Christopher shook his head. “They probably just heard her moving around and got spooked. City folks aren’t used to wildlife sounds.”
He approached the cabin door and knocked gently. A middle-aged couple answered, their faces anxious until they spotted the deer.
“Oh!” the woman exclaimed. “It’s just a deer!”
“This is Thistle,” Christopher explained with a reassuring smile. “She’s a regular visitor. Completely harmless, but I can shoo her away if she’s bothering you.”
“No, no,” the man blurted. “We were just concerned. Thought it might be a bear or something.”
Christopher felt Sorcha’s eyes on him and carefully kept his expression neutral. “No bears tonight,” he assured them. “They’re mostly hibernating this time of year, anyway.”
After a few more reassurances and an offer of extra firewood, which the couple declined, Christopher and Sorcha headed back toward the office. The night had grown still around them, the cold intensifying under a clear, star-filled sky.
“You’re good at that,” Sorcha observed as they walked. “Making people feel safe.”
“Part of the job,” Christopher replied, though her praise warmed him more than it should have.
“It’s more than that,” she insisted. “You have a gift for it. The way you knew exactly what to say, how to calm them down.”
Christopher ducked his head, uncomfortable with the compliment. “I just try to help people enjoy their time here.”
They reached the office, and the warmth inside was a welcome relief from the biting cold. Sorcha rubbed her hands together, blowing on her fingers to warm them.
“Here,” Christopher said, taking her hands between his. He rubbed them gently, sharing his natural heat.
Sorcha’s eyes widened slightly. “You weren’t kidding about running hot,” she said. “Your hands are like furnaces.”
Christopher took a deep breath. It was time. “Sorcha, there’s something I need to tell you. Something important about me. About why I feel so at home here in Bear Creek.”
She sat up straighter, her full attention on him. “I’m listening.”
“It’s not something I can just explain,” he said carefully. “It’s something I need to show you. But I need you to trust me.”
She met his eyes and nodded. “That I can do.”
It’s time for show and tell!His bear literally jumped for joy. At last, he was about to meet their mate face-to-face.
But was Sorcha ready for this? Ready to begin the greatest story of her life!
Chapter Eighteen – Sorcha
What did he want to show her? Was she making a mistake in putting her trust in him?
No. She knew with absolute certainty that Christopher was the best of men and would never intentionally hurt her. But unintentionally…wasn’t that exactly what her father had done to her mother?
But Sorcha was not her mother. And Christopher was not her father.
“Show me,” she urged.
“Come with me.” He held out his hand to her, and she took it.
Christopher led her outside into the cold night air. The stars glittered overhead like diamonds scattered across black velvet as he guided her toward the forest edge behind the cabins. Sorcha’s heart hammered against her ribs, curiosity and anticipation making her breath catch in her throat.
“Where are we going?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Just a little farther,” Christopher replied. “I need privacy for this.”
The words should have alarmed her, but instead they sent a thrill of excitement through her. Whatever secret he was about to share, she sensed it was monumental.
