Page 16 of Bear’s True Mate

My bear had already made up his mind.

I hadn’t, though.

She was a temporary tenant. She’d be gone soon. Also, she didn’t even like me. I didn’t need my bear picking a mate who was going to pack up her laptop and drive back to wherever she came from the second her rental agreement was up and forget all about me.

My bear didn’t care about any of that, though.

He cared about the freckle by her lip and the way she’d looked at the ocean tonight like she was searching for something to keep her head above the water.

I frowned and went inside.

It wasn’t going to be her. It couldn’t be.

Even so, my bear already knew it was, and I wasn’t the one who got to decide such things.

He was.

7

ROSE

The sky had been gray all morning. Heavy clouds sat low over Driftwood Cove, and the air had that thick, humid weight to it that meant rain was coming. Gloomy days like this could be good. I’d written some of my best emotional scenes to weather like this.

However, it wasn’t doing me any favors today.

The words that had been flowing yesterday were gone, and no amount of tea or staring at the ocean or the gray sky would bring them back.

They’d dried up.

By noon, I gave up and decided to go for a walk. I didn’t go to Delilah’s Cafe this time. Mainly because I’d already been there twice, and I didn’t want to become the sad writer who parked herself at the counter every time her brain came to a halt. So, I headed toward Main Street with no real destination. I just needed to move and to be somewhere other than sitting at that desk.

The town was quieter today, probably because of the weather. A few people ducked in and out of shops, and the fishing boats at the marina were tied tight to the docks. The wind had picked up since this morning, carrying salt and the smell of coming rain with it. It probably would have been smart of me to bring an umbrella, but maybe the rain would hold off a little longer.

The shop with sea glass and crystal wind chimes hung in the windows I’d noticed on my way into town drew me in. I wasn’t typically a crystal or charm kind of person, but still felt pulled to step inside. The calming scent of something herbal filled my nose as I entered.

The shop was small and cozy, with shelves lined with candles, crystals, and intricate little trinkets. Everything had a handmade quality to it, like someone had put care into every piece.

A woman stood behind the counter. She was tall, with silver-streaked dark hair in a loose braid and pale gray eyes that crinkled at the corners when she looked up at me.

“Welcome,” she said. “I’m Eleanor. Looking for anything in particular?”

“I’m just browsing. Thanks.”

She nodded and went back to arranging a display, giving me space without making it awkward. I liked her immediately. She had the kind of presence that was calm without being detached.

I wandered through the shelves, running my fingers over smooth stones and reading the hand-lettered labels on candle jars. For a few minutes, I forgot about the flat hero and manuscript problems I was having. I forgot about the deadline I was on and all the reader expectations piling up. I forgot about Nolan.

“The wind has been whispering your name to me, child.”

The voice came from the seating area near the front window, and it nearly made me drop the piece of sea glass I’d been holding.

An elderly woman sat at a small table with a steaming cup of tea and a worn deck of tarot cards in front of her. She was thin and short, with long, wild gray hair. She wore a purple shawl around her shoulders and had deep brown eyes that looked straight through me in a way that made my skin prickle.

“I’m sorry?” I said.

“Sit.” She gestured to the empty chair across from her. “The cards have a message for you today, Rose.”

I blinked.