Bear Home for Christmas: BBW Holiday Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance (Christmas Bear Shifter Romance Book 1) (3 page)

Granger tapped the screen of his phone. “Let me check his account again.” She watched his face, seeing it fall as there were evidently no new transactions. He shook his head.

“Nothing. He also has some cash on him. He took out $200 two days ago, so there’s even a chance that he’s paid for a hotel in cash, which could make things more difficult.”

“Shall we go walk the streets again?” she said.

“Uh –” She followed his gaze towards the window. The snow was falling much faster now, as if it meant business. “I don’t think there’s much point right now. He could be anywhere. There’s no point us getting frostbite. How about we have another coffee and I call up the hotels again, seeing if I can get ahold of him?”

“I think that’s a good idea,” she said, getting out of her seat. “What can I get you?” He was up faster.

“No, I got it. Another pumpkin spice latte?”

“Please,” she said, a little startled. She watched his retreating figure, so tall and broad beneath his uniform.
How does he know that’s what I’ve been drinking?
she mused.
She kept her eyes on him as he walked up to the counter and ordered. He moved confidently, easily. His body must be incredibly strong and muscular. He said he was part of an elite force. They probably had insane training schedules. It was hard to imagine him being in the military though. He seemed too nice and normal. She’d always imagined those guys as ruthless machines. She saw him joke with the barista, the girl’s face lighting up as he smiled at her, and a flicker of jealousy tightened her stomach.
What? Why am I feeling like this? He’s just a stranger who’s shown me some kindness... Uh, because you’re attracted to him, doofus!
the no-bullshit side of her character announced.
I am; it’s true
, she acknowledged. But how could she not be, really? He was absolutely gorgeous. Those eyes were just ridiculous. He looked at her so directly when they spoke, his gaze never wavering, and she felt like she could just drown in them. He had a lovely, broad jaw, and very kissable lips as well. She blushed. What was she thinking? He was so far out of her league. She didn’t have the right to be thinking those thoughts about him.

He was back. He’d brought real mugs instead of takeout cups.

“I thought I’d try one as well,” he said, placing the identical coffees on the table.

“Thanks!” she said. He dipped his head and brought the cup up to his mouth, pursing his lips and blowing on it gently. A tingle shot all the way through Noelle’s body, and she couldn’t help thinking how much she’d like to feel those lips against hers.
Stop!
she mentally ticked herself off.

“Mmm, delicious,” he said, his voice becoming a deep rumble.

“It’s my favorite.”

“I can totally see why you love it. The guys back at the base would kill themselves laughing if they saw me drinking it, but I don’t care. I think it’s my new favorite coffee!” Her gaze flickered all over his face. His overt masculinity made his soft side all the more appealing. “Oh, wait,” he said, as his eyes met hers. “You’ve got a little –” He reached out with a finger and brushed a fleck of foam off her nose.

“Oh.” She wiped her whole hand across her nose, giggling with embarrassment. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It was cute.” She froze.
What did he just say?
She shot him a glance to figure out if he’d blurted it out without meaning to, but he seemed unconcerned, as relaxed as he’d been before.

“Do you always have a big family Christmas?” she asked. He leaned back in his chair and stretched.

“Yup. Mom, dad, me and Adam. Usually half the clan over as well. My mom’s a good cook, so they’re always scrabbling for an invite.”

“Clan?” she echoed. His face tightened a little, as if he realized that he’d said too much.

“Oh, our big family group. It’s pretty chaotic, really,” he said, in a dismissive tone. He took another sip from his coffee and then his lips parted, as if he was working out how to express the thought that was bouncing around in his mind.

“Christmas must be a difficult time for you,” he said at last. He watched her with wide, soft eyes. She sipped from her coffee, hiding her face in the large mug for a moment while she gathered her thoughts.

“It is. It’s hard not having a family to spend it with.”

“You came here specifically to spend it with your foster family?”

