Zena Wynn - Mary and the Bear

By day three, she acknowledged that for whatever reason, Hugh really did love her. It showed in his actions, and in every word he spoke to her. It was apparent in the way he cared for her. She'd soaked up his attention like a sponge, not being used to it. She was the caretaker in all of her relationships. No one ever took care of her. She hadn't examined his actions too closely, because if she had, her innate sense of fair play wouldn't have allowed her to enjoy his attention, knowing that he wanted more from her than she was willing to give.

But she still couldn't go home. Not until she figured out what she wanted. It wouldn't be fair to Hugh for their relationship to continue when she didn't know her own heart and mind. She wasn't a user.

On day four, loneliness kicked in. She kept wanting to share the things she'd seen with Hugh. Somewhere in the last two weeks, he'd become her best friend. She missed sharing her day with him, the amusing and sometimes troubling things that happened. She'd find herself thinking, ‘Oh, I can't wait to tell Hugh about this,’ or ‘Hugh would love that.'

The nights were the worst. She tossed and turned, seeking the heat of his body. She missed the sound of his breathing in the still of the night. She missed his scent filling her nostrils. It went far deeper than sex, though she missed that, too. She didn't just miss the sex. She missed Hugh.

While she wasn't looking, he'd imprinted himself on her soul. She felt incomplete without him. He'd subtly made himself such a large part of her life that she hadn't realized how big until he was gone, even if it was by her own doing. Did she really want to spend the rest of her life like this? No, she didn't. She wanted him in her life, totally and completely.

One thing she knew for sure, Hugh was not Charles. With him, she'd never have to worry about infidelity. Maybe she didn't know how to deal with his love and maybe she didn't completely trust it to last, but according to Kiesha and Shannon, she could trust in the mate bond. According to them, it was more permanent than marriage, and more binding in love. Yes, she could put her faith in something like that.

By day five, only sheer stubbornness was keeping her going. She was way past ready to go home. She missed her bed, her apartment, and she missed Hugh's cooking, but most of all, she missed Hugh. She had an assignment to complete and she was determined to get it done. Once she got home, she didn't plan on leaving again unless Hugh went with her, and with his schedule at the diner, she didn't see that happening any time soon.

That was one of the things they needed to discuss, the time he spent at the diner. It was fine for now, but when the kids started coming things were going to have to change. With the way they'd been going at it like bunnies, it wouldn't be long before there was a little one on the way.

Another thing they needed to talk about were the living arrangements. While the apartment was nice and convenient to both of their places of employment, she wanted a house. She'd planned for half of her life to build her dream home and she wasn't giving up the dream now. She was sure Hugh wouldn't mind. Before her, he'd been living in an efficiency apartment. He said he didn't need more than a bed to sleep in since he spent most of his time at the diner. It was a wonder he didn't sleep in his office.

It was after three o'clock before she finished with the last store. She had the information Kiesha needed and she was ready to go home. It was a four-hour drive back to Refuge. She'd checked out of the hotel, was packed, and ready to go. A quick stop through the drive-thru to get something to eat and she'd be on her way. Next stop, Hugh and home.

Where was she ? He'd been in this rinky-dink little town for two days now and hadn't seen a sign of her. She wasn't at her apartment, although he'd seen some guy coming and going from the place as though he lived there. Her truck was never home and never at the store where she worked. It wasn't like he could just walk into the store and ask for her, not after he'd gone through so much trouble to keep his presence here a secret.

He was reduced to driving by her place, and then only at night, hoping for a glimpse of her truck. He couldn't risk being seen driving around too much or people would get suspicious. There were no tourist for him to blend in with and as a result, he stuck out like a sore thumb.

He was beginning to realize taking Mary Elizabeth was going to be more difficult than he'd planned on. Susan didn't tell him that she lived in the center of town over a diner. The self-centered bitch probably didn't even know. After all, Mary Elizabeth wasn't her precious Babs. If Mary Elizabeth wouldn't come willingly, then it was going to be tricky getting her out of there. The only good thing about her location was that the entrance to her apartment was at the rear of the building. Since he'd been checking, only one other vehicle had parked back there, a massive Hummer that must belong to the guy who owned the diner.

Taking a big risk, he went into the diner the third night he was there. If asked, he'd pretend to be lost and in need of direction. He sat down at the counter with some of the other men and picked up the menu. Fortunately, he'd bought clothes that were not his usual style of dress. With the jeans and flannel button down shirt he purchased at one of the local thrift stores, he blended right in.

An hour and a half later, he was back out on the street and in possession of some much needed information. It seemed Mary Elizabeth was out of town on a business trip. No one knew for sure when she'd return, but it wasn't expected to be longer than a week. She and the big guy who owned the diner were going at it hot and heavy, but it seemed that Mary Elizabeth was trying to put an end to things. She must have come to her senses. She hadn't even told the big guy she was leaving. Just took off. His time spent in the diner was well worth the risk.

He pulled away from the building and then found an out of the way place to park. Thankful he was dressed in dark colors, he walked back to the diner, sticking to the alleys and back streets. Once there, he found a place to sit and watch. He was so focused that he never even noticed the cold. He watched, waited, and planned. He had the next few days to learn everyone's schedule and determine the best way to successfully complete his plan.

Mary Elizabeth phoned Kiesha. “I'm done and on my way home."

"That's great. Have you told Hugh?” This was news he would definitely want to know. He had been calling every day to check up on her progress.

"No, I want to surprise him. We have a lot to discuss and I'd rather not get into it over the phone."

"I understand. To be honest with you, I surprised you managed to stay away from him this long.” Kiesha paced while she talked.

"I was ready to come home two days ago. I just wanted to make sure I had all the information we needed while I was out. Once I finally get home, I won't be leaving again anytime soon."

"As if Hugh would let you,” she chuckled. “Well, I know business-wise the trip was a success from talking to you during your daily check-ins. What about emotionally? Are you okay with everything that's happened now?"

"It scares me how much I missed him while I've been gone. He's such a big part of my life and I didn't even realize it. Yes, I'm okay with being mated to him, because I have to be okay with it. The alternative is living without him and that's no longer an option for me."

Kiesha sighed, understanding totally where she was coming from. “It's a little scary at times, how intense everything is, but you won't regret it. I was scared to let go with Alex, to trust in my feelings for him but I'm glad I took a chance on a future with him. Things have only gotten better as time goes by. When will you be home?"