Double Bear Chase: Werebear BBW Menage Romance (Hockey Bear Season Book 3)

by Anya Nowlan

  “Oh, come on,” Garret huffed. “I’m old enough to have gotten good at reading people. That girl looked at you two like you were the only men in the world. She tried to hide it,” Garret chuckled, “but I’m still as sharp as ever. She genuinely cared about you, I can guarantee that.”

  “Even if that were true, something has obviously changed. She made it very clear she doesn’t want to hear from us again. And I’m not eager to repeat my mistakes,” Foster grumbled.

  “And what mistakes might those be?” Garret arched a brow at him.

  When Foster didn’t answer, Finn couldn’t help but answer for him.

  “Foster thinks love is a waste of time and only ends in pain,” he blurted out.

  “Well, that’s a tad melodramatic,” Garret commented. “And pretty much the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

  “Is he just here to insult us?” Foster asked, turning to Finn. “And also, thanks, you blabbermouth,” he added, narrowing his eyes at Finn.

  “Let me tell you something, both of you,” Garret said, resting his elbows on his knees and looking serious as he stared at them. “When I met your mother, I knew right away that she was the woman for me. But being sure didn’t make it easier.

  “Her being my mate didn’t mean I didn’t have to win her over, or work hard to be the man she deserved. Fate might nudge you in the right direction, but the rest is up to you.”

  Finn was suddenly hanging off his father’s every word. He wasn’t sure exactly where Garret was going with this, but it was the first time he’d spoken about mom like this, aside from just mentioning her here and there. It was clear it wasn’t easy for him, and Finn could feel a familiar ache budding in his chest.

  “So I made sure to treat my Maddie right, and she made me the happiest man in the world. Thirty years we spent together, and there wasn’t a day I didn’t thank the spirits for having her in my life. I didn’t think there was a force on the earth that could ever tear us apart. But I was wrong.”

  A lump of ice settled into the pit of Finn’s stomach as he watched his father struggle to find the words. It was almost like they were in that hospital waiting room again, and dad had to tell him and Finn they hadn’t gotten there in time. What Finn wouldn’t give to never have to see his father in pain like that again.

  But suddenly, a small smile spread over Garret’s lips.

  “I can’t even describe what losing her felt like. But what I can tell you is that I don’t regret a thing. Your mother was the love of my life, and I had no guarantee I’d get to spend thirty years with her instead of three, or even less.

  “The pain I’m feeling now will never outweigh the love I still carry with me every day. So if you think playing it safe is the right call, I’m telling you – it’s not. No risk, no reward, isn’t that what your mother always said?”

  Finn was stunned into silence. If the man was right, he was right. Even Foster looked genuinely moved by their dad’s speech. The question was, what were they going to do next?

  Thirty-Six

  Foster

  Seeing his father get choked up affected Foster deeply. This was a man who had gone through the worst loss possible, and he was still saying love was worth a shot. It was kind of mind-boggling, actually. Foster wasn’t sure he really understood where his father was coming from, but it did make him think about the choices he was making.

  Before he could think about that more, his phone rang.

  “How did I get so popular all of the sudden?” he commented.

  “Beats me. I always thought I was the cooler brother,” Finn replied.

  “It’s Coach Dunn,” Foster announced, glancing at the screen.

  “What does he want?” Finn asked, brows raised.

  “Only one way to find out,” Foster replied, picking up the call.

  “Foster! Congratulations. I knew you and your brother could get your shit together,” Dunn’s voice flowed into his ear, sounding more cheerful than he was used to.

  “Thanks?” Foster replied hesitantly.

  Both Finn and Garret were starting at him, mouthing things he couldn’t understand. He waved them off trying to concentrate on what Dunn was saying.

  “Is that all you have to say?” Dunn chuckled.

  “Sorry, coach, but I don’t really know what you’re talking about,” Foster admitted.

  “I’m talking about your suspension ending, of course! Your therapist called me, saying you had made considerable progress,” Dunn explained.

  “Hanna called you?”

  That got Finn’s attention as he sidled up to Foster, trying to press his ear against the phone he was holding. Annoyed, Foster got up and started pacing around the living room.

  “Well, yeah, do you have any other therapists? She said you’ll still have to go in for sessions with one of her colleagues, but that in her assessment, you had gotten a handle on your anger and were ready to return to training,” Dunn said.

  “Did she say anything else?” Foster demanded.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Did she say why the sessions were going to be with another therapist?”

  “No, I didn’t really ask,” Dunn replied, sounding somewhat confused at his questions and his insistent tone.

  “Okay. Thanks for the good news, coach,” Foster sighed.

  “You could sound a little more excited about it,” Dunn chuckled.

  “No, of course we’re excited. I’ll fill Finn in, he’s at my house right now.”

  “Great. I’ll see you Monday morning, bright and early.”

  “Yeah. See you,” Foster muttered before hanging up.

  “What’s going on?” Finn asked as soon as Foster had ended the call.

  “We’re back on the team. Hanna called Dunn and told him we were ready,” Foster replied, feeling like he had too much information to process at one time.

