Bearly In Time Read Free Page B

wedding and left.
    “They were sent to her,” Rebecca whispered.
    “I mean they were meant for her,” he said, stumbling with his words. “I was telling her what to write in a card. A card for you.”
    Rebecca looked up at her ex-fiancée. He was standing behind the kitchen island with his hands on the counter, palms up. “I swear to you,” he said, pleading. “I wanted to place a dirty card on the bed in the hotel on our wedding night. I was telling her what to write in it. I promise you,” he said, “it was all a misunderstanding.”
    Rebecca didn’t respond. She was too tired. Too beaten to say anything back. She just stared at Lucky as she ran her fingers through her fur, not knowing what to believe anymore.
    Mark walked over behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders and started massaging her tense body. She began to relax under his fingers.
    “I’ve missed you so much,” he whispered. She closed her eyes wanting to believe him. “I’m so happy you’re home. I love you. I would never do that to you.”
    Rebecca’s chest was aching. She was exhausted. She didn’t know what to think or what to believe. All she wanted was to escape the sadness and sleep in her bed.
    Mark’s fingers were providing the comfort that she desperately needed, his words giving her exactly what she wanted to hear.
    They could be lies, and they probably were, but she was too crushed to refute them, too disheartened to argue. All she wanted was to sleep.
    Mark guided her to the bedroom, with his arm helping to hold her up. He pulled out her favorite pajamas and closed the door while she put them on. He came back in and tucked her in, her bed feeling better and more comfier than ever.
    Her head sank into her soft pillow as Mark pulled the comforter up to her neck. He kissed her on the temple. “Welcome home,” he whispered as she closed her eyes.
    There was a faint smell of vanilla and honey on her pillow. That’s strange she thought as she drifted off to sleep.
     
     

five
     
     
     
    Connor stood outside at the end of the driveway and stared down the empty dirt road. He glanced up at the sun. It would be setting soon.
    She should have been here hours ago.
    He pulled his phone out of his pocket for the eightieth time. He dialed Rebecca’s number. It went straight to a recorded message.
    “This number has been blocked. Please contact the phone comp-”
    Connor hung up and stared at it, shaking his head. What’s going on?
    He rubbed his sweaty palms together as he paced up and down the road. His chest felt so tight. Something was not right. His bear could sense it too. He was grumbling inside.
    “Still not here boss?” Sidney asked, walking up the driveway.
    Connor shook his head as he stared down the road, willing a car to drive up it.
    “She’s probably just in traffic or something,” Sidney said.
    Connor never took his eyes from down the road.
    “Dinner is ready if you’re hungry,” Sidney said.
    Connor shook his head. He had an uneasy fluttering in his stomach. He couldn’t eat even if he wanted to.
    Sidney nodded knowingly. “I’ll bring some out for you.”
    Connor finally walked back to his cabin at three twenty six in the morning. His phone had died from trying to call Rebecca so many times. He glanced back at the road one last time, desperate to see headlights lighting it up. There was nothing. Only a happy raccoon eating the dinner that Sidney had brought out and left on the side of the road, hours ago.
     
     
     

     
     
     
    Two days later Connor was sitting by the river squeezing a rock in his hand as Edwin spoke on the phone with Grace. Against all odds, the feral, socially awkward shifter was the only one out of the three of them who was having any kind of success with their mate.
    “She doesn’t want to see you,” Edwin said bluntly after he hung up the phone. “She isn’t interested anymore.”
    “Thanks for breaking it to me easily,” Connor said.
    Edwin jerked his head back and