A Heart to Bear (Bear Creek Forever #4)

Chapter Five – Tammy

“Is there anything else you need?” Tammy asked as Uncle Gavin leaned back in his chair, his feet resting on a footstool as he read his latest mystery novel while sipping a glass of rum.

Rum had always been his favorite tipple, and as a girl, Tammy had always joked that he would make a good pirate.

The thought brought a smile to her lips, a sharp contrast to the current state of her life, which felt like being stranded at sea after a shipwreck.

Uncle Gavin glanced up from his book, fixing her with his gaze from behind his reading glasses. “No, thank you, Tammy. I’m perfectly content. Although, if you’re offering another splash of rum, it would not go amiss.” He raised his glass slightly, the amber liquid glinting in the soft glow of the reading lamp at his elbow.

“Are you sure?” Tammy asked, with a voice that sounded distinctly like her mother’s.

“Doctor’s orders.” He gave her a sly smile.

“I doubt whether your doctor told you to drink rum,” Tammy went to the cabinet next to the bookshelves that contained a mixture of mystery books and veterinarian manuals and pulled out the familiar bottle of spiced rum. Her uncle was predictable in his tastes. She poured a modest amount into his glass, allowing the rich aroma of spices to take her back to simpler times.

“It’s all about balance.” Uncle Gavin chuckled, watching her pour. “A little indulgence keeps the spirits high, and the heart light.”

Tammy shook her head with a smile. “There is something to be said about life’s little luxuries. Which is why I am going for a walk.”

“It is a beautiful evening,” Uncle Gavin replied, glancing toward the mountains where the sun had dipped halfway behind the distant peaks. “I always find this time of day perfect for clearing the mind. It never fails to give me a good night’s sleep.”

Tammy nodded, reaching for her jacket and slipping it on. Once the sun had set, the mountain would turn chilly. “I won’t be gone long,” she reassured him, though she knew he wouldn’t worry. Her uncle knew she could look after herself. She’d walked these mountains alone for years. They, like this house, were like a second home to her.

Would she like them to be her first home?

“Ah, there you are, Pumpkin.” The ginger cat jumped up on Uncle Gavin’s lap and rubbed his head against the mystery book. Uncle Gavin playfully tickled him in his most loved spot behind his ears, causing a loud and contented purr to emanate from the depths of his throat.

“I can see you are in expert hands,” Tammy said as she headed out of the room. “Don’t wait up.”

“I’ll leave the door unlocked,” Uncle Gavin called after her.

“When don’t you?” she replied and then opened the kitchen door and stepped out into Uncle Gavin’s garden, the scent of sweet blooms heady on the breeze.

She sucked in a breath of air and let it out slowly.

The world outside felt different tonight, although she could not put her finger on why.

But there was a sense of expectancy. Like the calm before a storm. She looked up. The sky was clear, and the weather forecast had only predicted a fresh breeze.

But the weather changed fast up here, and the forecasts often got it wrong.

Unpredictable, Uncle Gavin called it.

Much like her life.

Tammy walked down the familiar path lined with roses and lavender, their subtle fragrances mingling in the cool evening air. As she reached the edge of Uncle Gavin’s property, where the normally well-tended garden gave way to wild mountain terrain, Tammy paused.

A shiver ran through her, but not from the cool mountain air. No, this was different.

It was as if something were guiding her. Beckoning to her, and she had no choice but to follow wherever it may lead.

She followed a well-worn trail, one she had walked many times before. But when the path forked in two, she was compelled to leave the familiar well-worn trail and follow the narrow trail, one that was little more than an animal track.

Yet this was the way she was meant to walk. Whatever was calling her wanted her to go this way.

Which was ridiculous. Nothing was calling her. She was acting of her own free will.

Yet the idea of turning around and heading back to the fork and taking her usual trail seemed inexplicably wrong. Although, she could not say why for sure.

So, instead, she pressed on, her steps quickening as curiosity and a bewildering urgency propelled her forward.

The narrow trail wound its way through a dense copse of pines, their branches reaching out like gnarled fingers in the fading light. Tammy ducked under low-hanging boughs, her senses on high alert.

As she emerged from the copse, the path widened slightly, leading her to a small clearing.

A small, empty clearing.

She let out a small laugh, aimed at herself. What had she expected to find?

A crock of gold? A fairy ring? Tammy shook her head, chuckling softly at her own fanciful thoughts. The clearing was just that—a clearing.

Yet, as she stood there, Tammy couldn’t shake the feeling that something was out there.

She leaned forward, peering into the trees as she turned slowly in a circle, her eyes scanning the shadowy edges of the clearing.

As she completed her turn, a flicker of movement caught her eye.

There! Tammy froze, her heart fit to burst from her chest.

At the far edge of the clearing, partially obscured by the shadows of the trees, stood a massive bear. Its tawny coat flecked with silver, as a sliver of moon rose in the inky blue sky.

As cliched as it sounded, for a moment, time seemed to stand still. Tammy’s breath caught in her throat as she locked eyes with the magnificent creature. The bear’s gaze was intense, almost human-like in its intelligence. It didn’t move, didn’t growl, or show any signs of aggression. Instead, it seemed to study her with as much curiosity as she was studying it.

