Healing the Bear (3 page)

Christopher
got hold of the little girl’s hand, lifted her up, and kissed her. She kissed
his cheek. His bride reached him and the three of them hugged before
Christopher put the little girl down and put his arm around his soon to be
wife. He so wanted this to be him and Lucinda. The gift to travel back in time,
marry her all over again. Not take her for a run in the woods that fateful day.

“We’re
here today to join two lives.
Two lives who will soon become
one.”

A
tear slid down Dane’s cheek. He and Lucinda had been one. He saw the bullet hit
her again and again, played out the scene where she slumped to the ground. He
lifted up the petals the little girl had dropped and put them under his nose,
almost coughing and choking on their overwhelming scent.

Please help me,
Lucinda. Be here with me. Help to get me through this. I think I’ll have to
skip the reception
.

“I’m
right here, Dane.”

He
looked around, positive she was somewhere close by because he’d heard her voice
as clearly as if she was sitting next to him.

“And
don’t you dare walk out on that reception. Think of all that great food you’ll
be missing.”

He
laughed. A few people sitting on the opposite side of the aisle looked over and
knitted their eyebrows together as he did so.

Lucinda
knew him well and that he loved his food. What grizzly didn’t?

“And
I think mixing with lots of people might be just what you need. You’re going to
find happiness again, Dane. I know you will.
Someone who
you’ll love as much as you loved me.”

“No,”
Dane said, not realizing he’d spoken out loud until the people sitting one row
in front turned to look at him.

You’re wrong,
Lucinda. You’re the only woman I can ever love and I have to go
.

Dane
rose from his seat, feeling a sense of dread washing over him. He ran down the
rest of the aisle. People turned to look at him, their whispers not hard to
overhear.

“Poor,
Dane. I didn’t think what he must be going through. We should have asked him to
sit with us.” It was a cacophony that was making him dizzy.

 
He felt sick and he needed to get away. He
lost his orientation and couldn’t remember where the young man had parked his
car. Never mind that for now, he had to take cover someplace. He ran toward a
building to his left. He put his hand on his mouth, thinking he was going to
throw up. He went inside, thinking maybe he could get a drink of water, but
clearly he’d entered the back entrance of the main kitchen because people were
putting food on plates.

A
beautiful woman with dark wavy hair was placing tiny flowers in bowls of what
looked like soup. Lucinda. It was her. She was back. He hadn’t been imagining
things. She had been with him today.

Dane
ran over to her. She jumped, knocking over three of the bowls, causing them to
fall to the floor. Soup began seeping across the floor. She looked horrified,
like she was going to scream.

Up
close, he realized it wasn’t Lucinda but just his wife residing in this young
woman’s body. That had to be true because he felt the same thing about this
woman as he had the first time he’d set eyes on Lucinda.

“I
know who you really are,” he said.

With
that, it looked like every piece of blood had drained from her face. She was
going to pass out. She’d hit her head and he couldn’t allow that to happen to
her.

Chapter Three

They’d
said they wouldn’t make the same mistake they had with Mike. They said she’d be
safe, but they’d lied. They’d found her and they’d sent this man to kill her.
She’d attempted to fight him as he’d grabbed her but holy shit, he was strong. She
guessed that was why a
hitman
was paid top dollar.
She’d thought of kicking him in the balls, gouging his eyes like they’d taught
her, but he did nothing further in an attempt to hurt her. His eyes were those
of a kind man. He had pain written across his face like he was hurting in much
the same way she was.

“I’m
sorry I scared you like that. You’re shaking. I think you should sit down and
rest for a bit so you can get some color back into those pretty cheeks of
yours.”

It
didn’t sound like the sort of thing someone said to you before they killed you.

“I’m
sorry to…I mean I thought you were…”

He
looked at her with beautiful blue eyes.
Paul Newman eyes.
Her mother always had a thing for the late actor so Melanie had grown up
watching his movies. This man’s eyes were almost the same shade of blue. He had
a strong jawline too and right now there was a tiny pulse beating on the side
of it.

He
let her slide out of his arms until her feet were back on the ground. He
smiled. Maybe she’d misheard what he’d said. She’d been overreacting. She
really did need to spend more time away from the job, but she was scared.

“I’m
sorry for startling you like that. It’s just you reminded me of my late wife
and…”

A
tear ran down his cheek. She went from suddenly fearing this man to wanting to
wrap her arms around him and hug him. A true man always cries, her mother had
always said. Mike cried at soppy old movies. This man was crying over his late
wife.

“Please
don’t cry,” she said. She dug around in her apron pocket for her tissue, found
it, and offered it to him.

He
took it, their fingers brushing each other. Melanie felt something. She wasn’t
sure what it was, but she felt like she was coming to life again after being
numb for so, so long.

Should
she tell him that she knew how he felt because she’d also lost her husband? It
could still be a trap and the agent had told her not to let her guard down to
anyone. Remember the mantra. Melanie Partridge wasn’t a widow. Melanie
Partridge had never married. Remember that and you’ll stay alive.

“Are
you here for the Banks-Renner wedding?”

He
nodded.

“Yeah,
sometimes seeing happy
couples
sets off memories of…”

She
still was hopeless at this new persona and life. Sometimes words slipped over
her tongue before she could censor them. “I mean, my friend’s a widow and she
hates going to weddings so I know how tough it must be for you.”

