There’s something about Bear’s face that tells me he doesn’t grin very often. Yet here he is, watching me laugh at him, and chuckling right along.
His rich brown eyes meet mine. Instantly I’m floating, even though I’m still wearing his thick jacket, bundled up in a blanket with a towel around my hair. Mmm… The jacket collar smells like him. Warm, masculine, with a hint of pine.
He looks like a lumberjack, with thick dark hair and a bit of a beard. He’s certainly fit enough: he carried me as if I were a small sack of potatoes. The feeling of his thick arms around me…the sensation of being safe and cared for… It made me melt. I’ll be thinking about that for a long time.
Bear is still studying my eyes, even though our laughter has died out. He looks puzzled.
“You may not have heard of that,” I say. “A while back, women were asking each other online if they’d rather run into a strange man or a bear if they were alone out in the woods.”
His mouth hardens into a line. “Let me guess. Lots of women have known some shitty men, and they pick the bear. Don’t blame them.”
Another crack of thunder threatens to shake the entire mountain, yet he’s completely unfazed. "Is your bike locked?"
"No. I, um, forgot the lock, actually."
He jumps out and grabs my bike, picking it up and laying it down in the back of the truck as if it were a feather. The man isstrong. Honestly, he looks like he could pull a tree right out of the ground and hurl it, like those caber tosses at highland games.Down, girl. Don’t think about what he’d look like in a kilt.
The truck lurches a bit when he climbs back in, running a hand through his wet hair and flicking some of the water free. "Okay, where can I take you?"
"I'm camping down in the fields beside the Edwards farm. Thanks so much?—"
"No." He turns to look at me, his striking eyes pained. "Sorry. What I mean is, you can't get warm there. Everything will be wet. And I’m not sure how long you’ve been here, but in case you didn’t know, the wind picks up something fierce at night."
"Honestly, it'll be fine. I have one of those thermal sleeping bags."
"I can’t let you freeze.” He frowns, looking uncomfortable. “Look, I can take you to the Old Hemlock Valley Inn. Or a friend's house. I could even take you to my place. I just cannot in good conscience leave you to a soggy tent in a storm. There'd be nothing left of you in the morning."
"I appreciate it, but?—"
He holds up a finger. "Any building you like. Really. But I'm putting my foot down about a tent.” His lips twitch at the leftcorner for a split second. "Call it kidnapping if you like. I call it making sure a nice young woman doesn’t freeze to death."
I can't help laughing. "Well, at least you're the politest kidnapper I've ever heard of."
"Do you know anyone in town?"
"I live with my brother in Cedarvale, but that's pretty far in—" Another blast of thunder crashes directly over us, so loud that I squeal in surprise. Then my heart flutters as Bear grabs my hand.
"It’s okay, Joy. I won't let anything happen to you."
He looks down at our hands, as if shocked to see what he's done, and lets go instantly. "Okay, I'm headed to my house unless you stop me. A hot shower, a big meal. And let me know if the bed in the guest room is comfortable – you'll be the first person staying there."
"Thank you." Since he seemed so uncomfortable accidentally grabbing my hand, I reach out and squeeze his forearm instead to show him I'm okay with it. "I really appreciate it."
"No trouble at all."
He begins driving in the opposite direction of Old Hemlock Valley. There's something ultra-steady in the way he drives, like a man who is completely unhurried and knows these roads like the back of his hand.
"Where do you live?" I suddenly ask.
“Rathlock.”
"Wow. Never heard of it."
He flashes me a look. "That's exactly how we like it. Under the radar. Maybe a quarter the size of Old Hemlock Valley. Barely a town, really. Perfect for those of us who like to keep to themselves."
"So, wait, are you one of those mysterious loner mountain men?" I giggle. “The kind that the town kind of forgets about, because they only see them once a decade?"
His broad shoulders tighten. Seriously, the guy is built like a football player.