Tammy’s mind raced. From when she was a little girl, Uncle Gavin had taught her what to do if she encountered a bear—stay calm, make yourself look big, and back away slowly. But something about this bear made her hesitate. It wasn’t behaving like a typical wild bear. There was an air of...familiarity about it.

As it held her gaze, she knew could not back away slowly. Or quickly.

She could not back away at all.

This was where she was meant to be.

She knew it. The bear knew it.

The bear took a step forward, emerging fully from the shadows.

Tammy’s heart raced, but not entirely from fear. There was something mesmerizing about the bear’s presence. She found herself taking a small step forward, drawn by an inexplicable urge to be closer to this majestic creature.

The bear tilted its head, watching, assessing. Then, with a grace that belied its massive size, it lowered itself to the ground, sitting on its haunches. It was a posture that seemed almost...inviting.

This was surreal, unlike anything she’d ever experienced. The bear’s eyes, warm and brown, held a depth of intelligence that both thrilled and unnerved her. She took another tentative step forward and reached out her hand.

The bear leaned forward, its massive head inching closer to Tammy’s outstretched hand. She held her breath, every muscle in her body taut with anticipation and a mix of fear and wonder. The bear’s warm breath ghosted over her palm, sending a shiver down her spine.

Tammy’s fingers trembled as they hovered inches from the bear’s muzzle. Time seemed to slow, each heartbeat echoing in her ears. Then, with surprising gentleness, the bear pressed its nose into her palm.

A jolt of electricity shot through Tammy’s body at the contact, a warmth spreading from her palm up her arm and throughout her entire body.

And deeper. As if it could penetrate her soul.

She dropped to her knees before it, intensely aware of how vulnerable she was as the massive creature loomed over her.

But she wasn’t afraid. How could she be when she’d felt that same jolt of electricity, that same sense of connection already once today?

“Dougray.” Even as she spoke his name, she knew it was true, even though it seemed absurd.

But it was the truth.

The bear. The man. They were one and the same.

The bear’s shoulder dropped as if relieved she knew who he was. As if she had passed a test of some kind.

The bear—Dougray—let out a low rumble, almost like a purr. His eyes, still fixed on Tammy’s, seemed to soften. Slowly, he lowered his massive head, resting it gently on her lap. The weight was substantial, but not uncomfortable, and Tammy’s fingers instinctively moved to stroke the bear’s thick fur, marveling at its softness.

A bubble of laughter built up inside her. How crazy was this? She was kneeling on the forest floor with a bear’s head in her lap. But not just any bear. A shifter.

“Mates.” As if in response to her words, the bear lifted its head and stepped back away from her.

After taking one last, lingering look at Tammy, the air around the bear began to shimmer, like heat rising from sunbaked asphalt. Tammy watched, transfixed, as the massive creature’s outline blurred and shifted.

Until it was gone.

She took a sharp breath. She was alone.

Had she dreamed the bear?

But then her doubts were dashed away as a figure appeared from the shimmering air. Dougray stood before her, tall and broad-shouldered, his tawny hair tinged with silver matching the fur of his bear form. His warm brown eyes, so familiar now, gazed at her with a mixture of apprehension and hope.

Tammy slowly rose to her feet, her eyes never leaving Dougray’s. She took a tentative step toward him, her fingers twitching to read out and run through his hair, just as they had tangled in his bear’s fur.

Yet something held her back. There wasn’t the same easiness between the human side of Dougray and the bear.

“So that’s it?” she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. “We’re mates?”

“We are.” Dougray nodded.

“And you knew, this afternoon when we met at the ranch, you knew?” It was a stupid question. Of course, he knew.

If the stories she’d heard were true, he’d known before they even set eyes on each other.

Dougray nodded, his eyes never leaving hers. “I knew,” he admitted softly. “But I wanted… I sensed… I didn’t think you were ready.”

“But you do now?” Tammy swallowed hard, her mind reeling. She didn’t know if she was ready.

But this was a truth once told you could never forget. Even if she wanted to.

Did she want to?

If she could turn back time, if she could go back and walk the well-trodden trail, would she?

No. The answer came without pause in her head, and it was the truth.

“I hope so,” he replied.

Tammy took a deep breath. “I don’t know if I’m ready,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “This is all so...sudden. Overwhelming.”

Dougray nodded, understanding in his eyes. “I know. And I’m sorry if I’ve overwhelmed you. That was never my intention.” He took a small step back, giving her space. “I didn’t come here tonight to tell you. I just wanted…” He ducked his head and averted his gaze. “I needed to feel you. Not in a creepy way,” he added quickly.

She smiled as the tension between them lightened. “Good to know.”

He cracked a grin. “What I meant was, I needed to know that you are real. This afternoon, it was…”

“Overwhelming?” she arched a questioning eyebrow at him.

“Overwhelming,” he agreed with a small smile.

In that moment, she knew that even if she was not ready, she could not ignore the connection between them.

And deep down, no matter what happened, no matter what people might say about her being on the rebound… She did not want to ignore it.