Mending the Bear (8 page)

Chapter
Eleven

Ian rang the doorbell as he and Eve stood
by the front door of Ash and Chloe’s house. Even from outside, she could smell
something delicious cooking. She’d missed lunch because a dog had been hit by a
car and brought in by the driver. Lucky for the dog they’d gotten him to her
surgery in time. Apart from a broken leg that Eve was confident would be as
good as new in a month or so, the dog was going to be okay.

Ash opened the door, holding who Eve knew
was Sophie.

“Come in, dinner’s almost ready,” he said.

Ian encouraged Eve to go first.

“And this must be Sophie,” said Eve.

“Can you say hi?” Ash said, lifting the
little girl’s hand.

“She’s really shy around new people, but
once she gets to know you, you’ve found a friend forever,” Ash said.

Eve looked around and immediately fell in
love with the place. Maybe she would think about buying a house in this development.
She’d be near two people she already knew. She was definitely putting down
roots in Kalispell, and was this thing with Ian a permanent thing, too? She
sure hoped so because she was now in way too deep. The point of no return she’d
promised herself she’d never get to ever again.

 
Ash
led them through to the dining room where the table had been set and it looked
like Chloe had spent lots of time on it. The white tablecloth, crystal
glassware, and glass plates with gold edging. It looked so beautiful. Where the
young woman got the time for being a mom, student, and also her employee, she
didn’t know. Maybe she had special powers. Hopefully, Eve would get them, too,
one day.

“Honey, Eve and Ian are here,” Ash called
to her.

Chloe walked out wearing a floral apron
over a blue dress. “Hi. Dinner’s ready sooner than I thought, so if you want to
sit down and relax.”

“Anything I can help you with?” Eve asked.

“Nope, I think I have everything under
control.”

“How about a glass of wine?” Ash asked. He
put Sophie on the ground with a teddy bear that she immediately grabbed.

“What’s the teddy’s name?” Eve asked her.

“That’s Bear,” Ash said. “He’s named after
my cousin.”

“He’s a great looking bear… I mean the
teddy, not bear,” Eve said. Both Ian and Ash looked at her, so she quickly
walked over to the cabinet by the wall and took a look at all the photos. Ash
and Chloe’s wedding photo. What a handsome looking pair they made. A photo of a
man sitting with Sophie on one knee and another baby on the other.

“That’s Brady Walsh and his son,” Ash said.

“I keep hearing about him. I think I’ll
have to meet him one day and thank him for supplying me with excellent
security,” she said. She had to thank him for sending Ian her
way, that
was for sure.

Ian held the glasses while Ash poured four
glasses of wine. Chloe carried two dishes to the table.

“Hope you like roast chicken,” she said.

“You know I’ll eat just about anything,” Ian
said, pulling out a chair for Eve.

She sat. “I love it and I’m starving.”

Ash and Chloe finished carrying everything
out and set it on the table. Chloe lit some candles and then sat.

“How do you find time to do all this?” Eve
asked her.

“I have my husband and my parents,” she
said, handing a bowl of roasted potatoes to Eve.

Ash put some food on his plate and then
grabbed Sophie and put her on his lap as he ate. She looked at Eve, Eve smiled
at her, and the little girl gave her a smile back.

“Oh, you are going to be one of her best
friends,” Chloe said. “And Miss Sophie, I think that dress needs yet another
wash.”

“More cupcake icing?” Ash asked.

“She went along to
Bridgit’s
party and I think all everyone did was eat cupcakes and icing.”

Sophie giggled and rocked back and forth
on her father’s lap.

“Did you have a fun time?” Ian asked her.

“Oh, I think she did. She slept for six
hours when we brought her home,” Chloe said.

“So Ian, how’s Charlie doing?” Ash asked.

“I looked in on him yesterday and I don’t
think he’s been eating that well.”

“You want me to swing by his place
tomorrow and see what’s going on?” asked Ash.

“That would be great.”

“Did you hear that someone’s finally
bought the vacant shop next to craft store and Starlight Café?” Chloe said.

“Any mention what it’s going to be?” Ian
asked.

“No, but I think it’s a woman from out of
town who’s purchased it,” Chloe said.

