Polar bear shifter Joshua arrives from Alaska to be best man for his friend Nate. What he doesn’t expect to find is his mate, in the curvy form of Olivia. But Olivia has no idea shifters exist. When she finds out the truth, she is upset and hurt, believing the whole town has been keeping secrets from her.
Can Joshua save the wedding, and convince her to be his mate?
Chapter One – Olivia
“I am so excited to be your maid of honour,” Olivia said, clearing the champagne glasses off the table from the living room in Chloe’s dad’s mansion. She was very keen to leave everything spotless, because she knew how much Chloe’s stepmom hated mess in her minimalistic house. “Hey, you don’t need to do that.”
“I want to help,” Chloe said. “You organised a wonderful bridal shower for me, Olivia. You must be exhausted. It’s the least I can do.”
“I want this day to be special for you and Nate,” Olivia said, taking the glasses to the kitchen to join the mountain of washing-up that was already there. “It was a fantastic night, wasn’t it?”
“It was. And the gifts were amazing,” Chloe said, helping Olivia load the dishwasher. “I’m pleased you accepted the offer … you know, considering … well, I know you had a thing for Nate.”
“All in the past,” Olivia said. “He never looked at me the same way he looks at you.” She sighed audibly and went back to the living room to round up any stray glasses.
“One day, Olivia. One day you’ll find the perfect man,” Chloe said.
“I doubt it. Knowing my luck, I always choose the wrong one.” She sat down on the sofa, suddenly deflated. “In fact, I’ve sworn off men. At least until the wedding is over.”
“You never know, you might meet Mr. Right at the wedding,” Chloe said, coming and sitting next to her.
“Oh, no. That would just make me look like a desperate woman: you know, always the bridesmaid, never the bride?” Olivia said firmly.
“Never say never,” Chloe said. “I swore off men after Jerry cheated on me, but then I met Nate.”
“And Nate loves you, and there’s something about him that makes me think he will never cheat on you,” Olivia said, trying not to feel the familiar pang of jealousy she experienced when she thought of how in love, and how right for each other, Chloe and Nate were.
“The wedding might be a perfect place to meet a man just like him,” Chloe insisted.
“No, he’s one of a kind, but thanks for trying to cheer me up.” She got up. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am going to go home to bed.”
“Thanks again, Olivia,” Chloe said.
“I’ll swing by tomorrow and help with anything else that needs clearing up. I wish I had a house like your dad’s, then we could have held your shower there.” Olivia cast a glance around the room again, satisfied everything was in order. The last thing any of them needed was for the wicked stepmother that was Charity, to go off on one of her rants—not so close to the wedding.
Chloe looked around, too, taking in the starkness of the furniture and said, “In three days’ time this will no longer be my house, and I can’t wait. Too many memories, sad memories. I want to make a fresh start with Nate.”
“I bet your dad took that well. I’m surprised he didn’t build a new wing for you on the side of this house.” Olivia said. She had always envied Chloe her house, but not her past; her mom had died when she was younger and it had left Chloe pretty much alone. Her dad had remarried quickly, and Charity had not lived up to her name, and was a cold fish as far as her love for Chloe went.
“Oh, he tried to persuade us, but after living so long on that lonely mountain, there was no way Nate was going to live here. Our little cottage in the foothills just outside of Bear Bluff is perfect.”
“I know you’ll be happy, although it certainly has been a whirlwind affair,” Olivia said, still envious, but not in a malicious way. She wanted Chloe to be happy.
Chloe sighed. “I struck gold.”
“You sure did. Now I intend to go home and go to bed.” Olivia fetched her purse, and slipped her feet into her shoes, which she had abandoned earlier in the evening. Grimacing, she walked to the front door, needing her bed, but she had a twenty-minute drive before she would be home.
“Goodnight, and thanks again,” Chloe said.
“Night, Chloe. See you tomorrow. I have to work first thing, but I’ll swing by later and we can get started on the final bits and pieces.”
“OK. I have a dress fitting over in Bear Creek late afternoon. I just hope Joshua, Nate’s best man, gets here soon.”
“He still hasn’t shown up? Olivia asked.
“No, he’s coming from Alaska or something, so maybe he’s been delayed.” Chloe looked worried.
“I’m sure he’ll get here, there’s still time,” Olivia said, kissing Chloe on the cheek. “Stop worrying. That’s my job.”
“I don’t know what I’d do without you, Olivia,” Chloe said.
“You would cope just fine. OK, I’m going before I freeze. I’ll meet you for the dress fitting,” Olivia said and went out to her car, shivering against the cool air. It was late, and as she drove away from the house, she realised just how dark it was, and felt a flicker of unease.
Strange animals were sometimes seen around Bear Bluff late at night, and she often wondered if they were real or imaginary. In the day she would laugh it off, but now she had a creeping sensation down her back and wasn’t so sure there wasn’t something lurking out there watching her.
Too many scary stories, she told herself.
Turning the radio up, she sang along, out of tune, as loud as she could to stop her brain from working overtime. Watching the road, she made her way out of town, wishing she lived here, instead of in the next village over. Maybe she would move here in the summer, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to watch Chloe and Nate be blissfully happy every day.
