Page 8 of Grumpy Bear (Return To Fate Mountain #4)

Chapter

Seven

Ivy practically floated into her apartment, tossing her keys into the ceramic dish by the door.

She grabbed her phone and collapsed onto her floral-patterned couch.

Her fingers moved without conscious thought, pulling up her sister’s contact and hitting dial.

The phone rang three times before Holly answered.

“Hey, Ivy. What’s up?”

“Holly, you’re never going to believe what happened today,” Ivy said, unable to contain her excitement.

She launched into motion, pacing the small living room while gesturing animatedly, despite her sister being unable to see her.

“I was matched with my fated mate on mate.com. And I met him today, and Holly, it was... it was...”

“Slow down,” Holly laughed. “Start from the beginning.”

Ivy took a deep breath and started again, describing how she’d woken to find the notification, the immediate physical reaction she’d experienced seeing Henry’s profile, and their hastily arranged coffee meeting.

“He’s a forest ranger, lives in a cabin miles from town. He’s tall, rugged, has these intense eyes that just... see everything,” Ivy continued, unable to stop the rush of words. “And when we shook hands, Holly, I swear I felt an actual electric current. My bear recognized him instantly.”

“That’s amazing,” Holly said, her voice warm with genuine happiness. “I know exactly what you mean. Remember how I described meeting Elias? That instant recognition even though he barely spoke?”

“Yes, that’s it exactly,” Ivy agreed eagerly. “Henry was so quiet at first. Just these short, clipped answers. He clearly doesn’t enjoy being in town or around people much.”

“Sounds familiar,” Holly said with affection in her voice. “Elias was completely dedicated to me from our first meeting, but he certainly wasn’t a social butterfly. Still isn’t, really.”

“How did you manage those early days?” Ivy asked, seeking her sister’s wisdom. “When you knew you were perfect for each other, but communication was still... developing?”

Holly chuckled. “Patience, mostly. I learned to appreciate his actions more than his words. Elias showed his feelings through thoughtful gestures long before he could comfortably express them verbally.”

A flicker of doubt disturbed Ivy’s euphoria. “I’m not sure Henry’s at the gestures stage yet. He bolted for the door after fifteen minutes.”

“That sounds… challenging.”

“Yes… But I know he’s passionate about protecting the mountain ecosystem. He cares as much as I do.”

“Well, that’s a promising sign,” Holly said. “Finding common ground is essential, especially with the strong silent types.”

Ivy sighed, remembering Henry’s expression when she’d mentioned her project. “He was horrified when he realized I was leading the construction project he’d found problems with. But I offered to investigate with him.”

“That’s good… Working together on something you both care about is exactly how you’ll build a connection.”

“I’m trying not to get ahead of myself,” Ivy said, though her excitement was difficult to contain. “But finding your fated mate isn’t something that happens every day.”

“Remember, even fated mates need to work at their relationship. The bond is there naturally, but communication doesn’t always come easy, especially with shifters who’ve spent years avoiding human interaction.

Just take it one day at a time. Let him set the pace when it comes to social interaction, but don’t hesitate to take the lead on your shared interests. ”

“Thanks, Holly. I appreciate the perspective.”

“That’s what sisters are for. Love you.”

After hanging up, Ivy moved through her evening routine.

She watered her jungle of houseplants, prepared a simple dinner she barely tasted, and eventually settled in for the night.

Yet sleep proved elusive. Her thoughts kept circling back to Henry, to the electricity of their handshake, to the intensity in his eyes when he looked at her.

Her bear remained restless beneath her skin. Every time Ivy closed her eyes, she saw Henry’s face, felt the warmth of his calloused hand against hers.

When sleep finally claimed her, Ivy dreamed of dense forests and mountain paths. A massive shadowy bear moved through the trees ahead of her, always just out of clear view. She followed, drawn by an invisible thread connecting them, but never quite catching up. She woke feeling frustrated.

Morning sunlight peeked through Ivy’s curtains when her phone jolted her awake. Ronald Vance’s name lit up the screen.

“Hello?” Ivy mumbled sleepily.

“Ivy, thank goodness,” Ronald sounded panicked. “There’s been an accident at the site. Scaffolding collapsed. Two workers hurt. You need to come now.”

Ivy sat straight up, instantly wide awake. “How bad? Did someone call an ambulance?”

“Already done. Police are on their way too. But Ivy, this wasn’t an accident. Something’s wrong with those supports.”

“I’m on my way,” Ivy said.

Ivy threw on clothes, grabbed her things, and raced to her car.

Her stomach twisted as she drove. First the boundary markers, now this?

