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“Go our own way? What the—” Leo inhaled deeply to calm himself and his bear, who wanted free to run and knock down some trees in anger. Something was definitely wrong. Gracie was very much in love with him, and he wondered what might have happened with her mother to make her think she should break things off. It could be that she was afraid of how strong her feelings for him were. Or perhaps she was feeling guilty that her mother had gotten sick once she’d left home. He imagined Gracie was in shock as well. As hard as it was, Leo knew the only thing he could do was wait for his mate to realize she didn’t mean what she’d said.
Leo laid back down to try to get some rest before work the next day, and he managed to get a few hours of sleep before he got up early enough to go to his place to shower and change before going to the mountain. When he got to the employee parking lot, he searched for Gracie’s car but didn’t find it anywhere. He grew more concerned when he realized he hadn’t gotten to work early. Gracie wasn’t at the mountain.
He made his way to Tracy’s office to see if she’d heard from Gracie. Her door was open, and he knocked softly on it when he saw she was on the phone.
She nodded toward him, and he waited for her to end her call. “Did you have a nice time last night?” she asked.
“I did. Have you heard from Gracie? Her mom is in the hospital and I haven’t heard anything.”
Tracy frowned. “She called in earlier to say she was taking care of a family emergency, but I didn’t take the call.”
“Okay, thanks.”
Leo checked his phone knowing he wasn’t going to find a text, and he decided to send Gracie another message telling her he was available in any way she might need him. He didn’t get a reply, and at the end of a day full of worry he couldn’t take it any longer.
He found Henry behind the guest services desk. The clicking of his keyboard stopped when he looked up and asked, “How’s Gracie’s mom?”
“I don’t know. She—” Leo scowled as the pain of his mate’s rejection tore at his heart. “I haven’t heard from her today.”
“Me either, and I’m worried.”
“I’m worried about her too. I’d like to go see how she’s doing, but—” Leo thought about Gracie’s texts saying she didn’t love him and that they were over. He wanted to believe she didn’t mean that, but worry had taken over. “I don’t think Gracie wants to see me.”
“What on earth makes you say that?”
Leo reached into his pocket for his phone as if rereading the messages from Gracie would change the words. “Her texts.”
“Let me see that,” Henry said as he held out his hand for Leo’s cell. He scowled as he read the messages. “This doesn’t sound like Gracie at all.” He gazed at Leo with concern in his eyes. “Something is wrong.”
“I’m glad to hear you say that. I’m going to go check on her. Can you tell me where her mother lives?”
“Keep me posted on what you find out,” Henry said. “Her mom’s house is in Wilson township. Take Copper Hill Rd just off Route 29. It’s about a quarter mile past the town line and the third house on the right.”
Leo slapped the counter in front of Henry. “Thanks. Tell Tracy where I’ve gone, please?”
“Will do,” Henry said, “Tell her Kate and I are thinking of her and to let us know if we can do anything to help.”
“Of course,” Leo said. He tugged the door open to let a woman through before he left, and once he stepped outside, he saw Donna and Richard. He sighed in frustration because he didn’t want to deal with the two of them and waste precious time. Before they could say anything, Leo spoke. “I’m on this.”
The two looked at each other as if they were concerned, but Richard said, “We’ll get out of your way.” He stepped aside to let Leo pass.
As he drove to Gracie’s childhood home, Leo pondered what could have made her send those texts. He understood her commitment to her mother, but it hardly seemed fair that the woman would force her daughter to stay away from the man she loved. Something was off, and he had every intention of finding out what it was.
When he pulled up in front of the Templeton home, Leo noticed it was the only house on the street that didn’t have holiday lights. There was a single outdoor light by the side door, and when he walked past Gracie’s car to approach it, he saw that the paint on the door and trim was peeling. He pushed the doorbell and heard it ring. He also heard movement, but when it paused, the door didn’t open. He knocked.
“Go away!” called a woman he assumed was Gracie’s mother.
“It’s Leo, Ms. Templeton. I’d like to speak with Gracie, please.”
He saw her step in front of the door and peer at him through the window on the top. With his astute hearing, he heard a noise of disgust as if what she saw was something awful. “Your kind is not welcome here. Leave before I call the police.”
My kind?Leo stepped back and wondered if Gracie’s mother might know about werebear and realize what he was based on his size. He knew better than to push the woman, and it was clear she was conscious and mobile enough to limp to the front door, so he decided to find another way to talk to Gracie. He trudged through the snow to the back of the house, and when he noticed a room with light seeping out through closed curtains he approached it to knock softly.
The curtain opened, and he saw Gracie wearing nothing but a towel. She grinned at him, and Leo’s heart soared because her smile was not that of a woman who’d just broken up with him. His mate hadn’t changed her mind, but her mother had tried to tear them apart, and he had a good idea why.
CHAPTER17
Gracie
