Lonely Bear: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Bear Bluff Clan Book 6) (4 page)

No, it was best if she left him to his peaceful world. A lonely world, but it was the one he had chosen and she needed to respect that.

Putting her feet on the floor, she tried to get up. Thankfully, she found that if she stood on her very tiptoes, she could hobble forward. At least he would not have to carry her anymore. Although the descent down the mountain would not be possible without help. Then she remembered the walking sticks he said he carved. Yes. That might be the answer.

Finding the bathroom was her first goal, not hard when the cabin was so small. Feeling fresher, she went into the living room, to find it empty. Not liking to wander around his house on her own but needing coffee, she went into the kitchen, placing the kettle on the top of the stove. Still no sign of him.

With one hand on the counter top to steady herself, she searched around for the coffee mugs, getting two down and placing them on the counter top. Then she reached for the instant coffee, spooning it into the mugs and pouring on the boiling water. It was only when she turned she saw he had come in behind her, silently, and stood watching her.

As if she had broken the spell, he came to life, smiling at her and holding up four eggs. “Fresh this morning.”

“You keep hens?”

“Yes, a few. They like to scratch around the place, and the bonus is they lay great eggs. Scrambled?”

“Yes, please. Do you want me to help?”

“No, you go and sit down and enjoy your coffee. Or, if you want to wrap up, you can sit on the porch and watch the morning. It’s bright and clear. The birds are out, singing to the new day.”

She smiled, hoping he wasn’t just trying to get rid of her. “I’d like that.”

He helped her outside, grabbing a warm coat, which smelled of him, masculine with the added scents of wood smoke and pine needles. A bench on the porch, which he had added cushions to, was where he guided her. Lowering herself down was tricky, and she needed to hold his hand so that she didn’t fall, a thing that ignited that heated friction between them once more.

This time she played it down, looking away as though admiring the birds that flittered though the clearing in front of his cabin, when in reality every part of her being was aware of him and the warmth of his touch.

“I can see why you live here,” she said, looking at the view. She hadn’t noticed it last night, it had been too dark, but from the porch, a gap in the trees gave way to an uninterrupted view across the mountain range. The sky went on forever into the distance, while the tops of trees in the valley below looked like fluffy green clouds. “It’s stunning.”

“Thank you. I chose the position for the view.” He stood admiring it with her, and then said, “I’ll get those eggs.”

She listened to him rattling around in the kitchen, a comforting sound, while she sipped her coffee. The day grew warmer, the sun sneaking through any gap it could find in the trees to dapple the ground. A big patch of sunlight made its way slowly towards her though the large gap overhead, touching her toes and warming her up as it covered her inch by inch.

When he emerged from the cabin with two plates in his hand, she had her head resting on the back of the bench, her eyes closed.

“Is it alright on your lap?”

She opened her eyes, taking a minute for them to focus. When they did, she had to acknowledge that the sight of him was even more stunning than the view from the porch.

“That would be great. I want to enjoy every moment of this morning.” And she didn’t just mean the sun on her face and breeze in her hair. No, his company made her feel at home. A thing she had found missing in her life for so many years.

“I sit here each morning and drink my coffee, watching the seasons change.”

“Do you think you will ever move back to town?” she asked, eating her eggs, which were accompanied by two slices of thick homemade bread. He would make a wonderful husband.
But not for you.

“That depends.”

“On whether the thing that brought you here goes away?”

“Something like that.”

“Wouldn’t you miss it, though?”

“For the right reasons I would move back to Bear Bluff.”

She longed for her to be that reason. Yet the ring still sparkled on her finger, and she could see no way of removing it without laying her heart out to him, and that would just seem weird. A man like Nate had his own problems, he didn’t need hers added to them. Not when they had only just met.

“I thought that we could pack some food and make our way down to the town. It will take some time. There are some steep parts that will not be easy with you in my arms.”

“In your arms? I thought I would be able to walk some of the way. If you give me a walking stick.”

