Saving Courtney (Bryant Station Curves Book 4) (4 page)

“Todd, you want to focus on me. I’m the threat.” Scott moved again to block his cousin’s view of Courtney.

“Scott?” Courtney started to reach out to touch his shoulder, but a deep growl from Todd stopped her. She dropped her hand and stepped back. “Don’t you dare growl at me!”

“Remember when I said you might find your mate here?”
asked Scott.

“Yeah, I remember, but I figured you were joking. Besides, I told you I don’t want a mate, especially one who growls and tries to order me around.” Her voice was barely audible. Courtney swallowed. Her brain said she did not want a mate, but her body was having different ideas. Todd’s growls sent shivers rippling down her spine, but it definitely was not because she was afraid of him.

“Courtney, meet Sheriff Todd Anderson, your mate. I think he wants you whether you want him or not.” Scott sniffed the air. The scent of Courtney’s desire filled the room. “I don’t think you’re going to get away from him.”

“Courtney, come here.” Todd liked the sound of her name, but the fact she was disobeying him angered him and his bear, and what was this about her not wanting a mate? He needed her away from Scott.

Mate smells good.
Why she no want a mate?

Todd sniffed the air and smiled.
She wants us, even though she says she doesn’t.

“Todd, you need to get control so we can sit down and talk.” Scott tried reasoning with
Todd. “I’m not trying to take her from you. I just don’t want you to hurt her or scare her.”

“I would never hurt my mate, but you are a different story. I smell her
scent on you. Get away from her now.” Todd did not want to hurt his cousin, but the fact Courtney’s scent was on him was driving him and his bear crazy. “Leave.”

“Courtney’s scent is on my clothes, not me. We just live together.” Scott held his hands up.

Todd growled. “Wrong thing to say.”

“There is nothing going on between Courtney and me. We just share an apartment so I can protect her.” Scott tried to reason with Todd and his bear.

Todd rushed Scott, hitting him in the face with his right fist.

Scott staggered but did not fall. He countered with a right hook.

The two men continued pounding each other with their fists. The glass display case cracked and shattered when someone’s fist landed in the middle of the glass. The two men locked onto each other, trying to force the other to submit. They twisted into the counter, hitting the trays. Pies and brownies fell off the counter, splattering when they hit the floor.

“Would you two break it up before you destroy the bakery?” Joy closed the door between the diner and the bakery. “Break it up!” She yelled at the two men, but they ignored her.

“They are too pig headed to listen to anyone.” Courtney shook her head.

“Stay back so you don’t get hurt,” said Joy.

Courtney could not believe the two men were fighting. She knew she could not physically break them up, but she had to do something. Courtney ran back into the kitchen and filled up a large pitcher with cold water. She carried it back to the front.

Joy looked at Courtney. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m stopping this ridiculous fight.” Courtney dumped the water onto Todd and Scott.

The cold water shocked both men causing them to stop hitting each other.

“Look at the mess you have made!” Courtney slammed the metal pitcher down on the countertop.

Both men stared at her.

“Don’t you even think for one minute that I’m cleaning this mess! You made it with your ridiculous fight.” Courtney put her hands on her hips. “What do you have to say for yourselves?”

Scott looked at Todd then at himself. They
were both covered with remnants of ruined pie, and they were soaked from the water Courtney had thrown on them. Blood covered their faces.

Todd looked at his cousin, then back at Courtney. She was furious. She looked beautiful. Todd started laughing. Instead of running away scared, his mate had taken it upon herself to stop t
he fight between him and Scott, but she had done it in a way that did not bring her near the danger of the two men fighting. Her bravery pleased his bear, but it terrified the man. She needed to know her limitations so she stayed safe.

“Are you laughing at me?” Courtney’s cheeks turned pink, but her eyes flashed with anger. “Let’s see how you are laughing when you two are cleaning this place, replacing the glass
in the display case, and baking more pies to replace the ones you ruined.”

“He started it.” Scott pointed at Todd.

“He may have started it, but you could have taken it outside.” Courtney plopped her hands on her hips. “But did you do that? No! You started the fight in the middle of my bakery. You destroyed the glass case and half my morning’s work. I hope you two are proud of yourselves, especially you.” Courtney pointed her finger at Todd. “You should be ashamed of yourself. You are a police officer. You’re supposed to keep the peace. You shouldn’t be starting fights or destroying property.”

Both men stared at Courtney.

“Are they all like this?” Courtney looked at Joy.

“Pretty much.
I would tell you to run, but that one would just follow you.” She pointed at Todd. “Unfortunately, he has got your scent and has claimed you as his mate, and bears like to play chase.”

Courtney threw her hands up into the air. “That’s just great. The last thing I need right now is a mate.”

Scott shoved Todd off him and pushed himself into a sitting position.

“Watch where you put your hands or we will have to dig glass out of them.”

Scott grinned at Courtney. “Will you bandage and kiss my booboo too?”

Courtney’s eyes widened then narrowed. “You didn’t just ask me that?”

Todd gave Scott a shove. “The only booboos she’s bandaging and kissing are mine.” He winked Courtney.

Like mate,
growled his bear.

Yeah, I like her too.

“For your information, I don’t kiss strangers.”

“You will kiss me.” Todd’s eyes traveled up and down Courtney’s body…from the curve of her
wide hips to the swell of her large breasts, she tried hiding under the oversized sweatshirt.

The desire reflected in his eyes caused Courtney’s mouth to drop open. She felt her breasts swell and the nipples turn into hard pebbles under his heated gaze.

“Why don’t you come here and help me up.”