  It kind of felt like contacting Dunn and convincing the coach he and Finn were ready to go back was Hanna’s way of apologizing for her behavior. She certainly knew how much hockey meant to them, and for this to be the last thing she did as their therapist…

  Maybe she had genuinely cared about them?

  Then why would she blow us off over the phone?

  Things didn’t seem to add up, but he didn’t have enough pieces of the puzzle to figure out what was going on. Was Hanna just trying to assuage her guilty conscience? Or was her dad right when he said he could see she had feelings for them?

  “I don’t know what this means,” Finn quietly commented.

  “Well, you two don’t look particularly happy. After you kept complaining how you were unfairly suspended and how you couldn’t wait to get back on the ice…” Garret trailed off. “Maybe there’s something that’s become more important to you than hockey?” he prodded.

  “Very subtle, dad,” Foster scoffed. “Just because Hanna’s assessment is positive doesn’t mean she wants anything to do with us. She’s just doing her job.”

  “Or maybe she’s just as scared of letting someone in as you are,” Garret countered, giving him a pointed look.

  “That could be it,” Finn added, running a hand over his stubbled jaw. “Her last relationship was certainly a disaster. If I ever got my hands on that Vince guy…”

  “Wait, what Vince guy?” Foster asked.

  “Oh, right,” Finn scrunched up his face. “You don’t know about that.”

  Foster could feel his patience wearing thin. Here was Finn, with something that could help them better understand Hanna, and he’d been keeping it to himself.

  “Know about what, Finn?” he demanded.

  “When we were coming back from the treehouse, she told me why she’d really moved to Sioux Falls,” Finn replied.

  “I knew there had to be more to that story,” Foster muttered to himself, remembering her vague answer to their questions about her relocation.

  “Yeah. Turns out there was some psycho boyfriend, who also had some criminal connections, from what I gather
ed. After the break-up, he wouldn’t leave her alone, to the point she was so scared she just left everything behind and moved.

  “I got the feeling there was a lot more to it than she was telling me, but it sounded like a painful topic so I didn’t press her,” Finn said, and Foster noticed how his brother’s hands were curling into fists at his sides.

  “You mean… He hurt her?” he asked, his bear stirring with a mean-sounding growl.

  The thought of anyone laying hands on Hanna like that made him forget all about his anger and resentment toward her. It was replaced by a whole other kind of rage, useless as it was. There was nothing he could do to change the past, when he didn’t even know Hanna.

  “She didn’t exactly say so, but that’s the feeling I got,” Finn replied.

  Could it really be that Hanna was so scared of getting into another relationship that she pushed them away in fear? It wasn’t a foreign concept to Foster. He had nearly gone down the same road, trying to deny his feelings for her.

  “We don’t know anything for certain. She could just be playing us, and those flowers she got could be from another man who she’s chosen over us,” Foster remarked.

  “How about instead of all this speculation, you ask her, hmm?” Garret suggested.

  “She said not to call her again, and we can’t make her pick up the phone,” Finn replied.

  Garret sighed, looking at the both of them and shaking his head.

  “That’s why you have to go and see her in person, you dummies. I mean really, do I have to spell everything out for you?” Garret said.

  Garret and Finn shared a hesitant look. Hanna had made it pretty clear she didn’t want to hear from them. But then again, they deserved more of an explanation than a rushed phone call. Looking her in the eyes was a sure-fire way to see if she had really meant what she had said.

  With his blood starting to rush in his veins at the thought of seeing Hanna again, Foster realized this wasn’t over for him. His feelings for Hanna were real, and he wasn’t ready to let her go without a fight.

  “No risk, no reward,” he said, earning a grin from Finn.

  Sorry, Hanna, but you’re going to have to talk to us, whether you like it or not.

  Thirty-Seven

  Hanna

  Hanna had managed to pick herself up from the couch and stop wallowing in self-pity for long enough to get most of her things packed and stuffed into suitcases. She’d also called her landlord, who wasn’t at all happy with her bailing on the lease, but had agreed to give her back some of the security deposit, nonetheless.

  But the man wouldn’t be by for another couple of hours, which meant she had plenty of time to swing by the counseling center, clear out her office, and say goodbye to Matt. She was already dreading seeing him, because he was sure to have questions she didn’t have the answers to.

  Still, it wasn’t like she had much of a choice. So piling her suitcases up next to the door, she grabbed her keys and bounded down the stairs, out into the street and into her car. It was a beautiful Friday afternoon, but she couldn’t enjoy a moment of it. Her head was still swirling, her thoughts bitter about having to start all over again.

  And most of all, there was a throbbing pain in her chest any time she thought of Foster or Finn. Which was a lot.

  Every moment they had spent together seemed to be replaying in her mind, from how absolutely impossible Foster had been during that first session they had, to how beautiful that sunset in Shifter Grove had been, viewed from the brothers’ old treehouse.

  I can’t dwell on what I’m leaving behind. I need to look forward, she reminded herself, but it didn’t do her any good.

  Despite the relatively short time she’d had with the brothers, it felt like she was leaving a part of herself behind by deserting them. To think, just weeks ago she wouldn’t even have considered being in a relationship with two men. Now, it seemed like she could never recapture that magic again.

