Chapter 18
Bear shifted his stance, hands up, watching Joy as she squared off against him in the training room at Linear Tactical. Her breathing was controlled, her stance solid, but he could see the flicker of doubt in her eyes—the moment of hesitation before she’d move.
“Weight on the balls of your feet,” he reminded her. “You hesitate too long, I’ll take you down before you can blink.”
Her green eyes flashed, a challenge sparking there. “You think?”
He didn’t even get the chance to respond before she moved.
Joy feinted left, then spun on her heel, aiming an elbow strike toward his ribs. It wasn’t perfect, but it was faster, stronger than last time.
Bear blocked, catching her arm, but she was already moving into the next attack. A sharp pivot, a knee lifting toward his stomach. He barely avoided the hit, sidestepping at the last second.
“Better,” he admitted, breath coming short.
Joy grinned, breathless but steady. “What’s the matter, Marine? Am I wearing you out?”
The pride in her voice hit him harder than any strike she could land. She was still fighting herself more than she was fighting him, but the improvement was undeniable. Each session, she grew more confident, more fluid in her movements.
“Not even close,” he replied, circling her on the mat.
He rolled his shoulders, trying to keep his focus here, in this moment, instead of drifting back to last weekend at the cabin—to the way she’d looked at him in the firelight, bare and open and trusting in a way that made his chest tight.
And he’d shown his scars to someone outside of medical professionals for the first time ever. While he appreciated, and even agreed with, Joy’s comments about telling his family, he wasn’t quite ready to act on them yet. Honestly, he wasn’t completely sure he ever would be.
He wished everything could stay as simple and secluded as their cabin in the woods. But that wasn’t an option. They’d been with each other nearly every night this week since coming home, but he’d also made sure they’d had time to continue their self-defense training.
Joy charged again, but this time, he didn’t hold back as much. He wanted her to feel her own strength, to see that she was capable of taking him down.
She dodged the first hit, but he swept his leg out, knocking her off-balance. She stumbled, barely catching herself—but instead of backing down, she lunged.
Bear saw it happening in slow motion, the moment she stopped hesitating. She used her momentum against him, twisting and taking him down to the mat.
He hit the floor, his back flat against the mat. And the next thing he knew, Joy was straddling his waist, pinning him with all her weight.
Her triumphant grin was the best damn thing he’d seen in weeks.
She panted, bracing her hands on his chest. “You were saying?”
Bear huffed out a breathless laugh, pride swelling in his chest. “You’re getting cocky, Davis.”
“Nah. Just finally getting my groove back.”
That— That. Right. There. —was what he’d been waiting to see. The cabin had given her a taste of herself again, but this? This was her taking it back.
And damn, if he wasn’t the proudest son of a bitch on the planet right now.
He lifted a brow, his hands settling on her hips before she could scramble away. “You know what this means, right?”
Her breath hitched slightly, but she didn’t move. “What?”
His smirk deepened. Then he flipped them.
In a flash, he had her pinned beneath him, his forearms braced on either side of her head.
Her breath left her in a startled exhale, eyes wide, but he saw no fear there. Just surprise.
And maybe something else.
Bear lowered his head slightly, just enough that his lips hovered over hers. “Means you’re still not fast enough.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Cheater.”
He chuckled, brushing his nose against hers before rolling off her. They lay side by side for a moment, both catching their breath, before they sat up and he tossed her a water bottle.
She caught it, unscrewed the cap, and took a long pull, her cheeks flushed, that spark in her eyes still burning.
He watched her for a moment, the way she rolled her shoulders, stretching out the tension in her muscles. She looked good. Strong. More like herself.
“You’re coming to the Jackalope Fair this weekend, right?”
She paused mid-sip, then shrugged. “Yeah. Always do.”
He nodded. “Good.” He wiped the back of his neck with a towel, then kept his tone casual. Too casual. “Go with me.”
That got her attention. She blinked at him. “Like…together?”
He rolled his eyes. “Yeah. That’s usually what go with me means.”
She hesitated, the energy between them shifting.
He saw it before she even said a word—the hesitation, the internal war flashing across her face.
“Bear…” She exhaled, running a hand through her damp hair. “I don’t know. Maybe we’re not ready for the whole town to know about us yet.”
That stung.
She might as well have thrown a punch that actually landed.