Courtney closed her mouth and swallowed. She wanted to do more than just help him up. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

“I think it is a great idea.” Todd wanted to wrap his arms around her and drive his cock deep into her until she screamed his name in pleasure.

“I think the both of you need to clean up this mess.” Courtney took a step back. She really wanted to turn and run but did not think that would be a good idea, especially sin
ce Joy already told her bears like to play chase.

“They can start by mopping up all this water.” Joy crossed her arms.

“We didn’t put the water on the floor.” Scott looked at the mess he and Todd were sitting in. They were both wet and covered with pies and brownies.

Courtney shook her head as she stared at the men. “Joy, can you call someone to look at
the cuts and bruises they have.”

Joy shook a finger at the men. “Don’t you dare leave or start fighting again. I’m calling Harrison to come look at you.”

“Is he a doctor?” asked Courtney.

“He’s a paramedic,” said Joy.

Courtney raised an eyebrow. “I think we need a veterinarian more than we need a paramedic, especially since these two are acting more like animals than humans.”

“Not a bad idea. I think our cousin, Jason, might have some sedatives he can give them to calm them down.” Joy tapped her foot.

“As long as he has a really big needle he can use when he gives them the shot.”

Todd raised an eyebrow at his mate. “Do you really want to hurt me?”

“You two are behaving like children instead of adults.” Courtney closed her eyes for a minute. “Joy, would you call…Harrison to come take care of these two. Some of the cuts look like they are going to need stitches. I know they can probably shift and heal the wounds, but I don’t think I need two huge bears in my bakery.”

“And it wouldn’t hurt to have another guy here who can handle these two, though you didn’t do too
bad of a job.” Joy grinned at Courtney. She pulled out a cellphone and made the call to Harrison.

A timer went off in the kitchen. “I have to get some stuff out of the oven.” Courtney shoved some stray hairs out of her face. “There had better not be any fighting while I’m gone.”

Todd growled as he watched her curvy rear disappear. “Mine.” She was perfect…fearless of him and his bear.

Scott shook his head and laughed. “She’s yours.”

Todd growled again.

“My bear and I think of her as a sister.” Scott gingerly rubbed his jaw. “You’ve got a mean right hook, bro.”

“She knows about us?” Todd pushed himself into a sitting position.

“She didn’t grow up around shifters, but she can sense the difference in us. Her brother was the same way.” Scott wiped his hands on his jeans. “Damn, we made a mess.”

“Where is her brother?” Todd rubbed his shoulder.

“Hagen and I served together overseas. He was killed about six months ago in a car wreck.”

“What about the rest of her family?”

Scott shook his head. “Their mom died several years ago. Neither Courtney nor Hagen ever spoke of a father.”

Todd frowned. “How did you end up in this?”

“Hagen wreck wasn’t an accident. Something is after Courtney.
It’s not exactly human, but it’s definitely not a shifter. It wants her and is willing to kill anyone in the way to get to her. I brought her here because I need help protecting her…and I was hoping she would find her mate.”

Todd’s bear relaxed a little.
Want mate.

Yeah, I want her too.

We protect her.

“What the hell were you trying to do to each other?” Harrison walked into the room, closing the door behind him.

“Good to see you too.” Scott started to get up. “You got here quick.”

“I was just a few blocks away. Stay where you’re at.” Harrison stepped through the mess. “You wasted a lot of good pies.”

“And when you get through patching them, they are going to clean this mess they made.” Courtney walked back in, wiping her hands on a towel.

Harrison turned to look at the female. She barely came up to his shoulders. The oversized, blue sweatshirt she wore did nothing to hide her generous curves. Her short, strawberry blonde hair framed her face perfectly. 
The feminine scent of honey and cherries wrapped around him, causing his cock to grow. “Mine.”

Harrison’s bear sat up.
Mate.
It pushed against Harrison, wanting out to rub up against the beautiful woman.

“And what is your name beautiful?” Harrison grinned at her.

Courtney raised an eyebrow. She felt the heat rising in her already flushed face. “I’m not the patient. They are.” She pointed toward Scott and Todd as she ignored his question.

“They can wait. I need to make sure you weren’t hurt.” Harrison held out his hand to the beautiful woman who was his mate.

“I wasn’t in the fight. I just ended it. Take care of them so they can get this mess cleaned. I have work I have to finish.” Courtney took a step back. She looked from the paramedic to Todd. She shook her head. This was not happening. It could not be happening. Fate could not be doing this to her.

“Be careful. There is a lot of glass and water everywhere.” Harrison stepped toward her and took her hand. A jolt of warm electricity surged through him as soon as he touched her.

Courtney jerked her hand out of his.

“You felt it too.”

Scott started laughing.

“Scott, this isn’t funny.” Courtney stomped her foot.
“Two of them? And twins…identical twins on top.” She shook her head. “No! I don’t need this right now. I didn’t want one mate, and now there are two of them. This is so not happening!” Courtney threw the towel onto the floor. She turned and ran out of the room. A few seconds later, a door slammed.

“That went real well.” Scott stood up. He held out a hand to Todd.

“Two mates?” Harrison looked at his twin brother.

Todd shrugged his shoulders.
“Looks like we are sharing a mate….a mate who is determined not to have us.”

Harrison grinned. “I like a fema
le who doesn’t chase after me, and she smells wonderful. She wants us.”

“
Courtney is probably going to fight you.” Scott grinned as he looked from one twin to the other. “If she wasn’t in danger, this would be funny.”

“Danger?”
Harrison and his bear were a full attention.

“We need to talk.” Todd walked over to his twin. “Something is after our mate.
We have to protect her while we seduce her.”