“Cade’s interested in the larger lot on
the end because he wants to open a motorcycle store,” Ian said.

“You like riding on Ian’s bike?” Ash asked
her.

“You would not get me on one of those
things if…”

“It’s just a matter of time before she
tries it out and I’ll have trouble getting my bike back,” said Ian.

Ash laughed. “I can just see it now, the
Kalispell Flying Vet.”

Chloe slapped his arm.

“What?” Ash asked. “I think it has a great
sound to it,” Ash said.

Sophie began crying and Eve noticed she’d
dropped her bear. She picked it up and danced it toward her, making Sophie
smile again.

“The Dancing Bear, now there’s a name for
Cade’s shop if he ever opens it,” Ian said.

“You guys love your bears,” Eve said.

The three of them looked at one another,
but didn’t say anything. Had she said something wrong? People always seemed to
go sort of quiet when she mentioned bears.

“Chocolate cake anyone?” Chloe asked,
getting up from the table.

“Big slice for me,” said Ian.

“Me too,” Ash said.

“I guess you should make that three,” said
Eve.

****

Eve could still taste the chocolate cake
on Ian’s lips as they fell on top of her bed.

“That wine was great and I would have
liked more of it, but I had to drive home,” she said, slipping Ian’s shirt from
his shoulders.

“Then I suggest you learn to love bikes,”
he said, putting both his hands on her breasts and gently squeezing.

“But if I had too much to drink and then I
could easily fall off the back.”

“Not if you held on tight,” Ian said.

“You mean like this?” She wrapped her arms
around him and they kissed. The kisses were so much different to their first
one. These were all, tongues passing over each other’s lips, playfully biting
lips.

He pushed his hand down between their
bodies and began massaging her clit.

“I’m thinking of buying one of those
townhouses like Ash and Chloe have,” she said. She wanted to see his reaction.
If there was any chance of him saying, ‘I’d like to buy it with you and we’re
live happily ever after’, but he didn’t.

“Brady will probably give you a great
price,” Ian said. He kissed her again.

This was supposed to be the part of her
life where she was finally free and single. Free to do what she wanted, but Ian
had made it seem pointless. She was the type of woman who loved being part of a
couple. They turned to face once another, and Ian brought her leg over the top
of his so he could push his cock inside her.

“They’re a cute family. Sophie’s cute.”

She knew this was an inappropriate time to
be testing him, seeing his reaction to the whole cute family dynamics.

“Yeah, but not as cute as you and your
pussy.”

He began thrusting inside, taking away her
current thoughts and forcing her to concentrate on the now and the sex.

She bit his lip as she put both her hands
on his ass cheeks. The bike thing must be the reason they were rock hard. She
squeezed them, making him laugh.

He stopped thrusting and let his cock take
over all the work. She’d been meaning to ask him how he did it, but if it was
magic, then she didn’t want to know because she’d always been somewhat of a
dreamer.

She let her head roll back, putting her
chin up and enjoyed one climax after another, soon feeling Ian give one heavy
thrust and then he filled her with his warmth.

“Do you want to go see a movie tomorrow
afternoon?” she asked while they still held one another, him still deep inside
her.

“Tomorrow? Nope I promised Liam and his
nephew Sam I’d go running with them.”

“How about I come with you? You always
seem to go running and maybe I should start exercising, too.”

He slapped her butt. “You’re fine just as
you are.”

“But still I’d like to join you.”

“Nope. It’s a
boys
only get together. Maybe some other time.”

He pulled out and rolled over onto his
side. She was about to push the issue, but could tell he’d fallen asleep.

First time he’d been adamant about her not
doing something. He’d almost been snappy to her. Something wasn’t right and she
was going to find out what.

Chapter
Twelve

Eve hated suddenly becoming the non-trusting
girlfriend. Was she actually Ian’s girlfriend? Despite her need for sudden
independence, was it what she really wanted to be? In all honesty, yes, she did,
and that’s why she was beginning to get into the territory she hoped to never
tread. Damn Ian for being so perfect. Just after his insistence about running
alone, his cell phone had rung and he’d seemed reluctant to answer it. She’d
seen the name Joanne flashing on the screen and had put two and two together,
and now had the feeling Ian was meeting up with her. Maybe she’d come to her
senses and realized what she’d lost and now wanted him back. Would Ian want
her? He’d told her they’d been together since they were young and a first love
was one a person never quite got over. That was the reason she was going to do
the unspeakable and follow him. Better she find out now than get more involved
with him only to be told he was and only would ever love Joanne.

