“Unless you have a mate of your own to help around the farm.”
“Do you really think that’s going to happen?”
“Not unless you ask her out on a date,” Daryl said. “Listen, Sam, don't be like me and hang around until you nearly lose her. Get out there and ask her to dinner or something.”
“I think she’s had enough shocks for tonight.”
“Sam, ask her.”
“It’s too soon. What if she says no?”
“What if she says yes?”
Maybe that was what was worrying Sam. If he put it off, then he could live in a dream world. At least in that world there was a chance they could live happily ever after. However, if he asked her and she said no, then it would feel like game over. So it was easier not to ask.
He had never been a coward in all his long life. But tonight, he couldn’t find the courage to take the next step in his relationship with Antonia.
Chapter Twelve – Antonia
“Oh, wow, that is the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen,” Antonia said.
Kayleigh’s dress was ivory, complimenting her complexion, which had taken on golden tones, since she had moved to Bear Creek. The A-line, strapless gown flattered her full figure, with beaded lace on the fitted bodice and skirt making it pretty, but not gaudy. However, the back her dress hid its real “wow” factor. It had a split skirt, which was also beaded, with a long chapel train. Finishing the dress beautifully, was a laced up bodice, making the dress slimming and absolutely stunning.
“Do you really think so? It’s not too much?”
“No, it’s perfect. It suits you so well.”
“It does, doesn’t it?”
A woman in her late thirties came bustling into the store. “I am so sorry I’m late. I had car trouble. But I’m here now; I thought we could go back to the farm for lunch afterwards. If that’s OK with you, Kayleigh?”
The woman kissed Kayleigh on the cheek, and then turned to Antonia. “Oh, I’m sorry; I’m butting in as usual. You must be Kayleigh’s sister.” She smiled brightly at Antonia and pulled her into a hug. “You have to excuse me; I am so excited about the wedding. As you must be. To see your sister so happy must bring joy to your heart.”
“Toni, this is Daryl’s mom, Ginny.”
“Nice to meet you,” Antonia said. Wow, did she look young. Antonia couldn’t see how someone so young could be the mother of two full-grown men. Maybe they were adopted, so did that mean this woman wasn’t able to change into a bear? Did she know her kids could?
There was so much she wanted to ask Sam. Last night, she had been unable to sleep; it had all kept going around in her head. The more she thought about the whole thing, the more it intrigued her. She longed to find out everything she could about them.
“So, are you trying dresses on too, Antonia?” Ginny asked.
“I’m not sure...” Antonia said.
“Yes, she is. I want to have the dresses chosen today. And as my maid of honour, I want you to look beautiful too. So let’s see what they have in your size.”
The assistant appeared as if by magic. “I think pink might suit you.”
“I don’t wear pink.”
“Really, because I have a lovely dusky pink dress that would suit you. It’s very flattering.” She disappeared and came back with a beautiful dress with a waterfall back. “Will you at least try it on?”
“Oh, come on, Antonia. If there is one thing Louisa knows, it’s how to pick the right dress for the right girl.”
“I’m not sure. I don't usually like anything so...”
“Feminine,” Kayleigh filled in.
“Oh, but you are so pretty. If you wore your hair up like this.” Louisa scooped Antonia’s long auburn locks up high onto her head. “That would suit your face. And the neckline on this dress would show off your shoulders too. I can picture it now.”
“Louisa is responsible for every wedding in Bear Creek. She has a knack of knowing what suits a bride.”
“I’m not a bride.”
“No, but you are the maid of honour, and every eligible man in Bear Creek will have his eye on you. Unless you’re already spoken for?” Ginny said, fishing for gossip.
Antonia looked at Kayleigh and then at Ginny, who seemed oblivious to what had happened last night. She had no idea Antonia was the supposed mate of her son. And she certainly had no intention of sharing that information here in the bridal shop. Antonia did not want to be the latest topic of conversation, least of all because this was supposed to be Kayleigh’s moment.
“I’m not really interested in men at the moment. I have a good career in the city.”
Louisa laughed, “When you find the right man, you’ll want to settle down. It happens all the time in Bear Creek. Must be something in the air.” She winked at Kayleigh. “It certainly happened quick as lightning for you, didn’t it, Kayleigh? You’ve caught yourself the perfect man there.”
“I would have to agree with you, Louisa,” Kayleigh said. “And I’m sure when Antonia meets the right man she’ll think about settling down.”
“Don’t bank on it, Antonia.”
“We’ll see,” Ginny said. “You have no idea how strong the power of love can be. Isn’t that right, Kayleigh?”
“It is. But Antonia has always had a mind of her own; it’s what kept us going when we were kids.”
She came up to Antonia and looked at the dress Louisa was holding out. “Will you try it on? For me? Or choose something else. I want you to be happy and comfortable on my wedding day. Your choice.”
Antonia smiled at Kayleigh and put her arms around her, holding her close. “As long as you’re happy, I’d wear a sack. So if you want me to try this on, I will.”
“Thank you,” Kayleigh said.
