“Oh, I’m glad we cleared that up,” she saidsarcastically.
They stared each other down for a few seconds before he burst out laughing. Were they seriously standing here arguing about his bear weight? A thousand-pound difference was completely inconsequential compared to the bigger issue. He slapped his hand over his mouth and wrapped the other around his stomach. As much as he tried to stop, hecouldn’t.
“It’s not that funny,”shesaid.
“It is,” he said between fits oflaughter.
She stared at him for a few seconds before the edge of her mouthtuggedup.
“You can become a bear and we’re here debating your weight. I guess I can see how it’s funny,” she said withasigh.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be laughing. Sometimes it happens when I get really nervous,”hesaid.
“You’re nervous?” she asked. “I’m the one who should be nervous. Also, I can’t talk to you like this. Where are youclothes?”
“Hang on,”hesaid.
He hurried over to the tree branch he’d hung his clothes on. After quickly pulling his jeans up, he yanked on his plaid button-up shirt. When he turned around, he half-expected her to be gone, but she wasn’t. She stood in the same spot. He tried to read her expression butcouldn’t.
“I’ll keep your secret,”shesaid.
“Thank you.” His shoulders sagged withrelief.
“I honestly don’t know what to think about this. I keep thinking that I must be dreaming, or tripping orsomething.”
“I thought you didn’t do drugs,”hesaid.
“I’ve been on a few ‘shroom trips. It’s not the same asdrugs.”
“How do you figure? It changes your mind,”hesaid.
“It just opens it to a higherconsciousness.”
“It’s notnatural.”
“Mushrooms grow in the earth, how isn’t it natural?” sheasked.
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. There was no point in arguing. She wasn’t outright condemning him for being a shifter, so what right did he have to condemn her for eatingmushrooms?
“We should head back,” she said. “Your dad’s going to wonder why I’m not in the fieldworking.”
“I’ll deal with him,” he said. When she turned to leave, he grabbed herarm. “Wait.”
“Let me go.” She yanked herarmaway.
“I’m sorry. Ididn’tmean—”
“Greg, I just want to forget what I saw. I won’t tell anyone. Who would believe meanyway?”
“Okay,”hesaid.
As they walked back toward the field, he fought the urge to reach for her hand. He’d probably ruined any chance he had with her. God, how could he have been so careless? He should have waited until after dark to let his bear loose. Now whatever progress he’d made with her was gone. He’d have to start over. He’d have to find a way to make her trust himagain.
As they reached the field, his dad strolled out of the house and walked over to where theystood.
“Where have you two been?” heasked.
“She came out to help me collect huckleberries,”Gregsaid.
