by Lily Thorn
“Are you sure you don’t want us to stay?” Kristen asked. “You aren’t going to be up here alone for hours, are you?”
Tess could think of someone she’d like to keep her company, but forced the thought aside. “I’ll be fine,” she said. “Besides, I can leave my camera here to do the work for a little while. Let me walk you back to the lodge.”
Kristen and Scott were both effusive in their thanks as they walked through the woods. Tess found herself grinning stupidly in the face of their praise. She couldn’t wait to edit their images. They were an amazing couple, and they deserved photos that reflected that.
As Tess waved goodbye to them from the gazebo, she was hit with the realization that she was really going to miss wedding photography. Sure, a ton of stress and effort had gone into the shoot today, and Tess still had plenty more work to do, but she knew that Kristen and Scott would appreciate her photos. Maybe forever. Their grandkids might even display them at their weddings.
Tess sat on the gazebo steps. The tents had been taken down, and nothing of the wedding remained in the glade but the flickering lanterns. As beautiful as they were, she almost wished they had been left out of this wedding. They reminded her too much of that photoshoot with Cade. She could see the pictures now, her goofy expression as she looked up at him, his gaze of adoration…
She rubbed her eyes, banishing the images. That was over. They were over. She would go back to the lake, sit with her camera, and then quietly take her leave of Bearview. Tess touched the folded piece of paper and the envelope in her pocket. Maybe she could shove them under his door before she left.
Tess stood, leaning against the gazebo. Somehow, she’d have to muster the energy for another hike to the lake.
Part of her was glad she hadn’t had to face Cade again. At this point, she didn’t even know if she was capable of holding a conversation. Even the thought of dragging herself back to her camera was overwhelming.
But it had to be done. Kristen and Scott deserved great photos. Taking a breath, Tess stepped out of the gazebo.
“Wait.”
She turned. Cade stood there, in the darkness. His shirt was rumpled and a line of dirt was streaked across his face, but Tess barely noticed. All she could see was his warm eyes.
“Don’t go,” he said. “I have to talk to you, just once.”
There was such earnestness, such tenderness in his voice that it made her want to weep. But she had to stand firm. In the end, she wasn’t good enough for him, and she had to leave. She couldn’t let him say anything that would change her mind.
Ignoring her dry throat, Tess stated the words she’d already prepared. “I’m sorry I accused you of wanting my money. I think you should have this.” Reaching into her pocket, she handed him the piece of paper and the envelope.
He opened the paper first. “Your notice?”
She nodded. “You can find a better photographer for Bearview.”
Cade hefted the envelope. “And what’s this?”
“A start to your permit funds. I’m leaving you in a bind after only two weddings, so I can’t keep your money. It’s only fair.”
He pushed the envelope back into her hands. “Please keep the money, Tess.”
“Cade, just—”
“Keep it. I don’t want it.”
Tess sighed. She was too tired to argue.
“What are you going to do now?” he asked.
“I’m moving. To a place where I can see the ocean.”
He was quiet for a long moment. “Why are you running away from me?”
Tess rubbed her eyes. She couldn’t have this talk right now. “I like you a lot, but we could never have this.” She gestured to the gazebo, the lanterns. “It would ruin everything.”
“How?” There was a world of pain in his question.
“I still want to live my life. I want to get out of this state, see the world, go to Africa.”
“And is there any reason you can’t do those things with me?”
She had never expected a question like that. “You’d come with me?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
Behind them, in the dark, the stream whispered her deepest fears. “What if we fall out of love?”
“I don’t think I’m capable of not loving you.” His smile made her heart drum an odd rhythm.
“My parents loved each other once. Deeply.” She looked down at the dewy grass. “Then, one day, they didn’t. I’m scared, Cade. How do you stay in love?”
“You chose to. Every single day.” He took her hands. “That’s not so scary, is it? It’s not about the years and decades. It’s just one day at a time.” Cade looked at her, uncertain. “How are you feeling today?”
She kissed him then. He leaned into her, hands sliding around her waist and pulling her close to him. In his arms, she felt lighter than air. With him, anything seemed possible. Even everlasting love.
Though she wished she could taste his lips forever, Tess drew back. “Do you want me to pay for the permits?”
“How, by selling your dad’s lens? He would have wanted you to take it to Africa. I’d never ask you to sell it. I’ll find some other way.” Cade’s voice was firm.
Tears welled in her eyes. “And you still want to be with me, even if I can’t give you the money?”
“I want to be with you.” He gazed at her, brown eyes solemn. “Not for anything you have. Just for you.”
He drew her in for another kiss. This time, Tess let it last.
Chapter Seventeen
“IS THAT THE last of it?” Aubrey asked.
Tess nodded sheepishly as she closed the trunk. “I’m sorry again, Aubrey. You must think I’m a little crazy lately.”
“Not crazy.” Aubrey grinned. “Just in love.”
Tess laughed as she swung into the driver’s seat. “It’s early still. I’m not sure I’d go that far.”
“Deny it if you want, but I’m your best friend. I know.”
Tess felt her face heat. “Fine,” she mumbled. “I guess I like him a lot.”
