It wasn’t a promise of anything in particular, but it wasn’t a goodbye, either. It was something in between. You could sense the difference in Bonnie. She was lighter, happier, more confident.
Once in the vehicle, I told Bonnie that when she was ready, I had information on her birth family, but that it was unlikely any of them would be looking for her.
She closed her eyes. “Oh, my gods, so this is what it feels like when you’re not running from a past you don’t understand but you know has the potential to destroy everything. Thank you. I don’t know what I’d have done without you.”
I didn’t know what we’d have done without her either.
Chapter Nineteen
Bonnie
“Bonnie, are you busy?”
I was in the garden, which I had learned so much about since I first put my hands in the rich, dark soil to pluck weeds from around the seedlings. Since then, I not only kept invaders at bay but had been studying online with the intent of becoming a master gardener. Growing our own food held an appeal to this formerly hungry girl that very little could surpass. The independence of having chicken and eggs and even goats for milk and cheese along with veggies gave me confidence. And I didn’t even have to explain these feelings to the alphas. They understood me in a way nothing in my prior life had prepared me for.
No big secret, I supposed, when the only person I spent any time with had been Marie. Other relationships were merely glimpses online, and the shifter community didn’t have nearly the content of humans. From what the bears said, many believed in living life in the moment instead of on a screen.
I totally got that, but, of course, that had not been an option for me back in the cabin. Without the stolen moments on the screen, I would have experienced an even more extreme version of isolation. The “home school” I’d attended had been uncertified and all my information was faked, meaning, my education up through twelfth grade had no value except what I’d managed to pull from it on my own, mostly by doing my own research. And the last name I’d been trying to use to sign up for community college was not my own. In fact…I didn’t know what my surname was even now.
Maybe one day, I’d try to go to college again, but I was learning so much already, I didn’t care about that for themoment. I’d been studying trees in my master gardening class and was completely locked into the fact that trees communicated underground. That many groves and orchards had root systems that carried information from one to the next. Some had even stronger connections than that.
It made me think of the difference between hearing and listening. My ex-mother had heard the words I said, more or less, but had been so tangled in her web of lies, she was only listening for what affected the world she’d created and anything that might chip away at it. The bears, on the contrary, not only heard me but listened to everything I said.
This past weekend, we’d gone to a nursery a couple of towns away to purchase fruit trees because I had mentioned in passing how much I enjoyed learning about trees. And on another occasion entirely, I’d spoken of how much I loved growing our own food. For the security of it and the joy of seeing things come to life and grow. And, like everything they did, they made it a special outing, with breakfast at a very cute tea shop along the way. They were the only males in the café, too. It was all lace and pastels and the most feminine place I’d ever been. Yet, these three masculine alphas not only managed to fit in, they had every other woman in the place casting me envious glances.
That’s right. They’re mine.
But I’d only actually mated with Archer. Did that make me a fraud? Did the time I was taking mean they might give off an availability vibe?
No way.
But it had me thinking…
“Not too busy, Dallas.” I patted the soil around the Thai bird pepper plant with affection. “See? That nasty weed is not going to take all your nutrients. I’ll get some marigolds and maybe…would you like cilantro around your roots?”
You speak to them like they are people,” he said, extending a hand to help me up.
“Well, they are living beings, aren’t they? When I lived in the forest, we were surrounded by trees and all sorts of things, but other than some fruits and berries, we did not take food from the plants. I love the fact that I care for them and they care for us in return.”
“You are a magical being, aren’t you?” He didn’t let go of my hand as I reached my feet. “I came to get you because the city guy wants to talk to you about a commission.”
“Really?” Excitement fizzed in my belly, but was it from the idea of work or Dallas’ hand? I suspected the latter. “Right now?”
“In about a half hour.”
“I’d better get cleaned up, then.” I’d been watching lots of gardening shows on the streaming services, but unlike most of those influencers, I did not end up clean and tidy after a day in the dirt under the sun. But also, unlike them, I had not picked up the habit of being high-maintenance. I loved feminine clothes, but also practicality.In the dirt, wear what you don’t mind getting dirty, torn on a branch, or otherwise damaged.For my meeting with the possible customer, I showered and slipped on a sundress I’d bought on the day we got the trees. It had been in a store window, its golden sunflower pattern catching my eye. Sandals, damp hair pulled up in a high ponytail, a few bangles on each arm, and all ready to go.
As we pulled up to the store, I saw the gleaming black car parked along the street. “Why do you think he’s so interested in my work?”
“You’re asking the wrong bear that question.” He gave my hands, folded in my lap, a squeeze. “I think everything you do is perfect, amazing, and wonderful.”
“Wow.” Dallas was sometimes so serious and worried about things. He was rarely so…extravagant with compliments, although he was consistently kind. “Thank you.”
Feeling more confident, I met the customer inside and listened to the project he wanted me to do. It would be very good money, but I was not sure I wanted to execute his vision instead of mine. I had to think about it, and told him so in the nicest possible way. He upped his price, but I assured him it wasn’t money. I just didn’t know if I could do what he wanted, the way he wanted. It would be quite a large piece, and I hadn’t done anything big in a long time. Somewhat mollified, he left, promising to check back with me in a week or so.
“You handled that very well,” Dallas said. “And I think we need to go out and celebrate.”
“But I didn’t accept the commission. Not yet, anyway.”
