Christmas, Pursued by a Bear

by Ryann Fletcher

  “Well, I guess it worked. You’re here now.”

  Cat nodded. “I saw that you put the tree in the window, and I went to the cafe earlier, so I thought maybe we might have a shot at this.”

  “Does Anita know you’re here?”

  “I’m sure she has some idea, given how aggressively she rolled her eyes at me as I left the house. She just finished the last of her exams, so she has more time to sit around and judge me.” Cat sat at the table, wobbling on the stool, and poked the open camera bag that was sitting there. “New camera?”

  “Rental, kind of. You’re not allowed to smash this one.”

  Cat cringed. “I’m sorry about that.”

  “I know.” Andie sipped her tea, savoring the peppermint flavor that flooded her mouth. “Please don’t smash any more equipment, though. Shit’s expensive.”

  “Andie, I—”

  “Listen, I get it. You have a responsibility to your sister, and the boys, and now Delilah too now, I guess. I understand why you did it, but I’m still a little pissed off.”

  “Well, if we’re airing grievances—”

  Andie held her hand up to stop her. “If you’re about to lay into me about my job again, don’t bother. I quit.”

  “Wait, you quit? As in, your job?”

  “Yes.”

  “For me?”

  “For a variety of reasons. Fuckers.”

  Cat laughed so loud that Daisy barked at her through the metal grate of the cage. “So what are you going to do now?”

  “Hell if I know.”

  “We should celebrate!”

  “You want me to celebrate unemployment?” Andie asked, leaning against the peeling counter.

  “I want us to celebrate your freedom.”

  “And how do you think we should do that? I’m fresh out of funds for a parade float or a champagne fountain.”

  Cat took her mug and set it down on the counter before wrapping her arms around Andie’s neck. “Well, we could do this, for starters,” she whispered, kissing Andie soft and gentle. “No one has ever quit a job for me before.”

  “Hang on,” Andie said, pulling away with a sly smirk. “I just said, I didn’t quit for you, I—”

  “Shh,” Cat hushed, kissing her again, running her hands up and down Andie’s back, sending shivers down her spine. “I’ve spent every moment since I last saw you thinking about how to get you back.”

  “A text might have accelerated that process.”

  “It’s been kind of busy at the house. Complicated.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  “No, but it will be. You’re here now, and that makes me happier.”

  Andie leaned into the embrace, burying her face in Cat’s short cropped pixie cut. She smelled like figs and vanilla sugar, all sweet, with no spice. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “Maybe. Not sure yet.”

  “Hey, even if Luke needs a ride to work, or Felix, I’m there.”

  Cat frowned. “But not my sister?”

  “I don’t think Anita would willingly get into a car with me at this point.”

  “She might, once she hears you quit.”

  “I guess we’ll have to see about that. She’s very… protective.”

  “She gets it from me.” Cat kissed her again. “I’m very protective of the people I care about.”

  “Have you eaten?”

  “No.”

  Andie cupped the side of Cat’s neck with her palm and pulled her in for another kiss. “I can offer grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. Zero of it homemade, unless you count spreading butter on bread the height of culinary excellence.”

  “That sounds perfect.”

  “And then maybe we can watch a movie, if you want?”

  “Even better than perfect.”

  “We could just watch the same one as last time, seeing as you fell asleep fifteen minutes in.” She opened her fridge and started to grab ingredients. “Or maybe not, if it was that boring.”

  “Let’s watch something else.”

  “I’ve decided I don’t like fighting with you.”

  Cat wound her arms around Andie’s waist as she prepared the food. “I’ve decided that I agree with that sentiment.” She rested her head against Andie’s back. “So what are you going to do now, with your newfound freedom?”

  “Hm.” Andie wriggled out of her grasp to open the pantry door. “I don’t know, really. I don’t want to think about it. Too much stress. Money. Bills. It’s all a pain in the ass, especially this time of year.”

  “Not going home for Christmas?”

  “I don’t want to talk about that either.”

