Bear Alaska

Chapter Four

Leah

She left the house early to make up for the time she had lost the previous day because of Mister Bear and found the bear tracks around her yard again along with the muddy foot prints on her porch. Why was the bear so intent on exploring her yard and porch? Surely that was not the actions of a rabid animal. So maybe someone had raised it from a cub, perhaps the previous owners?

Maybe that was why the animal seemed intent on her house. It was certainly bigger than a normally wild grizzly bear, so perhaps it proved that it had been very well fed since it was a cub that had aided in its growth to such an immense size. She would certainly not get any answers like this; perhaps she would go to the neighbors later and ask them if they knew anything. She would prefer to know what the bear’s story was so she knew what she was up against; she had no intention of going in blind.

After she had fed the chickens, she went to the shed where the four-wheeler was and hitched on its wagon, before she loaded the ax, saw and chainsaw onto the wagon. She would keep the shotgun close today. She had no intention of being caught off guard again. She might not escape as easily as she had the day before. 

Plus the bear might have an added annoyance for the pain she had caused him yesterday with the bear repellent. She hadn’t researched bear characteristics as much, only the characteristics that she would need to survive. She knew very little about the species in general, but perhaps this was the time to do some research. Did bears hold grudges? 

She hoped not...

So she started the four-wheeler and headed out. She would start by checking fallen trees and large branches she could find in the woods, then she would start looking at cutting down trees that seemed ready to come down. At the same time, she could check her land and see what else she could find. She did not want to cut down trees if she didn’t have to; she liked the natural way of things and she didn’t really want to be a commercial farmer. She would be content to have her existence in compliance with the woods and animals around her.

Leah had not come to look at the place personally, so she had basically signed the papers from pictures and Google Earth only, but flying here to look at the land would have shown her intentions and she might not have gotten away so easily. She still wasn’t sure she was home free, but she hoped that she was far enough away that they wouldn’t be able to reach her so easily.

She had definitely researched the area even if she didn’t personally come to look at the place she was investing in. She hoped the distance would be enough of a deterrent. But for now, she had to get herself settled otherwise it would be useless if she had no way of taking care of herself here. She couldn’t live on eggs alone and her canned food would not last forever, so she had to find the best way to scratch out her living here.

She started driving up the one border, stopping occasionally to pick up large fallen branches and things she could use as tinder in case she needed to start a fire from scratch in her wood burning stove. She kept glancing around her for animals that might sneak up on her, but she seemed lucky enough to avoid Mister Bear today.

By early afternoon she had collected a full load of wood and she turned the quad around and drove home to unload it in the shed, before she wanted to see about getting another load. If she couldn’t get up to date with the stone keeping her from finishing her greenhouse, then she could certainly use the time to get the other things done while she tried to think up a solution.

As she drove into her yard and turned the corner of the house to go to the shed with her full load, she was startled to see two pick-up trucks pulling to a stop and the three men from the diner get out with friendly smiles.

Leah stared at them in open shock, her body freezing up and making the quad sputter into silence. Her heart rate picked up while she stared at them, unsure what they were doing on her land. Were they here to get her and take her back? They’d obviously already seen her, so trying to sneak away was useless. 

“Hey there! So you’re our new neighbor.” The taller of the two darker men who seemed to be related stated with a disarming smile. “We just wanted to come and introduce ourselves and welcome you to our side of the world.” He stated casually when he stepped forward like they had never seen her before when she clearly remembered them staring directly at her in the diner that first day. What exactly were their intentions?

She hesitated a moment while she glanced first at each of the men and then slowly released the steering of the quad and wiped her hand on her jeans before she nervously accepted his proffered hand. She wasn’t sure what to make of this meeting after what had happened at the diner, but the one with the lighter features that had glared at her seemed friendly this time; his features open and welcoming.

The guy that had shook her hand continued casually while the other two stepped forward. “I’m Riggs, this is my brother Finlay. And this grizzly looking fella here is Orson.” He introduced them and chuckled when Orson slapped him behind the head before he stepped forward to shake her hand. So she’d been right about the darker two men being related; they were brothers.

