"So that was date? At the Monarch?"
"Sure, wasn't it a date?"
"I mean, before you got the call from Rex, it seemed like we were on a date," she said. "There were strawberries and chocolate cookies. Date food."
"Well, coffee, tea, scones, cookies, muffins—I guess it was enough food for multiple dates." He chuckled. "I was hoping for the best."
Rachel put her arm across the back of the sofa and really looked at Thomas. "So what do you do, Thomas? If you're not a doctor, I mean. What's your profession?"
"Well, that's the thing."
"What?" she asked, leaning forward.
"I don't have a profession."
"Really? You don't work?"
"I don't need to work for money—my father left me very well off. So, no…I don't work."
"At all?"
"Well, not for money, but I'm busy. I volunteer and garden and I read a lot. I help my mom, who lives next door to me. And I help Rex when he needs it. A few other friends too."
"You're a bear whisperer?"
"No. That was my dad. Rex calls me that. I help him with difficult cases. I seem to be able to communicate with bears and sometimes that's important."
"How do you do it?" she asked.
"I think about what I want to say to the bear. And I hear an answer—it's in my mind, the bear isn't actually talking. But it's like I can hear what they're thinking. I know when they're in pain or have an injury. If they hate their food or their den-mates."
"You're like Doctor Doolittle!" she laughed.
"I don't talk to the animals. I just...understand them, I guess."
"How about people? Do you know what they're thinking?"
"I wish I did. I wish I knew what you're thinking right now. Of course you could tell me."
"Right now? I want to know what Martin is thinking about."
"Martin?"
They looked over at him sleeping peacefully.
"He's asleep."
"I know."
"But he's probably dreaming about being a big bear and having to live down the silly name he was given as a cub. Martin. The other bears are teasing him. Not sharing their salmon hunting ground with him. Or maybe he's dreaming that his name is Spike and the other bears are so in awe of him that they're bringing him their salmon and their berries. And the lady bears are all falling in love with him."
"The lady bears? Really?"
He nodded. "The very pretty lady bears."
"Do bears have names, I wonder? Do they call each other something? Like Martin, or Spike."
"I think bears are more like us than we know."
"You do?" she asked.
"Doesn't Martin seem just like a human baby?"
Martin was lying on his side in the cradle, his paw curled up and tucked under his cheek.
"He does. And I feel so much love for him." She pressed her palms against her heart.
"So do I," he said. "We won't have him long, you know. He won't be able to stay with us forever. Even if he isn't returned to the wild. He'll get too big. He might get aggressive."
"If we won't have him long, let's do our best to give him the sweetest childhood we can," Rachel said with a tender voice.
"Something bad happened to him. I do know that." Martin was traumatized. Thomas just didn't yet know how.
"I won't ever let that happen again," she said fiercely.
"Whoa. Mama bear."
"You better believe it!"
They fell into a comfortable silence and soon she was asleep on the couch beside him. Martin brushed a stray hair off her cheek.
Told you she was your mate, his bear said.
What makes you say that?
The obvious truth.
5
Rachel's phone alarm chimed, and she woke up with a start.
Where was she?
She lay on her side and looked around, remembering that she was at the Bear Sanctuary apartment. She was on the sofa. Martin slept in his cradle, sucking on his blanket, peaceful. She watched him for a few moments.
She felt so warm and protected. Why?
She jumped up, realizing she was cradled in Thomas's arms. How did that happen? She slipped away and hurried over to the kitchen to check the clock. When did that happen? It was almost sunrise, time for Martin to eat. Thomas must have fed him at midnight.
She turned on the electric kettle. They needed to keep Martin on his feeding schedule.
She poured the formula mix into a baby bottle. The timing of Martin coming into her life was terrible. Rachel had a deadline for the first draft of her bear book. Her sketches were complete, but she had to clean them up and print them for her editor. Today.
While she waited for the water to boil, she looked over at Thomas. He was just as handsome as he had been when she thought he was Dr. Rex.
Had Thomas been right? Was she a snob? Did she only want to be with a successful professional man? And what did that even mean?
Her mom told her she would marry a doctor as if it were an incantation, as if she could just make Rachel believe it, then it would somehow come true. And then Rachel would have a good life; she would be safe and happy.
Her own father had been a rock musician. She didn't know him well now. After the divorce, he'd disappeared from her life. Her mother had struggled to pay the bills without his help, and dreamed about her daughter having a better life, an easier life.
Outside, the bears began making noise, moving through their enclosure, waking up. The sun would be up soon.
When the kettle sounded, Rachel poured water to the bottle's halfway mark. Then she filled it the rest of the way with cold water. She shook the bottle and waited for it to cool, testing the temperature on her wrist.
Rachel had dated a few doctors, but hadn't connected with any of them on a deep level. The men she connected with had been what her mother would call flakes. There was the artist, the writer, and the Internet startup CEO. None of them made a good living or wanted to start a family. She hadn't minded then, but maybe she was ready now.
Maybe Martin was teaching her how to be ready.
When it felt cool enough, Rachel took the bottle to the couch and hovered over the cradle.
