Page 11 of Grumpy Bear (Return To Fate Mountain #4)

Chapter

Ten

Henry stepped through the heavy oak door of Fate Mountain Brewery with Ivy at his side.

The rumble of voices and laughter hit him first, followed by clinking glasses and music from a vintage jukebox in the corner.

The rich scent of hops, polished wood, and leather filled the air.

So many bodies pressed into one space. Too many people.

He counted three exits, marking each in his mind. The main door behind him. A side door beyond the pool table. What looked like the brewing room entrance behind the bar.

“Come on,” Ivy said, touching his arm lightly. “Let’s find the nature center crew.”

She led him through the crowded brewery toward a cluster of tables where construction workers gathered around pitchers of amber beer. Ivy introduced him to each person, her hand occasionally brushing his arm as she gestured.

“Everyone, this is Ranger Kincaid from the Forest Service,” Ivy announced to the group. “He’s helping to ensure the health of the wildlife corridor.”

The workers nodded in greeting, some raising glasses in his direction. Henry remained standing while the others sat, positioning himself against the wall where he could watch the entire room. A young woman with thick glasses and a Bright Institute lanyard approached Ivy, offering a shy smile.

“Dr. Bright, I finished those soil samples you asked for,” she said.

“Bridget, I told you to call me Ivy,” she responded with a laugh. “And thank you, but this is supposed to be your night off. No work talk.”

Henry watched Ivy remember specific details about each crew member, asking about Marco’s recovery, Bobby’s new baby, and Cilia’s mother’s recent move. The genuine care in her voice pulled reluctant respect from him.

Ronald Vance entered the brewery. He approached their table with a stack of papers tucked under his arm, nodding at Henry before turning to Ivy.

“Here are those revised security plans,” Ronald said, placing the documents on the table. “I’ve added those reinforced locks you requested for the equipment trailers.”

“Thank you for handling this so quickly,” Ivy replied.

“I’ll have one drink, then head out.” Ronald signaled the bartender. “Early concrete pour tomorrow. Call me if anything else happens.”

As the conversation flowed around him, Henry kept his attention on the workers discussing the scaffolding collapse.

The brewery door swung open. A woman in a tailored charcoal suit and designer heels entered, drawing eyes with her deliberate stride.

Her dark hair hung in a sleek curtain to her shoulders, and her makeup looked fresh despite the late hour.

She stood out among the flannel shirts and work boots like a hawk among sparrows.

Ivy tensed beside him. Henry noticed the sudden change in her posture.

“That’s Lisa Mercer,” Ivy whispered, leaning close to his ear. “The architect who wanted to lead the nature center project but lost out to my proposal. Bobby told me he saw her near the scaffolding right before it collapsed yesterday. I wasn’t sure if I should believe it, but...”

Henry nodded, taking in this new information. The woman’s gaze swept the room with cold calculation before landing on their group. He caught the sudden sourness in her scent. Bitterness. Hatred directed at Ivy.

Lisa spotted their group and approached with a practiced smile that never reached her eyes.

“Well, isn’t this cozy,” she said, gaze sweeping over the construction crew before landing on Ivy. “The little nature center family having a celebration. What exactly are we celebrating? Another construction delay?”

Henry moved closer to Ivy without conscious thought.

“Lisa, what a surprise,” Ivy said, her smile dimming but not disappearing. “Would you like to join us?”

“So gracious,” Lisa replied. “Even after that unfortunate scaffolding incident. Such bad luck for your project timeline.”

Henry stepped forward. “You were seen near the scaffolding before it collapsed.”

The conversation around them halted. Lisa’s composed expression flickered for an instant before hardening.

“Excuse me?” she asked.

“A witness placed you at the construction site before the accident,” Henry stated, his ranger authority filling his voice.

Lisa’s laugh sounded brittle. “That’s absurd.” She turned to Ivy. “You might want to leash your pet ranger before he makes accusations that could lead to legal trouble.”

The construction workers shifted uncomfortably. Ivy’s face flushed.

“I’m just gathering information,” Henry said. Something didn’t add up. People with nothing to hide rarely responded with such immediate hostility.

“Well, gather this,” Lisa snapped. “Some projects are doomed from conception, especially when led by someone more interested in playing around than doing real architectural work.” She turned to leave but paused to look at Ivy once more.

