“Mr. Verner,” the receptionist said with a smile as she reached for his key. “I have a couple dozen messages for you.” She picked them up and handed them to him. “Someone has been very persistent in trying to get hold of you.”
“Thank you,” Theo replied, glancing down at them.
“You old bear,” Nevis said, slapping his friend on the back. “What have you been up to? Girlfriend chasing you?”
“Nope,” Theo assured him. He picked up the first note and read it, his heart beating rapidly as adrenaline filled his veins. The news frightened him more than any of the dangers they had faced on Everest. “I have to go home.”
Nevis was standing by the elevator, his finger pressing the button. “What’s wrong, Theo?”
“My dad is sick.”
“Crap. Bad?” Nevis asked.
“Bad enough,” Theo said. “It’s his heart.” He looked up, not really taking in his surroundings as the world spun around. “I need to get home.”
“Listen. What you need to do is go to your room, pack and eat something. Maybe even get a couple of hours of sleep. I’ll make all the arrangements.” Nevis had been with Theo every step of the way on their recent climb up Everest. They had worked together on and off for years. Theo wrote the words, and Nevis took the pictures. They were also good friends, bound together through the hardships they were often presented with while working.
“No, you need to rest too,” Theo said.
“I can rest when you are on a plane heading home. Listen, I can take care of it. I’ll finish up here, you can write your article when you get to Bear Creek, and then send it over to me. I’ll get it where it needs to be, while you concentrate on getting to your dad’s side.” He gave Theo a knowing look. “Don’t beat yourself up over it.”
The elevator pinged open and they got inside. “I don’t know what you mean,” Theo lied.
“Oh, come on, I can see it all over your face. Guilt. But remember he wanted you to travel and see the world.” During long days in the middle of nowhere, and the even longer nights, Nevis and Theo had often talked. They shared their pasts, their hopes for the future, and debated every philosophical question under the sun. They trusted each other not to share what the other said, just as each trusted the other to have his back when the terrain was bad, and the weather worse.
“I know, but I should have gone back more. He’s getting old and lives alone high up in that house. I should have made him move into town.”
“That house is your family home,” Nevis said.
“Used to be, not now. My sister, Cathy, has a family of her own, I have my job, and my mom is gone,” Theo said quietly.
“But it holds memories of your childhood, of the days when your mom was alive. Some people like to grab hold of that stuff and not let go,” Nevis said.
“I hope my dad feels that way about life,” Theo said. “He’s been struggling since he lost his job at the house. Damn flaky movie stars.” Another wave of guilt, he shouldn’t have taken on this last job. Everest had meant being away for months. First the training, then the climb: contact with his dad had been patchy at best.
“Ah, the great Carter Eden. I forgot about that. I hear he lives up a mountain of his own.”
“Yeah, in a small cabin. My dad was heartbroken. All he has is a small house and his bees,”
“More than you’ve got,” Nevis said, thumping Theo on the arm.
“Thanks for cheering me up,” Theo said as the doors opened and they both got out.
“What I’m saying is this might be a good time to reassess your life.”
“You mean hang up my snowshoes?” Theo asked.
“I never said that,” Nevis said. “But what I do mean is at some point you might want to think about setting down roots. You could buy a house in Bear Creek and use it as a base.”
“Are you ditching me?” Theo asked.
“No, you idiot. I’m saying that one day we both have to look at the possibility that we might find a mate and settle down.” Nevis nodded at Theo, his eyes wide. “You know what I mean.”
“I do.” Theo rubbed his stubbly chin. “Are you sure about making the arrangements?”
“I am,” Nevis said. “You go and shower, and eat. Once I know the flight times I’ll come let you know. If you have time, I’m telling you to get some sleep.”
“Thanks,” Theo said and let himself into his room. Once inside he got his phone out of his pack and plugged it in to charge the battery, while he ran the hot water and stepped inside the shower. He washed the dirt and sweat off his skin, scrubbing until his flesh was tingling. Shampooing his hair, he thought about his dad, and hoped he was OK.
The messages had been brief, with only a name to put to the person who had tracked him down, Fern. She must have gotten the hotel details from the adventure travel company who had hired him and Nevis; they ran expeditions into some of the most dangerous, exposed landscapes on Earth. The job had been to create a new information guide for climbers, to be placed on their website and company brochure.
“Damn, does Cathy even know?” he asked the mirror as he shaved off his beard. He should have tackled it first, but the desire to be under the hot jets of water had been too much.
Wiping the shaving cream off his face, he dressed in clean clothes, and went out into the bedroom. He needed to eat something, his stomach growled worse than his bear, and his energy levels were low. Taking care of himself meant he would have the strength to take care of his dad.
He ordered quickly from the room service menu, then grabbed his cell phone and switched it on, to see if he had a message from Nevis with the plane times. He should have booked a flight by now. Instead, when he looked at his phone he saw he had a dozen or more messages from the same woman, Fern. She had been persistent, for sure.
There was a mixture of text and voicemails; he scrolled through the texts, all pretty much the same. He was about to listen to the voicemails when there was a knock at the door. “Come in.”
