by Bianca D'Arc
At first, Ashley hadn’t been sure of what they were seeing, but as time went on and more men got naked in the woods behind their building, and then bears stood in their places, Ash and Tina had put two and two together, as it were. Incredible as it had seemed, they were living in a town full of bear shifters.
And then their oldest sister had gone and gotten engaged to one of them. The sheriff, a hunky guy named Brody Chambers, was a hottie, no doubt about it, and he’d be their brother-in-law in the not-too-distant future. They had been planning the wedding for the past week, ever since the happy couple had made the announcement at a dinner party at Brody’s home in the woods.
Brody and Nell were supposed to break the big news about him being a shapeshifter at that dinner, but Ashley and Tina had already known. It was Nell who had been out of the loop on that big secret. The younger sisters had opted not to tell Nell until they were all well-settled into town because they didn’t want their overprotective sister uprooting them. They were done moving around. The sisters liked this cove full of extraordinary beings, and they wanted to stay.
The lawyer was just as hunky as Brody. No, he was even more handsome to Ashley’s mind, because not only did he have those broad shoulders, narrow hips, and muscles that showed through his clothes, he also had a demonstrated ability to use his brain. Ash had always found a man’s mind as attractive as the outer packaging.
And Tom definitely had superior outer packaging to go with his orderly mind. She’d liked his style even before she’d seen him, and now that she’d finally met him, she found him very, very attractive.
“I guess your sisters let you handle the paperwork, considering your background.” Tom’s eyes dared her to confirm his suspicions, and they held far too much knowledge.
“You know?” She sucked in a breath, truly surprised, though she probably shouldn’t have been.
“Honey,” his tone dropped, turning the word into a soft endearment, “I did background checks on all of you. Big John trusts me to vet whoever we allow into our community.”
She grabbed the back of a nearby chair and sat, her knees almost giving out on her because of his stunning news.
“Does everybody know?” she asked in a broken whisper.
Tom crouched before her, taking her shaking hands in his. “No. Only me. I just told John that you were okay, and he took me at my word.”
Chapter Three
“I was cleared. Cleared of all charges, I mean.” Her voice was weaker than she liked when she finally looked up to meet his warm brown gaze.
“I know. I looked into it. The New York press treated you badly. You did all you could for those kids. It wasn’t your fault.”
His strong, solemn tone touched her, even as the horror of the past that had sent her running from her big corporate job in New York with her tail between her legs came back, hitting her once more. It had been a long time since she’d been confronted by such an out-of-the-blue reminder of everything that had happened. She’d run home to her sisters, and they’d taken her in and let her join them on their next adventure.
“Then you know it all,” she said, knowing her tone was as bleak as the desolate place inside her that had been utterly destroyed by the events that had run her out of New York on a rail.
“Most of it.” He stood and pulled a chair over, close to her, sitting opposite her.
He was easy to be around. He didn’t rush her to speak or bombard her with questions. She liked that. But even so, she knew he expected her to say something.
“Nell and Tina already had a successful bistro in Portland. They had a regular customer who had retired to the west coast, and he got me the interview with his old firm in New York after I graduated law school. If I’d known what I was in for though, I don’t think I would’ve done it. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, isn’t it?” She had to laugh, or else she’d cry. And she didn’t want to cry about this anymore. Especially not in front of this man. “So there I was, fresh out of school, full of myself and not knowing that I was as green as grass and ripe for a fall. They put me on the Hilliand case, and I did my best to follow orders and file all the motions for custody. Well, you probably saw what happened as it played out in the media. I became the public face of the law firm for software billionaire Bob Hilliand. And I got the blame when his ex-wife won custody of their three little ones and whisked them off to Slovenia. When they were killed in the plane crash…” Her voice trailed off.
“The press hounded you, blaming you for their deaths. If you hadn’t screwed up the paperwork, they would never have been allowed to leave the States. Isn’t that how it went?” Tom’s voice was neither accusatory nor sympathetic.
