Rollo knew that Lily was a bear shifter now after Shane had turned her. It probably made things a lot easier for her as the mom of a shifter cub.
Rollo took his plates back to the picnic table where Zoe was discussing planing techniques with Angus. His beautiful, worldly mate had become a bit of a wood geek. Angus had even started taking her out on cabinet installs, and she was a regular part of his crew. No one would have believed that the girl with flashing green eyes and bright red lipstick would be one of the best woodworkers in town. But she was, and Rollo couldn’t be more proud.
Zoe thanked him for the burger right when Willow and Corey walked over to sit beside them. Poppy stood up abruptly to go check on her child, who was the youngest of the Rescue Bear’s kids. Still being a human, it was hard for Poppy to deal with her high-spirited cub’s physicality.
“He’ll be all right,” Angus said.
“Those kids are a handful,” Zoe said, looking over at the children playing on the grass.
All of the Rescue Bears had cubs except for Willow and Corey. Zoe had told him that Willow wanted children, but she just wasn’t ready to get pregnant yet. Rollo remembered that story because Zoe had told him at that time how she also wanted to put off having children.
He absolutely respected anything that Zoe wanted to do with her own body, and he would never dream of pressuring her to bear his cubs. But he couldn’t help feeling the urge to become a father. Then their family would be complete.
“When are you and Willow going to have a cub?” Angus said before taking a sip of Fate Mountain lager from an amber bottle.
“We’ve talked about it,” Willow said. “We’re just both so busy right now. But I think in a year or two, we’ll be ready.”
“There’s no rush,” Corey said. “Willow and I have time.”
“Are you trying to convince these two to have a cub?” Drew asked, setting another six pack of bottles on the picnic table.
Drew Bock was known as Brew Bear to the Rescue Bears because he owned the Fate Mountain brewery.
“We’ll do it in our own damn time,” Corey growled.
“Fatherhood has changed my life,” Drew said, picking up his little son Max off the ground.
The Rescue Bears had all had a headstart on the Bear Patrol when it came to mates and families. Rollo, the commander of his crew, was the first on the Bear Patrol to find someone.
Deputy Bear Knox joined the picnic just in time to hear the discussion about babies. He moved around the table and slapped Rollo on the back.
“Corey isn’t the only bear who needs to get busy making cubs,” Knox said.
Rollo couldn’t be any more furious at his deputy for Zoe’s sake, but he knew that Knox was only kidding around.
“I’m ready to do whatever Zoe is ready to do,” Rollo said, putting his hands up in the air.
“Kids take a lot of time,” said Damien as he sat down at the picnic table with a beer.
“They do,” Willow said.
“Is the whole Bear Patrol here?” Rollo asked Damien and Knox.
They had decided the patrol should take a short break from their duties to join the Rescue Bears at the summer barbecue at the lodge today. Rollo thought it was important that the bears of Fate Mountain stick together, especially since the Rescue Bears and the Bear Patrol worked together so often on cases. They were really like one big happy family. But he wanted his crew, and Levi’s crew to know each other better.
“I’m here,” said Heath.
Heath sat down next to Zoe and gave her a friendly pat on the back. “What are you guys talking about?”
“We’re talking about babies,” Angus said as Poppy sat down beside him with their son Mason and her arms. Mason was only a year old but he was already showing signs of his precocious bear shifter nature.
“You’re not gonna have a baby yet are you Zoe?” Heath asked.
“I’ve thought about it.”
“If you have a baby, I’m sure we can accommodate you at the woodshop. No problem,” Angus said.
“I know, Angus,” Zoe said affectionately to her mentor.
Angus tipped his beer bottle at Zoe and winked.
“Where is Gauge?” Rollo asked.
“Gauge is off doing Gauge,” Knox said. “You can’t ever pin that one down.”
It was true, Detective Bear was a hard one to get a handle on. He was one of the best investigators that Rollo had ever known, but he was also a bit of a wild card. Rollo never quite knew what he was going to do next. Gauge been working on a case extensively for months and would spend long periods of time out in the field without reporting back to Rollo.
“I wanted him to join the party,” Rollo said. “Gauge needs a community as much as anybody else.”
“I don’t think he’s coming,” Knox said.
“Why not?” Rollo asked.
“I don’t think it’s something we can talk about in public,” Knox said, shoving a bite of watermelon in his mouth.
That started to get Rollo a little bit worried, but he wasn’t going to let it spoil the picnic.