The Bear Buys a Bride (A Second Chance Christmas in Bear Creek Book 1)

by Harmony Raines

  “There are lots of kind people in the world, but they wouldn’t all hand over their house to a stranger and her daughters.” Ella was searching for answers and it was Sian’s duty to reassure her they weren’t making a mistake.

  Sian left the packing and went to sit next to her daughter, glad of the chance to warm herself by the fire. “He’s a nice guy.”

  “We don’t know that.” Ella rested her head on her mom’s shoulder. “Can we trust him?”

  Sian hesitated, not because she wasn’t absolutely sure that they could trust Matthew, but because she had to word her response in such a way that Ella was convinced. However, Sian could not tell her daughter how she knew with absolute certainty that out of all the people in the world, Matthew, despite his past, was the one person they could rely on.

  “Mom?” Ella pushed for an answer.

  “Sometimes in life, you meet people who you click with. Do you know what I mean?” Sian asked gently.

  “Yes. I do.” Ella gazed into the fire. “Like Taylor and I clicked when we first met.”

  Sian nodded, ignoring the twinge of guilt she experienced every time she thought of how this move to Bear Creek had caused Ella to leave her best friend behind. “Like Taylor.”

  “But this is a little different than me and my friends, Matthew looks at you...” Ella didn’t finish her sentence.

  “Matthew likes me. I believe he wants us to be more than just friends. But he also knows how much you and Rachel mean to me and he understands that you two come first.” Sian took a breath. “But I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t interested in a relationship with him. Even though when we moved here, I said I was staying away from men for life.”

  “I know how much Dad hurt you. Not physically. But...well, you know.” Ella sat up and took hold of Sian’s hands. “If this was the other way around, you would tell us to believe in love and go out there and grab hold of it with both hands.”

  Sian laughed. “I would. Because love comes in all shapes and sizes. It can be disguised in many ways. But it is the most powerful thing in the universe.” She hugged Ella close. “I know because I feel it every time I look at you or Rachel.”

  “So, back at you.” Ella shook her head. “You can’t have one rule for us and one rule for you. If Matthew offers you the chance of loving again, then you should take it. We want you to be happy, Mom.”

  “I want us all to be happy,” Sian confessed. “My greatest fear is that me finding love will hurt you or Rachel.”

  “It won’t.” Ella kissed Sian on the cheek. “And Matthew has to be a good man, he brought us chocolate cake.”

  “He did. And there is some left, do you want a slice before you help me pack?” Sian got up and went to the kitchen, with Ella following behind her.

  “It’s freezing in here,” Ella said, pulling her sweater sleeves down over her hands.

  “I’ll put the oven on, we can eat pizza on our laps.” Sian cut Ella a generous piece of chocolate cake. “After you’ve eaten this, can you go upstairs and pack your clothes? We can pop past and get anything we’ve forgotten when I bring you into town for school. But just in case the weather gets so bad we can’t get back here, be prepared.”

  “Sure,” Ella replied as she ate her cake. “I’ll grab everything I need.” She gave a small laugh. “It feels as if we’ve only just unpacked and here we are packing everything up again.”

  “Not exactly everything.” Sian wasn’t ready to admit they were unlikely to move back here. She was certain Matthew was going to work his hardest to ensure his mate and her family made his house their permanent home.

  “I don’t mind. I always wanted to live in the country.” She finished her cake and put the plate in the sink. “What about the kittens?”

  Sian closed her eyes, she’d forgotten about them. Which was not good considering she was a volunteer at the shelter. Although, in her defense, things had been a little crazy the last couple of days. “I don’t know. I told Ronni yesterday she’d have to hold on to them for a couple more days while the heating got fixed. This house is too cold for a couple of baby kittens.”

  “But now that we’re moving into Matthew’s house, the heating is not a problem. But he might not like cats.” Ella wagged her finger at Sian. “Although, he must like animals since he donated so much money to the fund for the shelter.”

