Page 29 of Having the Bear's Baby

He led the way through the maze of boulders that surrounded the lake until they came to a sandy beach surrounded by willow trees, creating a secluded little sun trap.

Together, they unpacked the backpack and set up the picnic. Emma hadn’t realized how hungry she was until she saw the good things that Liam had brought for them to eat. The whole thing was so incredibly beautiful. She knew in that instant she wanted to spend the rest of her life with this man.

At that moment, a lone cloud crossed the sun and chilled her. It was like a splash of cold water on her dreams. She had a business agreement with Liam. Nothing more. She shouldn’t go off into flights of fancy.

Liam must have noticed her mood change. “I’m glad you like it here,” he said seriously. “I want you to feel at home with me.” He had an earnest look in his eyes.

“I do feel at home with you already,” she replied. “You have made me feel extremely welcome.” Inside, she was crying. Beware. Don’t get too close. Remember, it’s just business.

“Come on, let’s eat,” he said, handing her a plate. She smiled, taking it from him. There was leftover chicken from the night before, soft rolls, salad, and plenty of fruit. It was the perfect picnic spread.

She felt better after she’d eaten, and they spent a while basking in the glorious sunshine. Their little beach sun trap got hotter and hotter as the afternoon wore on until Liam suggested a swim.

“What a great idea,” she said, stripping off her clothes. She could feel Liam’s eyes on her as she did it. “Come on!” she cried. “Last one in is a wet fish!”

With that, Liam rose, ripping off his clothes as he stood. She ran down the beach and dove ahead of him. But before she even breached the surface of the icy water, she could feel him diving in beside her. They surfaced together farther out, both laughing and gasping in the freezing cold water.

“Come on, let’s swim to the waterfall,” said Liam, casting out with a strong stroke.

Emma was a good swimmer, but she couldn’t catch him no matter how hard she tried. She liked a challenge and vowed one day she would beat him in a swimming race.

The water crashed into the lake in a torrent. It wasn’t so much a waterfall as a series of rapids that had gouged their way through the narrow, rocky gorge. Liam showed her a place where they could slide down a rock that had been polished to a glassy finish by the constant fall of water. It was exhilarating fun.

Then she watched as he climbed a nearby rock and dove in. His naked body was sleek and straight as an arrow. She had to admire his form. But what really surprised her was when he emerged from the surface of the lake, not as a human but as a huge brown bear.

“Liam, that’s wonderful,” she cried. After encountering his gentleness the night before, she felt absolutely no fear of his bear and dove in to join him.

He was magnificent, his long brown coat floating out around him. She tangled her hands in it, holding on tight as he dove. His powerful paws took them deep under the lake’s crystal-clear surface, and she watched in wonder as shoals of fish scattered in front of them.

Eventually, she got tired and swam to the side of the lake. She found a hot, sun-drenched rock to sit on while she dried out. She sat and laughed at Liam’s antics as a bear while he played by himself in the shallows. She suddenly had an insight into what it would be like watching her own little bear cub playing with him here. It warmed her heart.

That night back at the cabin, they lit the fire again and roasted a haunch of meat over it. The tantalizing aroma filled the starlit night. “I used to love cookouts when I was a kid,” Liam said. “The entire family would go off into the woods for the weekend and set up camp somewhere. We took so much stuff my dad would always have to travel in bear form to carry it all.” Liam laughed at the memory.

“My dad used to take me camping, too,” Emma replied. “It was always the happiest part of my childhood when we were off hiking together.”

“Yes, mine too. They didn’t happen often enough for me. Because my dad was the alpha, pack business always came first,” said Liam. “But there were also bonuses to being the alpha’s kid. There were always interesting things going on around the house. You never knew who would be there when you woke in the morning.”

“That must have been fun,” she said. She felt slightly envious. “There was only ever me and my dad, and he had to work a lot to support us. I did have a lot of friends, however. I was always at someone’s house after school. But I don’t think that compensated for the lack of family. It’s one of the things I love most about the idea of bringing up a child with a whole bear clan around him.”

“Our baby will certainly have a lot of support,” he said. “I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you. But you’re part of us now, so you don’t need to worry about that again.”

His words made her feel warm and safe. She sat back with a contented smile on her face. That was the biggest appeal of the surrogacy deal. She would be taken in by a clan and given a lot of support. The clan looked after its own.

“Do you reckon that meat’s done?” she asked. “It smells amazing, and I’m starving.”

Liam laughed. “You get the beers, and I’ll get the meat off the fire,” he said.

“Deal,” she agreed, getting up and heading for the cabin.

The next few days flew past. She hated the idea of going back to work. She was enjoying the solitude and peace while alone with Liam in his woodland retreat. They visited the lake often and went on hikes through the woods. It was better than anything she could have imagined.

“Why don’t you take another week off work?” he asked, coming up behind her as she gazed out across the fantastic view. “We could stay here a while longer.”

“That would be lovely,” she replied. “Could we really do that?” She had imagined he would be needed back to deal with alpha things.

“Yes. Alex can deal with anything that goes on at the office for another week.”

“I’d love to,” she replied. “I’ll go call my boss.”

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