The Bear Claw Tales- Complete Series

by C. D. Gorri

  She grimaced as she looked at the boxes of feminine products she’d stocked up on at the pharmacy. Oh well. I’m sure he knows about this stuff by now.

  She struggled to find some inner calm but kept going back to the other night. As if Taylor Devlin hadn’t thoroughly humiliated her enough, now he was here in person. Probably to fire her! Great. Just great.

  “Hey Dimples!” His deep baritone called out to her and she shut her eyes against the wave of attraction that assaulted her every time he spoke.

  She couldn’t help the way she felt. But she’d had plenty of practice hiding her body’s natural reaction to the big blonde Bear Shifter. After all, she’d been crushing on him for over a decade now.

  Krissy bit back on her arousal and focused on the nippy spring air and the fact that her cramps were back with a vengeance. Damn period.

  She grabbed two of the heavy sacks and headed for her stairs, ignoring Taylor as she went.

  “Hey, let me help,” Taylor moved with the natural grace of most Shifters.

  His hair was styled the way she liked, longer on top and buzzed on the sides. His face clean shaven and handsome as sin. She smelled the residue of shaving cream and realized he’d just come from the barber.

  Hmm. That was odd. It was Thursday. He never went on a Thursday. She shook her head and focused on gathering her jacket and purse.

  Lithe and lean with the build of a rodeo cowboy, he grabbed the rest of her shopping from the floor of the truck and silently followed her up the cracked driveway to her stairs.

  She studiously ignored him as she walked up the wooden porch steps, praying they didn’t snap under their combined weight. She’d been meaning to get those fixed, but she never seemed to have the time.

  Not that she was embarrassed of her home. Her mom did the best she could and with Krissy’s help, they’d finally paid off the mortgage that year. It wasn’t easy with Luisa’s med school bills, but she was proud of that.

  Sure, the Devlin’s were way above and beyond her humble origins, but that was their problem. Not hers. If Taylor didn’t like it, he could reverse his fancy SUV right out of her driveway and head back home.

  Millionaires to start with, the brothers had turned their small bakery into a billion-dollar business in just a few years. With their combined Ivy League educations and natural charm, they’d stormed the business world, taking Bear Claw Bakery from humble hometown baked goods, to a household name.

  There was a Bear Claw every hundred feet in New York City, not to mention the deals they’d just signed with several major hotel chains and cruise ships to provide baked goods and fresh brew to their customers. You could even buy their non-GMO, all natural, cinnamon bun dough in the supermarket thanks mainly to Taylor and his insistence that what they had was better than anything else out there!

  All three brothers were amazing, and she’d enjoyed being part of the team during their rise to fame and fortune. They’d always treated her well. Like family. But, she sighed as she set her bags down on the counter, I’m not family, I’m expendable.

  “Mom! I’m back!” Krissy called into the main section of the house, doing her best to ignore the big blonde Bear who stood behind her with his arms full of her groceries.

  She felt her cheeks heat as she realized he’d been holding the bag with her tampons on top. She turned and motioned for them and he grinned.

  Taylor released the bags to her outstretched hands, his fingers grazed hers sending jolts of electricity down her spine. His green eyes never left her.

  “You’re pretty when you blush, Dimples,” he murmured as he moved into her personal space.

  She tried to back up, but the counter was blocking her way. What was he doing? She could hardly breathe as Taylor traced the arch of her eyebrow down the side of her face with his finger.

  “You smell so good,” he leaned down, and Krissy gasped. Was he going to?

  “We will finish this later,” a noise from the foyer had him stepping back.

  She hadn’t even realized her mother was slowly padding into the room! What was he doing to her?

  “Hi, dear. Hello, Taylor. I was just about to make some tea,” Patricia Sposa walked towards her daughter looking frail as ever.

  Still recovering from her recent hip replacement, her movements were slow. Krissy frowned as she watched her mother try to lift the kettle off the stove and moved to do it for her.

  She smiled and kissed Krissy’s cheek then moved to sit at one of the tall chairs at the kitchen island. This most recent relapse with her cancer had resulted in aggressive radiation and chemotherapy treatments that left her feeling drained most days.

