by Haley Jacobs
The bear looked at Jake’s bear, then to Barbara’s puma.
“Is this so?” said the bear.
“It is,” said Jake’s bear. “She will meet you at the place where the salmon jump. Where many bears gather to eat and to play and to love when the sun crests the hill.”
The old bear relaxed. “I miss my mate. I miss my cubs.”
Jake’s bear and Barbara’s puma released the bear. He shook himself and put his head down, walking slowly over to Julia.
“Your mate is a good mate,” said the bear. The bear nodded and walked back to the woods.
Julia stood there, speechless. Jake’s bear came up to Julia and nuzzled her. She hesitatingly reached out her hand and touched the hair on the back of his head.
“I seriously have no idea what’s going on here. You are Jake, right?” said Julia.
“It’s me,” said Jake’s bear. “Julia…I’m a shapeshifter.”
Barbara’s puma came over. “I think we’ve attracted too much attention. Meet me in the back of my cabin. No one can see us there.”
Julia looked up and saw that the scuffle between Jake’s bear and the rogue had awakened some of the guests. People were at their windows, videoing with smart phones. Julia watched Barbara’s puma disappear into the woods as Jake vanished in the opposite direction. Julia shook her head and walked around the Ranger Station to the rear of Barbara’s cabin.
When she got there, the bear and puma were waiting for her. They were out of sight of the guests.
“I suppose you should see this,” said his bear. Giving a grunt, Jake shifted back into his naked human form. Julia looked on, astonished.
“You’re naked!” said Julia.
“Yeah, well, it’s kind of hard to be a 1,200 pound bear in a pair of Dockers,” said Jake.
Barbara’s puma gave a deep breath as she shifted back to her human form, and stood naked on the back stoop.
“I hate this part,” said Barbara. “It’s just too damn cold without fur.” She reached up over the doorjamb and found her spare key. She unlocked the door and stepped inside. Julia looked over at Jake. He ushered her inside Barbara’s cabin.
10
Barbara was dressed in her bathrobe, and handed Jake his clothes.
“I guess I owe you an explanation,” said Jake, putting on his clothes. “Barbara and I, we’re shapeshifters.”
“So you said,” said Julia. “But what the hell does that mean?” She was shaking. Jake wrapped his arms around her and held her.
“We don’t know why it happens,” said Barbara. “But some people are not just people, but animals too. You’re just born that way, and so is everyone else in your family. My family are pumas. Jake and his twin…” Barbara took in a sharp breath.
“We’re bears,” said Jake.
“Okay, I know this is weird,” said Julia, “but this whole fucking weekend has been weird. I had a dream this afternoon. The female bear we tracked came to me and told me you were a shifter. She told me what that was.”
Jake shot a look at Barbara.
“What else did she say?” asked Jake.
“Well…” said Julia. “She said I wasn’t a shifter, but I was something else that I needed to discover.”
“You’re an Animal Talker, Julia,” said Barbara. “That means that you can communicate with animals. It’s a very, very rare ability. That’s why you could talk to the bear tonight.”
“How many shifters are there?” asked Julia.
“Not many,” said Jake. “Most cultures are afraid of us. They don’t understand. We have to remain in hiding to stay safe.” Jake smiled. “But it does make being a bear researcher a lot easier.”
“There are quite a few of them here,” said Barbara. “The Lone Pine is a safe haven for us.”
“Jake said shifters mate for life,” said Julia. She looked at Barbara. “What about you? Do you have a mate?”
“Barbara,” said Jake. “Julia is very concerned that you and I…”
Barbara burst out laughing. “That we’re mates? Oh, nonononono!”
“But I’ve seen the way you look at him!” Julia blurted out.
“Let’s just say,” said Barbara. “That my mate looks an awful lot like Jake.”
Julia looked at both of them. Then it suddenly dawned on her.
“Ooooh,” said Julia. “So your mate is Jake’s twin?”
