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

It left her with hardly any education. Whereas her sister had done well, she had failed miserably. Her sister, Antonia, had gone on to a high powered job. Kayleigh had drifted from place to place. Her childhood days had made it hard for her to form permanent ties to anywhere, or anyone. Until she came to Bear Creek, which was why she was so sad to be leaving.

Yet Shacking up with Will, was not how she wanted to stay. Will, however, had another idea.

“Hi, I thought you’d bailed on me.”

“No. Of course not.”

“Only you look so worried.”

“I’m not sure what this is about.”

“A proposition of mutual benefit, I hope.”

“Will. I’m not sure I...” She didn’t know what to say to him. He was the nicest guy in the world underneath all that leather and posturing. She knew, she had met enough bad ones.

“Oh. No. Sorry, nothing like that. Oh. I guess you would wonder what... Never mind. I might have a job for you. Out at the hangout. It won’t be much, but it would mean you could stay in Bear Creek.”

“Really. You mean it?”

“Yes. Look give me a couple of days to sort things out. But I’m sure it’ll work out.”

“Thank you. I love it here. It’s the first time I’ve ever felt settled.”

“Well, don’t pack your bags yet. I’m sure I can make the necessary arrangements.”

“I don’t want you going to any trouble on my behalf.”

“It’s no trouble. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some business to attend to.”

He rode off, leaving her watching him. Even though it still meant working inside, she was grateful for the job offer. Walking home, Kayleigh felt some of the weight had disappeared off her shoulders. She would no longer have to ring Antonia and beg for a sofa to sleep on while she sorted herself out.

Seeing her sister would lead to all kinds of discussions, or arguments, about what Kayleigh planned to do with her life. Growing up to become a responsible adult had been put off for another day.

“What’s he up to?”

They were still in the diner, Sam, as always, was taking his time over his breakfast. In fact, it was way past being able to call it breakfast. Glancing at his watch, he saw it was almost lunchtime. Kayleigh had left and now stood talking to Will. Daryl’s mood turned foul as he watched. He wanted to crush Will’s head between his giant bear paws.

“Daryl. You need to calm down.”

“I can’t. Doesn't he know she’s already spoken for?”

“No, Daryl that is the whole point. The only people who know are sitting here at this table. Unless you get out there and claim her, then she’s fair game.”

“Fair game.” Daryl clenched his fists even tighter. He couldn’t believe what Sam was saying. He needed to get out of there. “I’ll see you later.”

Daryl got up, his chair scraping back as he moved too quickly. Sam shot him a warning glare. “Just go for a run, calm yourself down.”

Daryl knew what Sam meant. Take off into the wilderness. Go bear, and don’t come back until you are no longer a danger to yourself and those around you.

He pushed the door of the diner open, and stood for a second or two watching Will talking to Kayleigh. What were they saying? If she got on the back of his bike and rode off with her, he would have to follow them. Then what? He didn't know. But he couldn't let Will ruin his future.

Daryl huffed to himself. What future? If he couldn't overcome his fear of rejection then he would never approach her. He would never know if she would agree to be his mate.

He had seen it happen enough times. Fated, that's what they called it. But what if it wasn't? What if he'd got it wrong? His feelings for her were so intense, he was sure he was right. Yet it was such a big decision, a lifelong, eternal decision. Did anyone ever get it wrong?

Confidence had never been his strongest trait. Now it was holding him back from making his life complete.

Relief hit him in the gut, Will was riding away, and Kayleigh was not on the back of his bike. He turned to watch her walk away. He should run up to her now, beg her to stay. Tell her how he felt.

Instead, he turned and headed for the mountains. Sam was right; he needed to run until he had calmed down.

Mulling over his offer, she walked back to the small apartment she shared with Tia. Kayleigh knew that Tia could easily find someone else to move in with her if she moved out. She also knew Tia would let her stay rent free, if she could afford it. However, that wasn't an option. Tia was training to be a nurse, and had to work part time to pay the bills. There was no way she could support them both. Not that Kayleigh would accept that kind of help anyway.