Antonia took the dress and went to the fitting room to change. She hung it up and looked at it for the first time. It was beautiful, the material light and floaty, the kind of dress they would have loved to play dress-up in when they were younger. If they’d had ever had the opportunity. The thought made her breath catch in her throat. Coming here had dragged up so many feelings she thought long buried. She knew exactly why. Everything about it only magnified what they had missed out on as children.
Family, parents, security and a stable home. Everything that Daryl was offering Kayleigh was exactly what they had both longed for. She knew that Sam could offer her those exact same things if she let him. But she didn’t know if she could let go of her fears in the way Kayleigh had. Could she embrace the new life that was being dangled in front of her? She didn’t know if she had the strength.
“One step at a time,” she said and began to undress. What harm could it do to try on this dress, to see how it looked and twirl around like a princess? She could live her whole life being serious and emotionally restrained or she could let a little bit of herself go.
Antonia was scared. If she stopped keeping herself emotionally detached, she might open the floodgates. If that happened, she would be unable to stop her feelings ruling her head. She slipped the dress over her head and felt the silky fabric slide down her body. Maybe she was reading too much into it; after all, it was just a dress.
“Oh. That is stunning,” Ginny gasped, as Antonia appeared, twirling around to show off the pretty back of the dress.
“It’s perfect.” Kayleigh clapped her hands together excitedly. “Please say you’ll wear it.”
“I don’t know.”
“It’s beautiful on you,” said Louisa, going around Antonia pulling here and pinning there. “By the time I’ve finished it will fit you like a glove.”
Antonia went to the mirror and looked at her reflection. She had to admit she loved it, more than anything she had ever worn in her life. She felt like a fairy-tale princess. But that wasn’t her, there were no fairy tales and she certainly wasn’t a princess. And she was pretty sure she didn’t ever deserve a happy ever after.
“Please,” Kayleigh asked, softly coming up next to her.
Antonia looked at Kayleigh in her wedding dress and then back at her own reflection. For Kayleigh, she would do it. In some small way, it would make up for the way she had behaved when she came here yesterday.
That thought made her feel queasy. Here it was all so easy to forget what she had seen. That men could change into bears seemed preposterous when they stood here, surrounded by wedding dresses.
“That’s settled then,” said Ginny happily. “Louisa, could you arrange a fitting for Antonia? Or do it now before she changes her mind.”
“Sure. It’s such a good fit anyway, there are hardly any alterations needed. Give me a minute and I’ll do what I can, and then if you could pop in tomorrow to try it on, that would be great. I’m sure I can have it ready in time.”
“Thank you, Louisa,” Kayleigh said. Then she disappeared into the fitting room to remove her dress. When she reappeared, Louisa had finished the alterations on Antonia’s dress. She took Kayleigh’s wedding dress from her and went to put it safely away.
“I can’t believe the next time I put my dress on it will be my wedding day.”
Antonia caught hold of her hand. “You will look radiant, and Daryl will be stunned by how beautiful you look. You deserve this, Kay, you really do.”
“I wish you would open your heart to love too, Toni.”
“I would love to see you both married. As I’d love to see both my boys settle down,” Ginny said. “This has been hard on Sam. I think his body clock has gone into overdrive now Daryl is getting married. I can only hope he meets someone as special as your sister, Antonia.”
Ginny kissed Kayleigh on the cheek, and Kayleigh blushed. “I don't deserve him.”
“Oh, yes, you do. I’ve never seen him so happy,” said Ginny. “Now, shall we go to the farm and have lunch? We’ve got to check Sam has cleared the barn out. We need to begin setting up the tables in there today. I don't remember the last time I was this busy. It’s given me a new lease of life.”
“Why don’t you go ahead? Antonia will drive us there.”
“If you’re sure.” Ginny kissed them both and then went back out of the shop with a wave as she disappeared.
“New lease of life. How old is she? Or are Daryl and Sam adopted?”
“She won’t say exactly,” Kayleigh said, and then looked around to see where Louisa was. “But I think she’s about three hundred and fifty.”
“Years?” Antonia gasped.
“Yes. There so much more to the bears than ... well, bears.”
“Like what?”
“They live for a long time. A very long time. Then once a year, there is this festival, or something. On that one day it’s possible to somehow share in that life.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Toni. After everything you saw last night, do you really question anything any more?”
Antonia stood still, numb and struck dumb. Her sister would stop ageing. She would live for a long time. See so many new things with the man she loved at her side.
“If you don’t believe me, we’ll dig out the photos at the farm. Some of them are so funny. Pictures from the Victorian age, all black-and-white and crinkled. It’s like a trip through time.” She saw Antonia pale again. “If you accept Sam, you would be able to complete the Beltane Rites with me. I would really like that. I think it makes me more nervous than the wedding.”
“Kayleigh. It can’t be possible.”
“If you give Sam a chance, you will be able to find out for yourself.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not? Since moving to Bear Creek, I’ve discovered that anything is possible.”
“But I’m not you, Kay.”
“No, you’re not. You are you, Toni, and if you only give him an ounce of encouragement Sam would make the perfect mate for you. Honestly, he’s a good man.”
“I know. Too good for me. I don't think I’ll ever fit into a family.”
“Neither did I, but they are very welcoming. Give it a chance.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, ladies,” Louisa said, coming back to them.
