Page 20 of A Very Beary Christmas
Chapter 11
Sam
She was so damn adorable. I had never seen anyone take picking out a Christmas tree so seriously before. Her eyes were sparkling; her smile, brilliant. I wanted to see that look on her face every day.
I made quick work of the tree, then hauled it back to the cabin and set it up. She wanted to decorate it right away, but I could see the weariness she tried to hide, so I insisted she rest until it was time for dinner.
Chloe was asleep seconds after her head hit the pillow. I took a few minutes just to look at her, tucked in my big bed. It felt right, having her there, in my place. The only thing thatdidn’tfeel right was I wasn’t in there beside her.
I took a deep breath and calmed my bear.Soon, I told him.
He chuffed back at me, but he knew I was right. The fact that she was here at all was a major victory as far as I was concerned.
I scribbled a quick note and left it on the bedside table in case she woke up before I returned. Then I went out to the SUV, grabbed a couple of her paintings, and took them up to the main lodge.
“It’s remarkable,” my mother said a short time later as she stared at the canvases. “She’s managed to capture you perfectly. When are you going to tell her?”
“I don’t know. I’m not sure how she’s going to react.”
My mom pulled a sheet of cookies out of the oven and put another in. “It might not be as much of a shock as you think,” she said thoughtfully, swatting my hand when I reached for a cookie. “Bears seem to be a source of comfort for her.”
I thought back to that ratty thing she used to carry around in her backpack. Rufus, she had called him. We had found him in the guest room after the sheriff came and made her leave with her dad. I had planned on giving him back, but then she disappeared before I could. For a long time, I kept the bear in my room, hoping I would find her one day. Now, I finally had. It had been a while since I had lived in the lodge, though. After serving in the Army, I had come to appreciate having my own space.
“Mom, you wouldn’t happen to know what happened to—”
“Rufus?” she finished knowingly, using whatever psychic sense moms were gifted with. “Yes. I never could find it in my heart to get rid of him.”
While my mom went off to find Rufus, I grabbed a couple of my cousins and replaced some of the existing art pieces around the common areas with Chloe’s work. I might have been biased—hell, IknewI was biased—but everyone else who saw them also agreed they were superior to what we’d had hanging on the walls before.
My purpose in putting them up now was two-fold. When I brought her up to the lodge for dinner later, I wanted her to be able to look at them and find a sense of comfort and familiarity. I also wanted to provide a subtle nudge toward making her see just how much they—and she—belonged here.
Shortly after putting her paintings up, I headed back to my place with a box of tree trimming stuff, a tin of still-warm cookies, and a supersized thermal carafe of hot cocoa. My cabin was equipped with a kitchen, but I rarely used it, not when my mom was such a good cook and so close.
Chloe was already awake. I found her sitting on the large sofa, staring at the naked tree.
“Did you have a good nap?”
“I did,” she said with a soft smile. “Thank you.”
“No thanks necessary. I want you awake and alert tonight. This tree isn’t going to decorate itself, you know,” I added, indicating to the box.
Her smile widened. “Can we start now?”
I couldn’t say no. Chloe was like a little kid, rummaging around in the box and examining each piece with critical intent. I also couldn’t wipe the silly grin from my face as we loaded the thing up with lights, ribbons, and icicle-shaped crystal ornaments.
When we were done, Chloe stood back and eyed her handiwork. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Sure is,” I agreed. I was sure the tree was beautiful, too, but I was too busy looking at her.
All too soon, it was time to head up to the lodge for the big dinner. Chloe was nervous, I could tell. When I offered her my hand, she took it readily.
“Relax,” I told her.
“You’re going to stay close, right?”
She had no idea.
“I promise.”
“And afterward, we’ll come back here? Just the two of us?”
“Yes,” I confirmed. “Just the two of us.”
