Bear in Love: BBW Paranormal Holiday Shape Shifter Romance (Shadow Bears Book 1) (3 page)

Chapter Three

“Come on, you know it’s a great idea,” Chelle pleaded.

“No way, I’m through with men.”

“Fiona…,” her friend searched for the right words. “I don’t want you to be alone on Valentine’s Day.”

“I’ve been alone on Valentine’s Day many times. It’s not a big deal,” she reasoned.

“It’s a big deal this time and you know it.”

Seeing Owen the day before had been a struggle.

When he’d leaned over the desk, he’d towered over her, sending her pulse into overdrive. His nearness, combined with his arrogant acknowledgement of how much she wanted him, brought back some of her depression from the previous week. It seemed as if he only stopped in to remind her of the situation and embarrass her.

She’d spent most of her work day watching the door, ready to run to the restroom and hide if he came in again, and the thought of accidentally running into him while on her daily walk, or doing anything else she enjoyed, shadowed her every decision.

Time would heal her wounds, and she’d regain her confidence, but she felt trapped and uncomfortable. Suddenly, Shadow Ridge felt more like a prison than a home.

Her boss’ obsession with Valentine’s Day was a mixed blessing.

Every year, Jake threw a huge private party to celebrate, and as a result he closed the shop and gave his employees two paid days off sometime around the holiday. This year the fourteenth fell on a Sunday, and the two extra days off, combined with her regular non-working days, meant she had a four day weekend. A long weekend wasn’t something she would normally complain about, but this year she felt more alone than usual.

Her desire to avoid Owen and his new bride, combined with her shaky confidence, meant a difficult few days lay ahead. Hiding out at home for four more days held little appeal, but could she go on a blind date on the most romantic day of the year?

Apparently, it happened all the time and the Matchmaker had a thriving business because of it.

The Matchmaker was an elderly bear who resided in Shadow Creek, the town where Fiona grew up. The premise was simple: pair two people together and send them on a date. There wasn’t an application process or a compatibility questionnaire involved, just a set-up fee. If the fee was paid, a date was offered.

Most matches resulted in nothing more than an evening spent with someone to talk to, rather than being alone, but she’d never heard anyone complain about their match. The woman had several repeat customers, and once in a while, the match would turn into something more.

“You can see Caleb again,” Chelle prodded in a sing-song voice.

Oh, her friend played dirty.

Fiona idolized her brother and even though she’d seen him less than two weeks before, she wanted to visit him again. He was two years older, but they’d been inseparable growing up, and still remained close.

“I can’t stay with him, though,” she said. “He has plans with Marianne.”

Marianne was his brother’s roommate and their
plans
meant they intended on staying in and using their
friends with benefits
clause over the entire weekend. They claimed to be nothing more than friendly roommates, but the world knew better. The duo loved each other, but for some reason they refused to admit it. When she’d questioned her brother about it, he’d brushed her off and changed the subject.

“Okay, so you won’t see much of him,” Chelle rolled her eyes. “Let’s book you a hotel. You can get massage, order room service, and go in the pool. It’ll be like a mini vacation.”

“Valentine’s Day is in three days, I doubt I’ll be able to find a room anywhere. Besides, they’ll all be swarming with couples,” she protested.

“No, all the couples will be hiding out in their rooms. You’ll have the place to yourself. It will be like you’re a princess or something.”

This time Fiona rolled her eyes, but she realized her friend had a point. If she could ignore the fact that people were fucking in every room, and she was alone, it would be nice to stay in a place like that. She never did extravagant things for herself, and after the last two weeks, she definitely deserved some royal treatment.

“You know what? You’re right, it does sound like fun. I’m going to do it.”

“Yeah,” Chelle said, and threw her arms in the air. “I knew you would. I’ve already booked you a room.”

“What? How’d you know I’d say yes?”

“I didn’t, but I planned ahead just in case. I also called the Matchmaker and sent her the fee. All you have to do is show up and she’ll give you the details for your date.”

