ChapterSix
CLAUSE
The next night, I get a text from Frostie saying she’s coming over early. As soon as she said she was on the way, I walked out onto the porch to wait for her. When her headlights approached, my heart somehow beat faster, and it was the happiest I’d been all day.
“Have the bears come yet?” is the first thing out of her mouth when she gets out of her car.
“Not yet,” I say, and she squeals with excitement and rushes inside. Tonight she doesn’t have bags of things with her because I guess everything I got was what she needed. “Come through to the back. I’ve got supper waiting on them.”
Without really thinking it through, I take her hand and lead her to the deck that looks out on all the land I own. In the distance, there’s a great big stump from where a hundred-year-oak died a few years back. I left it there as sort of a serving dish to feed the bears. This keeps them far away from the house but close enough so that I can watch them.
The sun is setting as we walk on the porch, and I let go of her hand. Not because I want to but because I’m afraid she doesn’t want me to keep holding it.
“They should be along soon. It’s usually about twilight when they show up.”
At the back of the house, the land flattens out a little before it slopes to a creek and gives a beautiful view of the mountains above the tree line.
Frostie steps forward and puts her hands on the rails and shakes her head. “Damn, Clause.”
“What?” I ask, moving next to her and trying to see what she’s looking at.
“I get it now.” When she turns to me, her smile is soft, and all I want to do is kiss her.
“Get what?”
She nods to the view. “Why you’d give up living in town. This view.” She shakes her head again as she turns to face the setting sun. “It’s priceless.”
“Well, unfortunately there was a price, and it was pretty damn high.”
Frostie snaps her head in my direction and then busts out laughing. “I guess you’re right. But whatever it was, it was worth it.”
My eyes don’t leave her as I nod. “I agree.”
We wait a little longer, and then in the distance I see movement. Frostie is beside herself as I point it out, and then as if on cue, Maggie and her cubs come through the bushes and begin to feast. Watching Frostie’s reaction is the best part, and I drink it in as she enjoys the show.
“I can’t believe it. You’ve basically got pet bears.”
“It’s probably better to think of them as wild animals.” I shrug as we walk into the kitchen. “You know, so you don’t get mauled or something.”
“Good idea,” Frostie says, and when she turns the corner for the kitchen, she stops and gasps. “What in the—”
“You said I needed a Christmas tree.” There’s about fifty boxes and bags filled with decorations because I wasn’t sure what she would need. “The sales lady seemed excited.”
“You think?” Frostie turns wide eyes on me. “You could decorate your house ten times over. How many trees did you get?”
“Seven?” I guess, scratching the back of my head.
“Seven!” She sounds like she’s mad, but somehow she looks like this is the best news she’s ever gotten in her whole life.
“I just kept saying yes every time she scanned something, so I’m not exactly sure.” I point my thumb over my shoulder. “The rest is in the living room.”
“The rest!?” Frostie takes a calming breath. “I’m sorry I’m shouting, but this is literally my dream come true.”
And there goes the rest of my heart as I hand it over to her. Damn. She didn’t even have to ask for it.
“I thought maybe we could do homemade pizzas tonight since they’re easy.”
“Pizza and cookies it is.” She’s already rubbing her hands together as she gets closer to the boxes. “Oh! Let’s put on a Christmas movie.”