Chapter Six: Levi

Don’t look so nervous,Levi’s bear said.

I am nervous,Levi answered as he shuffled anxiously. Maybe he’d made a mistake coming here to Bear Creek Lodge. What if Rosie thinks I’m stalking her?

We were,his bear answered.

No, you were,Levi retorted. He could sense them coming closer.

I was watching over them protectively,his bear answered.

Levi had sensed his mate and her son in the forest as he’d run here over the mountains and had been irresistibly drawn to her. Partly because he needed to be close to her but also because he wanted to make sure they were safe. That no predator might hurt them.

But as they drew closer to the trailhead, he skirted around them and ran to the edge of the trees and shifted, before crossing the parking lot to sit outside her cabin.

He hadn’t needed to ask at reception. He could smell their scent on the steps, on the door… He inhaled deeply, tasting her on his tongue.

Here they are. Levi stiffened as he watched Rosie and Elliott emerge from the forest trail, shrouded in twilight. But he didn’t need to see them clearly to know it was them. Their presence, the sense of them, was indelibly etched into his soul.

“Levi!” Elliott spotted him first and his eyes lit up as he tugged away from Rosie’s hand and sprinted toward Levi.

“Hey there. Did you enjoy your walk?” Levi pushed himself to stand, even though the sight of his mate made his knees go weak.

As Rosie drew nearer, Levi’s heart sank as he picked up on her suspicious gaze. And she had every right to be suspicious of a man she’d only just met seated on her porch.

In an effort to ease her concerns, he extended his hand, revealing the game console charger he held tight. “I had to go into town and picked this up for you,” Levi said, his voice steady despite the anxiety coursing through him.

“A charger!” Elliott exclaimed, reaching for it eagerly.

Rosie’s expression softened, but the wariness remained as she offered a small nod of gratitude. “Thank you. But you didn’t have to go to any trouble.”

Levi’s smile widened as the knot in his stomach eased. “It was no trouble,” he assured her. “I had to go to town for some screws and glue for Camille’s kitchen.”

“Can Levi stay for cocoa and cookies?” Elliot asked as he held the charger in his hand.

“I don’t want to intrude,” Levi said, backing away even though he wanted nothing more than to spend time in the cabin with his mate and her son. The cocoa and cookies would be a welcome bonus.

“It’s the least I can do to thank you for the charger,” Rosie said and stepped around him to climb the steps.

“Come on.” Elliott slipped his small hand into Levi’s and tugged him up the porch steps. “Mommy makes the best cocoa.”

“Elliott is my number one fan,” Rosie said and cast a smile over her shoulder. “So temper your expectations.”

“I cannot remember the last time I had cocoa,” Levi admitted. “My mom used to make it for us all the time when we were kids.”

Rosie unlocked the cabin and went inside, switching on the lights as she shrugged off her jacket. “Shoes off, and hands washed.”

Elliott slipped his hand from Levi’s and flopped down on the floor, tugging his boots off before he ran to the bathroom. The splashing of water in the sink signaled Elliott was doing as he was told.

He’s a good kid,Levi’s bear said with satisfaction.

He is,Levi said. I cannot wait to take him into the mountains and teach him about nature. How to read animal tracks, and predict the weather…

“If you have somewhere else you need to be, don’t feel obligated to stay,” Rosie said. “I know how hard it is to say no to Elliott…”

“No.” Levi shook his head as he realized he’d been staring at the wall. “I was just remembering when I was Elliott’s age. My brothers and I lived in the mountains and forests. We’d spend the days exploring. My mom would pack us a lunch and wouldn’t see us again until dinnertime.”

“You’re lucky to have siblings,” Rosie said, casting a longing look toward the bathroom where the running water finally stopped.

“I am,” Levi said as he joined her in the kitchen area. “Although growing up, I did not always see it that way. We played together and fought together.”

He smiled at the memories. Memories he hadn’t taken out and looked at for some years. But having Elliott in his life brought his childhood into sharp focus.

“I worry Elliott is an only child,” Rosie admitted, her voice low and filled with concern. “I worry he’ll miss out on those kinds of experiences. I don’t want him to blame me…”

“He won’t,” Levi assured her.

“Sorry, I don’t know why I told you that,” Rosie said with a small smile as she spooned cocoa into mugs.

“It must be hard on your own,” Levi said as he leaned against the counter, watching his mate as she moved around the kitchen.

“Not as hard as the last few months married to his father,” Rosie admitted.

“I’m sorry you had a hard time,” Levi said.

But we are here for you,his bear said.

“It’s not your fault,” Rosie said.

Wasn’t it?

The thought popped into Levi’s head and would not let go. Had Rosie’s marriage broken down because she was his, his fated mate?

No,his bear said. That’s not how fate works.

But it hurt to think he might have been indirectly responsible for Rosie’s pain.

“Elliott’s a good kind,” Levi said as he heard the boy go to one of the bedrooms and plug in his game console.

“He is,” Rosie said wistfully. “I just hope that the divorce doesn’t scar him. We had to sell our house and move to an apartment. That was tough. Elliott had known a couple of the neighborhood kids since he was born.”

