Well, they’d decided to wait until marriage, though she hadn’t told either of her friends about it.
They picked on Seth enough.
“So are you breaking up with that jerk for sure this time?” Ruby said eagerly, opening a raw wound without meaning to. “Because I think you should just move out here, find you a mountain man, and work on the ranch.”
Bonnie sighed. “I don’t know what you all have against Seth. I’ve never felt the same way about another man.”
“You mean comfortable? Safe? Secure?” Ruby said sardonically.
Bonnie nodded. “There’s nothing wrong with that. We’ll have a good life. A secure one.”
“So why did you cut him off, then?” Ruby asked, folding her arms and cocking a hip. “You hoping it’ll make him change? It never has before.”
“Well, I never ran off to a ranch before,” Bonnie said. “And yeah, I don’t know. Maybe I am hoping for some passionate gesture. Maybe I just need space to think. I don’t know, girl.”
Ruby’s blue eyes softened and she looked out at the land around them. “Well, this is the perfect place to come. I’m here if you need to talk, and you have all the space you could want. That’s for sure.”
“I’m glad,” Bonnie said. “Still, can you imagine? Seth running to the rescue?”
“You’ve never needed to be rescued,” Ruby said. “Frankly, you’ve done all the saving in that relationship.”
“What do you mean?” Bonnie asked.
“Nothing,” Ruby said, pressing her lips together. Bonnie got the feeling her friends often kept something back from her. But the part of her that wanted to stay in her comfortable denial of whatever it was didn’t care to ask them what they thought.
She should know better than anyone else what was good for her. Harmony had perfectly terrible taste in men, and before Ruby had met Shane, her hot, tall, dark and handsome mountain cowboy, she had dated only disappointments as well.
And perhaps not everyone needed the kind of passion Ruby shared with her mate. Maybe some people were more suited to a quiet passion. Raising a pair of perfect Persian cats, and running a successful vet clinic that brought her into contact with all the animals she could want.
She wondered if she’d have a chance later to go see the horses, when Jesse wasn’t around. He liked to be around the stables, and she sensed he was almost more comfortable with animals than people.
A strange trait for a rancher that owned several restaurants that served his own premium beef.
“What’s that look on your face?” Ruby asked, catching her dreamy expression as she’d been zoning out. “I’ve never seen you look like that.”
“Nothing,” Bonnie said quickly. “Come on. Let’s go meet Shane. You said we were all having lunch together?”
She gulped. She hoped Jesse missed that meeting. He should have gotten the hint from what she’d said in the barn, yet she had the feeling if she spent more time with him, especially alone, she’d be taking those words back and he’d be taking her up against the barn door.
She felt her pale cheeks flame and walked intentionally ahead of Ruby to hide it. What had gotten into her, thinking of such things when she was planning to get back together with Seth?
But she also knew many people planned things, only to prove themselves wrong later. She hoped that wasn’t the case here.
But when she walked into the private dining room where Shane was waiting, she was dismayed to see Jesse had somehow gotten there first. He was leaning back on his chair with his hands lazily placed behind his head, a placid expression on his unbearably handsome face.
And he was looking at her with no indication that anything had happened, the bastard, when she knew her face would be glowing.
It was going to be an interminably long two weeks.
Rancher Bear
Also by Terry Bolryder
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Alpha Games Boxed Set on sale for .99
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Alpha Rogue Boxed Set on sale for .99
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A average human woman finds out she’s a desirable female alpha and ends up in a mansion with ten possible suitors in this paranormal romance serial from Terry Bolryder.
Alpha Contender Boxed Set on sale for .99
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*Stars Thor from Alpha Contender Series*
Alpha Defender on Amazon
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*Stars Asher from Alpha Contender Series*
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Thanks so much for reading!
Terry
Mountain Bear: BBW Bear Shifter Romance (Bear Haven Book 1) Page 12