A Pinerock Bear Christmas (Bears of Pinerock County Book 6)

by Zoe Chant

  Wedding Bear. (Enforcer Bears #3). A curvy librarian in desperate need of a date + a bear shifter in search of a home + the past that's pursuing him = one sweet and steamy small-town romance!

  Fighter Bear. (Enforcer Bears #4). A curvy veterinary technician longing for a family + a lonely bear shifter with a wounded heart + a family farm in jeopardy = one exciting rural romance!

  Tropical Tiger Spy. (Shifting Sands Resort # 1). A unique shifter in search of her past + a tiger shifter spy on an undercover mission + a shifters-only resort with secrets to hide = a dangerous and thrilling romantic adventure!

  Tropical Wounded Wolf. (Shifting Sands Resort # 2). A curvy math teacher on vacation + a wolf shifter who spent years in captivity + an accident that leaves them stranded together in a jungle paradise = one thrilling romance!

  Bodyguard Bear. (Protection, Inc. # 1). A BBW witness to a murder + the sexy bear shifter bodyguard sworn to protect her with his life + firefights and fiery passion = one hot thrill ride!

  Defender Dragon. (Protection, Inc. # 2). A curvy backpacker who loses a shoe at a ball + a lonely dragon prince facing an arranged marriage to a princess he doesn’t love + magnificent castles and deadly assassins = one thrilling romance!

  Protector Panther. (Protection, Inc. # 3). A curvy paramedic who doesn’t know the meaning of fear + a mysterious panther shifter bodyguard with the power to inflict terror + sinister experiments and desperate passion = one heart-pounding romance!

  Warrior Wolf. (Protection, Inc. # 4). A runaway dragon princess who wants to experience life outside of castle walls + an ex-gangster werewolf bodyguard with a chip on his shoulder the size of Texas + uptown parties, downtown nightclubs, and deadly assassins = one explosive good girl/bad boy romance!

  Firefighter Dragon. (Fire & Rescue Shifters # 1). A curvy archaeologist with the find of a lifetime + a firefighter dragon shifter battling his instincts + a priceless artifact coveted by a ruthless rival = one blazing hot romance!

  Firefighter Pegasus. (Fire & Rescue Shifters # 2). A curvy pilot wary of flighty men + a firefighter pegasus shifter determined to win her heart + a high speed air race with even higher stakes = one explosive romance!

  Firefighter Griffin. (Fire & Rescue Shifters # 3). A curvy single mom burned by love + a unique half-eagle, half-lion shifter firefighter with a wounded soul + the little boy who brings them together = one heart-warming romance!

  And many more!

  Zoe on Audio

  Kodiak Moment – Audiobook - A workaholic wildlife photographer + a loner bear shifter + Alaskan wilderness = one warming and sensual story.

  Hero Bear - Audiobook - A wounded Marine who lost his bear + a BBW physical therapist with a secret + a small town full of gossips = a hot and healing romance!

  If you love Zoe Chant, you’ll also love these books!

  Handcuffed to the Bear (Shifter Agents # 1), by Lauren Esker. A bear-shifter ex-mercenary and a curvy lynx shifter searching for her best friend's killer are handcuffed together and hunted in the wilderness. Can they learn to rely on each other before their pasts, and their pursuers, catch up with them? A full-length novel.

  Guard Wolf (Shifter Agents # 2), by Lauren Esker. Avery is a lone werewolf with no pack; Nicole is a social worker trying to put her life back together. When he comes to her door with a box of orphan werewolf puppies and danger in pursuit, can two lonely people find the family they've been missing? A full-length novel.

  Dragon’s Luck (Shifter Agents # 3) by Lauren Esker. Gecko shifter and infiltration expert Jen Cho teams up with sexy dragon-shifter gambler "Lucky" Lucado to win a high-stakes poker game. Now they're trapped on a cruise ship full of mobsters, mysterious enemy agents, and evil dragons! A full-length novel.

  Tiger in the Hot Zone (Shifter Agents # 4) by Lauren Esker. In her search for the truth about shifters, tell-all blogger Peri Moreland has been clashing with tiger shifter and SCB agent Noah Easton for years. Now she and Noah are on the run with an unstoppable assassin after them and a custom-made plague threatening the entire shifter world! A full-length novel.

