Page 55 of Mated to the Mountain Bear

I close my book immediately. “Yes.”

A small smile tugs at his lips. “You don’t even know what it is.”

“Doesn’t matter.” I stand, tugging down the hem of my shirt. “You’re voluntarily showing me something. That’s enough.”

He studies me, then nods toward the hooks by the door. “We’ll need jackets. It gets cold when the sun goes down.”

I follow his lead, trying not to get too excited about what’s in store. It could be a second generator. But then he surprises me by also taking a thick blanket from the closet.

“Where are we going?” Now I care.

“You’ll see.”

Outside, instead of heading toward any of the paths we’ve explored before, he goes to the side of the cabin where a ladder leans against the wall. I hadn’t noticed it before, tucked between the rainwater barrel and a stack of lumber.

“We’re going up?” I look at the roof dubiously.

“Trust me.” He tests the ladder’s stability, then gestures for me to climb. “I’ll be right behind you.”

The ladder is sturdy, but I’m grateful for his presence below, as I carefully make my way up. “Please tell me you didn’t bring me up here to fix the shingles.”

It’s a joke, but as I say it, I’m actually worried that’s what we’re doing.

But when I reach the top, I see exactly why he brought me here.

It’s magical.

Ben has created a small sitting area on a flat section of the roof. There’s a simple wooden platform positioned perfectly to look out over the valley from this heightened position above the treetops. The view is breathtaking. Mountains stretch endlessly in layers of dark blue and purple.

“Ben, this is...” I trail off as he joins me on the roof, spreading the blanket on the platform.

“I come up here sometimes,” he says, not quite meeting my eyes. “To think.”

We settle on the blanket, thighs almost touching, and I’m too choked up to speak. I’ve never seen anything like it.

Jerry appears below, sniffing around the base of the cabin, before wandering toward the treeline, nose to the ground.

“You built this?” I gesture at the platform.

“A few years back. Sometimes, the cabin feels too small.”

I understand that. The need for space, for perspective. “It’s perfect.”

We sit in comfortable silence as the sky continues to darken. The temperature drops, as Ben predicted, and I shiver. Without asking, Ben shifts closer, his shoulder pressed to mine, his warmth against my side.

“I’ve been thinking about what Beau said,” I say eventually. “About Amber.”

Ben doesn’t respond, just waits. It’s one thing I appreciate about him—he doesn’t fill silence with meaningless words. He listens.

“I was supposed to go with her that night.” The confession comes out quietly. “To the callback. But I’d already made plans with friends, and she’d said it was fine, that she could go alone.” I pull my knees up, wrapping my arms around them. “If I’d been there...”

“You can’t think like that.” Ben’s response is instant, certain.

“Can’t I?” I turn to look at him, emotion welling up inside me at how lucky I am to have met him. That he willingly took me in. “She’s missing, and I’m here. Safe. Protected.” My voice cracks slightly. “Laughing with your brothers. Enjoying this view. How is that fair?”

Ben’s features soften. “You being miserable won’t help bring her back.”

“I know that. Logically, I know that. But...” I stare out at the sky, vast and full of possibility. For me.