Kissed by the Cowbear: A Werebear Paranormal Romance (Curvy Bear B&B Book 1)

by Liv Brywood

  As she swiped it away with her tongue, she could feel him staring. At some point she’d have to stop thinking about him. If he wasn’t interested in a relationship, then she needed to stay away from him. She couldn’t take another broken heart. And besides, she would never consider anything with a man who wasn’t totally invested in her and her son.

  After downing half a cup of coffee, she picked up her plate and walked into the kitchen. Through the picture window, the lake glistened in the sun. Today would be a beautiful day to go hiking again. But this time, she’d be going alone.

  She rinsed her plate and cup before putting it in the dishwasher. Madison scurried over.

  “I can do that, hon,” she said.

  “Thank you.”

  “You doing okay? You didn’t eat much at breakfast,” Madison said.

  “I wasn’t hungry.”

  “I’m making beef stew and cornbread for lunch. Maybe you’ll like that better.”

  “Oh, the food was great,” Jessica said. “I’m just tired.”

  “Not sleeping well?”

  “Not as well as I would like. But it’s not the bed,” Jessica quickly added. “I just have a lot on my mind.”

  “If you need to talk, I’m always here,” Madison said.

  “Thanks. I’m going to take a walk outside,” Jessica said.

  “The fresh air will help you feel better. Will we see you for lunch?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it.”

  After washing her hands, Jessica hurried through the foyer. She didn’t want to run into Clint right now. Maybe not ever again.

  Outside, birdsong flitted through skyscraping pine trees. As she strolled along the shore of the lake, she tried to shake off the hurt of being rejected by Clint. He’d said he needed time. What a cop-out. If he would have just said that he only wanted sex, then she would have gone into it without even a hint of expectation. But he’d pretended that there was something building between them. She’d never been good at reading men. This was just more evidence that she needed to keep to herself and not even think about dating anytime soon.

  “Hello,” a sweet voice called from a few steps behind her.

  She turned to find a tall, curvy woman with curly blonde hair striding toward her. Jessica tried to remember her name but couldn’t. She had a hard time remembering names.

  “I’m Cindy,” the woman said. “We haven’t really met other than in passing.”

  “Jessica,” she said.

  “Nice to meet you. Are you enjoying your time at the ranch?” Cindy asked.

  “It’s beautiful and everyone is so nice here. I wish I could take a six-month-long vacation here instead of just a week.” As Jessica continued walking, Cindy fell into step beside her.

  “I still can’t believe I live here. It’s been two years, but I treasure every day that I get to spend with my husband Drew.”

  “I thought you and Drew were going to be on the trip with the kids. Wasn’t he going to point out the constellations at night?” Jessica asked.

  “Drew, Kate, Logan, Hank, and Carol are still with the kids,” Cindy said. “We each take an hour break once a day so we can get some downtime. The kids are still well-supervised the whole time.”

  “How has Eddie been behaving?” Jessica asked. She held her breath. Hopefully he wasn’t being a little terror. They would have told her if he had been, right?

  “He’s doing really well. Some of the shifter kids need to run around a lot to disperse all of their extra energy. Once we started going on more hikes, he calmed down a lot. He’s also made a new friend.”

  “Oh really? Who?”

  “Hailey,” Cindy said.

  “Clint’s little girl?” Jessica asked.

  “Yep. She’s so adorable. They are having a blast playing together. They’re practically inseparable.”

  “Great,” Jessica mumbled.

  “I met her dad when they arrived. He reminds me of a cowboy from the Wild West. Cute too. And single,” Cindy said.

  “Oh, boy. Don’t go matchmaker on me,” Jessica warned.

  “I wouldn’t dream of it,” Cindy said with a chuckle. “I’ve been through that already. It’s how I found Drew.”

  “Through a matchmaker?” Jessica asked.

  “Sort of,” Cindy said. “It’s a really long story, but I found Drew online. Only it wasn’t Drew that I had been talking to, it was Madison.”

