Second Chance Bear Read online

  “Are you okay?” Marcus asked as Sage gulped loudly.

  “Trying not to cry. These pregnancy hormones are getting the better of me. I cry at everything.” She wiped under her eyes and then stood up. “I’m going to make a start on that ice cream.”

  Sage left the table and Patrick and Marcus exchanged raised eyebrows. “Is she okay?” Marcus asked.

  “Yes, she is. She insisted on working this week because the adoption week is so special to her. But I think this will be her last full week of work. But don’t tell her I told you.” Patrick picked up his coffee cup and took a sip. “She hates giving in, but a behind-the-scenes role would be better for her.”

  “I’ll talk to the others. Nana could likely take over if Sage doesn’t mind organizing the food. I can get a couple of people in from Bear Creek to help with the catering. Luckily, the next couple of weeks aren’t as busy.” Marcus was mentally going through the activities they had planned for the next few weeks. They had made preparations for being one member of staff short and had reduced the bookings to suit. Particularly around Sage’s due date. As a family, they wanted to be there to support her. He only hoped the baby took those plans into account and arrived at the right time.

  “So these tracks…” Patrick drew Marcus back to the present. In his daydream he’d drifted away, imagining what it would be like when Joanna had their first child.

  “Yes, these tracks.” Marcus gave Patrick a lopsided smile. “Winnie is so anxious to see a wolf or a bear. So I thought why not start off with some tracks? You left them on the trail, didn’t you?”

  “Kind of. When you reach the large boulder where the trail forks, you have to go off to the left. We didn’t want them to be visible to everyone walking the trail, and we also didn’t want them covered up by any hikers who might trek that way before you get out there.” Patrick stood up and stretched. “I need to round my group up. I have a couple of kids who don’t sit still for more than five minutes.”

  “Gives you plenty of practice for your own child,” Marcus told him.

  “Don’t I know it!” Patrick waved and left the table.

  Marcus sat alone, drinking his coffee for a few minutes. It was the first time he’d had a chance to collect his thoughts all day and they soon drifted back to Sage and the baby. A thought began to niggle him. Why had Joanna adopted children? Was it because she and her husband couldn’t conceive? Or was it because she didn’t want to experience the whole pregnancy and giving birth thing herself?

  You can’t exactly ask her, his bear said.

  I’ll find a way of getting her to open up, Marcus told his bear.

  And will the answer make any difference in the way we feel about her? His bear had a point.

  No, but I’d like to know. If she can’t have children, I’ll know not to talk about it. I don’t want her to feel pressured or to think I won’t love her if she can’t conceive.

  And what if it’s a choice? His bear voiced the nagging question that he wanted to ignore. What if fate had decided to match him up with a mate who didn’t want children of her own? But as he looked around the room, he knew it didn’t matter. Joanna obviously loved children or else she would not have adopted Reece and Winnie. And he knew he could love a child that wasn’t his own. He knew he could share his life with any child who needed a home.

  Maybe that was his calling in life. Maybe that was his fate.

  Rising from the table, he went to check on Nana and George who were dealing with the catering this week. “How are you two?” Marcus asked. “The food is great, as always.”

  “Thanks, we’re doing good.” Nana set her piercing stare on her son. “And how are you? I take it you haven’t told Joanna yet.” She kept her voice low, but Marcus still turned around to check that no one else could hear.

  “Not yet. It’s not an easy thing to tell,” Marcus pressed his lips together and frowned. “I don’t know where to begin.”

  “Well, you could just shift in front of her and go ta-da!” George said unhelpfully.

  “I’m sure that will work, George, thanks for the fatherly advice,” Marcus replied sarcastically, earning himself a wide grin from George.

  Marcus liked George. He liked George a lot. Having lost all hope of finding his mate, when George eventually met Nana he took on the role of husband and father with enthusiasm. As a retired history teacher, he was also great to have around the center. He understood how kids worked and how to motivate them.