  Krissy’s heart contracted when she thought of just how much pain she experienced daily. The cancer had been in remission for close to seven years now! That was a miracle in itself and she knew to be grateful for the little things, but how she wished she could give her mother some of her Shifter healing abilities.

  “Hello, Mrs. Sposa, you look ravishing today!” Taylor’s deep voice shook her from her musings and she mechanically went about filling the kettle and preparing tea.

  “Oh, Taylor! Stop it! Now, my Kristianne is the one with all the looks here!”

  “Mom!”

  “On that I wholeheartedly agree, Mrs. Sposa, but she gets it from you! Dimples is always stunning. Now, these are for you, madame,” with a flourish that was so Taylor, he produced a bouquet of flowers and a pastry box full of goodies from Bear Claw Bakery seemingly out of thin air.

  He must have brought those in with her other bags, but Krissy had been too busy to notice. He was just that damn good.

  She sighed and put away a few of the perishables while Taylor charmed her mother. Waiting for the kettle to boil, Krissy filled a ceramic tea pot with the loose jasmine tea leaves her mother preferred.

  She took some cups and saucers out of the cupboard. Teatime was done right at the Sposa house.

  She smiled and thought of all the little tea parties her mom had thrown for her and Luisa. She took down a flat ceramic platter painted along the edges with delicate blue flowers. She arranged some of the pastries Taylor had brought for them on it. He brought honey almond bear claws, my favorite. She smiled.

  Surely, it was just a coincidence, but for a second, she pretended he knew what she liked. That he’d cared enough to notice. And for some unknown reason, that thought made her so mad! Krissy growled and bit her lip. She looked to see if her mom had heard it, but the older woman was still chatting as if nothing was amiss. To Krissy’s relief.

  Taylor, of course, had heard her growl. His green eyes flashed with his Bear. He frowned as he watched her, but she ignored him and placed honey and sugar on the island countertop. How could she fight with him when he was making her mother smile and blush like a girl again?

  The tea kettle whistled blaringly and the Shifters in the room cringed. Yikes. Darn supernatural hearing! Krissy turned off the flame and poured the boiling water into the tea pot breathing in the floral aroma of the brew as she did.

  “Krissy, would you mind bringing mine to my room? I think I’d like to sit in my recliner and watch the cooking channel while I have my tea. I hope you won’t think I’m being rude, Taylor?”

  “Of course not. In fact, would it be okay if I walk with you? I need to use the restroom anyway.”

  “Why, that would be very nice! Krissy?”

  “Yes, mama, you go ahead, and I’ll bring you a tray,” Krissy answered.

  She swallowed the lump in her throat as she watched Taylor bow ridiculously low to her mom, like any real-life Prince Charming would. He offered Patricia his arm and walked slowly next to her while regaling her with local gossip that he’d gleaned from Clary, the Devlin boys’ housekeeper.

  Why did he have to be so sweet? The jerk. He didn’t realize what it did to her when he did sweet things like that. Or did he? He turned his head, meeting her eyes for a brief second before helping her mother down the hall to her bedroom. The heat in his gaze was certai
nly new.

  What had changed? Was he developing feelings for her? No. She wouldn’t allow herself to think like that. That way lies madness. It would be detrimental to her entire well-being if she started believing Taylor harbored any feelings for her at all. Even if those feelings were only of lust.

  “So, what brings you here Taylor? And don’t feed me any bull about wanting to see me!” Patricia’s voice travelled down the hall to her daughter’s ears.

  Krissy cringed. Oh boy, there goes mom again. Patricia was sharp as a tac, if not weak due to chemo and radiation therapy. She imagined her eyeing Taylor with her best mom look until Krissy was sure he’d be ready to squirm right out the door! But he surprised her. Again.

  “Actually, I was hoping to steal Krissy for a little while.”

  “I’m not working today,” Krissy called to him automatically.

  “You are not planning to drag her back to the office on her first week off in forever, are you Taylor?”

  “No, actually, I was going to ask her to take a ride with me. I have some errands to run for Marcus and Leya, wedding stuff, and I could use a hand.”

