upset.”
“Hm. I do yard work,” he said. He glanced at her sideways. “Dalt says our yard hasn’t looked this good in years.”
Michaela gave a startled laugh then stopped. “I guess it’s not that funny.”
He turned to face her, and she turned to meet him. Then he looked her in the eyes, and she saw how badly he’d been hurt. All she could think was that she wanted to take it all back. Then he smiled, and it was like boosting the thermostat on the first chilly day of fall. “It’s a little funny.” Caleb smiled ruefully. “Gonna be a pain in the ass to replace my leg.” They’d picked up the tattered remnants of his clothes from the yard before the police came.
“How did it happen?” She wasn’t sure if she meant “how did you become a werebear” or “how did you get your ability back” or “how did we make such a mess of this?”
“I told you I didn’t think I could change anymore,” he said quietly. “I guess seeing you in danger... that was more than my bear and I could take. Normally I can control when I shift, but then, he took over.”
“Why me?” Michaela thought she knew the answer, or at least, she knew what she hoped the answer was.
“’Cause I love you.” He said it simply, but the words burned into her, giving light to the very center of her being. He took her hands in his, but didn’t look at her at first, although she tried to will him to. “I told you already, I knew— my bear knew— you and I are meant for each other. If that’s too weird for you, I get it—”
“Caleb. Please look at me.” She couldn’t stand it anymore. He lifted his eyes, his beautiful blue eyes, and she couldn’t help but reach out to touch his cheek. “It’s a little weird,” she admitted. “But it’s a good kind of weird.”
He smiled, and turned to kiss the center of her palm. “You believe me now?”
Michaela laughed out loud, and leaned in to kiss him. “I can’t very well not, I saw it!” She sobered a little. “Although I don’t think Reuben believes what he saw.” He’d still been stunned when the police drove him away. She wondered if he’d talk or not.
Caleb pulled her into his arms and held her tight. She rested her cheek against his broad chest and remembered what she’d thought before, about being safe here. She knew now she truly was. “He’s never going to get near you again,” Caleb growled. She’d never forget the way his eyes had darkened when he learned who Reuben was and what he’d tried to do.
She didn’t want to talk about him, not now. “I guess I probably broke some rules, yelling about you being a bear in the middle of a bar, huh?”
He kissed the top of her head, but when he spoke, his voice was strained. “Doesn’t matter. It’s not like Dalton and Dylan didn’t already know what I am. And I doubt your friend believed it.”
Michaela eased away from him and looked him in the eye. “What is it? There’s something you’re not telling me.” She held his gaze and wouldn’t let him look away.
Caleb heaved a sigh that sounded like it came from the very pit of his soul. “It’s not just my family— there’s a community of us. I hadn’t told them about my... problem.”
It took Michaela a minute to get the implication. She knew how gossip worked in small towns. “Oh no. And I blabbed. Caleb, I’m so sorry. How bad is it?”
He tilted his head and gave her a sweet little smile. “Not so bad now. I’ve got my bear, and I’ve got you, so they can all kiss my ass.” He looked suddenly anxious and squeezed her hands. “Do I have you?”
“Yes.” She didn’t need to hesitate or think about it, the word left her lips almost before she’d finished drawing the breath to say it. “Yes. I love you too, Caleb.”
Then his arms were around her again and his lips against her hair. “I’m so sorry I hurt you,” he said. “I was so stupid, telling you like that.”
“No, I should have believed you. I should have known
“Hm. I do yard work,” he said. He glanced at her sideways. “Dalt says our yard hasn’t looked this good in years.”
Michaela gave a startled laugh then stopped. “I guess it’s not that funny.”
He turned to face her, and she turned to meet him. Then he looked her in the eyes, and she saw how badly he’d been hurt. All she could think was that she wanted to take it all back. Then he smiled, and it was like boosting the thermostat on the first chilly day of fall. “It’s a little funny.” Caleb smiled ruefully. “Gonna be a pain in the ass to replace my leg.” They’d picked up the tattered remnants of his clothes from the yard before the police came.
“How did it happen?” She wasn’t sure if she meant “how did you become a werebear” or “how did you get your ability back” or “how did we make such a mess of this?”
“I told you I didn’t think I could change anymore,” he said quietly. “I guess seeing you in danger... that was more than my bear and I could take. Normally I can control when I shift, but then, he took over.”
“Why me?” Michaela thought she knew the answer, or at least, she knew what she hoped the answer was.
“’Cause I love you.” He said it simply, but the words burned into her, giving light to the very center of her being. He took her hands in his, but didn’t look at her at first, although she tried to will him to. “I told you already, I knew— my bear knew— you and I are meant for each other. If that’s too weird for you, I get it—”
“Caleb. Please look at me.” She couldn’t stand it anymore. He lifted his eyes, his beautiful blue eyes, and she couldn’t help but reach out to touch his cheek. “It’s a little weird,” she admitted. “But it’s a good kind of weird.”
He smiled, and turned to kiss the center of her palm. “You believe me now?”
Michaela laughed out loud, and leaned in to kiss him. “I can’t very well not, I saw it!” She sobered a little. “Although I don’t think Reuben believes what he saw.” He’d still been stunned when the police drove him away. She wondered if he’d talk or not.
Caleb pulled her into his arms and held her tight. She rested her cheek against his broad chest and remembered what she’d thought before, about being safe here. She knew now she truly was. “He’s never going to get near you again,” Caleb growled. She’d never forget the way his eyes had darkened when he learned who Reuben was and what he’d tried to do.
She didn’t want to talk about him, not now. “I guess I probably broke some rules, yelling about you being a bear in the middle of a bar, huh?”
He kissed the top of her head, but when he spoke, his voice was strained. “Doesn’t matter. It’s not like Dalton and Dylan didn’t already know what I am. And I doubt your friend believed it.”
Michaela eased away from him and looked him in the eye. “What is it? There’s something you’re not telling me.” She held his gaze and wouldn’t let him look away.
Caleb heaved a sigh that sounded like it came from the very pit of his soul. “It’s not just my family— there’s a community of us. I hadn’t told them about my... problem.”
It took Michaela a minute to get the implication. She knew how gossip worked in small towns. “Oh no. And I blabbed. Caleb, I’m so sorry. How bad is it?”
He tilted his head and gave her a sweet little smile. “Not so bad now. I’ve got my bear, and I’ve got you, so they can all kiss my ass.” He looked suddenly anxious and squeezed her hands. “Do I have you?”
“Yes.” She didn’t need to hesitate or think about it, the word left her lips almost before she’d finished drawing the breath to say it. “Yes. I love you too, Caleb.”
Then his arms were around her again and his lips against her hair. “I’m so sorry I hurt you,” he said. “I was so stupid, telling you like that.”
“No, I should have believed you. I should have known
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