Beary Overdue (Polar Bliss 1) (4 page)

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he seethed.

“Reid, please,” she whispered. She pushed on his chest, and tried to look around him, but he’d caged her in and he didn’t budge.

“Please, what?” he mocked, his voice low. “Please don’t make a scene? It’s too late for that little sister. Why didn’t you tell me about Jillian?”

“Let me go,” she pleaded, pushing on him again. Her eyes filled with tears, and her breathing was erratic, but he ignored her bogus distress. He knew too many women who could cry on cue, and he refused to be manipulated.  

“Not until you answer my question,” he demanded.

“I—”

“Leave her alone!”

Ryker’s arms encircled his upper body, and swung him away from Riley. His sister bolted through the kitchen door, and Ridge glared at him with something akin to hatred. Everyone in the shop quietly stared at the drama unfolding, but he didn’t care.

“Get the fuck off me,” he roared.

He struggled against Ryker’s vice-like grip, but his brother didn’t budge. Ryker was only an inch taller than his six-foot, one-inch frame, but the man had more bulk and had always been the strongest Holland brother.

Ryker dragged him through the same door Riley had used to escape, but he didn’t stop there. He pulled him all the way through the kitchen and out the back door, and then shoved him toward the pavement.

Reid stumbled, but quickly righted himself.

When he turned to face Ryker, the man had taken an offensive stance, ready to attack.

“Relax, asshole,” Reid growled. “I’m not going to fight you.”

“Why not? You came into
my
shop looking for a fight, didn’t you? Or do you only fight women now?”

“Don’t be a dick,” he snapped. “Of course I don’t fight women.”

“Right, you just use your charms and force them to give you what you want.”

“I don’t have to force anyone to give me what I want,” Reid said, proudly.

“Right,” Ryker scolded. “That’s why your sister is crying in the bathroom and half the town is talking about what a dick you are. How could you, Reid? After everything she’s been through…how could you?”

His brother’s disappointment was palpable, and shame swamped him as he remembered glancing at the scar on Riley’s face and disregarding it. He hadn’t found out about the scar, or Riley’s ex boyfriend, until everything had been over and dealt with, and even then it had been from a mutual acquaintance. He’d been alone for a long time.

Silence stretched between the two men, until Ryker spoke again.

“I’m guessing you saw Jillian?”

“Yeah, she surprised me at my apartment about an hour ago,” Reid said. “Why didn’t you guys tell me she was coming?”

“Tell you how? We never see you and you don’t return our calls,” Ryker reprimanded. “Unless we go to the bar, you completely avoid us, and even then you barely acknowledge us at all.”

Reid thought about protesting, but Ryker spoke the truth. Ever since Jillian left, he’d been slowly pulling away from his family, and now he basically avoided them as much as possible. 

“By
surprised
, I’m guessing you mean the reunion wasn’t good,” Ryker stated.

“Yeah,” Reid confirmed.

“If we had known, we would have tried to tell you,” Ryker said. “She just got into town today, and we had no idea she was coming. Riley was going to take her to the bar tonight, but I seriously doubt that will happen now. She’s staying all week though, so maybe in a few days. I’m sure she’ll want to see what you’ve created for yourself before she goes.”

“Okay, thanks,” he nodded. “I’m going to go.”

“We miss you,” Ryker warned, “but the next time you come here looking for a fight, you’re going to get one.”

“Understood.”

Ryker nodded once, silently turned, and reentered the building.

As much as he hated to admit it, he missed the man. Hell, he missed them all, especially Riley, but it was too late. He was too far gone to change, and they definitely deserved better.  

Most of his anger toward his family had dissipated, but he still felt on edge, anxious and angry. He couldn’t wait for Jillian to see what he’d built for himself—in both the bar and his reputation—and how successful he’d become. She might not come tonight, but she would come, and he would be ready for her.

His bear slammed against his insides again, and growled. The animal urged him to run into the neighboring trees and shift, but he silenced the creature and ignored the constant, monotonous pacing.

Their first meeting may have shocked them both, but in a few days Jillian would leave town again, never to return. This time, he’d make sure she knew exactly what kind of man she’d left behind.

Chapter Four

Jillian sipped her
Polar Kiss
and looked out the window of the nearly empty coffee shop. A flurry of snow fell from the sky, but the residents of the town ignored the tiny fluff and continued to their destinations.

Polar Bliss
had a prime real estate location in the center of town, and there were always passersby. It was one of the things she loved about the window seat she’d warmed so many afternoons all those years ago. In between homework, talking with Riley, and flirting with Reid, she passed the time studying the people on the street.

The shop door opened, and a blast of cold air whooshed around her, causing her to shiver and silently curse. She’d worn a pair of snug, dark-washed indigo jeans, and a shimmering red sweater set, but only the cardigan had long sleeves. Although they would be inside most of the night, the decision to leave her coat in the car had been a bad one.

“Jillian?”

She looked up, and immediately recognized the tall, curvy beauty standing near her table.

Jane Hart.

