The Bear’s Capture

That had been the talk of the town for the last month.

Then there was the last table, which made me a little sad as I stared at Mrs. Sorrows. Even her last name was ironic, given her situation. She’d not only lost her husband two years ago, but she’d also recently lost her only child to a car accident. To say the town mourned for her and her family was an understatement.

“I go over there every other weekend to have lunch with her.”

I looked over at Cherry and gave her this sad smile. She’d since put down her phone and was staring at Mrs. Sorrows.

“I’ve gone over there a few times since she lost Frankie, but she never really says much and instead keeps giving me baked goods to take home.”

Cherry nodded and picked up her coffee, leaning back in her seat. “Yeah, I think that’s how she copes … baking stuff and giving it to people.” Cherry took a long drink of her coffee before setting the cup on the table and exhaling. “I can’t even imagine.”

I shook my head. “Me either.”

We sat in silence for a long moment, not sure what to say, or maybe just reflecting on how lucky we really were. “How’s school?” I finally broke the silence to ask Cherry about her last semester of college.

She shrugged. “It’s going. I’ll be glad when it’s finally over, but then I have the hassle of finding a job, which won’t be in this podunk town.”

I knew Cherry didn’t want to stay in our picturesque little mountain retreat of a town. Hell, I didn’t even know why I did.

Yes I do. Bear.

Well, it wasn’t just because of him, although my love for that man could have moved oceans.

I don’t know how long I sat there, staring off as I thought about Bear, imagining telling him how I felt, just throwing caution to the wind and saying fuck it.

“What’s on your mind?” Cherry asked, drawing me out of my thoughts.

I glanced up at her and blinked a few times, clearing my vision. She looked at me with this expression that told me she already knew the answer.

“Nothing,” I said, but the lie sounded obvious.

“Nothing?” She lifted an arched eyebrow, the expression on her face telling me she didn’t believe one word of it. “This about Bear?”

I cleared my throat and glanced away. I didn’t know why I was so nervous talking about him, especially with Cherry.

“You know you can talk to me about whatever, right?”

I knew I could. She didn’t push, but I didn’t want to talk about it, didn’t want to bare my soul, so to speak.

“Why don’t you just tell him how you feel?” she finally said after a prolonged moment. I looked up at her, knowing my eyes were wide, feeling like they were saucers.

I probably looked like a deer caught in headlights. It was no surprise that she guessed what was on my mind. She was pretty good at reading people, especially me.

I exhaled and leaned back in my chair, holding my coffee cup and running my finger along the rim. “Because the risk of him turning me down and breaking my heart scares the hell out of me.”

She looked sympathetic but then this steely resolve covered her face. “Even if he did turn you down, even if it did go that way when you were honest with him, you’re a tough girl and can handle it. I know you would regret not saying anything, wondering what his reaction would have been.” She gave me a soft smile. “But I doubt he’ll turn you down, much less break your heart. How could he? You’re gorgeous and sweet. He’d be stupid to break your heart.” She exhaled. “Besides, I’d kick his ass if he made you sad.”

I chuckled, knowing Cherry meant that.

“I guess I’ve been trying to talk myself into telling him how I feel. I go out there every month, sometimes see him, sometimes say a few words here and there. I swear the man doesn’t even know I exist. He hardly looks at me, and if he does speak to me it’s just one-word answers that sound more like grunts coming from a wild animal.”

Cherry chuckled softly, but the space between us became solemn as time passed.

“He’s a definite mystery,” Cherry said, staring at her coffee mug. “But you know why he’s like that. You know why he stays by himself.” She looked at me and I felt my heart lurch in my chest.

Looking at my coffee cup, I nodded. “Yeah, I know.”

“I mean, losing his mother, the only family he had left, scars a person, I imagine.”

I thought about when he’d first moved to town all those years ago. I’d been a young girl, hearing the rumors about the newcomer who’d bought the cabin and piece of land out in the middle of nowhere.