"Hello, little one," she said to Martin, waking him.
She scooped him up, and he began to whimper, then saw that it was Rachel and cooed. Oh, god. He was so adorable. "Hello, my love," she said.
His little ears stood up on his head, just like a teddy bear. His fur felt like a cross between a kitten and sandpaper. As she fed Martin, he clutched onto the bottle and stared into her eyes.
She stared back at him.
If she were a bear whisperer, she might know what he was thinking.
"What's on your mind, little one?" she whispered. She patted his little feet while he ate. His claws were like fat toothpicks, clicking on the bottle. His fur had a streak of silver across his chest. Grizzly. It meant grizzled. She had learned that from the book she was illustrating.
"Do you know what I love about you? Everything."
His tiny rounded ears just about broke her heart. Had she ever had a teddy bear when she was little? She didn't remember one. Just dolls. Lots of dolls.
"Do you know what could make me stop loving you? Nothing."
Sunlight crept into the room and birds started chirping. She heard the bears make a sound that was like a cross between a balloon letting air out and an old man coughing.
She laughed. Bears were so much fun! She knew they could be dangerous creatures and were not to be trifled with, but she felt so much affection for them. They seemed so decent.
Ever since Martin had come into her life, nothing really made sense. For instance, she was supposed to be finishing her book illustrations this week. Instead she was in love with a bear cub. Not part of the plan.
Thomas stretched out on the couch and then popped awake. "Hey," he said.
He was instantly up.
"Whoa. Morning person." Rachel pretended to shield her eyes as if
his cheeriness were blinding her. She lifted Martin to her shoulder to burp him, patting his back as he gurgled.
"It's true. Can I make you some breakfast? I make a mean blueberry pancake."
"I have to go work. Can you take on his next feedings?" She put Martin back down to see if he would keep sleeping.
Thomas rose and headed into the bathroom. "Deal."
As Martin drifted back to sleep, Rachel rubbed his back. Then she got up and started the coffee.
When Thomas came out of the bathroom, she was dressed and waiting by the door. "I have to go," she said. "I have so much work. But I can be back tonight."
"I don't want you to have to take the night shifts."
"No, it's okay. I need to finish my work during the day. I have a deadline."
"Okay, then. But let me stay at night too. You need to get some sleep."
"Okay," she said. "I'll be at my studio today if you need me." She gave him her cell phone number.
Rachel lived in a bungalow that she had bought after her first children's series sold. It was small and simple, and she loved it. A giant fir tree in the front yard gave her all the shade she could ever want, and when it was sunny, she could relax in the terraced backyard. She had turned a shed into a cozy drawing studio, and that was where she went to finish polishing her rough drawings.
But instead, she found herself starting a new book about Martin. She drew simple pictures of him and added all the sweet things she found herself saying to him. She really had enough finished on About a Bear for her editor, anyway. She bundled up all the drawings—those for Martin's book and those for About a Bear—and took them to the printers to be copied and collated for her editor.
Later today, when she picked them up, she would have a temporary book for Martin and one to mail to her editor. She knew that people read to their dogs, so she planned to read to Martin. It's never too early to read to a baby, that was her opinion.
After the printers, Rachel drove to the police station to see if she could learn where they had discovered Martin. Inside, she saw Julia and waved.
"Hey, Julia! It's me, from the Bear Sanctuary."
"Oh, you were there yesterday, right? How is the cub?"
"He's pretty traumatized," Rachel said. "I'm wondering if you can tell me more about how he was found. We're trying to figure out what happened to him, so we can better care for him."
"Right. He was in the parking lot at the hardware store on Tenth, hiding under someone's car. Luckily they saw him before he got run over," Julia said, shaking her head sadly.
"No idea how he got there? Where he came from?"
"No, not at all."
"I guess I'll go there and look around."
"Yeah, I'm swamped right now. But if I can help, just let me know."
"Okay."
Rachel drove to the hardware store and parked at the edge of the parking lot near a thin strip of woods. No one else was around her, so she pulled on rain boots that she kept in the back of her car and tromped into the woods, looking for signs of a bear.
There was a lot of random trash in the underbrush, but she didn't see signs of any wild animals.
After about fifteen feet, the woods disappeared and a residential neighborhood of ranch houses came into view, one she'd never noticed before. She went up to the first house and knocked. Maybe someone there had seen a bear?
No one answered.
Nor at the next house, either. In fact, the entire neighborhood seemed really quiet. No one was mowing a lawn or working in a garage or hanging out laundry. No kids were riding their bikes or playing catch. The whole neighborhood seemed almost deserted.
Rachel walked another block over and saw an old brick building with several broken windows. It looked like an abandoned factory of some sort.
She walked around the back and found a bright orange Subaru parked in the lot. Apparently, the building was not abandoned. A door to the inside was partially open. Rachel walked up to it and knocked.
"Hello? Anyone here?"
Inside she heard music playing, something that sounded like Korean opera. She stuck her head inside. There was a long dark hallway. "Hello?" she said softly.
