Page 54 of Bear's Heart

“I had to be eight maybe?Hannah would have been maybe ten.We’re fourteen months apart.If you ever see more photos of us, you’ll discover that Mom almost always dressed us alike.”

“Maybe it was the easiest.”

“Maybe.But neither Hannah nor I liked it.We were very different as kids.Fought like cats and dogs.”

“And that’s your mom,” he said, intently studying a photo of Jennifer Calhoun holding a baby with toddlers at her side.

“Yes, that’s Mom holding Jasper after he finally got to come home from the hospital.And then of course that’s Hannah and me.I don’t know where Rye was.”

“Maybe he was the one taking the picture.He would have been old enough.”

“I bet you’re right.”

“You do look like your mom,” Bear said.“It’s rather amazing.You both have the same long dark hair, purple-blue eyes… and those cheekbones.”

“Hannah has the same cheekbones, just different color eyes.”

“Different face shape, too.She has a more angular jaw.”

“She has Rye’s jaw.She’s lucky.I always envied her a little bit.I wanted to look more like her.”

“You’re beautiful.”

Josie shook her head.“Don’t say that.”

“It’s true.”

Her cheeks grew rosier.“I wasn’t fishing for compliments.”She jumped to her feet.“Let’s go check out your office and bedroom, and then I’ll help you bring your things in from the truck.”She suddenly paused, glanced outside and then back to Bear.“Where is the dog?I thought Mick was coming with you.”

“Rye has him.He offered to take him while I had my meeting and got settled in here.Mick was wildly enthusiastic, too.He couldn’t wait to leap into Rye’s truck.”

“Rye loves dogs.”

“I do, too, but Mick isn’t bonding with me the way I’d hoped.”

“Maybe the wheelchair makes him skittish?”

“Or maybe he just likes Rye better.”

Josie didn’t know if Bear was hurt by the defection or not.“He’s been through a lot of change.Maybe Rye reminds him of Noah.”

“Maybe.”

“Does it bother you?”she asked.

Bear hesitated and then shook his head.“No, it’s actually a relief.Mick needs a lot of room to run, and I don’t have it here, not in town.”Bear looked sheepish.“I’m trying not to take it personally, but Mick seems to prefer Rye over me.”

Josie was trying not to smile.“It might just be that, um, dogs love Rye.”

“Your brother is saving the day.I just want Mick happy, and if Mick is happiest with Rye, then I’m good.It’s what Noah would want anyway.”

Chapter Eleven

Sunday night, Bearorganized a dinner at his new house and invited Rye and Ansley to join them.He also invited Cormac Sheenan and his wife Whitney, but they already had plans with friends and took a raincheck, promising to have them over soon.

Josie set the dining room table for four and put together a small centerpiece from some of the scraggly rose bushes and overgrown perennials in the backyard.But with dimmed lighting and small votive candles on the table, everything looked quite nice, and Josie couldn’t wait for Ansley to see how much Bear’s house had changed.It was funny how this wasn’t her house, but it kind of was.She’d poured herself into the renovations, even though they were small, picking out tiles for his bathroom that she thought he’d like, as well as finishes that would be rich and textured, making his home feel bigger and more luxurious than it might have been otherwise.

Two hours before Rye and Ansley were to arrive, Ansley phoned Josie and asked if it would be okay if they brought a couple of guests.

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