Bearly In Control (9 page)

He wrapped his powerful arms around her and held her close in his soothing embrace.

Yup.

She had definitely made the right decision.

eight

The past four days had been the happiest of Edwin’s life. His mate, Grace, was with him. They spent the days hiking and lounging by the river and the nights in each other’s arms making love. It was perfect.

He was back at Brooke Excursions and Connor and Sidney were thrilled for him. Connor even said that he was proud of him.

Grace threw her leg over his lap and laid down on the pillow. They were sitting on the porch swing, lounging around on the beautiful summer afternoon. Connor was racing around the cabins making sure that everything was perfect for the guests arriving the next day.

Sidney burst out of the clubhouse wearing a tight green shirt. “How about this one?” he asked, pacing around the porch. It was the ninth outfit that he had tried on for them.

Grace groaned. “Angie is a total nerd Sidney. She doesn’t care about clothes.”

He looked at his faded reflection in the window. “No, no, no,” he said, yanking it over his head.

“Will you stop stressing?” she asked. “She’s into you.”

The past four days had been like this. Sidney was leaving tomorrow to go spend some time with Angie. He was a touch nervous.

“I should wear a hat and get a fake mustache,” he said, scratching his head.

Grace shook her head. “I’m going to regret asking this but why would you do that?”

Sidney dropped his hands. “Because I’m a celebrity Grace. And I’m going to be walking around New York City. The paparazzi will go nuts.”

“You played two NFL games two years ago,” Connor said, walking over. “Even your former team mates have forgotten your name.”

Sidney turned back to his reflection in the mirror and held up a finger under his nose as a pretend mustache. “I look good with a mustache.”

An older man wearing a fishing vest and sneakers walked up the dirt path to the road. He was holding a thick blue file stacked with papers. “Who is that?” Edwin asked, sitting up in the swing.

“Oh that’s for me,” Grace said, jumping off him and darting down the steps in her bare feet. Her blond hair was flying in the wind.

The three bear shifters froze, trying to listen to their hushed whispers. Edwin couldn’t hear anything. The man handed Grace a stack of papers. She read through them quickly and then placed them on her Porsche and signed each one of them.

“What is going on?” Edwin muttered.

Grace handed the man a key and he got into the Porsche with a smile on his face. She leaned into the car and pointed some things on the dashboard out to him. The engine roared to life and the man drove away, waving out the window.

Grace walked back holding a stack of papers. She had a huge grin on her face.

“Did you just sell your car?” Connor asked before Edwin had a chance to ask the same thing.

Grace shook her head. “Nope. Traded it.”

“For what?” Edwin asked.

“For us,” she replied. “Come. I’ll show you.”

Grace could hardly contain her excitement. She skipped down the road, practically running, with the three werebears behind her. “Hurry up,” she said, turning towards them.

She ran onto the property next to Brooke Excursions. It was a five minute walk down the road. A cute, charming cabin on the river. And it was theirs.

Ours.

“What’s this?” Edwin asked when he walked down the driveway off the road. He looked up at the cabin with wide eyes.

“It’s ours,” she said, tossing him the key.

He snatched it out of the air. He opened his palm and stared at it in disbelief.

She had met the neighbor two days ago and offered to trade her Porsche for the cottage straight up. The car was worth more but she felt like she got the better deal. She was getting a home. For her and for Edwin.

Connor and Sidney snuck back out of the driveway giving them a moment alone.

“I haven’t had a home since I was ten years old,” he said, getting chocked up. He wouldn’t take his eye off the key.

Grace stepped up behind him and wrapped her arms around his thick body. They both looked up at the cottage.

It was perfect. It had a gorgeous porch that looked out onto the gurgling river. There were two chairs side by side just like the older werebears they met at the fruit stand. Grace could see herself with Edwin there in thirty years, still in love, still happy.

There was even enough room in the cottage for a couple of future bear cubs to roam around.

Edwin turned around and hugged her. He was getting teary eyed. She had never seen him so emotional before. “Grace I-”

He stuttered, unable to find words. Grace kissed him, saving him the trouble.

“Come,” she said, pulling his hand towards the cottage. “I want to show you the bedroom.”

