Chapter Twelve: Levi

Don’t look so nervous,Levi’s bear told him as they waited for Rosie’s car to reach the ranch. He could sense them in the distance, getting closer and closer.

I’m just worried if we blow this, that she’ll never consider making a life here in Bear Creek,Levi replied, leaning on the gate that led from the road to the ranch. He’d come out here to meet them so that she didn’t miss the turnoff.

What’s not to like?his bear answered.

Us,Levi answered bluntly.

You’re still worried she is going to freak out when she finds out the truth?His bear sat down and rested his head on his paws. You need to trust in fate.

If only it was that easy,Levi said as the car came into view and he raised his hand, trying to look cool and calm as he waved at them.

“Hi there.” Rosie rolled down the window as she pulled to a stop in front of the gate. “Your directions were spot on.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Levi said as he came around the side of the car and leaned down. “I wondered if Elliott might want to come and help open the gate.”

“Can I, Mommy?” Elliott asked excitedly, wriggling in his seat.

“Sure.” Rosie rested her elbow on the door as Levi opened the rear passenger door and unclipped Elliott’s seatbelt.

“Do you know the most important thing about opening a gate?” Levi asked as Elliott slipped his small hand into his and they walked to the gate.

“Nope,” Elliott said as he skipped a couple of steps.

“The most important thing about opening a gate.” He lifted Elliott into his arms so that the boy could unlatch the gate. “Is closing it.”

“Closing it?” Elliott looked up at Levi with and curious eyes. “Why?”

“Yep, closing it,” Levi confirmed, a smile playing on his lips. “If you don’t close it, the cows might wander off and we’d have to go looking for them all over Bear Creek.”

Elliott’s eyes widened even more at the thought of an exciting cow-hunt. “Can we do that sometime, go looking for cows?”

Levi chuckled. “Maybe someday. But for now, let’s make sure we do things right.” He guided Elliott’s small hands to the latch, showing him how it worked. “There you go. Now swing it open gently.”

Elliott took his responsibilities very seriously as he pushed the gate wide open. Then, after Rosie had driven through, Elliott closed it and happily climbed into Levi’s arms to secure the latch.

“Good work!” Levi said and earned himself a wide smile from Elliott.

“I want to be a cowboy,” Elliott said.

“I thought you wanted to be a carpenter,” Levi said solemnly as they walked to the car.

“Can’t I be both?” Elliott asked. “Like you?”

“I guess.” They reached the car, and he opened the door for Elliott to climb back into his seat.

“Can I offer you a ride?” Rosie asked as she watched them in the rearview mirror.

It wasn’t too far to the ranch house, but Levi could not refuse the chance to sit next to his mate. “Sure.”

Levi went around to the passenger side and settled into the seat, feeling the warmth of Rosie’s presence beside him. Heat infused his body, but he kept his cool, even though the temptation to reach across the car and touch her hand was almost overwhelming. He glanced out the window, forcing himself to focus on the landscape instead of the magnetic pull between them.

The car rolled smoothly along the dirt track toward the ranch house, flanked by fields that stretched out like a patchwork quilt of greens and golds. The scent of wildflowers and freshly cut hay drifted in through the open window and he inhaled deeply, grounding himself.

“This place is amazing,” Rosie said as she looked out of the windows. “Do you live here?”

“Not for about five years,” Levi said. “I decided to buy my own place just across the way. But I still have a room here if I need one. And I like to stay over some evenings, catch up with my folks, and watch the stars.”

“I bet they are amazing.” Rosie leaned forward and looked up at the open sky as the trees thinned.

“They are. You and Elliott should come up here one evening and we can watch them come out one by one. Nothing beats the sight of a sky untouched by city lights,” Levi replied, his voice softening as he pictured the three of them beneath the vast expanse of twinkling stars.

“I’d like that. If we can squeeze it in before we go home.” Rosie’s words were like a bucket of cold water being tipped over him on a hot summer’s day.

“Wow, that is some house.” His mate’s attention was drawn to the stone and timber ranch house that his mom and dad had transformed from a wreck into the home it was today. As their family grew, so did the house, with one bedroom after another being added so that all six boys could have their own space.

“It is,” Levi agreed.

“I think if I lived in a place like this, I would never want to leave.” Rosie parked the car in front of the house and turned off the engine. “Thanks for inviting us.”

“You are very welcome,” Levi said, and half-smiled as their eyes met.

Levi’s half-smile lingered as he opened the car door and stepped out, the gravel crunching softly under his boots. Rosie followed suit, glancing back at Elliott, who was already animatedly unbuckling his seatbelt and bouncing in his seat.

“Slow down there.” Rosie opened the car door and helped Elliott out of his seat. “The ranch is not going anywhere.”

“But I want to see it all!” Elliott proclaimed as his feet hit the ground.

“Okay, another rule of the ranch,” Levi said gently but firmly. “There are lots of animals here. And just like us, they can get startled. So, we have to respect them since they are bigger than us.”

“What Levi means,” Rosie said, “is that we need to have our calm heads on. We don’t run up to the animals, and we don’t use our loud voices unless absolutely necessary. Okay?”

“Okay,” Elliott said with a nod.

“Good boy.” Levi ruffled his hair. “Shall we go and see the horses first?”

“Yes, please.” Elliott reached for Levi’s hand and slipped his small hand into it. Then he reached for Rosie’s hand, and she took it and gave it a small squeeze.

Levi smiled at the small gesture and when he lifted his gaze and saw the look of love on Rosie’s face, he wished she knew the truth. He wished they had met sooner, and they were his family.

That mother and son belonged to him.

