“No, I got them for my little bear friend. It really loves the taste of roses.”
She giggled. “No, you didn’t.”
“I thought you’d like them, so I figured . . .”
“You were right. I do.”
He dropped the bags beside the door and handed her the flowers. His gesture had warmed her heart, as was obvious from the look in her eyes. He couldn’t disguise his elation that it had affected her so. Knowing most ladies were particularly fond of flowers, he’d bought them for her in his eagerness to make her feel as ‘at home’ as possible. He was constantly mindful that he was in a familiar place, but she was not.
She pointed to his right cheek. “You’ve got something on your face.”
He touched his skin and realized there were remnants of the adhesive he’d used to fix his disguise. He brushed it off with his fingertips. “Thanks.”
Belinda immersed herself in an endorphin high so compelling she couldn’t bring herself to acknowledge caution or hypothetical negatives.
She looked fondly at her flowers as she took them into the kitchen. Placing them in a vase of water, she questioned why he would have done something like that for her. He was the most caring and thoughtful person she’d ever known. He seemed to be made up of every quality she’d never dared wish for—strong, heroic, selfless and compassionate, deeply caring, good-looking, and with a physique that could have gained him acceptance into Chippendales. He was too good to be true. At any other time it would have been cause for alarm. A lifetime of frustration and disappointment had caused her to become pessimistic.
“OK,” he said. “I got you some snow boots and a few new clothes. Just casual stuff. I think they’re the right size.”
She shook her head, overwhelmed by how special he was making her feel. She was about to speak when she noticed the bear cub coming through the trees. “Brandon?”
“Yeah.”
“Your little friend’s back.”
He hurried into the kitchen and looked at the bear through the window. “Hey, would you like to come out with me?”
She turned to him with uncertainty. “Are you sure? I mean, what if I scare it?”
“It was unsure of me to begin with, but I won him over. You’ll need to put your snow boots on, though.”
Excitedly, she returned to the living room.
Nine
A Hero’s Secret
Wearing a gray hooded, insulated snow jacket Brandon had bought for her, Belinda slowly followed him around the cabin. She inhaled the cool, unique fragrance of the wilderness as she waited out-of-sight, just before the clearing. Brandon eased himself onto the bench and placed the bowl of nuts in the snow.
The bear seemed confident enough and hurried over to its food.
Brandon whispered, “I think it’s OK. Just take it slowly.”
Belinda gingerly-but-excitedly stepped forward and sat down beside him. The bear looked up at her, and then resumed eating, completely unconcerned.
“Hey, it looks like he’s OK with you.” Brandon handed her half of an apple. “Try to give him this. He loves apples.”
She took the apple and eased it toward the bear. It looked up again and there was a glint of recognition in its eyes. Hungrily, it stood on its hind legs and grasped the fruit from her hands, enabling her to make an observation. “There’s your answer.”
“What?”
“He’s a boy.”
Brandon looked back at the bear. “So he is. He’s never stood up like that for me. He must really like you.”
“He’s beautiful,” she said.
“Yeah, he sure is. Wanna try and pet him?”
“Sure.” She gently reached out and touched the bear’s nose. It responded fearlessly.
Brandon joined her and stroked its head. “This little guy just about saved my sanity over the last few weeks.”
Sympathy came over her at the thought of Brandon’s lonely plight. She struggled to imagine what such isolation must have done to his mind.
She turned back to the bear. “Maybe you should give him a
She giggled. “No, you didn’t.”
“I thought you’d like them, so I figured . . .”
“You were right. I do.”
He dropped the bags beside the door and handed her the flowers. His gesture had warmed her heart, as was obvious from the look in her eyes. He couldn’t disguise his elation that it had affected her so. Knowing most ladies were particularly fond of flowers, he’d bought them for her in his eagerness to make her feel as ‘at home’ as possible. He was constantly mindful that he was in a familiar place, but she was not.
She pointed to his right cheek. “You’ve got something on your face.”
He touched his skin and realized there were remnants of the adhesive he’d used to fix his disguise. He brushed it off with his fingertips. “Thanks.”
Belinda immersed herself in an endorphin high so compelling she couldn’t bring herself to acknowledge caution or hypothetical negatives.
She looked fondly at her flowers as she took them into the kitchen. Placing them in a vase of water, she questioned why he would have done something like that for her. He was the most caring and thoughtful person she’d ever known. He seemed to be made up of every quality she’d never dared wish for—strong, heroic, selfless and compassionate, deeply caring, good-looking, and with a physique that could have gained him acceptance into Chippendales. He was too good to be true. At any other time it would have been cause for alarm. A lifetime of frustration and disappointment had caused her to become pessimistic.
“OK,” he said. “I got you some snow boots and a few new clothes. Just casual stuff. I think they’re the right size.”
She shook her head, overwhelmed by how special he was making her feel. She was about to speak when she noticed the bear cub coming through the trees. “Brandon?”
“Yeah.”
“Your little friend’s back.”
He hurried into the kitchen and looked at the bear through the window. “Hey, would you like to come out with me?”
She turned to him with uncertainty. “Are you sure? I mean, what if I scare it?”
“It was unsure of me to begin with, but I won him over. You’ll need to put your snow boots on, though.”
Excitedly, she returned to the living room.
Nine
A Hero’s Secret
Wearing a gray hooded, insulated snow jacket Brandon had bought for her, Belinda slowly followed him around the cabin. She inhaled the cool, unique fragrance of the wilderness as she waited out-of-sight, just before the clearing. Brandon eased himself onto the bench and placed the bowl of nuts in the snow.
The bear seemed confident enough and hurried over to its food.
Brandon whispered, “I think it’s OK. Just take it slowly.”
Belinda gingerly-but-excitedly stepped forward and sat down beside him. The bear looked up at her, and then resumed eating, completely unconcerned.
“Hey, it looks like he’s OK with you.” Brandon handed her half of an apple. “Try to give him this. He loves apples.”
She took the apple and eased it toward the bear. It looked up again and there was a glint of recognition in its eyes. Hungrily, it stood on its hind legs and grasped the fruit from her hands, enabling her to make an observation. “There’s your answer.”
“What?”
“He’s a boy.”
Brandon looked back at the bear. “So he is. He’s never stood up like that for me. He must really like you.”
“He’s beautiful,” she said.
“Yeah, he sure is. Wanna try and pet him?”
“Sure.” She gently reached out and touched the bear’s nose. It responded fearlessly.
Brandon joined her and stroked its head. “This little guy just about saved my sanity over the last few weeks.”
Sympathy came over her at the thought of Brandon’s lonely plight. She struggled to imagine what such isolation must have done to his mind.
She turned back to the bear. “Maybe you should give him a
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