Page 18 of A Very Beary Christmas
“She is, and I, for one, refuse to be the one to disappoint her. If you won’t come with me, you’re going to have to tell her so yourself.” I held out my phone, then snatched it back before she could grab it. “But understand that you’ll also have to explain to my mother that I won’t be there, either, because I’m spending Christmas with you.”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“You heard me. Now, what is it going to be? Spend Christmas here and disappoint Mom, or head to the lodge and have a good time?”
She bit her lip. I hated that she was putting so much thought into it. It should have been a no-brainer.
“Please, Chloe.”
I was serious when I said I wasn’t leaving without her. I wasn’t going to take any chances. My place was with Chloe, wherever that might be. Sure, my family would be disappointed, but they would understand.
“I guess I could,” she said finally. Uncertainly. “If you’re sure it’s okay.”
Thank God. “I’m sure.”
Now that I was here to take care of her, she recovered from her illness quickly. Not only did I ensure she was warm, well-fed, and rested, but my mere presence strengthened her. That was the way it was with mates. The more time we spent around each other, the better we would both become.
Chloe didn’t bring up the subject of what had happened all those years ago when her father had taken her away from Rockledge, and I didn’t ask, unwilling to dredge up those dark memories. She walked with a limp now, and I couldn’t help wondering if her father had something to do with that. I hoped she would share everything with me eventually, the good and the bad, but things were too new, too fresh between us.
The connection was already there, far stronger now than it had been when we were kids. That gave us a solid foundation to build upon. She trusted me instinctively, and while she might not have knowledge of why that was, she seemed to accept it.
We took the next several days to get to know each other while she recovered. I fussed over her, which seemed to confuse her at first, but she quickly learned it was far easier to let me do things for her, like fix her meals and fluff her pillows, than to resist. With each passing hour, the bond between us grew.
I told her about my time in the service and how I now managed the lodge with my family. She told me about her painting, and how she had been moving around every couple months, afflicted with a kind of wanderlust, never happy in one place for too long. I saw it for what it was—fate’s way of ensuring our paths crossed again.
I had called Kayden and asked him to deliver one of the SUVs to Two Forks, so on Christmas Eve morning, I coaxed Chloe into the vehicle, along with several of her paintings, and then we headed north.
Despite my repeated assurances, she worried about infringing on “family time.” She really had no idea she was already considered part of the family. That she had been since the day she had first stepped into my second-grade classroom and was introduced as the new girl. I had gone home that day and told my parents that I had met the girl I was going to marry someday. I never questioned it, and neither had they. Our animals always knew.
No matter how many times she plied me with questions—the woman had the natural curiosity of a bear—I remained steadfast. I didn’t want to hit her with the heavy stuff, not right away. As far as she knew, she was coming to the lodge for a visit, but it was so much more than that. I was taking Chloehome.
We made a quick stop at the small motel/restaurant/gift shop to pick up the painting I had bought. She seemed surprised by that, but she would soon learn why those paintings meant so much to me. They proved that, no matter how much time and distance separated us, she had carried a piece of me in her heart and soul, just as I had carried her in mine.
The proprietor, Jack, had given me a wink and a knowing smile when I introduced him to Chloe. We wished him a safe trip to Florida to see his family, and promised to stop by for lunch when he re-opened in the spring.
The closer we got to the lodge, the more nervous she became. I wondered if the trip brought back bad memories and cursed myself for not considering that. When I said as much, she looked at me as if I had grown two heads. “It’s not that,” she explained quietly. “I’m just afraid I’m going to fall in love with it all over again, and that will just make it harder to leave.”
“Who says you have to leave?” I asked before I could stop myself.
She said nothing, just stared out the window with the ghost of a sad smile.
I wanted to blurt out the truth right then and there—that she was my mate, that she had a family, and that she would never be alone again. I didn’t, though. I wanted her tofeelthe truth of it when I spoke those words.
We went to the main lodge first. Much of my family was already there; there wasn’t much that could keep a sloth of bears from gathering together for the holidays, especially when family, food, and comfort was involved. Knowing I was bringing Chloe home made it impossible for them to stay away. Finding our mates was a big deal for bear shifters.
Some had met Chloe before; others had simply heard of her over the years. She seemed confused and a little freaked out by the welcoming attention. They all knew the truth, but I had warned them not to say anything.
My mother hugged her so hard I had to intervene before she bruised my girl. When she finally let go, they both had tears in their eyes and Chloe looked overwhelmed by all the attention.
“Chloe’s still recovering,” I said in explanation as I gently tugged her away from my mother. “She didn’t sleep in the car and needs her rest.”
Promising to return later that evening for Christmas Eve dinner, I led her out back.
I felt some of the tension leave her body as we walked across the clearing and into the woods. The grip on my hand eased, but she didn’t let go.
“Where are we going?”
“My place,” I said simply. “It’s too crowded in there, and I want you all to myself for a while.”
She didn’t believe me, I could tell. She thought I was just being kind, but I was completely serious. She was my mate, and my bear didn’t like her being around other males, especially since I hadn’t officially claimed her yet.