“And why wouldn’t you?” Aubrey leaned her elbows on Tess’s open window. “Just to recap, you offered him money for the permits, and he refused?”
Tess nodded.
“Wow.” Aubrey shook her head. “Hang on to that one.”
“I think…” Tess bit her lip. “I think I want to give him my money for the permits.”
Her friend nodded sagely.
“You think I should?”
Aubrey gave a wry smile. “He said he didn’t want your money. That’s exactly the kind of person you can give it to.” She tapped the side of the car. “Now go get him, girl.”
“I will.” Tess revved the engine. “I just have to make one other stop first.”
***
His alarm hadn’t gone off yet, but Cade was already awake. He had been for some time, since just after dawn. As lovely as his weekend with Tess had been, reality had come crashing back.
She was sleeping beside him, curled up and lovely as ever. He didn’t want to wake her into a Monday morning, especially one as stressful as this. Cade closed his eyes, trying to get a bit more sleep. He had hoped he would think up a brilliant idea in the night, a way to raise the necessary funds, but he hadn’t. It was starting to seem like he wouldn’t.
He was running out of time.
Cade turned over. It was only money. There had to be some way to get it.
He kicked the blankets off, feeling stifled. Wasn’t there something of value he owned, something he could sell? No, the only thing he had of value was the lodge.
And Tess, of course.
He threw an arm around her. She made him feel better than he ever had before, but Cade was worried that he still had heartbreak in his future. What would he do without the lodge?
He must have started dreaming, because he heard beeping, almost like the sound of heavy trucks. Frowning, Cade put an arm over his eyes to block out the light. Reality was bad enough. Did his dreams have t
o taunt him too?
Beside him, Tess stirred. “What is that?” she asked thickly.
Cade blinked. He was awake, but he could still hear the beeping. What was going on?
“I’ll see what it is.” Maybe a big rig was lost. Rolling out of bed, Cade pulled on his clothes.
“I’ll come too,” Tess said.
There was no need for her to bother, but she was already out of bed and dressed.
Cade shrugged. “All right.”
They emerged from the double doors to see a fleet of Mountain Men Construction trucks in the drive. Cade looked around, feeling lost. Joe Collins’s entire crew was here, carrying shovels and equipment toward the base of the lift.
“What are they all doing here?” Was he still not awake?
“Mornin’, Cade.” Joe Collins stepped forward, cigar clamped between his teeth. “Ed Brown faxed your permits over, so I thought we’d get to work right away.”
Cade’s brow crinkled. “What? How?”
“I’m assuming with a fax machine.” Joe winked at Tess. “You’ve got yourself a funny man, young lady.” He strode off, calling orders to his crew.
“I’m so confused.” Cade rubbed his forehead. “What is happening?”
“I may have helped,” Tess said, looking at her shoes.
“Tess Holt. What did you do?”
She clasped her hands behind her back. “I just went down to the permit office. Mr. Brown is really nice. I gave him a fifty percent deposit and he agreed to hold my dad’s telephoto lens as collateral for the rest.”
“Tess!” He didn’t know if he wanted to kiss her or shake her by the shoulders. “I didn’t want you to do that.”
“I know. But I want you to have your lodge and your mountain more than I want to go to Africa.”
He stood there, stunned. “Really?”
She smiled shyly. “Isn’t that the kind of thing you do for the person you love?”
Cade never could have guessed how wonderful it would be to hear her to say that. “You love me?”
“I do.” She looked up at him with those dark amber eyes of hers. “Do you love me too?”
He wrapped her in a hug. “You never have to question that.”
“Neither do you,” she whispered. “Because I’ll choose you. Every day.”
Cade stiffened, loosening his grip. None of this was fair to her, not if she didn’t know his biggest secret. Taking her by the hand, he pulled her into the quiet lobby.
“Tess,” he said, “I need to tell you something.”
“What?” Her eyes were shining. His heart wrenched. She probably thought he was about to tell her something wonderful.
“I’m not sure how to say this. I’ve never told anyone before…”
She squeezed his hand, coaxing him on.
Cade winced. What if she hated him? Or was terrified? He honestly didn’t know which would be worse. But he couldn’t hesitate—he had to tell her.
He took a deep breath. “I’m a bear shifter. You’ve probably heard some tall tales, living in Yonder. Well… the stories are true.”
She looked past him. It seemed like she was either deep in thought or too scared to run. Cade swallowed. The silence stretching between them was the loudest he’d ever heard.
At last, he couldn’t take it anymore. “Please tell me what you’re thinking.”
Tess looked up at him. “You need to come with me. Now.”
He followed her up the stairs and into his room—now theirs. His heart was in his throat as Tess picked up her camera. Oh no, please no. Was she going to run away from him again?
Tess turned around, taking his hand and pulling him into the hall. “We need to get to the stream fast, while the light is still good.”
Cade almost missed the top step. That wasn’t the response he’d been anticipating. “What?”
“The morning light, it’s going to fade soon. We have to hurry.”
Maybe this entire morning was a dream, but since it was a good one, Cade let her pull him into the forest.
She led him to the spot where they’d first met. Cade looked from the stream to Tess, feeling more confused with every passing second.