“Loser,” she said aloud to herself. “You are going to be a bitter old spinster at this rate.”
She turned the bend, her headlights picking up something white that flashed in front of her car. Braking hard, she lurched forward as the car slid to a halt.
“Shit,” she said, looking back behind her. There was nothing there. Switching on the interior light, she reached for her phone, knowing she would have to get out and see if she had hit something before driving on, but resisted the temptation to key the emergency number into her phone. She was overreacting.
Giving herself a second to pull her frayed nerves back in check, she was about to get out of the car, when there was a loud knock on the window.
Olivia screamed.
“Hey, sorry,” a deep voice said from outside the car.
Did ghosts speak?
“What do you want?” she asked.
“I’m lost,” he said, ducking down so he could get a good look at her.
And she got a good look at him. Blond hair, blue eyes that were illuminated by the car’s interior light. Piercing blue eyes, she thought. Maybe a little out of focus, or was he just looking at her strange? A tremor of something went down her back; she couldn’t tell if it was fear, or desire.
He could be a murderer, out here on the deserted road looking for his next victim.
“Town is that way.” She jerked her head back the way she had come.
“I guessed that. But I’m not sure exactly where the address I’m looking for is,” he said.
“What address is it?” she asked. Don’t wind down the window. Don’t let him in.
He reached behind him, she presumed to his pocket, but had a real fear he was going to pull out a gun or something. Instead he produced a crumpled piece of paper.
“Drummond Cottage. There are directions, but I think I’ve come into town on the wrong side.”
“Drummond Cottage?” she asked wanting to make sure she had the right name.
“Yes. Do you know it?”
Of course she knew it. It was the cottage Chloe was going to move into with Nate after they were
married.
“Yes. I know it.” She should have lied, but she couldn’t. Then it clicked. “Are you Joshua?”
“Yes, I am,” he said, sounding surprised. “My reputation precedes me.”
Great, he was an arrogant jerk. But she had to be nice to him; as maid of honour and best man, they were going to be spending a lot of time together as the wedding drew closer.
“I’m Olivia, maid of honour,” she said evenly.
“Maid of what?” he asked.
Great, he was an ignorant arrogant jerk. “You know, head bridesmaid,” she prompted.
“Of course, stupid of me not to know that. But I’m afraid wedding etiquette isn’t my thing,” he said. “I avoid them if I can.”
“I see,” she said, realising she was going to be doing all the work to get this wedding organised and running smoothly.
He smiled, his expression unsure. “I should get going. So, Drummond Cottage?”
“Right,” she said and then sighed, resigned to what she had to do. “Listen, you can’t go tramping around the countryside like this at night. Why don’t you get in the car and I’ll drive you?”
“Isn’t it out of your way?” he asked.
“Yes, but I’d rather you got there safely. I know Chloe has been worried you might not turn up in time. If you got lost now, then it would be my fault.”
“That’s very kind of you,” he said. “May I?” He indicated the car door.
“Sure,” she said. At least he was courteous, for an arrogant jerk.
“Thanks.” He opened the door and climbed in, stowing his pack on the back seat.
“You must be freezing,” she said, turning the heater up, although the temperature in the car already seemed to have gone up ten degrees. Or was it the nearness of his big, well-muscled body?
She tried to ignore that hot body, tried not to think of how well sculpted it was, and how she would love to stroke his naked flesh, as she found a place to turn the car around. Then she headed back to town, occasionally casting a glance his way. Each time she did, she found him looking at her, and Chloe’s words came back to her.
Joshua was just the kind of man to chase away her feeling of being alone. Yet by the time they had reached Bear Bluff, she had convinced herself that it was never going to happen and Joshua would only bring her heartache.
Chapter Two – Joshua
He wished they could stay in the car like this forever. No he didn’t, he wished they could stop somewhere and he could claim her as his mate.
Damn, it was hot in here. He shuffled uneasily in his seat, his body hot and his clothes feeling too tight, especially across his cock, which was painfully hard in his pants. He was going to struggle to hide it when he got out of the car, but when he was seated next to his mate, what did he expect?
Inside him, he could feel his bear moving, pacing up and down as if he was caged in a zoo. There was no denying she was their mate, but he had no idea if she knew about shifters. Nate had told him that here in Bear Bluff, they weren’t out in the open, so he needed to speak to Nate before he made a move. His bear didn’t like the sound of that at all.
Patience, he told it.
“You’ve travelled a long way,” she said at last, jerking his attention back to her, making him harden even more, if that was possible.
“Yes. I come from Alaska,” he said.
“It was good of you to come here for the wedding,” Olivia said, and he knew she was making small talk and had no other interest in him. This might be more difficult than he thought.
“Least I could do. Nate and I go way back,” Joshua said. “He lived up in Alaska for a few years. We hung out together and promised each other that when we found our ma…wives, we would be each other’s best man.”
“I see. Well, like I said, Chloe will be pleased. When you’re settled we’ll have to get together and I’ll get you up to speed,” she said, her eyes fixed on the road. They had driven through the town and now were heading out the other side.