  “His sister-in-law?”

  “Yep. She wanted to find a mate for him so he wouldn’t be the last single brother. She thought she was helping.”

  “It sounds more like meddling,” Jessica said.

  “It was, but she meant well and it worked out for the best,” Cindy said.

  “Well I’m perfectly happy being single,” she said.

  “Drew told me that too when he first met me and look at us now. My daughter loves him.”

  “You have a daughter?” Jessica asked.

  “Yep. Brooke. She’s eight years old now. When I met Drew she was six and for all intents and purposes, he’s the only dad she can remember.”

  “What happened to her biological dad? If you don’t mind me asking,” Jessica quickly added.

  “He’s in prison for the rest of his life,” Cindy said.

  “He is?” Jessica stopped and turned to face her.

  “Yeah. He tried to kill me… twice.”

  “Oh my God. I’m sorry,” Jessica said.

  “He’ll never get the chance to do it again,” Cindy said with a shrug. “And now Brooke’s safe. That’s all I ever wanted—to protect my little girl.”

  “I can’t say that I know exactly what you mean, but my ex-husband’s in prison too.”

  “Really? What for?” Cindy asked.

  “Embezzlement.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Cindy said. “How long ago did that happen?”

  “Two years,” Jessica said.

  “Have you thought about dating again?”

  “Sometimes. When I get really lonely. But I’m too afraid of ending up with another liar. I had no idea Bart was stealing from his company. I feel like my radar is broken when it comes to men.”

  Jessica bit the edge of her lip. She considered confessing what had happened between her and Clint, but she kept her mouth shut.

  “I was like that too—lonely,” Cindy said. “But I decided to take a risk when I met Drew and now we’re unbelievably happy. I can’t imagine life without him.”

  “I’m glad it worked out for you,” Jessica said. Envy sparked in her heart. Would she ever find love again?

  “Have you run into Clint at all? He seems like a really good father. Definitely dating material,” Cindy said.

  “Yeah, we’ve run into each other,” Jessica said. “Actually, we spent a lot of time together at the beginning of the week, but then…”

  “What happened?” Cindy asked.

  “I don’t think he’s really looking for another relationship right now.”

  “They never are,” Cindy said. “Drew was completely against giving up his bachelorhood when I first met him. But he came around. Maybe if you spend more time with Clint, he’ll come around too.”

  “It’s not that simple,” Jessica said. “He lost his wife three years ago. He said he feels guilty even thinking about another relationship. I wouldn’t feel right going after a man who wasn’t ready to commit to something. I’m not even sure if I’m ready to throw myself into another relationship.”

  “You can’t put your life on hold forever,” Cindy said softly. “When a good man falls into your lap, it’s time to really think about whether or not you want to stay single forever.”

  “I guess you’re right,” Jessica said. “But Clint’s not the right person for me. He’s too closed off. I need someone who is open and can express their feelings.”

  A sharp beep pierced the air. Cindy pulled her cell phone out of the back pocket of her jeans.

  “My hour’s up. I need to head back to camp.”
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br />   “Tell Eddie I said that I love him and can’t wait to see him,” Jessica said.

  “I will.” Cindy gave her a contemplative look. “Think about what I said. Maybe Clint just needs a little kick in the pants.”

  “Maybe.” Jessica flashed a half-smile. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  As Cindy hiked off into the woods, Jessica turned to head back toward the house. She needed a nap. But she couldn’t stop thinking about what Cindy had said. Jessica didn’t want to stay single forever. Eventually, she wanted to be married again. Eddie would need a strong male role model to keep him on track as he got older. But was Clint the right man?

  A few days of good conversation and one night of blazing hot sex wasn’t enough. She needed more of a commitment from him and she wasn’t sure she would get it. At the end of the week, he’d probably return to Billings and she’d go back to Bozeman and they’d never see each other again.

  The unsettling thought churned in her belly. Her bear thrashed and kicked, hollering that Clint was their new mate. But was that even possible? She’d thought Bart was her fated mate when she’d met him and she’d been completely wrong. What if she was wrong about Clint too?