  “Oh, well, it’s not a date, but I think that would be okay. Won’t it, dear?”

  Krissy entered her mother’s bedroom with her tea and pastry on a tray. She’d included some juice and a throat lozenge for her to suck on. It’d been feeling raw these last few days and Krissy wanted her to be comfortable.

  “I don’t know,” she began.

  “Come on, Dimples. Take a ride with me?”

  “For Leya and Marcus?”

  “Yep. I’m supposed to meet them in twenty minutes.”

  With her mother watching expectantly Krissy had no choice. She’d be suspicious if she flat out refused to go somewhere with her longtime boss and friend.

  “Fine, but I’ll take my car,” she replied.

  Imagine her surprise when after they’d said their goodbyes to her mother, Taylor got into her car and buckled himself in the passenger seat. What was going on?

  “Okay,” she said slowly, “Where are we going?”

  “The bakery first,” he smiled.

  “But your car?”

  “I’ll get it later, come on, we’ll be late.”

  Marcus and Leya were indeed waiting for Taylor at bear Claw Bakery. Along with Nate. What the heck?

  “Uh, Taylor? What’s going on?”

  They walked into the store together and Krissy felt as if everyone was watching her. Nate smiled easily in her direction.

  She noted nothing more than a friendly interest, but Taylor seemed to resent it. Too bad for him. Possessive jerk.

  “Coffee?” Taylor asked.

  “Sure,” she said and watched him walk to the counter to speak to Marie. Of course, she was all smiles for the youngest Devlin, but that was Taylor for you.

  The man was a natural charmer. A born flirt. Though he tended to be honest and fair with his conquests. At least that was what she’d heard over the years. Not that it was any of her business.

  She shook her head and walked over to where everyone was grouped together, supposedly waiting for them.

  “Hi Nate! Marcus, Leya,” she nodded and sat down next to the man she’d met at The Thirsty Dog.

  The same guy who Taylor beat the crap out of. Not that Nate didn’t give as good as he got, though both Bear Shifters were healed by now. Krissy smiled, but hadn’t gotten the chance to ask what was going on as Daniel strolled in a few seconds later.

  The broody Bear sat on Krissy’s other side, leaving Taylor to glower at her from across the table as he set her latte down in front of her.

  She shrugged and took a sip. She had no idea what was going on, but Taylor had no claim on her. His behavior was certainly puzzling.

  “Okay folks, as you know, Leya and I are getting married,” Marcus began and nodded as they clapped and cheered at the announcement.

  “I’d like her to experience a real Barvale Clan welcome and to do that I was thinking,” Marcus’ dark eyes glittered with mischief as the boys and Krissy caught on to what he was hinting at.

  “Bonfire!” Daniel, Krissy, and Taylor all yelled at the same time and laughed as the newcomers to town looked on skeptically!

  “No really, Leya, it’s tradition,” Krissy began, “You see, Clan members since practically the beginning of Barvale, celebrate most special occasions on Lake Ursa with a real live clam bake and bonfire!”

  “Followed by a little Shifting and skinny dipping,” Taylor added the last bit in a stage whisper.

  “Really?” Leya looked excited and Krissy couldn’t help but giggle.

  “Really! It’s so much fun!”

  “Where’s the lake?” Nate asked.

  “It’s about a mile or so behind the Den,” Daniel answered rubbing his short beard.

  Krissy sympathized with him. Last time they’d had a bonfire, it was for Daniel’s engagement. He turned his head as if to hide his reaction.

  “Great,” said Marcus before he went into plans for the celebration. He wanted it to happen the following Friday.

  After a few more coffees and some more talk, Krissy finally got the nerve to ask the question she’d been dying to know.

  “Look, I apologize if this is out of line, but uh, Nate? What are you doing here?”

  “You didn’t tell her?” Nate’s eyebrows shot up as he spoke to a suddenly, beet-red Taylor.

  “Uh, slipped my mind?”

  “Ah, well, if you don’t mind,” Marcus explained kissing Leya’s knuckles before he spoke, “Let me introduce you officially to Nate Cordoza, our brother.”

