Connected (Gem Creek Bears Book 5)

by Jennifer Snyder

  I exhaled a puff of air and wiped my eyes as more tears fell. Then, I lifted my legs out of the water and pulled my knees to my chin. I wrapped my arms around my shins, hugging my legs close and glanced back to the sky. Tears streamed from my eyes as something inside me broke apart.

  Finally, I felt what I should have all along—crippling heartache.

  Chapter Four

  A banging noise woke me. It took me a few seconds to realize what I was hearing—the sound of someone knocking on Ruby’s door. I sat up, flinging my sheets off, and realized I hadn’t changed out of my bathing suit last night. I’d been too exhausted from crying.

  “Just a second,” I said, wiping sleep from my eyes. The stench of chlorine clung to me as I moved, grossing me out. Bright light filtered through the mini blinds of the RV as I padded to the door.

  What time was it?

  I unlocked the door and swung it open, expecting Tris to be standing there. Instead, Rafe was. His eyes trailed the length of me, taking in my bikini-clad body. Heat entered his stare, and I felt my heart flutter at the unabashed way he looked at me.

  “Hi,” I said.

  “Uh, hey.” He licked his lips, and a slither of satisfaction wormed through me at the sight. I bit my bottom lip to hide my smile, liking the way he was looking at me. “Were you sleeping?”

  I leaned against the doorframe. “Yeah. I stayed up late last night.”

  “Looks like you went for a swim.” He nodded to my bathing suit, a sexy grin twisting his lips. “You should’ve called. I would’ve joined you.”

  I folded my arms over my chest and glared at him. “So, it wasn’t you watching us at the pool last night?”

  “Us?” His brows pinched together. “Someone was watching you?”

  “Yeah, Tris was with me. Going for a late night swim was her idea,” I said. “And, yep. Someone was watching us for a minute.”

  “Wasn’t me. I would have joined you two if so.”

  “It must’ve been someone else, then. Tris thought it was someone familiar. We both wondered if it was you. Guess not.” I shrugged. “We weren’t the quietest, so it could’ve been anyone.”

  “Could’ve been.” Something about his expression twisted my gut. He clearly didn’t like the thought of someone watching us last night. “Anyway, sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you, I just wanted to let you know that Cato towed Myrtle to the shop first thing this morning.”

  I perked up. “Oh, cool. Did he get a chance to take a look at her yet?”

  “Yeah, it was the water pump.”

  “How much will it cost to fix?”

  His face wrinkled into the most adorable expression. “Well, with the wrecker and everything for the pump you’re looking at about two hundred. He gave you the clan discount, which cut the bill down some.”

  “Oh, cool. I’ll have to thank him.”

  A cloud moved away from the sun behind Rafe, blinding me with its dagger rays. I lifted my hand to shield my eyes, squinting.

  “What time is it?” I asked, stepping inside for my cell and leaving Rafe at the door.

  “Almost four.”

  “Geez, I can’t believe I slept so long.” Or that I’d slept so well. It was the first good night’s sleep I’d had since my mom passed. Swimming had really taken it out of me. Either that, or crying had.

  Probably the crying.

  “Sometimes it’s needed,” Rafe said.

  I glanced at my cell and noticed two unread text messages from Tris. I opened our message thread and read them both. The first was from this morning.

  Hey, are you awake?

  The second was from two hours after the first.

  I got called in to work the lunch shift at Earl’s. I’ll call you when I get off at around four-ish.

  Well, at least I wouldn’t have to wait around for her to get off. That was a plus.

  “Everything okay?” Rafe asked.

  “Yeah. Tris messaged me. She got called into work, but should be getting off any minute now.” I tucked a few hairs that had fallen from my messy bun behind my ear. “Is the general store still open?”

  “It should be. Rhett usually stays open till about seven. Kids staying in the campground generally beg their parents for ice cream after dinner.”

  “Awesome. I desperately need some coffee, but also a shower.” I wrinkled my nose. “I smell like chlorine still.”