She undressed, taking off her uniform, and hanging it up. She then slipped into jeans and a t-shirt, feeling more relaxed already. Grabbing a jacket, and her backpack, she left to get some fresh air.

This was what she would miss. Having mountains practically on your doorstep. She only had to walk a mile out of town to be confronted by the gentle slopes of the mountains. They rose up high into the distance, looking as if they could touch the clouds. She had promised herself that she would climb one of the peaks. Now that seemed unlikely, she wasn't fit enough.

Since she arrived here, she had made out a schedule. Training to prepare herself for climbing to the summit of the smallest peaks. In the summer, it wasn't an overly strenuous climb, so she had been told. Although she knew, she would need a climbing partner to accomplish her goal. Tia had refused to be drawn into her plan, but Kayleigh had hoped to find someone else.

It didn't matter now. She would not be ready for a couple more months, and by then there would be snow on the peaks. She would have to wait until the spring. If she was still here.

If Will's job didn't materialise, she would be long gone before the snows came. She sure would love to see Bear Creek in winter. She could imagine walking the lower slopes with frost on the ground. It would be beautiful, sparkling in the low morning sun.

Breathing in the pure air, she filled her lungs, holding it there, before breathing out. It revived her, clearing out all the smells that lingered from the diner. How she would love a job that took her outside. But those jobs seemed to be hard to find. Especially for a woman in a town full of the fittest men she had ever seen accumulated in one place.

"Must be the mountain air," she said to herself, turning to look down over the Bear Creek. It was a sprawling town, with farms on the lower slopes of the mountains. The forest headed off for miles to the south, and there were many log cabins amongst the trees. It was perfect, lots of space, and generally, everyone got on. They supported each other; it felt old fashioned. It felt like home. A place to bring up a family.

She squashed that thought. Kayleigh and her sister had sworn never to have kids. Neither of them would ever want to put a child through what they experienced. And the only way to guarantee that never happened was to never have kids.

It was a simple promise between injured souls. Made at the age of thirteen. You hit puberty, and the thought of childbirth is enough to put you off. However, whereas many young women grew out of it, Kayleigh had hardened her decision. She could never see herself settling down. Yet alone finding a man she could trust to stick around for the rest of her life.

That was a lesson learned from her mom, who gave birth to two daughters, by two different men. Neither of whom stuck around. When she got cancer, and passed away, there was no one to take in two sisters. No room, or not wanting the responsibility, were the excuses every relative made. So they entered the system. Spending years being shunted from one place to another.

Enough dwelling on the past. She took her jacket off, tied it around her waist and headed up the trail. It climbed out in the open, before skirting through the edge of the forest. If you kept going, the trail led you up past a beautiful waterfall. That was where she now headed. To sit by the water and listen to the sound. It worked like meditation, calming her mind and allowing her to think straight.

The sun was warm on her back. She had picked the hottest part of the day, and couldn't wait to reach the cool shade of the trees. As she walked, she let each step push her thoughts out of her head. All she concentrated on was the rise and fall of her feet. Her ears filled with the sound of her heartbeat, as it quickened. The terrain grew rougher, the incline steeper. It made her feel alive. The beat of her heart, the way her lungs took in the mountain air, and gave her the energy to go on. This was joy in its simplest form.

At that moment, she decided she would do whatever it took to stay here. Bear Creek was her home. All at once, the tension passed from her body. She had made a decision; she had made a commitment. Light hearted and free, she increased her pace, and soon passed out of the sun and into shade.

The forest moved around her. Trees rustled in the breeze only they could feel way up in their top branches. Small animals rummaged amongst the leaves. Busy in their search for food on the ground. While above her head, birds sang their hearts out, sharing her love of Bear Creek.

