Page 26 of The Bear's Matchmaking Mix-up Mate
His fingers drummed against the wheel as he turned onto the main road. The scent of sage still lingered on his skin fromthe garden, reminding him of Wren’s smile as she’d rubbed the leaves between her fingers.
What he truly needed to do was make her see that they were meant to be together. That the connection between them wasn’t just attraction or friendship, but something deeper, something fated.
Surely if Mrs. Abernathy could see it, then Wren would, too. Eventually.
The weight in his chest lightened at that thought. Mrs. Abernathy had practically given him her blessing, in her own terrifying way. She’d seen what was between them, recognized it for what it was, even if Wren wasn’t ready to admit it yet.
A melody drifted through his mind as he drove, and he found himself humming it under his breath. The tune rose and fell, soft and sweet, with an underlying current of longing that seemed to echo his own feelings.
Then it hit him. It was Wren’s tune—the one she’d been humming on and off all day while they worked in the garden. The one she’d been unconsciously tapping with her foot at breakfast.
Our song,his bear murmured with quiet satisfaction.
“Our song,” Finn repeated, a smile spreading across his face.
Something about that realization made him feel lighter, as if he’d been given a secret gift. The melody had burrowed into his mind, just as she had burrowed into his heart. And if her music lived inside him now, didn’t that mean a part of her did, too?
The significance wasn’t lost on him. Deep down, she must feel their connection. The tune was proof that she carried him with her, just as he carried her. She simply needed time to recognize what it meant. Time to trust in him, to trust in fate, to trust in the bond they shared.
His bear rumbled contentedly.She’ll come around. She just needs time to heal.
Time to heal from whatever had hurt her before. Time to learn to trust again. Time to recognize what he already knew…that they belonged together.
Chapter Ten – Wren
Wren drove away from her godmother’s house with her fingers wrapped so tightly around the steering wheel that her knuckles ached. She forced herself to flex her fingers and breathe, but nothing could stop the whirlwind of contradictions in her head.
What was wrong with her? The question circled in an endless loop as she navigated the winding mountain roads, sunlight dappling through the trees in patterns that matched her scattered thoughts.
“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” she muttered, shaking her head slowly.
The look on Finn’s face when she’d deflected his words played on repeat behind her eyes. That moment when his expression had shifted from hopeful to…devastation? Was that what she’d seen before he carefully masked his emotions?
Why hadn’t she let him speak? Because she’d known exactly what he was about to say, and she’d panicked. Cut him off with talk about garden plans and bills.
A deer darted across the road, and Wren slammed on the brakes, her heart leaping into her throat. She sat there for a moment, breathing hard, watching the graceful creature disappear into the woods.
“Get it together,” she whispered, her voice small in the quiet car.
She eased back onto the road, the memory of Donna’s hands on Finn rising unbidden. Those perfectly manicured fingers sliding over his stomach, his arm, claiming him with a touch.The possessiveness of it had made Wren’s blood boil, even as she’d told herself she had no right to feel that way.
But Finn had looked so uncomfortable. Had tried to step away. Had told Wren with such conviction that Donna meant nothing to him.That there never had been. There never will be. Ever.
She’d seen the words he wanted to add in his eyes before her godmother had interrupted.Because you are the only one for me.
“And when he tried to tell you again, you just pushed him away,” she said to the empty car, her throat tight as she forced back tears. “Again.”
The truth was like a weight on her chest, pressing against her lungs so that she could barely breathe. She wasn’t afraid that Finn didn’t care for her. She was terrified that he did.
Because if she let herself believe in this…in him. If she opened that door even a crack, what would happen when reality came crashing in? When the peaceful bubble of Bear Creek burst, and her real life caught up with her? When the press found out about them, when the fans and the critics and the industry vultures descended?
Wren puffed the air out of her cheeks, frustration burning behind her eyes. That wasn’t even the whole truth. It wasn’t just about protecting Finn from her messy life.
It was about protecting herself.
Her music had finally started coming back, notes and melodies unfurling in her mind like spring flowers after a long winter. For the first time in months, she couldfeelsongs taking shape inside her. But if she let herself fall for Finn and it all went wrong—like it had with Vince—she might lose the music again. And this time, it might not come back. Ever.
“Coward,” she whispered, the word bitter on her tongue.