“Something like that. But…I didn’t,” she whispered. “I didn’t screw up. What I filed should have worked. When the papers were released… That wasn’t my work. Only, no one would believe me.”
“Whose was it? Do you know?” His question was gentle but firm.
She met his gaze. “I know who it was, but there’s no way to prove it. She set me up for the fall in order to climb right over my back into a better position in the firm. She didn’t care about the client, at all. In fact, she probably counted it lucky that the mother and children died. It made me look even worse than losing the custody battle. I left the firm in disgrace, and her way was clear to advance.”
“People like that are the reason I hate our profession,” Tom said, sitting back in his chair and blowing out a gusty sigh.
“You believe me?” Ashley searched his gaze, surprised by his open attitude after the horrible reputation she’d earned in the press.
“No reason why I shouldn’t.” He spread his hands on his jeans-clad thighs, and she followed the movement with her gaze. He had big hands. Rough and calloused. Not like most lawyers’ hands she’d ever seen. This was a man who worked with his hands as well as his mind.
He also had a mishmash of faded paint stains on his fingers. She knew he was a painter of some renown. All the residents of Grizzly Cove did some kind of art. The place had been founded as an artists’ colony, though Ash and Tina had figured out soon after moving here that a lot of the residents were also shapeshifters.
First off, most of the men didn’t act like artists. They weren’t flamboyant. Just tall, muscular and hunky. The place was populated mostly by men, which the sisters had discussed at length. It was a less civilized stretch of the coast, to be sure, but they were slowly bringing the comforts of small-town living to the area. The three sisters were the first outsiders they’d let in to their growing community, and there were very few females besides the three human Baker sisters.
In fact, she could count the other women in the area on one hand. There was Lyn Ling and her adorable four-year-old daughter, Daisy. Lyn made art out of bamboo, and it was said she kept a grove of the stuff growing out by her home in the woods. She was Chinese by origin, but had lost her husband and come to this town for a fresh start.
Maya Marshall was Big John’s sister. She had a lovely little workshop just down the street from the bakery, where she sold the most amazing pieces of one-of-a-kind handmade jewelry. Jayne Sherman was Maya’s best friend, off-and-on partner in the jewelry business and the town’s only registered nurse.
The final female of note was a reclusive watercolorist named Mary MacDonnell, who came in to the bakery twice a week or so to stock up on breads and buy a few pastries. All of the ladies were likely shapeshifters of some kind, though Ash had thought it rude to ask.
Tom was probably one of the grizzly bears she and Tina had seen roaming the woods behind the bakery. He was certainly large enough. And muscular enough. She liked the look of his broad shoulders and bulging biceps.
Was it getting hot in here? She thought momentarily about the ovens in back, but the timers would beep when the bread was done. There was no beeping, just the pounding of her heart as she talked to this gorgeous hunk of man who—saints preserve us—seemed to be keeping an open mind where her colorful past was concerned. He was get
ting even more attractive, by the moment.
“Besides,” he went on, blissfully unaware of her perusal, “I know when people are lying to me. I’m also a really good judge of character. So is just about everyone here. Especially our mayor. You and your sisters are okay with Big John, so that means you’re okay. End of story.”
“But that isn’t really the end of the story, is it?” she countered, still uncomfortable that he knew her deep, dark secret. “My sisters moved here, in part, to help me start over. The press hounded me. You have no idea…” She ran a hand over her hair, feeling the sorrow and frustration of those days all over again. “It was awful.”
“I won’t tell anyone.” His voice was reassuringly strong, though the deep tone created a sort of intimacy that warmed her.
She looked up, meeting his gaze. “How can I be sure, though? It would kill me to have to move again. I’d have to leave my sisters behind now that Nell is marrying Brody, and Tina’s so infatuated with all of you people and your abilities…”
Tom actually chuckled, and Ash couldn’t figure out why. She scowled at him until he held up one hand, palm outward.
