He knew the bears
As it turned out, Steven had released two bear cubs here when he was younger and he always dreamed of reconnecting with them. He knew that they would remember him and he couldn’t wait to see them again and play with them in the woods.
That was also why he had wanted to move closer to these woods… Now, everything made sense to Jessica and she was happy to finally know the truth. But still, he had caused her so much sadness and stress… Would she be willing to forgive him?