Chapter 14
Red, white, and blue banners fluttered in the breeze as Rae and Bear walked down King Creek’s cordoned off Main Street. Music filled the air along with laughter and chatter and she smiled at the Fourth of July festive feeling in the air.
A wonderful week had passed since their picnic, wonderful because of the time she’d spent with Bear.
A whistle came from one end of the street and he gripped her hand. “The parade is about to start.”
Rae looked in the direction the whistle had come from but didn’t see anything. Bear led her to the sidewalk, and they stood along the street with the crowd. He gripped her hand and smiled down at her.
She looked into his eyes and marveled at the caring she saw in the depths. After all she’d told him, and he’d accepted it without judging her or looking at her any differently.
Someone’s shoulder slammed into Rae and she stumbled forward. Bear caught her arm, or she would have tumbled into the street.
She looked up to see a gorgeous brunette standing in front of her. “I didn’t see you standing there.” The taller woman spoke with an English accent as she looked down at Rae. She didn’t apologize and turned her gaze on Bear.
Rae tried not to frown as the woman sidled in between Rae and Bear, her back to Rae.
“Bear, love.” The woman rested her hand on Bear’s arm. “I haven’t seen you for a couple of weeks.”
Bear’s expression remained neutral as he gently removed the woman’s hand and his tone was polite as he said, “Hello, Jennifer.”
This must be the English woman that Marlee had told her about, the one who had cheated on Bear.
Bear and Rae seemed to be of the same mind as they reached for each other’s hand. Bear shifted so that they were standing together again, Jennifer in front of them.
“Jennifer, this is Rae.” Bear gave a nod to Rae as he gripped her hand tighter. “Rae, this is Jennifer.”
Rae moved closer to Bear, so that she pressed against his biceps. Rae did her best to keep her tone light. “Hi.”
“Haven’t I seen you somewhere before?” Jennifer’s brown eyes had a malicious gleam to them as she raked her gaze over Rae. “Oh, yes. You were in the papers in Phoenix. You killed your lover in Coyote Lake City.”
Fire burned up Rae’s neck to her face and she couldn’t get a word out.
“Rae and I are going to watch the parade now.” Bear’s eyes had a hard glint to them, an almost dangerous look that Rae would never have associated with him. “Have a good day, Jennifer.”
He gripped Rae’s hand and drew her along with him, closer to where the whistle had come from.
The backs of Rae’s eyes stung. She wanted to scream and cry and slap that woman’s face. Instead, she let Bear take her to another spot on the parade route.
Marching band music started up as they stood on the crowded sidewalk. She glanced up at Bear, hoping he didn’t believe the man she’d killed had been her lover. She wanted to tell him that, but she didn’t know how to say it, or that she even should in the current situation. He probably couldn’t have heard her anyway. Did he believe Jennifer?
Bear released her hand and slid his arm around her shoulders. He leaned down and murmured in her ear. “I’m sorry about Jennifer. She shouldn’t have said that.”
Rae exhaled with relief and leaned into Bear. She needed his strength and his support.
An older model convertible appeared around the curve of Main Street, the flags mounted on each side snapping in the breeze. The crowd cheered as the lead car crawled forward and a marching band followed. Majorettes carried a banner in front of the band that read, King Creek High School.
The tension that had filled Rae slowly seeped away as she let herself enjoy the parade. She wasn’t going to let a witch like Jennifer ruin her day with Bear.
A baton twirling team followed the band, then next came a float decorated with red, white, and blue streamers and rosettes. A Miss King Creek banner was draped along the side of the float, and a young woman perched on a throne wore a sash with the same proclamation across her torso.
Another convertible came by, this one a modern luxury car with a Re-elect Mayor Brown sign on the door, a white-haired man waving from the passenger seat. A pair of clowns rode tiny bikes in circles behind the mayor’s car, the clowns throwing wrapped candies toward children along the crowded sidewalk.
