He turns me around to face my tent.
Holy crap.
It’s half blown over, flapping sadly in the breeze. Thankfully I had my essentials in the daypack I took with me biking. The soggy nylon did little to protect my sleeping bag and larger pack of clothing. I could have frozen solid. Even if I’d gathered my stuff and gone to the road to flag someone down, the vehicles are few and far between out here.
“Thank you,” I murmur, wide-eyed. “You’re right.”
Bear has my tent disassembled in a flash, packing everything into a big box in the back of the truck. He turns to see me trembling and wipes his damp hands on his jeans before hugging me. “You’re okay, sugar. I’ve got you.”
“I… I would have died,” I sputter.
“No, you wouldn’t. You would have tried to bike back here. A driver would have stopped for you.”
I’m sure he’s just saying that so I don’t freak out. “Bear?” My face tips up. “Thank you.”
His lips twitch. “What, for being bossy and kidnapping you? You’re welcome.” The feeling of his palm running up and down my back makes me shiver in a different way. “Aw sugar, you’re okay.” He snuggles me tighter. “How about we make a big festive dinner?”
“Festive how?”
“However you like. I was thinking…like a vacation kinda meal, just at home.”
Is he asking me on an official date? My heart might explode. “That sounds great. I know a great baked ziti recipe?”
“Perfect. We’ll pick up groceries, then wash and hang up your stuff. Then you’ll set me to work on dinner.” He nods firmly, then helps me into the truck like we’re on a mission.
The vibe continues at the grocery store. He speeds through the aisles with almost military efficiency. If someone says hello he nods while muttering a greeting, then gets away from them before they can say anything else.
Weird. I always thought small town people stopped to talk about the weather or ask after each other’s families. People in Cedarvale are becoming chattier with me and Carl, even though we’ve only been there for six months.
Is Bear such a true loner that speaking to people makes him uncomfortable? Or is it because I’m with him? People do keep giving me strange looks. I guess in a small town, anyone new is noticeable. Or maybe they’ve never seen Bear with a woman before.
Maybe he doesn’t want his family to hear that he’s met someone? Buying groceries together feels pretty domestic and could make things appear far more serious than they are, or will ever be.
No matter how I feel about Bear, I can’t expect him to feel the same. Yes, he’s protective. But perhaps he’s like that with all women.
A vacation thing would still be fun. Even if I’m secretly hoping for more, I’ll force my hopes to sit down and be quiet.
On the drive back to Bear’s house, I bombard him with questions about the area. It's a topic that almost gets him talkative again. Then he clears his throat and shoots me a sideways glance. “Has your brother checked in on you yet?”
“No. Why?”
His jaw clenches. “That storm last night. He wasn’t worried about you?”
“Honestly, solo camping is one of those things where I try to prove to myself I can do things alone. I didn’t even think about calling him. Is that weird?”
His fingers tighten on the wheel. “Couldyou have called him, if I hadn’t come by?”
“I guess so. I try not to call him for help. He…um…doesn’t like it. He says we should stay out of each other’s business as much as possible.”
Bear’s knuckles look like they’re about to snap, and I swear steam is coming out of his ears, but he doesn’t say anything else.
By the time we’re making dinner together, he's lowered his shields a bit more, sharing a couple of crazy stories from when he was younger.
"Your poor mother," I laugh. "The three of you sound like terrors."
"Oh, for sure. We lived in the woods like animals. If we weren't in the mood to come home for lunch, we'd just cruise by the hill filled with blackberry bushes. There's a stream near there for water, too."
"You really are a bear!” I burst into laughter, and his eyes shine as he smiles back at me.
