Chapter Seven
Posy
I sat staring at my dark phone screen, stunned at the evening’s outcome.
When I sat down to join the app, I’d half expected it to be expensive.
Especially since it offered a “free” peek…
but there was never a pay screen. Maybe there was a free month or something, but it didn’t matter at this point.
I’d already met the bears and set things in motion.
Meeting them…so soon!
Elation gave way to panic. Once I’d realized who they were, my fangirl came racing out and was willing to do anything with these guys.
Including going to their home to get to know them.
They were changing their plans for me, and prepared to stay at the house, which I’d seen enough of their life to know they didn’t spend much time at.
If they were a match for me, watching them sit in their living room and eat popcorn would not do a thing to show me their lives.
My fantasies about travel might be just that.
I’d never been farther from home than the big-box store in the city.
They were currently in Iceland rearranging their lives to accommodate me when the fact was, a life with Three Bears Road Trip would be on the road.
So if I was going to leap out of my uncomfortable comfort zone, it should be where they actually lived.
In the big wide world.
I called them back.
All three faces smiled at me from the screen, or at least parts of all of them. It was incredible to feel like someone—three someones—were happy to hear from me. Now…if only they would go along with my plan!
“Hi again.” I grinned back at them. “Is it okay if I make a suggestion about meeting up?”
“Of course.” Judah glanced at the others, and all three nodded. “What would you like to do? We can come to you if you like.”
Did they notice my wince? “Uh, no.” Nothing could be worse.
The number of things that could go wrong in that scenario was endless.
“Actually, I wondered if you’d mind taking me on one of your adventures?
Since you seem to be on the road most of the time, I thought it would be a good way to see how we all get on in a real-life situation. ”
If I’d had any doubts about how they might take my idea, Aldrin’s next word made them disappear. “That sounds fantastic! Where would you like to go?”
A mosaic of their videos lit up in my mind.
All seven continents. Deserts and forests and mountains and cities and countryside…
Far away and exotic islands where guests stayed in huts on stilts over the crystal-blue lagoons.
The Australian Outback. The Alps. “How about if I leave it up to you? You’re the travel experts.
” What would they come up with? I held my breath.
“How about a national park?” Judah suggested, and all the air whooshed out of my balloon.
“Oh, that would be great,” I lied before remembering I didn’t even have a passport. It wasn’t as if I could leave the country. “I’ve never been to one.” But I had seen a lot of videos, and my mood immediately lifted.
“This is going to be so much fun.” Aldrin’s face bobbed on the screen. “You leave everything up to us, and we will make it the trip of a lifetime.”
If anyone could, they would. Their other trips had been amazing to watch, and now, I’d be right there, living one with them.
Suddenly, being shut out of the pack activity didn’t bother me at all.
I’d been trying to live someone else’s life, but going forward, it would be mine I sought. “So, what do you need me to do?”
“Fill a backpack with clothes and toiletries for a camping vacation and get in the car we’ll arrange for a trip to the airport.”
“That’s it?”
It was. A few days later, I kissed my worried parents goodbye and climbed into a rideshare vehicle.
My heart pounded in my ears. Was this a mistake?
I barely knew these bears, and even after making them watch a dozen videos, Mom and Dad had strong doubts about this decision.
But even they had to admit that having the bears come here to meet them would have a lot of possible bad outcomes.
They insisted on “meeting” the bears, so we did a Zoom call where they assured my folks that they would make sure I had a wonderful trip and stayed safe.
Nobody mentioned my having three possible mates, but at least Mom was somewhat placated by their conversation, finding them “charming.” She even took me to town where we managed to put a few outfits together in the small shopping area for my trip.
But, sitting in the back seat of the car, approaching the airport, I doubted all my choices. The only airplanes I’d ever seen had been in videos or passing overhead. They were much bigger in person, and louder. And although it was a small, regional airport, that didn’t make it less so.
At check-in, the clerk must have thought I was the biggest hick from the sticks who ever managed to make their way out into the wider world. I had to be guided every step of the way, and she looked utterly shocked that I had a first-class seat. Actually, so was I.
But at least I had my new travel outfit on.
It was only a cute shorts set, but it was much better than anything I’d had previous to our shopping trip.
Sitting back in the huge, comfortable seat, I sent Mom a picture of my situation and heartfelt thanks for her insistence spending her limited funds on cute clothes for my trip.
Too shy to ask for anything, I was fortunate to have a flight attendant notice and spoil me the entire flight.
She brought me cold drinks and snacks and a meal I thought they no longer served on airplanes.
My phone was fine to use while flying, but there was also a nicer screen in front of my wide, roomy seat where I could watch just about anything I could come up with. Guess what I chose?
Except for some turbulence that made my stomach churn a little right before we landed, it was an amazing and wonderful experience.
When I emerged from the tunnel to baggage claim, there they stood.
All three of them, tall and muscled and looking so happy to see me, I nearly burst into tears.
Aldrin slipped my backpack from my shoulders and onto his before sweeping me into a warm hug.
The others followed, and by the time they let me go, and we started for the bus we were taking out of the airport, my nerves were much more settled.