Bear in Trouble: BBW Paranormal Holiday Shape Shifter Romance (Shadow Bears Book 2) (2 page)

Chapter Two

Caleb looked down at Marianne and smiled. He would never get tired of watching her, another indication she was meant to be his. He’d woken up a few minutes earlier, and after a quick glance at the clock, decided he didn’t need to wake her for another ten minutes.

Her soft breathing tickled his chest, and his arm felt sore from its folded position under his pillow, but seeing her in his bed, with her long hair fanned out against his pillow, still did something to him even though he’d seen the image hundreds of times.

Her eyelids blinked open and she frowned until she glanced up and saw him looking down at her. Like all the other times she’d hidden her emotions, the mask was back in place, but her smile was weak. He decided to ignore it. For now.

Later, when he had more time, he would find out the truth.

“Good morning, baby doll.”

“Good morning,” she said. “What time is it?”

“It’s almost twelve. What some coffee?”

“Yes, please.”

He kissed the top of her head, rolled out of bed, and walked into the kitchen while shaking out his arm. He heard her get up, and a few minutes later she joined him and pulled two mugs out of the cabinet.

She cleared her throat three times before she spoke.

“I need to talk to you about something,” she said, tentatively.

“I have something I’d like to discuss with you, too, but it will have to wait until tonight. I have to meet Fiona for lunch soon. Would you like to join us?”

“No, I can’t. I have some things I need to do around here, and tonight… Tonight I have a date.”

“You have a date?” he asked, incredulous.

“Yes, is that so hard to believe?” she snapped.

“Yes, no, I mean… You have a date?” He couldn’t believe it. He’d waited over a year to tell her his feelings, and she was going out with someone else. On Valentine’s Day.

“Yes, I do. Don’t act so surprised. Lots of men think I’m worth more than a quick fuck.”

“Hey.” She tried to walk past him, but he grabbed her arm and looked down into her deep blue eyes. “That’s not fair, and you know that’s not what I meant. I’m just surprised you’re going out tonight. It’s Valentine’s Day.”

“Yes, I know and I’m tired of spending it alone.”

Her words shocked him. He let go of her and moved to the coffee pot. She didn’t rush out of the room like he thought she would, instead, she faced him.

“Caleb…I—”

“Don’t worry about it. I understand what you mean. So, who is this guy?”

“I’m not sure. The Matchmaker is setting it up.”

The Matchmaker!

“You called the Matchmaker instead of spending the night with me?”

The Matchmaker was an old she-bear who lived in the woods on the outskirts of town. For a fee, she would provide a date for an evening. Usually, her matches ended in nothing more than a lovely night out, but every once in a while, they turned into more.

“Truthfully, you hadn’t discussed your plans with me and I didn’t want to be alone. Enlisting the Matchmaker’s help seemed like a good idea.”

It made sense. He hadn’t had the guts to speak up, and now she was going on a date with another man. Even though most dates ended with a handshake, she’d probably find the love of her life and he’d never see her again. Irrational anger and jealousy raced over his skin and he had to get away from her, otherwise he’d chain her to the bed and never let her leave the house again.

“You’re right. I hope it goes well for you,” he said in his best, supportive voice. “I have to get ready to leave. I’ll see you later.”

He placed his cup in the sink and strode into his bedroom with deliberate, calm footsteps. He wanted to stomp across the room, and slam the door, but if he acted like a jealous boyfriend, she’d know the true depth of his feelings.

Instead, he opted for calm, cool and collected.

He could do this.

***

“Oh, no. What happened?”

As soon as he sat across from his sister, Fiona, she grilled him. They’d always been close, and even though she now lived four hours away, they still visited every other month and talked on the phone weekly.

She knew about his relationship with Marianne, but once she’d asked him to explain it, and he’d brushed her off. How could he explain it to his sister when he couldn’t even explain it to himself?

“She has a date tonight.”

“What? Why?” Fiona asked.

The waiter came with his drink and took their order. When the man hurried away, he continued.

“I don’t know. Apparently she didn’t know what my plans were, and she didn’t want to be alone. Looks like we’re both doing great this year, huh?”

Fiona was nursing a broken heart, and had also planned on having the Matchmaker set her up. A man she’d dated for a long time had gotten married two weeks ago. His new wife was a
surprise
to everyone. His sister was handling it well, but he knew she was devastated.

“Yeah,” she laughed, “only I think you can fix this. Tell her how you feel.”

“I can’t. She wouldn’t have set up the date if she felt the same.”

The waiter dropped off their salads and they began to eat.

“Or,” Fiona pointed her fork at him, “she got tired of waiting around for you to make your move,” she reprimanded gently. “You guys love each other. Everyone sees it but you.”

“You think she loves me?” he asked.

“I know she does. Caleb, you have to tell you how you feel, before it’s too late.”

“Maybe you’re right,” he pondered.

“You know I am,” she said, laughing.

