Chapter Twenty-One: Clint

Chapter Twenty-One – Clint

Clint entered his oh-so-familiar home and closed the door behind him. As he turned around, he was met with the oh-so-unfamiliar sight of Martha and Freddy seated around his kitchen table.

His throat tightened as a wave of emotion rushed over him. As he’d walked back from checking in with Curtis, fear had gripped his heart and squeezed it hard. What if it had all been a dream, a figment of his imagination, and he hadn’t met his mate or Freddy?

But here they were.

“How is Kay?” Martha looked up from her laptop and raised her coffee cup to her lips.

“Kay is just fine. It’s Curtis I’m worried about. He’s more than a little tense about the impending birth.” Clint poured himself a cup of coffee and leaned back on the counter.

“I can understand that,” Martha replied. “Their lives are about to change forever.”

Just as our lives have changed forever,Clint’s bear said happily. I wonder if Martha is going to make an offer on the shack. It’ll be good for Freddy to see the place put back together.

It would. Although, we’re not going to be much help to Martha for a while. When Kay has her baby, Curtis is going to need to be at her side. We’ll have to pick up all the chores here.Clint glanced at Freddy and Martha, who were seated at the kitchen table.

And that won’t leave us much time to spend with Martha and Freddy,his bear added.

“Why don’t we get out of here and go out onto the mountain?” Clint suggested. “It’s a beautiful day. The sun is out, the ice is beginning to melt...”

“Great idea!” Freddy jumped out of his seat and was heading for the door before Martha had a chance to answer.

“I guess that’s decided then.” She gave Clint a lopsided smile, then rose from the chair and tucked her laptop into its case in one seamless movement. “I want to break in these new hiking boots.” Martha pulled on her boots and laced them securely before grabbing her coat, which hung by the door.

Clint nodded, pleased that everyone was so eager to get going. He opened the door and stepped out into the bright sunshine. The air smelled of pine trees and damp earth as the thaw continued.

“Can we go up there?” Freddy pointed up at the mountain peak towering above them, half hidden by clouds.

“Not today,” Clint replied with a glance at Martha.

“Hey, don’t let me hold you back.” Martha held up her hands. “If you boys want to go run to the highest peak, I’m not going to stop you.”

“You’re not holding us back,” Clint said with a smile. He’d already made his decision, and it wasn’t open for discussion. “We should stay close to home. There’s plenty of time to go explore the mountains. In the spring, we can hike up there and camp out. It’ll be fun.”

As real families do,his bear said happily.

If we get a chance to show Freddy what it’s like to be part of a real family.Clint glanced at his phone and sighed. He wished Brad would call with news, one way or the other, about whether Freddy’s aunt had made allegations about Freddy shifting into a bear in front of her eyes.

Even if she hasn’t reported him shifting, she’s sure to have made a missing person’s report,his bear said. Either way, Freddy is going to have some questions to answer. His bear wished they could all disappear into the mountains and live a simple life, in a den, with their mate and Freddy.

And leave everyone else behind?Clint knew his bear wasn’t being serious, but the idea was still tempting.

“Let’s go.” He guided them to a trail that led from his backyard into the forest, with Martha following close behind him. As soon as they reached the trail, Freddy shifted and ran on ahead, kicking up dirt, ice, and snow as he bounded along, without a care in the world.

The morning light glimmered off the melting icicles that hung from the branches, like a million tiny stars. The air was crisp and filled with the scent of evergreen needles and damp soil. There was a stillness to it all, and Clint stopped for a moment in reverence for the surrounding beauty, wanting to enjoy it with his mate.

“It’s such a glorious day,” Martha breathed. “I can see why you love it here.”

“I love it even more now that I have you in my life.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it.

“You say the sweetest things,” Martha told him and nudged into his shoulder playfully.

“I just wish I could make it right for Freddy.” Clint touched his hand to the pocket containing his cell phone.

“Whatever happens, we’ll figure something out,” Martha told him. “And maybe the aunt hasn’t told anyone. I mean, who would believe her?”

“You’re right, and it’s not as if it’s plastered all over the news,” Clint agreed.

“Or social media.” She glanced sideways at him. “I know, because I checked while you were over at Curtis’s house.”

“Well, that’s one good thing. It would be hard to keep a lid on a story like this.”

“Yeah.” Martha nodded. “I’m more concerned about a missing person’s report. Freddy is going to need to tell the authorities why he ran away.”

“Yeah, we’re going to have to help him there. He’s going to need to rehearse what he tells them.” Clint glanced in the shack’s direction. “Although I hate teaching him it’s okay to lie. Even though his life might depend on it.”

“Well, if you’re going to make something up, then you need to keep your story as close to the truth as possible,” Martha said. “Freddy can say he hitchhiked here because he doesn’t enjoy living with his aunt and he felt the urge to go home. No social worker is going to place him back there once they hear his story.”

“We don’t have to worry about that,” Clint told her. “There’s a social worker who lives close by who can make sure that Freddy comes to live with us. If that’s what we want.”

“It is what we want.” She squeezed his hand.

“I’ll make some calls as soon as we hear from Brad,” Clint said.