Absently she wondered why Riggs had called Orson “grizzly looking”, since he looked no more irritable and disheveled than the other two bearded and long-haired men. Was it a private joke between them?

Leah had to admit that she now realized exactly how big these three men really were and she felt slightly intimidated, not to mention that they all looked a little rough with their long hair and bearded faces, though lack of personal grooming didn’t detract from their handsome appearance and they certainly didn’t smell less than clean; they just didn’t appear to be anywhere near a barber – and yet, somehow the long hair and bearded faces seemed to fit them well. Not to mention that she felt a shock of awareness the moment the last man took her hand in gentle greeting, her hand nearly disappearing in his large palm.

She stood and made a move to step off the quad. Suddenly the man with the lighter colored hair, Orson, stepped forward and caught her hand again, to assist her, sending an electric spark through her once more, holding her hand a moment longer than necessary for her to gain her balance, causing her body to yearn for more of the touch.

What was wrong with her?

“Thank you.” She said a little breathlessly to the man before she managed to stick her polite smile on her face once more, despite her worry about their sudden appearance. “I’m Leah.” She answered, intentionally not giving her surname, and then hesitated a moment, before her manners took over. “Would you like to come in for coffee?”

“Your husband wouldn’t mind?” The one guy, Finlay asked politely.

“I don’t have a husband.” She answered and then wanted to kick herself because she wasn’t sure of their intentions and the homecoming of a mysterious husband might have been something useful. Hopefully she managed to keep her face straight so they would not realize what she was thinking.

So she obviously sucked at being a liar.

“Then, thank you. We would never say no to have coffee with such a beautiful woman.” Riggs smiled charmingly.

“Yeah…” She answered suspiciously while she slightly narrowed her eyes at the man. She did not entirely trust that these men were here for the reason they had mentioned and the fact that this one seemed to be openly flirting with her just made her more suspicious. 

Not to mention that she sensed that intensity around them again and edginess she couldn’t quite understand.

She knew out of personal experience that someone who seemed charming was not necessarily what they appeared to be. Sometimes they hid dark intentions and she learned that the hard way. She also learned the hard way to trust her instincts when she met someone. And though she didn’t entirely trust their reason to be here, she also felt drawn to the lighter man – Orson for some strange reason.

“Don’t mind Riggs, he’s an idiot.” Orson said, from where he still stood beside her while glaring daggers at Riggs. She wondered why he seemed so annoyed with the man that was supposedly his friend, but decided to keep that question to herself for now.

Leah hesitated another moment. She could still sense that intensity around these men that she had sensed at the diner and she knew that she could trust that feeling at least, but their expressions seemed open and friendly for the moment and she still had the shotgun over her shoulder and her hunting knife in her belt, not to mention the bear repellent that she knew for a fact worked.

“Well, come on then, before Mister Bear decides to make an impromptu visit again.”

“Mister Bear?” Riggs answered with a crooked smile of amusement and a raised eyebrow and she hesitated again; she was sure she sensed the intensity about them heightening after her statement. She glanced between them again, looking for any clue as to why their emotions seemed so much more heightened than other people did when their expressions seemed to be calm. There was something strange about these men; something completely different from the people she’s known.

She did not sense them to be dangerous, at least not for the moment even if there was an air of roughness about them, but she was not sure exactly what it was she sensed in them. For the moment, she would take them on face value, but she would keep an eye on them for any clue to their emotions and intentions.

“Yeah, this strange bear that keeps visiting my yard at night. It started showing up during the day yesterday. You don’t know if the previous owners raised a bear cub? It seems fairly attracted to humans, but it doesn’t act rabid.”

The three men shared an odd look and she had the suspicion that they knew something. “Oh, we know about the bear. You don’t have to worry about him; he’s a real teddy bear; perfect name for him by the way; Mister Bear.” Riggs grinned with clear delight and she was sure she heard a soft, vibrating growl coming from the man still standing next to her, but when she glanced to him his expression was neutral – sort of – though his eyes were trained on the one that had spoken.

