They'd driven for about thirty minutes and after a while, Dice had rolled down the window of the rental truck he'd had waiting at the airfield and she could smell the fresh scent of forests as they barreled toward their unknown destination.
"You should know I don't like surprises anymore!" she grumbled, having tried to get him to tell her what the hell was going on since they'd gotten out of the airplane.
"You will like this one," he promised.
"Is Dean alright?" she asked, distracting herself for a moment as she heard him fumble around with something that sounded like keys.
"He's fine. He's sleeping on my chest," Dice said with a chuckle.
Meredith almost wanted to turn around and check if her baby boy was in the harness on Dice's broad chest like he had said, but she calmed herself and took him for his word. There was no way that Dice or anyone who knew Meredith at all at this point would dare mess with her about her baby. She'd gone through enough with getting Dean back that the slightest danger to his safety would have her going off like a rabid momma bear.
Dice guided her to take another few steps forward and then he closed a door behind them. Meredith quirked a brow, the black scarf moving a bit over her eyes. When Dice untied it though, she couldn't believe her eyes.
They were standing in the middle of a wide, roomy living room with big floor to ceiling windows and an open kitchen. She could spy a staircase leading to the second floor and a corridor which showed a few doors leading to different rooms. The house – or cottage, perhaps – was made of sturdy oak logs and she could see the lush expanse of a forest right outside the window.
"Dice? Where are we?" she asked, looking around in surprise.
"We're home," he said simply.
Meredith turned to look at him now, completely taken aback. "Home? What do you mean?"
"I put in a down payment. It's far enough away from Los Angeles to not be in the middle of the bustle, and there are plenty of forests around here for Dean and I to run around in. There's a smaller town up the road from here and the airport as well. I can come and go for missions but when I'm off-duty, I'd like to be here, with you … if you'll have me. The Firm wants you to continue your research so I was thinking we could set up a lab here. There's a room in the back that would be perfect for it."
He was starting to jabber on and Meredith stopped him with a hand on his arm, smiling.
"You got this for us?" she asked, practically holding her breath.
Tears were swimming in her eyes now and she had to blink them away to see the face of the man she loved clearly. Her son was sleeping soundly on his chest, tuckered out from the travelling. Dice looked a bit sheepish, a little bit uncertain of himself. It was the cutest thing she'd ever seen, her mountain of a man looking like a worried boy.
"I did. Do you like it?"
His tone was hopeful but obviously trying not to betray too much excitement.
"I love it," Meredith said earnestly. "And I love you."
"I love you too," Dice said, beaming with a grand smile on his face now.
Meredith got up on her tip-toes and Dice leaned forward so they could kiss without disturbing Dean's sleep. It was sweet and lingering and tasted like hope. Hope for a future that was their own, not wholly controlled by faceless evils who wanted something from them that they couldn't be sure they could give.
There were plenty of problems still, of course. The Firm had released the scientists The Arctics had kept in the compound, at least the ones that had still been there, and obviously The Arctics wasn't happy about that. Meredith's sister was still being held by The Arctics, or at least Meredith hoped she was, as there was apparently no intel on her for years now.
Dice's job put him in danger on a daily basis and there was no guarantee that he would return from his missions in one piece, even though Meredith had all the faith in the world in him. There were so many obstacles in their path that thinking about them all had her head spinning, but Meredith knew that as long as she was together with Dice, they could beat the odds.
They had so far, why should things change now?
Meredith took Dice's hand and together they excitedly explored the cozy cabin that Dice had bought for them. It had everything they needed, including a bedroom for Dean and an extra room that Dice wouldn't say what they would use for, but Meredith got the very distinct feeling that he was hoping for more cubs.
He wasn't alone in that hope. She could think of nothing better than to have a house full of children's laughter and the pitter patter of running feet. After all the horror and sadness she had seen over the last several years, Meredith wanted to give more light and joy into the world. Her own home would be a starting point for that.
"It's gorgeous," Meredith said as they concluded their tour on the back porch.
Dice's arm was wrapped around her shoulders as they looked out into the yard, the forest starting just a few dozen feet from where the porch ended. It was serene, quiet and peaceful and for the first time, Meredith felt like she had found the place where she could truly begin to heal. It amazed her how well Dice knew her, despite the fact that there had been so many years of loneliness between the two of them.
"Not as gorgeous as you are," Dice said earnestly.
He took his arm from her shoulders and Meredith looked at him in surprise as he dropped on one knee. He took a little box from his pocket and when he opened it, Meredith gasped.
In the velvet enclosure sat a delicate golden band with a trio of emeralds nestled in fine settings. It was simple and elegant.
"Meredith Wilder. I knew when I met you that you were my mate. As the foolish young bear that I was then, I allowed you to slip away and it cost both of us, you more than I, unfortunately. But I want to spend the rest of my life making up for what I did and making sure that you and our child have the best life that I can build."
He ran a hand over Dean's hair and through tears that were streaming down her cheeks now, Meredith smiled.
"Meredith, will you marry me?"
"Of course I'll marry you!" she exclaimed, sobbing out the words as she knelt down as well and hugged him awkwardly in order to not crush Dean.
Dice beamed a smile as Meredith pulled back and he helped her put on the ring. She looked at it with admiration, fitting her finger perfectly.
"My father gave it to my mother. It's been in our family for generations."
"It's beautiful," Meredith whispered, sighing happily.
Wind blew through the treetops and Meredith felt a deep sense of calm instill within her. It had taken so long to reach this point and there had been times where she had been certain that happiness would never find her again. But Dice Alderson would never stop fighting for her and in return, she would never stop fighting for him either.
When two hearts combined, nothing could come between them.
She kissed him deeply on the lips and when they broke the kiss, Dean stirred from his sleep as well. Planting a quick kiss on the top of his head, Meredith grinned.
"I don't think today could get any better," she said.
"Wait until we break in the bedroom," Dice said with a wink.
Okay, so maybe it could get a little better.
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Bear My Baby, Book 1
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Don't miss the excerpt of Anya's next book in the series, Kitten Me Twice, on the next page!
Kitten Me Twice Excerpt
"Rio, Ryker," she muttered, dumbstruck as she stood perfectly still, a lamb fit for slaughter.
"Kayla," Rio said, pushing past Ryker and crossing the distance between them with long, purposeful strides.
A second later, she found herself in the tight, comforting and completely safe embrace of Rio Tyren, one of the two men she'd ever loved. The tears brimmed in her eyes before she could think of another thought.