Page 18 of The Bear's Blooming Mate

She had seen him. Known him.

That was enough for tonight.

Chapter Six – Elsbeth

The soft glow of dawn slipped through the old lace curtains that still hung at the window, waking Elsbeth before her alarm had a chance.

For a moment, she simply lay still, listening to the creaks and sighs of the farmhouse settling around her.

She felt...better. More rested than she had been in weeks.

Yet something lingered at the edges of her mind, the memory of last night, the unmistakable sensation of a presence just beyond her window. Had it really been a bear, or had her eyes been playing tricks on her?

But if it had been a bear, it hadn’t frightened her. If anything, it had felt reassuring, as if a guardian was keeping an eye on her.

Was she crazy to think her mother was the one out there somewhere, watching over her?

Yes,was the answer from the voice in her head.

And even though the idea that her mom might be watching over her comforted her, made her feel less alone, the idea that her mom was not resting in peace did not.

She shivered and sat up, shaking the feeling off. This was no time for ghost stories.

She had work to do.

Swinging her legs out of bed, she stretched and breathed in the cool morning air that carried the faint scent of dew and wildflowers.

Today was about progress. It was about taking those first tentative steps toward building the life she had promised herself. And her mother.

Grabbing a hair tie from the nightstand, she quickly braided her hair and pulled on jeans and a worn flannel shirt.

It was her mother’s shirt, faded from years of wear and sun-bleached in patches, but still soft against her skin. She breathed in deeply, catching the faintest hint of her mother’s scent that somehow lingered in the fabric despite countless washings.

Wearing it always gave her comfort. Gave her confidence in herself. It was almost like armor against any self-doubt she might feel. Her mom had always been her greatest cheerleader.

Elsbeth stifled a sob. How she wished her mom were here by her side. This new beginning would be so much easier if she were not alone.

For a moment, she stood in the center of the room, her arms wrapped around her body, hugging the flannel close as if it could somehow bring her mother back. But her mom was gone, and all the wishing in the world wouldn’t change that.

The one thing she could change was her life. Her fate. Which meant she had to get on with her day and start working her way through the long list of jobs that needed completing before her dream could become a reality.

And that list needed prioritizing.

She hurried downstairs and put on a fresh pot of coffee. While it brewed, she opened the back door and let in the new morning. The sound of birdsong always cheered her up, and the birds on the farm sure knew how to sing.

With a freshly poured cup of coffee in one hand and her trusty notebook in the other, she padded outside in socked feet to sit on the worn steps of the back porch. The dew-soaked grass glistened in the early light, and a gentle mist hovered just above the ground, giving the fields a dreamlike quality.

This was her favorite time of day, when the world felt made anew and full of possibility.

Elsbeth flipped open her notebook, a pencil hovering over a fresh page as she sighed contentedly. Then she set to work.

The list grew quickly. Repair the chicken coop, clear the overgrown garden beds nearest the house, and call about getting the tractor serviced. Small tasks that would add up to something bigger. Something that would honor her mother’s memory and the promise Elsbeth had made.

But the biggest task for the day involved the irrigation system—or lack of one.

Without water, her flowers would die. And her dream would die with them.

Her gaze drifted to the road, searching for Philip’s truck. Would he come back today to help her find the spring? Or had he forgotten about her already?

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