“Up to speed?” he asked.
Another sigh. “Yes, you know all the planning that has to be done. Most of it is under control, but there are still a couple of things left to do, and then I wanted to ring around and reconfirm that everyone knows what they are doing.”
“I’m sure they do,” he said.
“I want to check,” she replied firmly. “Look, I know you’ve only just arrived, but this is important.”
“I know,” he said, drawing in her scent and storing it in is memory. She made his mouth water unlike any food he had ever tasted.
“Just as long as you do,” she said, pulling off the road and heading up a dirt track. “This needs to be perfect.”
“There isn’t much in life that is perfect,” he said. “Sometimes it’s life’s imperfections that give us the most enjoyable moments.”
“That’s a nice outlook to have, but not when it’s a wedding.” She stopped the car, and he could tell there was more to it than she was letting on. “Here we are.”
“Thank you,” he said looking up at the small cottage in front of them, illuminated by moonlight. “Nice place.”
“It is; I hope they’ll be happy here.” She looked over to him, waiting for something.
For him to get out. “Oh. Thanks for the ride, but now I feel bad you have to go back all that way alone.”
“I’ll be fine. I doubt I’ll have another hitchhiker jump out on me,” she said, but there was no humour in it. He had the distinct feeling he had upset her, but he had no idea how.
“Thanks again. And let me know when you need to meet,” he said.
“Do you have a cell number?” she asked, pulling out her phone.
“No, no phone,” he said.
“Great. Well I’ll phone Nate tomorrow and we can make arrangements.”
“OK,” he said, getting out of the car. “I look forward to it.”
She looked at him oddly and he wondered if she had heard the inflection in his voice. Did she read it as longing, or did she think he was being sarcastic? He suddenly became tongue tied, worried that if he wasn’t careful his bear would take over and he would roar at her instead. Shutting the door seemed to be the best option, so he did. And then stood back as she reversed the car around and then drove off into the night.
Joshua stood watching her as the car headlights disappeared into the night. Then he walked up to the front door of the house and knocked. While he waited for an answer, he went over everything in his head. He had to hold everything together while they made preparations for the wedding. He didn’t even intend to tell Nate about Olivia being his mate. It would be easier if no one knew.
“Josh,” Nate said as he opened the door. “I was beginning to think you weren’t going to make it.”
“A promise is a promise,” Joshua said as they hugged each other.
“Well, I am glad to see you. There is only so much wedding talk a man can hear before he starts going mad.”
“I am here to take all that on my broad bear shoulders,” Joshua said.
“Ahh, well that’s the first thing we have to get straight. Chloe’s parents have no idea about that side of things. Neither does her maid of honour, so we are going to keep everything normal so no one suspects.”
Joshua’s heart sank. “Olivia’s the one who gave me a ride. It’s a good job she didn’t see me on the road if she doesn’t know about shifters.”
“Certainly is. You can explain away a grizzly, but a polar bear would be a lot harder to come up with an excuse for.”
“I am going to find it hard to blend in here,” Joshua said, and he meant more than just his white polar-bear hide.
“You’ll do great. And you know there is no one else I trust this all to. We’ve been through a lot together, Josh. And it only seemed fitting for you to be here on the next stage of my life with Chloe.”
“You’ll be talking bear cubs next,” Joshua said.
“I’m already thinking about them.” Nate said. “Listen,
come in, let’s get some coffee and catch up.”
Nate backed out of the way and Joshua walked past him into the welcoming warmth of the house. The fire was lit in the grate and the smell of coffee hung in the air. “Nice place.”
“It is. The only problem is, Chloe is paying for it. Ever since I took off into the mountains … well, I don’t really have a cent to my name,” Nate said.
“She understand why you went up there?” Joshua asked.
“Of course she does.” He looked nervous. “She knows I tried to leave her alone to allow her to have a choice about who she married. I’m just happy things turned out how they did. But it doesn’t change the fact that I have nothing to offer her.”
“You have your love; you have the mate bond,” Joshua said, not really understanding what Nate’s problem was.
“But she’s used to having money: her dad is so rich, she’s never wanted for anything,” Nate said, and then Joshua understood his concerns.
“You know, from what I’ve seen of other mating bonds, and other women, you are about to give Chloe the one thing every woman wants, and few get. A man who will be there for her, for life. And she knows that. That is the most precious thing.”
“I never knew you were such a soppy old romantic,” Nate said grinning.
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, old friend,” Joshua said. “Now, how about some coffee?”
“Coming right up,” Nate said, going to the kitchen while Joshua warmed his hands in front of the fire and thought about the woman who now owned his heart, and hoped she would appreciate it once she found out.
If ever she found out. And he’d thought being best man was going to be hard.
Chapter Three – Olivia
A troubled night’s sleep had left her feeling crabby. Work hadn’t helped, and now she was on her way to meet up with Chloe at the bridal shop in Bear Creek. This normally would have cheered her up, as she loved looking at the beautiful dresses, but she was struggling to keep Joshua out of her thoughts.
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