The festive feeling in the air had Rae smiling, and she waved back at the children riding the next float. Several floats went by and more convertibles with political party banners.
The parade was surprisingly long for a small town, and Rae found her spirit buoyed by the cheers and laughter around her. She clapped and cheered with the crowd as the parade went on and she ate a piece of candy that Bear caught and handed to her.
The last float had passed by, followed by the final convertible, and Rae turned and grinned up at Bear. “I’ve never had so much fun at a parade. There’s something about being in a small town with an event filled with locals to make it more enjoyable than a production put on by a large city.”
Bear draped his arm around her shoulders and smiled. “I’ve always thought so.” He released her long enough to take her hand and walk toward a lot filled with vendors. “Hungry for lunch?”
“Famished.” Rae pointed ahead to the row of food trucks. “The burger that man over there just bought looks massive.” She tilted her head to smile up at Bear. “Perfect.”
He gave her a teasing smile. “That burger is bigger than you are.”
She grinned. “Yeah, but I’m up to the challenge.”
He laughed and they strolled over to the food truck.
Two huge burgers and large Cokes later, Bear and Rae made their way to the game stalls and dunk tank.
At the dunk tank, Bear gestured to the man climbing the steps up to the seat above a tank of water. “We made it just in time to see Mayor Brown dunked.” He looked at Rae. “All the proceeds go to a local children’s charity.”
Rae recognized the man she’d seen in one of the convertibles in the parade. The man, who had to be in his seventies, had wispy white hair and black-framed coke-bottle glasses. He sat on the platform and waved at the crowd, which broke into a cheer.
“The way everyone is cheering, he must be popular.” Rae ran her gaze over the crowd. “I noticed his re-election sign on his convertible.”
“He’s well-liked.” Bear rested his hand on her shoulder. “He was known as a sort of prankster before he was elected, and he keeps the rest of the politicians on their toes. When it comes down to it, no one can keep up with the mayor.”
“He sounds like a good guy.” Rae watched people line up with softballs they had purchased to throw at the lever, which would drop the mayor’s seat and dunk him when struck.
“He is,” Bear said. “I treat his livestock and pets.” He tugged Rae’s hand. “Come on. You can show me your pitching arm.”
Rae laughed. “What pitching arm?”
They stood in line to purchase the use of softballs to try to dunk Mayor Brown. Rae watched as young men and women waited their turns.
First up was a boy of about ten, who missed with all three of his pitches. A girl who couldn’t have been older than eight, came up behind him and missed each time, too. Next, a cowboy took his turn, but failed to dunk the mayor.
A young woman of about sixteen threw her first ball with a fast, underhand pitch that told Rae she had to be a pitcher on softball team. The ball struck the lever and the mayor dropped into the tank.
The crowd cheered as Mayor Brown came up sputtering and laughing. He gave the young woman a thumbs up and she grinned. Bear explained that the rules stated the participant got to dunk the mayor once and had to surrender any additional balls. The girl gave back her two remaining balls and it was the next person’s turn.
“Doesn’t he get tired?” Rae shook her head as the mayor climbed up the ladder two more times before it was hers and Bear’s turn to throw.
Bear shrugged. “I would.”
Rae shook her head and smiled. “I doubt that.”
She threw the three balls Bear had gotten for her and missed each time. Bear missed his first try, but nailed the lever on the second, sending Mayor Brown back in the drink. The crowd cheered once again, this time with someone crying out, “Way to go, Doc McLeod.”
Bear and Rae moved on to watch the pie eating contest, with about twenty men and women sitting at a line of picnic tables, each in front of a pie and each wearing a large plastic bib. “That’s my brother, Brady, next to Colt.” Bear pointed to a good-looking man who resembled him and Colt.
A woman announced the pie eating contest and thanked the Parent-Teacher Organization for donating the pies. She gave the names of each contestant and Rae thought the cheers for the McLeod brothers were the loudest.