“It’s a long way, Chloe.”

“I know. But with your help … if you don’t mind helping me.” She still wasn’t sure that he did. He had become more unreadable the longer she had spent with him. “I think I can go some of the way on foot.”

“Of course. No, I don’t mind.” And then he sat back and ate his eggs in silence, and she let the morning sun warm her heart, which was filled with longing for him.

She had made it quite clear she didn’t want him near her. The closeness of last night, when he thought she wanted him to kiss her, was gone. No wonder—last night she had been in shock, thinking she was going to be eaten by a bear.
His bear.

Now, in the warm morning sun, she had come to her senses and remembered that fiancé of hers, who would probably be frantically looking for her right now. Nate knew that if she were his mate, he would be out on the mountain right now trying to find her. And how would he feel to find her in the arms of another man?

She was right. Walking was the best idea. Although he knew she would find it painful and certainly impossible in places.

He took the plates and the cups inside, washed and dried them, and made sure the cabin was secure. Chloe had come inside and managed to dress herself, after removing the bandages from her hands.

“I can’t believe how much better they are today,” she said, flexing them, looking at the cuts that were scabbed-over and no longer inflamed.

“I could rub some on your ankle, than strap it up. It will help, but really you should go straight to the hospital when we get back to Bear Bluff.”

“I thought you said it wasn’t broken.”

“I’m not a doctor. But let’s get to Bear Bluff first. I expect you will be able to use your phone and call for help. An ambulance could meet us at the bottom of the trail.”

“It all seems like too much trouble, just for me.”

“Nothing is ever too much trouble,” he said cryptically and then left her to go and wait outside.

Chloe tied her laces, and then got up to go and join him. He wasn’t on the porch, so she sat down on the bench, taking in all the sights and sounds of the cabin, wondering if she would ever come here again. Not that she would be able to find the way. The trees were thick around them. He might have chosen this place for the view, but he also had chosen it for its seclusion.

“Here,” he said, holding out a walking stick for her.

“Thank you. Wow, so you carved this?” Her hand covered the smooth wood, seeing the detail he had put into it. “A bear, I get it, for Bear Bluff, right?”

“Something like that,” he said, his thoughts hidden as he held out his hand. She took it, sensing the current running between them once more. Then they walked very slowly away from the cabin. He was very patient, holding her arm when he saw she needed extra support, and letting her rely on the walking stick when the terrain was relatively flat.

That worked fine until they turned to follow the path down the steep side of the mountain. It was then that she realised she would need him to carry her. And the thought of that made her body tremble with desire. She couldn’t wait to rest her head on his chest and hear the strong beat of his heart.

But how was she supposed to ask? However, he had read her mind.

“I know you don’t want to be carried, but it’s too dangerous. If you slip and fall, you could end up sliding down again. The slopes aren’t safe.”

“I know. Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“Of course not. I just want to make sure you get back safe and sound to your fiancé.”

She opened her mouth to speak, to undo the lie she had been living since she had found Jerry cheating on her, but then he moved, scooping her up in his strong arms. And she couldn’t find her voice as strong sensations swept through her body, making her long for this man to stay with her forever.

Gripping him tightly, she held on while he carried her down the path, back to her old life. He slipped, sliding for a couple of feet sometimes, before regaining his balance. Sure-footed and true, he didn’t let her fall, not once.

Any conversation was impossible. The concentration on his face was obvious and she didn’t want to put him off. She also liked just watching him, seeing how his brows furrow and then relax as they encountered difficult parts of the descent and then navigated them safely. The trees below became more visible; instead of green clouds, they became leaves, branches, and trunks as they entered the wooded area.

Once under the shade of the trees, he set her down, wiping the perspiration off his forehead. “We’ll rest here. The worst is over.”

He shrugged the pack off his back and set it down. He passed her a bottle of water, which she took off him gratefully. Then he took out some sandwiches, made with his thickly cut fresh bread and cheese.

