terminal.
Still here.
11. April
"You're kidding," April said to Nathan's partner over the phone, leaning on the terminal wall. "Why isn't he answering his cell?"
"It's probably off," Lee said. "He tends to do that when people are bothering him. Kind of a loner, Nathan, and he's being hounded by crowds right now."
"I just want to talk to him. If he calls, tell him I'm at the big airport, okay?"
"Will do," Lee said. "And hey—April? For what it's worth, I like you. And Nathan really likes you. He's been alone for a long time. I think you're good for him."
April couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. "Thanks, Lee. I just wish I could find him."
She'd really meant to get onto that plane, but when it came right down to it, even as she was standing there in the terminal with her credit card in hand .... she couldn't. Not like this. Not without at least talking to Nathan, and trying to face what had happened, what he was, what the two of them were becoming.
She hadn't tried to catch one of the taxis back to town. She could always call them later, she supposed. Right now she just wanted to get in touch with Nathan, But since she couldn't do that, leaning on the wall outside the terminal in the sunshine was a decent enough place to stand and think for awhile.
At least until Nathan's truck pulled up.
As soon as the truck door opened and she caught sight of Nathan unfolding his tall frame out of the driver's seat, all doubt evaporated. This was what she wanted. What she needed. She took one step forward, then another, and then she was running. Nathan got both feet on the ground just in time for April to fling herself into his arms.
"I thought you'd gone," he whispered into her hair.
"I was going to," she murmured back. This ... his arms around her ... it felt so right . How had she ever doubted it? "I wasn't sure. It was just so sudden . I wanted some time to think about it. Get my head together. But ..." She tilted her head back and looked up into his face. "I can't imagine anything I could possibly want more than this."
Nathan laughed and kissed her; she chased his laughter in kisses.
When she came up for air, April said, "Could we maybe ... get something to eat? And talk a bit? I don't know anything about you, except the, uh, big thing. I don't even know what you like to have for breakfast. Er. Lunch now, I guess."
"I don't know anything about you either," he admitted. "I guess we'll have a lot of fun finding out. And ..." He cleared his throat. "Do you want to meet some other polar bears?"
"Do I," April said, "want to meet more bears? Do bears you-know-what in the woods?"
12. Nathan
For a long time, Nathan's favorite restaurant in town—and not just because it was one of the only restaurants in town—had been The Happy Pancake, run by two of the other local bear shifters. Dave and Ellen, the owners, were the happiest couple Nathan had ever met. For a long time, he'd quietly envied them, always hoping that someday he'd be able to bring his mate here to meet them. Of course, he'd always imagined that his mate would be another shifter, not a regular human.
When he got out of the truck in the small parking lot, he hurried to open April's door for her, and then took her hand. She smiled and wrapped her smaller fingers around his big ones. She'd come so close to going out of his life, perhaps forever. He wasn't about to take having her here for granted again.
"I don't know what came over me," she said, hesitating on the porch of the restaurant. "I didn't mean to be jerking you around. I just feel like I'm caught up in something beyond my control, and I'm not quite sure how to handle it."
"April," Nathan said. He stopped her and tipped her face up to look into his. "I'll never make you do anything you don't want to do. I hope you know that."
"I know," she whispered, and stood on tiptoe for a slow, lingering kiss.
"You shouldn't leave until you finish your bear survey, anyway," Nathan said, brushing
Still here.
11. April
"You're kidding," April said to Nathan's partner over the phone, leaning on the terminal wall. "Why isn't he answering his cell?"
"It's probably off," Lee said. "He tends to do that when people are bothering him. Kind of a loner, Nathan, and he's being hounded by crowds right now."
"I just want to talk to him. If he calls, tell him I'm at the big airport, okay?"
"Will do," Lee said. "And hey—April? For what it's worth, I like you. And Nathan really likes you. He's been alone for a long time. I think you're good for him."
April couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. "Thanks, Lee. I just wish I could find him."
She'd really meant to get onto that plane, but when it came right down to it, even as she was standing there in the terminal with her credit card in hand .... she couldn't. Not like this. Not without at least talking to Nathan, and trying to face what had happened, what he was, what the two of them were becoming.
She hadn't tried to catch one of the taxis back to town. She could always call them later, she supposed. Right now she just wanted to get in touch with Nathan, But since she couldn't do that, leaning on the wall outside the terminal in the sunshine was a decent enough place to stand and think for awhile.
At least until Nathan's truck pulled up.
As soon as the truck door opened and she caught sight of Nathan unfolding his tall frame out of the driver's seat, all doubt evaporated. This was what she wanted. What she needed. She took one step forward, then another, and then she was running. Nathan got both feet on the ground just in time for April to fling herself into his arms.
"I thought you'd gone," he whispered into her hair.
"I was going to," she murmured back. This ... his arms around her ... it felt so right . How had she ever doubted it? "I wasn't sure. It was just so sudden . I wanted some time to think about it. Get my head together. But ..." She tilted her head back and looked up into his face. "I can't imagine anything I could possibly want more than this."
Nathan laughed and kissed her; she chased his laughter in kisses.
When she came up for air, April said, "Could we maybe ... get something to eat? And talk a bit? I don't know anything about you, except the, uh, big thing. I don't even know what you like to have for breakfast. Er. Lunch now, I guess."
"I don't know anything about you either," he admitted. "I guess we'll have a lot of fun finding out. And ..." He cleared his throat. "Do you want to meet some other polar bears?"
"Do I," April said, "want to meet more bears? Do bears you-know-what in the woods?"
12. Nathan
For a long time, Nathan's favorite restaurant in town—and not just because it was one of the only restaurants in town—had been The Happy Pancake, run by two of the other local bear shifters. Dave and Ellen, the owners, were the happiest couple Nathan had ever met. For a long time, he'd quietly envied them, always hoping that someday he'd be able to bring his mate here to meet them. Of course, he'd always imagined that his mate would be another shifter, not a regular human.
When he got out of the truck in the small parking lot, he hurried to open April's door for her, and then took her hand. She smiled and wrapped her smaller fingers around his big ones. She'd come so close to going out of his life, perhaps forever. He wasn't about to take having her here for granted again.
"I don't know what came over me," she said, hesitating on the porch of the restaurant. "I didn't mean to be jerking you around. I just feel like I'm caught up in something beyond my control, and I'm not quite sure how to handle it."
"April," Nathan said. He stopped her and tipped her face up to look into his. "I'll never make you do anything you don't want to do. I hope you know that."
"I know," she whispered, and stood on tiptoe for a slow, lingering kiss.
"You shouldn't leave until you finish your bear survey, anyway," Nathan said, brushing
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