“Chelle, you shouldn’t have…,” she trailed off, trying to cover up the hitch in her breath. “I’ll pay you back for everything.”

“Yes, I should have and you don’t owe me anything. The Matchmaker’s fee is a gift from Rob and I, and the hotel room is only reserved. I love you, but not that much.”

Her friend always knew how to lighten the mood and they both burst out laughing.

Later, after they’d confirmed her reservation and she’d made a lunch date with Caleb, they spent the rest of the night packing for her trip in the morning.

***

Owen seemed to be caught in the week from hell.

By the time he’d made it back to his shop after his visit to see Fiona on Wednesday, Heather had left for the day. The following day she’d taken the day off for a scholarship interview and he didn’t get a chance to talk to her until the end of the workday on Friday. When he finally sat her down and grilled her, she hadn’t remembered Fiona, and she certainly hadn’t remembered their exchange from nearly two weeks ago.

He’d driven to
Jake’s,
and a sign on the door reminded him about the holiday closure. They wouldn’t be back to work until Tuesday morning, and Valentine’s Day would be long gone.

At Fiona’s house, he’d waited across the street again, like some sort of stalker, but she never returned home. The house was dark, her car was absent from the driveway, and her cell phone went straight to voicemail.

He had a feeling she’d went to visit her brother, but he had no way of knowing. Though she and her brother were close, he’d never had the opportunity to meet the man, something he regretted, and no way to contact him even if he had.

He’d reached the end of his rope, and there was only one thing he hadn’t tried. He glanced at the clock in the dashboard.

Almost midnight.

He didn’t know Chelle personally, something else he regretted, but he’d dropped Fiona off at her house once. He turned on the ignition and hoped they let him speak before calling the police.

***

Shit! This should be interesting.

There were a few lights on throughout the house, and Owen felt better knowing Chelle and her husband were probably awake. He banged on the door and waited in the soft glow of the porch light.

A man a few inches shorter than him, but with a chest almost as wide, opened the door and scrutinized him. Tattoos covered his arms, and the piercing in his eyebrow shined when it caught the light’s reflection.

“Yeah?” he asked, seemingly uninterested.

Owen wasn’t fooled. This man was a predator, and though they would be equally matched in human form, he silently cursed not shifting and running in his bear form more often.

“Hi,” he said, and cleared his throat. “You might not know me, but I’m Owen, a friend of Fiona’s, and I’m looking for Chelle. Is she here?”

The guy raised his unpierced eyebrow and studied him, as if waiting for a response to some unanswered question. Owen was about to explain further, when he heard a woman’s voice.

“It’s okay, Rob.” Chelle stepped out from behind the man and turned her attention toward him. “What do you want?” Her icy question reminded him of the last time he saw Fiona.

Whatever he’d done, this woman knew about it.

“Where’s Fiona?” He figured straight to the point was the best course.

“That’s none of your business,” she roared. “What’s your problem anyway? Why don’t you just leave her alone?”

“My problem is I don’t know what’s going on,” he’d raised his voice in return, but when Rob took a step forward, he took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. “What happened? Why is she suddenly acting like she hates me?”

“You’re kidding right?” Her deadpan voice made it seem like he was the stupidest man in the world, and maybe he was because he still had no idea what was happening.

“No, I’m not,” he said, exasperated. “Look, did I do something? Did she find someone else?”

She took a step toward him and jabbed him in the chest with her finger to emphasize each word as she roared at him in the middle of the night.

“You. Got. Married. You asshole! You got married and you broke her heart.”

Married? What the fuck?

“Um, what?” he asked, shaking his head. “What are you talking about?”

“Fiona met your wife,” she said quietly, as if exhausted by his presence. “That was a shitty thing to do, Owen, especially after leading her on for almost two years. You knew how she felt about you. You should’ve told her you were in love with someone else. Now please, leave her alone and let her get on with her life.”