“When this falls apart, don’t worry. I’ll be ready to step in and salvage what’s left. ”

She strode out, leaving uncomfortable silence in her wake. Henry noted the way her left eye had twitched when denying her presence at the site. The slight tremor in her hands. The accelerated pulse visible at her throat. Deception indicators, though not proof.

A tall man with wavy blond hair and a pressed button-down shirt slid smoothly into the space Lisa vacated. “Dr. Bright,” he said, his voice smooth as honey. “I was hoping I’d find you here.”

“Oh, Eric,” Ivy replied. “Henry, this is Eric Robins, our environmental impact consultant for the nature center. Eric, this is Henry Kincaid, forest ranger.”

The men exchanged terse nods before Eric turned his attention fully to Ivy. “Don’t let her get to you,” the consultant told Ivy, placing his hand on her shoulder. “Your vision for this project is revolutionary. The committee wouldn’t have selected it otherwise.”

Henry watched the man’s thumb trace small circles on Ivy’s shoulder.

Unnecessary contact. Standing close enough that his expensive cologne clouded the natural fresh scent that was uniquely Ivy’s.

Heat crawled up Henry’s neck. His jaw clenched tight enough to ache.

The beer glass in his hand creaked under sudden pressure from his fingers.

“Your leadership has been nothing short of brilliant,” the consultant continued, leaning closer to Ivy. “The way you’ve balanced everything proves why you were the right choice.”

Henry’s fingers tightened further on his glass until a small crack formed in its surface.

Beer seeped onto his hand. The reaction confused him.

Yet the thought of this slick consultant touching Ivy sparked territorial rage in him.

His bear pushed against his human control, demanding action.

Take her away from him. Show her who her real mate is.

Henry had never experienced jealousy before.

The emotion felt foreign and unwelcome, yet undeniable.

His rational mind argued against the foolishness of his reaction while his bear nature raged.

Without planning the movement, Henry left his wall position and inserted himself directly into the conversation.

“The wildlife corridor design integrates natural animal movement patterns with human educational access,” he stated, positioning himself between Ivy and the consultant.

“The northern buffer zone preserves critical elk calving grounds while the sunken observation blinds allow visitors to view wildlife without disrupting behavior. Smart design.”

Ivy looked up at him with surprise.

The consultant blinked, taken aback by Henry’s sudden expertise and physical presence. “Yes, well, as I was saying to Dr. Bright...”

“The boundary markers issue will need adjustment,” Henry continued, as if the other man hadn’t spoken. “I’m helping Ivy with proper placement.”

The conversation shifted to technical aspects of the project where Henry’s knowledge of the forest ecosystem gave him natural authority. He found himself maintaining a position that kept the consultant from resuming his close proximity to Ivy.

Eventually, the consultant retreated to the bar with a defeated look.

Several construction workers exchanged knowing glances, hiding smiles behind beer glasses.

Ivy’s hand touched Henry’s arm, lingering there with gentle pressure.

Her eyes brightened, lips curving into a small, pleased smile that sent warmth spreading through his chest.

“Thank you,” she said quietly.Henry nodded, feeling unfamiliar satisfaction at having successfully interrupted whatever the consultant had been attempting. “He’s been asking me out for weeks, and... he’s not my fated mate. So...”

“You said no. And he didn’t take the hint.”

“Something like that.”

“Want to get some air?” Ivy asked, gesturing toward the brewery’s outdoor patio.

Henry followed her outside, where fairy lights strung between wooden posts illuminated rustic tables and chairs. The temperature had dropped with nightfall, the mountain air crisp against their skin. They claimed a table near the edge of the patio.

“So,” Ivy said, settling into a chair beside him rather than across the table. “Tell me more about your tracking work. You seem to read the forest like a book.”

The physical proximity should have made Henry uncomfortable. Instead, he found himself relaxing as they discussed mountain ecology. Words came more easily in the cool night air, away from the press of the crowd.

“The elk herds move through three distinct elevation zones with the seasons,” he explained. “Each range requires different protection approaches.”

Ivy nodded, genuinely fascinated. “That’s exactly why the nature center’s location is so critical.

We need to educate visitors about these patterns without disrupting them.