“I
guess I had a panic attack. I thought I heard my wife’s voice and then when I
saw you with your long dark hair. It’s pretty like my wife’s.”

She
placed her hand on top of his, sensing that he was genuine in his pain. “No
harm done.”

“Would
you at least let me help you clean this mess up?”

“Nope,
you’re here as a wedding guest so that’s my job. How about I walk you back to
the party? I’m sure the actual
ceremony’s
over by now
and I think that’s the tough part to get through. I mean when you’ve lost
someone.”

“You
really don’t have to. I’m thinking of heading home.”

“Don’t
you
dare.
There’s
all sorts
of great food about to be served.”

He
smiled. She did too. “My name’s Melanie Partridge.”

Not
matter how many times she said that she still didn’t buy the lie.

“Nice to meet you.
My name’s Dane
Reynolds.”

They
shook hands and then she took him through the front entrance and opened back
the door to the patio where some of the guests were starting to gather.

“We’ll
be serving the meal in about thirty minutes.”

“Everything
smelled great, especially the salmon.”

“Wow,
how did you know salmon’s on the menu? It was in the other area. You must have
a great sense of smell.”

“Often
do some fishing myself so I guess that helps.”

“I
should try that. I mean for relaxation.”

They
walked back across the lawn to the marquee where the reception was being held.

“Why
don’t I walk you inside and we can find your table and seat.”

“You
really don’t have to,” said Dane.

She
wanted to.
The poor guy.
Fleeing the ceremony and then
thinking she was his dead wife. Guess it was true what they said about finding
someone who was worse off than
yourself
. She hadn’t
thought she could, but here was living proof.

Melanie
walked him to the marquee and they went inside. “In fact, let’s take a look at
the chart here,” she said lifting her clipboard.
“Dane
Reynolds.
Table ten. Christopher thought you’d like to sit with some of
your old buddies.”

She
led him over to a table to the left. “Here you are and the wait staff will be
around with drinks any minute now.”

“Thanks
and thanks for being so understanding about my situation.”

“Sure,
any time. Nice meeting you, Dane. I hope the rest of the celebration is easier
for you, but if you need someone to chat with again I’ll be where you found me
the first time.”

She
shook his hand again and left, hoping in her own selfish way he would need her
help again and that he would come calling a second time.

****

Dane
watched her walk away. What had he been thinking? Clearly scaring her like he
had and then of all things, thinking she was a reincarnation of Lucinda. Dane
looked up, seeing Melanie finally go out of sight.

She’d
been sweet and kind and gave him the benefit of the doubt which was more than
he’d deserved. He sensed that she’d lost someone close to her too, but that she
was keeping it a guarded secret for whatever reason. He’d smelled her fear and
then sensed her hesitation to go into any detail about how she knew what he was
going through. Dane heard the other guests beginning to mill into the marquee.
Mick waved to him but headed over to another table. He nodded, hoping no one would
ask why he ran out during the ceremony.

Sloan
and David’s names were placed on his table.
Also, Alex and
Cassidy, Marcus and Joy.
Bear shifters like
himself
but all with partners. He took a deep breath. He’d eat because he was, in fact,
starving and hated the idea of cooking just for himself, but then he’d make his
excuses for wanting to get home.

He
couldn’t help but smile when he saw the flower girl heading in holding her new
step-dad’s hand with Lilly following close behind with Aiden and Charlotte.
 
Dane felt someone slapping him on the back and
turned around to see Trent.

“Hi,
buddy. Aiden said you were home and coming to the wedding.”

“Good
to see you. How’s police work?”

“I’m
still enjoying it and you probably heard that I got married?”

Dane
nodded.

“Honey,
come and met one of my old buddies,” Trent called to a pretty woman with long
hair.

“Dane, my wife Emily.
Emily, this is
an old bear buddy of mine.”

Dane
put out his hand and shook hers.

“Nice
to meet you,” she said.

“Same here.”

“Well,
look who is on our table.”

Dane
felt suddenly overwhelmed when he saw Alex and Cassidy heading over to the
table.

“Long
time no see
,” said Alex, slapping him on the arm.

“We’ll
catch you later and let’s have a drink after the meal,” said Trent.

“Sure,”
said Dane, not wanting to tell him that’s when he’d be leaving.

“You
have to tell us where you’ve been. We were all wondering why you left so suddenly,”
said Cassidy, sitting down beside him.

Oh
boy, everyone sounded like they were talking at once. He needed a drink and he
needed to find Melanie because for some strange reason she calmed his soul.

****

Melanie
checked all the plates before the wait staff headed out with them to begin
serving the guests. Everything looked perfect and she was slowing getting the
hang of this business. She leaned against the brick wall in the kitchen and
took two long gulps of water.
 
She missed
teaching. Maybe, just maybe, she’d be able to go back to her true profession
one day in the distant future. Her skills might be rusty by then and she’d
probably have to go back to school, but it would be worth it to stand in front
of a classroom again. Nothing compared to the sense of joy knowing you were
educating another generation. Walking over to the window, she looked out over
the patio, spotting the opening of the marquee. Maybe she should go and check
if everything was running smoothly.

She
smiled. She wasn’t doing it for professional reasons. She wanted to see Dane
again. It was the first time she was thinking about another man since Mike had
died. Why did that make her feel so guilty?