Page 45 of Bear's Heart

He looked up into her face, feeling like a pushover, wishing he’d told her no, wishing he could tell her to get lost, but he couldn’t.Not the way things were now.Not with Noah gone.

“I’m doing this for Noah,” he said quietly.“And for his baby.Not because you and I have anything between us, as there’s nothing here, nothing left.Not even a friendship—”

“I got it,” she said, unsteadily, pushing a long, light tendril of hair from her face.“No need to hammer it in.You don’t like me.You don’t respect me.You don’t trust me.I got it.But I’m thankful anyway.Now, I’ll get my bags and get out of your way.”

“And Mick.Let’s let him out of the car, shall we?”It was only then that Bear remembered his dinner plans with Rye and Ansley and Josie that night.The celebration dinner in Marietta.

He couldn’t go now.There was no way he could go.The desire to celebrate was gone.

*

Josie got thetext at five thirty last night that Bear had to cancel dinner and asked everyone if they could please reschedule for next week once the purchase had closed.

Rye and Ansley agreed.Josie agreed, too, but she was disappointed.She’d been excited about going on a double date with her brother and sister-in-law, even though it wasn’t really a date, but it still had felt special.

But now it was morning, and she was out for a walk, trying to get some exercise in before she ended up at Java Café for a coffee and one of their delicious homemade cinnamon rolls.The ring of her iPhone interrupted the music she was listening to, but she didn’t mind when she saw it was Bear calling.

“Morning,” she said, slightly breathless from her brisk pace.

She’d chosen a different route this morning, walking first to the end of Bramble where she entered Crawford Park, passing the library to the trail that followed the river.She walked the trail through the park, over the bridge to the fairgrounds and had just turned around to head back when Bear phoned.

“Morning,” he answered.“Where are you?”

“Heading to Java Café.I tried a new walk this morning.It was along the river and very pretty.”

“How far are you from Java Café?”

“Not far at all.Why?”

“I’ll meet you there.”

“Has something happened?”

“I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

Bear beat her to the coffee shop and had ordered her favorite latte along with her favorite cinnamon roll.She didn’t even know he knew what her favorites were, but they were waiting for her when she arrived.“What brings you to Marietta so early?”she asked, joining him at the little round table in the bay window.

Bear propped his elbows on the edge of the table.“Savannah is at my house.”

Josie couldn’t follow.“Savannah.”

“My former fiancé.”

Josie’s lips parted before she made an effort to press them closed.His ex was staying with him?

As if reading her mind, he added, “Just for a few days.”

“Did you know she was coming?”

“No.She showed up yesterday late afternoon.She’d been driving for a couple of days and was beat.I didn’t feel right sending her away and putting her back on the road.”

Josie nodded slowly.“I get it.”

“Do you?”

She nodded again.“My brother Rye would do the same thing.You guys are moral guys.You’re the good ones.”

“Not that good, Josie.Especially when it comes to Savannah.”His brow creased, his jaw set.“I’m not happy she’s at the house.I’m not comfortable with her around.We had a complicated relationship, equal parts good and bad, and in the end, it was just bad.”

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