“Yeah…” said Barbara, “It’s kind of hard when it doesn’t work out.”
“I’m so sorry,” said Julia. She walked over and hugged Barbara.
“You really miss that asshole, don’t you?” said Jake.
“Yeah,” said Barbara, “I do.”
It was just about 6:00 in the morning, and the sun had not yet come over the hill. Jake and Julia hadn’t slept and were bleary-eyed from the long and eventful night. They were beyond tired, but happy to be together. Jake borrowed Barbara’s truck so that they could be at Downey Falls by daybreak. Jake had a few scratches from his fight with the bear. They were healing rapidly, something that happened with shifters. Julia would be leaving that afternoon, but she knew there was something important she needed to discuss with Jake. She leaned her head against Jake’s shoulder.
“Jake,” she began. “What’s next for us?”
“It’s simple, really,” he said. “We need to find a way to be together. Any ideas?”
“Well,” said Julia. “The nice thing about being an accountant is that I can work just about anywhere. I’m kind of done with Phoenix.”
Jake looked at her, surprised. “Really? Would you want to move to Missoula with me?”
“I’ve never been there,” said Julia. “But I guess anything with you would be an adventure.”
“Even as a professor’s wife?”
Julia caught her breath.
“Wait,” she said. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying? Are you asking me to marry you?”
Jake got down on one knee, and taking her hand, he brought it to his lips.
“Julia Pratchett,” he said. “You are the one I have been waiting for all my life. You are my mate, and I can’t even think of what life would be like without you. Will you marry me?”
Julia’s eyes welled up with tears. She wrapped her arms around Jake and kissed him.
“Yes, yes, yes and YES!” she said.
They held each other for a long time in blissful contentment. Just as the sun began to crest the hill, they heard a long, mournful howl.
“My mate! My mate!” cried the male bear, “Where are you?”
Silence was on the wind.
“Where are you?” he cried again.
There was a rustle in the trees. The female bear strode forward. The male ran at full speed toward her. They met nose to nose. She nuzzled her mate. The male looked over at Julia and Jake.
“Shifter! Talker!” he said. “We are forever in your debt. The bears of this place know you now. Will you leave us, or will you stay?”
“We need to leave,” said Jake’s bear. “But we will return soon. May your cubs grow strong!”
“And yours as well!” said the female bear.
Jake and Julia watched the bears frolic in the stream as others joined them. Julia loved her newfound talent, and followed their conversations as the two were welcomed back into the family of bears.
Epilogue
One Year Later
Jake pulled up to Downey Falls in Barbara’s pickup truck. Julia had been there all morning. He got out of the truck and walked over to where she was seated. Julia sat at her easel with a set of acrylic paints and a large canvas. The scene showed bears frolicking in in the water.
The sales of her wildlife drawings and paintings had taken off in the past year. Her drawing of the rogue bear and his mate was now the official logo for the Lone Pine Lodge. Learning that Julia was an Animal Talker had been a big help. It had given her a unique access into the animal world. She never thought animals were as vain as people. They loved having their portraits done.
&nbs
p; “Move a little to the right,” said Julia to a large bear in the meadow. “I can’t see your mate.”
The bear sniffed the air.
“You are a strange one, Talker,” said the bear, stepping aside. “But we like having you here with us.”
She and Jake moved in together, and were living in Missoula, Montana, near the University. She thought that she would have to find a job in accounting in Missoula, but the sales of her artwork at High Mountain National Park had been brisk. For the first time in her life, she was making a living from her art.
Jake bent down and kissed her on top of her head.
“I think that’s one of your best paintings,” said Jake.
“You think so?”
Jake looked at her and smiled.
“Our weddings guests will be arriving soon,” he said. “We need to get ready.”
It had taken a full year to plan the wedding, and they had visited High Mountain many times over the past year. The Lone Pine Lodge was really the only place for them to get married.
“I just came from a meeting with Barbara,” said Jake.
“And?”
