Finding Her Bear (Bear Creek Clan 2) (7 page)

“Listen, Daryl. I think it would be better if I went home. This is just too much for me. I want to give it some thought first.”

“I’m sorry, I’m an idiot, I frightened you off before our first date. Now you know why I put off asking you, I’m not good at this either. Listen, come in and say hello to my parents, and then I’ll take you home.”

“No. You stay, I’ll walk.”

“Its miles, and the light will be fading in an hour. I’ll take you home, I promise.” He held out his hand to her. “Please. Just say hello, and have a cup of tea with my mom, or else she’ll think it’s something she’s done. This is the first time I’ve ever introduced anyone to them. Women aren’t usually my thing, I find them so confusing.”

“I don’t know.”

“One cup of tea. Maybe a biscuit?” He tilted his head and smiled. “I promise not to pressure you to stay for longer than you want to.”

When he slipped his hand into hers, she found it hard to deny him anything. Was it really possible that this was what he meant? Every time he touched her, or came nearer, she could forget everything apart from him in the world. Was this what her mom felt each time she was with a man? Who then left her holding the baby. Alone.

Kayleigh had always wondered if she was destined to live her life tainted by her mom’s decisions. It had left her too scared to make commitments. It was the reason she travelled, and the reason she had never sought relationships.

Bear Creek had turned everything on its head. Maybe destiny had pulled her here. She was starting to sound as crack pot as Daryl. He was brainwashing her into buying into this stupid idea that it was all going to work out. When she knew that didn’t happen. She had to hold onto her senses. But when he squeezed her hand and smiled, she was lost again.

Floundering. That was how she made him feel. He wanted to be honest with her. However, the words, "By the way, I’m a bear, and bears mate for life around here" wouldn't come out. They simply sounded like he was one sandwich short of that picnic he had promised her.

He needed advice on how he was supposed to approach this subject. Because he thought if he told her the truth just like that, she would run, and keep running forever.

They walked into the kitchen, and three expectant faces looked at them, and smiled. Oh, lord, how did this not look creepy in anyway?

“Mom, this is Kayleigh,” Daryl said. He almost felt obliged to protect Kayleigh from his mom’s exuberant smile.

“Nice to finally meet you, Kayleigh. Daryl has told us all about you.”

“Mom,” he warned.

“What? You’ve told us everything we need to know.”

“Mom, you’ll scare Kayleigh off.”

His mom smiled. “Impossible.”

“You can tell she spends too much time me and the boys,” Daryl’s dad said. Offering Kayleigh his hand.

She took it, her eyes wide. He sighed, noting her confusion. The other thing that was hard for strangers to take in sometimes was his mom and dad's appearance. They just looked too young to be parents to him and Sam. Let’s just say bears aged well. They almost stopped ageing at all once they hit their twenties. His mom and dad could possibly pass for mid thirties, but not much more.

“Hello. Nice to meet you,” Kayleigh eventually managed.

“Tea,” said his mom, noticing the worried look on Daryl's face.

“Yes, please.” They all busied themselves, getting cups out and setting cookies and cakes down on the table. Guilty looks passed between them. The kind that would make anyone think they were a family of mass murders. About to lure their next victim down to the cellar. He was doomed. Destined to never be with his true mate.

If Daryl had seemed weird, his family gave her a glimpse of where that originated. His mom couldn’t help staring at her, and his dad didn’t look old enough to have teenagers. Yet alone two hunky men like Daryl and Sam. Weird. That was the word reverberating around her head.

Still, she sat down at the table, because she figured it was safer to have tea with them. First chance she had she would get out of there. Fast, and never come back. In fact moving on, leaving Bear Creek, was beginning to look like the best thing to do. Get out there, far away. No forwarding address.

“So you like Bear Creek?” Daryl’s mom asked.

“Yes, very much," she said. It was the truth. Only this bizarre family was beginning to put her off.

“I’m glad you’ve settled here. I don’t think there is a better place in the world.”

“I love the mountains, before I came here, I’d never seen any. Not in real life.” She tried to make conversation and sound normal.

