Second Chance Midlife Bear Rescuer

Prologue

Augusta, Maine

Ten Years Ago

“You know everything about me, and you still chose me.”

Melissa Kinley sucked in a breath at the words.

Trying her hardest to suppress the anxiety that was forming a knot in her belly, she stared unwaveringly at the groom standing before her, reading from a small piece of parchment.

He glanced up, flashing her a handsome smile, and she felt her insides tighten again.

“That’s more than I could’ve hoped for,” he continued, brushing his blond hair out of his face.

His blue-gray eyes lingered on her for a moment longer.

“Not someone to fix or save me, just someone who’d stay, despite knowing all my flaws, all my...

secrets. You’re one of the few people in my life who knows the real Calvin Stein. ”

This time, she did wrest her gaze away from him.

Keeping a smile on her face, she glanced from him to the officiant on her right, then to the small crowd assembled on her left, seated and watching in near silence.

There had to be at least seventy guests in total, wearing colorful dresses and bright smiles.

Around them, the garden was in bloom, a few trees providing shade from the sun overhead.

It was the coziest location she and Cal had found in Maine, second only in beauty to the shore.

A gentle breeze blew, rustling the leaves and causing Melissa’s wedding gown to flutter.

Soft music wafted through the air, though she couldn’t identify the song.

It really is my wedding day.

It was nothing short of beautiful. Everything was going as planned. She was about to be married to the man of her dreams. She should be beyond ecstatic, and she had been for a couple of hours this morning.

But then reality had set in again, hitting her like a ton of bricks and erasing all delusions from her mind.

“You’ve seen me on my worst days, Melissa,” Cal went on, and she detected a note of emotion in his voice.

“You’ve seen the mess behind my smile, and you never once looked away.

So I promise to be soft when the world is hard, to be soft when silence feels easier...

and to be yours, never holding anything back. ”

A collective awww traveled through the crowd.

Melissa gazed at Cal and felt her heart slowly rise into her throat.

In a matter of moments, they would be pronounced husband and wife.

Just how long had she hoped for this? In the four years they’d known each other, she’d spent at least half hoping for him to pop the question. This was a dream come true.

So...why was she feeling nothing but dread?

Take deep breaths, Melissa, she told herself, gulping a lungful of air. You’ve just got the wedding jitters, that’s all.

Only that wasn’t really the case, and she knew that.

“Honey?” Cal’s voice sounded almost faraway. “It’s your turn to say your vows.”

She glanced down at her hands, which were holding the piece of parchment that contained her vows. They hadn’t exchanged rings yet. She hadn’t said her vows either. She’d written them weeks ago with a heart full of joy and anticipation.

Now the mere thought of saying them out loud left her mouth dry and tasting like ash.

Weeks ago, it all had been perfect. Weeks ago...well, she hadn’t known the truth about Cal.

She let out a sigh and unfolded the parchment. Do you really want to go through with this, Melissa? You’re only thirty-one. You’ve got the rest of your life ahead of you. Do you want to spend it with him?

The answer should be so simple. But it wasn’t.

“You alright, babe?” Cal said, louder this time.

It suddenly dawned on her that everyone was staring at her. At least a hundred pairs of eyes were trained in her direction. Cal had an expectant, somewhat confused look on his face.

She nodded quickly. “Of course. Yeah, I’m fine.”

He gave her another smile, and her heart did a backflip.

“You’re not getting cold feet now, are you?” said the officiant with a chuckle. “I’d hate for all of us to miss the reception.”

Laughter rang out from the crowd at his words. Melissa managed a small smile as she raised her piece of parchment.

“It feels like I’ve waited my whole life for this feeling,” she read, her voice quavering as she spoke. “Not just the love, but also the certainty that this is it. You are it, Calvin.”

His expression brightened, and guilt swept through her gut. She wished she didn’t feel like such a liar. Her vows were the truth—at least, they had been when she’d written them. Right now, she wasn’t so sure.

“You’ve made me the happiest woman in the world by agreeing to share...to share your life with me.”

That part definitely wasn’t true. She’d been the happiest woman in the world until he shared the entirety of his life with her.

“I...I promise to cherish and respect you, my love. I promise to love you for who you are...” Her mouth went dry. “And...and...”

Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest, she could practically hear each thump. She drew another deep breath, her gaze darting from the parchment to Cal, and then the crowd. They were all smiling, waiting for her to complete her vows.

She did love Cal. But after what she’d seen weeks ago, this...this didn’t feel right. None of this did.

“Melissa?” her husband-to-be asked. “Is something wrong?”

He had a look of concern on his face now. Those blue-gray eyes bore into hers, the same eyes she’d gazed into millions of times. Looking at him now, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was different about him.

Something inhuman.

Not that she was wrong. What were the words he’d said to her that night? I’m not who you think I am, Melissa.

An image flickered through her mind for a second, then vivid enough that she stumbled backward in response. It was a brown bear three times her size, gray-blue eyes trained on her as it approached.

“Melissa!”

She blinked, the memory dissipating into nothingness. Cal was still staring at her, eyebrows furrowed.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” the officiant wanted to know.

She took a step back, shaking her head. “No. No, I can’t do this. I can’t marry you, Cal.”

A series of gasps and murmurs rippled through the congregation. Cal’s expression was one of bewilderment.

“What are you talking about?” He started toward her, his expression morphing into hurt as she recoiled.

“I’m so sorry, Cal.” Tears had sprung to her eyes, streaking down her face. “I really am, but I can’t afford to take this chance.”

She turned and ran, nearly tripping over the hem of her gown as she made her way down the aisle, away from him.

Away from a mistake that would’ve cost her everything.