“Honey, that’s the reason I’m here. Big John asked me to come talk to you and your sister, to make sure you wouldn’t go telling the rest of the world about us.”
“Huh.” She sat back in her chair, nonplussed. “So we both know something about the other we don’t want getting out.” A dark thought occurred to her. “Were you going to threaten me with exposure if I didn’t keep your secret? Because if that’s your game—”
“Peace, Ashley,” Tom interrupted her, this time raising both hands in a gesture of surrender. “That wasn’t my angle. I was simply going to ask, but I couldn’t quite figure out how to do it. I wanted to get to know you a little first, and see what you were like. I should’ve come in when you first moved to town, like everybody else did, to check you and your sisters out, but…well…I didn’t. I’m sorry for that now.” He smiled at her, and she was glad she was sitting down. His smile packed a wallop. “Truce?”
How could she say no when the handsomest man she’d ever met looked at her with those puppy-dog eyes and asked so nicely? She couldn’t help herself. She caved.
“Okay. Truce.” She reached out to shake the hand he offered. “I won’t tell if you won’t.”
Something almost electric passed between them as she touched his hand. He held hers for longer than strictly necessary, and her breath hitched. Time seemed to spin out, stretching as she looked deep into those stunning brown eyes of his…
And then he let go. At least she had the satisfaction of realizing that he seemed as shaken as she was by the strange moment. His eyes gave him away. They held a trace of the same confusion she was feeling, along with a sort of wonder that made her breath catch again.
This man had the most amazing effect on her.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
“I think your oven is calling.” Tom grinned at her.
“What?” She shook her head to break the daze she seemed to have fallen into. “Oh!” Ashley ran around the counter and saved the bread, moving pans around while keeping one eye on Tom, to make sure he wasn’t going to just leave without saying goodbye.
She put the bread onto the cooling racks and loaded the next batch, which she’d already prepared before he came in. Task done, she wiped her hands as she went back up front. He was still there. Just on the other side of the counter.
“That bread smells really amazing,” he offered, looking over her head at the cooling racks that were just visible behind her.
“Thanks. Want some?” She motioned with her chin back toward the bread.
“Yeah, I could take some to go, I guess.”
Oh. He had to leave. Why did her heart sink at the thought?
“There’s just one more thing.” He looked kind of hesitant to speak, and that intrigued her.
Ashley’s heart went pitter-pat wondering what the one-more-thing could be? Would it be something personal? Would he ask her out? She felt…sort of…giddy. Yeah, that’s what it was. Giddiness.
When was the last time Ashley Baker, disgraced lawyer and therapeutic baker, had felt giddy? She couldn’t even remember, and that struck her as kind of sad. Yet, here was a man who made her feel things she hadn’t felt in a very long time. Things were looking up—as long as he stuck around.
“What is it?” she asked, unwilling to wait for him to get around to speaking again.
“It’s your sister.”
Hmm. Her heart sank a little.
“Which one?”
His answer to that question was key. If he was asking about Nell, no problem. Nell was happily engaged. But if he was asking after pretty, younger, gets-all-the-boys Tina…
“Tina.”
There it went. Her hopeful, foolish heart hit the dirt.
“What about her?” Ashley stood strong, not letting her disappointment show. She hoped.
“Well, I don’t know her. How can I be sure she won’t go blogging about Grizzly Cove, Home of the Rare Bear Shapeshifters or something?” Tom diffused his tough words with a charming grin that Ashley fought against. She refused to be charmed by another guy who might just be using her to get to her sister. “Can she be trusted?”
Wait. Was he asking Ashley’s opinion? Did he not want an introduction to Tina to find out for himself?