Some way off something bigger moved, and she stopped. Bears were common around here, hence the name of the town. However, bear attacks were so rare that there was no great fear of them. Still, she had to be careful. If she didn't bother a bear, a bear wouldn't bother her. Although deep down she longed to see one in the flesh. The ultimate thrill, to be close to a beast that could kill you, and yet meant you no harm.

Whatever the animal was, it had moved off. Slightly disappointed, she looked for the path, and began to weave through the trees. The trail, more of an animal track, than a footpath. Went around too close to some of the low trees, and she had to skirt around them. Not much further and she would catch her first glimpse of the waterfall. Silvery mountain water spilling from high rocks into a deep clear pool. She loved these little teasers of, what was a spectacular sight.

She heard the sound first, then she moved around a clump of low bushes, and there it was. Her pace quickened. She moved away from the waterfall, before finally doubling back on herself. Eventually, the trail opened up onto a rocky ledge. There below her was the cool clear pool. Only it wasn't empty.

"Oh. Oh, I'm sorry. There's no one here usually at this time of day."

He stood looking at her, equally shocked, waist deep in water. She took in his hard toned chest and then a disturbing thought shot through her mind. Was the bottom half of him as naked as the top?

She was reminded of a book she had once read about the ancient Greeks, and Adonis. She was sure that was his name. It had conjured up the image of a perfect man. And that was what was before her now. A perfect man. Until this moment, she had never thought she would use that phrase to describe any man. Yet alone Daryl Cartwright.

"I know. That's why I came here."

She wasn't sure how to take that. Was he cross with her? She had every right to be here. It wasn't as if he owned the mountain. At the same time, she didn't want a confrontation with him. "I don't want to disturb your swim. I'll keep going." She took a step away.

"No. Please stay."

"I don't think it's ... appropriate."

He laughed, a sound she found enchanting. A low deep voice filled with warmth. "I'll get dressed. Would that be appropriate?"

She hesitated, but probably not for the reasons he thought. It was simply that he had taken her by surprise. "If you want."

He frowned. "If you want I can get dressed and leave. I've finished cooling off."

"No. I don't want to chase you away."

"You haven't. Wait there, I'll be two minutes." He turned and dived into the water. His strong arms powering through the deep pool to the furthest side. There he pulled himself out.

Oh, he was naked. She should turn away, but her eyes were fixed on his butt, which was as toned as the rest of his body. If he turned around to face her, she would close her eyes. She really would. But he didn't. Why did she feel so disappointed?

He disappeared into the trees, and she had to remind herself to breathe. Her face was flushed. Her heart rate nearly as high as it had been when she was climbing up the trail. He had largely ignored her for the whole time she had lived in Bear Creek. So why did Daryl have such an effect on her? Why did she feel so excited by him?

His hands shook so much he couldn't do up the buttons of his shirt. What were the chances they'd end up here together? Fated mates, he had to start putting his faith in his destiny. Perhaps it was true, and there was no escaping it. Although Will had given it a good try. He brushed the thought of Will away. He didn't want to end up in a jealous rage again.

Finally getting his shirt buttoned up, he looked down and cursed. He had missed a button and done it up wrong. Taking a deep breath, he undid them, and concentrated on getting it right. He didn't want to go to meet her and her think he was a complete idiot.

Maybe she already did. His actions at the diner had been odd; even he could see that. What if she'd already gone? He dragged his boots on, and took off around the edge of the pond. He had to duck under the low branches. Twigs dragged at his shirt while he tried to tuck it into his jeans. This path was so much easier when he was a bear.

Spilling out into the clearing, he stopped dead, looking around. She had gone. Why had he taken so long? Then he saw her, sitting on a lower part of the rocky ledge, shoes off dangling her feet in the water. Giving himself one last check over he walked up to her, trying to act casual.

Determined not to frighten her off. He would have to watch what he said to her. Make sure he didn't blurt out how he really felt, and what she truly meant to him. If a person, who's only ever said a handful of words to you, suddenly tells you, they are supposed to spend the rest of their life with you. That might freak normal people out.

"Hi," he said, raising his hand in a feeble wave.