Page 24 of Luke: The Bears

He smiled. That was so Colt. Turning insomnia into productivity.

Luke dressed quickly, pulling on a t-shirt and jeans and finding his worn work boots by the back door. As he made quick work of washing his face and brushing his teeth, he was acutely aware of Valley on the porch. He couldn’t hear everything that was said on the call, but he could sense she was upset even though they weren’t marked mates yet.

She’d decided to stay for him. He still couldn’t get over how big that was. King Lake was home for him, but he would have made a new home with her anywhere.

Still… he was glad that she’d decided to stay.

After grabbing his keys, he walked back outside.

Valley was still on the porch, the phone in her lap, staring down the road toward the lake.

She looked so sad that his heart sank.

Sitting next to her, he put his arm around her and kissed her temple.

“You okay, sweetheart?”

She leaned into him.

“Yeah. I told her what was going on. She was disappointed, but she said she understood. I know she was counting on me, and that’s what makes it feel like I just fell into a pricker bush.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” she said. “I chose you because you’re home for me and I wouldn’t have felt right taking you with me to start that new job, even though I appreciate you being willing to do that.”

“I’d go anywhere with you.”

She tilted her head and smiled at him. “Well, I’d stay here for you.”

He kissed her. He didn’t think he’d ever get tired of her saying she was staying. She’d chosen him. He’d never felt so lucky and blessed.

“I told her I’d repay the money.” She sighed and lowered her head to look at her hands. “After I do that, it’ll really eat my savings. I’ll only be okay without a job for so long.”

He hated hearing the worry in her voice.

“The right job will come along at the right time, just like you came into my life at the perfect time. Which, by the way, was the best night of my life.”

She smiled again, the sadness chased out of her eyes, and said, “It was a really great night.” She sighed and leaned on his shoulder. “I don’t want you to think you need to go solve this for me.”

“What?”

“You’re a fixer. You see a problem and you deal with it, like making that planter box for Maggie. But not having a huge savings to carry me until I find The Perfect Job is weighing on my mind a little. But it’ll work out, I know it will. Because I know I made the right choice.”

“I made the right choice when I went to The Howl on Friday.”

She rested her hand on his chest, right over his heart, and exhaled softly. Then she straightened, kissed him, and rose to her feet. “Don’t you have to get to work?”

“Yeah. I told Colt I’d be late.”

“You should go. I’ll just come over after you’re home.”

He rose to his feet. “How about you come with me? You can hang out with me, and if you get bored, you can take my truck wherever you want to go. You just have to promise to pick me up.”

She grinned. “I’d love that.”

Ten minutes later, they were headed across the bridge, the windows down to let in the cool morning air.

His bear was so happy.