  “Sage and Patrick made a trail for your team to find,” Nana said, shifting the focus of the conversation. “George has also offered to go into the mountains as a bear and let them see him.”

  “You would? I was going to ask Luke or one of the guys from town.” Marcus placed a hand on George’s shoulder. “It’s not the kind of thing I’d usually ask anyone to do, but I can’t wait to see the look on Winnie’s face.”

  “You already have an attachment to the children,” Nana noted. “That’s a good start, because you know more than anyone that they come as a package deal.”

  “I do and believe me, I am more than ready to be both husband and father,” Marcus confirmed.

  “Good man,” George said.

  “I should get going.” Marcus felt the presence of his mate fading away and he turned to see her and the rest of his group leaving the barn. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Have a good afternoon,” Nana called after her eldest son.

  “I will.”

  Marcus hurried out of the barn and joined his group as they were strolling back to their tents, which were pitched close together.

  “Is it time to go already?” Joanna asked, looking at her watch.

  “It’s a little early, but if you are all ready to go…” He hated being apart from her. Last night after everyone was asleep, he’d come down to the camping field and patrolled the perimeter, not because he had to, but because he loved the sense of her. They were connected on a deep level and he could not get enough of that connection.

  Sage told him it faded with time. The newness wore off. So he planned to enjoy for as long as he could.

  “I’m ready,” Winnie replied. “The longer we spend on the mountain, the more chance we have of spotting a bear or a wolf. Although I would settle for a rabbit.”

  “I’ll see what I can do.” Marcus looked at the others who looked eager to go.

  “I need to get my camera from the tent and then we’re ready,” Kylie said and jogged over to the family’s tent.

  “Are you looking forward to our hike?” Marcus asked Tabitha.

  Tabitha shrugged. “Walking isn’t exactly my thing. But I guess.”

  “Great.” Marcus watched Kylie as she walked back to the group. He was trying hard not to stare at Joanna. It was hard, if not impossible, since given an ounce of free will his eyes naturally gravitated toward her.

  Joanna appeared to have the same problem. Whenever his eyes did rest on her, she was looking at the children, or the trees, or the ground. Anywhere rather than him. Marcus relaxed a little. Joanna was interested in him, and if he could only find the right way to tell her, she would accept him for who he was. For what he was.

  He was also confident his mate would make a valuable member of the team here at Chance Heights. Once she became his wife. The way she talked Tabitha into joining in with the stepping stone stream challenge this morning proved she was suited to working with children.

  “Are we going?” Winnie asked.

  He shook his head, focusing on the small child in front of him. “Yes, we are.”

  Marcus turned around and walked across the camping field toward the house, then they crossed the road and headed toward the start of the trail that led into the mountains. Chance Heights got its name from its elevated position on the lower slopes of the mountain. This gave the hikers an advantage and they only had to walk a few hundred feet before they were out on the mountain slopes. A few hundred feet more and the house disappeared from view and all around them was wilderness.


  “Wow, we’re in the middle of nowhere.” Stu stood still and turned around slowly to take in the scene below and the mountain above.

  “Do people ever get lost in the mountains?” Jude asked, in awe. “I mean up there on the snowy peaks?”

  Marcus looked into the distance where the highest peaks jutted upward toward the sky. Only on clear days like today could you see the whole of the mountain, usually it was swathed in mist that clung to the higher peaks. “If you don’t know the trails it can be easy to get lost. Which is why we should always carry a map and a compass.”

  Marcus took the backpack off his shoulder and set it on the ground. After unzipping it he pulled out eight clear plastic pouches and handed them out. “There’s a compass, too.”

  “Are you going to teach us how to read them?” Tabitha asked, picking up a compass and tilting it sideways.

  “I am.” Marcus began to patiently explain how to use the compass and maps to navigate the mountain. Soon, they were taking it in turns to lead the group toward the trail where Sage and Patrick had left their paw prints for Winnie and the other kids to find.

