Santa Soldier Bear - Meg Ripley Page 0,49
my place every night and give me a full report on what he’d done.”
The older bear was a beloved member of the clan, and Roman had come to like him just as much as everyone else did. “I’ll owe him big for this.”
Austin paused at the doors out to the parking lot. “You’d better zip up your coat, Melody. It’s a lot colder here than where you came from.”
“Oh, look at all this snow!” she squealed as they headed for Austin’s truck. “I just love it.”
Roman took her hand. He’d missed it too, and it was all the better now that he had her there with him. He chuckled at her enthusiasm. “You haven’t seen much of anything yet. We haven’t even left the airport parking lot.”
“I don’t care! I saw plenty through the plane window, but I don’t think I’ll ever get over all this snow. Everyone’s just carrying on about their business as if nothing’s happened.” She slipped a little, leaning on Roman for support.
“It’s just a way of life up here,” Roman explained. “They’re prepared for it, too. They always have the plows out on the main roads, and everyone has four-wheel-drive vehicles. This will be my first full winter here, but even I know to keep plenty of provisions on hand, just in case. It’s nothing like L.A.” He hoisted the bags into the back of Austin’s truck and held the door open for Melody.
The two of them slipped into the back to sit next to each other. “That’s exactly what I’m going to love about it,” Melody replied as she buckled in. “There are a lot of great things about L.A., but I was ready for a change of scenery. Can you imagine how wonderful Christmas is going to be up here?”
Austin glanced at her in the rearview. “You like Christmas, huh? Well, then I’ll give you the grand tour.” He turned the truck toward Main Street, slowing down so Melody could take in all the garland, wreaths, and lights that decorated the downtown area.
“This is amazing!” Melody squealed.
Roman put his hand affectionately on her thigh. When the two of them had sat down and talked about where they’d live, he hadn’t been sure that Wyoming was the right choice. Roman had known that was what he’d wanted. Though he’d originally chosen it because of his urge to be alone, he’d come to love it and the grizzly clan that had adopted him. He’d worried that Melody would choose to go back there with him not because she genuinely wanted to, but because she felt she had to. They’d talked well into the night, weighing all the pros and cons of all the decisions that rested on their shoulders. The fact that they could discuss it like mature adults instead of arguing children had told him a lot. Roman turned up the heat to make sure Melody didn’t get cold. “I’m glad you think so. I was worried about taking you away from your friends.”
“It’s not as though we can’t go back to visit. In fact, I’ve already convinced Emersyn that she and Gabe will need to take a vacation out here next summer.” Melody leaned against him, grinning as she kept her eyes glued to the windows.
Moving out of Sheridan proper, Austin turned down a side road and headed out into the country. Roman felt himself relaxing more and more as they drove, finding comfort and familiarity in a bump or pothole here and a tree there. He’d known he belonged there the first time he’d arrived, but at that time in his life, he’d never imagined he’d be bringing his one true mate back home with him. He kept his arms wrapped around her, determined never to let her go again.
“Here we are,” Austin announced as he pulled into the driveway.
“No way.” Melody scrambled out of the truck before Roman could insist on helping her down. “You didn’t tell me you lived in a log cabin!”
Roman had simply seen it as a house before, but everything about him had changed, including his perspective. He could see why Melody would have loved the place, with the split-rail fence around the front yard, the stone foundation, and the heavy logs that made up the home. He’d been more focused on the huge pole barn off to the side that allowed him a place to work from and keep his equipment, but Melody herself was all about home. Now that she was there, he couldn’t imagine