Bernard had wandered aimlessly all afternoon, his camera in hand, but took no pictures. Every time he looked through the viewfinder, all he saw was Opal’s sad eyes, and her back as she’d walked away from him.

He’d called after her, but she hadn’t turned around once on her way down the trail, and when they got to the bottom, she walked straight past his cabin and on toward her own. He’d tried once again to get her to stop, but she hadn’t even looked back at him once.

He’d eventually ended back up on the knoll, sitting on the boulder as he ran the event though his mind again. His ears rang with the words he’d said—and his heart ached at the look on her face when he’d said them. Like he’d run her heart through with a knife, and he wondered if maybe she was right to leave him and head back to the ranch.

He could have explained why he sounded so cold—he’d never had anyone teach him otherwise. No mom, like she had. Heck, his mother didn’t even care about him as much as the mama bear cared about her cubs. So how would he know how to be nurturing, part of a family?

But he didn’t want to make excuses. He’d said what he said, and he’d really meant it at the time.

Now, though, he wasn’t quite sure what to do. The previous night at trivia, they’d all agreed to meet at Allen and Opal’s cabin to watch the Olympics, but she was so upset with him earlier that she might not want to see him.

He stopped by his cabin, surprised to see his roommate Brandon sprawled out on the couch, exhausted. He hadn’t been around much, and he’d barely been able to tell him about Opal and the bears.

“Hey, Brandon,” Bernard said as he set his backpack on the kitchen counter. “How’s Lin?”

Brandon rubbed his hands over his face before he sat up from the couch, his elbows resting on his knees.

“Great, thanks. We’re just exhausted. This running a restaurant isn’t for lightweights.”

Bernard nodded, but couldn’t think of anything to say.

“Why the long face?” Brandon asked as he stood and crossed over to the kitchen island. “Is it Opal?”

“Yeah. It is.”

He quickly filled his roommate in about the bears, and told him they’d had a disagreement.

Brandon raised his eyebrows but didn’t ask for any more details, and Bernard was grateful. He mentioned that the wasn’t sure if he should go over to her and Allen’s house for their Olympic date, that there was every chance she’d refuse to talk to him.

“I don’t know, man,” Brandon said. “But I do know that you’ll never know if you don’t try. I think you should go. And go now.”

Brandon yawned as he rubbed the back of his neck and headed toward the bathroom.

“I’ve gotta hit the shower for the dinner rush. Let me know how it goes,” he said as he closed the door to the bathroom and started the shower.

“By the way, there’s tons of leftover Chinese food in the fridge. Help yourself. Take some over there,” Brandon called from the shower.

Bernard glanced at the clock—it was about ten minutes until the time he was supposed to be at Opal’s. He had no idea if she’d talk to him, but he knew that he’d be miserable at home alone. He also knew he’d really blown it with her, and there might not even be a way to fix it.

He sat on the couch for a minute and looked around. Brandon would be leaving shortly and he’d be alone. He’d always thought that was what he wanted, but maybe it wasn’t. Suddenly it felt like a huge weight on his shoulders, with nobody to talk to.

He stood and crossed over to the mantle, picking up one of the pictures of his grandparents.

“I wish I knew what you two did,” he said softly as he rubbed his thumb over the glass.

He closed his eyes, and in his mind’s eye he saw them together again, on the porch, looking into each other’s eyes with such love that he could almost feel it wash over his body.

He set the picture down, knowing that whatever Opal said or did, he had to try. He had to do better. He had to screw up his courage and tell her how he felt, be honest with her about his fears. Tell her he was afraid to be in love, be part of a family—that he didn’t know how.

But could he even say all of that? Would she listen? Could he get it out?

Well, he couldn’t just sit all alone and stew in it. He reached for his hat and gloves and shrugged on his coat. He pulled the food from the fridge.

“Later, Brandon,” he called before he headed out the door toward Opal’s cabin.