After a donation can went around the crowd, Miss King Creek held her hand over a button on a large three-minute timer. The men and women at the picnic tables remained poised, hands tied behind their backs, in front of their pies. A judge blew a whistle and the young woman slammed her hand down on the timer’s button.
The contestants dove face-first into the pies, which turned out to be cherry. Red coated their faces. The timer counted down as laughter and cheers came from the crowd. Before the timer reached zero, two men straightened, their pie plates mostly clean. One of the men was Colt, and the other she didn’t recognize. Rae thought Colt’s looked the cleanest of the two, but from her angle, she couldn’t be certain. The timer’s horn blew and everyone else stopped.
Colt’s and the other contestants’ faces were covered in cherry pie filling. Colt and Brady were laughing and talking to each other as their hands were untied. The judges conferred and then the one with the whistle stood.
“The winner is Colt McLeod,” the judge announced.
The crowd cheered. Face still coated with cherry pie, Colt stood up and raised his hands like a champion prize fighter before he was awarded a trophy topped with a gold pie. The contestants got up and hosed-off their faces as the volunteers prepared the area for the hotdog eating contest.
Bill Porter won the next contest. Rae didn’t mind him so much now that he had started behaving thanks to Bear. She congratulated Bill before Bear guided her over to Colt and Brady.
Colt gave her a big hug when she congratulated him, and Bear introduced her to Brady.
“Good to meet you.” Brady shook her hand. He had a firm grip, like his brothers. “Colt mentioned you two might be stopping by Tex Arnold’s for dinner.”
Rae glanced up at Bear, who nodded. “Tex and his family are having a barbeque tonight,” Bear said. “We can go if you like.”
“Sure.” Rae smiled. She turned back to Brady. “Looks like we’ll be there. Will you?”
Brady nodded. “So’s the rest of the clan, as far as I know.”
“I guess we’ll see you then,” she told Brady with a smile. At the same time, she felt a major pang of nervousness. The rest of the clan? She gulped. She was not ready for that.
Bear and Rae moved on, enjoying more festival activities. Bear bought homemade fudge from a small vendor, and shared it with Rae as they walked around Main Street.
Later in the afternoon, Bear slipped his arm around Rae’s shoulders, enjoying the feel of her close to him. “Are you ready to go to Tex’s for the barbeque?”
She nodded. “I’m getting hungry again.”
First thing, they picked up three dozen assorted cookies from Rachel’s Bakery to take to the barbeque. Once they had a dessert to contribute, they walked to Bear’s truck, which was parked at the southern end of Main Street. He set the cookies on the floorboard of the back of the truck’s cab.
He helped Rae into his vehicle, then made his way to the driver’s side and climbed behind the wheel. In moments, he was driving toward his friend’s ranch.
“I have a feeling you’ll like Tex and his wife.” Bear guided his truck onto the two-lane highway, then looked at Rae. “They have several kids, too. Fun bunch.”
“I’m sure I’ll like them.” She smiled. “They’re your friends, so they have to be nice.”
He turned his attention fully on the road. “What did you think of the festival?”
She sounded enthusiastic. “I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun at any festival I’ve been to in Coyote Lake City.” He glanced at her again and saw that her eyes were sparkling. “Thank you for taking me.”
He smiled. “There’s something to be said about small towns.”
Rae shifted in her seat. “I never knew what small towns were like until I moved here.”
He focused on the road. “And your conclusion?”
“So far, so good.”
He figured he’d take that as a positive.
His mind churned over the confrontation with Jennifer. He had no doubt her statement had been malicious, designed to hurt Rae and give him doubts. He didn’t doubt Rae, but he wondered if his judgment was off, like it had been with Jennifer.
Bear gritted his teeth. He trusted Rae, and his Internet search had made it clear she’d told him everything she could. He had only her word of her innocence, but her word was enough, as far as he was concerned.