“They said yes. The University of Montana High Mountain Research Center is going to happen, starting next summer, and I’ll be the Director,” said Jake. “We’re moving here!”
Julia jumped up and held Jake tightly.
“And there’s more,” said Jake.
“Like what?”
“Well, you know how your artwork has been selling at the Lone Pine Lodge?” said Jake.
“Yeah…” said Julia.
“The Lone Pine has decided to give you your own gallery space in the lobby.”
Julia squealed and held Jake tighter. Her own gallery! This was her dream come true.
“Come on, Future Mrs. Richards,” Jake said. “We need to get back to the Lodge.”
“I know, said Julia. “Molly should be arriving soon. I can’t wait to see her!”
Jake climbed into the truck. Julia stood there, gazing at him. She still couldn’t believe she had found the love of her life.
“What’s the matter?” asked Jake.
Julia smiled.
“Nothing, said Julia. “Absolutely nothing.”
A Note from the Author
I hope you enjoyed reading “Bear out of the Blue” as much as I enjoyed writing it! I would love it if you would leave me an honest review.
If you want updates and special offers on my latest books, please send me an email at [email protected]. I would love to hear from you! – Haley Jacobs
Wolf At The Wedding
Bonus Chapter – Molly’s Story
Do you want to know more about Molly’s story? Here’s a sample from Book 2 of the Lone Pine Lodge Series, “Wolf at the Wedding.” It’s available now!
I’m also hard at work on Barbara and Ron’s story for Book 4 of the Lone Pine Lodge Series, “Coyote and the Beast.” Look for it in Fall 2017. – Haley Jacobs
Molly Garcia gazed out of the window just as the cramped little commuter plane broke through the clouds. Molly gasped at the deep green of the trees covering the mountain tops like bristles on a brush. She had never seen anything like it in her life. Growing up in Santa Fe, New Mexico and now living in Phoenix, she had never experienced the deep, wet green of June in Alaska. It felt so alive!
Molly sighed. No wonder her best friend Julia had found the love of her life here. Even from the air, Alaska seemed to hold the promise of rugged romance. And now Julia was getting married here to Dr. Jake Richardson, a research scientist who worked with grizzly bears. Molly was her maid of honor.
I wish I had someone to share this with, thought Molly. A nice, hot ranger, maybe?
The plane touched down at High Mountain Airport with a shoosh as the tires hit the wet runway. The sun was out now, and the water made everything shimmer like it was polished. This airport was really the only access into High Mountain National Park. There were a few roads leading in and out, but you either had to know exactly what you were doing, be completely nuts, or both to drive them from any of the major cities.
Molly’s lungs filled with the cold sting of mountain air as she descended the steps from the plane to the tarmac.
“MOLLY! MOLLY!” Julia was jumping up and down just beyond the fence. Molly smiled and waved. As soon as Molly got through the gate, Julia came running up to her. They held each other tightly. There was nothing like a hug from your best friend.
“I can’t believe you’re finally here!” said Julia.
“I know! And I can’t believe you actually live here! It’s so beautiful!”
Molly got her bags and she and Julia loaded them into the pickup truck. She and Julia had been planning the wedding long distance since Jake proposed. Julia moved here to be with Jake. She was able to fly back down to Phoenix to go dress shopping a few times, but most of their talks had been via FaceTime. Julia drove off down the highway to the Park and its famous Lone Pine Lodge.
“Where’s Jake?” asked Molly.
“He’s finishing up a research project out in the field,” said Julia. “He’ll be here tonight.”
“So…” said Molly. “Did Jake pick a best man yet?”
“He wanted to leave it open for his twin brother,” said Julia. “But Ron’s still on tour with the band and can’t make it. So he picked his best friend Gaston.”
“Please tell me Gaston is a park ranger. A well-built park ranger. A well-built, available park ranger.” Molly always went for the outdoors type.
“Gaston’s a chef,” said Julia. Molly looked crestfallen. “But he is built.”
“And..?”
