Chapter 23
Bear hovered over his phone, staring at the text Maddie had sent. As if it might morph or change or at least update with some new development.
I’m in Spokane with my mom and April. I know about Kristen, so please don’t play dumb and say you don’t know why I left. Shutting my phone off now.
For the hundredth time in the last hour, Bear dialed her number and brought it to his ear. Just like all the other times, it went straight to voicemail. He listened to it anyway, the cheery sound of Maddie’s voice, while cursing Kristen Grandy for interfering. Just what kind of sick game was that woman playing?
“Do you think she got your messages at least?”
Bear shook his head. “I have no idea.” Not that he’d said much. Bear hadn’t wanted to ramble for hours on end, pleading for her to believe him. What he wanted to do is speak with her in person. She should at least give him that.
“Why don’t you write out your thoughts?” Grace suggested. “You know, everything you’d like to tell her, and then you can leave her a voicemail or text it to her if you’d like. Maybe do both. If she turns her phone back on, she’s bound to get at least one of them.”
Brenda rocked back and forth in place, Phillip’s flushed cheek pressed against her shoulder as he slept. “That’s a good idea,” she said.
Bear nodded. “Yeah. I guess I could try that.”
Before he’d finished speaking, his phone buzzed. This time Kristen’s name lit up the screen.
“Kristen’s calling,” he said, his pulse pounding in his ears. He answered the call, putting it on speaker so Grace and Brenda could hear. “Hello.”
“Bear?”
He hid a groan, hating that she’d managed to put herself center stage in his life again. “Yep.”
“If you’d like me to clear things up between you and your little girlfriend, you’ll have to be willing to do something for me in return.”
“Do it,” Grace hissed.
Bear shot her an alarmed look and covered the phone. “We don’t even know what it is yet.”
“Who cares?” Brenda said in a whisper. “You need to fix this.”
Grace pointed to the phone. “Let’s see what she’s proposing.”
Bear rolled his eyes, not wanting to play along with the woman’s game. But what choice did he have? “I’m listening,” he said.
“So I didn’t even realize until your girlfriend contacted me that only half of my video loaded. Oops! And the best part of that video—the part where I admit that none of it’s really true—is on my laptop.”
“Okay …” he urged.
“All I need from you is an appearance.”
“Kristen, I swear …” he said through gritted teeth.
“I promise this is the last time I’ll bug you,” she said. “I’m stepping down from my role in the company. I just need this one last favor.”
Forget about nails; Bear could spit chainsaws, he was so angry. “Where’s the appearance?”
“Good Morning America,” she said proudly.
“What for?”
“They want a specialist to come talk about the pros and cons of real versus fake Christmas trees. It’s right up your alley.”
Bear sighed. “You know, had you just asked I probably would’ve said yes on my own. When is it?”
“Monday morning. Same day as Jax Dawson.”
This would be the last event Kristen booked for him. Whether she backed out of her position or not, Bear was done dealing with her. And James Grandy would definitely hear about this. Bear would show up on the man’s doorstep himself and make sure of it.
“Jax Dawson, huh? That’s why we’re doing it?”
“You know I’ve always wanted to meet him. And we aren’t appearing on there. You are. I simply plan to look pretty and conveniently bump into Jax backstage.”
There was no use chewing the woman out or threatening this or that. All of that would have to wait. Bear would go on the show, make the most of it while he was there, and do his best to get Maddie back in his life.
“I’ll do it,” he said. “But first, I need you to show me the rest of that clip.”
Chapter 24
“I always figured making a popcorn chain would be harder than this,” Claudia said as she snatched a kernel from the heaping bowl.
“I know what you mean,” April said. “I probably wouldn’t have even attempted it had I not signed up to help with the tree at work.”