He exited the highway and took a left at the second intersection he came to. “We’re almost there.”
“I’m nervous, Bear.” She wore an expression filled with uncertainty when he glanced at her. “I have avoided private gatherings, especially big ones, in case someone recognizes me from the papers.” She looked at her hands in her lap. “Like the woman from the festival.”
“Don’t let Jennifer’s comment bother you.” He reached over and put his hand on hers as he glanced to the road and back to her. “I’ll stay with you every second tonight, and if you want to leave, we’ll leave.”
She didn’t say anything as he looked back to the road. When she spoke, her voice was low. “I’m sure everything will be okay. I want you to know that I appreciate you more than you can imagine.”
“I care for you, Rae.” His voice felt thick as he spoke. “I’m not going to allow anyone to make you feel anything but welcome.”
She squeezed his hand in return, but he felt the tension through their physical connection.
Bear took the dirt road to the Circle A, Tex and Linda Arnold’s ranch, crossed over a cattle guard, pulled up to the main house, and parked next to several other vehicles.
“This place is huge.” Rae looked around at the multiple buildings that surrounded Tex’s home.
“He has a good-sized cattle operation, one of the biggest in the county,” Bear said. “His ranch is about the same size as my brother, Carter’s. Colt’s ranch is nearly as big.”
“It looks like Tex invited half of King Creek.” Rae met Bear’s gaze. “There are a lot of cars here.”
Bear gave her a gentle smile. “Are you ready?”
She gave a firm nod. “As I’ll ever be.”
He got out, shut the door, and strode to the passenger side. He helped Rae out of the truck before getting the box of cookies.
The sound of laughter and chatter came from behind the ranch house. Rae gripped his hand tightly as they walked around Tex and Linda’s large home to the expansive lawn in the back.
Friends and neighbors stood or lounged around the lawn and swimming pool. A group of kids played tag football. Several adults and teens swam or played volleyball in the pool.
Rae tensed, likely surprised and overwhelmed by the number of people she saw when they reached the backyard. “There are more people here than I’d guessed,” she said, confirming his thoughts.
He gently nudged her. “Come on, hon. I’ll introduce you to Tex and his wife.”
Rae gripped his hand and took a deep breath before letting it out. “Let’s go.”
He guided her to where Tex stood next to Brady, both men holding a can of beer.
“’Bout time you got here, Doc.” Tex grinned and shook his hand.
“I’d like to introduce you to Rae Fox, who moved here not too long ago from Coyote Lake City.” Bear inclined his head in Rae’s direction. “Rae, this is Tex Arnold.”
“A real pleasure.” Tex gripped Rae’s hand.
She smiled. “Your place is amazing.” Tex released her hand and she looked to Brady. “Looks like you got all that cherry pie off your face.”
He grinned and touched the brim of his Stetson. “Came close to Colt and Davie, but Colt took it.”
“I hadn’t heard that,” Tex said. “Didn’t you win last year?”
“Yep.” Brady nodded. “Just couldn’t cut it today.”
“Where’s that beautiful wife of yours?” Bear asked Tex. “I don’t see Linda.”
“There she is.” Tex looked in the direction of the brunette opening the patio door, carrying a dish with a domed lid. “Looks like she might need help.” Tex hurried up to Linda and took the dish from her.
She rubbed her hands on her jeans as she leaned close to Tex. She drew back and turned to see Bear and Rae.
“Hi, Bear.” Linda smiled and came toward them. She hugged Bear then held her hand out to Rae. “You must be Rae. Welcome to the Circle A.”
“Thank you.” Rae took her hand for a moment before releasing it. “I love your home.”
“Thanks for inviting us,” Bear said to Tex and Linda. “Where would you like us to put this? We brought a few dozen cookies.”
“Right over there.” Linda pointed to a table covered in desserts. “If you can find a spot.”
“Will do.” Bear took Rae’s hand again. “I see some family that I need to introduce to Rae.”