  “Hey,” Cat said in a soothing voice, “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to stress you out.” She looked around the kitchen. “What can I do to help?”

  “There’re some pellets over by Daisy’s cage if you want to feed her dinner.”

  “I’d love to! I have to admit, I’m becoming surprisingly fond of that little mouse.”

  “She’s a chinchilla!”

  “It’s basically a big mouse.”

  Andie laughed. “Don’t say that too loud, you’ll offend her.”

  The butter sizzled in the scratched nonstick pan, filling the kitchen with a tempting aroma. Cat rustled under the cage, pulling out the measuring cup and depositing food into Daisy’s dish. Andie was surprised how… normal, it felt. As thought Cat had always been there as a part of her life, someone to come home to. She shook her head. She shouldn’t get so attached so early on, especially not immediately following a big fight.

  “Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, do,” Cat sang into the cage. “You’re a little mousie, in a cage big enough for two!”

  “Are you singing to my chinchilla?”

  “She seems to prefer it to terrible Christmas mash-ups.”

  “No one ever accused Daisy of having taste.” Andie leaned out of the kitchen nook and glared into the cage. “Traitor.”

  “You can’t blame her for having ears, I mean, look at the size of those things! Massive!”

  “You’re one to talk.”

  “I sincerely hope you are not referring to my human form.”

  Andie flipped the sandwiches and stirred the soup, which was bubbling nicely. “Never.”

  “Though even as a Bear, I’ll have you know my ears are perfectly proportioned.”

  “You are a very fetching Bear.”

  “I would eat you for breakfast.”

  “Promise?” Andie said, and immediately blushed a deep crimson. She pulled the neck of her sweatshirt over her head to hide her embarrassment. “I mean—uh.”

  “Let’s focus on dinner first, shall we?” Cat asked, sweeping back into the kitchen, the hem of her sweater dress fluttering gently with the movement. “How is it looking?”

  “Almost done.”

  Cat gently pulled the sweater back down. “You can’t eat through that.”

  “No, I guess not,” Andie agreed, pouring the soup into two large mugs and cutting the sandwiches in half. “Dinner is served.” She set the mugs and plates on the warped table and slid onto one of the stools. “Might need some pepper.”

  “Mm,” Cat agreed, reaching for the grinder. “Otherwise, it’s perfect.”

  “It’s just a grilled cheese.”

  “You didn’t have to make it for me. You could have sent me home with an empty stomach. Hell, you didn’t even have to let me in the door.” She dipped a corner of the grilled cheese into the soup. “I probably wouldn’t have.”

  “You’re lucky that you’re very cute.”

  “Is that the only reason you let me in?”

  “No.” Andie took a bite, enjoying the soft crunch of the toasted bread. “I missed you.”

  “I missed you, too.”

  “Did you expect this when you found me trespassing in the woods? Did you think after eating all my food that you’d… be eating all my food, again?”

  Cat snorted. “That’s not fair, I got di
nner last time. I even bought cheap wine!”

  “In fairness, had I known you were coming, I’d have bought wine, too - but someone doesn’t believe in texting ahead.”

  “Oh, please. You love it.”

  Andie bit her lip. “I do.” She took another bite, dunked in sweet tomato basil. “You make me forget my problems.”

  “That’s weird, I was just thinking the same thing about you.”

  “Really? Despite being the thing you hate most?”

  Cat blinked. “What?”

  “A photographer.”

  “Hmm. I don’t hate photographers, they just make life… difficult, sometimes. Things aren’t always easy for Bears, you know. We’ve moved so much that I can’t even remember all the places we’ve lived, trying to keep ahead of… well. Never mind.”

  Andie chewed the inside of her cheek. “Moving? You’re moving?”

  “I don’t know yet, it depends on… a few things, actually.”

  “Oh.”

  “I don’t want to. I’d rather stay here, have shifts in the reserve, spend time with you, let the others finish classes and apprenticeships, get Delilah back into school…” she trailed off.

