Baby It's Cold Out Bear Holiday Bundle

by T. S. Joyce

  With shaking hands, I took the key from him and unlocked the door, then pushed it open. The creak of that door was etched into my memory. It was just the same. And inside, the chairs had been taken off the tables, and everything cleaned of dust. Lanterns flickered on the long bench tables, the ones where this town had eaten together merrily for so many years.

  Behind us, the carolers had stopped their journey and were continuing the song. The town was standing there, holding songbooks and lanterns, crowding the street, and at the edge of the porch were the Wolf Brides and their mates, and my parents.

  “You were happy in this place,” Ukiah said low. “You mentioned it so many times in your letters, and I started saving for a better life just in case you ever came home. And you did. So, I talked to the bank, and I bought the restaurant, hoping you would say yes to what I’m about to ask you.”

  I cupped my hands over my mouth in shock as I realized what he’d done for me. Two tears streamed instantly down my cheeks. “Ukiah,” I whispered raggedly.

  “I have one more present.” He pulled a red and green box from the nearest table and handed it to me. “Open it.”

  Overwhelmed with emotion, I pulled the lid off, and gasped at what I found inside. It was two stacks of letters. One was mine—all the letters I’d sent him after I’d left this place. But as I thumbed through the second stack, he explained, “I responded to every single letter, Maya. I was just afraid if I sent them to you, you would come back here before you were ready. I wanted you to see both lives you could have, and then make the choice which you wanted more. I read everything you sent at least a dozen times each. I just couldn’t bring myself to send you my responses, and alter the course of your life.”

  “This is better,” I whispered, fingering the edges of his top letter, my name and Boston address scribbled across the envelope. “You let me find myself, and you were always here waiting, weren’t you?”

  He nodded.

  Strong man. Could I have done that for him? I didn’t know. It was a patience I didn’t think I possessed. This was love that he’d shown me. Deep love, to set me free and then hope that I came back to him someday. His silence took on an entirely different meaning, and it broke my heart in the best way.

  “All I got you was a painting of a rabbit.” I let off a thick laugh as I set the box on the table next to us. “You know…since I can’t hunt them myself and give you the poor dead critters.”

  He chuckled and brushed a curl from in front of my face. “It’s perfect. It’s your present for my wolf, isn’t it?”

  The tears were flowing and my voice would shake if I answered, so instead, I nodded.

  Softer, he said, “It’s you saying you accept all of me…isn’t it?”

  Another nod from me.

  “Then it’ll be my most cherished gift.” He pulled my waist in closer, and he searched my eyes, pulled my hands away from my face. “You’re all my wolf ever wanted, Maya. You understand me, and are patient with me. You make me want to be a better man, and it takes something special to change a person like that. I don’t want you to go. I want you to choose me. I want you to stay here and build a life with me. I don’t have a ring, it’s not a tradition my people follow, but if you need one, I can save for it. For now, you can have my heart, my protection, my body, soul…” He looked around the restaurant. “This place to remember how much I care for you. Maya…will you stay with me? Will you be my mate?”

  Breath hitching, I asked, “Are you asking me to be a Wolf Bride?”

  The smile on his face reached his inhuman eyes, and he nodded. “I sure am.”

  “Yes,” I rushed out, melting against him. “Yes, yes, yes, I’ll stay with you. I’ll be your mate.” I sobbed, my face against his chest. Over the sound of the beautiful Christmas carol floating through the restaurant, I uttered, “It’s what I’ve always wanted, Ukiah. You’re what I’ve always wanted.”

  He hugged me up tight and rested his cheek against my hair, swayed gently as I gripped onto his shirt and thanked the heavens that my life had turned out like this.

  “She said yes,” he called out.

  Outside, there was the deafening chaos of cheering. I was pulled from Ukiah and into my mother’s arms for a hug, and then Lucianna’s. “I told you that someday you would be mine,” she murmured thickly.

  Kristina pulled me in next, and she was talking, but I couldn’t understand any of her words. All of my focus was on Ukiah, who was in Gable’s embrace. His father was saying something low in his ear, and he looked so proud of his boy. Ukiah’s lips were pursed, and when he looked at me, his eyes were rimmed with tears.

  His heart was breaking in a good way, too. I could tell.

  I love you, I mouthed.

  And he said it back, and my heart was so full.

  Luke was yelling for the carolers to come on in and celebrate Christmas eve with eggnog.

  “Did everyone know about this?” I asked my father as he hugged me.

  “Ukiah told us about it this morning. We’ve been in a flurry, taking shifts cleaning this place up and gathering food and drink for tomorrow’s feast.”

  “Tomorrow’s feast?” I asked.

  “Apparently you were attached to Christmas Days in Cotton’s.” He twitched his head toward Ukiah. “Your mate is going to make that happen for you. Along with your mother and Luciana, Lorelei, and Kristina. You are very loved, Maya.” He squeezed my shoulder and made his way toward the kitchen. “I have a bucket of eggnog to make,” he said over his shoulder with a wink at me.