Tex gave a nod and Linda smiled. Bear could feel Rae’s apprehension through their linked hands as they walked to the dessert table. He released her long enough to set the box on the table and lift the lid.
When he finished, he escorted her toward several of his family members, and hoped Rae wasn’t feeling too overwhelmed.
Justin and Miranda stood closest and Bear took Rae toward them.
“Hey, bro.” Justin rested his hand on Bear’s shoulder before smiling at Rae.
Bear introduced Rae to Justin and his fiancée, Miranda, and explained that Rae moved to the town fairly recently.
“Welcome to King Creek,” Justin gripped Rae’s hand then released it. “How do you like the town?”
“It’s great.” Rae smiled. “I had a ball at the festival today. You can’t find anything that feels quite like it in a bigger town, or in a city.”
“I came to the area from Texas, not too long ago. I loved it from the moment I arrived.” Miranda pushed hair behind her ear. “What do you do?”
Rae hesitated. “I was in real estate in Coyote Lake City. When I moved here, I decided to take a low-key job at Mickey’s.”
“What do you think of working for the big guy?” Justin asked.
“Mickey is a good man.” Rae looked like she genuinely meant it. “And he’s a great boss.”
“Does Patty give you a hard time?” Justin asked. “If she does, don’t let it bother you—her bark is worse than her bite.”
Rae shrugged. “We’ve come to an understanding.”
“How did you two meet?” Miranda asked Bear and Rae.
Bear explained about Rae bringing in Arthur after he’d been hit by a car.
“Then he showed up at Mickey’s that night,” Rae said. “We just clicked.”
Bear rested his hand on Rae’s shoulder and smiled. “Something like that.”
“How did you and Justin get together?” Rae asked Miranda.
“I’m a horse therapist.” Miranda looked at Justin and back to Rae. “Justin’s daughter, Kaycee, was thrown from a horse and developed a fear of riding. I helped her through it.”
“Miranda works magic,” Justin said, and Miranda smiled.
Bear nodded in the direction his and Justin’s oldest brother stood. “I’m going to introduce Rae to Carter and Kit.”
“It’s great meeting you,” Miranda said. “I’m sure we’ll see you around.”
Rae smiled. “I’m sure you will.”
Justin touched the brim of his hat and nodded to Rae.
Bear guided Rae toward Carter. “You’ve met Colt, Brady, and Justin. Carter is the oldest of the McLeod bunch.”
Rae glanced up at him. “Your brothers and you are all so tall. I feel really short next to you and them. Miranda is tall, too.”
Bear released his hand and rested his arm around her shoulders and drew her close. “You’re absolutely perfect.”
They reached Carter, who was talking with Brady.
Brady stepped back as Bear introduced Carter to Rae. After Carter greeted Rae, Bear asked, “Is Kit around?”
Carter inclined his head toward a group of their family standing near the pool. “She’s with Mom and Grandma. Looks like Jill, Leann, and Haylee are there, too.”
Bear caught a glimpse of his pretty sister-in-law, who had hair the color of butterscotch. “I see her.” He nodded to Carter and Brady before drawing Rae away. “And you can also meet more of our family,” Bear added.
Rae fell into step beside them, but she looked nervous. Bear took her hand again and squeezed. She looked up at him, took a deep breath, and smiled. He loved that smile like crazy. It did things to his gut that he’d never felt before.
When they reached the group, Bear introduced Rae to his mom, Julie, and Grandma Francis; sisters Jill, Leann, and Haylee; and sister-in-law, Kit. The women greeted Rae as if she were a dear friend, rather than an outsider. Bear couldn’t help but feel proud of the women in his family, and proud of the wonderful woman Rae was.
Bear’s future sister-in-law Miranda joined them, and the seven women drew Rae into conversation, laughing and chatting as they asked how she liked King Creek and about her life in Coyote Lake City. Rae was understandably evasive about some questions but did talk about her sister and her former occupation.
