Page 64 of The Grizzly Situation
“I see,” Uly said, gripping the bar in front of him in white knuckled hands.
“You okay?” I asked, my headset minimizing the noise from the rotors.
He swallowed hard. “This is a lot different than a jet,” he croaked out.
“Never been in a helicopter before?”
He shivered. “That would be no. I never realized it was so small.”
“Not that small,” I corrected him. There were three rows of seats. Uly sat up front with me, while Jack and Eddie were strapped in the second set. We were flying over the PandilaValley, a lush area that our people loved to go to where they could shift and run to their heart’s content. Just beyond it were the Cuya Falls, where salmon and other fish were plentiful. It was where Cullin and I had taken Chaim, Benjy, and the kids fishing. Speaking of children, mine were in the back talking about what they were seeing. It amazed me how we’d been here often, but they still found new things to look at. Seeing the world through their eyes was a fascinating thing. I set their headsets so they could continue to speak with each other, and Uly and I could converse privately.
“You own this whole area?” Uly asked, a degree of awe in his voice.
I had, at least until I moved almost everything into a trust with the sleuth’s name on it. I never wanted them to do without or be forced off the land if something happened to me. “The sleuth does, yes. We have a board that oversees everything, ensuring habitats stay natural, but still allow for controlled growth. And speaking of that, where would you like your house built? I’d prefer to get the request in so there is time to study it.”
He sucked in a breath. “Oh. I… don’t know.”
There was a tremor in his voice and hearing it grated on my nerves, because I felt I wasn’t giving him what he needed. “You know, you’re welcome to stay with us. I wasn’t sure if you wanted your own place, so thought it would be a good idea to ask. But if you’re comfortable living with me, the boys, and the staff, then you are more than welcome to stay in the house.”
Please say you want to stay.
He huffed out a breath. “No, it’s fine. I wouldn’t want to be in the way.”
And I knew I had to choose my next words very carefully. What Jamie had said was true. After being teased mercilessly when he was a kid, then let go from six different jobs that I knew of as an adult, Uly had to be ready for rejection. He wouldn’t findit from me. “I would love for you to stay, and I know if you asked the boys, they would be all in. It’s a big house, but even with the staff around it’s lonely, you know? Having you there would make it more of a home.” I reached over and patted his arm. “Plus, I like the idea of you being around.”
His eyes sparkled. “You do? Really?”
“Mhm. This morning when I woke up I can’t tell you how happy I was to see you coming out of your room. You were absolutely adorable with your hair askew, your eyes bleary, and scratching your stomach. Then you saw me, your eyes widened, and you dashed into the bathroom. When you came out, you were all pink from the hot shower, but your hair was still all mussed up.” I stroked a hand over his knee. “It was amazing having someone else in the house, especially someone I love talking to.”
“You mean that, don’t you?”
“I do. After everything gets worked out, I was hoping you might consider spending some time with me in the evening. We’ll camp out in the great room with some tea or some of my specialty hot chocolate and do what we’ve always done. Talk. Your voice is very soothing, and the stresses of the day melt away when we can spend some time together.”
“I’d really like that,” he said, his voice a bare whisper that I had problems hearing over the rotors even through the headset.
We didn’t say much else until after we landed. The boys wanted to shift and run through the flowers, and I told them they could. That was a mistake on my part.
“Come on, Momma!”
“I’m going to stay here and talk with your dad for a bit, okay?”
“But we want to run with you,” Eddie whined, his voice squeaking.
“Guys, Uly can’t shift like we can.”
They both cocked their heads. “But she showed us before,” Jack said, obviously confused and, if his expression was anything to go by, scared.
Uly glanced at me, and I nodded. He went to where the boys were standing, holding hands, and leaned in.
“When I got sick, I couldn’t shift anymore. Now I’m like you were before you could. Just a normal person. I’m sorry I can’t shift and run with you.”
They threw themselves into Uly’s arms. “It’s okay,” Jack said tenderly. “We love you anyway.”
A smirk crossed Uly’s face. “I love you guys too.” He swatted them on the butt. “Now, show me how you shift and play as bears.”
They stripped out of their clothes, handing them to Uly, who folded them and placed them in a neat pile. Then they took off, wrestling among the flowers, chasing one another, growling at each other, stamping their feet, and being kids. It was wonderful to see. Uly took a seat beside me.
“This is awkward,” he admitted. “I want to be there for them, but I hate lying.”
