by M. L. Briers
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINTEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
BEAR-LY LOVED
By
M. L. BRIERS
And
A. B. LEE
Copyright © 2017, M L Briers
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced whatsoever without written permission of the author, except for brief exerts in reviews. Any unauthorised reproduction or distribution of the material herein is illegal and may result in criminal proceedings. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded to the internet or distributed via electronic or print without prior consent.
Note from the Author;
All names, places, and incidents contained herein are purely fictional and have no basis in actual events or linked to actual Humans, Witches, Vampires, Werewolves, Lycans, Werebears or persons living, dead or undead.
Copyright © 2017, Cover Design by; Rebecca Pau at The Final Wrap.
Table of Contents
BEAR-LY LOVED
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINTEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
CHAPTER ONE
~
“I don’t know, Bonnie, are you really sure that you want to live all the way out here?” Jenny asked as she humped another box from the back of the pickup truck that she’d borrowed from her brother.
She hadn’t wanted Bonnie to have to fork out for a removal truck for her meagre possessions. Especially considering the circumstances behind the move.
The cabin had come with all of the staples, bed, sofa, kitchen appliances, and it wasn’t the Ritz, but it was homely and looked lived in. It was also the first time in weeks, since the last incident, that Bonnie had looked a little more like her old self.
“It’s peaceful…” Bonnie said thoughtfully as they crossed paths on her return journey to the pickup to get another box.
“It’s deafly quiet.” Jenny tossed back over her shoulder before she disappeared inside the cabin.
“I like it,” Bonnie muttered as she yanked another box towards her and reached around it to hoist it from the bed of the truck.
Something caught her eye and she turned to look, but as she scanned the treeline, she couldn’t see anything amiss. She told herself to relax. She was out in the middle of nowhere now, and nowhere had nature, and nature had … stuff in it.
“Don’t get me wrong,” Jenny said; appearing at the front door again and starting back towards the truck as Bonnie hoisted up the box and went the other way. “As a holiday home, sure … but twenty four seven, three hundred and sixty five days a year…?”
“Someone’s missing the little coffee shop on the corner…” Bonnie grinned that knowing smile, and Jenny was glad to see it. It had been a while since the woman had smiled, but then it died seconds later just as much of her good humour had lately.
Jenny couldn’t blame her for that.
“I’d kill for an apple Danish right about now – with the little drizzle lemon icing and a nice, big, cinnamon coffee…” Jenny groaned at the thought of it and her stomach rumbled accordingly.
“Fire up the coffee pods then on your next run in…” Bonnie called back from inside.
“Sounds like a plan.”
Jenny swooned over the imagined taste on her tongue and yanked another box from the truck, eager to get back inside and do just that.
She didn’t mind the countryside, she just wished it came with more corners so that they could build more coffee shops on them.
Bonnie dumped the box in her arms and headed right back outside again; almost colliding with Jenny coming the other way. There was a moment’s standoff at the front door; when neither woman knew which way to go, and it sort of looked as if they were dancing…
“We can throw all of this stuff back in the truck, turn around and leave, and you can stay with me until you find somewhere…” Jenny said with a teasing smile and a wholehearted enthusiasm about that plan.
“I like it here…” Bonnie offered back on a small shrug off her shoulders.
“It’s a cabin in the middle of nowhere…” Jenny craned her neck and whispered, as if she was sharing a secret with her friend. “Nowhere…”
“No psycho’s, no drama, and no…”
“Coffee shops.” Jenny smiled.
“Exactly.” Bonnie nodded. “Woman cannot live by coffee shop products alone…”
“Yeah, but it helps.” Jenny snatched her head back and gave a strong nod to back up her stance.
“Meh, I guess I’m just a country girl at heart.” Bonnie gave her something of an apologetic look and Jenny took a deep breath and nodded accordingly.
That was that then. She guessed she was just going to have to get used to not having Bonnie around.
~
~
~
There was a part of Bonnie that was counting down the minutes until her friend left so that she could truly savour the fact that she was alone in the middle of nowhere; with the kind of peace that feeling would bring to her, and without the judgemental looks and comments that Jenny kept offering in the hope that she’d turn around, pack her stuff back into the truck, and head on home with her.
Then there was a part of her that didn’t want Jenny to leave, because it was Jenny and the woman always made everything feel a little bit better, feel … bearable, even when it wasn’t.
Jenny was sitting on the tailgate of the truck, savouring her coffee as only a caffeine junkie could, legs hanging over the edge, feet swinging backwards and forwards in between happy sips; while Bonnie continued to haul stuff into the house.