“Thank you. When we get to town, are you going to buy some supplies? I would like to replace what you’ve given me.”

“No need,” he said, sitting down next to her.

And she let it go. Enjoying the nearness of his body to hers, their arms touching, and the warmth of him comforting. Chloe felt happy, for the first time in a long time; this was contentment unlike anything she had experienced with Jerry.

They ate, a companionable silence covering them. All around them, the wildlife went about its business as though it were the most normal thing in the world for these two people to be sitting watching them. And Chloe wished that it were normal. That she lived with him, and worked with him. That they had a life together. In all of her time with Jerry, there had never been a point when they had just sat still and been in the present with each other. Everything had always been work, job, finances, house, and marriage.

Now it was just the two of them in the wilderness. Or so she thought, until he stiffened, his body sending signals of distress to hers.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“There are other people close by.”

“Where?” she whispered, looking around.

“There.” He pointed along the trial they were following and sure enough, there was a group of men coming their way, with dogs. He quickly packed everything away and stood up, looking around, but there was nowhere to hide, not when the men had dogs.

Instead, he helped her to stand and told her, “Whatever happens I will protect you.”

“I don’t want you getting hurt, not for me.”

“There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you, Chloe.”

Her heart lurched at his words, because she believed him. And she reached out and curled her fingers around his, thankful for his warmth when he stroked her skin, telling her they would be alright.

“Ah there you are, Chloe. Your dad sent us out to find you, said you’d got yourself lost on the mountain.”

“My father sent you?” she asked. Of course, it was probably true. She would have been missed. Although how he knew where she had gone was beyond her.

“Yes, he’s not thrilled you went off on your own. But now you’ll be back where you belong and he’ll pay us for rescuing you.”

“I don’t need rescuing,” she said, watching the three men and their dogs getting closer. The dogs looked docile enough, tracker dogs rather than attack dogs. She knew there would only be trouble if they didn’t go along with this. Let them get their reward. But would this mean Nate would go back up the mountain and leave her alone with them?

“I think you should step away from the young lady, friend.”

“I don’t think so. I promised her I would take her home. I’m not going to just hand her over to you.”

“Well, I think it’s a good idea if you come along with us. Kidnapping is a serious offence.”

“He didn’t kidnap me. He is the one that rescued me.”

“We’ll let your father decide that. For now, we’ll just all go on down the mountain.”

“Nate’s done nothing wrong,” Chloe insisted.

“It’s OK, Chloe. I’m making sure you get back safely anyway. So we’ll go with these men,” Nate assured her, squeezing her hand gently.

“Are you sure? I certainly don’t want to cause you any trouble.” But her voice betrayed her need for him to stay with her.

“Like I said, Chloe, nothing is too much trouble.” He took her arm and helped her to walk, their progress slow.

With one man in front and two behind, they made their slow way down the rest of the trail. She could feel Nate glance at her, his expression worried. Until eventually, he said to the man in front. “She needs to rest.”

“We’ll stop when I say. There is no way we’re going to be caught in these mountains after dark. I have a date tonight and I plan to keep it.”

“Yeah, you’ll be able to spend some of the money the little princess’s father is going to pay us for finding her,” one of the men behind her said, teasing.

She made a fist with her hand, telling herself to keep quiet; she would speak to her father when they got back. For now she would just carry on putting one foot in front of the other. Nate was not having any of it, though.

“We’re stopping.” And he did. Right there, helping Chloe to sit on a fallen tree trunk.

“Get up,” one of the guys shouted. “We are not stopping.”

“Five minutes.” Nate got the water bottle from the pack and offered it to Chloe.

“Thank you,” she said, but before she could take a drink, one of them hit it from her hand, the water soiling on the ground.

Nate turned around, a fist about to strike, but the dogs barked, their teeth showing as they defended their owners. He knew he was outnumbered and outgunned, and dropped his fist. However, it didn’t stop one of the men behind him hitting him across the back of the head, knocking him to the ground.