“In the summer, we can climb to the top of Mount Ursa,” Daryl said.

“I’d like that,” Kayleigh said smiling at him. Really, she was thinking that she would be long gone by then. Although it had been on her list of things, she would most like to do. And to do it with Daryl. That would be special. His hand brushed hers and she felt that wonderful warm sensation spreading through her again. Perhaps they had drugged her tea.

“Cake?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“You’ll have to come over to our house. I’d like to get to know you, Kayleigh. Daryl says you haven’t had a very good upbringing.”

“Mom,” Daryl protested.

“What? I’m only saying that it would be nice for Kayleigh to feel part of the family. And I’ve always wanted a daughter. I’m sure Sam will let you have some time off to visit during the day.”

“Excuse me?” Kayleigh once more thought there was this whole other conversation going on around her. One that she had no idea about.

“When you come and work for Sam.”

Silence. Then Sam said, “Mom, I haven’t asked her yet.”

“Oh. I’m sorry. I thought you already had. Daryl was so upset when he heard you were going to work for Will.”

“Mom,” Daryl said again, looking at Kayleigh.

Sam stepped in. “I’m sorry, Kayleigh. I was going to ask you once I’d shown you around today. I thought you would like it here, and want to work on the farm.”

She would. She really would. It was outdoors, no people, except for Sam, and Daryl. But she didn’t like Daryl’s reasons. It came back to her feeling as though Daryl was trying to hijack her life. After all, she had been through. The last thing she wanted was for someone else to tell her where to go and what to do. Part of the reason she had enjoyed being a free spirit, was the way she could decide for herself exactly what she wanted to do, and when.

“I would have to know a bit more about what you’re offering, Sam. And I have said I’d work for Will. I don’t want to let him down.”

“He wouldn’t mind,” Daryl said.

“Of course he wouldn’t,” said Daryl's Mom. “That boy can always find someone else to work in his bar.”

“Well, if you tell me your offer. I will compare them, and see what I think would suit me best. It is, after all, my decision,” Said Kayleigh pointedly. The faces around her dropped just a little.

“Of course it is, Kayleigh.” Their dad said, giving the others a warning look. “I think sometimes we try to look after family a bit too much.”

“That’s sweet of you, but you are not my family.” Kayleigh looked around at the three other faces. At least two of them had the expression that said, ‘not yet’. She was more than a little freaked out.

Sipping her tea, she looked around the kitchen, and decided she needed an exit. Once she was out of the farmhouse, she would head down into the valley, and out into the trees. This whole thing was wrong. They were too familiar with her. As if, it was already a foregone conclusion that she would marry Daryl. One step on from that was settling down and having kids. No way. She was going to do what she did best, get out of there.

“May I use the bathroom?” she asked Sam.

“Sure. It’s down the hall and to the left. Do you want me to show you?”

“No. It’s fine, I’ll find it. Excuse me.” She got up out of her chair and went out of the kitchen, carefully closing the door behind her. Quickly she headed down the hallway. Behind her, she could hear the sound of voices as a heated exchange ensued. They were all mad!

Hoping they would be occupied for some while, she went past the bathroom, and carried on to the front door. Unlocking it, she carefully went out and shut it quietly behind her. Looking for an escape route that gave her the best chance of staying unseen, while she ran back down the mountain. She put her head down and started out across the open grass that lay in front of the farmhouse.

By the time she judged she was out of sight, her breath was coming in sharp gasps, and her breathing laboured. That was the farthest she had run for years. But then she had never had such a big reason to run before. There was something so odd about that Cartwright family.

While she caught her breath, she listened. As far as she could tell there was no one following her. She gave herself a couple of minutes to regain her breath. Then she ducked down under the lower branches of the trees. Skirting the grass slope, she then struck off in the general direction of the town.

Two things struck her immediately. One, it was a lot darker under the trees than she had thought it would be. Second, she soon lost all sense of direction. The twisting and turning trees made her circle back on herself.

