Chapter 6 #2
I was confused. “Isn’t that a good thing? You two can spend more time together and….” Then the weight of her words hit me. “You mean he’d like it to be the both of you.”
She gave a slight nod. “I’m so sorry.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “For what? Sandy, you’ve worked so hard and now you can spend time with the person you love most.”
“But the boys—”
“Will miss you terribly.”
“No, that isn’t what I mean.”
And I knew it wasn’t, but I wouldn’t be sad in front of her. Sandy and Tom had both given the sleuth so much and asked for nothing in return.
“I know what you mean, and I still think you should go ahead with this new adventure. It’s time to shift—no pun intended—your focus from the sleuth to yourselves. We’re your family, so we’ll always be here for you if you need to come home.”
She leapt out of the chair and launched herself at me. “I don’t know that I’m ready. Tom says if we need to stay longer, we can.”
“Tell me something, and be honest. Do you not want to go see the world with your husband?”
She sighed. “More than anything. I’ve never seen Tom this excited before. He wants to buy an RV and see the country.”
I leaned back to look her in the eye. I could see fear in them, and that bothered me a lot. “Hm. I’m afraid that won’t do.”
Her lip wobbled. “Are you saying we can’t go?”
“What? No! That’s not what I’m saying at all. I would be honored to buy you an RV, outfitted with all the bells and whistles. You could consider it a gift from the sleuth.”
She clutched her fingers tighter in my shirt, catching the hair in her death grip. “Oh, but we couldn’t—”
“It’s already done, Sandy. Does Tom have one in mind?”
She shivered slightly, so I pulled her closer. “He was looking at a pre-owned and—”
The horror. These were some of my favorite people, and having them out on the road, miles from nowhere, in a vehicle that could break down, leaving them stranded?
At least with a new RV, I could purchase top of the line protection to help keep them safe.
“No. Just… no. What’s the use of having a rich friend if you don’t let him spoil you now and then? ”
“But Mr. Lockhart, I—”
“Brent, please.”
Her lip jutted out. “But that seems wrong. You’re my boss.”
“Former boss, remember? You’ve retired.”
“But I wasn’t going to leave until you found someone else.”
And this was why I loved my people. Cait was conflicted about going away with her husband, even if it meant her marriage might suffer.
Sandy, who’d had a rock-solid marriage longer than many of our people had been alive, had the opportunity to go see the country with her husband, and she was worried about me and the kids.
“Sandy, honey? You’re fired.”
Her eyes widened and her jutted lip quivered. “But Mr. Lockhart, I can’t leave. You know the boys aren’t good with people they don’t know and—”
“Do you know what I would give to spend one more day with my wife? To wake up and find her smiling at me? To have her say she loves me, even if—when—I’m being a butt head?
And to know every word of it is true? Few people find a partner that complements them.
They trudge through life, unsure where they fit.
Tom is that for you, just like you are for him.
You two are what I wish me and Jenna could have had, and I don’t want to see you waste a minute of that precious time together. ”
“But the boys will need someone to watch them, and I know you won’t trust them with just anyone.”
That was true. It took them quite a while to warm up to people. For being such little hell raisers, they became shy when someone they didn’t know showed up. Still, we’d deal.
“I promise it’ll all be okay. Go on home and pack up your bags. I’ll have them bring the RV here by the end of the week.”
“Oh, but we could get the other one sooner,” she insisted.
“Trust me on this, that one won’t be nearly as decked out.
This is going to be your home, and I’ll be damned if I let two people I love get into something because it’s cheap.
Now go, tell Tom to stop looking.” I bent and kissed her cheek.
“And know that we love you and will be expecting postcards from everywhere you go.”
She burst into tears and threw herself into my arms. Yes, we were bears, but as humans we had strong emotions, probably heightened by our other halves.
We loved hard, we played hard, we lived hard.
It was a double-edged sword for us, because not everyone understood our desires.
It was why most shifters stuck with their own kind.
Each had a predisposition that other types might not understand or be able to accommodate.
“It’s going to be fine, you know," The two of you will have each other, and you’ll always have a home if you need a place to rest a while.”
That just made her sob harder. “My whole life has been lived here. I don’t know if I can just walk away from it.”
I stroked fingers over her cheek, letting her know that I had her and she could let go.
“You’re not walking away. You’re stepping out into a much wider world.
You’ll see things that will amaze you and then you’ll come home and tell the boys what it’s like out there.
I want them to be excited for what lies beyond our town.
To get out there and turn the world on its ear. ”
She snickered. “You know they’d probably do that anyway.”
“True, but I want them to know that the people they encounter along the way will be in need of help and that they have a responsibility to provide it when and where they can.”
“You’re so unlike your father,” she said softly. Then she gasped. “I don’t mean that as a bad thing.”
“No, you’re right. My father was far too rigid in his ideals. The sleuth needs to grow, to prosper. In order to do that, we need to allow our people the freedom to explore. Ursine wouldn’t be the global force it is if we remained insular and didn’t venture out into the world.”
She was quiet for a bit, as if digesting my words. “Do you really think we can do this? This is the only home we’ve ever known.”
“Then I think you need to do it. To give yourselves opportunities to grow beyond this town, while still keeping your roots here, where they’ll always be safe.” Then I realized something. “Unless you don’t want to. I’m sure Tom would be fine staying here if that’s what you want.”
She sighed. “I don’t know what I want. I love Tom so much, but I also love the boys and meeting up with the girls for tea on Sundays.
Plus, the store is within walking distance of our house, so I can pop over to grab something for dinner if he’s hungry or running late. This just throws everything into….”
“Uncertainty?”
She nodded. “I like things the way they are, all structured and familiar.”
“May I ask you a question?”
“Of course.”
“Do you enjoy when Tom surprises you with dinner at your favorite restaurant? Or when he takes half a day to come and spend time with you? Would you be happy if none of those things happened?”
She chewed her lip a moment. “I do enjoy it, but if he stopped I doubt I’d miss it.”
I eyed her keenly. “Really?”
She sighed. “Yes, I’d miss it. I like the spontaneity.”
“And that’s what this whole thing is about. The ability to go anywhere, do anything. It’s the ultimate in being spontaneous. He wants this for the both of you. Question is, what do you want?”
“To be happy with him,” she replied. “He’s all I’ve ever wanted since we met in high school.”
“Then?”
“I want to do this with him. I guess I’m just afraid.”
“And that’s part of the adventure. That stomach churning fear of what to do next. Embrace it. Let it guide you both.”
“And you won’t miss us?”
I chuckled. “Like crazy, but we’ll understand.”
She reached out and clutched my wrist. “I guess we’ll give it a go then.” Then she squeezed gently. “But if we don’t like it, we’re coming home.”
“And we’ll all be waiting with open arms,” I promised.
Our lives were changing fast, and I needed to do something to keep up with it all.
Because things falling through the cracks? That would be unacceptable.