  The Christmas celebration at Cotton’s—newly named Maya’s—started now, apparently.

  It was the second greatest gift I’d ever received.

  The first?

  I looked at Ukiah. My Ukiah, looking back at me like I was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

  The best present was him.

  The End.

  For more of these characters…

  Check out T. S. Joyce’s bestselling Wolf Brides series.

  (Amazon US buy links)

  Wolf Bride (Book 1)

  Red Snow Bride (Book 2)

  Dawson Bride (Book 3)

  Holiday Bride (Book 4)

  BEAR VALLEY VALENTINE

  By T. S. JOYCE

  Bear Valley Valentine

  Copyright © 2015 by T. S. Joyce

  Copyright © 2015, T. S. Joyce

  First electronic publication: January 2015

  T. S. Joyce

  www.tsjoycewrites.wordpress.com

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the author’s permission.

  NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. The author does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for third-party websites or their content.

  Published in the United States of America

  Prologue

  Colin stomped snow off his boots and pushed his way through the door of the Dash Inn. The café had a few empty tables thanks to the frigid temperatures and tourist offseason.

  A deep, low rumble rattled his chest when a man bumped his shoulder as he exited. He probably hadn’t meant to, but the gesture made Colin want to rip his throat out. Which is exactly why he was in the predicament he was in now. An out-of-control inner animal spelled trouble for the unsuspecting humans of Buffalo, Wyoming. He belonged in his old cabin up in the Bighorn Mountains.

  The smell of chicke
n wings and ribs brought a grumble from his stomach that had nothing to do with the bear that lived inside of him and everything to do with the breakfast he’d missed this morning. He pulled his gloves from his hands and dusted them off on his thigh before he approached the counter and ordered a fish sandwich and some fries. With a forced smile for the man at the register, he took a seat at a booth in the corner.

  For as much as he tried to convince himself he didn’t need companionship, he made his way to town at least three times a week now. It used to be less, but dammit, he was lonely. And even if he didn’t really talk to anyone, at least he could sit here among these strangers and pretend he was a part of something again.

  The bell over the front door dinged, and the most alluring floral fragrance reached his oversensitive nose. He turned and looked over his shoulder, but he already knew that scent.

  She was here.

  Hadley Bennett was the prettiest woman he’d ever laid eyes on. A fitted parka that accentuated her curves gave her the perfect hourglass shape, and her dark hair was done up in some intricate braid that trailed down her shoulder. Today, she was wearing a white winter hat and reading glasses, and she smiled at a high school kid waving from a table on the opposite side of the room. Removing her scarf, she gave him a glimpse of that long, alabaster neck he couldn’t stop thinking about nibbling.

  Inhaling deeply, Colin dragged his gaze away from her and forced his attention back on his food. She wasn’t his, nor was she meant to be. She was human. One who ran a nice flower shop on Main Street, probably had lots of regular friends and family, and didn’t need to be tangled up with the likes of him. She always seemed happy when he saw her around town. He’d do nothing but burn her up if he ever gave into his craving for her.

  Hadley deserved better than some rangy mountain man with a pile of secrets.

  As he ate, he did his best to ignore the woman and her young lunch partner, but the second she’d walked in, his food had gone tasteless. Impressive, since Dash Inn was known for its meals, but more likely his loss of appetite had to do with the fact that he could hear every damned thing in here. Including Hadley.

  The way her breath picked up when she hugged her friend and the tinkle of her laugh, which was so adorable, it had him shaking his head at the unfairness of it all. It was all bunnies and puppies and cuddly things even a grumpy bear like him wanted to hug up tight.

  “I have something to tell you, but you have to swear not to be mad,” the girl across from her said.

  Colin tried not to listen, really he did, but he couldn’t exactly plug his ears without looking like the town crazy.

  “Okay, I swear,” Hadley said, her tone dripping with disapproval.

  “I set up a profile on one of those dating websites for you.”

  “You did what?” Hadley asked so loud, Colin jumped. Lowering her voice to a whisper, she asked again, “You did what?”

  “You say all the time in the shop that there are no good men here.”

  “That’s not true.”

  “Just last week I asked you if you could see yourself dating anyone from here, and you said no.”

  “Because I have dated people from around here. You know that. When it doesn’t work out, the whole town gets disappointed when a match isn’t made, and I have to answer embarrassing questions until someone else decides to ask me out. It’s a vicious cycle.”

  “One you said you were going to take yourself out of,” the girl whispered back. “You said you gave up on settling down, and that’s a damned shame.”

  “Language, Vona. Your mom will have my hide if she thinks you’re getting that from me.”

  “The point is you shouldn’t give up. There is someone out there for you who is your perfect match. You just have to cast your net a little wider.”

  Colin didn’t like the sound of her casting her net anywhere. His eyes were probably blazing the inhuman blue color they did when his bear was riled up.

  Hadley sighed, and her chair creaked as she leaned back into it.

  “Can I have your ketchup?” A woman asked from the booth behind him, successfully scaring the devil out of him. In one smooth motion, he slid a pair of sunglasses on and handed her the condiment with a friendly smile. At least, he thought it was friendly until the lady looked frightened. He did that to people.

