“Are you doing laundry?”I ask, closing and locking the door behind me.
“No.Why?”
“You’re wearing my clothes,” I point out.
“Oh, sorry.I didn’t think you’d mind?—”
“I don’t,” I interrupt.“I wasn’t sure if something was wrong with the ones we bought.Do you need more?”
“No, I just… wanted to wear this today.”
“Okay.”
She wanted our scent on her,my bear growls.
I toe off my boots.“Are you hungry?”
“Kind of.What happened at the meeting?”she asks as we enter the kitchen.
“The men who took you are still looking for you.They’ve been coming onto our land.Seems they’re getting desperate.”
“Roxie said my dad came by twice and asked if she knew where I was,” she says softly.
My jaw clenches.“They don’t want to let you go.”
“I don’t understand why,” Fern snaps, exasperated.
“I get it.I wouldn’t ever let you go either.You’re worth searching for.”
Fern’s mouth drops open, and she doesn’t seem to know what to say.
“I, uh, have you given any thought to what I said… about us?”I ask as I make us grilled cheese and soup.
It’s already late afternoon, and I’m starving, so I make us two grilled cheeses each.
“Yeah,” she whispers.
I tense as I wait for her answer.“And?”
“And it still seems so crazy.We barely know each other.How can I want you if I don’t know you?”
I stir the soup.“What do you want to know?”
Fern shifts on her feet.“I don’t know.Everything?”
“I was born and raised in Night Grove Falls.I’m a bear shifter.My parents are both dead.I joined the Army when I was eighteen and went on three deployments.I was injured on my last one and medically discharged.Now, I live here and run Midnight Haven.I help people who need it, and I love my job.”
I flip the grilled cheese in the pan and turn to look at her.
“More,” she says.
I smile.“My favorite color is blue.I love steak and potatoes, and I’m a decent cook.I’m pretty handy, Like the cold more than the heat.My favorite season is winter, my favorite holiday is Christmas, and I’ve been looking for you all my life.”
Fern’s eyes soften.
I turn off the burner, add the grilled cheese to two plates, and pour the soup into two bowls.
“What about you?”I ask as we sit and eat.
