Chapter Twenty-Two – Matt
I did not see that coming, Matt’s bear said.
Me neither, Matt replied as Tessa drove away.
After last night and this morning, he thought things were settled between them. Last night, when he’d shown her his bear and explained that they were mates, Tessa had accepted him completely. After they made love, he dreamed of their life together here in Bear Creek.
Him working at the restaurant, then coming home to her working in the art studio he planned to build for her. Working together to make their dreams come true.
But now…
When Tessa had seen the missed calls and the text from the publisher, her face had lit up like a kid on Christmas morning. She wanted it.
That was her dream. Not staying here in Bear Creek with him.
So we move wherever she goes, his bear said.
And they would. If she’d have them.
She will, his bear said with utmost conviction.
Matt walked to the back door and opened it, looking out at the mountains and forests. He’d miss this place. As much as he’d always wondered what it would be like to leave and travel like his brother, Elliot, this was where he knew he belonged. The place he would always return to.
The place where he would raise a family.
It’ll still be here, his bear reminded him.
You’re right, Matt said. We can always visit for holidays and vacations.
It wouldn’t be the same. It wouldn’t be home. But it would still be here.
Home is where the heart is, his bear said.
And their hearts belonged to Tessa. Along with his body and soul.
So they would make a home wherever Tessa was. Whether that meant the other side of the country or the other side of the world. Home wasn’t about the mountains he could see from his window or the familiar trails he’d walked since childhood. Home was Tessa.
The realization settled over Matt with surprising peace. He’d build a life with her wherever she needed to be, and they would be happy because she was happy. But mostly, they would be happy because they had each other.
For so long, he’d resigned himself to the idea that fate had passed him by, that finding his mate wasn’t in the cards for him. Now that he’d found her, everything else seemed small in comparison.
Maybe we could open our own restaurant, his bear suggested with enthusiasm.
“Yeah,” Matt murmured aloud, warming to the idea. “I’m sure there’s room for another Thornberg Restaurant somewhere in the world.”
It would be hard work starting over, building a reputation from scratch. But it would be satisfying work. And his family could come and visit. His mother would insist on it, especially once there were grandchildren.
Matt sucked in a deep breath of mountain air, letting it fill his lungs. There was no point in dwelling on what he would be giving up. Better to focus on what he was gaining: a soulmate. And she was everything.
He went back inside and threw himself into chores, cleaning the house with an intensity that surprised even him.
He scrubbed the kitchen counters until they gleamed, washed the dishes from their breakfast, and swept the floors.
Then he moved to the laundry room and sorted clothes, tossing a load into the washing machine.
“Nesting,” his mother would call it with that knowing smile of hers.
Denning, his bear corrected with a huff.
Matt smiled to himself. But this house, where he’d dreamed of raising his children, would soon be someone else’s nest. Someone else’s den. The thought brought a pang of nostalgia, but no real regret.
How could he regret a life lived with his mate?
As he loaded the washing machine, the hairs on the back of his neck prickled. The same electric awareness he’d felt that first day when he sensed Tessa approaching the restaurant.
She’s back! his bear roared with excitement.
Matt’s heart thumped in his chest so hard he thought it might burst out. But they’d planned to meet up tonight, not now. If she were back already, was she coming to tell him she was leaving for her interview? Leaving him behind?
He straightened up, wiping his hands on his jeans, and went to meet her. He had never been the kind of man who put things off, who hid from tough conversations.
When her car came down the drive, he was there waiting. She got out and froze when she saw him. His heart froze, too, suspended between hope and fear.
Then she took a step forward, and another. Matt did the same, drawn to her by a force more powerful than gravity. They moved toward each other with increasing urgency until their bodies crashed together, his arms wrapping around her as he held her close and breathed in her scent.
“You came back,” he murmured into her hair, his voice rough with emotion.
“I didn’t want to wait until tonight,” she said, looking up at him with those eyes that saw straight to his soul.
Matt couldn’t hide the hope and heartache warring in his expression. “Are you leaving?”
She shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. “No. I’ve decided to stay.”
“But your art, your publishing deal...” He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Yeah,” she shrugged, as if turning down a dream job was nothing.
“I figured if I took it, I wouldn’t be free.
I’d be doing things for other people when, really, I want to see this project through for myself.
” She touched his face gently. “And I can take freelance work. Pick and choose what I want to do.”
Matt let out a long whoosh of air and tightened his hold on her, relief flooding through him like a tidal wave. His bear was practically dancing with joy inside him.
“Well, in that case,” he said, struggling to keep his voice steady, “shall I show you where I plan to build your studio?”
“My studio?” Tessa asked, her eyes widening with excitement.
“Yeah.” He grinned, feeling lighter than he had in hours. “I mean, you’ll have to design it, but I know the perfect spot that gets great light for most of the day. And there’s plenty of space for whatever supplies you need.”
Tessa’s face lit up, her smile so bright it rivaled the sun overhead. “You’ve been planning this? For how long?”
“Since the moment we met under the tree, and I saw your drawings,” Matt admitted, taking her hand and leading her around the side of the house. “I want you to have everything you need right here. A place that’s just yours.”
He stopped at a flat area near a stand of aspens, where the afternoon light filtered through the leaves in dappled patterns.
“I was thinking windows all along this side,” he explained, gesturing with his free hand.
“And maybe skylights to capture more light in the afternoon. We could connect it to the main house with a covered walkway, so you wouldn’t have to trudge through snow in the winter. ”
Tessa turned in a slow circle, taking in the space with an artist’s eye. “It’s perfect,” she whispered, squeezing his hand. “But Matt, are you sure? Building a studio is a big commitment.”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.
” Matt watched her, his heart so full he thought it might overflow.
She was staying. She was choosing him—choosing them—over everything else.
“But are you sure about this?” he asked, needing to hear it again.
“About staying? I meant what I said—I would have gone with you.”
Tessa walked back to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head against his chest. “I know you would have. That’s part of why I’m staying.
” She looked up at him. “But it’s more than that.
When I left this morning, I felt like I was leaving a piece of myself behind. I don’t want to feel that way again.”
Matt bent his head and kissed her, pouring all his love and gratitude into the gentle press of his lips against hers. When they broke apart, he rested his forehead against hers.
“I love you,” he said, the words coming easily now. “I’ve loved you since that first day in the restaurant and for every day for the rest of our lives.”
“I love you too,” she replied.
His bear rumbled with satisfaction at hearing those words from their mate’s lips.
Together they stood in the spot where her studio would be, planning their future while the mountains stood sentinel around them. And Matt knew with absolute certainty that no matter where life took them, as long as they were together, they would be home.