“See you tomorrow.” Kayleigh linked arms with Antonia and walked out into the sunshine. Antonia breathed in the warm, clear air. It was a beautiful town, with the mountains rising up around them. It was funny how yesterday she hated the place, but now she was already starting to feel at home.
Chapter Thirteen – Sam
“Where do you want this, Mom?” Sam lifted the table and walked to where his mom pointed.
“There, I think. When Kayleigh gets here, I’ll check with her. You’ve worked really hard getting this barn in shape for the wedding. I thought there would be so much more to do.”
He had worked solidly on it, apart from doing his rounds of the animals this morning. And he meant solidly. When he came home last night after having dinner with Kayleigh, Daryl and Antonia, he had been unable to sleep. His bear wanted to run right back to Antonia and make her see sense. It did not understand Sam's, careful, measured approach.
His head ached dully and his eyes felt heavy. But he knew he wouldn’t sleep tonight either. In fact, he doubted he would ever sleep again until he had tamed Antonia’s heart. He knew he would never rest until she was his.
“Sam?”
“Sorry, Mom, miles away.”
“I can tell.” His mom came over and sat on the edge of the table he had just set down. “Want to talk about it?”
“There’s not much to say.”
“Is it Daryl’s wedding? I know it’s tough being the only one without a mate.”
“No. No, it’s not that at all. I am so happy he found Kayleigh. They are so happy, made for each other.”
“And when your mate comes along, you’ll be made for each other too.”
He ducked his head, unable to meet her eyes. He wanted to tell her about Antonia, but he knew his mom. She would be so excited she would smother Antonia with her love. And he didn't think Antonia was ready for that just yet. He didn’t need his mate to be put under any more pressure. However, he had underestimated his mom’s perception.
“Ahh, I can hear a car. Let’s go and eat. I’ve brought some food with me. I knew you wouldn’t have time to prepare anything. And I didn’t want to give Antonia the wrong impression of us. I want her to be quite sure that we can look after her sister. It must all be a bit odd for her, but she seems nice enough, doesn’t she?”
“She’s here?” Sam said, wiping his face, which was dirty and sweaty from work.
“Yes, they came straight from the dress fitting. Louisa chose a beautiful dress for her to wear. You never know, she might just find the man of her dreams here in Bear Creek.” She turned to Sam, smiling, and then saw his face. “Oh, my.”
“Mom,” he said, rushing forward. “You have to behave normally.”
“How did you know?”
“I met her in the diner.”
“Does she ... know?”
“Yes. She knows everything, or most of it anyway. She kept insisting that Kayleigh had rushed into things and wanted her to go back to the city with her.”
“And what did she say when you told her? I know I found it hard to believe at first.”
“We showed her.”
Ginny put her hand over her mouth. “Poor dear. I bet she was in shock.”
“You could say that, she fainted.”
“But she accepted it all?”
“I’m not sure. I think she’s in denial.”
“That would explain why she didn’t say anything earlier.” She went over to Sam and gave him a big hug. “It’ll be OK. It’ll work out. I promise.”
“What I need you to promise is that you won’t upset her, or try to force us on her. She’s headstrong, and I’m frightened she’ll run back to her normal life.”
“Don't worry,” Ginny said. “Who would have thought, you wait a few hundred years for your sons to find their mates and they both come along at once. I wonder if we can persuade her to go with a double wedd
ing. It would be so much easier than arranging another one so soon after this one. I’ll have to go and look for another outfit.”
“Mom. Please. She has shown no intention of even admitting that there is an attraction between us.”
“She will.” Ginny pulled back and looked at her son. “It’ll work out.”
When he looked up and saw Antonia standing in the barn doorway with Kayleigh, he had never felt so doubtful in his life.
Chapter Fourteen – Antonia
The sight of him standing there made Antonia stop in her tracks. Kayleigh carried on walking, only stopping and turning when she sensed Antonia was not beside her. In her face she saw understanding. Was this how her sister had felt, all mixed up inside? Battling with logic but driven by the rush of emotions that infused every part of her?
“Toni, it’s OK. Come on, just talk to him. He might be a bear, but he’s all man too.” Kayleigh’s voice was reassuring, but it didn’t help. Antonia was frozen to the spot.
“I think I’ll go and wait in the car.”
“No, don’t hide from this. Meet him, talk to him. I promise you he’s more scared than you, Toni.”
“I’m not scared.”
“I was. I was terrified, more than anything, because we had both sworn to never settle down and have kids. When Daryl told me that was what he wanted, it was hard to let go. You know, of our past. But he showed me what life could be like. And it can be better than you ever imagined.”
“Or worse,” Antonia said.
“Can it get worse? You must get lonely.”
“That’s why I work. And that is another reason I don’t want to get involved with him. I have a life, a good job and friends. He wouldn’t move away from here, not with his ... you know, other side. So I would be expected to move here. There is nothing for me, no career prospects, nothing. Would I be expected to just be the little lady who stays at home?”
“Don't knock it. I really enjoy all that.”
“We’re different people, Kayleigh. We might have had the same upbringing, but we are still different.”
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