“The hell I will,” he roared back at her. This time Rob stayed put, but he didn’t care either way. He felt like he’d fallen into some weird sci-fi movie, and everyone knew the plot except him. “I’m not in love with anyone else, and I’m
not
married. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Then who is Heather Waverly, the new
Mrs. Chocolate?
” she asked.

Oh shit! I’m going to kill her!

“Heather is my cousin. I hired her so I could spend more time with Fiona. She gets a bit excited about things, and I can see how she must have given Fiona the wrong impression.”

“Your cousin?” she whispered, as if trying to process the extent of his words. “Oh my god.”

“Where is she, Chelle?” he pressed.

“She went to see the Matchmaker.”

He couldn’t stop the growl that escaped and Chelle’s husband stepped forward again, ready to protect his mate.

“I’m sorry,” he said, putting his hands up as if to surrender. “It slipped out. I’m not going to hurt your wife.”

The guy didn’t say a word, but Chelle patted his arm and he visibly calmed down.

“You know the Matchmaker doesn’t usually find forever matches,” Chelle reminded him gently. “She only went so she’d have a date for Valentine’s Day.”

“Do you know where she’s staying?”

“Yeah, let me get the hotel address for you.”

When Chelle brought out the address, they seemed to be on his side, a positive sign, and he thanked them both profusely and offered to take them out to dinner if he got Fiona back.

It was nearly one in the morning when he got home, and though he had so much to do before he could leave, he needed sleep if he was going to make the four-hour drive to Shadow Creek.

He set his clock and fell asleep within minutes.

Chapter Four

Ahhh… I could get used to this!

Chelle had been right. Other than a few couple sightings when she’d checked in, the hotel seemed to be deserted. The
Do Not Disturb
signs hanging on nearly every door reminded her otherwise, but she tried to ignore them and focus on herself. It was easy to do, especially when the man with the magic hands rubbed lotion on her calves and thighs.

When she’d arrived at the hotel on Friday evening, she’d called Chelle and her brother to let them both know she’d made the trip safely, and to tell them she’d forgotten her cell-phone charger. She didn’t see the point of buying a new one since the room had a phone, and she had a charger for the car. She’d be safe for the drive home.

After the phone calls, she ordered room service, and enjoyed the amenities of the room. The bathtub was large and it would easily hold four people, even if they all had curves like hers. She took a bath, and watched movies on the king-sized bed.

Saturday morning had been challenging, but she’d conquered brunch alone, and then set out on foot to meet with the Matchmaker. Usually, information was exchanged over the phone, but the woman had insisted she visit, and Fiona agreed. She welcomed a reason to leave her room and spend the day outside.

Shadow Creek was similar to Shadow Ridge, and that was probably one of the reasons she had transitioned into the new town so easily when she’d moved there two years ago. She enjoyed the cozy, quaint shops on the main drag, and the history and historical architecture had always fascinated her.

Her brother lived close to the hotel, but she avoided his home and stayed on the main road, window shopping and people watching on the way to her meeting. She bought a latte at her favorite, local coffee shop, and sipped the warm brew as she made her way to the dirt road that would lead her to the Matchmaker.

The woman lived alone in the woods, and she encouraged guests to experience the hike to her door in their bear form. The Matchmaker provided her service only for shifters, so humans were rarely seen near her home.

Fiona threw her coffee cup away in the trash can that marked the beginning of the trail, and after she was far enough into the trees, she shifted into her bear form. The change was instantaneous, and she liked the fact that the magic encompassed her clothes. She’d hate to have to strip every time she wanted to explore as a bear.

Though black bears were smaller than their grizzly cousins, all bears were expected to be big. In her shifted form, she looked no different than any other bear, and it was one of the reasons she’d always felt comfortable as her animal.

When she reached the house, she saw an elderly woman sitting on the porch. The woman’s white hair was pulled back in a bouncy pony-tail, and when she smiled her whole face lit up. Fiona shifted back to greet her.