  ***

  Clint jogged through the forest, jumping over fallen logs and dodging thick clusters of juniper bush. Sweat poured down his back to pool in the waist of his jeans. He’d shower later. Right now, he needed to think and he did that best when he was working out.

  As he sprinted around a particularly bushy Douglas fir, he almost slammed into Logan. The other man jumped out of the way to avoid a collision. Clint skidded to a stop. He turned to find Logan standing behind him.

  “Hey, man. Sorry about that,” Clint said.

  “No worries. There’s no speed limit out here.” Logan grinned.

  “I thought you were with the kids.” Clint placed his palms on his knees and bent forward to catch his breath.

  “I was. We take breaks throughout the day. I just started mine. We go one at a time so the kids are still well-supervised.”

  “How’s Hailey?” Clint asked.

  “Great,” Logan said. “She’s really coming out of her shell. She even has a new friend.”

  “Really? Who?”

  “Eddie, Jessica’s son.”

  “Oh.” Clint returned to his full height and swiped beads of sweat off of his forehead.

  “You don’t sound too thrilled about that,” Logan said. “That boy can be a handful, but he’s a good kid.”

  “Is he being nice to her?” Clint asked.

  “They’re best friends right now. We can’t separate them without one having a fit. We decided to just let them be. It seems to be good for both of them. Eddie’s much calmer than he was when he first arrived, and Hailey’s becoming more and more talkative.”

  “That’s good,” Clint said.

  “How’s it going back at the ranch? I heard Eddie’s mom is single. She’s a looker. Not that I was looking,” Logan quickly added. “No one can hold a candle to my Kate.”

  “Jessica’s pretty,” Clint said noncommittally.

  “I know that tone,” Logan said. “She’s already done a number on you, hasn’t she?”

  “No,” Clint snapped. “I’m not interested in another relationship right now.”

  “All right. I didn’t mean to hit a nerve,” Logan said.

  “It’s just…I lost my wife three years ago.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Logan said.

  “Breast cancer.”

  “Brutal.”

  “Yeah,” Clint said. “We thought she’d pull through, but her body couldn’t handle the chemo.”

  “I never understood pumping poison into a person to kill cancer. But I guess it works.”

  “Sometimes. Not all the time,” Clint said.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “She’s been gone a while now, but I can’t seem to get past it,” Clint said.

  “I hate to be so blunt, but maybe you’ll never get past it. Maybe it’s something you’ll just have to learn to live with,” Logan said.

  “Maybe.” Clint frowned and studied the intricate pattern of dead pine needles on the forest floor.

  “You must have really loved her,” Logan said.

  “I did. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to love someone like that again.”

  “You did it once. You can do it again,” Logan said.

  “I don’t know,” Clint said.

  “Have you ever met anyone who’s made you think about moving on?”

  The image of Jessica’s beautiful face flashed though his mind. Until her, he’d never even considered dating again. But now…

  “Who was it?” Logan asked.

  “Jessica,” Clint said.

  “Really? Eddie’s mom?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What does your bear have to say about her?” Logan asked.

  “He thinks she’s our new mate. But I doubt it. I’ve never heard of having more than one mate.”

  “It happens,” Logan said.

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, a buddy of mine lost his wife years ago in a car accident. They skidded off the road in a snow storm. I never thought he’d get over the guilt even though it wasn’t his fault.”

  “What made him decide to move on?” Clint asked.

  “He met a great woman who made his bear mope when she wasn’t around,” Logan said. “He tried to deny being in love with her, but we could all see it. Eventually, he listened to his bear and now they’re married. I can tell you this—I knew both women and they were both perfect for him in different ways. I think you can have another fated mate if you’ve lost the first one.”

  “I guess I’ve never considered that. It always felt wrong to think about dating again. Like I was betraying Nicole,” Clint said.

  “Your wife?”

  “Yeah.”