  Rafe chuckled. “Not your favorite smell, I take it.”

  “Not by a long shot.”

  “I like it. It reminds me of summer, which is my favorite season.”

  “Sunblock, that’s what should remind you of summer. It smells so much better than chlorine.”

  “I like the smell of sunblock too.” Rafe grinned. The sight had my stomach flip-flopping. “So, did you want Cato’s number so you can check in on your car, or are you good with me being the middleman?”

  “Oh, right. I’m sorry. Yeah, I’ll take his number. Thanks for everything you’ve done, by the way.” I tapped around on my cell, pulling up the new contact creation.

  “I wasn’t trying to be a jerk. I was just curious. I’m good with being the middleman in this situation if it means I get to take care of you.”

  My breath hitched. I lifted my eyes to lock with his and swore I saw tender affection burning through their chocolate color.

  “But, here’s his number if you want it,” he said before rattling off the number.

  “Thanks.”

  “No problem. Let me know when he says it’s ready, and I’ll give you a ride to the shop so you can pick it up.”

  “Okay. I will.”

  “All right. Well.” He started down the steps. “I guess I’ll see you tonight.”

  My brows pinched together. “Tonight?”

  Either he was bolder and more persistent than I’d thought, or I was missing something.

  “Yeah. At the bonfire.”

  I blinked, still having no clue what he was talking about.

  “Apparently Tris hasn’t talked to you about it yet. Well, this isn’t awkward at all.” He smoothed a hand along the back of his neck.

  “Nope. She hasn’t. What’s the bonfire for?”

  “Uh, it’s in honor of your mom.” His expression softened. “Liam and Tris thought it would be a good idea. We all did.”

  “We?”

  “Yeah, the clan,” he said.

  I blinked. “They all thought it would be a good idea?”

  “Of course. You’re practically one of us now. Your loss is our loss.”

  My throat grew tight as the threat of tears pinched at me. I was one of them now. Practically. Warmth flowed through me at the thought.

  “I’ll see you later,” Rafe said before turning to leave.

  “Yeah. Sure.”

  I stood there, replaying his words in my head while I leaned against the doorframe. Someone driving a silver minivan pulled into the parking spot at the RV beside mine. The mom waved as she climbed out. I flashed her a smile, then turned to grab some clothes as the back door of the minivan opened and two elementary school-age kids and a toddler were revealed. The toddler started screaming, and a toy dinosaur flew out of the minivan, narrowly avoiding the mom. It landed in the grassy patch we shared between our RVs with a thud.

  Awesome. These neighbors seemed like fun.

  I gathered some clean clothes and shoved them into a tote bag along with my toiletries and wallet. Then, I headed to the bathhouse for a shower. The walk wasn’t long, but even so, I was sweating by the time I reached the building. Part of me wondered if it was too late to book an RV with a bathroom and a water hookup. Even if Liam said it was fine, I knew I couldn’t leave Ruby. The tiny RV was special. She made things feel like they were going to be all right—she gave me hope.

  After I showered, I made my way to the general store. Rhett sat behind the counter on a high back stool, reading. He looked up from his book and flashed me a sweet smile.

  “Hey, Penny. How are you?” He set his book on t
he counter and gave me his full attention. His eyes were the same shade of brown as Rafe’s, but there was a gentle softness to them his brother’s didn’t possess.

  Rhett reminded me of a cuddly teddy bear.

  “I’m okay.” I realized as the words fell from my lips that I believed them.

  “Yeah?”

  I glanced over my shoulder at Rhett as I made my way to the coffee bar in the back corner. “Yeah. I mean, all things considered, I feel all right.”

  I still missed my mom. If I thought about how much I missed her hard enough, I’d be right back at square one, but mostly I was okay.

  “I’m glad to hear it,” Rhett said.

  I grabbed a paper cup and poured myself some coffee, making sure to leave enough room for plenty of vanilla creamer and sugar. When it was a khaki color, I knew it was perfect.

  “What have you been into today?” Rhett asked, making small talk.