“Kind of. I hadn’t really thought it through in my mind. I just woke up this morning, looked around my room, and knew I couldn’t spend Christmas day there, so I jumped on the bus and went to visit them because they’d been so kind to me in the past. I usually spend the holiday period alone.” She stared down at the table, feeling like the biggest loser on earth.

“I’m sorry. No-one – and especially not someone as amazing as you – should have to spend Christmas alone.” She stared at him, startled.

“I’m not so amazing,” she said. “Where did you get that idea from?”

“You are. You’ve been through so much, and you’ve come out of it as a strong, good-hearted person.” She allowed herself a little smile.

“But how can you know this? You only met me a couple of hours ago.”

“Because I can see your soul,” he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “And I can see that it’s pure and genuine. Most people who’d had your experiences in life would’ve ended up being misanthropes, but I can tell that you’re keen to help other people. Like you’re helping me to find my brother.” She blushed at the intensity of his words.

“I – I guess you’re right.”

“Mm, so speaking of my brother, let me just check again.” He tapped on his phone.

“Oh – wait. It looks like he just purchased a Greyhound bus ticket. For $53.40.”

“I guess that could be two tickets for $26.70 as well.”

“And you’re smart too,” he said, smirking at her with a sideways glance. Ridiculously, her heartbeat speeded up, and her chest fizzed with adrenaline. She didn’t know why he kept complimenting her, but she liked it a lot.

“We should go to the Greyhound station right now. There’s a chance they could still be boarding the bus,” she said.

“Good idea.” He leapt to his feet. Do you know how to get there?”

“Yup. I’ve just come from it.”

“Of course. Let’s go.” 

Noelle put her coat back on and followed Granger to the exit. As he opened the door, a blast of snowy air hit them in the face.

“Uh oh,” he said, closing it again. To her surprise, he reached for her hood and pulled it over her head, then fastened the top button of her coat, so the collar covered her mouth and nose. “There you go,” he said. She blinked as he fastened up the collar on his own heavy, military coat. He heaved the door open again, and they headed out into the snow.

“It’s basically this way,” she yelled over the howling wind, pointing across the street diagonally. “About ten minutes’ fast walk.”

“My car’s around the corner, but it might take longer to drive,” he yelled back.

“I think so. There’s a one-way system, and I don’t even know how it works.”

“Ok, let’s walk.” He headed off at a fast march, and Noelle struggled to keep pace with him. She slipped once, twice, and he looked back at her.

“Here, take my hand,” he said, holding it out to her. Without thinking twice, she grabbed onto it and clung on, not wanting to slow him down. The wind was raw on the exposed part of her face, and she shivered beneath her coat.

In less than ten minutes, they were there. They ran into the drearily lit station and over to the bus bays. There were only two buses there, closed down, with their lights turned off.

“Damnit!” Granger exclaimed.

“Let’s speak to the clerk,” Noelle yelled, running to the ticket office.

“We’re looking for two friends of ours,” she blurted out. The clerk scowled, looking at her dully, as if that was the last thing she wanted to deal with.

“There’s a young guy, who looks a lot like me, a couple of years younger, with longer hair, and he’s with a small blonde girl,” Granger said, coming up behind Noelle. “We think they just boarded a bus here.” The clerk sighed.

“I can’t give out information about other passengers. It’s against the law.” She began to turn away from them.

“Please, it’s important!” Noelle exclaimed. The woman glared at her over the top of her glasses.

“I’m sorry. I can’t help you.” Granger sighed, a sound of total despondency.

“Could you at least tell us if any buses have left recently?” Noelle urged. The woman groaned, hauled her body around on a swivel chair and squinted at a computer screen.

“Three buses have left around 20 minutes ago. The destinations were New York, Seattle, and San Antonio.” Granger and Noelle shot each other worried glances. That left
a lot
of potential destinations.

“If I told you how much their tickets cost, could you tell me all the places they could’ve gone?” Noelle said, in her sweetest voice.

“I haven’t got all day to deal with you folks. I’m here to sell tickets. That’s all.” Noelle threw a glance over her shoulder. Apart from the two of them, the station was deserted. It was hardly like they had an impatient line of people waiting behind them.
Some people were just born mean.

