Page 90 of The Wisteria Tree Cottage

‘I have always loved you,’ Meadow said. ‘And I always will.’

‘I love you too, you have always been my world.’

Bear kissed her.

The kiss turned to something more and she dragged his t-shirt off. He pushed the hoodie off her shoulders and slipped his hands underneath her pyjama top, running his thumbs over her breasts, and she made a noise against his lips that was pure need.

Suddenly a movement caught his eye and standing at the still open door was Hero, cocking his head as he watched them.

Bear pulled back slightly from Meadow. ‘We have a visitor.’

Meadow looked around and smiled when she saw Hero. ‘We need to catch him, if nothing else to stop Star wandering round the woods in the middle of the night trying to find him.’

‘I agree.’

‘Let me grab some more food,’ she said, running to the kitchen.

Bear grabbed Star’s skipping rope and looped one end, tying it in a knot so he had a mini lasso, the kind you might use to catch a horse – and Hero was almost big enough to qualify for that.

Hero didn’t move away as they both slowly approached him, Meadow waving a large piece of chicken at him, Bear holding out the rope. He was actually wagging his tail. Bear inched closer and Hero spotted the chicken, licking his lips. Meadow broke it into two pieces and held one piece out. Hero took the first piece gently and, as he swallowed it and Meadow offered the second piece, Bear carefully slipped the lasso over his neck and pulled the knot gently so the rope was secure. Hero didn’t even flinch, he only had eyes for the second piece of chicken. Meadow fed him.

‘Let’s get him some more food and water, poor thing must be so hungry,’ Meadow said.

Bear gently tugged the dog towards the kitchen but surprisingly he was more than happy to come. Meadow quickly filled a bowl with more chicken and a bowl of water which Hero ate and drank from greedily.

‘Let’s have a look at that cut too,’ Meadow said, grabbing a bowl of warm water, some cotton wool and the first aid kit.

Bear smiled as he watched her. God he loved this woman.

CHAPTERSIXTY-ONE

Meadow surveyed the cut, it wasn’t deep and now she had cleaned it up she could see it was OK. ‘Shall we put a bandage on it?’

‘Let’s get him in the shower first,’ Bear suggested. ‘He’s so dusty.’

Meadow nodded and she grabbed a bit more chicken to persuade Hero to come upstairs into the bathroom. She was surprised how compliant he was being but maybe he was just done running. He knew he was safe here, plus there seemed to be an unending supply of food, which she guessed was helping. Star was going to be over the moon they had finally caught him.

They got him in the bathroom and shut the door behind them in case he tried to do a runner once he knew what was in store for him. But when they switched on the shower, Hero wagged his tail as if he’d done this before. She watched Bear strip off down to his shorts. God he was divine. She grabbed a couple of large towels from the shelf, laying one down on the floor, then she stripped off herself so she was just in her sleep shorts. Bear stared at her, his eyes darkening with need.

She swallowed. ‘We should…’ she gestured to the shower.

He nodded.

With a bit of cajoling they got Hero into the shower and they washed his thick fur which, judging by the colour of the water in the shower tray, seemed to hold a lot more dirt than she’d thought. After a while they switched off the shower, got the dog out and dried him, which he obviously loved, wiggling his bum around, a big smile on his face.

‘Let’s see if he’ll settle down in the bedroom,’ Meadow said, grabbing a few more towels.

Bear gently tugged Hero towards Meadow’s bedroom and once they were inside they shut the door. Meadow lay a towel down on the floor and Bear removed the lasso. Hero sniffed around the room and then, as if he knew he was home, he lay down on the towel and went to sleep.

Bear stripped out of his wet shorts and she did the same. She passed him a towel and he wrapped it around Meadow. She smiled as he rubbed her dry. When she was, she took the towel and did the same for him.

‘I love you,’ she said.

He smiled and pulled her into his arms, holding her close against him. ‘I love you too.’

She held him tight. ‘God, the last twenty-four hours have been an emotional rollercoaster.’

They stood like that for the longest time and she understood what Leah had said about loving Charlie with carousel and rollercoaster love. Bear was solid, dependable and she loved him as a friend because of that, but the excitement she felt because he was her future, the desire she felt standing here naked in his arms, that was definitely rollercoaster love.

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