He seemed annoyed with the Riggs character who was grinning at him as if they had a private joke at his expense; even the third quieter man seemed amused, though he hid it better. Obviously she wasn’t going to understand the joke they were sharing. She clearly didn’t have all the information to be in on the joke.

Slowly she glanced between the men standing around her before she shook her head with exasperation and led the way inside. Apparently the men in this area were odd from lack of human company. At least she had spent her Sunday baking cookies to nibble on when she was just too tired to find something to eat, so she had something to offer them with the coffee. It took a moment before she heard them follow her.

She waved them to the table that stood in the kitchen without glancing back while she started boiling water and took the shotgun from her back, putting it in the corner of the kitchen near her. They took their hats off respectfully and placed baskets and crates on her one counter top before they quietly sat down in the chairs she had indicated, almost dwarfing her kitchen table with their sheer size and she set mugs ready before bringing powdered milk, sugar and a plate of cookies to the table.

When the water boiled she poured it into the mugs with instant coffee and carried the cups to the table before she sat down hesitantly. “What is all that?” She asked hesitantly while she indicated the things that had taken over most of her kitchen counter space.

“Just some things we thought you might need until you can get on your feet properly – a housewarming gift. The Jones’ family did not do much with their land before this, so we guessed you would have to do most things from scratch.” Orson answered and she almost stared at him in open-mouthed shock; this was the most he had spoken since she had met them and his caramel and milk chocolate eyes were warm when they held her gaze.

She blushed with embarrassment and lowered her eyes to the table. What was wrong with her? “Thank you.” She answered quietly, unsure why they were doing this for her. Were people that different here from where she had come from? Their gesture seemed almost selfless; she was not used to that at all.

“Oh, guys, these are so good... You have to try it, Leah makes awesome cookies.” Riggs moaned with pleasure past the cookie he was currently chewing on as if he was a starving man.

That broke the tension that had started to build around them and Finlay shoved him impatiently. “I’m sorry, we do have manners. Well, most of us anyway.” He muttered while he glared at his brother who couldn’t seem to care less as he reached for another cookie with a measure of excitement she had only seen in kids.

Leah smiled despite herself. She’d never seen someone eat with so much pleasure. His enthusiasm seemed to be contagious as the other two men reached for a cookie each and then their faces changed into expressions of pleasure when they bit into the cookies. Her smile broadened with amusement; it was like they had tasted the best thing ever.

“I take it you don’t have cookies that much.” She said with a faint entertained smile.

“No, we can make food to survive, but baking is not one of our talents.” Orson answered while he eagerly reached for another cookie.

“He’s being modest about his cooking. He’s the best among us, but too stingy to cook for us regularly.” Riggs grinned at her and received a glare from Orson.

“So you three own a place together?” Leah asked with interest.

“No, my place is behind yours to the north, and theirs is to the west, beside yours.” Orson answered. “But we have a road running cross country on our lands so we could reach each other faster than with the main roads. We used to have the same with the Jones family, but we thought it best to get your permission before using it with you – if you want.” Orson seemed almost nervous – no, she sensed he was nervous; his face seemed entirely calm. It was odd that the emotions she sensed from them were so well hidden in their expressions, constantly making her second guess herself.

Riggs shook his head at Orson with a look of exasperation while Finlay ducked his head so she could not see his expression. Finally Riggs spoke up. “What he means is we tend to look out for each other, being so far away from others and town, so we created the shortcuts across country to make it easier to reach each other in emergencies or as a way to check in on each other’s safety.”

“Oh…OK, sure. I don’t mind.” She answered while she glanced between the three men, wondering why they were acting so strange.

“We’re usually working our land most of the time, so sometimes we forget how to carry our meanings over with the ease others do.” Finlay spoke up finally and met her gaze seriously as if he had heard her thoughts.

She had the feeling he was entirely truthful with her and she wondered at the difference between the two brothers. The one charming and outgoing and the other, elder, she guessed, seemed more introverted and serious. They must drive each other insane on a good day if she looked at the differences between them.

