Page 62 of So I Fell for Bigfoot

“I am.” Carefully picking up the windchime, I followed Bibi into the middle of the clearing.

Hannah was standing in front of one of the tents, talking to Marissa. Tonight, she looked so relaxed. My new mate was usually on edge, worried about something that was completely out of her control. I was looking forward to getting to know this side of her. At first, I’d been worried about leaving my mountain, thinking it would make me look weak to the ancient beasts that were insistent on taking control of my life. But now I was glad we were in this secret little bubble, in our very own universe—even if only for one night.

I’d take it.

Hannah glanced over, and her face lit up when she saw me. Sweet moon, it was little things like this that drove me wild. These moments that my mate was usually too busy to fully appreciate. I could get used to this.

Her gaze dropped to my hand. The chimes tinkled as I walked toward her.

“Is that for me?” she asked.

I offered it to her. “I thought it might be nice to listen to on an early morning, when we’re sitting together, having coffee in those chairs that overlook the valley.”

“Yeah,” she said as she took the chimes from me, and looked at them with wonder.

“The stones reminded me of you,” I said. “They’re beautiful. Unpredictable.”

“You’re good at this.” She handed the chimes to Marissa. “I hope you like what I made you.”

“I’m sure I’ll love it.”

She ducked into the tent and came back with a little house.

“Is it a bird house?” It had a pointed roof, an opening in the front, and a perch. I was impressed with how much work she did.

She nodded. “I’m not sure how many visitors you get in the mountain, or if it will be safe—“ She gasped. “Sorry. All I could think of was your brother wreaking havoc in the valley, and as I built this, I wanted to give the little guy an advantage. Maybe because I’ve always felt like the little guy.”

Leif intimidated her. She wouldn’t be comfortable in my home with my brother running unchecked. “He won’t always be like this.” I hoped it was a promise I could keep. “He’s not yet ready to believe me that things have changed. It’s a lesson he’ll have to learn for himself, unfortunately, the hard way.”

“What do you think he’ll do while we’re gone?”

“I don’t want to think about him right now.” I put the little birdhouse down on the bench. It was so thoughtful, and I loved it. “I want to think about you.”

She swallowed hard. “Tell me what you’re thinking about.”

“Setting up this birdhouse right near the chimes. The birds will appreciate the song. They’ll love a treat, or a little assistance spreading seeds in the valley. That’s what they’re here to do.”

“You talk like you know them.”

“I do. They kept me great company in the times that no one else came to visit. They didn’t see me as different. I can teach you to talk to them too. They’ll like getting to know you.”

She closed her eyes for a long blink. “That sounds purely magical.”

“We have one more activity planned.” Bibi smiled brightly at us as we groaned at the interruption. “Yes, it’s unusual that we have things scripted for a date, but to be honest, the network’s legal department is worried that we might not be able to use much of the footage from the Wolfsbane concert because of the riot and the fact that we weren’t able to get filming waivers for everyone. We may have to make this date do double or triple duty.”

“The network also wants to rush some footage to combat the bad press,” Marissa added. “And tonight is the perfect opportunity to get what we need.”

The world didn’t think it was safe for me to be with Hannah. I’d do whatever it took to prove them wrong.

“Hannah, have you ever lit a campfire?” Bibi asked.

She laughed. “Hell no.”

“Something tells me Lars knows his way around a fire.” She stepped aside to reveal all the supplies I could possibly need to ignite one.

“I bet he knows his way around a few things.” Hannah settled in the chair and bit her lip. “I’m ready to soak it all in.”

Someone had made a picture-perfect pile of kindling. “So many nights I barely had more than two damp sticks to rub together.” I plucked two of the from the pile, grinning when it caved in. I didn’t know much about reality TV, outside of what I’d experienced with this crew and what I’d binge watched while I stayed at HQ, but from what I could glean from the forums, those viewers hated perfect. Which was good, because I was anything but. I couldn’t let Hannah fall for a lie.

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