Granger stepped forward. He’d opened his coat and he put his hands on his hips, allowing the military badge on his shirt to come into view.

“Ma’am, this is official United States Army business,” he said. “And we’d be very grateful if you could help us on our way.” He flashed the woman a charming smile and she immediately transformed, her dull skin pinking and her eyes blinking fast. She gave a sharp, nervous nod. “Do you remember if two people matching the description we’ve just given you bought tickets here?”

“I do, vaguely, but I didn’t get their names, I’m sorry.”

“That’s ok. Can you recall what bus they left on?”

“No. Everything’s the same here. After a while you do your job on autopilot, hardly taking notice of anything that’s going on.” Noelle began to feel a twinge of pity for the woman. Her job wasn’t any fun. There was a sad, plastic Christmas tree sitting behind her in the booth, a string of tinsel hanging off it limply. 

“Do you charge a booking fee here?”

“Not at the counter.”

“So if I told you that the tickets cost either $26.70 each, or $53.40 each, can you look through your recent transactions and let us know the destinations?” The woman shook her head. “We don’t have access to that information. Once the transaction’s complete, that’s it. They like to keep it real simple for us here.”

“Can you tell me all the possible destinations with those ticket prices?”

“Let me see. It might take a while.”

“That’s ok, ma’am,” Granger said, flashing that smile again, and Noelle could swear she saw the woman’s pupils dilate. She didn’t blame her. Just being in Granger’s presence was making her a little weak at the knees.

“This is positive,” Noelle whispered to him. “It’s safe to say that your brother is definitely on a bus to somewhere right now, so it looks like he’s got a plan in mind, and he’s not aimlessly hitchhiking.”

“You’re right,” Granger said, the muscles in his face relaxing. “It is good news.”

“Ok,” the woman cut in. “So there’s no fare of exactly $53.40. There are three possible destinations with a fare of $26.70 originating from this station though. There’s Coleman, Nolan, and New York.”

“New York?” they repeated.

“How can you get all the way to New York for $26?” Granger exclaimed. The woman shrugged.

“It’s a seasonal promotion. Blame Christmas.” Granger put his hands on his head, rubbing at his buzz-cut.

“And you honestly can’t recall which of those buses they took?”

“I can’t, sir. I am sorry.” Her face had lost its bitter expression now, and Noelle knew that she was telling the truth.

“That’s ok, thanks for all your help.”

“Merry Christmas to you, sir, ma’am.” They wished her the same, and stepped away from the counter.

“Would your brother go to New York?” Noelle asked. Granger groaned.

“He might. He’s never been before, and I know he’s always had this really idealized impression of it.” He pressed his lips together. “If he’s gone there, there’s no way we’re – no way I’m – going to be able to find him. It’s been hard enough in small-town USA, never mind one of the biggest metropolises in the world.”

“How about the other destinations – how far away are they?” They pulled their phones out and looked up Coleman and Nolan.

“Three and four hours, respectively. Probably an extra hour on the bus at least,” he said.

“Is there any reason why they’d be going there?”

“None that I can think of. I’d never even heard of those places until five minutes ago.”

“So, I guess your options include picking one of the directions and following the bus.” Granger shook his head.

“And go off on a wild-goose chase in the middle of a blizzard? No, I think I’ll leave my idiot brother for a few hours, and wait to see if he checks in anywhere.”

“Makes sense.”

They stood side by side and looked out at the worsening weather. The snow was coming even faster now, in sheets of gray sleet. Noelle’s mind was racing.
What now?
She’d loved being in Granger’s company, despite the stressful circumstances, but now there was no reason for her to be there. She hated the thought of walking away from him. Not because she was lonely, but because she had a powerful urge to stay in his company; to keep looking at and talking to this incredible man.

Granger turned his head towards her and she felt his eyes on her face.

“Are you ok?” he said, his voice tense. “I’m sorry, I should’ve left you in the café where it’s warm, instead of dragging you out in this blizzard. I was just so stressed about my brother that I wasn’t thinking.” Noelle bit her lip, a little stung.