Eve pulled into the turnaround by the
woods. Ian’s bike was already there and as she drove farther along she saw a
car that she immediately recognized. It was Chloe’s. She parked her car, got
out, and glanced into the car seeing Sophie’s car seat and a stuffed toy
sitting on the backseat. Tears stung her eyes. Chloe was his secret lover. Maybe
that’s why Joanne dumped him.

She walked over to an opening in the
woods. She put her hand to her mouth when she saw Ian’s clothes sitting there
in a pile. His bear biker jacket sat on top. He and Chloe were having sex back
in the woods somewhere. Poor Ash. How could Chloe play around with another man
when she had a wonderful husband like him? She didn’t want to hear or see what Ian
and Chloe were doing. But she was going to wait until they exited the woods and
give them a piece of her mind. She began planning out what she was going to say
when she heard footsteps and then twigs breaking. Two sets of footsteps if she
wasn’t mistaken. Yep, caught in the act.

Another twig broke and soon she was
looking at a naked Ian and a naked … oh my God, it wasn’t who she thought it
would be. It was Ash who quickly covered his cock with both his hands when he
saw Eve standing there.

“Eve, what are you doing out here?” Ian
asked.

“I should be asking you the same thing. I
knew you were coming here for sex but I had no idea it was with…” She couldn’t
get the words out.

“No, no, this isn’t what it looks like,”
he said, stepping toward her.

There was she thinking it was Chloe who
was messing around when all the time Ash had been cheating on her.

“And you, Ash, you’re a married man. You’re
a father, for God’s sake.”

“No, Eve, please, let us explain,” said
Ash, now hiding behind a tree trunk. “This isn’t what it seems. Liam and Sam
couldn’t make it today and at the last minute I came along. I have Chloe’s car
because mine’s at Liam’s shop, that’s how I met up with Ian.”

“I don’t believe it for a minute,” Eve
said.

 
Ian
took two strides over to her. It was the first time she’d seen him without an
erection and even now he was impressive. Oh God, why was she thinking about
that at a time like this?

“We’re bears. We took off our clothes so
we could shift and run and it’s not…”

How dare he make fun of her and come up
with some ridiculous bullshit story about bears. What was it with this guy and
his bears?

She took two strides over to him and
slapped his face.

“Eve, please, Ash and I aren’t lovers,
we’re bears, and really, we are.”

She gave him the finger before turning and
running toward her car. She got in and tried to not look at Ian who now at
least had his jeans on, running behind the car shouting for her to stop.

****

Shit, shit and
double shit.

Ash finally came out from behind the tree
and retrieved his clothes and got dressed.

“Can you believe that?” Ian asked. He
still held his face where she’d slapped him. It had hurt his soul more than his
body.

“You know how women are, whether they’re
human or shifter, they’re overly dramatic,” Ash said pulling on his shoes. “I
avoid Chloe at all costs when it’s her time of the month. Maybe Eve’s got PMS,
too.” He suddenly stopped talking and instead burst out laughing. “Now she
thinks we’re lovers and you’re definitely not my sort of bear.”

“I’m glad you find this whole thing so
damn funny,” Ian said. “What am I going to do?”

“I don’t think she’s going to listen to
anything you have to say so I suggest sending a peacemaker. Sort of an
intermediary,” Ash said, slapping him on the back.

They began to walk back to Ian’s bike and
Chloe’s car. “Do you think I did right by telling her about us being bears?”

“Do you want to continue seeing her or
not?”

“I do, I really do.”

“Then she’s got to find out sometime. So
how about I get Chloe to chat with her? She’s a fellow human so she’ll know how
to put this matter right.”