Rachel felt a chill of fear run up her spine. She took a few steps back.
She'd better not go in by herself.
Determined, she walked back to the hardware lot. She got into her car and felt safe again. This was a neighborhood better to drive through than walk. But as she passed house after house and street after street, she saw nothing unusual, nothing amiss.
When she drove around the industrial building again the orange Subaru was gone and the door was shut tight. She got another chill.
She decided to call Officer Julia and picked up her cell phone.
Julia answered on the first ring.
"Julia? Rachel here. Listen, you know that big brick building on Eighth Ave? Is it an abandoned factory? Who uses it now?"
Julia said, "I can find out. I'll ask around and get back to you."
"I just have a feeling," Rachel said. "Something is not right."
"Gotta trust your gut. That's what a decade of police work has taught me. Always trust your gut."
6
The cub's little feet were soft as suede slippers.
Thomas loved tickling his toes and making the cub guffaw and snort air. Martin held still for a moment as Thomas tickled him relentlessly, then he squealed and yanked away fast. With the feet out of reach, Thomas had no choice but to lift Martin and play airplane.
"What are you doing?" Rachel asked, surprising him.
"Hey, you're back. We're just playing, aren't we, Blade?"
"Blade?" She put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "Never mind. I looked around the neighborhood where they found him, and there's not a lot there. It's a little bleak, to be honest."
"Bleak? How so?" Thomas kept flying Martin back and forth in front of his chest.
"It's just a feeling I got. I'd love to take you there so you could look around with me, but one of us has to stay here with Martin."
"Unless we take him with us."
"What do you mean?"
"Rex dropped off a car seat. And diapers. Take a look. Also, I've been tiring him out, so he'll sleep. I was just going to call you and let you know we were leaving. I don't know about you, but I can't stand spending this much time here."
"Diapers?" Rachel asked, raising an eyebrow. "For a bear?"
"It's not as unusual as you might think. We don't actually want to potty train him and this makes it a non-issue." When Thomas slowed down the airplane game, Martin lifted his arms toward Rachel.
"You want Rachel, little guy?" Thomas placed him in Rachel's arms.
"So we'll feed him and then he'll nap?"
"He's been napping after every meal and eating more frequently. Basically, he's just eating and sleeping, with some playtime thrown in for variety. After he eats, we'll put him into the carrier and then bring him to the car. He'll sleep."
"We can take my car."
"No, mine. I've got the car seat base all set up."
"Can I feed him?"
"Here. I've got a bottle ready for you."
After Martin's meal, Thomas put a diaper on him, and Rachel gently placed him in the car seat carrier. He snuggled down, cuddling onto a little bear toy.
"What's this?" Rachel asked.
"It's just something I had dropped off for him. Bears are social beings, and they have social needs. He needs fellow bears, even if he loves us, which he seems to do."
"Will he go out in the bear enclosure soon?" Rachel gathered her jacket and handbag.
"No. Not until he's a lot bigger and eating solid food. The other bears won't mother him unless they have their own cubs, and they don't. So he's best in here with us. For the time being."
"Ready to go?" Rachel opened the front door.
"Freedom! I haven't been confined in such a small space in years. Do you mind if we stop by my house, so I can get a few things?"
They drove to the gated community where Thomas had lived his entire life. It was a bear shifter community, and his house was right next door to his parents' house, where his mother still lived. He'd designed his house himself and it was exactly how he wanted it, open and airy and extremely comfortable.
"Nice," Rachel said as they drove up.
"Thanks," he said.
Even though the home was large and well-made, Thomas thought the best thing about it was the yard. A hedge surrounded a formal garden of roses and peonies, with a fountain and four benches at the center. On a clear day like today, the bubbling fountain sparkled in the sunlight.
"Oh, my god, I love your garden," Rachel said as they got out of the car. "Who does it for you?"
"What do you mean? I do it." Thomas carried Martin's seat.
"You do? It's amazing."
"I love to garden. Want to go inside? Have you had lunch yet?"
"No. Are you hungry? I could call for takeout," she suggested.
"I'm sure I have something in the kitchen." He held the door open for her and they walked into his house.
The house was elegant but not flashy. Thomas loved overstuffed couches and spacious rooms, and he'd made sure each room was comfortable and welcoming. Every window had a beautiful view, even if it was just a tree or a bed of flowers, although the bay was visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room.
"Now I see why you felt confined in the Sanctuary apartment," Rachel said as they made their way to the kitchen.
"But it makes sense to keep Martin there, doesn't it?"
"I guess. Although we could stay here. Along with everyone I know."
He opened the refrigerator door. "Let's see. Quiche and a quick salad?"
"That sounds good. Where'd it come from?"
"I made it." He pulled out the salad fixings and a quiche.
"You made quiche?"
"I like to cook. I'm getting the feeling you don't." He placed two slices of quiche on plates and popped them in the microwave while he threw together a salad.
"Not really," she said, leaning forward to see in the containers. "I love to eat though. If that counts for anything."
Shifters in Seattle: Box Set Books 1 - 5 Page 31