Maddie watched as the two snuck kernels of the popcorn as they went. She cringed. Not because popcorn didn’t sound good in the morning, but because she could hardly recall what it felt like to have an appetite. Over the last three days, she’d done her best to get a bit of food down, but nothing looked or sounded even remotely appealing. Sure, getting out of bed hadn’t been as difficult as it had been the first two mornings, but that was because she’d already gone into some sort of zombie-type state. Sit up. Get out of bed. Brush teeth. Go downstairs. Wait for day to slip into night. Repeat.
“How old is Phillip?” April asked. “I’ve been trying to remember.”
Maddie shifted her gaze from the popcorn bowl to her sister, surprised by the quick shift in topic. “He’s three.”
She nodded. “Just wondering if you’ll have him in your class one day.”
The idea made Maddie smile. “I hope so.” Of course, it was possible that having the little guy in her class years from now would bring up past hurts. But she’d deal with that if it came about.
“That family’s lucky to have him,” Claudia said. “He’s a cute little stinker.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” April admitted. “I would love to have a little Phillip running around here all the time. Making us smile and keeping us on our toes.”
Maddie felt the same way, which was why she’d become a teacher. She just hadn’t expected these two to admit having similar thoughts.
Claudia yelped then and brought a finger to her lips. “Ouch! I poked myself.”
“Oh, let’s get that morning show on,” April said. “They’re going to share some lightweight holiday recipes.” She reached across Maddie’s lap and gave her a grin. “How’d you sleep last night?”
Maddie shrugged. “Not bad,” she lied.
The flat-screen in the living area glowed to life, and Maddie let her mind drift once more. The segment on recipes reminded her of making pizza with Bear. The decorating tips had her recalling their days spent decorating her house, then his for the season. But it was the following segment that made Maddie think she’d lost her mind once and for all.
“Please welcome Big Daddy’s one and only Lumberjack, Bear Schaefer. Come on out here, Bear.”
“What?” Maddie screeched. “Did you know he was going to be on this?” She didn’t take her eyes off the screen to see April’s response.
Bear strolled onto the set in a blue flannel shirt, denim jeans, and a pair of mountain boots. Maddie’s heart nearly leapt from its place. He raised a hand up to give the audience a wave, and the crowd roared and cheered.
And there he stood beside Shelly and Todd, two very familiar morning-show faces.
“Wow,” Todd said. “Wish they’d get that excited when they saw me in the morning.”
“Trust me,” Shelly said while fanning her face. “If you were this guy, they would cheer like that each day. I’m just saying.”
“Want me to change the channel?” Claudia piped.
“No!” Maddie and April blurted at once.
“Fine,” their mom mumbled.
“Come have a seat here between Shelly and me,” Todd said. “Though I’m going to be honest: my cohost is looking a little faint.” He scanned the set a bit, glancing from one side to the next. “Can we maybe get a glass of water for her? Or maybe a fan? Her face is a little flushed.”
Shelly reached across Bear to swat Todd on the arm with her cue cards. “Stop it,” she scolded. “I’ve interviewed plenty of handsome, hunky men in my day. Just no
t ones that I obsessively stalk on social media.”
The crowd laughed, and Bear flashed that heartbreaking grin.
“Just kidding,” Shelly said. “You’re not scared of me now, are you?”
Bear shook his head. “Not at all. I am, however, a little afraid of your husband at this point.” He glanced from one end of the set to the next.
“Oh, don’t be,” Todd said. “He doesn’t watch the show.”
The audience chuckled, and Todd spoke up once more. “So it’s that time of year. People want to put up a Christmas tree in their house, and in comes the controversy. Mom wants a fake one. Dad wants a real one. And in come the teens with opinions on how this all effects the environment. We thought we’d get the answers from none other than the king of all timber, jack of all lumber, Big Daddy Mills’s Bear Schaefer.”
“So tell us, Bear,” Shelly said. “You keep a grip on the pulse of all things environment. And while you’re an advocate for the forest, you don’t believe that we should stop harvesting trees or anything of the sort. My guess is that you’re going to make a push for the outdoor tree. Am I right?”