“Hi, I’m Fiona Montgomery.”

“Hello dear,” the woman said. “Come and sit with me. Would you like some iced tea?”

“Yes, please.”

Fiona sat in the chair across from the woman, and poured herself a glass of iced tea. Shifters had a life expectancy of only a few years longer than full humans, but she had a feeling the Matchmaker would outlive more bears and humans than anyone else. For someone her age, she was spry, keen to her surroundings, and she seemed to possess more wisdom than anyone Fiona had ever met.

“It’s the mountain air,” the Matchmaker said.

“Excuse me?”

“Did you know that shifting forms is what makes us live longer than our human friends? I shift every day, and sometimes I stay in my bear form and explore for weeks. Changing forms is our fountain of youth.”

“Really? I’ve never heard that before,” Fiona said.

“It’s easy to get caught up in our human lives and forget the needs of our bear. They require fresh air, wide open spaces and balance. Shifting forms daily is good exercise.”

“That makes sense,” she agreed. “I always feel better after a run, or walk, in my bear form.”

“But that’s not why you’ve come to visit me today,” the woman said with certainty, effectively changing the subject. “Your friend has gifted you a match, but you’re not ready. You feel it’s too soon after finding out your love was unrequited.”

“My friend has a big mouth,” Fiona said. She was upset Chelle had shared more than necessary with the woman.

“She does,” the Matchmaker laughed, “but not in this case. I can see you clearly without her help. Change is on the horizon for the Montgomery siblings. Don’t worry about tomorrow night’s dinner. Things will happen as they should, but you must make sure to meet your brother for lunch in the hotel restaurant at one o’clock.”

“You won’t tell Chelle, will you? She’ll be so disappointed,” Fiona asked.

“No, I won’t tell. Now, you must run along. It’s getting late and I have another appointment soon.”

“Thank you,” Fiona said, relieved. “I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me.”

“You’re welcome, and don’t worry dear. I can guarantee next year will be better.”

Fiona smiled and walked to the edge of the trail, and then shifted into her bear form. The woman’s cryptic comments amused her, and she guessed that was the woman’s point. Next year would definitely be better, because if she were still upset over Owen twelve months from now, she’d be a pathetic mess. 

Back at the hotel, she took another bath, ordered in again, and fell asleep watching TV.

She woke early Sunday morning, and took a deep breath before she got out of bed. She felt different, less sorrowful, and she wondered if the Matchmaker had done something to her. It was Valentine’s Day, but instead of being disappointed over not having a date, she felt a strong sense of peace…as if everything in the world had been set right.

She went to the lobby, and grabbed a Danish and coffee, and then went to her room and prepared for her massage. She’d scheduled the extravagance as a Valentine’s Day gift to herself and she’d had no idea what to expect.

I should have done this years ago…multiple times.

An hour later, five minutes into her session, she realized she’d been missing out all these years. The masseuse she’d been assigned was also a bear shifter, and he worked her muscles in a way no human ever could.

When her session ended, she felt relaxed, carefree and confident. She took her time styling her hair, and then dressed in a frilly black skirt and her new light pink sweater.

She vowed to look beautiful, even if she was only meeting her brother.

***

Owen walked into the hotel lobby, angry about the snag in his plan.

The following day, he’d woken before the alarm and quickly showered and prepared for his trip to Shadow Creek. He packed a bag, gave Dan the keys to the store, and after a quick stop to see his parents, he set out to claim his mate.

He didn’t plan on coming home empty handed, but so far, the world seemed to be against him.

His first stop after the long, four-hour drive had been the hotel Chelle had written down for him. The person behind the desk refused to give him any information about Fiona, which he understood, but then she informed him they were completely booked.

By the time he’d found another hotel, it had been an hour before midnight, and he was tired, sore and grouchy. He’d decided wait another day, and fell asleep on the hard sofa in front of the TV.

