Page 60 of The Bear's Blooming Mate

Oh, yeah,his bear agreed.

“Like waiting for a rare flower to bloom.” She nestled closer to him.

“Exactly,” Philip murmured against her hair.

Elsbeth traced her fingers along his chest, following the contours of his muscles. “All this time, I thought I was alone, starting over in a strange place. But I wasn’t.”

“You were never alone,” Philip said, his voice deepening with emotion.

She lifted her head to look at him. “When did you know? The exact moment you knew I was your mate?”

Philip’s expression grew wistful. “When I was driving over here that first day we met. It was the strangest sensation. And at first, I didn’t know what it was. But then, when I saw you, it all made sense.”

“Is that why you looked so...stunned?” A smile played at the corners of her mouth.

“It didn’t help that you seemed to be expecting me,” he said in his defense. “That was kind of confusing.”

“Have you thanked Finn for sending that text?” Elsbeth asked.

“Nowhere near enough times,” he said as he cupped her face in his hand and kissed her lips.

She shivered against him, her body responding instantly to his touch. “So, what happens now?” she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper.

“Now?” Philip rolled onto his back, pulling her on top of him. Her hair fell around them like a curtain as she braced her hands on his chest. “Now we build a life together. Your dream of Rose Farm. My work at the vineyard. Our future.”

“Our future,” she repeated, testing the words on her tongue. “I like the sound of that.”

Her eyes grew serious as she traced the line of his jaw with her fingertip. “I wish my mom could have met you. She would have loved you.” Her voice caught slightly. “She always said I’d know when I found the right person.”

“She is part of the reason we met,” Philip said.

Elsbeth nodded, her eyes misted with tears. “You’re right. She told me to follow my dreams, and that led me here. To you.”

“Is it too soon to tell you that I love you?” Philip asked gruffly.

“No,” she answered. “And I love you, too. Both sides of you.”

And that was all Philip had ever longed to hear.

Chapter Nineteen – Elsbeth

Elsbeth woke to sunlight streaming through the curtains and an empty space beside her where Philip had been. For a moment, she wondered if she had dreamed it all—the bear shifter, the mating bond, the way they had made love until the early hours of the morning. But then the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee drifted up the stairs, and she smiled. It hadn’t been a dream after all.

She stretched languidly, her body pleasantly sore in ways that reminded her of every touch, every kiss they had shared. The memory of Philip’s hands on her skin, his lips trailing fire down her body, sent a delicious shiver through her.

Elsbeth slipped out of bed and quickly dressed, pulling on a clean shirt and jeans. As she moved toward the door, something caught her eye—her mother’s old flannel shirt on the floor beside the bed.

She bent to pick it up, holding it against her cheek, and tears pricked her eyes unexpectedly. She sank down onto the edge of the bed, overwhelmed with a mixture of emotions.

For so long, this shirt had been her lifeline, a tangible connection to the woman she’d lost. But as she sat there, listening to Philip humming downstairs, Elsbeth realized something had shifted inside her. The grief was still there—it would always be there—but it no longer threatened to drown her.

It was time to start letting go of the sorrow and embrace the joy. Her mother would always be a part of her, would always be part of Rose Farm. But Elsbeth now understood that when her mom had made her promise to pursue her dream of owning a flower farm, it wasn’t just about the flowers—it was about finding happiness again.

And with Philip, she had done just that.

She carefully folded the flannel shirt and placed it on the bed. Then she headed downstairs toward the sound of Philip’s humming and the promise of coffee.

Philip looked up as she entered the kitchen, his smile taking her breath away. Images from the night before flashed through her mind—their bodies entwined, whispered words of love, the connection that went beyond the physical.

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