Bear was good under pressure and on the spot. So good that it hurt to watch him. And that voice. That deep and rugged tone caused the ache in her heart to sink even deeper. He talked about the pros and cons of each, but leaned toward the investment of local tree harvesters who plant for that very purpose. She remembered their conversation on the subject just a week or two back, standing on the snowy hillside, gazing out at the acres of freshly planted trees.
“Well, Bear,” Todd said, “it has been a great pleasure to have you on here. Not only do I feel like I need to grow two feet and put on sixty pounds of muscle …” He cleared his throat. “I feel like I should deepen my voice so I can sound like a burly lumberjack.”
Shelly put her hand on Todd’s shoulder and shook her head. “No,” she said. “Just no.” They stood beside a few trees they’d brought on set, where Bear had shown them all what to look for when picking a tree from a lot.
Shelly turned her attention to Bear. “So one last question. You’re extremely popular with the ladies …” The females in the audience screeched, proving her point. “And I promised I’d ask if you’re currently single. So, is there someone special in your life, or are you available?”
Maddie leaned toward the screen and held her breath.
“I’m glad you asked that,” he said, looking into the camera. “I am in a relationship. I’m in love with an elementary teacher who used to go to school with me. She’s an amazing woman.”
The audience oohed and ahed in response.
“In fact,” he said, fixing his gaze on the camera once more, “love, if you’re watching this, I need you to know there’s a second part to that video clip, and I’d like you to go on and watch it right now, please.”
“Oh my gosh,” April squealed, clutching Maddie’s hand.
“What video clip is this?” Shelly asked.
Bear shook his head. “She’ll know.”
“Oooh …. Well, sounds like there’s one lucky teacher in Cobble Creek, Wyoming, about now.”
“I’ll say,” Todd said.
Music played as the view of the stage panned wide. Suddenly Bear pulled a folded piece of paper from behind his back. He opened the folds, held the paper up to his chest, and revealed a message in thick, bright red ink.
I love you Ms. M
“Holy crap! Holy crap!” April flung the blanket off her lap and climbed off the couch. She hopped up and down in place as it went to commercial. “That was you! I heard him call you Ms. Maddie at Thanksgiving.”
Maddie threw her hands over her face, working to control the pace of her breath. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she wasn’t sure why. She had no idea what the video would prove. Only that it might somehow clear Bear’s name, and she wanted that more than anything.
“Did that really just happen?” she asked, shaking her head.
“That really just happened,” April assured. “We better look at the second part to that video.”
“I wouldn’t get your hopes up too high yet,” Claudia said. But she wasn’t stringing popcorn anymore. In fact, she’d set the bowl, along with the garland, onto the coffee table, and was headed toward her.
She pulled Maddie in for a hug, then tipped her head back to look her in the face. Tears welled in her eyes. “I want this to go well for you, Madelyn, I really do. I know you probably think I felt some sort of satisfaction when things went awry, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. I’d love to see a man come along and prove me wrong. Make my girls happy.”
Maddie chuckled and hugged her once more. “Thanks, Mom. That means a lot.” Anxious knots formed in her stomach as April rushed back in with the laptop. Her heart acted up too—a series of wild, hurried thumps.
With a few clicks, her sister brought up a familiar image: Kristen, all tear-faced and crying. “Let’s see …” April said, “there’s a part one, a part two, and a part that has both one and two.”
“Do the one that has both,” Maddie said. “I’m sure it’ll make more sense that way.”
April slid the laptop onto the coffee table. She tapped the spacebar, and the video began.
Kristen started up with her line about breakups and how people always ask how she got over them. Then she moved on to the part where she held up a picture of Bear, each word horribly familiar as Maddie watched.
Waited.
Hoped.