“OK, flight is booked,” Nevis said, as he entered the room.
“Oh, it’s you.” Theo threw his phone down on the bed. As soon as he had his travel plans in place he would text her to let her know he was on his way.
“Charming,” Nevis said.
“I was hoping you were my food. I’m starving,” Theo told his friend.
“Sorry.” Nevis grinned. “You might not have time to eat anyway. Plane takes off in three hours.”
“Shit.” Theo turned around and threw everything back into his pack. “It’s over an hour’s drive to the airport.” An international flight meant he was going to need to give himself plenty of time to get through check-in.
“Room service,” came a voice at the door.
“I might get food after all,” Theo said, and opened the door to let the young man in.
“That smells good,” Nevis said, helping himself to a couple of fries. “I’m glad you went for the healthy option.”
Theo tipped the waiter and then slapped Nevis’s hand away. “Get your own.” Despite his words he shared his food with Nevis. They ate in silence, Theo wrapped up in his own thoughts, while Nevis groaned at the taste of the food as if he hadn’t eaten for days. Which they hadn’t, unless you counted rehydrated gloop.
“I’m going to work like crazy to get my notes in order and written up for the brochure. But I don’t know how much free time I’ll have. Can I ask you to add the relevant photos?” Theo asked. Usually Theo did the compiling, spending hours ensuring the photographs fitted the prose perfectly.
“Trust me. You email it, I’ll add the images, and get it sent over to the office.” He lay back on Theo’s bed. “I take it you are not open to any more offers of work until you know how your dad is?”
“Nope. I’m going to take at least a couple of months off,” Theo said. “Like you said, I need to reassess my life.”
“And what better place to do that than Bear Creek,” Nevis said.
“That is what I am think
ing.” Theo turned to look at his friend. “Why don’t you come with me?”
Nevis sighed. “I would love to, but I have to go over and see my folks—so my dad can tell me to get a real job.”
Theo laughed. “He has seen your photos, hasn’t he?” Nevis was one of the best photographers Theo had encountered: wildlife, scenery, as long as it was outdoors, he was the best. Maybe it was because he was a bear shifter, and had a natural gift for knowing how animals behaved, or perhaps he was simply uniquely gifted. Whatever it was, he was good in everyone’s eyes, except his parents’.
“Yeah, my dad thinks they are amazing … for a hobby. I was supposed to conquer the world, not take photos of it.” Nevis sat up. “He might be right, though. When we find our mates and have families, we are going to have to have proper jobs. The kind where you aren’t out of touch for weeks on end.”
“If we ever find our mates,” Theo replied in return. “Until then, I’m not ready to completely hang up my snowshoes.”
“We have seen a lot, haven’t we?” Nevis asked.
“We have. Do you think we will ever feel settled, if we give up traveling?”
“Wait until you have a woman to keep you warm at night,” Nevis said.
“You and women,” Theo said.
“Ah, Theo, my bear pines in his loneliness. He wants a woman to warm our bed, to breed us cubs—and to cook dinner.”
Theo shook his head. “How could any mate resist?”
Nevis got up off the bed. “You know I’m joking—about the cooking at least.”
“I need to get going.” Theo offered Nevis his hand, but his friend pulled him into a bear hug.
“Good luck, my friend, and tell that old man I’ll be stopping by to say hello as soon as I get the chance.”
“I will.” With that, the two men left the room. Nevis said goodbye and walked back to his own room, while a heavy-hearted Theo waited for the elevator. It was a long journey back to Bear Creek, and he only hoped he wasn’t too late. If his dad died without him having a chance to say goodbye, he would live with the guilt his whole life.
Chapter Three – Fern
Fern stood in the airport terminal, waiting for Walt’s son, checking the Arrivals board for the hundredth time. She was nervous. She sighed, when wasn’t she nervous? Usually she covered it well, but her nerves were frayed.
Let it go, she told herself. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, focusing on calming thoughts. But all she kept picturing was Walt, hooked up to machines that helped him breathe. She’d lost count of the endless hours she had spent with him, listening to the steady beep as a machine registered his heartbeat.
As long as it kept on beeping, everything was OK.
“Fern?” a voice called, pulling her back to the busy airport and the reason she was here. Looking around, she saw a tall, broad-shouldered man, with dark brown hair and dark brown eyes, coming toward her. He looked so much like his father, he was easy to recognize. But how did he know her?
“Yes,” Fern answered. “Theo?”
“In the flesh.” He stopped around five feet away from her and just stared. Instinctively she pulled her coat tighter around her, wishing she could simply fade away. “Are you OK?” he asked, concerned.
She fixed a smile on her face. “Yes. Tired, sorry.”
“You should have let me get a cab,” he said apologetically. “But I am glad you came.”
“Me too.” Was she? It would have been easier to stay by Walt’s bedside than to drive a hundred miles or more to pick up Theo. But when he’d called to say he was about to board a flight home, something in his voice compelled her to come here and meet him.
“Shall we go?” he asked, holding his hand out to usher her toward the exit.
“Of course, you want to see Walt.” She frowned. “I mean, your dad … you must be worried.”
“I am. But that is not the reason I want to go. Crowds are not really my thing,” he confided.
