Page 38 of A Bear's Mercy

What a typical guy, she thought.

Charlie hobbled over to him, keeping herself perfectly upright. When she stood a foot from him, she had to crane her neck up, and she could feel the heat coming off of him in waves as he stood in front of the door, arms still crossed.

“Why’d you save me from the wolves?” she asked, softly.

Kade shrugged.

“I want an answer.”

Finally, Kade looked down at her, his eyes filled with a combination of terror and longing.

“I don’t know,” he said. “I had a split second to decide, but when I saw you, all alone and still pointing a gun at a grizzly, I just... did it,” he said. “Something snapped. I had to keep you safe.”

“Even though I was about to shoot you?”

The side of his mouth twitched into a slow smile.

“I kind of liked that about you,” he admitted. “Not a lot of human women will head into the forest and take down a shifted grizzly on their own.”

“You weren’t afraid?”

Kade just shrugged. “I’ve been through worse,” he said.

Charlie had no idea what to think. A tiny part of her just wanted to leave, still — even though Kade had just admitted that he liked her, hadn’t she left these sorts of mind games with boys behind fifteen years ago, along with middle school?

Give him a chance, she thought.

“Do you want me to stay?” she asked.

Kade started to shrug, and then he looked at her face. He stopped with his shoulders in the air, then uncrossed his arms and put his hands in his pockets.

“Yes,” he said at last.

“Me too,” said Daniel, and Charlie jumped. She hadn’t realized that he was right behind her.

He put his hands gently on her shoulders, and Charlie felt herself lean into them.

“Okay,” she said. “Close the door.”

This time, Kade allowed himself a full smile, then swung the door shut again.

“Just for now,” she said.

Kade looked at her again, his face unreadable.

“If the FBI’s going to rescue me, they’re going to take me back east,” she said. She looked down at her hands, and suddenly, felt tears welling behind her eyes. “But I can come back once I get Olivia out.”

“How long?” Kade asked.

Charlie shook her head.

“I don’t know,” she said. “My back’s got to heal, but I can come visit in a month, maybe? Six weeks? It’ll depend on when I can take some vacation, and how much the flights are...”

She let her voice trail off.

The thought of her apartment in DC was completely unappealing. Even though these guys didn’t have internet, a TV, or even a microwave, for some reason, she felt at home in their little cabin.

Charlie swallowed.

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