“Crap,” Tess said, “I forgot my waders. Would you mind carrying me to that rock?”
Cade shook his head. Scooping her up, he waded into the stream. Making sure her legs were steady, he set her down.
“Great, great.” Tess looked at her camera. “Shutter speed looks good… Nice aperture… Perfect white balance… Okay, Cade, can you shift for me?”
Cade stared at her, water flowing around his waist. Did she think this was some sort of joke?
Peeling off his damp clothes, he stood before her in the stream. There was nothing else he could do but shift. Cade let out a breath. He’d never done it in front of a human before.
Releasing his bear, he allowed the animal to rise to the surface. He didn’t dare look at Tess as the bear took over with a satisfied growl. Once his four paws were on the stream bed, Cade slowly met her eyes.
“Cade?” There was wonderment in her voice, but no fear. “Can you understand me?”
He nodded.
“Wow.” She stared at him, her eyes roving over his head and chest. “You’re a very handsome bear.”
Cade huffed.
“Sorry. I guess I shouldn’t sound so surprised.” She smiled. “Could you stand in the stream, over by that bend?”
He sloshed through the water to the place she had specified. Reaching it, he looked back.
“That’s great!” Her camera’s shutter clicked. “Now can you try and fish?”
Cade focused on the water, watching for a trout. They should be running this morning. And for Tess, he would catch one.
He batted a paw at a flash of brown, sending a trout into his jaws. Over the rush of the stream, he heard the rapid-fire click of the shutter.
“Amazing!” Tess cried. “Can you look up at me?”
He turned his massive head toward her, and the shutter clicked some more. Cade held the trout firmly between his teeth, trying not to laugh. That would bring his human back to the surface, and would make for a very strange picture.
“All right,” Tess called, “I think I got it. You have to come see this, Cade. Mount Bliss is in the background and everything.”
The trout still in his mouth, he fought the stream to get back to her.
“Look.” She turned the screen for him, not caring that he was still in bear form. “Isn’t it perfect?”
Cade had to agree. The morning light was the color of honey, which brought out the blues and purples of the mountain. And he didn’t look half bad himself.
“You make the photo,” Tess said. “A fishing bear brings scale and life to it. That’s exactly what it was missing before.”
Cade cocked his head at her.
“I guess you were what I was missing before, too.” Smiling, she threw her arms around his shaggy head.
This time, Cade made sure she didn’t slip.
***
“Can you believe it?” Tess asked as they walked toward the dock. “Gary’s going to put my photo on the front cover of Ranges.”
“Of course I can believe it. If he hadn’t snapped it up, National Geographic would have.” Cade grinned. “We’ve gotten five reservations for next month so far, and every single caller has mentioned that photo.” He helped her step onto the dock. “And how has your other photo been doing?”
“The one where Scott’s dipping Kristen under the stars? Which they loved, by the way.” Tess swung his hand back and forth. “It just showed up on the Post’s front page online, and I still have to respond to that email from Bridal asking me if they could feature it.”
He let go of her hand, bending down to tie his hiking boot. Beaming, Tess looked out over the serene water.
“Cade, I think this is the happiest day of my life!”
She turned to find him on one knee.
“Cade?”
He reached u
p to grasp her hand. “Yes, Tess, this is exactly what you think it is.”
She put a hand over her mouth, unable to stop the tears that were already forming.
“Tess, I’ve loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you. Actually, I think it was the waders that did it for me.”
She couldn’t help but laugh.
“You’re supremely talented, and you know exactly what you want, which is what I love most about you. I hope I’m part of what you want. I’m willing to wait a year, a decade, or half a century until you’re ready to have me. But once you are… will you marry me?”
“Yes.” Tess pulled him to his feet. “Yes!” She kissed him soundly, this man of hers who was far more kind and caring than she deserved. “Has anyone reserved the gazebo for next week?”
Cade thought for a moment. “I don’t think so.”
“Then how about we book ourselves?”
He stared at her. “Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
He twirled her around, until Tess thought they might both end up in the lake. “Oh.” Cade set her down. “I don’t have enough money to buy you a ring by next week.”
“I don’t need a fancy ring. But maybe, when the lodge is doing better, you could buy me a nice L lens.”
He kissed her. “Whatever you want.”
Tess wrapped her arms around him. “I just want you.”
Chapter Eighteen
IT WAS SLIGHTLY windy the morning she got married. Tess stood in the glade in Julie’s dress, the breeze tugging at her veil. Earlier, as she had helped Tess get dressed, Julie had put her own mother’s silver pendant around Tess’s neck.
“This is my gift to you,” Julie had said. “I want my first daughter to have this.”
Tess touched the silver at her throat, trying to keep the happy tears at bay. It was a difficult task, because she was practically overflowing with joy. Still, it wouldn’t look good if she started crying before she even walked down the aisle.
There weren’t many people in attendance, but Tess didn’t mind. Her mother sat next to Julie. She waved lazily when she saw Tess looking at her. Tess hadn’t been able to hear the conversation she’d had with Cade when she’d first met him, but after five minutes he’d seemed to have won her over.