“Ok, so you have a nice view…” Jenny said, squinting into the late spring sunshine; even with her shades on it was strong… “And it just got a whole lot better – if you like that kind of thing.”
Bonnie had her hands wrapped around another box that she’d perched on the edge of the tailgate, ready to haul off, and she held it there with her stomach as she followed her friend’s gaze…
“Oh, wonderful…” Bonnie bit out at the sight of him…
The man had to be six foot four, and if he was an inch in either direction she’d forgive herself for that, because she wasn’t used to judging the size of a brick outhouse.
One thing was certain; he certainly wouldn’t have gone unnoticed in a crowded room, not with those broad shoulders, and she took a moment to wonder if the man had to turn sideways to get through a door.
He was skirting the fence at the edge of her property where it met the woods, and was coming in their direction. Bonnie felt a ru
sh of adrenaline just at the sight of him – fight or flight, and she knew which one was winning the battle inside of her.
All in all – that wasn’t a good thing. Not for Bonnie – she felt the sudden urge to crawl under the truck and stay there until he was gone.
She could more than live with throwing Jenny out as a distraction … and knowing her friend as she did – she didn’t think that she’d mind too much.
“Looks like he might be coming to say hello. Although, he’s not bringing a casserole, so probably not married with two point four children, or is it three point two? I can’t keep up…” Jenny tossed a shoulder at the statistic and concentrated on the important thing … him.
The man was built of pure muscle, and he looked like sex on a stick to her eyes, and her interest was definitely piqued as was her thumping heart, but one quick look at Bonnie soon sobered her up…
“Do something …” Bonnie whispered on a frown that took her forehead down and towards the bridge of her nose, and her plucked eyebrows practically covered her eyes…
“I could try a flying tackle, but look at him – it’d be like trying to tip a bull…” Jenny whispered and snorted at her own funny, but Bonnie wasn’t laughing, and her eyes were sort of begging for help like a wounded puppy. “Geez, Bon, calm down…”
Jenny placed her mug down on the tailgate and turned her attention towards the interloper.
“Can we help you?” She called as Bonnie sort of shrunk into the background, trying to make herself less visible to him, and stay well off of his radar.
“Just coming over to meet the new neighbours…” His gruff tone sounded good to Jenny’s ears and they pricked up considerably.
Bonnie had noted his deep, gravelly tone too, and she frowned harder at that sound…
Calm down … Bonnie told herself…
Of course he has a deep voice … the guy is practically an ox – what’s he going to sound like … Kermit the Frog?
He’s my neighbour … that’s … just peachy…
Please tell me Jenny’s wrong and the man is married … twice over would be good with a bunch of little him-s running around…
Or he’s gay!
Gay would be so good … and you never could tell …
Please be gay…
“Hi, neighbour…” Jenny offered back with the practiced silken tones that Bonnie knew well from going out on numerous, alcohol fuelled, nights with her.
Jenny shot a quick look at Bonnie and the woman had practically frozen in place. The look on her face was still all; frosty the ice queen that had run headlong into a gargoyle, but she wasn’t running for the cabin screaming yet … yet … so that was a good thing in her book.
Progress.
Bonnie needed to be around good men – Lord only knew that she’d been around a bad one…
“Flirt with him…” Bonnie whispered and Jenny shot her a questioning look… “I’m hoping he’s gay…” she whispered, and Jenny had to choke off a cackle.
“Are you serious? Did you get a good look at him?”
“Big – tall – outhouse type – could be gay…” Bonnie practically hissed back.
“Boy, do you not know men … if you think that one is gay then I’m a lesbian, and you know me…” Jenny chuckled as she braced her hands against the tailgate on either side of her and dropped down to the grass…
“Yeah, I know you, and in answer to your question; ya think?” Bonnie gave her a dark look.
“Yeah – sorry.” Jenny winced as she tried to claw her foot back out of her mouth.
“I live just the other side of the woods…” Karl informed them…
“He’s still coming this way…” Bonnie hissed as she turned her head away from him and widened her eyes in urgent anticipation of Jenny doing her flying tackle thing.
“I got this…” Jenny said as she offered Bonnie a small smile and started towards the guy.
With a sway of her shapely hips and something of a wicked smile on her full lips – she made quick progress towards him.
Jenny was being Jenny … and men liked that.
