Page 6 of Midlife Animal Rescuer Bear

The first couple of years that followed had been nothing short of agonizing. She’d seen his calls and texts, listened to the voicemails he’d left, begging her to speak to him, even if only for a few minutes. More than once, she’d almost given in, wanting to see and hear him again. She’d felt everything from guilt about running from their wedding to a burning desire to return to the man she’d spent the last four years loving. She’d been torn between going back to him and putting as much distance between herself and the monster he really was.

She’d reeled with the knowledge of what he really was, still struggling to grasp the new reality he’d shown her. It was one thing to see him turn into a bear but being told that there were more like him all around the world had left her somewhat wary of her surroundings. Who else could turn into animals? Did other monsters exist? She’d always imagined the stories about witches, vampires, werewolves, and fairies were merely tales, and the thought that they might be a part of her reality threatened to upend her world as she knew it.

It had all been too much. By the time she quit her job and took off from Maine, she felt like her world was coming apart all around her. She went back to college, and by the time she turned thirty-nine, she was already an established veterinarian in Chicago, with a much better understanding of animals than she ever imagined she’d have.

Did she do it because of Cal, to try and understand him? She wasn’t sure. But not once did she think she would bump into her ex-fiancé. Definitely not like this.

Take a deep breath, Melissa, she instructed herself. Just try to calm down.

She wasn’t entirely sure why she felt so tense, whether it was the fact that she was staring at her former lover or the fact that he was a bear. Either way, it was taking a lot of willpower to silence the voice in her head, screaming at her: Get the heck out of here!

The third of the men whistled. “Well, this is mighty awkward.”

“Not now, Henry.” Bryon said, elbowing him in the ribs, eliciting a wince. “This is serious.”

Cal kept his gaze on her. “What the hell are you doing here?”

He had a scowl plastered on his face. Melissa had never seen him like this before. He looked like he was barely containing his anger. She swallowed, trying to ignore the shivers of anxiety traveling down her spine, and remained where she stood, staring him down.

“I’m here for the job,” she said as clearly as she could. “I just moved to Sylva a few days ago, and I heard there was a vacancy for a veterinarian, so I came here. There is a vacancy, right?”

He was the last person she expected to lay eyes on when she showed up at Green Sanctuary. Didn’t she leave him in Maine? Sure, that was several years ago, but then again, what were the odds of them ending up in the same town?

I’m definitely out of luck.

She came to Downing in early July for a change of scenery, figuring Sylva would be a good place to start a relatively new and peaceful life. Seeing her ex-fiancé at her desired workplace wasn’t part of the plan.

Even worse, she was still attracted to him. As much as she hated to admit it, just looking at him was enough to set her insides aquiver. In the past ten years, very little had changed. It was almost as though no time had passed since she’d left him at the altar.

Except it had. The look in those blue-gray eyes said it all.

“No, there isn’t,” Cal said.

The other men frowned at him. “What are you talking about, Cal?” Bryon wanted to know.

“Yeah, we still need a vet, remember?” said Henry. “We’ve got animals dying in the woods. I’m sure you haven’t forgotten about that.”

“We don’t need her.” Cal’s tone was firm, dripping with fury. “Not here.”

He took a step closer, and Melissa felt the air being sucked out of her lungs. An ache settled between her legs, slight at first, but deepening by the second. She stared up at him, somewhat grateful that he hadn’t noticed her body betraying her attraction.

“There is no vacancy,” he said. “Not for you. I’d leave this sanctuary and look for a job elsewhere if I were you.”

For a second, Melissa opened her mouth to object, then decided there was no point in arguing. From the second she laid eyes on him, she’d sensed his hostility. No amount of trying to reason with him would get her this job. She nodded and, without a word, turned and left, making her way down the dirt path that led off the property.

***

Maybe it’s for the best, she thought.

She crossed the road just before a car rolled past and headed down the sidewalk, walking past a couple of brightly lit shops. Sylva was a lovely town, and in the few days she’d been here, she’d already fallen in love with it. For such a small town, it seemed to have everything anyone who was coming from the city might need, except, perhaps, a shopping mall.

The setting sun had dipped behind a couple of buildings, but its orange glow filled the sky. Up ahead, just on the corner of the next block, a blinking sign caught her eye: Rubicon Valley. It appeared to be a bar. After the encounter she’d just had, for a drink or two sounded good. She wasn’t an alcoholic, but a few shots of whiskey might be just what she needed to clear her head.

But in the end, she decided against it, opting to walk home instead. She could’ve driven her car to Green Sanctuary and back, but the town was small enough that she didn’t need to. Plus, she enjoyed taking walks. This town was perfect for her.

Or at least it would’ve been if she’d gotten the vet job. Now, she couldn’t help wondering whether she’d come all this way for nothing. Green Sanctuary was the only clinic in town that needed a vet, and she clearly wasn’t getting that position, not with her ex-fiancé there.

When she moved to Sylva, she was more than certain she would be hired at the sanctuary. She was definitely qualified for the position. But she hadn’t figured on bumping into Cal. Clearly, she wasn’t the only one who’d decided on a change of occupation. But how could she have known?