Jane was two full inches taller than her five-foot, nine-inch frame, and the woman’s dark, auburn hair fell to the middle of her back in large, loose curls. Her light green eyes sparkled in the twinkling lights from the window, and though they’d been four years apart, and little more than causal acquaintances, Jillian was happy to see another familiar face.

Jane had been born and raised in Longmeadow, the same as the Hollands, and she was Ridge’s best friend. She hadn’t hung out in
Polar Bliss
often, which explained why Jillian didn’t know her well, but the two friends had spent nearly every spare moment together when they weren’t working in their respective family’s businesses.

Jillian had been sure the pair were mates.

All these years later, it was disappointing to see she’d been wrong. They were still best friends, but nothing more, and it didn’t seem like that status was ever going to change. On the plus side, if Ridge found his mate one day, Jane wouldn’t be cast aside like an old girlfriend would be.

Like you would have been if you’d stayed with Reid.

She pushed the truth away and focused on her friend.

“Jane!” She stood, and gave the woman a hug. “How are you?”

“I’m doing well,” Jane said. “I’m sorry to hear about Fred’s passing. I know the two of you weren’t close, but…are you doing okay?”

“I am,” Jillian smiled. “I haven’t spoken to him since I left town, but my mother loved him and he provided me with a home and an education when he didn’t have to. I’ll always treasure his generosity.”

“That’s a good way to look at things,” Jane agreed, though her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Sometimes you have to search harder to find the good in someone.”

Jillian nodded and thought about Reid.

Their first meeting hadn’t gone well, and after talking with Riley, she wondered if he had any redeeming qualities left. At the end of the night, she would either be surprised or disappointed, but she had a feeling it would be the latter on a very large scale.

Three days ago, on her first night in town, Riley had shown up at her motel an hour early and proposed a new plan. Instead of visiting Reid’s bar, her friend suggested a girl’s night in, and Jillian had eagerly agreed.

As it turned out, they’d both had enough of Reid that day.

They’d ordered room service, visited a convenience store sometime after midnight for ice cream, and stayed up most of the night filling each other in on every big, and not so big, event from the last seven years.

By the end of the night, she’d learned about Riley’s painful past, and Reid’s evolving path to destruction and desertion from his family.

Both stories had been incredibly painful to hear, but while Riley had her love and sympathy, she felt nothing more than frustration and relief when she thought about Reid.

If she’d stayed, it would have been a huge mistake.

Riley bounded up to the table wearing a pair of dark jeans and an oversized sweater.

“Are you guys ready to go?”

“Where’s Ridge?” Jane asked.

“He’s changing,” Riley said. “He’ll be out in a minute.”

In an effort to save time, Ridge had worked until closing, and then showered and changed in the back while Riley had left an hour early and gotten ready at home. Ryker wasn’t going to the bar with them, but it had been his night off, and it seemed all of the Hollands still preferred to open the shop rather than close it.

She’d laughed out loud when Riley and Ridge had tried to switch shifts with Ryker at dinner the night before. Apparently, everyone hated cleaning the machines and performing the closing duties, and each sibling guarded their nights off with unabashed, possessive determination. 

In the end, the schedule had stayed the same, and they’d decided to go out an hour later, but she’d loved listening to their banter. Reid hadn’t been the only one she’d missed, and it was wonderful feel like part of a family again.

A few minutes later, they left the warmth of
Polar Bliss
, and Ridge drove them all across town to
The Dirty Bear
. The gravel parking lot was packed with cars, and music from the jukebox filled the air every time someone opened the large metal door. 

When they walked inside, the first thing she noticed was a crowd three people deep around the bar. Hayden was the only one behind the counter, but he filled orders quickly and efficiently, moving with the controlled grace of a predator. Riley had confirmed her guess about him being a shifter, a polar bear, too, and the knowledge only added to his appeal. Once again she cursed her stupid, almost obsessive, attraction to Reid.

Ridge found them a table, and a curvy, ginger haired waitress about her height greeted them a few seconds later. The woman looked like a fairy goddess with creamy white skin, dark green eyes, and a light smattering of freckles across her nose. She had the same smooth, controlled movements as Hayden, and Jillian immediately recognized her as Hayden’s sister. Riley had told her a little bit about the siblings, including the fact that they were Reid’s only employees.

She looked around the bar again and shook her head. With only one bartender and one waitress, the place was severely understaffed. While she commended Reid for hiring both siblings, and according to Riley, paying them extremely well, she couldn’t ignore the fact that he worked them too hard by not taking on more workers.

“Hey guys,” the woman said. “It’s good to see you again. What can I get you?”

“Hi Hayley,” Riley said. “Do you know where Reid is?”

“Um,” Hayley looked around, and Jillian spotted him a second before the waitress did. “Left side of the bar, but it looks like he’ll be going outside soon.”

“Thanks Hayley,” Ridge said. “I’ll get our drinks from the bar.”

“Sounds good,” she said. “Hope to see you all later.”

Hayley moved to the next table, and Ridge stood.

“Want to come with me, Jilly?”

She nodded and followed Ridge through the crowd. They sidled up to the left side of the bar, and Ridge stood behind her so she could see better.