“Heard someone was moving in today. Thought I’d come and offer a hand if you have anything to lift…” Karl said as he reached the gate in the fence and placed one big hand on top of it – intending to reach down with his other and unhook the bolt…
Jenny’s hands slapped down on top of the wood and Karl brought his eyes up to meet hers…
“We’re good…” Jenny assured him and there was a moment of awkward silence as he questioned her statement within his mind, and decided that she definitely wasn’t about to offer him in…
Bonnie winced – followed it up with a grimace when he cleared his throat for want of something to say – and she decided out of pure guilt not to look at him as he stumbled over the first word…
“I – err, didn’t mean to intrude…” he said, looking from Jenny towards the other human female that hadn’t even turned to look him in the eye as he was being dismissed, and finally back to the woman at the gate again.
Guess that told me…
They’ve got a problem with shifters…
Wonderful – my new neighbours are bigoted…
Just what I need…
Karl’s bear grumbled inside of him.
He couldn’t say that he wasn’t used to getting that reaction at times. He was.
Ever since shifters came out in the world people had a mixed reaction to his presence. He’d got used to it … just not on his own damn doorstep.
CHAPTER TWO
~
“It’s not an intrusion. It was nice of you to come over, but seriously – we’ve got it. It’s just a few boxes…” Jenny assured him, making sure that she softened her voice and her stance.
She’d caught the look of apprehension in his eyes and she’d felt bad for him. The guy might have been built like a brick wall, but he still had feelings, and she’d basically just told him to go shove his head – blocking his way in and all…
Karl took a few seconds to let her words sink in. They sounded genuine enough, and the woman didn’t seem to be giving off any bad vibes…
Maybe I was wrong?
Maybe I was too quick to judge them…
“Ok, well. I’ll let you get back to it.” Karl wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt – he really did. Mainly because he didn’t want to be living next door to people that hated his kind.
“Thanks for stopping by.” Jenny hated feeling like she just kicked a puppy, and if it was just her then she would have whipped the gate open and invited him in for coffee … but it was Bonnie, and Bonnie didn’t see things that way – not anymore…
“If you need anything. I’m through the woods,” he pointed the direction. “I wouldn’t try it at night, but it’s a pretty safe path during the day. Just give me a shout…” He turned to leave them to it.
“That’s never gonna happen…” Bonnie muttered to herself and his ears picked up on it.
Karl sighed inwardly.
Maybe not the one by the gate, but the other one sure does have a problem with shifters…
He grumbled to his beast and the animal growled back.
He wouldn’t bother them again.
~
~
~
Jenny drove into town and pulled up in front of the bakery. If she was going to even attempt driving all the way back to the city in one go then she wanted snacks for the road, and by snacks – she imagined a nice big box full of fattening and sugary goodies that would sustain her until she reached her favourite coffee shop – where she’d refill on more fattening and sugary goodies…
She loved that she had the kind of metabolism that meant she could eat everything and anything. She only hoped that it would last into old age – or at least fifty. She pitied the likes of Bonnie who only had to eye up a doughnut and put on two pounds.
Hell, she could inhale a whole box and lose weight … and she figured as her body was sure to turn against
her one day then she should get in the goodies while she still could.
It was only right to take full advantage of an ongoing situation like that. It would be positively wrong not to.
Bonnie was home, settled, and had dismissed her to go home. She got the distinct feeling that her friend wanted to sample the alone life sooner rather than later.
She guessed that she couldn’t blame her – it had been one hell of a year for her. She totally understood why she wanted to put the whole mess in the rear view mirror and move on…
She just hated that she was losing her best friend to loner-ville, but even if she could have afforded to give everything up and move to the middle of nowhere – she didn’t know if she could actually do something that radical.
Bonnie made her living designing cover art for self published authors and all she needed for that was the internet and her computers … Jenny worked for a company that liked the hands on approach to dealing with customers – it might have been internet based, and yet, clients liked to be hand held through a whole range of processes…
Jenny noted something out of the corner of her eye and turned to eyes in that direction. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand to attention, and yet, she wasn’t entirely sure why.
She popped open the door to the truck and slide out of the seat. She slammed shut the door, and just as she turned to look back over towards whatever was giving her the shivers, she noted the big guy behind the wheel of his pickup.
Karl’s eyes took a sideways swipe at her and she waved – hoping that she hadn’t totally made the man hate her. He was still Bonnie’s neighbour, and she wanted her friend to have someone around if she needed something, luckily, after what had gone down between them – he still waved back…
So, I didn’t totally alienate him then … she thought as he pulled his truck in front of hers and turned off the engine.
The man practically had to unfold his body from inside as he climbed out and kept his eyes on hers. She guessed that he was waiting to see if she’d turn tail and run…