A year later…

“Thank you, Doctor Wright,” the young father said, squeezing Logan in a tight bear hug. “Thank you so much.”

Logan took a deep breath as he hugged the relieved father back. He had just come out of surgery with the man’s three-year-old child and gave him the good news: his child would walk again.

The cute little girl was in for three rough months of rehab but that didn’t matter. She would get her legs back and that was the most important thing.

“You’re a Godsend,” the mother said, clasping her hands together as tears rolled down her cheeks. “A real blessing.”

Logan swallowed hard and nodded. He was never good in these situations and he seemed to be in them a lot.

After returning from the woods with Bella, he got his old job back at St. Mary’s Hospital, picking up right where he had left off. Before long, he had a long list of patients waiting for his expertise. The sick children traveled with their parents from all over the country and from others as well to be treated by him. He had operated on a little boy from Australia the week before and he had a girl from Sweden scheduled for surgery tomorrow.

Logan didn’t care where they were from. If he could help them, he would.

“It was nice to meet you folks,” Logan said, giving the thrilled parents one last smile before leaving. “Take care of Ashley.”

“We will,” the father said, hugging his wife. “Thanks again, Doctor.”

Logan sighed as he went to the employee locker room to shower up and get ready. He had a hot date with a curvy grad student.

He rushed down the stairs, taking three at a time, to the front of the hospital where she was waiting, looking spectacular as usual. Bella was leaning on the brick wall with a sexy smirk on her face as she watched him approach.

“Paging, Doctor Dreamy,” she said, biting her bottom lip.

He smiled. “Ready to have some fun?” he asked.

“I am,” she said, stepping on her toes to give him a kiss on the lips. “Are we going to play doctor?”

He grinned. “Are you ready for your examination?”

“Maybe after a bottle of wine,” she said with her cheeks blushing. “Where do you want to go?”

Logan took her hand in his as they walked away from the hospital.

“I picked the restaurant last time,” she said, skipping along beside him. “It’s your turn.”

“Au Noir,” he said, grinning as a wide smile broke out across her face. It was her favorite restaurant.

“It’s on me,” Bella said with her chin in the air. “We’re celebrating.”

Logan glanced over at her. “Celebrating what?” There was so much to celebrate for. Every day with Bella was cause for a celebration.

“I got my dissertation paper back,” she said with a smile. It had to be good by the look on her face.

“And?”

“A plus!” she said, jumping up and down as she squealed in delight. “I don’t have to go owl hunting after all!”

Logan stopped and spun her around, catching her in his arms as she fell. “That’s my girl. Brains and beauty all rolled into one.”

“It helps that I had a sexy tutor to help me write it and a furry assistant to help me finally find the sneaky little owls.”

“No,” Logan said, shaking his head. “It was all you.”

She leaned up and kissed him softly on the lips. “I wouldn’t be here without you.”

Logan knew exactly what she meant because he wouldn’t be where he was without her either. He would still be living in the log cabin in the woods, spending the days in his bear form and the nights all alone.

Bella had done so much for him and he would always be grateful to his mate. She had helped him see that he did have the courage and strength to return to his old life.

His colleagues were initially shocked to see him and his new scars but like anything, they got used to it and it hardly came up anymore. He would still get looks and stares from strangers on the street but as long as the scars didn’t bother Bella, they didn’t bother him either.

Another worry was how his young patients would handle seeing the gruesome scars but it didn’t quite have the effect that Logan thought that it would. The kids would ask him almost immediately how he got the scars. The children were intensely curious and their curiosity always outweighed their manners.

When Logan would tell them that it was from a bear attack, he instantly got way cooler in their eyes. He was seen as a cool superhero who fought off a bear and it helped the kids warm up to him.

They walked to the restaurant as Bella chatted about her day and how excited she was about her A plus. Logan could barely focus on his mate’s words. He was a little nervous.

The paper wasn’t the only thing that they would be celebrating tonight.

He tapped the side pocket of his coat just to make sure the ring was still there. He took a breath of relief when it was.

It was a white gold diamond engagement ring that had more carats than Bugs Bunny. People said that an engagement ring should be the equivalent of three-months salary but Bella was worth more than that. He had bought the most expensive ring in the store.

She deserved the world and he was determined to give it to her. His life had been a dream since they moved to the outskirts of Seattle where they lived in a beautiful home in the country. It was the best of both worlds. They had access to the city where he could work as a surgeon and where Bella could find a job now that her schooling was all finished, and they had access to acres of forest, mountains and rivers where Logan’s bear could wander around in peace. It really was perfect.

Now it was time to make it all official.

Logan was planning on waiting until dessert to pull out the ring but he just couldn’t wait any longer. He dropped to a knee on the sidewalk and pulled out the ring. Bella didn’t even notice and kept walking, blabbing on to herself as she walked away.

“Bella,” he called out with a laugh.

She stopped and looked around, clearly confused as to where her man went. Her mouth dropped when she spotted him down on one knee, holding up a diamond ring.

“Is that?”

Logan nodded.

Her shaking hands flew up to her mouth as she stared at him with wide eyes.

“Want to come back over here so I don’t have to shout at the entire block?” he asked with a laugh.

“Right,” she said, giggling as she hurried over. She stopped in front of him with her eyes sparkling.

She couldn’t be more beautiful.

“Bella,” he said, trying to keep his voice calm. “Would you-”

“Yes!” she shouted, jumping on him and nearly bringing him down to the pavement. “Yes, I’ll marry you!” she said, squeezing his neck with her arms as she showered him with kisses.

“Wait,” she said, pulling back and looking at him funny. “Is that what you were going to ask?”

He laughed. “Yes,” he said, taking her delicate hand in his. “That’s exactly what I was going to ask. Will you marry me, Bella?”

She placed her hands on his cheeks and gazed into his eyes. She said the one thing that he was hoping to hear:

“Yes!”

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