“Don’t be silly, I wanted to come with you and try to help you find him,” she replied. She met his eyes, and he smiled at her, his expression full of warmth.

“And you’ve helped me a lot. I wouldn’t have been able to get the answers out of that mean-spirited woman without your quick thinking!” he said. “So, from a purely selfish point of view, I’m really glad you were here.” She stared at him wordlessly. There seemed to be something more to what he was saying, but she couldn’t figure out what it was.

“I’m thinking that we should find ourselves someplace to sleep tonight,” he said with a laugh, indicating the fast-falling snow. Her heart skipped a beat.
Is he saying we should stay at the same place?
He began tapping an app on his phone.

“Oh. Apparently there’s nowhere to stay, in the entire town. Not even this really crummy motel that I passed earlier. Looks like we may have to battle the elements and stay a little further afield.” He returned to the app, frowning very cutely as he scrolled up and down.

“This is the one,” he said at last, and held the phone out to her triumphantly. The screen showed a photo of a wood-cabin style hotel, little orange lights glowing from the windows. He swiped on the photo, revealing a series of cute bedrooms. “It’s a 30-minute drive away.”

“It looks lovely,” she said, which was an understatement. If she was going to design her own hotel, that’s exactly how it would look. It also looked like it might be very expensive. He scrolled down the page.

“Oh. Apparently it only has one double room left. Damn. Let me call them real fast and see if that’s actually true.”

Noelle waited while he spoke on the phone.

“So, they do only have one room left, but it’s a big double, with a pullout couch.” His expression was a little anxious. “Shall we keep looking?”

“No, I’m happy to share,” she said. Although he was a virtual stranger, she found herself trusting him, as if they’d known each other for a long time.

“Are you sure? I mean, I’ve spent the last five years sharing some pretty close quarters with other guys, so it’s normal for me, but I appreciate that you may not be used to it.” He regarded her intensely, as if he was trying to read her thoughts.
He’s thinking of me as one of the guys?
Inexplicably, she felt a little offended. Then she mentally shook herself.
This is a good thing,
she reminded herself. It’s far more reassuring than if he’d made some creepy comment about him being a man and her being a vulnerable woman.

“It’s totally fine by me,” she said. “I never had my own room when I was growing up, so it’s pretty normal for me as well.”

“Great!” he said with a grin. “Apparently I snore a little, but it’s not too bad.”

“That’s ok, I’ve been known to snore on occasion myself.” she said, and, to her amazement, he looked quite impressed.

“So, I have more good news – the hotel has its own restaurant, and it’s supposed to be really good, which means that we don’t need to battle the snow twice, looking for a separate place to eat.”

“That’s awesome!”

“Isn’t it! Ok, wait right here, and I’ll be back with the car in about ten minutes,” he said.

“It’s fine, I’ll come too. I don’t want to make you drive back here –” she started to say, but Granger was already running out into the storm.

She sat down on one of the chipped metal benches lining the walls and waited.

After a few minutes,
a mean little voice in her head piped up:
he’s not coming back.
That was his plan all along: to trick you and run away.

“No, he wouldn’t be that cruel,” she murmured to herself.
Ok, it wasn’t his plan, but he changed his mind when he got in the car and realized what an effort it would be to have you around
, the voice persisted.

“Nice boyfriend you’ve got,” a voice called out of the silence. She turned her head. It was the woman in the ticket booth. Noelle stood up to reply to her.

“Oh, he’s not my boyfriend,” she said. “We’re just acquaintances.”

“Not from where I’m standing,” the woman said, with a tight little laugh. “If you ask me, he’s got a real thing for you.”

“I don’t think so,” she said, moved out of the woman’s view. There was something unsettling about her; she was the sour old woman that Noelle could see herself becoming only too easily. She stamped up and down in a small circle. The hall was cold and her feet were going numb again. She sat down and looked at a big clock high on the wall, the second hand ticking around dismally. More than fifteen minutes had gone already. How long should she wait before realizing that he definitely wasn’t going to come back?