Once she had struggled over a couple of logs, she had completely lost her way. All she could do was carry on. At least she hoped that was where she was heading. Going back to the farm wasn’t an option. Although right now, she had no idea which way was back, and which way was forward.

A feeling of deep foreboding covered her, and her skin crawled. She felt as if she was being hunted, but there was no one around. Surely, even if they had moved fast enough to catch up with her they would never have found her trail. This thought no longer comforted her. Right now, she wished they would find her. All she really wanted was to be in Daryl’s arms. His nice safe arms. She had overreacted badly, and she might end up paying the ultimate price.

She battled her way through undergrowth. Earning cuts on her face, and torn clothes, while she went over the whole afternoon in her head. Daryl's parents were, perhaps, just happy that their son had found a woman he liked. Daryl had said himself that he didn’t date many girls. This might be enough to explain their behaviour. She couldn’t really criticise other people over their behaviour. Not when she had run out on a family while sitting down having tea. Not just run off along the street, or across town. No, that would be too simple. She had run off into the middle of nowhere, and was now lost, with night drawing in.

A sound made her jump. There was something in the trees. Just a deer. That’s what she kept telling herself. However, deer would run away from her, this was getting closer. Panic built into a scream, but she kept her mouth firmly shut. The scream barred behind her teeth, which now started to chatter. The sound making it almost impossible to hear anything else around her.

She closed her eyes and wished she could be back in her warm bed. But Kayleigh knew from experience that wishes never came true. If they did, she would have spent her childhood with her parents, or at least known who her dad was. There was only one person who could help her. But that person was standing still, teeth chattering, while something hunted her.

Pulling herself together, she walked on determinedly. Trying to keep in a straight line, she headed downhill. If she went in that direction, it had to bring her out at the bottom of the trees. Unless she had managed to turn herself around completely, and was now heading into the dark forest.

No, she would have come across the stream and track first. Trying to build up a mental picture of the terrain she had driven over with Daryl in the truck, she plunged on. Not stopping, even when she heard another creature off to the side. Slowly, she was being surrounded. She couldn’t allow whatever was out there to herd her.

Ahead the trees looked as if they thinned. She tried to speed up, but the trees caught on her clothes. Kayleigh found it quicker to go slowly and carefully. Rather than to dash headlong, despite the need inside her to run. In the distance, she could hear another sound, a truck. Daryl was out there searching for her. The engine slowed, and a door opened, then closed.

“Please don't drive off,” she said under her breath.

“Kayleigh. Kayleigh, are you there? Please answer me.”

His voice filled with anguish. And she wanted to answer him, but she was scared. If she shouted then whatever was hunting her would know exactly where she was. She scoffed at that idea when a snarl sounded in response to Daryl’s voice. Who was she kidding? They already knew exactly where she was.

“Daryl,” she called. More snarls came from the right of her. They were closing in. “Daryl.”

Her voice was drowned out by the forest, by the trees crowding in around her. The sky ahead filled with light, she was definitely nearing the edge. Exactly what her hunters were trying to stop her doing. A movement in front of her made her hesitate, but she had to push on through to the open ground. To Daryl.

Veering to one side, she ran for the thinning trees. Her heart lifted when she saw the headlights from Daryl’s truck. There he was coming towards her, but from behind her, she heard snarls and growls. Teeth snapped at her, nearly taking hold of her clothes. She half turned and saw the faces that were pursuing her. Wolves.

She turned back to Daryl, and began to wave frantically at him, using her precious energy to warn him. “Run,” she shouted. And he did.

He lowered his head and ran towards her. She tried to warn him. Surely, he had seen the wolves; he had to get back into the truck. There was no use them both being killed. Yet still he powered on towards her.

Until for a moment his figure blurred, and then he faded away.

There was no breath left in her lungs to scream. Only her reflexes kept her body moving forward. Her brain refused to process what she had seen. He had disappeared. Although now he was coming back into sight. As though he had momentarily disappeared behind a screen. However, the thing that appeared in his place wasn’t a man; it was low to the ground, and big. Very big.