“Oh, shit. Do
not
turn around, but there is an angry bear headed our way,” he said.

He’d never met Owen, but if he had to guess, then he’d say the tall, blond bear storming toward him was his sister’s ex.

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

“Owen,” Fiona whispered his name, confirming his suspicion.

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

He went back to his salad, and Fiona followed his lead and ignored Owen.

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

Caleb stood abruptly. The legs of his chair scraped across hardwood floor, drawing the attention of all the other patrons in the room. He had a feeling the man wasn’t married, but as far as he knew, this man had hurt Fiona. Caleb would protect her if needed.

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

Owen spoke directly to Fiona.

“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.”

Caleb looked at Fiona and raised an eyebrow in question. Whatever happened next was up to her. If she gave the word, he would throw Owen out.

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

He stuck out his hand, and Owen grabbed it.

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Caleb said, his face still hard as granite. He couldn’t let this guy off without a warning. “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,” Caleb said, looking at her pointedly.

“I will. Happy Valentine’s Day,” she smiled back at him.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, sister. I love you,” Caleb said, and leaned down to kiss her on the cheek.

He turned back to Owen, 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.”

He left the couple to deal with the rest of the meal, and raced back home to Marianne.

***

“Are you sure you want to do this?” CeCe asked.

Marianne took a deep breath to settle her nerves and nodded to her friend.

“I’m sure.”

“Okay, then. Let’s find you a hotel.”

CeCe started pounding away on her laptop and Marianne took a sip of her coffee looked out the window of the tiny coffee shop.

Shadow Creek was a wonderful, small, picturesque town almost entirely inhabited by black bear shifters. Like its sister town, Shadow Ridge, the main drag lured tourists in with its beautiful mix of historic and modern architecture, unique shops, and friendly atmosphere.

Both towns had plenty of trees and wooded areas for bears to run, but they usually stayed in the shadows, away from curious humans. Years ago, after Shadow Creek had been established by the first shifting settlers, the family decided shifters needed more land to comfortably be themselves, and they moved to the east and founded Shadow Ridge.

In the early years of colonization, both towns survived many attacks and invasions until the full humans realized they were fighting a losing battle and befriended the bears. Now both towns were recognized as historical landmarks by the government.

She loved her town, and was proud of her ancestors’ foresight and vision for future shifters.

People rushed by the shop in droves, and many of them wore red, festively honoring the day. Others carried a red retail bag of some kind, or roses, signaling gifts received or yet to be given. She smiled when she counted at least six different shades of the pretty flower.

Maybe I should pick up some flowers.

Roses were her favorite flower, and although she liked the red ones the best, it didn’t matter the shade. The flower was strong and elegant, and looking at them always made her feel good. She could use some positive reinforcement tonight.

Earlier, after her altercation with Caleb, she’d gone to her room and closed the door. Except for her closet and her desk, the room hardly looked lived in. The bed was made with all her frilly pillows in place, the nightstand was free of clutter, and her bookcase was tidy with every book in its proper order.

She’d spent so much time in Caleb’s room, her alarm clock, water bottle, lotion dispenser and tablet had all found a permanent residence on one of his nightstands. She decided to wait until he left to retrieve her things, and turned on her laptop to print the short note she’d written him at the beginning of the New Year.

After a quick reread, she printed the note, signed it, and set it on her desk. She pulled her suitcase out from under her bed, and built a pile of clothes next to it. She packed carefully, making sure she would be comfortable for the next two weeks.

When she found a new place to live, hopefully soon, she’d pick up the rest of her belongings. Until then, her new address was CeCe’s couch.

Her friend had tried to talk her out of taking drastic measures without talking to Caleb, but she knew nothing would ever change. Caleb didn’t think of her as anything more than a friend with benefits and she couldn’t live that way anymore.

She’d rather be alone than with someone she loved who didn’t return her feelings.

“Two nights, right?” CeCe asked, with her hand covering half of her cell-phone.

The woman had a gift for finding special rates on hotels and travel, and she’d moved from the laptop to the phone a few minutes ago.

“Yeah,” Marianne nodded again.

She knew Caleb would check CeCe’s apartment first, so she opted to stay in a hotel for two nights until his initial search wore off. She knew he’d tire of looking for her after a couple of days, and if he did keep looking, the distance would provide her with the strength to carry out her convictions.

“Oh, you’re a lucky girl,” CeCe said, putting down her phone.

“And why is that?” Marianne asked dryly.

She knew her friend referred to the room she’d found, not Marianne’s life in general, but seeing all that red through the window, and thinking about Caleb, had brought her spirits down.

“I got you a room in the
Rosewood
.”

“What? Really? How?”

Rosewood Suites
was an incredibly popular five star hotel in the center of town. Reservations were always needed for a stay, and she’d never heard of anyone getting a room on the same day, let alone a holiday of any kind.

“I’m just that good,” CeCe laughed, “and I know a guy. By the way, I owe him a favor now because of you, so you’d better make the most of it.”