Reid sat on a bar stool surrounded by at least six women, and they were all thin and petite, covered in heavy make-up, and dressed similar to the woman she’d seen in his apartment. In fact, one of them might have been the same woman, though she doubted it.

Each woman in the entourage hung on his every word, laughed in all the right moments, and pawed at him as if desperate for his attention, which of course they were. It didn’t take a genius to figure out the one he liked best would be spending the night with him.

She frowned and turned in time to see Hayden cutting someone off.

“Sorry, man,” Hayden said. “You’ve had enough. Do you have a ride home?”

“Fuck you,” the man slurred. “I want another.”

“Not tonight, buddy,” Hayden reiterated. “Here’s a glass of water.”

“I don’t want your fucking water,” the man said, shoving the glass away. It teetered on the edge of the bar, and then fell inside and shattered next to Hayden’s feet.

“Hayden,” Reid said. “He’s alright. Give him another on the house.”

Hayden glared at Reid, but he followed orders and gave the man another beer.

Hayley shoved her way through the crowd and placed her tray on the counter. An angry man followed, bellowing behind her.

“You overcharged me, you dumb, fat fuck, now give me my money back.”

“Hayden,” she yelled, before turning to face the man. “For the hundredth time, I didn’t overcharge you. Bottles are five dollars each. You bought two. That equals ten dollars, and you gave me ten dollars.”

“Hey,” Reid interrupted. “What’s going on here?”

Hayley opened her mouth to explain, and the man cut her off.

“The other waitress told me bottles were three dollars, and this fattie is charging me five. She’s a fucking thief, and she’s probably stealing from all of your customers to buy more hamburgers on the way home.”

“Hey,” Hayden yelled. “That’s my sister, asshole. One more word—”

“Hayley, give the man back his money,” Reid said. “Sir, your drinks are on the house. Sorry for the confusion.”

Jillian let out a tiny gasp, but somehow Reid heard it. His eyes locked with hers, and for a second it seemed as if they were the only two people in the room, then he smiled a feral smile and turned back toward his entourage of women with his arms open wide. They swarmed him, fighting for the closest spot, and Jillian turned toward Ridge.

“I’ve seen enough,” she whispered. “I’m going back to the table.”

Ridge nodded and she quickly made her way back to her friends.

“Fight, fight, fight!”

Suddenly everyone in the room started yelling, and most of the patrons rushed to the left side of the bar. The crowd cheered and chanted, and when the horde parted, she saw a bloody Reid following another man outside. Most of the patrons trailed after them, and Ridge showed up with their drinks a few moments later.

“This is what he’s so proud of?” Jillian asked, not expecting an answer. “You were right, Riley. He’s changed, and if I hadn’t seen everything for myself, I wouldn’t have believed it. I’m ready to go whenever you guys are.”

“We’d better wait until everyone comes back in,” Ridge said. “It gets rowdy out there when fists are swinging, and we don’t want to get caught up in that mess.”

They sipped their beers until the building filled back up again, and then Ridge drove them all back to
Polar Bliss
, and Jillian returned to her motel.

She’d expected to be disappointed at the end of the night, but she hadn’t expected to feel gutted. Once upon a time, Reid had been a good man, but that good man was long gone.

The realization made her heart break into a million tiny pieces.

***

Reid hurried up the steps to his family home, and waited impatiently for the woman he’d brought with him to catch up. Though they’d had an inch of snowfall during the day, the steps had been cleared and there weren’t any ice patches, but her four inch heels slowed her down.

He looked at the woman again, and shook his head. Deep inside, his bear grunted and turned away, giving him the cold shoulder. For the first time ever, he felt as if his animal had given up on him. The realization widened the hole in his heart, but he didn’t have time to reflect on the consequences right now.

This was his last chance to get revenge on Jillian, and a temperamental bear wasn’t going to stand in his way.

He’d been ecstatic when she’d come in the bar the night before. Not only had he been surrounded by several beautiful women, but he’d had the opportunity to exercise his power, first with his bartender and second with his waitress. The icing on the cake had been winning the brawl in the parking lot, but when he’d picked the woman he planned to fuck all night, Jillian had been gone.

Tonight, she wouldn’t run.

Tomorrow was the viewing, and Jillian’s final night in town, but Riley had prepared a special goodbye dinner for her tonight, and he was about to crash the party. With the woman he’d chosen the night before.

When she finally made it up the stairs, Reid grabbed her hand and burst through the front door. Ryker came running out of the dining room, and blocked them in the foyer.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Ryker seethed.

“It’s a family dinner,” Reid grinned, “and I’m family.”

“You’re an asshole,” Ryker growled.

Riley came in and peered under Ryker’s arm, followed by Jillian, Ridge and Jane.

“Shit man,” Ridge said. “You scared me half to death.”

He grabbed Jane’s hand and pulled her away from the scene.

“What are you doing here, Reid?” Riley asked timidly.

“It’s a family diner, little sis, and I’m family. I figured my invite got lost in the mail.”

“Quit being a dick,” Ryker said. “We all know why you’re here.”

“Reid, you can’t—”