Page 18 of Luke: The Bears

Part of him had hoped that last night had changed things for her. That he would be enough to make her want to stay. He was a bear. He understood loyalty to the bone. His bear had chosen her the moment he laid eyes on her, and there were no second guesses to be had.

Valley didn’t have that instinct, she had plans and obligations, and a life she’d set in motion before he found her Friday night.

“I know you have plans, sweetheart.”

“You say that like it doesn’t bother you.”

“It bothers the hell out of me.”

Her eyes went wide.

He stepped close so their bodies grazed. “I don’t want you two hours away. I don’t want you starting a life without me in it.”

“Luke,” she said, sucking in a breath.

Then he said what he’d decided when he woke up that morning. Putting his hand on her shoulder, he brushed her neck with his thumb, envisioning his marks there. “But your plans matter, your dreams matter. All of that matters because it means something to you, and you mean something to me. You’re mine, Valley, and I’m yours. And if you still want to leave on Friday, then – if you’ll let me – I’ll go with you.”

She went completely still.

“What?”

“I said I’ll go with you.”

“You can’t. You have a house, your friends, your den, your job here.”

“I wouldn’t have you here. I’d walk away from King Lake to be with you.”

She made a frustrated sound. “Luke! I’m wrestling with my feelings for you and going through with the relocation and you’re saying you’d walk away from all of this – for me – after two days, like it’s so easy.”

“It’s not easy, but it’s pretty damn simple.”

She stared at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears, and then she hugged him. “It’s only been two days, but it feels like forever.”

He held her close, burying his face in her neck and inhaling her sweet scent. “Because that’s what being a mate is like.”

After a very long hug where neither of them said anything about anyone moving, Luke asked if she’d like to hang out with him and she agreed.

The rest of Sunday passed quickly. She helped him finish a planter box for Maggie and they delivered it to her. He liked that she had a chance to get to meet the only female bear in the den. Then he made dinner for Valley by grilling brats on his patio while they talked about everything but Friday.

As the sky turned from sunshine to moonlight, they sat on lounge chairs on the patio and stared at the sky, and then he asked her to stay the night. All the way until morning, so he could wake up with her beautiful face. And she said yes.

When they tumbled into bed, he kissed her like there were no Friday plans and he had all the time in the world. When she fell apart crying out his name, he followed her into bliss, his bear bellowing in his head that he’d follow her anywhere.

And he meant it.

By late Tuesday morning, Luke had learned that Valley could avoid the word Friday like it was a secret she’d sworn to keep. He’d had to take her home on Monday so he could get to the gazebo in Mill Creek, but today, she’d asked to come with him and he’d been happy to have her company. He’d take any chance he could to spend time with her.

As he was packing his tools into his truck, his phone rang.

He checked the screen. “Hey, Sigh.”

“Tell me you know someone who can make burger buns.”

“What?” he asked.

“Our delivery got screwed up and I’ve got no buns for tonight. I’m not serving the burger of the week on grocery store buns. I called Maggie and she didn’t answer, so maybe your girl knows someone? Or you do?”

Luke looked at Valley where she sat on his porch step with a cup of coffee and was watching him with a sweet smile. “I know someone. Hold on.”