  “Sleeping.” I grabbed a stir stick and made my way to him so I could pay.

  “Oh. Well, that’s good. Everyone needs sleep.” While there was no judgement in his tone, there was a hint of shock. Clearly, he wasn’t the type to sleep until mid-afternoon.

  “What are you reading?” I asked, setting my coffee on the counter so I could riffle through my bag for my wallet.

  “Just a thriller.”

  “Cool.”

  He flashed me a grin. “Not what you thought I’d read, right?”

  “Not really. I figured it would be a classic. You give off smart, well-read vibes.” My eyes widened, unbelieving I’d said that. “Not that there’s anything wrong with being smart or well-read. Or with reading thrillers.”

  “It’s okay.” He chuckled. “I understand. And you have me pegged right. I do like reading the classics. I go through phases. Right now, I’m in a thriller phase.” Rhett shrugged.

  “I’m glad I didn’t offend you.” I flashed him a wide smile, hoping to smooth over any tension he might try to hide. “How much do I owe you for the coffee?”

  “Not a cent. This one’s on the house,” Rhett insisted. “Consider it a welcome to the neighborhood gift.”

  “Oh. Okay. Thanks.”

  “No problem. It’s the least I can do, especially for someone who’s made my brother happier than he’s been in a while.”

  I arched a brow. “Excuse me?”

  How had I made his brother happy? And which one was he talking about? Rafe? He had to be talking about Rafe. I hadn’t seen Nash yet and Liam had only waved to me. We hadn’t even spoken yet.

  “Naming Rafe’s truck. He must have told me the story ten times last night,” he said. “Also, I’m fairly sure he has a thing for you. I noticed something the last time you were here, but I couldn’t be sure. I am now, though.”

  My heart fluttered, and my cheeks warmed. I took a sip of my coffee to hide the smile forming. “Oh.”

  “Crap, I shouldn’t have said anything. I’m sorry.” Rhett shook his head. “I’m sure you couldn’t care less about any of that right now. I didn’t mean to seem insensitive. Also, Rafe would kick my ass if he knew I said any of that to you.”

  “You weren’t being insensitive,” I insisted. “And, I won’t tell Rafe anything. Don’t worry.”

  “Thanks.”

  “No problem.”

  My cell chimed with a new text. I dug through my bag, searching for it. It was a message from Tris.

  I just got home. Let me change out of my uniform and then we can meet up. Where are you?

  “Thanks for the coffee, again. That’s Tris. She just got off work and I’m going to meet up with her. I’ll see you later,” I said.

  “You’re welcome. See ya later.” He picked up his book and resumed reading where he’d left off.

  Once I was on the little porch of the general store, I replied to Tris’s text.

  I’m at the general store. Just woke up a little while ago and desperately needed coffee. - Penny

  Tris replied instantly.

  Cool. Head to the cabin.

  Already am. - Penny

  I tossed my cell back in my bag and sipped my coffee as I made my way down the steps, heading toward Liam and Tris’s place. The walk wasn’t long. Maybe ten minutes at most. The issue was the heat. It was sweltering. Drinking hot coffee in the afternoon heat probably wasn’t the brightest idea I’d had recently. I should have opted for an iced java instead.

  Lesson learned.

  I wiped sweat from my brow as I came to the side of Liam and Tris’s cabin. Murmured voices floated through the open windows. It was Liam and Tris talking. I’d figured they would have heard me walking up thanks to their super bear hearing, but they hadn’t. They seemed too into their conversation to notice.

  After a few more steps, I was able to make out what was being said. They were talking about what Tris had felt at the pool last night—the sensation of someone watching us. I paused, listening even though I knew I shouldn’t. I couldn’t help myself, though. Especially not after the way Rafe reacted when I mentioned it to him earlier.

  My spidey senses were tingling. Something was going on.

  “Okay.” Liam sighed. “We need to resume patrols.”

  “I was thinking the same,” Tris said.

  “You’re sure you don’t know who’s scent it was?”

