Page 37 of Bear Hunt

“Afternoon, Mrs. Williams. Seen the grandkids this week?” Bear pauses with the key in the front door and turns his attention to the approaching woman.

“No, Frederick and his wife took them on vacation to Europe, but they’re home soon. Hopefully they’ll come and visit when they get back.” She shrugs, not attempting to walk up onto his porch. Instead, she stays on the pathway and leans against one of the pillars, a little out of breath. “You haven’t been home for weeks. I think that gardener that works for you was trying to look through my windows.”

Bear chuckles lightly, giving her a polite smile. “I asked him to keep an eye on you for me.”

“Oh.” She brings a hand up to her chest and blushes. “That’s so kind. Well, tell him to knock for a coffee next time then. I thought he was going to catch a cold.” It seems that knowing Bear is responsible for her interlude with the nosy gardener makes it all okay. And I kinda like that.

Everyone I’ve met while I’ve been around him has this unwavering confidence in him, making it easier to trust my own instincts rather than questioning them… like I’ve always had to do before now.

“You’ll catch a cold too if you stay out here for much longer without a jacket, Mrs. Williams. Is Mr. Williams home today or away on business?” His full attention appears to be on her and this conversation, but his hand is still in mine, with the occasional light squeeze as if to reassure me.

“He’ll be home in a few hours. He’s talking about retiring finally, so we’ll see if he follows through with that. You know how he is with work.” She rolls her eyes and I have to chuckle.“Oh yes, and who’s your lady friend? I haven’t seen you bring a woman home in the seven years you’ve lived here.” Wagging her brows like she knows a secret, she turns her attention to me, grinning widely.

“My lady friend here is Athena.” Another gentle squeeze of my hand in his.

“How lovely. Nice to meet you, Athena.” She tilts her head forward to one side, winking with that unmoving smirk.

“Nice to meet you too, Mrs. Williams.” I don’t make a move to shake her hand or anything, but I do manage a tentative smile.

“I’ll leave you lovebirds to it, Brock. Pop by soon, I’ll make you and those friends of yours some of my special brownies.” She wags her brows again before beginning to hobble back toward her house.

“See you soon, Mrs. Williams.” Bear is chuckling to himself as he turns, unlocking his front door before opening it wide. He doesn’t go in first. “M’lady.” He gestures inside, guiding me by the hand toward the opening.

“Thank you.” I stop as soon as I’m inside, and he’s right behind me, waiting for I don’t even know what.

It’s so clinically clean. Everything is in shades of gray and white, from the open plan kitchen-diner to the couches surrounding a glass coffee table.

It’s nothing at all like how I imagined his home. I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this.

“It’s so clean.” I feel stupid but there isn’t much else to say.

“It should be, I pay the cleaners enough to make sure it stays that way.” He huffs a laugh. “I don’t stay here often, but I don’t wanna breathe in dust every time I visit. A couple of kids from the house down the street come in once a week to make sure it’s all good. Gives them some extra spending money before they go off to college next year.” He palms the back of his neck and rubs at it, clearing his throat. “Coffee?”

He looks down at our still-linked hands, and I don’t think either of us wants to let go.

“Please.” I nod, dragging my eyes from his handsome smiling face to continue taking in the open space. It’s so bright and airy, and the kids that clean for him do a really great job.

Gods know I’ve scrubbed enough floorboards to know.

He eventually lets go of my hand and heads toward the kitchen, and I watch as he moves around so freely, preparing and turning on the coffee machine before pulling two mugs from a high cupboard. The way his big body moves is fluid, smooth, like he’s completely comfortable with himself and his size. And everything is so toned, so tight, I swear the Greek god, Phanês, created him into perfection.

“How do you like it?” For a second, my mind goes somewhere I never thought it could go voluntarily, and I imagine how I’d like to be held by him, touched by him…

“I don’t really know.” I shrug. “I only tried coffee for the first time a few days ago.” He begins to scowl, the smile I’ve come to adore slipping as he turns away from me to face the coffee machine, and I’m not sure how I’ve made him angry. Maybe he needs me to make a decision? “I think I had sugar, and I like the coffee Mac made me try at Lucy’s.” I don’t move from my position by the front door, unsure where to go.

“Let me try something, is that okay?” The smile is back in place when he turns back around, but it’s not quite as full as before. There’s a little sadness there and I find myself frowning. “Hey, Baby Girl, what’s wrong?”

“Did I upset you somehow?” I decide to just come right out and say it.

“No, oh God, no. Never. I’m sorry.” He moves over to stand in front of me and holds both of my hands in his. “I hate that you never got to try coffee before this week. It’s stupid bu—”

I don’t think I’ve ever smiled so wide as I am right now. “Not stupid. Thank you.” Feeling brave, I lift one of his hands and bring it to my mouth, hesitating for just a second before kissing his knuckles the same way he has done mine.

When I chance looking up at his face, his eyes are already on me, full of an emotion I can’t describe, but I think I feel it too. I don’t really understand it but I feel like I could literally die if I never see him again.

“Do you wanna sit on the couch or at the kitchen table?” His eyes have a twinkle in them as he remains unmoving in front of me.

“Erm…” I lean to look around him at my options. “Couch, please.” There is a set of large glass doors at the back end of the house where the two small couches are, and the view into the yard outside reminds me that I did the right thing by running, regardless of the original plan.

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