  “Well, I don’t want you to go, either.” Andie couldn’t help but wonder what was bothering Cat, other than the obvious issue of the reserve being partially destroyed. She didn’t know if she should pry or leave it alone, so she opted for the latter. “Are you done?”

  “Yeah. Yes. Thank you, it was delicious,” Cat said, stacking the dishes. “I’ll wash up.”

  “Thanks. Soap is under the sink.”

  The television crackled with static as Andie flipped from one channel to the next, hunting for something to watch. She wished she had a modern TV, not this huge old clunky one she found at a second-hand furniture store for twenty bucks. Maybe a new one wouldn’t be so prone to showing fuzzy channels until you smacked the side of it. “There’s this one, if you want to watch it—” when she turned, she came face to face with Cat, who leaned in for a deep kiss.

  “I really like you,” Cat growled, slipping her hand under Andie’s shirt, letting in a cold but refreshing gust of air. She kissed again, pressing past Andie’s parted lips to explore her mouth with her tongue, breathing softly, sending jolts of electricity from her lips down between her thighs.

  “I really like you too,” Andie managed to say between kisses, her hands flirting with the hem of Cat’s ribbed dress, clingy in all the right places.

  Cat pressed up against her, pulling a gentle gasp from Andie’s mouth. “I didn’t think you’d let me in,” she whispered, “but I’m glad you did.”

  “Mm.” Andie traced her hands across the hem of the dress, sneaking underneath to run her fingers over the soft, insulated, fleece tights that Cat was wearing. It was like heaven, if there was one, a delicious temptation that made her heart race with excitement.

  “I’ve never felt quite like this, you know.”

  “Me neither.”

  Cat tugged at the edge of Andie’s sweatshirt. “Take this off.”

  “Okay.” Andie obeyed, stripping down to her bra, vaguely embarrassed that it was her oldest, roughest looking one. She decided to take it off, too, before Cat noticed how decidedly un-sexy it was. “Now you.”

  “Fair’s fair.” Cat raised a playful eyebrow before pulling her dress off over her head, tossing it onto the bed, and pressing against Andie in just her tights and a purple lace bra that matched her hair.

  Andie felt her pulse quicken, and wrapped her arm around Cat’s waist, kissing her neck slowly, tracing the skin from her earlobe down to her collarbone. Cat moaned softly, urging Andie on.

  Across the room, someone’s phone started to vibrate.

  “I should get that,” Cat said, pulling away.

  “Ignore it. If it’s important, they’ll leave a message or text.”

  “No, no, I have to see, you don’t understand—” Cat wriggled from her grasp and bent to dig her phone out of her bag.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “I just need to make sure—” Cat stabbed at the green icon on her phone. “Hello? Anita? What’s wrong—shit. Fuck. Okay, I’ll be there as soon as I can. No, I’m not working, I’m—never mind. I’m on my way.”

  Andie was already putting her clothes back on. “Where do you need to be? I can drive you.”

  “No, it’s okay, I have my truck.”

  “Can I help?”

  “No,” Cat said, sliding back into her dress. “It’s probably best if you stayed out of it.”

  “Cat, if there’s anything—”

  “I said stay out of it, okay?” She gave Andie a quick peck on the cheek. “I’ll let you know when it’s all over.”

  “Should I call the police, or…?”

  “Do not call the cops. We don’t need them meddling in Bear issues, and they never help, anyway.”

  “Cat—”

  The door slammed behind her, leaving Andie alone in her now very empty apartment.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Cat tried to keep her cool as she drove across town, despite the terror hitching her breath. Dee was missing, and some asshole reported a Bear sighting on social. It was already going viral, and it wouldn’t be long before every poacher in three counties was heading to the reserve to bag a trophy.

  Delilah must be having early shifts, maybe because she’d spent too long trying to hold them in. Cat should have suspected that might happen, should have warned the kid. She should have told the others to keep a closer watch on her. Instead, the poor girl was probably terrified, thinking something was wrong with her. The guilt burned in her stomach as Andie’s kisses still burned on her skin. She shouldn’t have been so careless. It was her fault that Delilah was in danger, after she’d promised to protect her.