Was someone trying to ruin her nature center?

Her tires squealed as she pulled out of the driveway.

The morning air felt thick with worry as she navigated the winding mountain roads leading to the construction site.

“Please let everyone be okay,” she whispered.

The forest blurred past her window, tall pines and thick undergrowth crowded the road. The construction site came into view, and Ivy’s heart dropped. Police and ambulance lights flashed in the morning sun. Workers huddled in worried groups around the twisted metal heap that used to be scaffolding.

Ivy hurried over to Ronald, who was talking to a police officer, looking shaken.

“Ivy!” Relief flooded his face. “You’re here!”

“What happened?” she asked, staring at the damage

Ronald pointed at the fallen scaffolding. “It just gave way when the morning crew started climbing. Marco’s on his way to the hospital with a broken leg. Bobby got lucky, just scratches.”

Ivy scanned the workers. “Was anyone else hurt?”

“That ranger who was checking your boundaries got hurt too.”

Her heart skipped. “Henry Kincaid? He was here?”

Ronald nodded. “Yeah, that’s the guy. He showed up early to check those markers. When everything collapsed, he rushed in to pull Marco out from under a beam. Cut his arm pretty bad.”

Worry fluttered in Ivy’s chest. “Where is he?”

“By the equipment trailer. Stubborn guy won’t let the paramedics near him.”

Ivy hurried toward the trailer, trying not to look as concerned as she felt.

Bobby approached her, his face scratched and worried.

“Dr. Bright, I need to tell you something,” he said quietly.

“Before everything fell, I saw someone by the scaffolding. A woman in fancy clothes. Looked like that architect. The one who didn’t get the job. ”

“Lisa Mercer?” Ivy asked, surprised.

Bobby nodded. “Pretty sure it was her. She was messing with the supports. I was going to check, but then the delivery truck showed up.”

“Thanks, Bobby. Make sure you tell the police.”

Ivy hurried toward the trailer, where she spotted Henry sitting on an overturned crate, pressing a bloody rag to his arm and scowling at a frustrated paramedic.

“I said I’m fine,” he growled. “Just a scratch.”

The paramedic threw up his hands. “Stubborn shifters,” he muttered, walking away.

Ivy approached, her eyes drawn to the torn sleeve and blood-soaked cloth. “That doesn’t look fine to me.”

Henry looked up, surprise flashing across his face before his scowl returned. “It’s nothing.”

“Pulling someone from under collapsed metal isn’t nothing,” Ivy said. She glanced around quickly and spotted the emergency supplies station near the site office trailer. She hurried over and grabbed the bright red first aid kit mounted on the wall, then returned to Henry’s side. “Let me see.”

“It’ll heal.”

“Not before it gets infected,” Ivy insisted. “Let me help.”

Something in her expression must have convinced him. He reluctantly extended his arm.

Ivy sat beside him, carefully removing the bloody rag. A deep gash ran from his wrist nearly to his elbow.

“This needs stitches,” she said.

“Shifter healing,” Henry insisted. “Gone by tomorrow.”

“Still needs cleaning,” Ivy said, gently wiping away blood. “What brought you here so early?”

Henry winced at the sting. “Wanted to check those boundary markers before anything else got moved around.”

As she cleaned the wound, Ivy couldn’t help noticing how close they were, feeling his warmth beside her.

“Thank you for helping Marco,” she said, dabbing ointment along the cut. “Ronald told me you pulled him out. You could’ve been hurt worse.”

Henry shrugged, then hissed in pain. “Anyone would’ve done it.”

“Not everyone would risk themselves,” Ivy said, carefully wrapping gauze around his arm. “You’re brave.”

“Used to handling my own injuries,” Henry mumbled. “Part of living alone in the woods.”

Their fingers brushed as she secured the bandage, and that same electric feeling from the café sparked between them. Ivy’s breath caught as she looked up, meeting Henry’s intense gaze.

“You’re good at this,” he said, his voice softer than usual.

“Field biology isn’t always gentle work,” she smiled, still working on the bandage.

She finished wrapping his arm but didn’t let go right away. Her fingers rested lightly on his skin, feeling his steady pulse. The moment stretched between them, their faces drifting closer.

“I need to check the site,” Henry said suddenly, standing up. “Document the damage before things get moved.”

Ivy watched him go, trying not to feel disappointed. Whatever was happening between them clearly made him nervous. His retreating back told her he wasn’t ready to face it yet.

With a sigh, she returned to the accident scene, where Ronald was examining broken pieces of scaffolding. “These joints shouldn’t have broken so easily, “he told her, holding up a bent bracket. “The cuts look deliberate.”