Dana Bell: Cynful

Julian immediately went to Tabby’s side. He’d been concerned about her swollen ankles ever since she’d first complained about them, worried about gestational diabetes, but he hadn’t found anything wrong with her when he checked her. Alex was threatening to toss all her high-heeled boots away, suspecting they were the culprit.

“Nice rock.” Cyn jumped, startled when Glory picked up Cyn’s hand from behind. “Hey, Alex. Check this out.”

Alex sauntered out from the back and grinned at Cyn’s engagement ring. “So he finally popped the question?”

Julian shook his head, his hands roaming over Tabby’s tummy bulge. “Like she’d give me the chance.” A small silver streak appeared in his hair as he worked on Tabby.

Glory dragged Cyn’s hand, and Cyn, to the front window. She held the ring up to the Christmas lights they’d been hanging. “Oh yeah. We can so add this to the decorations.”

Cyn smacked the blue-haired sprite upside the head, secretly tickled that Glory seemed to be back to her old self. Her breathing was still labored at times, but she seemed none the worse for wear. Even the fact that Ryan was constantly underfoot no longer seemed to bother her the way it had.

The bell over the front door jangled. She didn’t even need to turn to see who it was. His timing was always the same. “Hey, Ryan.”

“Cyn. Nice hand candy.”

“Thanks.” He stared at Glory with a look of longing that was quickly masked. He moved to her side, steadying her on the short ladder. “Let me get that, SG.”

Glory snorted, hanging garland in the window of their new shop. “That had better stand for Super Glory, and not that blue furred freak of nature.”

“If you say so.”

Ryan, too, was mostly recovered. He’d told them how he’d gone and tried to hunt down the man who had shot his mate, but it wasn’t until Cyn had become bait that he’d had any luck. He’d spent time roaming the woods just outside Halle, thinking the shifter was hiding there since it was the only place that Gabe hadn’t checked yet. He’d been able to keep himself from going feral by focusing on Glory. The fact that his mate wouldn’t be safe until he took out the shooter had been his saving grace.

When he’d found no sign of any stranger, he’d returned to Halle just in time to see Cyn get kidnapped. He’d quickly shifted, saving Cyn’s life. Boyd had been aiming for her head; Ryan’s intervention had knocked off his aim, giving Julian the time he needed to save her. When Julian had tried to thank him, he’d actually blushed. To him, Jules was family and, by extension, so was Cyn.

The bell jangled again, startling her. “Morning, Mrs. H.!” One of their best customers had become their landlady, renting them a place less than two blocks from their old one. Cyn had been grateful for what Evelyn Hagen had done, and promised her free tattoos whenever she wished. And Mrs. H. had no trouble with the security their Bears had insisted be added to the interior and exterior of the shop. In fact, she’d paid for it herself. Apparently Mr. H. had taken good care of his widow, because she got top-of-the-line stuff to keep “her girls” safe.

“Hey, girls and boys.” She held up a couple of large white bags. “I brought barbecue!” Mrs. H. laughed as three large men descended on her and began to beg and whine shamelessly. Cyn had the urge to hang a sign over them: Don’t feed the Bears . Mrs. H. had practically adopted all three of them, to the amusement of their mates and families. Mrs. H. had even paid Mrs. Bunsun a visit, and didn’t Cyn wish she’d been a fly on the wall for that conversation?

Tabby sauntered over to Cyn and flung an arm around her shoulder. “Do you think they noticed the new sign?”

Cyn shook her head. She’d waited to unveil it until everyone was here, including Mrs. H. It had hurt, changing the name of the shop, but Tabby had insisted that they needed to change their luck. The best way to do that, she’d said, was to change the name. Glory had agreed. The three of them had sat down and hashed out what the new name should be. She still wasn’t sure it was a good idea, but Glory and Tabby had overruled her. Since Tabby was now a full partner, she’d gotten a full third of the vote and had used it to bludgeon Cyn into submission.

She could admit it now, if only to herself. The name they’d come up with was somewhat flattering. However, when the boys saw it, she was going to be in for some ribbing, especially from Julian.

Glory hopped off the ladder, much to Ryan’s obvious dismay. The Bear was frowning at her. He’d been treating her like a fragile china doll despite her clean bill of health from the doctor. If Cyn knew Glory as well as she thought she did, that wasn’t going to fly for much longer. Glory was going to do something absolutely outrageous just to show how well she was. She still had trouble catching her breath, but all of the doctors assured them that her problems would resolve themselves with time. “I say we unveil the new sign now.”

“New sign?” Julian smiled as he helped the other men lay out the food. “I thought you were going to use the old one.”

Cyn shrugged, embarrassed. “We decided we needed a new name.”

“We figured we could stand to change our luck.” Glory twirled a powder blue curl around her finger.

“And we love the new name.” Tabby’s tone was so coy Cyn was surprised Alex didn’t suspect something. Then again, the way he was sniffing the Styrofoam containers, she was even more surprised he hadn’t started scarfing down ribs, Styrofoam and all.

“What’s the new name?” Julian was the only one who was eyeing them with any suspicion. Ryan had sauce all over his chin and a blissful expression on his face.

Cyn exchanged a look with the girls. “Now?”

“Now.” Tabby took hold of Alex’s hand, ignoring his grumbly protest as she made him put down the beef brisket.

“Definitely.” Glory stood by the door and waited. Sure enough, Ryan wiped himself off and ran to open it for her.

“Little princess.” Cyn rolled her eyes and followed Glory out the door, smiling as Tabby joined them. Mrs. H. remained behind. They’d already told her what they were planning on naming the shop, and she’d laughed until she cried. But she did raise two thumbs up and, like the wonderful woman she was, began dishing up huge plates of food for the boys.

“Ready?” Tabby grabbed hold of the dangling rope that lead to the canvas cover over the sign.

“I am.” Glory actually leaned back against Ryan, causing the Bear to freeze in place, a look of utter shock on his face.

Cyn nodded. “Do it.”

“Yes, dooo eeet,” Glory drawled, her teeth chattering. She shivered in the cold December air, the gauzy dress no barrier to the chilly wind. Ryan tentatively wrapped his arms around his mate, lending her his warmth.

Maybe it will be all right between them after all. Cyn smiled, happy that her friend was finally beginning to thaw toward the Bear.

“Here we go!” Tabby tugged the rope, but the canvas snagged on the corner of the sign.

“Wait. Why am I seeing C Y?” Julian tilted his head and squinted, as if that would let him see through the canvas.

“Stop trying to use your x-ray vision, Super Bear.” Cyn blew her hair out of her eyes and tried to suppress her own shiver. “Any clue what it’s stuck on?”

Tabby tugged again, but nothing happened. She walked to the other side of the sign, rope in hand, hoping to drag it along the sign and pull it down that way.

“I see,” Julian whispered in her ear as the C Y N was revealed. “You named the shop after yourself, didn’t you?”

“Sort of.” She could feel her cheeks heating and knew she was blushing. She crossed her arms over her chest. “They outvoted me.”