Bear kept his expression neutral, swallowing down the sting. “You don’t want people to know we’re together?”
Joy chewed on her bottom lip, not meeting his gaze. “It’s not that. It’s just… I don’t know. It feels big.”
Big .
Yeah. It was big to him too.
But if she wasn’t ready, she wasn’t ready. Part of giving her room to heal was allowing that to be at the pace she needed.
He nodded, keeping his tone even. “All right. We’ll go separately.”
“Bear, I didn’t mean it as any sort of…”
“I know.” He reached over and kissed her quickly. “And I didn’t take it that way. We move at whatever speed you need us to.”
So what if he was ready to shout it from the rooftop while she wasn’t?
She cupped his cheeks. “I’m just not ready to be more of a source of gossip than I already am.”
Shit. That was perfectly understandable. “I get it. Now let’s spar.”
Right now, he’d teach her how to protect herself so she would hopefully never feel helpless again.
The rest could wait.
* * *
Two days later, Bear adjusted the leash in his grip as the stubborn miniature goat yanked at it, trying to chew on the hem of his jeans.
“This is ridiculous,” he muttered, giving the rope a little slack while the goat bleated in protest.
Theo grinned as he scratched behind the ears of a fluffy white rabbit, his other hand holding a small kid—the baby goat kind—that some human kids were taking turns petting. “Nah, this is character building, brother. Welcome to the Jackalope Fair.”
Bear shot him a flat look. “This is a damn circus.”
The Jackalope Fair was in full swing, booths lined up around the town square, carnival games flashing with lights, and the distant sound of a pie-eating contest in progress. This was another of Oak Creek’s weirdest and most beloved traditions—a festival dedicated to a mythical horned rabbit.
But most importantly, it raised money for Linear Tactical’s therapy animal program, which was why Bear was here, suffering through this nonsense. Everyone in town had helped out last year when Bear had organized a kids’ camp for siblings of terminally ill children, so Bear was happy to do his part now.
Except for this damn goat.
A group of kids ran up to pet the furry monster, and Bear stepped back, giving them space. He rubbed a hand over his face, half listening as Theo and Eva explained how the therapy animals helped veterans and trauma survivors.
“You survived war zones, Bear.” Eva laughed as she helped a little girl hold a guinea pig. “You telling me you can’t handle a few therapy animals?”
Bear sighed as the miniature goat took another determined chomp at his boot. “This thing is out for blood. Besides, you’re a vet. You’re required to love all animals.”
Eva laughed and turned to answer some questions kids were asking about goat pooping habits.
Bear’s attention drifted across the fairgrounds, scanning the faces in the crowd. His eyes caught on Daniel, that hiker who’d been hanging around town for the past few weeks. The guy was hovering near the funnel cake stand, his gaze following Joy as she moved between booths. Something about Daniel set his teeth on edge, though that probably had more to do with the appreciative way the man watched Joy than anything concrete.
Before he could dwell on it, his attention was pulled back to the petting area as another wave of kids rushed in. The goat tugged hard on the leash, nearly pulling Bear forward.
He gritted his teeth. “If this thing takes another bite out of me, I’m putting it on the damn grill.”
Eva gasped in mock horror. “Bear!”
Theo just laughed, handing another kid a rabbit. “That better be a joke, man. You know these goats are therapy-certified.”
Bear sighed, glaring down at the evil little creature. “Yeah. And therapy or not, it’s a menace.”
Eva grinned. “Welcome to the world of emotional support livestock.”
Bear rolled his shoulders, settling back into the chaos of the fair. His gaze drifted again, this time catching on a group of teenage boys standing just outside the crowd.
Aaron and Kyle Johnson were easy to recognize, both tall, lanky, and a little too cocky for their own good. There were two others with them—kids Bear didn’t know as well, but they had the same restless energy.
They weren’t causing trouble. Just hanging back, watching Bear and the animals.
Bear didn’t think much of it. Teen boys got bored at stuff like this. Maybe they were waiting on someone, or maybe they were just checking things out.
Theo must have noticed them too, because he nudged Bear with his elbow. “Guess you’ve got fans.”
Bear snorted. “Just what I’ve always wanted.” Aaron had contacted him a couple of weeks ago about applying for a job at his auto shop but hadn’t done anything yet. Maybe he was still trying to get his nerve up.