Riggs seemed the easy going type, while the other two seemed almost brooding. They seemed to have problems to communicate with her, while Riggs seemed to find it a breeze. She guessed most people found Orson and Finlay intimidating, but she sensed a deep kindness and sincerity in them, even if they weren’t as openly friendly as Riggs was. 

In truth, she felt more at ease with them, than Riggs. Well, Riggs smoothed the way, but she was sure on a good day he could drive her up the wall with conversation. He was more the lubricant that helped to ease the conversation into motion; the guy you always wanted at a party to make everyone at ease.

“We could show you where the road comes onto your yard.” Orson offered quietly when he finished his coffee. “Just so you know where to expect us from.”

“Yeah, sure.” She answered quietly and stood, grabbing her shotgun and slipping it over her head so it hung from one shoulder. She could not shake the feeling that she was missing something important with these men. She sensed no danger from them at this moment, but she was sure they shared a secret and that they could be dangerous if they wanted to.

She followed them to the door and then stepped outside first when Orson opened the door and held it for her, the other two stepping back in a show of gentlemanly behavior that she did not expect.

They then followed as Orson led the way between where her greenhouse would be and the barn where she stored her tools and the quad and showed the slightly overgrown road to her. She had wondered where the road had led, but had not had time to explore the land much with her trying to keep up with her schedule.

“Thank you, I appreciate it.” She smiled faintly, trying not to glare at the boulder that was keeping her behind schedule when they headed back towards the house behind which their trucks were parked.

“What do you want to do here?” Finlay asked suddenly and stopped next to where she had started digging holes for the posts and then was forced to stop to try and remove the boulder.

“Oh, I was hoping to get my greenhouse up to start growing vegetables. But that stupid stone ruined my plans. I guess I’ll have to find another place to have my greenhouse, because it won’t budge.” She answered with a shrug, trying to make it off as little consequence, since she didn’t want them to know that she had been struggling with her list of things to get done before the growing season would be over.

“We could help.”  Orson offered more as a statement than a question and walked over to the boulder, pacing around it with interest as if he liked the idea of the challenge.

“No, it’s really not necessary. Don’t worry about it.” She didn’t want to keep them from their day or have them get too involved in her world if she wasn’t even sure if she would stay here.

“No, it would be no problem at all.” Finlay answered as he joined his friend and they seemed to gauge their likelihood of moving the stone like they were squaring up against an opponent.

“But, I’m sure you have tons of things to do on your own land.”

“No, we’re pretty much ahead of schedule and we’re already here. It would be no trouble at all.” Orson answered with a smile that almost knocked her breath away. Granted, he was handsome, but she had never expected such an openly sincere and gorgeous smile from him.

Man, he was handsome when he didn’t look ready to murder someone like he had in the diner!

“Besides, what are three brawny men good for if we can’t help a lady with some heavy lifting?” Riggs said with a grin before he followed them to the stone.

Apparently they wouldn’t be dissuaded from helping with the boulder, so she decided to accept the assistance with some measure of pride still intact. “All right, thank you. I would appreciate the help.” She answered and stepped forward to help them finally get the bane of her homesteading out of the way.

But Orson caught her elbow gently and took two steps away from the other men while they were staring intently at the large boulder, drawing her attention to the sensations that coursed through her at his gentle touch. “I’m sure you have other things that also need your attention. Let us do this for you while you see about the other things I’m sure you also need done.” He stated quietly and she was almost annoyed until she glanced up and saw the sincere look in his eyes.

She hesitated a moment, wanting to disagree, but then she nodded. He had obviously guessed that she was not on schedule for the short growing season. “I’ll make dinner for you to thank you for your trouble.” She finally said, giving in to not being involved in the removal of the stone.

Riggs’s head shot up at her words and turned a happy grin to her. “You can hire my services any day for that payment.” Finlay smacked him behind the head without glancing up from his perusal of the stone and Orson followed suit when he joined them at the stone. “Come on!” Riggs complained after the second smack and Leah only just managed to stop herself from laughing out loud at their interaction while she walked away, shaking her head at her new neighbors.