” She traced the rim of her glass with a finger, her enthusiasm dimming slightly.

“Sometimes I worry I’ve taken on too much with this project.

Everyone at the institute expects success because I’m Corey Bright’s daughter. If I fail...”

“You won’t,” Henry said.

“How can you be so sure?” she asked.

“You care about the mountain. Not just the project.”

Ivy smiled, the expression transforming her face in the gentle light.

A slight shiver ran through her as a cool breeze swept across the patio.

Henry found himself shifting closer, his bear instincts pushing him to provide warmth.

Their shoulders touched. Ivy didn’t move away.

Instead, she leaned into his warmth and gazed upward. “It’s so clear tonight,” she whispered.

Henry followed her gaze to where the stars above Fate Mountain spread in a brilliant tapestry against the black canvas of night. Without thinking, he raised his hand and traced the outline of Ursa Major. “My uncle Cyrus taught me to navigate by them,” he said. “When I was a cub.”

Ivy turned toward him, their faces closer than before. A streak of light shot across the night sky. They both turned to look, then back to each other simultaneously. Something electric passed between them.

Henry registered her quickened pulse. The way her pupils expanded in the dim light. The scent of desire rising from her skin like spring flowers in morning sun.

His bear surged forward with unexpected force as their faces drew closer. The first brush of lips sent shock waves through his body. Her mouth tasted of mountain hops and sweetness. Recognition flooded his system. Mate. Mine.

The kiss deepened. Ivy’s hands moved to his chest, then his shoulders, pulling him closer.

He responded with equal hunger, one hand tangling in her curls while the other pressed against the small of her back.

Heat built between them, and a low growl vibrated in his chest. Ivy matched his intensity.

Her own bear nature rose to meet his, her eyes glowing amber in the darkness.

The urge to claim her completely crashed over Henry. His mouth traced down her jaw toward her neck, where the claiming bite would mark her as his forever. The bear in him howled for completion of the bond.

Terror cut through his desire. What was he doing? He barely knew this woman. A claiming bite would bind them for life. Forever. With physical pain, Henry tore himself away. The separation hurt like ripping off his own skin. He stood, breathing hard, putting distance between them.

Confusion and hurt flashed across Ivy’s face, and the wounded look pulled at something in his chest. “I...can’t,” he stammered. “This is...”

Words failed him. How could he explain the intensity of what had just happened? How could he explain the fear that consumed him at the thought of a permanent connection? Ivy reached toward him, the movement weakening his resolve. If she touched him again, he might not find the strength to leave.

Their eyes locked one final time. The depth of connection already formed between them shone in her gaze.

He couldn’t stand to see it. Henry turned and walked away without looking back.

The cool night air hit his overheated skin as he escaped into the parking lot and turned the corner to where he’d parked his car.

He climbed into his truck, hands shaking on the steering wheel.

What had he done? Leaving her there after that kiss.

After Lisa’s threats and the consultant’s attention.

His bear raged against his decision, causing actual physical pain as he pulled away from the brewery.

Henry drove two blocks before guilt overwhelmed him.

He couldn’t leave her unprotected. He turned the truck around, returning to the brewery.

Ivy’s SUV still sat in front of Max and Laney’s house. Henry waited, engine idling, to ensure she got home safely. He pulled out the phone his family had forced on him, fumbling with the unfamiliar technology until he found her name in his contacts. His thumbs pecked awkwardly at the screen.

“Are you OK?”

The response came almost immediately: “Bridget’s driving me home. I’m fine.”

Relief washed through him, followed by shame. He should have offered to drive her home himself instead of running away like a coward.

Henry rested his forehead against the steering wheel. His bear continued to rage against his human decision to flee, the inner conflict leaving him exhausted. Ivy was his mate. His bear knew it with absolute certainty. Yet his human side feared the vulnerability that came with such a connection.

For years, Henry had lived in self-imposed isolation. The thought of letting someone into his carefully constructed solitude terrified him. But the alternative, of continuing to deny the mate bond that clearly existed between them, seemed impossible after tonight.

He started his truck again, turning toward the mountain road that led to his cabin. The hardest decision of his life lay before him. Not whether Ivy Bright was his mate, but whether he could find the courage to accept what that meant.