  Sian liked Ella’s reasoning, even though it was flawed. Sian suspected Matthew had not suddenly become an animal lover. The only reason he’d donated the money was because Sian was his mate. That could still work in their favor, though. Matthew wanted to make Sian happy and Sian would only be happy if her daughters were happy. And her daughters would only be happy if they adopted the kittens.

  “I’ll talk to him about it.” Sian looked up as the front door opened and Rachel came in. “Hi there.”

  “Hi.” Rachel walked into the kitchen and spied the cake. “Is there any left for me?”

  “There sure is.” Sian cut her eldest daughter a slice. “Right, I have to get the rest of the stuff packed.”

  “We’re actually moving into Matthew’s house?” Rachel asked.

  “Yes.” Ella headed for the kitchen door. “Mom and I have just had this conversation. And now I’m going to Siberia to pack.”

  “She sounds happy about the move.” Rachel ate her cake and watched Sian as she opened the freezer and retrieved a pizza. “You don’t even need the freezer on. The food wouldn’t defrost if the power went out.”

  Sian rubbed her hands together to warm them up before she removed the packaging on the pizza and put it in the oven. “You’re still good with us going to Matthew’s house?”

  “I am.” She scraped her plate clean. “Any news on Mr. Wendell?”

  “Not really. I spoke to his daughter this afternoon. She said they are still doing tests.” Sian checked the temperature on the oven, which was as temperamental as everything else in the house. “But he’s stable and he’s in the right place. I just hope he pulls through. There must be nothing worse than losing a loved one at Christmas.”

  “And what about Dad?” Rachel kept her voice low.

  “Nothing.” Sian leaned back against the counter and folded her arms.

  “Perhaps he had a change of mind and decided whatever he came here for... I don’t know…that he’d made a mistake.” Rachel’s hopeful tone tore into Sian’s heart like jagged claws into flesh.

  “Perhaps. Although he still should have come by and said hello to you and Ella.” The bitterness in her voice when she spoke about Peter never seemed to fade. How could it when he let them down so much? Her daughters deserved better. Could Matthew give them what they deserved, a father figure who they could look up to and respect and depend on? And maybe even love one day?

  “Let’s not let him spoil another Christmas.” Rachel’s comment was from the heart. They were better off without him. But how could they get over him when he was hanging around in the shadows?

  “He won’t,” Sian assured her. “Okay, I have to go upstairs and pack my clothes. Can you do yours? Plus, anything else you might need.”

  “Sure.” Rachel nodded and went up to her room, leaving Sian alone.

  “It’s time to take back control.” Sian went to her purse and pulled out her phone. Scrolling through the numbers, she tapped the screen and brought up Peter’s cell phone number. “Time to poke the hornet’s nest.”

  Hi Peter, I saw you were in town and would like to know if you are here to sign the final papers.

  Sian pressed send and then waited. Perhaps he had been passing through and was no longer in Bear Creek. But if he was, would this flush him out? Right now, not knowing was worse than a confrontation with the man who had tried to squash her love and control her emotions.

  Slipping her phone into her jacket pocket, she went upstairs to continue packing.

  Chapter Twelve – Matthew

  “I know we said tomorrow, but the temperature is dropping, and I couldn’t bear to think of you he
re in this cold house.” That’s what he told Sian as he stood on her doorstep looking into her surprised face.

  It was the truth, of course, added to this was the need to see her again. Each moment that they were apart stretched out like an eternity.

  “You want us to move tonight?” Sian asked, her gaze slipping past his shoulder toward the road. Was she expecting someone else? That would explain her wary expression when she opened the door to him.

  “What do you say? Gus loaned me a truck, so I could collect the lumber I need for the porch. So I figured it was a good time to offer to move your stuff. We can get everything in the back and would only need one trip.” He smiled at her, trying to set her at ease.

  “That’s a good idea,” Sian began. “But we’re not ready yet.”

  “I can wait.” She was certainly nervous about something. Damn, was her husband in the house? Was she worried they might fight over her? “Or I can come back.”

  The thought of walking away and leaving her alone with the father of her children was incredibly difficult, but he would do it if it was what she needed. Anything to get that man out of her life once and for all.