  Laura’s Wolf (Werewolf Marines # 1), by Lia Silver. Werewolf Marine Roy Farrell, scarred in body and mind, thinks he has no future. Curvy con artist Laura Kaplan, running from danger and her own guilt, is desperate to escape her past. Together, they have all that they need to heal. A full-length novel.

  Prisoner (Werewolf Marines # 2), by Lia Silver. Werewolf Marine DJ Torres is a born rebel. Genetically engineered assassin Echo was created to be a weapon. When DJ is captured by the agency that made Echo, the two misfits find that they fit together perfectly. A full-length novel.

  Partner (Werewolf Marines # 3), by Lia Silver. DJ and Echo’s relationship grows stronger under fire… until they are confronted by a terrible choice. A full-length novel.

  Mated to the Meerkat, by Lia Silver. Jasmine Jones, a curvy tabloid reporter, meets her match in notorious paparazzi and secret meerkat Chance Marcotte. A romantic comedy novelette.

  The Right Bear's Arms, by Nora Eli. After a sizzling one night stand with bear shifter Jake, curvy Katie realizes her perfect man is everything she's tried to avoid. If they can both stop running from their pasts, they may find a destined future together. A novelette.

  And keep reading for a special preview …

  If you enjoyed this book … try Bearista by Zoe Chant!

  A tough bear shifter bodyguard undercover in a coffee shop + a curvy barista with an adorable 5-year-old + a deadly shifter assassin = a scorching thrill ride of a romance!

  Chapter One: Gaby

  Early morning shifts were the worst. Gaby Diaz tried to be quiet, tiptoeing around the dark apartment as she stuffed a piece of toast in the toaster, gathered up her clothes, tried to find her keys and transit card ... but then she stepped on a Lego, and it was all over.

  "Ow ow ow! Fargin' bargin' muffin-biscuit frickety-frackety blarginfrack—" She let out a whispered string of fake swearing that would've done credit to a sailor—a sailor on the S.S. Lollipop, that is—all too aware of her five-year-old son and, worse, her mother in the next room. Clinging to the back of a chair, she massaged her foot until the string of fake swearing wound down with a muttered, heartfelt, "Fudge!"

  When Gaby looked up, her mother was standing in the darkened doorway of the room she shared with Gaby's son Sandy. "Sorry, Mama," Gaby whispered. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

  "Oh, no, I was already awake," her mother whispered back. She limped across the room to gather up the scattered toys and, along the way, paused to pick up Gaby's discarded cardigan and neatly fold it. She was recovering from hip surgery, but still tried to keep the place clean, always a chore with Hurricane Sandy running around all day. "If you have the 4:30 a.m. shift at the coffee shop this morning, you'll be home in early afternoon, won't you? That's nice; you and Sandy can go to the park before your evening classes. It'll do him good to get outside."

  Gaby's heart twinged. "I'm sorry, Mama. I'm covering a shift for one of my co-workers this afternoon so I can pick up some overtime. But," she added, "I don't have classes tonight, so I'll be home for dinner. I can pick up something nice if I get good tips. Maybe I'll get some beef so you can make your world-famous carne guisada tomorrow."

  Luisa Diaz kissed her daughter's cheek. "A girl your age should not work so hard. You need to find a nice man who will take care of you."

  Yes, a man who'll take care of me and my entire family. That sounds likely. Not to mention, between all the overtime and the evening classes and being a full-time single mom, it's not like I have time for dating ...

  "Well, let me know if you find one. Meanwhile—" She snatched up the folded cardigan and grabbed her shoes. "I'm going to miss my bus and be late for work. Love you!"

  She hurried out the door, hopped on one foot as she pulled on her shoes, and was halfway down the stairs before she remembered that she'd forgotten her toast. Oh well, she could grab a bagel or a donut at work. The breakfast of champions ...

  And she'd also
forgotten the textbook she'd meant to take along to study for her accounting test during her commute. Gaby sighed and leaned her head against the window as the bus pulled away from her stop. Maybe she could take a nap instead.

  She was so tired all the time. It felt like she was burning her candle at both ends, trying to be a good mom and keep the family afloat while still planning for her future.