  “She probably would want you to move on,” Logan said.

  “How can you say that? You didn’t know her,” Clint said.

  “No, but if she really loved you, then she wouldn’t want to see you sad and alone for the rest of your life.”

  “I have Hailey. I’m not alone,” Clint said.

  “Yeah, but she’s your daughter. It’s not the same as having a wife. Once you’ve been married, you know what it’s like to have someone you can confide in, someone who will lift you up when you fall down on your face. Kate’s like that. I can’t imagine life without her.”

  “I guess I see what you mean,” Clint said. He rubbed his fist over his chest as his bear clawed at his ribcage.

  “Your bear?” Logan asked.

  “Yeah. He’s having a shit-fit about her. I’m afraid he’s going to rip me up like a stuffed animal if I don’t go after Jessica.”

  “What the bear wants, the bear gets.” Logan laughed.

  “Not always,” Clint said.

  “Maybe not when it comes to things like food and sleep,” Logan said. “But when it comes to women, a shifter would be a fool to ignore his bear’s instincts.”

  “Maybe.”

  “I guarantee it.” Logan slapped him on the back. “Just think about it. Maybe fate brought you and Jessica to the ranch so you two could meet. I honest-to-God think we’re living on some kind of energy vortex of love. You wouldn’t believe how many people have found their mates while staying at the ranch. Normally I don’t believe all that New Age mumbo jumbo, but based on what I’ve seen, I have to say—it’s possible.”

  “I’ll go light a candle or something,” Clint laughed.

  “I wouldn’t go that far,” Logan chuckled. “Just let fate take over. Anyway, I have to get going. My break’s almost up. But think about what I said. There’s no reason to believe that you only have one fated mate. And maybe Jessica’s the woman you’ve been waiting for all these years.”

  “Thanks, man.” Clint reached to shake his hand, but Logan leaned in to give him a quick bro-hug.

  “Anytime,” Logan said.

>   After he was out of sight, Clint sat down on the nearest tree stump. Maybe Logan was right. Maybe it was time to move on. If he’d been the one who had died, wouldn’t he have wanted Nicole to find someone else to love? Would he have been hurt that she’d found someone else?

  He shook his head. No, he would have wanted her to move on. He wouldn’t have been so selfish as to make her live out a lonely life. Nicole had been the most selfless woman he’d ever met. She never would have wanted him to suffer alone.

  A gentle breeze blew through the trees carrying the scent of ripe lemons. He looked up, half-expecting to see Nicole standing in front of him. She’d loved lemon everything—lemon meringue pie, lemonade, lemon chicken.

  He stood and walked around the small clearing. As far as he knew, there weren’t any lemon trees on the ranch or in the forest. Could this be a sign from Nicole? Was this her way of telling him that it was okay to move on?

  He dropped to his knees and wept as love filled his heart almost to bursting. And in that moment, he knew she wouldn’t have wanted him to hold onto the pain. She would have wanted him to find another woman to love. She was the sweetest, most loving woman he’d ever known and she was telling him it was okay to love again.

  As the last tears dried up, he climbed to his feet. He brushed pine needles from his pants and swiped the moisture from his cheeks. He needed to find Jessica and tell her that he was ready to move on. He was ready to risk his heart for her.

  His bear leapt and somersaulted in his chest. It couldn’t wait to find its new mate. Without consciously summoning the creature, he began to shift. His hands and feet stretched to form large paws. The bones in his back cracked and rippled to form his bear’s spine. As the shift progressed, fur sprouted from his skin and his nose elongated into a snout.

  On all fours, he sniffed the ground. His bear sensed that their mate was in the forest and in her bear form too. The creature shook its powerful head from side to side before trotting off in the direction of his mate.

  Chapter 6

  Jessica pounced on a patch of delicious wildflowers. In her bear form, she swiped her paw across the flowers to scare away bees before leaning down to snap up the succulent petals. Technically, she could gobble up insects too but the thought of eating anything alive disgusted her.