“They aren’t?” she asked as they left the airport terminal and turned right toward the parking lot where she had left her car, conspicuous in its rustiness next to shiny trucks and family sedans.
“No, lots of people make me feel claustrophobic.” He shrugged, and took a deep breath. “Ever since I got lost in a shopping mall when I was six. All I remember is being surrounded by legs. It was Christmas, so the place could not be any more crowded. People in skirts, pants, a sea of fabric, blocking my view.”
“Sounds scary,” she said.
“Scarred me for life,” he replied lightly.
Fern’s hand went to her wrist. “I can imagine.” They stopped to let a car go past, and then she pointed across the parking lot. “We’re over here.”
She turned to see him staring at her. As though hypnotized, she stared back, looking deep into his big brown eyes. She was so close, Fern could make out the flecks with gold that softened and warmed his brown irises as his eyes caressed her face. “Sorry,” he said, his voice rough. “Long flight.”
She shivered, not from the cold wind that whipped at her hair, but from the intensity of his look. No one had ever looked at her like that. Not with such open… What? Lust? She nearly burst out laughing. What the hell would a man like Theo see in her? She was mousy in comparison. Fern worked at being inconspicuous as if it were an Olympic sport.
“Do you want to stop and grab something to eat on the way?” Fern asked.
“I would die for a burger.” He grinned. “I’ve been living on rations for the last few weeks.” He looked down at himself. “I need to put some weight on.”
“I could give you some of mine,” she said, brightly, trying to imitate a normal person.
“No way, and spoil that curvy body,” Theo said with a grin. Fern wrapped her arms around herself, trying to cover her curves. He was laughing at her, and the old familiar need to be invisible swept over her.
Theo stepped closer to her, gently took hold of her hands, and pulled them away. “I wasn’t making fun of you.”
Fern fell into his eyes, drowning in deep pools of emotion. There was such warmth in Theo, such passion, and if she looked hard enough she could almost begin to think that passion was for her. But she’d been there before, she’d made the mistake of dreaming up a fantasy world where she and movie star Carter Eden were going to get married and live happily ever after.
Nothing could have been further from the truth.
Her hands twitched, needing to touch the scars on her wrists, to remind herself why she kept her emotions totally under control. Something that seemed impossible now that she was faced with Theo, his hands warm as he held hers, her nerve endings singing as he stroked the sensitive skin on the inside of her wrists with his thumb.
Instinctively, she yanked her hands out of his and plunged them deep into her coat pockets.
“Cold?” he asked, cocking his head and narrowing his eyes. He was trying to read her, something she hated. It was as if people thought that if they looked at her just the right way all her thoughts would spill out.
“No, just getting my keys,” Fern answered, holding them up with a smile that did not belong to her. “We should get going, it’s a long drive and I’m sure you want to see your dad.”
“I do.” He nodded, still studying her. With an effort, he yanked his gaze away from her and walked around to the passenger side of the car as she unlocked it. She thought about apologizing for the old car, but then changed her mind. She did not care what he thought about her. Liar.
What if she was lying to herself? If her curvy body and wreck of a car put him off, so much the better. It made life simpler. And wasn’t living in Bear Creek her chance to live a simple, uncomplicated, uncluttered life?
Theo folded himself into the small car, put his seatbelt on, and stretched his long legs out in front of him as best he could. He looked cramped. In fact, the whole car felt smaller and more cramped with him in it. Fern had not bargained on the close proximity of their bodies on the long drive b
ack to Bear Creek.
“Do you have any more news on my dad? Do they know what’s wrong with him?”
“He has been in the hospital for a week, they have run various tests to find the cause of his illness.”
“And have they come to any conclusions?” Theo asked.
“His heart is enlarged. At least that is what Walt told me. The doctors won’t share too much with me since I’m not family.” Fern started the engine and maneuvered out of the busy parking lot.
“Thank you for calling me so persistently,” Theo said earnestly.
“Walt asked me to,” Fern replied.
“He wouldn’t want to worry Cathy, she has her hands full raising two bear cubs in the city.” Theo lounged back in his seat. He looked exhausted.
“Bear cubs?” Fern asked.
He turned to look at her sharply, and if she wasn’t mistaken, he inhaled deeply before letting it go. “Kids, you know?”
She held his gaze, her instincts telling her there was more to it than that. But what else could he mean? Perhaps it was what they called kids in whichever city she had moved to.
“She doesn’t come to see your dad much either?” Fern asked.
“No. At least not as far as I know.” He tore his eyes from her and looked out of the window. “We don’t talk much. As a family, we suck.”
“Happens.” Fern kept her eyes straight, watching the road.
“Spoken by someone who knows,” Theo said.
“Maybe.”
“Which means—keep your nose out of my business, Theo.”
“Maybe.”
“Keep your secrets,” he said lightly. “Maybe when you trust me more, you might tell me all about it.”
“Who says I don’t trust you?” Fern asked sharply.
“Your eyes. Your mouth. The way you press your lips together as if trying to stop yourself from saying too much.”
Honey Bear (Return to Bear Creek Book 3) Page 2