  The closer they got, the more the excitement bubbled up inside Marcus, he felt like a kid at Christmas, or maybe even Santa himself since he had a big secret he was keeping all to himself.

  “You keep smiling to yourself,” Joanna said as she slowed down and let Reece and Winnie lead the way.

  “I’m happy.” He couldn’t keep the cheesy grin off his face, which had grown bigger since Joanna got close.

  She narrowed her eyes and looked at him. “No, it’s more than that.”

  “I like it out here. I enjoy my job and I like seeing the group working together.” That was the truth. Most of it, at least.

  “It is a wonderful place. I’ve never been in the mountains before,” she admitted.

  “Do you like it?” Marcus asked.

  Joanna had no idea how important her answer was to him. This was where they would spend their lives and raise their children.

  Unless she doesn’t want to leave her home and career, his bear reminded him. This might be tougher than he thought.

  “Yes, I love it.”

  He let out a sigh of relief, so too did his bear. “I’m glad you do.”

  “Why?”

  He hadn’t anticipated her question and opened and closed his mouth like a goldfish before he answered. “I want everyone to like it here. The mountains are good for the soul.”

  Joanna accepted his answer and nodded. “I believe you are right. The air is clear and even after a night under canvas I feel more relaxed.”

  “You didn’t sleep well?” Marcus would gladly give up his bed for his mate.

  “I slept okay. I mostly stayed awake listening to the sounds.” Joanna’s gaze drifted in the direction of the house as if she could see it through the trees that masked it from view.

  “What kind of sounds?” he asked nervously.

  “I don’t know. Small animals? There was a lot of snuffling and even some panting.” Joanna glanced at Winnie and lowered her voice. “This is going to sound crazy, but I wondered if it was a bear or something large like that.”

  Marcus averted his eyes, hoping she didn’t notice the color creeping across his cheeks. “Perhaps.”

  His bear chuckled. Tell her it was me!

  “Oh. I was hoping you would say no. Is it safe? With predators that close? The tents wouldn’t give us any protection.” Her mouth was a thin line of worry.

  “Most bears don’t come close. So it probably wasn’t a bear.” His breathing became rapid. How difficult could it be to tell your mate a little white lie? He looked around, suddenly realizing they had reached the place where they needed to leave the trail and find the bear and wolf footprints.

  He needed to focus. Joanna wasn’t the only person he had to think about. If he got distracted there was a good chance someone might get hurt. They were in the mountains, surrounded by wild things. And no matter how much he wanted to play down the risk posed by bears, he couldn’t. It wasn’t just shifters that roamed these mountains.

  There were unseen dangers around every rockface and behind every boulder if you didn’t respect the mountain and its inhabitants.

  Chapter Nine – Joanna

  “Okay, time to go off the trail. We can use our maps and compasses to plot a course from here to the next bend in the trail here.” Marcus indicated the two points on the map. “Who wants to try?”

  “I do.” Tabitha shot her hand into the air.

  “Great, let’s do it.” Marcus couldn’t believe the change in Tabitha, she was like a whole different person. He wasn’t the only one to see the change. All of the Caulfield family were happier and more relaxed.

  Stu helped Tabitha spread her map out on a boulder and placed the compass next to it.

  “Everyone else can try, too.” With Marcus’s encouragement, they soon had a couple of different routes plotted out.

  “Can we take my route?” Tabitha asked, jumping up with excitement.

  Marcus assessed their route and nodded. “Good work. Are we ready to go off the trail?”

  Joanna watched Marcus closely, she was certain he was up to something. But she wasn’t sure what. However, since lunchtime he’d had a secret smile playing across his lips. One she would sure like to kiss.

  “Are you coming, Joanna?” Marcus’s voice made her jump guiltily, could he read her mind as he looked at her with those dark brown eyes that were like deep pools of longing?

  “Yes.” She cleared her throat and tried again. “Yes…I was just admiring the scenery.” Her brows knitted together, that sounded so damn lame.