“Tina’s always been trustworthy. She doesn’t tell tales, and she doesn’t have a blog.” Ashley chuckled at the thought. “My sisters have sort of rallied around me since I came home with my tail tucked between my legs. They mostly stay off social media and try to run under the radar for my sake. It’s old news now, but every once in a while, when we were still in Portland, some enterprising reporter would jump out at me from the bushes, or try to get to me through my sisters on the internet. Since then, they’ve pretty much closed ranks to protect me. I don’t think Tina would seek attention from anyone in the media, lest it somehow bounce back on me again. She wouldn’t do that to me. We moved this far to get away from my past. Tina wouldn’t ruin that. She likes it here.”
Ashley wouldn’t tell him how much Tina enjoyed spying on the hunky guys who dropped trou in the woods and turned into bears. It had become a bit of a sport for her to sit up on the roof and try to spot them. That was about as exciting as things got around here, after all.
Moving up here had been hardest on Tina, but she never complained. She’d had an active social life back in Portland, though no serious boyfriends. Not any that lasted longer than a few months, at any rate.
“I trust your judgment, but I’d still like to talk with her,” Tom said, depressing Ashley further.
Maybe he was interested in her younger sister. Ashley wouldn’t be surprised. It had happened before. Quite a few times, in fact.
“She works the night shift,” Ashley replied in as bland a tone as she could manage.
“Yeah, I know, but…” He trailed off, and she became intrigued despite her better judgment. “Will you be here tonight too?”
Ashley dusted off the non-dusty counter with her towel. “There’s no reason to fear Tina. She’s harmless. You’re a big boy. You can introduce yourself.”
“Oh. Well, yeah,” he agreed quickly, seeming somewhat surprised by her brusque answer. “But I was hoping to see you again. I mean, I’d like to talk to Tina, just to be sure, but I was wondering if maybe you’d like to have dinner with me.”
Chapter Four
For a lawyer, he wasn’t all that eloquent.
And there went her heart again, going pitter-pat. Had he really just asked her out?
“Since this is the only place to eat in town, at the moment, I thought maybe I could meet you here, then talk to your sister before we grab a bite and then maybe take a walk on the beach after?” He seemed nervous, talking quickly when she didn’t answer right away.
Damn. He really did just ask her out. Her. Not Tina. Inside, Ashley raised a mental fist in victory.
“How about w
e meet here and you can talk to Tina, but then, maybe instead of eating in here, could I offer you the setting of our rooftop garden? It’s really pretty up there. We strung white twinkle lights among the flower pots, and we sit up there at night sometimes, and stargaze.”
Was she talking too much? It felt like maybe she was. Ashley stuttered to a halt and waited to see what he’d say.
He gave her one of those electrifying grins that made her knees wobble. “I’d like that very much. What time is good for you?”
She wanted to say right now, but it wasn’t even eight o’clock in the morning. She’d have all day to prep and worry and try to get ready.
“Is seven too late?” She picked a time she knew Tina would be the least busy.
If needs be, Ash could take over for a few minutes while Tom talked to Tina. Seven was right in between the dinner crowd and the folks who strolled in for latte and dessert.
Tom’s smile widened. “Seven is perfect. I’ll look forward to seeing you then.”
“Me too.” Not a witty answer, but it was the best she could do under the circumstances. Tom’s smiles made her feel all warm inside, and they sort of melted a part of her brain—the thinking part, no doubt.
She jumped, realizing he was probably waiting for her to get the bread they’d talked about a minute ago. She went back and quickly selected one of the best loaves, packaging it in the special bags they’d had printed, that were both long and wide enough for the special shapes Ashley liked to make. She handed him the still-warm bread across the counter.
“This one’s on the house. Hope you like it. It’s honey walnut.” She felt a little shy all of a sudden. Should she have given him one of the plainer selections?
“Sounds delicious. You know, we bears love honey. And I am particularly fond of walnuts.” He brushed her hand with his as he took the loaf from her, and she swore she could feel little sparks against her skin, like little zaps of static electricity. “Thank you, Ashley.”