  “No.” She reached out and grabbed hold of his sleeve. “It’s a great idea.” She stepped back, and he entered her house. “We are just about to eat.”

  “I can smell pizza.” He lifted his nose and inhaled deeply. Not because he liked the smell of pizza, but because he wanted to know if Peter had been here.

  No sign of him, his bear confirmed.

  Matthew let out his pent-up breath. He wasn’t sure how he would have reacted if Peter had been here. But it wouldn’t have been pretty.

  “Coffee?” Sian asked.

  “I’ll make it while you pack,” he offered. “I can also watch the pizza, too.”

  “Are you sure you don’t mind?” Sian asked, already backing out of the kitchen door.

  “No, you go for it. The sooner you are packed, the sooner we can get going.” He turned his back to her and took down two coffee mugs which he filled with coffee from the pot. It was reasonably fresh, and he didn’t make a fresh pot since they wouldn’t be here long.

  A surge of excitement built inside him. He was taking his mate and her family home. And if he had his way they would never leave again.

  That does not sound sinister at all, his bear told him sarcastically.

  You know what I mean, Matthew answered.

  Do I? Since we’ve never had a home before.

  Matthew opened the oven and checked the pizza. It needed another couple of minutes before it was cooked. As he straightened up, he considered how quickly his new house had become a home. Was it simply because his mate was about to move in? He was certain that was it.

  “Hi, Matthew.” Rachel passed by the doorway with a large backpack in her hand and a roll of bedding in the other.

  “Hi. Do you need a hand with that?” he asked, crossing the kitchen and entering the hallway.

  “I think I can manage.” She dumped the backpack and bedding by the front door. When she turned around, she fired her first question at him. “Why are you letting us have your house?” She opened her hand and indicated the house. “This place is freezing. Why would you give up your nice warm house?”

  “You think I have an ulterior motive?” he asked.

  “Oh, I know you do.” She stepped closer to him with all the confidence of a young woman in her prime. “I’m just not sure what it is.”

  Matthew held his hands up in surrender. “Okay, I’ll tell you.”

  Rachel put her hands on her hips. She meant business. A smile played across Matthew’s lips. She was very protective of her mom and he liked that. Sian and her daughters watched out for each other.

  “I’m waiting.” Rachel arched an eyebrow.

  “Waiting for what?” Sian asked as she came down the stairs carrying a heavy suitcase.

  Matthew leaped to help her, and their fingers brushed together, sending shockwaves through his body. Sian pulled back and almost dropped the suitcase, but luckily his hand had already closed around the handle. “I’ll take that.”

  He swung around and met Rachel’s inquisitive look. “You two look like a couple of teenagers who have been caught kissing.”

  “We do not,” Sian insisted, brushing her hair back from her face. But the pink tinge in her cheeks said otherwise.

  “This would all seem more normal if you were seeing each other,” Rachel pointed out. “It’s much easier to believe Matthew would offer to swap houses if he were in lo...dating you.”

  “We’re not dating,” Sian said quickly and then closed her eyes as she recomposed her thoughts. “Not yet anyway.”

  Matthew watched the exchange between mother and daughter. He was certain Rachel would not object if they were seeing each other. But Sian was reluctant to make their relationship out to be more than it was. “I haven’t had a chance to ask your mother out on a date yet.”

  “But you are going to date?” Rachel looked from her mom to Matthew and then back again. “If it makes it easier, Ella and I approve.”

  Sian’s eyes widened. “You’ve talked about this?”

  “Of course we have. It’s a big thing. Matthew will be the first man you’ve dated after Dad.”

  Sian turned a brighter shade of pink. “Thank you for sharing all my secrets.”

  “Oh, Mom. Come on, we love you and want you to be happy.” Rachel hugged Sian and then turned to Matthew. “Of course, it goes without saying that if you break her heart, we will come for you.”

  Matthew chuckled. “I have no intention of ever hurting your mom. At all. Her heart is safe with me.”

  “Which is more than can be said of the pizza,” Sian whirled around and ran for the kitchen as the smell of burned food reached them.

