Free Grizzly Flying Free (Air Bear Shifters Book 2) by Sloane Meyers
Authors: Sloane Meyers
of whether anything is or isn’t going on between you and Lexi, just be careful that you don’t drag paparazzi scum up to Frost Peak. The last thing we need is some celebrity gossip magazine discovering that a clan of grizzly shifters is living up there. Second of all, I’m not convinced that you don’t have feelings for Lexi. You’re getting awfully defensive about her, and you won’t look me in the eye when you say that you don’t like her romantically.”
“Come on, man,” Anderson said. “It’s complicated, okay? I think she’s attractive—you can’t blame me for that. She is a very beautiful woman. But I’m not interested in her on any kind of a serious basis. Like you said, we can’t be dragging paparazzi up to Frost Peak. Besides, I have Silver to think about. I can’t just run off with any woman I find attractive. Dating doesn’t mesh very well with raising a child. Especially long distance dating, which is what this would be, since Lexi lives in Kodiak and I’m in Frost Peak. I don’t think Lexi is interested in moving away from her dance studio after spending so much time remodeling the place and getting it all set up for business.”
Sawyer still looked skeptical. “Look, buddy. I don’t want to push you. I know I’ve been going a little over the top on the advice lately. But if your heart is telling you something, then don’t ignore it. You’ve done an amazing job of raising Silver, and I have no doubt that you’ll continue to do a great job, regardless of whether you find love again or not. Don’t shortchange yourself your own happiness for your daughter’s sake, because a happier dad makes a happier daughter.”
Anderson’s face remained emotionless as he threw the magazine into his bag. “I am happy. Now let’s go. Come on, Silver.”
Anderson began walking toward the waiting airplane, not bothering to even turn around and see whether Silver and Sawyer were following him. He was such a confused swirl of emotions right now, and he didn’t want to let his alpha or his daughter see him floundering.
* * *
Late that evening, after several hours of catching up on clan work that had been left undone while he had been in Kodiak, Anderson finally sank into his couch for a chance to relax. He popped open the tab on a can of beer and took a long drag, then leaned his head back and closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the silence. Silver was already tucked into bed, and, for once, Anderson was taking a few minutes of the evening to relax instead of madly trying to get a head start on his work for the next day.
He opened his eyes and stared at the oversized, framed photo hanging above the mantle of the fireplace. The photograph showed Silver as a newborn, curled up into an impossibly small little ball the way newborns do. She was lying in a basket, her eyes closed in sleep, and blissfully unaware of the heartache that had heralded her welcome into the world. All she knew in that dreaming state was warmth and comfort. She had no idea of how harsh the world could be, or of how unfairly she had lost her mother before she ever had a chance to meet her.
Anderson sighed and took another sip of his beer. For Silver’s sake, he had done his best to remain upbeat, and to not drown in the pain of losing his wife. And he had done a pretty damn good job of not wallowing in pain. But even though he hadn’t wallowed in it, the pain had never quite left him. It was always there, like a dull ache in the back of his mind. He had a happy life overall, but something always held him back from being truly joyful. He knew that he would never be able to run freely and happily through life again, the way he used to as a carefree young grizzly. Life had shown him all too soon how harsh it could be. He was a bear bound captive to pain, and unless he found a way to love again and move on, he always would be. His heart was in chains, unable to break free from the shadow of lost love that hung over
“Come on, man,” Anderson said. “It’s complicated, okay? I think she’s attractive—you can’t blame me for that. She is a very beautiful woman. But I’m not interested in her on any kind of a serious basis. Like you said, we can’t be dragging paparazzi up to Frost Peak. Besides, I have Silver to think about. I can’t just run off with any woman I find attractive. Dating doesn’t mesh very well with raising a child. Especially long distance dating, which is what this would be, since Lexi lives in Kodiak and I’m in Frost Peak. I don’t think Lexi is interested in moving away from her dance studio after spending so much time remodeling the place and getting it all set up for business.”
Sawyer still looked skeptical. “Look, buddy. I don’t want to push you. I know I’ve been going a little over the top on the advice lately. But if your heart is telling you something, then don’t ignore it. You’ve done an amazing job of raising Silver, and I have no doubt that you’ll continue to do a great job, regardless of whether you find love again or not. Don’t shortchange yourself your own happiness for your daughter’s sake, because a happier dad makes a happier daughter.”
Anderson’s face remained emotionless as he threw the magazine into his bag. “I am happy. Now let’s go. Come on, Silver.”
Anderson began walking toward the waiting airplane, not bothering to even turn around and see whether Silver and Sawyer were following him. He was such a confused swirl of emotions right now, and he didn’t want to let his alpha or his daughter see him floundering.
* * *
Late that evening, after several hours of catching up on clan work that had been left undone while he had been in Kodiak, Anderson finally sank into his couch for a chance to relax. He popped open the tab on a can of beer and took a long drag, then leaned his head back and closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the silence. Silver was already tucked into bed, and, for once, Anderson was taking a few minutes of the evening to relax instead of madly trying to get a head start on his work for the next day.
He opened his eyes and stared at the oversized, framed photo hanging above the mantle of the fireplace. The photograph showed Silver as a newborn, curled up into an impossibly small little ball the way newborns do. She was lying in a basket, her eyes closed in sleep, and blissfully unaware of the heartache that had heralded her welcome into the world. All she knew in that dreaming state was warmth and comfort. She had no idea of how harsh the world could be, or of how unfairly she had lost her mother before she ever had a chance to meet her.
Anderson sighed and took another sip of his beer. For Silver’s sake, he had done his best to remain upbeat, and to not drown in the pain of losing his wife. And he had done a pretty damn good job of not wallowing in pain. But even though he hadn’t wallowed in it, the pain had never quite left him. It was always there, like a dull ache in the back of his mind. He had a happy life overall, but something always held him back from being truly joyful. He knew that he would never be able to run freely and happily through life again, the way he used to as a carefree young grizzly. Life had shown him all too soon how harsh it could be. He was a bear bound captive to pain, and unless he found a way to love again and move on, he always would be. His heart was in chains, unable to break free from the shadow of lost love that hung over