What does that mean?”
“It means she’s not actually related to you, but she’s a really close friend of the family,” Adam explained. It couldn’t be, right? Surely, he was freaking out over nothing. Merely a slightly alarming coincidence. That was all. “So, she’s like an aunt. Sort of like she’s adopted you as her family.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Emmett…” Adam paused. “Do you know Auntie Anna’s surname?”
“No. She’s just Auntie Anna.”
Adam forced himself to relax. Anna was a fairly common name. It could be anyone. No need to fear the worst.
“Oh, Mr Roberts? I do know that she’s a bear.”
Bloody hell.
“Mr Roberts? Are you okay?” Emmett frowned at him. “You’re really pale.”
“I’m fine.” He was not fine. Okay, there were plenty of bear shifters around. This was Bearbank, after all. It was a coincidence. Had to be. No reason to panic. Everything was most likely just fine—
“Oh yeah,” Emmett piped up. “I’m sure Auntie Joy called her ‘Anna Russell’. If that helps.”
No. That did not help at all.
***
Hope glanced down at the reindeer-shaped cookies.
Oh dear. That wouldn’t do at all. The cookies were supposed to be shaped like a reindeer’s head with antlers. But these did not look like reindeer.
“Maybe icing could fix it?” she suggested.
Her colleague, Helena, snorted. “Those are well beyond the power of icing.” She raised an eyebrow. “Hell, we can’t sell those to minors.”
Hope took another look. Frowned. Turned the tray around. “Oh… Oh!” Yeah, they definitely didn’t look like reindeer. They did, however, look extremely rude.
Helena laughed. “Don’t worry about it. My cousin is having a hen’s night thing tonight, so I’ll give them to her.”
“We still need more cookies for the shop, though.” Hope started pulling things together. “How about snowmen this time? Less scope for X-rated cookies.”
“Wise choice.”
“So, how are you settling in?” Helena asked, setting the oven’s temperature.
“Fine, I guess.” Hope shrugged. “It’s been great to see my aunt again, but the kids are keeping me busy.” Not busy enough to prevent her daydreaming about Adam, though. For the umpteenth time, she looked through the door to the front of the shop, hoping to catch a glimpse of the man. Which was pointless since she knew exactly where he was. He was at school, teaching Emmett’s class. Didn’t stop her compulsively looking for him, though.
The day passed in a blur of baking and dealing with customers. Hope was happy here. She liked the job, liked her colleagues, and she had family nearby. What else could she ask for? Well, apart from a certain hot schoolteacher. Obviously.
By late afternoon, the ovens were off, and Hope was out of the kitchen and serving customers. When Anna Russell popped in, Hope gave her a smile.
“Auntie Anna, what can I get you?”
“Oh, I just came in to tell you that he passed.”
Hope tilted her head. “What?”
“Your man passed his check.” Auntie Anna smiled at her. “So, it’s all systems go. Go get your mate.”
“You met your mate?” Helena squealed. “Wow.”
“Don’t worry, dear,” Auntie Anna said. “We’ll get you fixed up too.”
“Oh, I wasn’t worr—”
“Of course you weren’t worried.” Auntie Anna reached over the counter and patted Helena’s arm. “Because you know I’ll see you right.”
“That wasn’t what I—”
“Just let me deal with Hope first, and then I’ll have more time for you.” Auntie Anna nodded reassuringly.
“I wasn’t actually looking for—”
“I can think of several nice young men,” Auntie Anna told her. “We’ll find you the right one.”
Helena opened her mouth. Then shut it again, apparently realising there was no point in arguing. Poor woman would probably find herself mated within a few months. Whether she wanted to be or not.
Auntie Anna turned to Hope. “Why are you still here?”
Hope’s mouth fell open, clearly no longer accepting instructions from her brain.
“Well?”
“I’m working,” Hope pointed out. “I can’t just take off. Besides, Adam and I are taking things slowly.”
Auntie Anna snorted. “You’ll be mated by Christmas. Just you wait and see. There’s no holding back with true mates, dear. Best get used to that idea now.”
“But the kids—”
“Will adapt just fine, and then they’ll have Adam looking out for them too.” Auntie Anna peered into the glass case. “In the meantime, your Aunt Joy and I will help out.” She pointed to a slice of cheesecake. “I’ll have one of those, please. I need to soften up my daughter-in-law before we have a little chat about cubs.”
Hope felt a momentary pang of sympathy for the unknown woman and selected the largest piece. Her phone rang and Helena gestured for her to take it.
By the time she’d hung up, her hands were shaking.
“What’s wrong, dear?” Auntie Anna eyed her.
“I’m so sorry,” she said to Helena. “But I have to go. That was Liv’s school.”
“Go.” Helena waved her off. “I’ll cover for you.”
“I’m so sorry,” Hope said again. This couldn’t keep happening. Not if she wanted to hold on to her job.
“It’s fine. Really. Go do what you need to.”
“Hold up.” Auntie Anna caught her gaze. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“Liv has been acting up again.” Hope sighed. “Mrs Williams called me in to deal with it.”
“That girl has been a great deal of trouble,” Auntie Anna stated, her eyes narrowing. “I think it’s time she learned to behave herself.”
“She’s been through a lot.” Hope blinked. “An awful lot.”
Auntie Anna smiled. “I know, dear. And I am not unsympathetic. But enough is enough. Coddling her will not do her any favours and it’s time someone sorted her out.”
“I’m trying.” Hope blinked back tears. To be honest, she had no idea how to deal with Olivia, and she felt like she was failing the girl. She’d hoped she’d managed to get through to Olivia last Friday, but this was only Wednesday, and the teenager was in trouble again already.
Auntie Anna blinked at her. “What? Oh, no. I wasn’t talking about you, Hope. No. You call that school and tell Mrs Williams that I’m on my way. I’ll deal with Olivia. You go pick up Emmett and arrange a date with his teacher.”
“Auntie Anna—”
“Do you want to argue with me?” One brow raised.
Helena picked up Hope’s phone and handed it to her. “Make the call.”
Auntie Anna put her money on the counter and took the bag with the cheesecake. “I’ll see you at home, Hope.”
With that, she was gone.
“Hope?” Helena nudged her.
She frowned up at her colleague.
“Better make that call before Mrs Russell reaches the school.”
Hope started dialling.