****

Eve slammed the car door shut. Right now
her blood pressure was probably through the roof. She knew she’d been crazy to
get herself involved with another man and so soon after moving here and
promising herself this was her
me
time. No man, no complications, just her career, business, and getting on with
her life sans male. Why could she never take her own advice? She was great
giving to other people. Her baby sister, for example. Her patients, but
herself, no, and that’s what angered her the most.

But Ian wasn’t just any man. No woman in
their right mind would have been able to resist him.

And poor Chloe. Things were worse for her.
She was married to Ash and they had a child. How could he do that to the poor
girl? She’d heard some poor excuses that men made for their behavior and
cheating, but Ian’s would be one for the books.
Bears, my ass.

She walked the back of the building that
housed her vet practice, disarmed the alarm, and then went inside. She’d never
trust another man again.

Eve checked on her patients, two dogs and
a cat, all three having had surgery yesterday, and refilled their water bowls.

“Aren’t you a good dog?” she said to a
Beagle who came to the front of the cage and licked her hand. “I envy you
because your life is so uncomplicated.” The dog gave a bark, setting off the
other one and causing the cat to hiss.

“Okay guys, let’s quieten it down.”

The door buzzed at the front. Maybe an
emergency after-hour patient. Maybe even Ian with more bear bullshit stories. When
she peeked through the glass that ran down the center of the door. She saw
Chloe standing there. Eve froze. Should she tell the poor girl that her husband
was cheating on her out in the middle of nowhere with none other than another
man who claimed to be one of their buddies?

“Can I come in?” Chloe called to her.

Eve slid back the latch and unlocked the
door, still undecided about whether or not to keep Ash’s cheating a secret.

“Hi. Did you leave something behind
yesterday?” she asked.

“No, I came to talk to you about Ian and
Ash, well mostly Ian.”

“Then you know about them? Oh thank God,” Eve
said, putting her hand on her chest.

“I do, but not in the way you think. Let’s
go sit down.”

Chloe walked over to the chairs in the
waiting area. She sat and then patted the one next to her. Eve sat.

“What you saw wasn’t what you think you
saw,” began Chloe.

“I saw both of them exit the woods buck
naked. Other than the two of them being lovers, I have no other explanation for
two grown men being in that condition in the middle of nowhere.”

“Ian’s really upset about the whole thing.
He likes you a lot and that’s why Ash suggested I talk to you and convince you
that nothing was going on. Ash wasn’t cheating on me, and Ian’s not cheating on
you.”

“Then why the no clothes look for both of
them?” Eve asked.

“It’s true what Ian told you, they’re
bears. Well, actually bear shifters. They go out running as bears. They leave
their clothes and head off into the woods. It’s a big thing for them. Huge
thing after they’ve had great sex. Ash still leaves me, even if it’s midnight
after we’ve made love.”

Eve hit herself on the side of the head.
Was everyone insane or did they think she was stupid?

“There is no such thing as a man who can
change himself into a bear.”

“That’s what I thought, too, but it’s
true. I promise you it’s true. There are even wolf shifters. In fact, Ally’s
husband, Kent is one. And the two ladies who run the craft store next to
Starlight are cougar shifting sisters. I think I’ve heard them talk about lion
and tiger shifters as well, but I haven’t met any, well, not yet.”

Boy all three of them were playing her for
a fool.

“So how did they get that way?” Eve asked.
That would give Chloe something to think about.

“They’re not from Earth. They crashed
landed here when an asteroid hit their home planet.”

“Mars maybe?” Eve asked.

“Eve, don’t be so flippant. I know it’s
hard to believe, but I’m telling you it’s true. Hand on my heart, swear to you
this is true. They took me in when I was on the run when I was pregnant with Sophie.
They are my family and they are the nicest people you could wish to meet.
Please give Ian a chance.”

“You want me to believe that Ian and your
husband are bears half the time and they’re also aliens.”

“Would you like to see them? Would that
convince you we’re not lying to you?”

Eve could tell that Chloe, for the first
time since she’d met her, was beginning to sound irritated. The always placid
girl was beginning to lose her cool. Did that mean it was true, or was she just
pissed off that she couldn’t fool Eve?

She’d call their bluff and they’d settle
this once and for all. She’d ask for something they couldn’t possibly pull off
and this would all be over.

“Okay, I’d like to see them as bears,” Eve
said.