“He’s not your type. More of an indoors kind of guy.”
“Maybe I could make an exception. Is he taken?”
“Sort of.”
Molly wrinkled her nose. “What the hell does that mean?”
“Let’s just say it’s complicated, and leave it at that.” said Julia.
“He probably couldn’t pass The Test anyway,” said Molly.
“Jesus, Molly! Please tell me you’re not still insisting on that silly Test.”
“Hey, I promised my Grandma that any guy who wanted to get serious with me had to pass The Test,” said Molly. “She always said it was the best way to spot the right man. She was kind of psychic that way.”
“Yeah, but…”
“Listen—the last time I ignored the test was Chase. You remember Chase?”
“Yeah…I do…” said Julia. “Mr. I-Can-Get-You-And-Your-Friends-Sex-Toys-Wholesale.”
“Couldn’t pass The Test,” said Molly. “Just sayin’.”
“Chase couldn’t pass for a halfway decent boyfriend either.”
Molly frowned at her.
“The Test never lies,” said Molly.
Molly and Julia had driven for about 25 minutes after passing the High Mountain National Park gates. The road climbed up through dense forests of pine and oak, following the river to their right. They reached a clearing, and at the top of the hill was the Lone Pine Lodge, where Molly would be staying.
The photos of the Lone Pine hadn’t prepared Molly for how beautiful it was in person. The Lone Pine Lodge was old and rustic, a cross between a log cabin and a huge mansion. It buzzed with an energy Molly couldn’t identify. Julia parked the truck, and she and Molly walked up the wide wooden steps to the porch and through the big cut-glass double doors into the giant lobby. The lobby was filled with big, oversized furniture. There was a huge grand staircase that split left and right to the upper level.
“Wow!” said Molly.
“Pretty amazing, huh?” said Julia. “The Lone Pine is a special place. It’s not like anywhere else in the world.”
“Yeah, no kidding!”
A woman in a ranger uniform was crossing the lobby toward Molly and Julia. She was blond and tall. Really tall. She walked with the assuredness of someone who is used to being in charge.
“Hi Julia,” said the woman in a husky voice. S
he turned to Molly.
“You must be Molly! I’ve heard so much about you. I’m Barbara Gravier.”
“Molly Garcia,” said Molly, offering her hand. Barbara gripped Molly’s hand with surprising strength.
“Barbara’s the Park Superintendent.”
“It’s great to meet you!” said Molly.
“Molly’s hoping you know some available rangers.”
Barbara laughed. “There are a few out there.” Barbara turned to Julia.
“Any word from…”
“Ron?” said Julia. “No. He’s on tour as usual. Gaston’s going to be Jake’s Best Man.”
Molly couldn’t tell if Barbara was disappointed or relieved or both.
“Do you want to join us for lunch?” asked Julia. “We’re headed for the Redwood Grill.”
“No thanks,” said Barbara. “I’m swamped right now, and I want to make sure I have the weekend clear. I don’t want to miss a second of your wedding.”
Molly and Julia sat in the main dining room of The Redwood Grill. There was an old-fashioned bar with red leather booths near the entrance. The kitchen was on the opposite side of the dining room. To the left were floor-to-ceiling picture windows with sweeping views of snow-capped peaks. To the right were paintings and drawings of bears and other nature scenes.
“Hey, I recognize those pictures!” said Molly. She knew Julia’s artwork. “The look great! I can’t believe that a year ago you were still slaving away at Millwood-Smith’s accounting office in Phoenix.”
“Thanks!” said Julia. “I didn’t know I could ever be so happy. How are things at— ”
“The Blue Crab? Awful!” Molly cringed. “I mean, seriously, who wants to buy crabs in the middle of the Arizona desert? One of these days, I’d like to manage a real restaurant with real food. Local food!”
“You should open your own place, Mol,” said Julia.
“On my salary?”
“What about your folks?” said Julia. “Couldn’t you just take over their café? You practically grew up in their restaurant!”