Edwin’s bear purred.

epilogue

Five months later…

Grace brushed the last stroke of paint down the peaceful mountain in her painting.

Done.

She leaned back on her chair and admired her work. It was good. Her best yet. It was a perfect replica of the spectacular mountain scenery in front of her. The tall mountains thrust against the baby blue sky, the majestic trees with the colorful birds landing on their playful branches and the carefree river slowly snaking through it all.

Grace breathed in the fresh air mixed with the smell of her oil paints and smiled. She had missed that smell. She had missed looking at colorful fingertips stained with paint.
Why did I give it up for so long?
Painting made her so happy.

Everything here made her so happy.

She screwed the caps on her paints and began to clean up.
This painting will sell really fast
. Grace had set up a street stall in the small tourist village. She sold her paintings to the happy tourists walking hand in hand. It brought her a lot of pride that her art would be hanging in people’s homes, over their fireplaces, in their kitchens.

It was the first time that she ever made money for herself. It wasn’t a lot. She would never be able to replace her Porsche but it was enough to make her happy.

Grace gathered her supplies and hiked down the mountain. She wore hiking boots wherever she went now. They were much more comfortable than heels and she loved them.

The hiking path led straight to her backyard. She broke through the trees into the open air and saw a familiar sight in the distance. Edwin’s bear was walking in the river with his head down, looking for fish. He dunked his head under the water but came up empty. The water rolled off the matted fur on his forehead.

Grace smiled. She had never been happier. Edwin’s calm, quiet presence was just what she needed. He spoiled her. Not in the way her father spoiled her, buying her everything she wanted. He spoiled her with attention. He cooked for her, cleaned for her, fed her by hand, gave her massages without asking and listened to everything she had to say with interest. He was so different from the other men that she’d been with. Plus he fucked her senseless every chance that he got.

Edwin’s bear looked over towards her, raised his nose and sniffed the air. Grace smiled and waved. They had been talking a lot about having a baby lately. Edwin was ready and Grace was thinking that she was finally ready too. Well, as ready as she would ever be. She rubbed her stomach with her hand, imagining what it would feel like to have Edwin’s bear cub inside her.

She continued into her new home and placed her latest artwork on top of the cozy fireplace. It fit perfectly. Maybe she would keep this one for herself.

She flicked on the radio and hummed the end of the U2 song that was playing. The Radio DJ came on and began reading the news. She was half listening as she cleaned her paint brushes in the sink until something caught her ear.

“Scandal in the Presidential primaries,”
the DJ said.
“Senator Richard Briggs has dropped out of the race after his wife, Daisy, was found cheating on him with Senator Jerry William’s son, Devon Williams.”

Grace dropped the dirty paintbrush in the sink with a clang and turned towards the radio with her mouth hanging open.

“The Senator has pulled out of the race saying that he has to focus on what is good for his family.”

Grace snorted a laugh. Her Dad finally learned his lesson.

She turned off the radio as Edwin walked into the cabin.

Naked.

He had regressed back to his natural state of no clothes since they had moved in. Grace had no complaints.

He walked over with lust in his eyes, his toned muscles flexed and tight. He picked her up easily and kissed her on the lips.

Grace knew what was going to happen next. Her panties moistened in anticipation.

She smiled as he carried her into the bedroom.

the end

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Continue with Sidney and Angie on their journey: Bearly Interested

Get it HERE on Amazon (free with Kindle Unlimited)

Quantum Electrochemist and all round genius, Angie Hawkins, is about to complete a study that will make her career and land her a dream job in Switzerland. She has four days to finish the tricky experiment and everything is going on schedule until an unwelcome interruption comes barging back into her life: a polar bear shifter named Sidney.
Ex NFL player, Sidney Watts, hasn't heard from the sexy redhead that he bonded with three weeks ago. So what's a bear shifter to do when his phone messages aren't returned? Why go to New York City and find her!
But when Sidney arrives in the Big Apple he will have his work cut out for him because Angie only wants to focus on her career and won't give him the time of day. Luckily, Sidney is a slow learner and is oblivious to her not-too-subtle hints.
In Bearly Breathing we found out that these two opposites can attract for a night. But will they be able to spend a week together without strangling each other?