“We.” She smiled and tightened her grip on his hand. “I’ve never been a part of a we before.”

“Well, get used to it. Because it’s we all the way from here on out.” Clint stopped for a moment and turned to face her, his lips grazing hers in a feather-light caress. Then he nipped her bottom lip, their tongues entwining as they savored the moment together here in the forest that was his second home.

His heart raced and his bear stirred in approval at their mate’s proximity.

Clint smiled against her lips as their kiss broke, knowing that no matter what happened with Freddy, this was where he belonged...in Martha’s arms.

“We should catch up with Freddy.” Martha tugged at his hand, and they began walking up the winding trail, hand in hand, enjoying the morning sun.

The path was lined with tall pines that created a canopy of branches above them, giving them a peaceful and secluded atmosphere. As they walked farther into the forest, they could hear birds singing in the trees and see flashes of color as squirrels darted through the undergrowth.

The ground was still covered with patches of snow, but it was slowly melting away as the sun warmed up the earth beneath.

It was as if the world around them was coming alive.

The shrill cry of his cell phone broke the spell the forest had cast over them, and Clint let go of Martha’s hand as he reached to answer it.

“Who is it?” Martha asked as he tapped the screen. “Is it the sheriff?”

He nodded and answered the phone. “Hey, Brad, what’s up?”

Martha stood still and stared at him, her face a mask of concern as she waited to hear the news Brad had for them.

“Hey there, Clint. How’s it going?” Brad didn’t give a hint as to whether he had good news or bad for them.

“That all depends on you,” Clint replied evenly. “I take it you have news on Freddy?”

“I do. But not over the phone.” Brad’s words left Clint in no doubt that the news was bad. “Can you come down to the sheriff’s station?”

Clint hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Martha. “Sure,” he said finally. “We’ll be there in an hour.”

“See you then,” Brad said, before hanging up.

Clint let out a sigh and slipped his phone into his pocket. Martha placed her hand on his arm, a gesture of support as they both looked along the trail to where Freddy’s bear was pouncing on a large snowdrift.

Clint took a deep breath, steeling himself for whatever was to come. Getting Freddy to go to the sheriff’s office.

The kid might decide he doesn’t want to face the authorities and run off into the wild. His bear’s comment mirrored Clint’s fears.

“What did Brad say?” Martha kept her gaze fixed on Freddy.

“He said he had news, but he wouldn’t say what it was over the phone,” Clint replied. “He wants us to come down to the sheriff’s station.”

“That can’t be good,” Martha whispered, switching her attention to Clint.

“Brad won’t let anything bad happen to Freddy,” Clint assured her.

“How do you know that?” Martha demanded. “The law is the law and if Freddy broke it...there’s due process. And as the sheriff, Brad has to follow that process.”

Clint said, “But this is Bear Creek. Things work differently here.”

“You mean Brad makes up his own rules?” Martha’s eyes flashed with anger and her body stiffened as she took a deliberate step back from him. The space between them was suddenly thick, as if an invisible wall had been erected.

“No.” Clint reached out and touched her arm, his voice low and soothing. “He’s the best sheriff Bear Creek has ever had. He’ll make sure Freddy is kept safe. We all know that Freddy is vulnerable like any other kid in these circumstances but add in being a shifter with no knowledge of who you are and what you are... Brad will ensure that Freddy gets the help he needs.”

Martha nodded, the tension in her body slowly fading away as Clint’s words sank in. “I’m as worried about Freddy as you are. And I’m sorry I got carried away, but the law has been my life for so long...” She stepped closer to Clint and reached out to take his hand again.

“I get it. We have a lot to learn about each other and we’ve been thrown into this...mess.” He sighed and squeezed her hand gently and then slowly turned his gaze back toward Freddy, still playing in the snowdrift. “We need to do our best for him, Martha. From what he’s shared, it sounds like he never had the chance to have a carefree childhood. We need to make sure that whatever happens next, Freddy gets the chance to be a kid again.”

Clint gently squeezed her hand one last time before they started down the trail toward Freddy. As they approached him, Clint smiled and waved in an effort to put Freddy at ease.

Freddy looked up from his snowdrift and stared at them for a long moment, then he shifted and said, “Okay, what’s wrong?”

“Who said there was something wrong?” Clint tried to put on his best innocent-sounding voice, but it made Freddy more suspicious.

“We have to go into town,” Martha explained. “To talk to the sheriff.”

“The sheriff!” Freddy backed away, and the air shimmered around him.

He’s going to shift,Clint’s bear warned.

“Don’t run,” Clint wanted. “If you run now, you’ll never stop.”

“Clint’s right. You don’t want to spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder.” Martha held out her hand and ambled toward him. “Trust us.”

Finally, Freddy’s shoulders slumped forward in defeat, and he walked toward them, looking somehow diminished. Clint and Martha held out their arms and Freddy ducked his head and went to them.

Our first family hug, his bear said hoarsely.

Clint was overwhelmed with happiness and the innate desire to protect his family. He breathed in the scent of them both, savoring this moment as it was a reminder of why he was here—to keep his family safe.