  “What is my name on the site?” Hadley asked.

  God, he was an idiot. He was practically hanging out of the booth. With a conscious effort, he straightened and took the last bite of his sandwich.

  “Flowerlady26. Get it? Because you run the flower shop, and you’re twenty-six.”

  “Yeah, I got it. I just… Online dating is where I am now?”

  “Hadley, you live in Buffalo, Wyoming, population four thousand. Most of the men here you grew up with and are like brothers. The others you’ve dated, and they haven’t been the one. Just try it. My mom is on this website and has had two dates in the last month, and neither one of them were creepers. She’s on the hunt for a stepdaddy for me.”

  Hadley laughed a surprised sound. “Okay, and if I fall for some guy online who lives five thousand miles away?”

  Colin snuck a glance just as Vona leaned forward over a mug of steaming hot chocolate. “If you end up finding the one, isn’t that the important thing?”

  The thought of Hadley moving five thousand miles away twisted his gut. True, he’d never directly talked to her, but the thought of her missing completely from his life was something his bear balked against so hard, his insides were shredding. He was going to lose it if he stayed here much longer. Standing, he took one last swig of his water and headed for the front to grab a toothpick. Did he need it? No, but his dad had always chewed on a toothpick after every meal, and Colin had adopted the habit.

  “I’m going back to the shop,” Hadley said.

  The other voices in the restaurant had died to nothing but a murmur, but her words were still clear as the bell that hung from the front door.

  “Wait. You’re not eating here?” Vona asked.

  “I’ll get it to go. I need to get back and work on a last minute order. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Colin could make out the soft sound of fabric on fabric as she put her scarf and gloves on, and before he could change his mind, he pulled out his wallet and stepped up to the counter. “See that lady behind me?” he asked the local who ran the register.

  “Yeah.”

  “I want to pay for the meal she’s about to get. Keep the change.”

  He handed him two twenties and nodded his head in farewell.

  The man behind the counter called out, “You have a nice day, mister.”

  He took the long way around the tables instead of walking past Hadley, then zipped his coat up when he stepped outside. The chilly breeze burned his lungs as he inhaled the mountain air, and snow crunched under his boots as he made his way to his old Chevy.

  “Hey!” Hadley called, and he hunched his shoulders under the echoing sound of her voice. It should’ve taken her longer to order and wait on the food.

  He turned slowly, thankful for the sunglasses that still sat perched on his nose to hide the color of his eyes.

  “Why did you do that?” she asked, slipping out from behind the door. Her cheeks were rosy, like she’d rushed, and her dark eyebrows were drawn down, like she couldn’t figure him out.

  “I don’t know,” he answered. “I just felt like it.”

  “Oh.” She approached slowly. “You want me to get your change?”

  “No.”

  Hadley was talking to him. To him! His heart pounded like a drum.

  “What’s your name?” she asked, canting her head. Her winter hat dangled from her hands, not doing her ears any favors, and he fought the urge to yank it away and pull it over her head. But humans didn’t like that kind of stuff.

  “Why?”

  “Because,” she muttered, pulling a business card from the little purse she carried. “I want to know the name of the man I need to
thank for lunch.” She scribbled on the back of the card.

  “Colin.”

  “Colin,” she repeated with a curious tilt to her lips. “Here.” She handed him the card. “It’s good for a free bouquet, for whatever woman in your life you want to give it to.” She offered him a megawatt smile that just about locked his knees, then headed back toward the Dash Inn. “Thanks for lunch, Colin,” she called over her shoulder.

  He stood there stunned, holding the business card for Hadley’s Flower Shop and Gifts as she disappeared inside. The way she said his name made him want to taste the words on her full lips. He dipped his gaze to the handwriting on the back.

  Good for one free bouquet.

  He could only think of one person he’d ever want to give a bouquet of flowers to.

  Flowerlady26.

  Chapter One

  Hadley watched the giant man unfold himself from a rusted-out green Chevrolet pickup truck. Leaning on the counter, she clutched her cell phone in both hands. Colin was parked across the street from her flower shop in front of the post office. He came here every Monday around the same time. Not that she’d been stalking him or anything. She was just curious about the hermit was all.

  Curious why he’d paid for her lunch, then showed no interest in coming by the shop to cash in his coupon.

  Curious as to what he looked like under that dark beard.

  Curious about the sunglasses he seemed to wear at all times, even when he was indoors or it was cloudy.

  And she was definitely wondering what caused a man to live all the way up in the mountains alone without the apparent need for companionship. Oh, she’d asked around, and all that had accomplished was the man being clouded in even more mystery.

  The northern half of him disappeared as he pulled a stack of small boxes from his bench seat, then he kicked the door closed with a heavy-looking work boot. Long, lean legs were hidden in dark jeans that fit his frame just right and hung perfectly from his tapered waist. She couldn’t tell much about the rest of him because he wore a thick jacket, but she tried to imagine how strong he was underneath.