  “Goddamn it!” Cat shouted, smacking the steering wheel, the traffic light red. The truck’s engine hummed in anticipation. Her phone vibrated again, and she pressed the speakerphone button. “What happened?”

  “I don’t know, she was in the back, and then all of a sudden she was gone! She’s not answering her phone, but Felix put that location app on there, so we know she’s in the reserve. Or at least, she was, until she turned her phone off.”

  “Why wasn’t anyone watching her?” Even as she said it, Cat knew it was unfair. She hadn’t been watching, either. She’d been screwing around with Andie.

  “She was only in the yard!” Luke countered, emotion choking his voice. “I figured she’d be alright, I was making dinner, and then—”

  “You’re sure the sighting was her? No other Bears in the area?”

  “They reported a juvenile bear.”

  “Fuck.”

  “I went outside right away, I was screaming for Dee, but she was gone.” He swallowed audibly. “Her bag is still here. I think she might have run all the way there.”

  “Where are you now?”

  “On our way to the reserve, Felix called a cab, but it’s late.”

  “Where’s Anita?”

  “She took off running as soon as she realized what happened. At this rate, she might beat all of us to the reserve.”

  “I’ll call you back.” Cat hung up. “Call Anita.” The line started to ring, and the light turned green. She gunned the truck across the intersection and passed a slow-moving car once she was on the other side. “Come on, Nita, pick up the phone.”

  There was no answer. The guilt in Cat’s gut began to leech into her lungs, making it harder to breathe, the panic creeping up her spine vertebrae by vertebrae. “Answer, Goddamn it!” She called again. And again. No answer.

  Cat was starting to envision her sister and Delilah both being shoved into the back of a van bound for some shadowy government basement laboratory just as she pulled into the old churchyard lot.

  She leaped out of the truck and barely remembered to slam the door shut first, sprinting headlong down the path that led through the gap in the fence. There were no other cars around, did they go t
hrough the front gate? Had they signed in? It was unlikely, but there was nowhere else to park around here. Cat stopped in her tracks. Maybe that fucking ranger could help. She got back in her car and sped along the side street that led to the reserve entrance, tires squealing as she turned in. The lot was rammed full, highly unusual for such a cold night. In past years, snow on the ground tended to discourage the casual campers, but not this year. The goddamn twinkly lights the park staff had hung in the trees were pulling folks from hundreds of miles around. It was either tourists, or it was poachers. She swallowed hard, knowing how dangerous the latter was.

  “Excuse me!” Ranger Dade was coming out of the building, clipboard in hand. “You need to sign in!”

  “I need your help,” Cat said, thrusting her ID at the ranger. “There are some bad people in the reserve, poachers—”

  “You’re the one who ran off a couple weeks back!”

  “Yes, but—”

  “Your background check returned some interesting results.”

  “Please, there’s innocent people in the woods, a young girl, and I need your help to—”

  “I think we should have a chat about your immediate ban from the reserve.”

  “Ranger Dade!” Cat shouted, her hands clenched into fists. “You can ban me for as long as you want, but help me get her back first!”

  “Do you have proof of legal guardianship?”

  “Jesus Christ, you really are useless, aren’t you?”

  The ranger frowned. “It’s protocol, to protect against the misuse of ranger resources in the event of one parent or guardian trying to get another into trouble. We have enough problems in the park without getting involved in domestic disputes.”

  Cat’s eyes filled with tears. “Please. I’m not her mother, and she’s an orphan, a foster kid. I took her in because the place she ran from kicked her out for being different. They kicked her out, Dade! And now some tourist reported a bear, and there’s going to be poachers crawling all over these woods shooting at anything that moves. Please, Dade. I know we haven’t been on good terms, but I’m begging you.”

  The ranger dropped the clipboard to her side. “There are no bears in this reserve, I would know about it.”