“Well, well, look at you. I didn’t know you were so good with animals.”
That wasn’t the female voice Bear was hoping to hear.
Letting out a slow breath, he turned to find Cassie smiling up at him, her blond ponytail swinging as she sauntered closer. She was dressed in tight jeans, boots, and a fitted flannel that looked more staged than practical.
Cassie let her eyes drift over him, not bothering to hide her appreciation. “Didn’t peg you as a farm boy, Bear. Given your name, I had you as more of the wild and dangerous type.”
“I’m not.” He adjusted his grip on the goat’s leash, already bracing himself. “Not a farm boy or wild and dangerous.”
She smirked, tilting her head. “Could’ve fooled me. Big, strong guy like you, wrangling animals… Kind of hot, actually.”
Bear bit back a sigh. He would love to be flirting this way, just not with this woman. Joy might say some of the same things, but from her it would come out teasing, impish. From Cassie, it just felt…off-putting.
Cassie stepped in closer, a little too close, brushing a hand down his arm. “So, tell me—what’s a guy like you doing single in a town like this?”
He didn’t move, didn’t react. He didn’t want to be rude, but his patience was wearing thin.
“I’m not single.”
Cassie blinked, feigning surprise. “Oh?” She lifted a brow, her lips curving. “Could’ve fooled me. You’re here alone.”
Bear clenched his jaw. That he was, wasn’t he? And while he tried to tell himself it was just about giving Joy the time she needed, the truth was…maybe she didn’t feel the same way as him.
Maybe, for Joy, all of this with him was casual.
Regardless, he was not going to entertain a flirtatious conversation with Cassie while he was seeing Joy, even if it was casual on her part.
“Just because I’m not standing with…”
“Hey, babe.”
That voice, he definitely recognized. And there was no one he’d rather hear than her.
He knew he shouldn’t, but he loved the possessive tone of Joy’s voice. Calling him babe ? He would take it.
Her sliding up against his side, wrapping an arm around his waist, pressing her body into his?
Nothing he wanted more.
Cassie’s brows shot up, clearly caught off guard. “Oh.”
Joy tilted her face up to him, eyes bright, full of amusement. She reached up and pressed a quick kiss to his jaw—one that was nothing but deliberate.
Bear went completely still. Cassie’s lips parted, but Joy didn’t even look at her.
“Sorry, did you need something?” Joy’s question was innocent enough, but the steel behind it was unmistakable.
Cassie let out a short, forced laugh. “Nope. I didn’t realize you two were…together.”
Joy finally turned her gaze to the other woman, green eyes sharp. “Oh yeah. Very much so.”
Bear tried to fight back a smirk.
Cassie hesitated, then gave a quick nod. “Well. Good for you.”
And with that, she turned on her heel and walked off.
The second she was gone, Bear arched a brow. “Huh.”
Joy still had her arm around him, but she didn’t seem to notice. “What?”
His smile deepened. “Guess you changed your mind about the town not knowing we’re together.”
Joy shrugged, completely unbothered. “Yeah, well. All I really cared about was one particular person knowing we were together. If the rest of town finds out about it, so be it.”
Bear was more than willing to take that. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer against his side. The warmth of her body against his felt right in a way that nothing else ever had.
“What changed your mind?” he asked, genuinely curious.
Joy’s eyes followed Cassie’s retreating form. “Let’s just say I didn’t appreciate someone else thinking they had a chance with what’s mine.”
“Yours, huh?” The possessiveness in her voice sent a wave of heat through him.
“Damn straight,” she said, turning to face him fully. Her smile softened, some of that bravado slipping away to reveal something more vulnerable. “Besides, I’m tired of hiding the good things in my life. After everything that’s happened, I think I deserve to show off a little. If I’m going to be gossiped about, I’d rather it be for that.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead, acutely aware they were being watched by half the town. But for once, the stares didn’t matter.
“For the record,” he murmured against her skin, “you’re mine too.”
Her smile was worth every second he’d spent wrangling therapy goats, worth every minute he’d waited for her to be ready.
As they turned back to the petting zoo, Bear noticed the miniature goat had somehow managed to chew through part of its leash while he was distracted.
“That’s it,” he muttered. “I’m trading you in for a rabbit.”
Joy laughed, the sound bright and genuine, and Bear couldn’t help but join her. For the first time in a long time, everything felt right in his world.