Rae, in turn, asked his family questions about their lives. He could tell her nervousness had faded some, but she still had a hard time letting go of her reservations. Not that he could blame her, after all she’d been through.
Bear stayed with Rae, even though he was the only male of the group. He didn’t want to abandon Rae when she had only just met the women in his family.
When Rae started to look a little tired, he realized it had been a long day and she might be hungry.
“Okay, ladies.” He cut into the chatter with a smile. “I’m going to introduce Rae to Dad and Grandpa now, and then get us some food. It’s been a while since we’ve had anything to eat.”
After they departed, Rae met his gaze. “I am loving your family. They are all so nice.”
“I happen to agree.” Bear inclined his head in the direction of the two men they were headed toward. “Last two introductions and then we’ll grab something to eat. Sound good to you?”
Rae nodded. “Perfect.”
Bear’s Grandpa Daniel liked to tease, and he made Rae laugh. Bear’s dad, Joe, was good-natured and friendly to Rae, too. She seemed relaxed with the men, even more so than she had been with the women. He imagined it was because there were only two men at this moment, as opposed to the group of six women.
Bear told his dad and grandpa he was going to get Rae something to eat. As he drew her away, Rae seemed tired.
“I guess meeting that many people in one day must be exhausting,” he said as they walked to the end of the line at the food tables.
She gave him a smile. “A little. I like all of your family. Your brothers are great and everyone else is, too. There are just so many of them that it is a little overwhelming.”
“I can imagine,” he said. “I grew up in a huge family, but sometimes it can be a bit much for me, too. I need my quiet time.”
“I’m not surprised.” She smiled. “You’re probably the quietest of the bunch.”
“I am.” He nodded. “But I wouldn’t give them up for anything.”
“If they were my family, I wouldn’t want to give them up, either.” She looked ahead to the food table. “The hamburgers and fudge we ate seem like a long time ago.” She craned her neck to see the other table. “And those desserts—I want to try one of each. My eyes are definitely bigger than my stomach.”
He chuckled. “Why not go ahead and do your best?”
She grinned up at him. “I might do just that.”
Rae did a good job of finishing off a pulled-pork sandwich and sides, plus a piece of chocolate cake and a couple of cookies. He did his fair share of lightening the tables of some of their loads, too.
After they ate, they made their goodbyes and headed out to his truck. It was getting dark, and soon it would be nearing the time the fireworks would be set off. Rae rested her head against his arm as they walked to his truck. “Thanks for bringing me,” she said.
“Are you up for watching the fireworks?” he asked. “Or are you ready to go home?”
She smiled up at him. “I wouldn’t miss the fireworks for anything. But then home is a really good idea.”
They drove to a spot in King Creek, where they could watch and get a good look at the fireworks show that was one of the best in the county. He parked in the lot next to other vehicles, and like other people gathered there, he pulled out a couple of lawn chairs for them to sit in. While they watched the display, Rae looked delighted.
“I’ve never seen better fireworks,” she said when it was over, and they were settled back in his truck.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” He smiled at her. “It’s been a long day, and I bet you’re tired.”
She covered a yawn and nodded. “I am going to crawl in bed and sleep ’til noon.”
Bear rested his hand on her thigh and smiled. He tried not to imagine how beautiful she would look in his bed right now, naked.
He swallowed. “Thanks for spending the day with me.”
She smiled and put her hand over his. “I had a great time. I’m really glad you asked me to join you.”
He gave her thigh a light squeeze before slipping his hand into her hair and kissing her. The kiss was long, slow, and sweet.
Bear drew back and looked into her eyes. “If you weren’t tired, I’d take you home and make love to you all night.”
“I’m not that tired.” Her breath seemed to quicken. “As a matter of fact, I’m not tired at all now.”
His chest grew warm. “Then how about we go and make some fireworks of our own?”
She gave him a sexy smile. “Let’s go.”