Chapter Eight – James
“Stay,” Jake commanded, extending his palm toward Bash. The golden retriever’s whole body vibrated with pent-up enthusiasm, but he held still, eyes locked on Jake as the boy backed away through the snow.
James tried to focus on the dog. Really, he did.
But how was he supposed to resist stealing glances at her when the winter light caught in her hair, warming every brown strand into a soft, rich glow?
She’d tucked her hands into her coat pockets, shoulders slightly hunched against the chill, but her smile stayed warm, bright, and utterly disarming.
James cleared his throat, dragging himself back to the task at hand. “Okay, ready?” he asked. “Now, Jake, call him to you and remember lots of praise.”
“Bash, come!” Jake shouted, and Bash rocketed toward him, his tail a blur of gold.
“That was impressive,” Doreen said, brushing a snowflake from her cheek. James found himself tracking the simple motion with embarrassing focus.
“He’s a smart dog,” James managed. His voice sounded steadier than he felt. “Just needs consistency.”
A gust of wind swept through the clearing, swirling snow around their boots. Doreen shivered, and every instinct in James urged him to step closer, to warm her with his body, his coat, anything he had.
Instead, he nodded toward Jake and Bash. “Let’s try ‘heel’ next.”
Jake eagerly brought Bash back, and together they circled the clearing. “Like this?”
“Perfect,” James said.
“Now you try, Aunt D,” Jake said, holding out the leash to her.
She hesitated for a moment before stepping forward, and she exhaled a nervous laugh. “I’m not sure he’ll listen to me.”
“He will,” James said, moving close to show her the right grip. “Here…keep the leash loose, but ready.”
He positioned himself beside her, not touching, but close enough that he could feel the heat from her body. His fingers grazed hers as he adjusted her hold on the leash, and the contact sent a shock of recognition coursing through him.
“Like this?” she murmured.
“Perfect,” he said, voice low and rougher than intended.
Doreen swallowed once and lifted her chin. “Bash, heel.”
To everyone’s astonishment, including Doreen’s, Bash fell into perfect step beside her, trotting with focused precision.
“I don’t believe it,” she laughed.
“I told you he’d respond to you,” James said, unable to hide the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “You’ve got calm energy.”
Our mate has perfect energy, his bear rumbled proudly.
James didn’t argue. For once, the bear wasn’t wrong.
Jake came barreling back toward them, practically vibrating with excitement. “Deputy Pike! Do you think Bash will be ready for the dog show? Because there’s a fancy dress contest, and I want him to go as a bear!”
James choked on absolutely nothing. “A bear?”
Jake nodded with dramatic seriousness. “Bear Creek has bears! It’s perfect.”
James cleared his throat. “Well, maybe Bash would make a better… Santa. Or reindeer. Something harmless.”
We are harmless? his bear snapped. To our mate. And her kin.
James rubbed the back of his neck, trying not to smile. “And he might surprise us in the obedience class. He’s doing incredibly well today.”
Jake beamed, oblivious to James’s inner turmoil. “He’s gonna win a rosette. I just know it.”
“You hear that, Bash?” Doreen asked. “You have your work cut out.” She glanced at James and smiled, her dimple showing.
“I’m up to the challenge,” James said with a nod.
“I believe you are,” Doreen said, her smile widening, but he wasn’t sure if she was teasing him.
They were close. Closer than he’d expected to be with her this early in the day. And when she smiled like that, it did something to him. Something deep inside.
She fits, his bear murmured. She fits here. In our heart.
James swallowed hard. Yeah. She really does.
After a few more rounds of training—some successful, some spectacularly not—James checked his watch and frowned. Jake’s excited chatter had slowed, his shoulders hunching a little against the cold. Even Bash’s tail had settled into a lazy wag.
“That’s probably enough for this morning,” James said. “I brought something to warm us up.”
Jake’s head snapped up. “You brought treats?”
James slipped off his backpack and held up a thermos in one hand and a small brown-paper box in the other. “Hot chocolate,” he said, shaking the thermos once, “and Christmas cookies from Daniel’s bakery.”
Doreen blinked in surprised delight. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I wanted to,” James said simply. Then, trying for casual but failing, “If you’re up for a short walk, there’s a small clearing by the creek. It’s one of my favorite spots.”
“I’d like that,” Doreen said.
Jake needed no further encouragement. He shot down the narrow path with Bash bounding after him, leaving plumes of snow in their wake. Doreen and James followed at a slower pace, walking side by side through the hush of the forest.
The world felt wrapped in its own quiet magic. Snow-laden pine branches bowed overhead, scattering dappled light across the trail. Their breath formed small clouds in the air, drifting together before disappearing.
Doreen reached out once to steady herself on a snow-slick patch. Her fingers grazed James’s arm. It was barely a touch, but it was enough to wake every nerve in him.
“You weren’t kidding,” she murmured as the creek came into view. “This is beautiful.”
The water ran dark and smooth between banks carved with ice crystals, each one patterned like tiny stars.
“I come here when I’ve had…” James hesitated. “One of those days...”
“Work, you mean?” Doreen asked.
“Yeah, I love my job. But sometimes, it can be demanding, physically and emotionally,” he admitted. Which was not something he did often. He usually puts on a brave face to the world. But with Doreen, he wanted to be himself. Let her see the man inside, warts and all.
No warts here, his bear said.
They stepped into the clearing, where a fallen log offered the perfect makeshift bench. Jake and Bash were already investigating tracks in the snow. James brushed snow off the log for Doreen before uncapping the thermos. The scent of rich chocolate drifted into the cold air.
He poured into two collapsible cups, then handed one to her. Their fingers brushed again, lingering just a heartbeat longer than necessary.