  “No. I tried to get a good whiff, but couldn’t. The chlorine in the pool was too strong. It was all I could smell.”

  “There wasn’t anything to go off in the woods either,” Liam said. “Whoever this is, they’re smart.”

  “What could they be using to mask their smell?”

  Silence ticked away. I held my breath, thinking I’d been spotted, but then Liam started talking.

  “I’m not sure,” he said. “A spell. Maybe a stone or crystal. There are plenty of ways they could be doing it.”

  “Great,” Tris muttered. “I really don’t like this.”

  “Neither do I.”

  “We need to be careful. Everyone does. Especially until we can get those bear traps out of the woods.”

  Oh, crap. Panic tightened my chest. Bear traps in the woods? What the hell?

  “I know. I’ll discreetly mention something to the others tonight. I don’t want to ruin honoring Penny’s mom. That needs to take precedence, but I have to mention something for everyone’s safety. They all need to stay out of the woods until we can disarm those traps.”

  “Yeah, and they need to know there’s someone dangerous lurking around too,” Tris insisted.

  “I know Penny would understand. I just don’t want to worry her with all this. She has enough going on. She’s healing, and I don’t want to do or say anything that might jeopardize that for her.”

  “I’m glad she’s healing. I’m glad she’s here, too. I know how much you wanted her close during this difficult time. And I want you to know that she’s safe here. I don’t want you to worry about her safety.”

  My chest clenched at the sincerity in Liam’s tone. These people really cared about me. All of them did.

  “I know she is, but do you think I should tell her about this? You know how much I hate leaving her in the dark after everything,” Tris said.

  “That’s your choice. I can’t tell you what to do, but I can tell you Penny is strong. She’s been through a lot—learned a lot about the supernatural world—and seemed to handle it well.”

  His confidence in me was endearing.

  “She is strong. Super strong,” Tris insisted, causing tears to swell in my eyes. “I’ll think on it.”

  “Good.”

  “What are you grilling tonight?” Tris asked him.

  “Cheeseburgers and hot dogs.”

  I pulled in a deep breath and then made my way to the front porch. As I started up the steps, I forced my face into a neutral expression—one I hoped hid the fact I’d overheard their conversation—before knocking on the door.

  When Tris swung the door open, she took one look at my face and I knew she could tell I’d ove
rheard everything. My emotions were too frazzled to conceal it from her bear.

  “You were listening, weren’t you?” she asked.

  “Yeah.” I stepped inside. The cool AC kissed my skin, and I nearly sighed with relief. “So, there are bear traps in the woods?”

  She closed the door and then shifted to face me. “Yeah. We don’t know who put them there, but a clan member found six bear traps on the Yona Waterfall Trail. There could be more. We don’t know yet.”

  Her face was bleak. I understood why this was scary. Someone had been lurking in the woods with the intentions of hurting them.

  “You think it’s the same person who was staring at us last night when we were at the pool, right?”

  She shrugged. “I mean, it’s possible.”

  “Without a scent, we have nothing to go on though,” Liam insisted from where he stood in the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of lemonade.

  “I heard what you were saying—all the ways a shifter can hide their scent—but this person could also be human. Don’t discredit that until you have something more tangible to go on.” My Nancy Drew ways were surfacing.

  “Very true,” Liam said. “It could be a human doing all this.”

  “Yeah, but who?” Tris asked. “And, why?”

  “I don’t know.” Liam stepped into the living room with us. “But we need to remain cautious for now.”

  Tris sighed and smoothed a few stray hairs away from her face. “We do,” she said, shifting to face me. “But tonight, you’re not going to focus on any of that. Tonight we’re honoring your mom. Don’t worry about any of this trap business, okay?”

  I nodded and returned her smile, even though what she asked was easier said than done.

  Chapter Five

  Tris looped her arm through mine and flashed me a warm smile. We stood at the backdoor of her cabin. I could hear music playing from an outside speaker and the chatter of people. Nervous butterflies fluttered through the pit of my stomach.

  “Ready?” Tris asked, patting my arm.