  How could she ever settle for anything less than what Finn and Foster had given her? No man she could ever come across could even compare to having the both of them in her life.

  She would never be able to forget Finn’s smile or Foster’s piercing gaze, or the way being around them made her feel. Trying to replace that feeling could only result in disappointment.

  This is how it has to be, she reminded herself for the millionth time. We had our fun. Now it’s time to face reality. They’ll go back to being hot-shot professional athletes with women throwing themselves at them, and I’ll find another job where I’ll be able to help people, where Vince can’t find me. That will have to be enough.

  Pulling up to the counseling center, she was fighting back tears. But she could cry later. Right now, she had things to take care of. So she squared her shoulders and marched inside, conjuring up an expression she hoped didn’t scream that her life was falling apart around her.

  Again.

  Jasmine gave her a worried smile as she stepped in through the glass doors, and pointed toward Matt’s office, indicating the man was inside. Hanna smiled back and headed toward the door, taking a deep breath before knocking.

  “Come in,” Matt called out.

  Opening the door, Hanna walked inside, taking a seat on one of the chairs opposite Matt’s desk.

  “Hanna. Is there anything I can say to make you reconsider? I know there are other places a woman with your qualifications could work at… If this is about salary…” he said, but she quickly cut him off.

  “This isn’t about money,” she interjected. “I love working here. Or loved. But I’m leaving Sioux Falls. That’s why I’m quitting.”

  “But you only just got here,” Matt commented, eyes widening. “I thought you liked Sioux Falls.”

  “I do,” Hanna smiled to herself. “But some things have come up and… I’d rather leave it at that.”

  “Is everything alright?” Matt asked, clearly concerned.

  “It’s fine, it’s just personal stuff. I want to thank you for being such a great boss and I’m sorry for leaving so abruptly and leaving you short-handed.”

  There was now a lump in her throat as she said the words, but she was doing her best to sound normal. She had a feeling Matt wasn’t buying it, but at least he didn’t start badgering her with questions.

  “It’s been a pleasure having you here with us,” he said, getting to his feet.

  Hanna did the same, and took his hand when he reached over the desk to shake hers.

  “And it’s been great being here,” she replied.

  “Jasmine can get you some boxes to pack up your things. She also has your last check,” Matt said, giving her a measuring look over the rim of his glasses.

  “Thank you,” she responded before turning to leave.

  Letting out a long breath, she went over to Jasmine, who was already picking up boxes from behind her counter to give to her.

  “I’m sorry to see you go. You never even had a drink with us. I always had a feeling you’d be fun to hang out with,” Jasmine said, looking slightly embarrassed once the words had left her mouth.

  “I’m sorry, too,” Hanna assured her, picking up the boxes and the check Jasmine had placed on the counter. “Take care, Jasmine.”

  The woman nodded as Hanna made her way down the familiar hallway and walked into her office. It looked just as she had left it, which was odd to her. Everything had changed since she’d been here last, so how could everything here still be the same?

  Clearing out her desk, she purposefully avoided looking at the notes she’d made during Foster’s and Finn’s sessions as she placed all her paperwork into the boxes. Next, she moved on to the pictures and diplomas on the walls, carefully placing them on the bottom of the second box.

  The whole process went way too fast. Before she even knew it, she was standing in the middle of the room with all her belongings packed up. The finality of it all hit her. This was another chapter of her life closed. Looking over at the blue couch against the back wall, she
could almost see Finn and Foster sitting there, taking jabs at each other for one reason or another.

  Brushing those thoughts aside, she gathered up her boxes and shouldered the door open, keeping the containers up in front of her face. She couldn’t deal with any more goodbyes. So she rushed back to her car, dumping her things in the backseat before getting in the front and resting her forehead against the steering wheel.

  She didn’t know how long she stayed like that, slumped over in her car, but she finally snapped out of it when she heard a car peel into the parking lot. Looking over, her heart almost leapt out of her chest when she recognized the SUV.

  What are they doing here? she thought, keeping her head low as she watched Foster and Finn file out of the vehicle.

  Thirty-Eight

  Finn

  Finn felt determined and keyed up as he pushed the doors to the counseling center open and marched straight over to Jasmine. She looked somewhat taken aback by the expression on his face, and he had to force himself to stay calm. He didn’t even know why he felt finding Hanna was so urgent, but he did.

  “Jasmine. We need to see Hanna,” he said, already edging toward the hallway leading to her office.

  “She’s not here,” she replied, standing from her chair.

  It only took one deep breath for Finn to know that wasn’t the truth. Hanna’s scent hung in the air, familiar, enticing, and most importantly fresh. Foster must have come to the same conclusion.

  “I can smell her, Jasmine. We’re going to see her,” Foster said, walking past the front desk and heading for Hanna’s office.

  Jasmine rushed to keep up with them in the hallway.

  “I’m telling you, she’s not in there,” she called out after them, but neither Finn nor Foster let that stop them.

  Clearly, Hanna would prefer to avoid them. Of course she would tell Jasmine to say she wasn’t in if they came looking for her. Foster got to her door first, swinging it open. Finn followed him inside, but skidded to a halt in the middle of the room.