It got to the part about him breaking up with her a week before Thanksgiving, and Maddie leaned closer. April and Claudia did too:
“Who does that? One week before Thanksgiving Day? The worst part is that he flew out here, spent the night with me in a hotel, and then said it was over.” Kristen yanked a Kleenex out of a box on her lap and blew into it with a vengeance.
This. This was where it ended before. But not this time.
The clip played on, and Kristen pulled the Kleenex from her face as her eyes grew wide. “PSYCH! Ha-ha!” She burst into loud, ugly laughter before narrowing her eyes at the screen. “Bear? Bear Schaefer, if you’re watching this, you didn’t hurt me at all. Not even a little. In fact, I don’t even know why you felt like we needed to have a conversation about, quote, our relationship, unquote, because there wasn’t really one to speak of. As for the night in a hotel? Only in his dreams … I was actually with somebody else that night.” She sniffed, dabbed at her face with a fresh tissue, and grinned at the camera. “So, this goes back to those girls who ask how to get over someone: You don’t! You just don’t get lured in in the first place. Peace out, darlings!” She kissed the tips of her fingers before making a peace sign, and then the screen went black.
“Wow,” Maddie said in a hush. “That … would’ve been good to see the other day.” She shook her head. “Kristen Grandy totally lied to me. I feel awful for not trusting Bear now. I wish I would’ve just … driven straight to his house.” She glanced up to see a wide smile on April’s face. And on Claudia’s too.
“You can apologize,” April said. “But think about what this means.”
The details unfolded in Maddie’s mind, all of them leading to one crucial truth: She’d been wrong. Bear Schaefer did love her. And perhaps he really was the man he appeared to be. Wonderful. Devoted. Loving.
Fireworks exploded in her heart. The celebratory kind. They started out tentative at first, like the ones you let off in the driveway. But as Maddie digested everything she’d just heard and seen in the last few moments, it became a full-on Fourth of July finale.
April and Claudia stared at her from either side, and then each of them squealed like little girls and wrapped their arms around her. Sandwiched between the cheering women, Maddie wrapped one arm around April, the other around Claudia, and sighed.
“I have to call Bear,” she said. “I need to get to the airport. I don’t even know where he is right now.”
“He’s … wherever they film Good Morning America,” Ap
ril said.
Claudia shot to a stand and looked around the room. “Where’s your phone? Let’s get her phone.”
“The battery’s dead,” Maddie blurted. She hadn’t turned her phone on since she’d boarded the flight in Cobble Creek.
The hustle that ensued was comical. Racing from her bedroom to the bathroom and down to the kitchen, the anxious women at her heels. Turns out the man-haters didn’t hate all men after all. Turns out they actually liked Bear. Maddie plugged her phone in at last and rested her elbows on the counter to watch it, her heart beating double time, waiting for the screen to come to life. Her mom and April huddled around it from the outer edges of the counter. All of them staring at the small device like it might grow wings before their eyes.
Bear Schaefer loves me! He said it right on TV. Hope bloomed in her heart again and again, replacing all that was lost.
“How long does it usually take for your battery to start working?” April asked.
Maddie shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never let it stay dead for so long.” She reached in, tried to turn it on, but the screen stayed blank.
“Let’s get your bags packed,” Claudia suggested. “I have a feeling you’ll want to get home quick.”
“Right.” Maddie took in the warmth and love of the important women in her life, grateful they’d had this time to bond and heal. “You guys are right. I think I will.”
Chapter 25
“You’ve reached Bear Schaefer’s voicemail. If this is Maddie, please do not hang up. I’m on an airplane, heading to Cobble Creek, and I’m dying to talk to you. If you’re willing to do that, give me a time and a place and I’ll be there.” Bear cleared his throat. “As long as it’s after five, because I won’t be back until then.”
Bear pulled the phone away from his mouth and glanced at Brenda. “Was that dumb?”
“No.” She shook her head.
The Lumberjack's Yuletide Bride: Country Brides & Cowboy Boots (A Cobble Creek Romance) Page 12