Inside the house she glanced through the supplies they had brought her and found a venison shoulder with a variety of fresh vegetables. They had not hesitated to bring her enough supplies to last her a few weeks, at least. The realization made her stare at the supplies in wonder. Apparently they were really here to welcome her to her new life and not to collect her.

The sight strengthened her resolve and she started making roast venison with vegetables and then decided to top it with a dessert with some of her own supplies. They deserved the treat with everything they’re doing for her without any chance at personal gain. Plus she felt like baking, something she hadn’t had time or energy to do in quite a while aside from the cookies she had made the past Sunday.

While she was busy in the kitchen, she started putting her new supplies away and placed two bags of cookies into two containers for them to take home. It wasn’t all that much, but it was something. The most she could do at this point.

Occasionally she glanced out the window while she worked and she noticed they had all removed their shirts while they worked at moving the stone; the muscles rippling in their upper bodies while they moved. It was a sight that would make most women swoon, in fact the sight of that much working muscle was rather mesmerizing to her and she caught herself staring in wonder a couple of times before she would realize what she was doing and shake herself out of her trance.

As fabulous as the show of rippling muscles in work were, she wasn’t here to get involved in anything. She needed to keep herself focused on her situation and the thought that she might very well have to move if something went wrong. She couldn’t get anyone else involved in her life until she was sure she was free, no matter how yummy they looked.

Eventually she got busy with putting away all her new supplies; when she glanced out the window again when everything was busy cooking and she was busy cleaning the kitchen she found that they had not only moved the stone but they had already started building the greenhouse as well. At the rate they were going, they would have her up to date with her plans once again and she felt rather emotional with the knowledge that they were selflessly helping her without expecting anything in return – well, maybe dinner after her comment, but still, it seemed a small price to pay, considering that they had brought most of the supplies.

Late afternoon she was done with most of what she had been putting off and was just waiting for the roast to finish baking; the scent filling the home with a nostalgic trace of being a true home. She hoped it was a taste of her future here; with this homestead being exactly that to her.

She quickly went outside and fed and closed the chickens in for the night. She decided to add six eggs to each basket where she had put the cookies earlier; she had enough eggs to spare a dozen, though she wasn’t sure it would be of much use to these large men. How many eggs would they consider a decent breakfast? But she didn’t want to return empty containers when they had gifted her so much more than she could have hoped for. 

By the time she got back and checked on the meal, she was happy to see that it was ready. She took a moment to place six eggs in each basket with the cookies she had put there before; she could add that to the small ‘thank you’ gift in return. So she boiled the kettle and poured large glasses of water for each man before she started the good coffee brewing and then called them in for dinner.

She stood in awe for a moment when she opened the door, noticing that they were all but done with the greenhouse. How had they managed to do it so fast? She would have been on schedule if they had come halfway with it, but it was finished and ready to be used. Finally she shook herself out of her shock and called out to them that dinner was ready.

All three men caught up their shirts in passing as they came bare-chested at her call and she stared a moment at the men and the work they had accomplished, suddenly wondering why her life here seemed slightly lonely now when before it had seemed like a gift of freedom. Finally she went into the house and started placing the food on the table and showed them to the bathroom to wash up for dinner.

She had just poured the coffee and turned to find all three sitting down eagerly at the table with their shirts now on and she smiled faintly. “Thank you for all your help.” Leah said gratefully as she sat down at the table and met all their gazes earnestly. “It means a lot to me.”

They had no idea exactly how much they had helped her today, both with the supplies they had brought her and the work they had done to get the greenhouse up. All she now had to do was start planting the seeds and she would have a good start at growing her food for the rest of the year. 

Dinner around the small table was jovial and she was amazed at the difference in the house compared to when she was alone. But there was nothing for it, she would have to keep going like she was doing, since there was no way it was about to change any time soon. For now she would just be happy if her past didn’t find her.

That would be another great gift for her. Perhaps if that were the case, then she could think about something more permanent regarding her future. For now she was just planning on surviving through the winter.