  “There’s great scenery this way, too.” Marcus held out his hand to her and she took one step then two steps forward and slipped her hand into his as if it were the most natural thing in the world. But it didn’t feel natural, it felt decidedly unnatural, like out of this world unnatural.

  Was it her imagination or did sparks really snap and crackle as their hands met and skin rubbed against skin? She stopped in her tracks, her eyes flew to meet his and she saw something there that shocked her, and yet calmed her all at once. There was something between them. Some deep connection like a thread tethering them to each other.

  Was this the fate he was talking about?

  But she didn’t want to believe that some force had decided they should be together. She didn’t want to give up control of her life like that.

  “We should go join the others.” Her voice was a whisper on the mountain breeze, but he heard it all the same and gave a brief nod. However he didn’t let go of her hand. Not until a cry from Winnie drew him away from her.

  “There are huge tracks here.” Winnie pointed to the ground. The others all crowded around to take a look but moved aside as Marcus approached.

  “Are they bear tracks?” Reece asked excitedly.

  Marcus hunkered down and placed his large hand next to the paw print. Even with his fingers splayed out Marcus’s hand could fit into the paw print five times or more. Joanna lifted her head and looked around, panic rising in her chest.

  “It’s okay,” Marcus assured them all as if he could sense her panic. “This print is more than six hours old. Most likely made this morning or in the night.”

  “How do you know?” Tabitha asked, crouching down beside Marcus and placing her hand next to his. “It’s huge.”

  “It is huge. And we can tell it was made this morning when the dirt was damp with dew. Once it dried out, it kind of set. Like a mold.” Marcus stood up and took a step back as the others crowded in. “Can you see anymore?”

  The group dispersed to search the ground around them. “Here.” Stu’s excited cry brought the others rushing toward him. Only Marcus didn’t look surprised.

  “Look, they go off in that direction. Can we follow them?” Winnie asked excitedly.

  “Sure, we can follow them a little way. But only if you use your maps and compasses to keep track of where we are.
” That secret smile played across his lips once more as a rustle of paper filled the air.

  Joanna closed the space between her and Marcus. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say this was staged.”

  He swung his head around to face her, his eyes wide. “I don’t know what you are insinuating.”

  “That you have a trained bear who walks these trails for you?” she suggested with an arched eyebrow. For a moment he looked like he’d been busted. “That was a joke.” She tilted her head to one side. “No. I was right. This is set up.”

  “I don’t have a trained bear,” he assured her. “And the trail is real.” His eyes searched her face as if he wanted to say more. But he didn’t, instead, he moistened his lips nervously and kept silent.

  As her marriage broke down she grew used to the signs that Julian was hiding something from her. Those same signs were evident in Marcus right now and her stomach sank with disappointment.

  Perhaps she was overreacting and he was simply choosing to keep his trade secrets to himself. Or perhaps it was more than that.

  “Here, there are more here.” Jude’s voice came from behind a large, scrubby bush.

  “I should go.” Marcus’s eyes were still fixed on hers.

  “You should.” She broke the contact between them and walked toward her children, confused by Marcus’s behavior.

  They had shared a connection, she was certain of it. Yet there was something beneath the surface, something that put a barrier between them. The question she needed to ask herself was if she wanted that barrier to come down. Did she want to pursue Marcus? Did she want to risk her heart on a relationship that promised to be anything but smooth?

  “Mom, come see.” Winnie beckoned Joanna toward the others and she went, choosing to enjoy the day, enjoy the game which she was certain Marcus had orchestrated. As she looked into Winnie’s excited face, with her wide eyes and her flushed cheeks, she had a glimmer of understanding.

  Perhaps she had been too rash and misjudged Marcus. This might be a setup, but he’d done it for the children. For her children. Knowing how much it meant to Winnie to see at least a hint of bears or wolves, he’d guided them toward these paw-prints.