“Kids are resilient,” Levi said, wishing he could do more to comfort her. He longed to reach out and pull her into his arms, to murmur words of comfort in her ear, and tell her how incredible she was.

“It’s just not how I expected our lives to turn out.” Rosie stirred the cocoa and then handed him a mug. “But I aim to work hard, buy us a house in the suburbs. Get back what we lost.”

The suburbs,his bear said mournfully.

“The charger works!” Elliott stormed back into the room with a wide smile on his face.

“You are a lifesaver,” Rosie told Levi. “Thank you. And I’m sorry if I seemed off before.”

“Oh, don’t mention it,” Levi said, waving her apology away. “I’d be suspicious if I got home to find a strange man on my porch.”

“You’re not strange,” Elliott said as he dragged out a chair and climbed on it.

“Let it cool.” Rosie watched her son as she placed a smaller mug of cocoa in front of him.

“It will cool while I eat a cookie!” Elliott said hopefully.

“It will.” Rosie smothered a smile as she reached for a box of cookies. “Just one.”

“Thanks, Mommy,” he said as he took a cookie.

“Levi?” Rosie arched an eyebrow at him.

“Just one,” Elliott teased with a grin before he took a bite of his cookie.

“They aren’t as good as Camille’s,” Rosie warned him as he reached for one. “She sure knows how to bake.”

“She does, and I know she finds your help invaluable.” Levi bit into his cookie.

“Supporting small business gives me a lot of pleasure,” Rosie said. “And particularly supporting women in business. I enjoy finding ways to help support communities.”

“You’ve done that here,” Levi told her. “Camille is talking about hiring people to help her business expand.” He smothered a smile. “I think my mom would like to help, but she is afraid to push herself forward.”

“I can understand that. She and Camille are building a relationship, and she doesn’t want to tread on Camille’s toes,” Rosie said. “Although, my mother-in-law had no trouble asserting her presence.”

“What’s ashirting mean?” Elliott asked as he slurped his cocoa.

“It means Grandma Jo liked to share her ideas and opinions,” Rosie said diplomatically.

“Like when she told you that you were a fool to leave Daddy?” Elliott asked.

“Yes, just like that,” Rosie said and bit into a cookie, crunching it hard.

Levi watched the play of emotions over Rosie’s face. There was pain there, but it didn’t hide her inner strength. Rosie meant to prove her mother-in-law wrong.

And she will,his bear said.

I have no doubt she already has,Levi said. Her mother-in-law probably thought Rosie would crumble and run back to her husband.

“Come on, sleepyhead.” Rosie ruffled her son’s hair as he rested his head on his folded arms on the table. “Let’s get you to bed.”

“I’m too tired to walk,” Elliott yawned widely. “Can Levi carry me?”

“I think you can manage to walk to the bathroom and brush your teeth.” Rosie hooked her hands under his arms and encouraged him to stand.

Levi stood by and watched, even though he’d have loved to scoop the boy into his arms and carry him to bed. It was something he’d always dreamed of doing with his own children.

“My legs are tired,” Elliott grumbled as he ambled out of the kitchen.

“Then the sooner you brush your teeth and put on your PJs, the sooner you’ll get to bed,” Rosie told him.

“I should go,” Levi said and drained his cocoa cup then placed it in the sink.

“Can’t you stay and say goodnight to me?” Elliott raised his head, his shoulders no longer drooping.

He’s so cute,Levi’s bear said.

Levi shot Rosie a questioning look. He didn’t want his mate to feel as if he was pushing his way into their lives.

“Would that be okay with you, Levi?” Rosie asked. “I don’t want to hold you up if you have somewhere you need to be.”

“I’ll be quick,” Elliott said and dashed off to the bathroom with a fresh burst of energy.

“I don’t have anywhere else to be,” Levi assured her.

No, because this is the only place we need to be,his bear said happily.

“His dad wasn’t always around much,” Rosie said. “But in his own way, he misses him. He doesn’t say anything. Even at such a young age, Elliott knows how much I’m hurting.” She brushed her hand across her eyes. “Sorry. I try to put on a brave face for him.”

“But he can sense it.” Levi took a step closer to her and reached out, sliding his arm around her shoulders. “I think it’s important for him to know how you feel. And to experience that kind of empathy.”

“Empathy.” She nodded and wrapped her arms around herself. “That’s one thing he certainly didn’t inherit from his father.”

“You’re doing great, Rosie,” Levi said, stroking her back.

“Thanks.” Her bottom lip trembled. “No one’s ever told me that.”

“You don’t have parents?” Levi asked.

“Yes, I do,” she said. “But they moved to Spain before Elliott was born. They bought a restaurant, and it takes up so much of their time that all we do is snatch brief conversations on the phone.”

“That’s tough. I can’t imagine not having my family around to support me,” Levi said.

“Camille told me how much they have welcomed her,” Rosie said. “I envy her being part of it.”

But you are part of it, too,his bear said.

One day soon she’ll know,Levi assured him.

“Ready!” Elliott said.

“Thank you, Levi.” Rosie covered his hand resting on her shoulder with hers.

“Anything you need. I’m here for you,” Levi said and hoped she would believe him.