“This is perfect,” she murmured, cradling the warm cup between her hands.
James sat beside her, close, but not too close. Still, the air between them shifted, warm despite the winter chill.
Jake plopped down in front of them and reached eagerly for the pastry box. “These look like the best cookies ever,” he declared, choosing a sugar-dusted snowflake and holding it reverently before taking a huge bite. “They taste it too!”
“Okay, I have to try one.” But as Jake went to hand her the box, he froze. “Jake?”
Jake suddenly stilled. “Aunt D,” he whispered, “look!”
“It’s okay,” James said, resting a hand on her arm.
Their eyes met, and he saw her fear. But then she relaxed and turned around.
She put her trust in us, his bear said happily.
A doe stepped from between the trees, delicate and cautious, breath steaming in the cold air. She paused, ears flicking, then took two slow, fearless steps forward.
“Oh, my.” Doreen leaned forward just a little, her mittened hands tightening around the cup. The wonder on her face was so pure, so open, that James wanted to capture it forever.
They watched in silence before the doe eventually disappeared back into the trees, leaving the clearing untouched and somehow changed.
Jake exhaled loudly. “That was amazing! Do you think she’ll come back? Do deer come back? Can we come tomorrow and see?”
“Maybe,” James said, watching Doreen’s expression instead of the trees. “We can try. But deer don’t follow a strict routine. And they are shy and secretive. Which is what makes moments like this so special.”
Our mate makes all moments special, his bear said.
Jake and Bash drifted away to explore, and James watched them with a nostalgic smile. He’d spent most of his youth outside, exploring the forests and mountains. They’d always been like a second home. It was where he’d learned to respect the world around him and to always think about safety first.
His father had taught him from an early age that it was fine to explore, but that there was no one there to save you miles away from home if you did something reckless that wound up with you getting hurt.
That’s why he always encouraged young explorers to carry a small kit. One that might one day save their life.
He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket, fingers brushing the small metal tin he’d brought.
Now was the right moment.
“Do you mind if I give this to Jake?” he half-turned to ask Doreen. “It’s a safety kit. I hand them out at the youth safety challenge I run.”
“Safety’s… kind of my thing,” he said, and winced internally at how stiff he sounded. He cleared his throat and tried again, softer. “I just want him to feel confident out here.”
“Me too. And learning to keep yourself safe is so important,” Doreen replied as she looked around. “Especially for people who haven’t been raised in these environments.” She nodded toward Jake. “Go ahead, he’ll love it and treasure it forever.”
Just as we will treasure our mate forever, his bear replied.
“Hey, partner,” James called softly.
Jake jogged over, cheeks flushed with cold and excitement. “Yeah?”
James crouched so their faces lined up, bringing them eye to eye. “I’ve got something for you.”
Jake’s breath hitched as James popped open the tin to reveal a tiny LED light, a folded emergency blanket, and a waterproof matchbook.
“A… deputy kit?” he whispered, voice full of awe.
“Basics you might need if you ever get turned around in the woods,” James said. “Light. Warmth. And these…” he tapped the matches “…only with an adult, or if you absolutely have to. Understand?”
Jake nodded once, earnest and solemn in a way that made him look older for a heartbeat. “I’ll be careful. I promise.”
“There’s a whistle you can blow if ever you get lost.” James tucked the tin carefully into the boy’s coat pocket. “And it stays right here. Always.”
Jake pressed his hand over it, holding it there like something sacred. “Deputy Jake…” he said, voice wobbling with pride before he straightened his shoulders, “…ready.”
Bash barked approval, tail sweeping snow in wild arcs.
“Maybe one morning we can take time out of our dog training sessions for me to teach you the basics,” James said as he straightened up.
“Hear that, Aunt D, Deputy Pike is going to teach me all about safety,” Jake called out.
“Maybe I could be part of the lesson too,” Doreen replied. “These mountains are new to me, too.”
“Of course,” James replied, keeping his tone casual.
Yes, his bear rejoiced. Doreen needs to know all about the mountains since they are her new home.
Getting ahead of yourself, buddy, James told his bear, even though he relished the thought of showing his mate his world. The world he loved.
“Okay, time to get going,” James said.
They packed up and headed back toward the cabin, snowflakes drifting down like tiny stars. Jake raced ahead with Bash, and James and Doreen walked side by side along the trail.
Doreen rubbed her arms for warmth. Without thinking, James stepped closer. “Cold?”
“A little,” she admitted.
He didn’t touch her… but he walked closer, and she didn’t move away.
“This morning was really lovely,” she said quietly.
He swallowed. “We could do it again tomorrow. Another dog training session, or a safety talk.”
Her breath stalled, just slightly, as he waited for her answer. “I’d like that.” She nodded.
Relief hit him so sharply he nearly stumbled. His bear let out a long, satisfied rumble.
All too soon, they reached the cabin. Jake and Bash tumbled inside, leaving Doreen and James standing alone on the porch.
“Thank you,” she said, looking up at him shyly. “For everything.”
“Thank you,” James echoed. “For today.”
Their eyes locked together, and hope soared inside him. He hadn’t needed to reveal his other side for their bond to deepen. Sorcha was right; he simply needed to take it slow, let her get to know him. And then tell her they were mates.
“See you tomorrow?” she asked, and he swore he heard hope in her voice.
James’s heart thumped in his chest. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
Her smile bloomed, as a summer rose, and then she stepped inside and closed the door.
James stood for a long moment in the falling snow, the mate bond pulsing through him…steady, powerful, absolute.
Not a hope.
Not a wish.
A truth.
His bear rumbled his agreement. Yes!