  “Sorry.” He joined her in front of the oven as she opened it and used an oven mitt to pull out the pizza. “Looks good.”

  “It does look good,” Sian agreed.

  “I am starving.” Rachel went to the cupboard and grabbed some plates while Sian set the pizza down on the table.

  “Can you call Ella, please?” Sian asked her daughter.

  “Or we could eat it all ourselves.” Rachel went to the bottom of the stairs and yelled, “Ella. Pizza!”

  “Coming,” came the reply.

  Sian cut the pizza into slices and they all sat around the table. But before they had a chance to eat, Sian’s phone beeped. She fumbled to retrieve it from her pocket and looked up to see if anyone had noticed her behavior as her cheeks flushed with guilt.

  “Everything okay?” Matthew instantly asked, picking up on his mate’s agitation.

  “Yes.” She nodded as she keyed in a code on her phone and unlocked the screen. Her eyes scanned the message she’d just received, and she tapped the screen in reply. “I have to pop out.”

  “Now?” Ella asked through a mouthful of pizza.

  “Yes, I have to go and... It’s about one of the lots for the auction.” She slid out of her seat and went to the hallway where she retrieved her coat. The same coat Matthew had given her this afternoon.

  “Nice coat. Is that new?” Rachel asked as she got up from her seat and went to her mom.

  “It is.” Sian locked eyes with Matthew. Was she going to tell them where the coat came from or would it be their secret? Matthew didn’t mind, either way, he realized Sian might not want to admit she’d accepted a gift from Matthew when they hadn’t even been on that first date. “It was a gift from Matthew.”

  “Was it?” Ella raised her eyebrows.

  “Your mom was freezing while she was cleaning out the animals at the shelter,” he explained. “I thought with the weather forecasted to get worse, she needed a warm coat.”

  “Of course, most men buy their date flowers,” Rachel mocked but secretly she seemed pleased he’d bought her mom a thoughtful gift.

  “Flowers don’t keep me warm.” Sian jumped as her phone beeped again.

  “Are you sure everythi
ng is okay?” Matthew asked, trying to keep his suspicions out of his voice.

  “Yes, I just need to get going.” She kissed her daughters goodbye.

  “Are you okay?” Rachel asked.

  “Yes.” Sian headed for the door. “Be good, enjoy your pizza, I’ll be back soon. I expect you to be packed and ready to go.”

  “We’ll try,” Ella replied and picked up a piece of pizza. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was going out to meet a secret lover.”

  Rachel’s eyes flicked up to Matthew’s and she gave him a false smile. “But we do know better.” She indicated the pizza. “Have a slice, Matthew.”

  “Thanks.” He took a slice of the pizza and took a bite while he mused over Sian’s behavior. He was certain that she was going out to meet Peter. He was also was certain that if he followed her and interfered, it might do irreparable damage to their relationship.

  “Do you need us to give you a tour of the house?” Rachel asked as she ate.

  “A tour of the house?” His brow creased. “Oh, because I’m moving in here.” He shook his head. “I think I’ll be fine.”

  “Mom changed the sheets on her bed,” Ella continued. “And the kitchen is self-explanatory.”

  “It is.” Pity Sian had changed the sheets, he would have enjoyed lying in her bed surrounded by her scent.

  “So since you don’t have a pet, what are you going to do with your pet pampering day?” Ella asked, the switch in conversation catching him off guard. “Or do you plan to adopt a pet like Lucas did? Jessie is the best, she looked after all the kittens when they didn’t have a mom.”

  “Oh, I think there is a kitten or two left that need adopting,” Rachel suggested. “Although I’m not sure cats like being pampered.”

  “I was thinking of turning the whole thing on its head and pampering your mom.” Matthew might have just told them aliens were real. That was the level of shock on their faces.

  Or that shifters are real, his bear added not too helpfully. That was one conversation that needed handling carefully.

  “Any ideas?” Matthew continued.

  “Yes.” Ella clapped her hands together. “She would love a meal at a restaurant. It doesn’t have to be really fancy, just somewhere where the food is good, and she doesn’t have to cook.”