“It’s not safe to be traveling around alone,”hesaid.
“River and Meadow will bewithme.”
“I’m not just worried about people,” he said. “There are more bear shifters out there and some of them are vicious animals. If you get caught in the woods at night, you could getkilled.”
“I’m not yours to worry about,”shesaid.
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll worry anyway. I know I keep saying it, but I don’t know how else to get through to you. I love you. I can’t imagine my lifewithoutyou.”
“Don’t make thisharder…”
He stopped walking and turned his back on her. His shouldersshook.
“Let me know when you’re leaving,” he whispered. “I want to saygoodbye.”
“Okay,” she saidsoftly.
The impulse to go to him, to wrap her arms around him and never let go almost brought her to her knees. She forced herself to put one foot in front of the other as she turned and walked back to thehouse.
She found Andy, River, and Meadow standing next tothebus.
“What’s going on?” sheasked.
“Greg’s old man fixed it up for us. We can take off now,” Andy said. She didn’t miss the sharp undertone in hisvoice.
“It’srunning?”
“Yeah,” Meadow said. “We already packed everything up. We weren’t sure where you went so we’ve been waiting until yougotback.”
Daisy turned and glanced toward the lake. She couldn’t see Greg beyond the curve. A part of her longed to run back and throw herself into his arms, but she’d already made her choice. Going back to say goodbye would only hurthimmore.
“I guess we should go then,” she saidsoftly.
Her stomach roiled as she climbed into the passenger seat. After buckling her seatbelt, she twisted to look at the lake. Andy started the engine and put the bus in gear. As they drove past the main house, Betty, Joseph, Aaron, and Samanthawaved.
Tears flowed down Daisy’s cheeks. She pulled her hair forward to hide her face from her brother. As she watched the farmhouse retreat in the rearview mirror, she knew she’d never be the same. If only this had happened after she’d had a chance to live her life. If only she’d met Greg when she was ready tosettledown.
When the forest swallowed up the last vestige of the farm, she stared out as the trees whizzed by. Through her tears, the forest blurred into a mass of brown and green. She’d never see another pine tree without thinking of him. She’d never see another lake without wondering what he wasdoing.
She jumped when Andy pattedherleg.
“You’ll be fine,” he said as if he could read herthoughts.
For a split second, she resented her brother. If she hadn’t cared about him so much, she might have stayed with Greg. Simmering rage welled up in her soul. If the country wasn’t at war, they wouldn’t be in this position. Maybe she would have run into Greg during her travels. Maybe then they would have had achance.
* * *
Greg wipedhis face and pulled himself together. He couldn’t go home until the evidence of his pain was gone from his face. He paced back and forth in front of the lake. He’d tried everything he could think of to make her want to stay but it hadn’t been enough. She’d be leaving as soon as he put the part in their bus. He wanted to smash the flower-covered monstrosity so she’d never leave him, but he wasn’t a violent man. Even though he was a shifter, he’d managed to contain his bear’s barbaricnature.
As soon as he was sure his face was back to normal, he headed back toward the house. He cocked his head to one side. That was odd. Where’d the bus go? It had been parked next to the barn for over a month. Why would they have moved it? He could work on itthere.
He picked up his pace. The bus wasn’t working. They couldn’t have driven away already. He pumped his legs faster and faster as he ran toward the house. His father stood on the porch with his hands stuffed into hisjeans.
“Hi, son,”hesaid.
“Where’s the bus?” Gregasked.
“I fixed it up for you. They seemed to be in a hurry to leave, so I offered to do the repairs. I couldn’t find you or I would have let youdothem.”