  My mother's right. I sure could use a nice man. I don't know about taking care of me, but a second income wouldn't hurt. Not to mention the fringe benefits ...

  She clamped her knees together and tried not to think about those fringe benefits, ones she hadn't enjoyed since breaking up with Sandy's deadbeat dad before her son was even born.

  But unless the love of her life just happened to walk into the coffee shop, she was pretty much screwed—or not screwed, that's the problem—for the near future.

  Oh well. Since she didn't have her textbook, she got out her phone, opened up a notepad app, and started making a shopping list for tonight. Napping could wait for a time in her life when she wasn't trying to support her family on minimum wage and earn a college degree.

  But she did take a moment to twist her hair up and secure it with a clip so she didn't look quite so much like she'd just run down the street to catch a bus.

  If Mr. Right picked today to walk into the coffee shop, at the very least she didn't want him to turn around in horror and walk right back out.

  ***

  Gaby's stop was a few blocks down from the coffee shop, so she always had a bit of a walk. In the summer it wasn't bad, although for these morning shifts it was still dark, so she clutched her purse to her chest and walked swiftly.

  As much as she hated having to drag herself out of bed for the 4:30 shift, especially when she'd been up late studying the night before, it was interesting to watch the city starting to wake up around her. The businesses were all still closed, except for an all-night convenience store on the corner, but delivery trucks were out and about. In little cafés and fast-food restaurants, some of the lights were on inside, sleepy-looking employees moving about as they prepared for the morning breakfast rush.

  At the credit union a block down the street from the coffee shop, an armored car had pulled up onto the sidewalk, flashing its hazard lights while workers in brown uniforms swiftly unloaded it. Gaby paused to watch; she'd never seen that much money in one place before. At least, that's what she guessed was in those deceptively small canvas bags. One guy stood in the back of the truck and tossed the bags to his co-worker, who was—

  —tossing the bags into the open door of the large black sedan parked on the curb behind the armored car.

  ... wait a minute.

  Just as Gaby realized that she wasn't looking at a delivery but a robbery, the guy catching the bags looked up, straight across the street, at her.

  Gaby's brain stuttered in sheer panic.

  He was a huge guy with a blond crew cut and ice-pale eyes, pale enough to startle her even from across the street, lit only by the street lights and the growing light of dawn in the sky. And that bulge under his jacket definitely didn't mean he was happy to see her.

  The guy tossing the bags realized his catching buddy wasn't catching anymore, and now they were both looking at her. Bag-Toss Guy dropped his bag and reached under his jacket.

  Gaby turned and ran.

  There was nothing open on the whole street. The coffee shop was the nearest place to go, but she would have to stop and unlock the door. Instead, she ducked down the alley behind the row of shops. Usually the coffee shop's owner and chief baker, Polly, would already be at work, which meant the back door would be unlocked and Gaby could get in without having to stop and fumble with her keys.

  She heard pounding feet and a shout behind her. In the darkness of the alley, she stumbled into a garbage can, and despite knowing she had to run, she couldn't resist looking back.

  The big guy with the pale eyes was framed in the entrance to the alley; she recognized him by his hulking size and the halo-like glow of the street light on his blond hair. He tore off his jacket and flung it aside. Underneath, he wore a gun, but he wasn't drawing it. Instead he leaned over and—

  Gaby stared.

  His big shoulders humped up enormously. His shirt tore off. And as he leaned forward, it wasn't human hands that thumped to the pavement, but the massive front paws of a—polar bear?

  A tiny squeak of terror escaped her. The bear's huge head went up, covered in fur so white it seemed to glow.

  Gaby was afraid to take her eyes off him. She stumbled backward, groping at the wall, trying to find the door to the coffee shop. Her hands closed on the familiar metal handle that she opened a dozen times a day. It was unlocked—Oh, thank you, Polly. Gaby tore it open and stumbled into the kitchen, slamming it behind her and throwing the deadbolt.

  The kitchen was brightly lit, and Polly, a big woman with masses of curly hair pulled back in a hairnet, stared at Gaby over the rows and rows of baking sheets she was laying out. The warm air in the kitchen was fragrant with cinnamon and hot grease.

  "Hon? You okay?"

