Page 24 of The Grizzly Situation
Her eyes widened and her jutted lip quivered. “But Mr. Lockhart, I can’t leave. You know the boys aren’t good with people they don’t know and?—”
“Do you know what I would give to spend one more day with my wife? To wake up and find her smiling at me? To have her say she loves me, even if—when—I’m being a butt head? And to know every word of it is true? Few people find a partner that complements them. They trudge through life, unsure where they fit. Tom is that for you, just like you are for him. You two arewhat I wish me and Jenna could have had, and I don’t want to see you waste a minute of that precious time together.”
“But the boys will need someone to watch them, and I know you won’t trust them with just anyone.”
That was true. It took them quite a while to warm up to people. For being such little hell raisers, they became shy when someone they didn’t know showed up. Still, we’d deal.
“I promise it’ll all be okay. Go on home and pack up your bags. I’ll have them bring the RV here by the end of the week.”
“Oh, but we could get the other one sooner,” she insisted.
“Trust me on this, that one won’t be nearly as decked out. This is going to be your home, and I’ll be damned if I let two people I love get into something because it’s cheap. Now go, tell Tom to stop looking.” I bent and kissed her cheek. “And know that we love you and will be expecting postcards from everywhere you go.”
She burst into tears and threw herself into my arms. Yes, we were bears, but as humans we had strong emotions, probably heightened by our other halves. We loved hard, we played hard, we lived hard. It was a double-edged sword for us, because not everyone understood our desires. It was why most shifters stuck with their own kind. Each had a predisposition that other types might not understand or be able to accommodate.
“It’s going to be fine, you know," The two of you will have each other, and you’ll always have a home if you need a place to rest a while.”
That just made her sob harder. “My whole life has been lived here. I don’t know if I can just walk away from it.”
I stroked fingers over her cheek, letting her know that I had her and she could let go. “You’re not walking away. You’re stepping out into a much wider world. You’ll see things that will amaze you and then you’ll come home and tell the boys what it’slike out there. I want them to be excited for what lies beyond our town. To get out there and turn the world on its ear.”
She snickered. “You know they’d probably do that anyway.”
“True, but I want them to know that the people they encounter along the way will be in need of help and that they have a responsibility to provide it when and where they can.”
“You’re so unlike your father,” she said softly. Then she gasped. “I don’t mean that as a bad thing.”
“No, you’re right. My father was far too rigid in his ideals. The sleuth needs to grow, to prosper. In order to do that, we need to allow our people the freedom to explore. Ursine wouldn’t be the global force it is if we remained insular and didn’t venture out into the world.”
She was quiet for a bit, as if digesting my words. “Do you really think we can do this? This is the only home we’ve ever known.”
“Then I think you need to do it. To give yourselves opportunities to grow beyond this town, while still keeping your roots here, where they’ll always be safe.” Then I realized something. “Unless you don’t want to. I’m sure Tom would be fine staying here if that’s what you want.”
She sighed. “I don’t know what I want. I love Tom so much, but I also love the boys and meeting up with the girls for tea on Sundays. Plus, the store is within walking distance of our house, so I can pop over to grab something for dinner if he’s hungry or running late. This just throws everything into….”
“Uncertainty?”
She nodded. “I like things the way they are, all structured and familiar.”
“May I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“Do you enjoy when Tom surprises you with dinner at your favorite restaurant? Or when he takes half a day to come andspend time with you? Would you be happy if none of those things happened?”
She chewed her lip a moment. “I do enjoy it, but if he stopped I doubt I’d miss it.”
I eyed her keenly. “Really?”
She sighed. “Yes, I’d miss it. I like the spontaneity.”
“And that’s what this whole thing is about. The ability to go anywhere, do anything. It’s the ultimate in being spontaneous. He wants this for the both of you. Question is, what do you want?”
“To be happy with him,” she replied. “He’s all I’ve ever wanted since we met in high school.”
“Then?”
“I want to do this with him. I guess I’m just afraid.”