One day soon they will,his bear assured him.

“This is where we bring the horses to groom them,” Levi said, leading them to a large, open barn. The earthy scent of hay and the comforting murmur of horses greeted them as they stepped inside. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the wooden beams, casting dappled patterns on the ground.

Elliott’s eyes widened with wonder, his mouth forming a small “O” as he took in the sight of the majestic creatures.

“Can I pet one?” he asked, his voice a hushed whisper now, wide eyes shifting between Levi and Rosie.

“Of course,” Levi replied, his smile warm. “But remember what we talked about—calm and gentle.”

Rosie watched as Levi guided Elliott toward a sleek chestnut mare, her rich coat glowing in the sunlight. The mare’s dark eyes watched them with curiosity, ears flicking forward.

“Her name’s Belle,” Levi said softly, resting a hand on the horse’s neck. “She’s very friendly.”

Elliott stepped closer, his movements slow and deliberate. His tiny fingers reached out and brushed against Belle’s soft nose, his eyes alight with joy.

“Like this.” Levi extended his hand, palm up, toward Belle’s muzzle.

Elliott mirrored Levi’s movements, and the mare lowered her head, nostrils flaring softly as she took in the young boy’s scent. With an approving nicker, she nudged his hand gently, eliciting a delighted giggle from Elliott.

“Rosie?” Levi stood back, making room for his mate, who approached with caution. “Have you ever been around horses?”

“No.” She shook her head. “I grew up in the city. I never went horseback riding as a girl. Like some other kids, my folks couldn’t afford it.”

“We could change that,” Levi said gently.

“Today?” Elliott asked hopefully. “Can we go horseback riding today?”

“Not today, buddy,” Levi said, smiling at Elliott’s disappointed pout. “But one day soon. I have a friend who has a pony you could ride. I’ll call him and see if I can arrange it.”

“Yes!” Elliott said, but kept his voice low. “I love horses.”

“Shall we go and look at the ones in the pasture?” Levi asked. “Then we can go look at the cattle. And my mom asked if we could collect the eggs and take them to the house.”

“I love collecting eggs,” Elliott said as he stroked Belle’s soft muzzle one last time, then turned away, ready for new adventures.

This is going well,his bear said happily.

It is,Levi said, the tension he’d felt before Rosie and Elliott had arrived now gone. He was winning them over, he was sure of it.

And the more time he spent with Rosie, the more he learned about her and the more he understood the depths of her guarded heart. Each moment was a chance to chip away at the walls she had built around herself.

She’d been hurt, and it was natural for her to want to cling to safety, to the things she knew and were familiar to her. But he had so much to offer.

All he needed to do was persuade Rosie that he could give her safety, and security, and protect her from whatever came their way.

But perhaps therein lay the problem. Rosie didn’t need someone to fight her battles. She needed someone to stand by her side and cheer her on as she fought them herself.

We can do that,his bear said.

Yes, we can,Levi agreed. We just have to figure out how to prove ourselves to Rosie.

As they walked toward the pasture, the rolling fields stretched out before them, bathed in the golden afternoon light. Elliott bombarded Levi with questions about the ranch, about the animals, about the mountains. His excitement and energy were limitless.

“He loves it here,” Rosie said as they reached a gate where horses grazed on the other side. Elliott was running along the fence line, stopping every so often to say hello to the horses, who nickered softly in response.

Levi watched Rosie as she gazed at her son with a tender smile. “And what about you?”

She glanced up at him, a smile playing on her lips. “It’s growing on me.”

“Oh, is it?” he said lightly.

“Yes, I’m starting to see the appeal of wide-open spaces of nothingness.”

“Nothingness?” He spread his arm out in front of him. “That is not nothingness. There are horses and grass, and fences and the mountains leading up to the sky.”

“Where I am from, the buildings lead up to the sky,” she replied. “It’s all I’ve ever known.”

“Life is all about change,” Levi told her.

“I doubt this ranch has changed much in decades,” she replied. “Whereas the city is always in flux, always evolving.”

“True,” Levi conceded, his eyes softening. “But some changes, the important ones, they happen inside us.”

Rosie looked at him, her expression contemplative. “You never fear you’re getting left behind?”

“No.” His forehead wrinkled. “My family is deeply rooted in Bear Creek. It’s a great town, built on the knowledge of our ancestors. Things don’t change much here because we’re more in touch with the seasons, with the weather, rather than what’s in the news. Some things are fleeting but the mountains last forever.”

She gave a small smile. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

“Something like that,” Levi said. “But it’s not like we don’t embrace change.” He leaned forward and whispered, “You do know we have indoor plumbing.”

“I do,” she said lightly.

“What I mean is that we change and evolve, but while still keeping our core values.” He smiled at her, wishing he could make her understand. “Bear Creek, this ranch is about loyalty and family, and knowing where you come from,” he continued, his voice softer now. “It’s about holding onto those you love, no matter what. But it’s also about being there for each other and supporting each other. Like you are doing with helping the small businesses in town. You aren’t trying to change them.”

“No, I’m not,” she agreed. “The appeal of those small businesses is their history, their story.”

“Exactly, that’s what people crave, what they have been missing, the chance to connect, to feel something real.”

“I get what you are saying.” She turned away from the grazing horses and stared at the ranch house. “Our lives, our childhoods, could not have been more different.”

“Opposite attracts,” he said with a smile.

“Yes, I think they do,” Rosie said, and his heart felt like it was fit to burst in his chest.

As they walked on, he was certain he hadn’t just chipped away at the barriers she’d put up; he’d taken a sledgehammer and whacked a massive hole in it.