  "No," Gaby gasped. "We need to call the police. I—I just—"

  And then she stopped, because she could hear, on the other side of the door, the sound of snuffling and the shuffling of big paws.

  Gaby scrambled away from the door, grabbed Polly's arm, and pulled her out of the kitchen.

  "Where are we—"

  "Shhhh!" Gaby pulled her down behind the counter and tried to get her phone out, but her hands were shaking so hard she dropped her purse, spilling its contents on the floor behind the coffee-shop counter. All the lights were still off in the main part of the shop, but she didn't feel safe at all, not with those huge picture windows looking out at the darkened street. A bear could smash through those in an instant. "Call the police. There's a robbery happening at the credit union, right now."

  Polly didn't panic or argue, just pulled out her phone with a plastic-gloved, floury hand and started dialing.

  Gaby crawled along the counter and peeked back into the kitchen. It looked just as they'd left it, just as it looked every morning. It didn't seem like the bear had tried to break in after her.

  But it knew where she had gone.

  A moment later, she heard the wailing of sirens. Gaby screwed up her courage enough to tiptoe through the darkened coffee shop to peek out the window, looking down the street.

  The armored car was still there, but the dark sedan behind it had gone. Flashing red and blue lights were visible at the end of the street, and a moment later, police cars pulled up onto the sidewalk.

  Polly joined her, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Oh, hon. You're shaking like a leaf. What an awful thing to see. You must be terrified."

  More than you know. Had she really just seen a man turn into a bear? How could she tell the police the truth? They were going to think she was nuts.

  But she had to tell them. If she didn't, they were going to get killed when they tried to arrest him.

  And he'd seen her. He'd smelled her. He knew which door she'd fled through. He could come back and find her anytime he wanted.

  Clinging to Polly, Gaby burst into tears.

  Chapter Two: Derek

  Derek Ruger was already up when his phone vibrated to indicate an incoming call. He'd just come in from his morning run and was toweling off. The run had helped settle his thoughts and his bear after the nightmares that had jolted him awake a couple of hours earlier.

  He rarely slept through the night, but last night had been unusually bad. He was still tense, even after running until his muscles ached. At least his bear was no longer clawing up the wallpaper of his soul.

  And now this. Derek grimaced at the sight of Lt. Keegan's number on his screen and thought about just going back to bed. His old friend never called just to say hi. With a sigh, he picked up the call.

  "We had a shifter-related incident this morning," Keegan said, not bothering with pleasantries.


  "Hello to you too." Derek reached for the coffeepot and dumping out the dregs into the sink. "One of these days we could just get drinks or catch a game on TV. But no, it's always work, work, work—"

  "The Ghost might be involved."

  That got Derek's attention—and his bear's attention, too. He could feel the grizzly inside him bristling, its ears going flat and its hackles standing up. He stood frozen with the coffeepot in his hand, and for an instant he was back in the mountains, with the giant polar bear stalking him, its claws tearing into him—

  Water spilled over his hand, jolting him back to himself. He cursed under his breath.

  "Ruger?" Keegan said. "You there?"

  "So the Ghost's in town," Derek said harshly. Maybe that was what had riled up his bear.

  "Unless it's some other enormous polar bear shifter. But we have a witness who ID'd him from a photograph."

  Derek set the coffeepot down and leaned on the edge of the sink. Shit just had a way of following him home. "What'd he do this time?"

  "Robbed an armed car, with an accomplice."

  "Really? That doesn't sound like his style. Guess working as an assassin for gangsters and warlords doesn't pay so well anymore."

  "Solving the crime is our end," Keegan said. His voice dropped slightly. "Here's why I'm calling you. The witness, Gabriella Diaz, saw him shift. And he also saw her."

  "So he'll be coming after her," Derek said softly.

  "Almost certainly. I'd put a regular protection detail on her, but we're stretched pretty thin and anyway, putting a human cop up against the Ghost would be like slapping a bandaid on a spillway during a flood. Nothing against my guys and gals, but he'd go right through them. You still do private security work sometimes, right?"

  "Right." Despite the pressure of the bear snarling in his chest, Derek had to grin. Keegan might be a cop now, and he might be a badass panther shifter, but he actually had an engineering degree. It was always a little disconcerting to hear construction metaphors dropping out of his mouth.