The next morning, he dragged his stiff body into the shower, and then called the Matchmaker. The woman refused to speak to him on the phone, and instead, gave him detailed instructions to her home. He’d arrived a little bit after noon, only to discover a note taped to her door.

Rosewood Suites

Hotel Restaurant

1:30 PM

Even though he hadn’t paid the fee, she’d set him up with someone for lunch. He didn’t have time to meet with anyone, let alone in the hotel where Fiona was staying, but he couldn’t stand someone up on Valentine’s Day.

He planned on telling the woman about the mix up, and then resuming the search for his mate.

As he scanned the restaurant, a shiny pink sweater caught his eye. Black curls bounced around the woman’s shoulders, and jealousy swamped him. She sat with her back to him, across from another shifter with short, black hair, but he’d recognize her anywhere.

Mate! Mine!

Suddenly, all rational thought disappeared and he stormed across the room.

“I’m sorry, there’s been a mistake,” he said to the man. “Fiona is with me.”

“Owen,” she whispered his name, but he didn’t look at her. If he did, he wouldn’t be able to think, and he wanted her date gone. The man acted as if he didn’t have a care in the world, and Owen fumed.

“It doesn’t look like she’s with you,” her date said. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’re having a nice lunch.”

Her date went back to his meal, effectively dismissing him. When he looked at Fiona, she’d followed his lead and focused on stabbing the lettuce in her salad. Her nonchalant attitude toward his appearance hurt, but he deserved it. He’d never told her the depth of his feelings, or his plans, and he planned to rectify that as soon as he got rid of her lunch partner.

“Look,” he spoke again. “I don’t think you understand. I’ll reimburse your fee, but this woman is my mate, and you need to leave.”

The man stood abruptly, causing the legs of his chair to scrape across the hardwood floor and draw the attention of all the other patrons in the room. The man was a couple inches shorter than him, but no less powerful. For the second time in less than forty-eight hours, he was prepared to fight if necessary.

“If she’s your mate, why doesn’t she bear your mark?” the man accused. “Why is she with me on Valentine’s Day instead of you?”

He looked down to see Fiona staring up at him, her green eyes wide, waiting for his response. She was so beautiful. He ignored the man and spoke directly to her.

“Fiona, I’m not married. Heather is my cousin and I hired her, and two other people, so I would have time to be the kind of man you deserve, not some stressed out workaholic who can only see you every few months. You’re my heart, and the most important thing to me. Please give me a chance to show you how much I love you.”

As he waited for her response, he glanced at her date and the man stared at her with an eyebrow raised, asking a silent question. It seemed as if the man’s next move would be decided by her words, and it was only then that he noticed their similarities.

“It’s okay, Caleb,” she sighed. “Owen this is my brother, Caleb. Caleb, this is Owen Waverly.”

Caleb stuck out his hand, and Owen grabbed it.

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Caleb said, his face still hard as granite. “You break her heart, and I won’t be so nice the next time we’re in the same room together.”

“It’s nice you meet you, too, and you don’t need to worry,” Owen replied. “I don’t plan on breaking her heart.”

“Caleb,” Fiona said, “I think you should go now. Owen and I have a lot to talk about and you need to fix things with Marianne.”

“Call me,” her brother said, looking at her pointedly.

“I will. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

“Happy Valentine’s Day, sister. I love you.” Caleb kissed her on the cheek, and then turned back to Owen. He smiled, and patted him on the back. “Hopefully the next time we meet it will be less eventful.”

“Hopefully. Good luck, tonight,” Owen said.

“Thanks,” Caleb called over his shoulder. “I have a feeling I’m going to need it.”

They both watched him leave, and then Owen spoke again.

“Do you want to stay and finish your lunch?”

“No,” she said, quietly.

“Do you want to go upstairs?”

“Yes,” she said.

He waved over the waiter and paid the bill, and then he stood and offered her his hand.

Thankfully, she took it.