  Krissy got over her shock relatively quickly. The coloring was different, except for Marcus who had the same dark hair and eyes, but lighter skin.

  Still, she could see the resemblance. Nate had the stockier build of the oldest Devlin, along with some of his mother’s features no doubt, but that square jaw and straight nose were exactly like his brothers.

  Wow. Another Devlin. Just what the world needs. There was no awkwardness between them, which was kind of nice. After all, she did sort of tongue-kiss the guy a few days ago. Even if it was for all of two seconds before Taylor slugged him.

  “So, do you do any modeling,” Nate asked Krissy as the others were still planning the bonfire.

  “Who me?” Krissy asked incredulously.

  She’d heard of men who asked women questions like that as some kind of cheesy pick up line, but he seemed to genuinely want to know.

  “Um, no,” she said and laughed modestly.

  “Would you consider it?”

  “What?”

  “What?”

  She turned her head realizing Taylor had been listening in. The jerk had asked the question at the same time as she did. Humph.

  She frowned at him and turned her attention back to Nate who seemed to be watching the byplay with amusement.

  “No creepiness implied, bro. I’m a graphic designer. I work for Grave Enterprises,” he began.

  “Oh! I know them, they put out WolfMoon! I used to play when I was younger,” Leya exclaimed from across the table.

  “Really?” Marcus smiled down at his mate and kissed her head.

  “Yeah! I was a nerd. It started as just Werewolves, I had the best little she-Wolf, but then they added other creatures on later. That’s when it got really cool! My last avatar was this really awesome Witch who was also a Weretiger!” she laughed.

  “Actually,” Nate blushed a deep red as he spoke, “I’m kind of the reason that happened. When I was a kid, I found the online world of WolfMoon comforting, you know,” he nodded at the other Shifters, “but I was pissed they didn’t offer other avatars, you know, like Bears, so I wrote to the owner.”

  “Randall Graves?” asked Marcus.

  “Yeah, you know him?”

  “I’ve done business with him. For the bakery.”

  “Anyway, he invited me to create some avatars for WolfMoon and I did. I’ve been working for him ever since.”<
br />
  “What’s that got to do with Krissy?” asked Taylor.

  “Um, excuse you, but I think I can handle myself,” she bristled.

  “Yeah, easy buddy,” Leya joined in, and fist bumped Krissy in a show of support. Go girl power!

  “Of course you can, I just wanted to know where Nate here was going with this is all,” Taylor looked to his brothers for support, but they just raised their hands as if to say, you dug your own grave boy.

  “Uh huh. Anyway, Nate, what exactly are you asking me?”

  “Well, uh,” he looked from Taylor’s glower to Krissy’s own passive expression, “I am currently working on a project to design more female avatars for WolfMoon and I believe you’d be perfect.”

  Krissy ignored the low rumble coming from across the table and kept her eyes focused on Nate. She was flattered by his offer.

  Not entirely sure what it entailed, but there was no way in hell Taylor Devlin was going to sit there and growl at her like she was some cub waiting for him to tell her what to do.

  “Well, I am flattered. You know what, I’d love to, Nate. Thank you.”

  “How exciting!” Leya exclaimed then went on to aske Nate a dozen questions about what Krissy would have to do. Krissy didn’t hear one word.

  Taylor’s green eyes glowed gold with his Bear. They raked her from head to toe and remained glued to her as she tried to remain calm in her seat. He was acting so possessive of her lately. Could really mislead a girl.

  “I, uh, have to get going,” she said and stood up promising to call Leya later that night.

  She exhaled as she slid into the driver’s seat of her car, then jumped as Taylor opened the passenger door and got in.

  “What are you doing?”

  “My car is at your house,” he explained.

  Of course it was. Why else would he get in the car with you? They drove in companionable silence for the few minutes it took her to get home.

  “Krissy? Before I go, uh, will you be coming back to work soon?”

  “You mean, I’m not fired?”

  “Of course not! You’re invaluable! I, uh, we, couldn’t do without you,” he scratched his head and looked decidedly uncomfortable.

  “Okay then,” she smiled sadly, “I’ll be back to work Monday. I’m going to take the rest of the weekend if you don’t mind.”