Bear in Love: BBW Paranormal Holiday Shape Shifter Romance (Shadow Bears Book 1) Read online

  Bear in Love

  (Shadow Bears, Book 1)

  Ruby Shae

  Bear in Love

  (Shadow Bears, Book 1)

  Copyright 2015 by Ruby Shae

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the author.

  The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement (including infringement without monetary gain) is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $ 250,000.

  Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in, or encourage, the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  About This Book

  Fiona Montgomery has been in love with Owen since she moved to Shadow Ridge two years ago. The first time she saw him, she knew their bears were meant to be together. Although the infrequent dates were disappointing, she understood his passion for the family business, and didn’t press him to give her more. When Owen promises her a surprise, she thinks he’s finally ready to move their relationship to the next level, until she meets the new Mrs. Chocolate.

  Owen Waverly never minded making sacrifices in his personal life, or working long hours, until his curvy mate walked into his store for the first time. Suddenly, he wanted more than a prosperous business; he also wanted a wife and a family. The internal struggle plagued him until he realized he wanted one more than the other.

  Determined not to spend Valentine’s Day alone, Fiona contacts the Matchmaker for a date and escapes to her hometown of Shadow Creek. Owen follows, but as the big day approaches, he realizes he might not find Fiona in time. Sometimes a bear in love needs a little help, a little luck, and a whole lot of determination.

  Bear in Love

  (Shadow Bears, Book 1)

  By Ruby Shae

  Chapter One

  Fiona Montgomery turned right onto Main Street and smiled when she saw the familiar scene. Shadow Ridge always thrived during the lunch hours of eleven to three, and she enjoyed people watching on her daily walk to Waverly Chocolates.

  Ninety-nine percent of the city’s residents were bear shifters, and though they stayed in the shadows, their bear forms hidden from the general population, crowds from the surrounding cities swarmed to the charming town for any possibility of a sighting. The many trendy boutiques and eateries added to the town’s appeal, and not even the low February temperatures could keep the tourists away. A giggle escaped when noticed a family of six dressed in matching snow boots and jackets. Snow had been predicted, but so far none had fallen in over a week.

  Bear’s bodies naturally ran warm and easily adapted to winter conditions. They felt the cold, but it didn’t affect them like their human friends and they didn’t need to wear as many layers.

  Fiona considered it one of the many perks of being a shifter. While everyone on the street was bundled up, she kept her bright pink, puffy jacket open, and proudly displayed her new pink sweater. The shimmering, fuzzy fabric reminded her of fresh fallen snow and pink, her favorite color, looked great on her.

  She’d found the sweater while visiting her brother over the weekend in Shadow Creek, her home town, and she couldn’t wait for Owen to see her in it. It had been three days since she’d seen him, and she wanted to make an impression.

  Luckily, walking long distances came easily to shifters, and though many onlookers noticed her curves, and perceived her to be out of shape, she could handle the distance from work to the candy shop with ease.

  Jake’s Auto Repair, where she worked as an office manager, sat on the property line at the south end of the town, nearly two miles from the chocolate store. Jake’s was only open Tuesday through Saturday, and in order to stay open late and use less manpower, every employee had a mandatory two hour lunch. Fiona brought her lunch from home, took her walk, and enjoyed her chocolate treat later in the day, either while working or on her break. She loved the schedule, especially because she got to visit Waverly Chocolates nearly every day.

  Of course, even though she could walk the distance with ease, it didn’t mean she should go wild with the extra calories. She had more curves than most women, either wolf or human, and she had a sedentary job, but she didn’t worry about it too much. She was twenty-five years old, and she’d made peace with her appearance years ago.

  For the most part.

  On rare occasions she still cursed that movie about the green ogre and his love, Princess Fiona, and hoped she didn’t look like the princess in her ogre form. It wouldn’t be terrible if she was badass like the movie Fiona, but she knew she wasn’t. She was regular Fiona, and regular Fiona was tall, curvy and average looking. She might not be beautiful, but deep down she knew she wasn’t ugly. Plenty of bears had asked her out, and Owen didn’t seem to mind her looks.

  Owen Waverly.

  Owen Waverly was the real reason she went to the chocolate store every day.

  Opposite her physical appearance in every way, Owen was tall, blond and muscular. His broad shoulders nearly doubled hers, and he had strong, deep, rigid lines outlining his perfect form. At six feet, four inches tall, he towered over her five feet, nine inch frame, making her feel almost average standing next to him.

  Unlike their grizzly or polar bear cousins, most black bear shifters were proportionate to the regular North American population in their human forms. It was one of the reasons the tourists were never really sure if they were talking to a shifter or not.

  His blond hair was cut short, close to his head, and dark brown eyes reminded her of the dark chocolate perfection he created daily in his shop. He looked more like a Gladiator, ready for battle, instead of the owner of a tiny candy store.

  She had been witness to more than one shocked customer who peeked inside the shop and came face to face with Owen. Fortunate for him, his friendly smile and outgoing personality instantly put everyone at ease. People always walked out with more chocolate than they originally intended to buy, and they always came back for more.

  Many times the women hinted at wanting more than chocolate, but she’d never seen him act on any of their advances. Though he’d never said the words, she was sure it was because Owen considered her his mate.

  He didn’t court her like most men. There were no flowers, long phone calls, or attempts to score in the bedroom, but they’d been out several times and she’d never seen him date anyone else. Every date ended with a chaste kiss on the lips, which she found endearing. She wanted more, but she was prepared to wait a little while longer.

  Owen was dedicated to growing his business and he constantly came up with new and innovative ideas. Those ideas pulled people in off the street and kept his little shop thriving with customers all year. She understood his passion and didn’t fault him for it, but there were times when she wished they could move faster and take their relationship to the next level. She was patient, but she often wondered how long she would have to wait for him to turn his passion onto her.

  The store came into view and she quickened her step.

  She’d taken some time off from work an
d stayed with her brother over the past weekend. January had rolled into February and Valentine’s Day was now only twelve days away. She hadn’t seen Owen in four days, but he’d promised a surprise upon her return, and she hoped he intended to be her Valentine…and possibly more.

  When she pushed open the shop’s door, the familiar sound of the bell, and the smell of creamy chocolate, triggered the huge smile she only wore for him. It quickly deflated when she came face to face with a stranger.

  Instead of Owen, his employee Dan, or either one of his parents, the person standing behind the counter was a woman. A young, slim, pert, beautiful woman that she’d never seen or scented before. She was definitely a bear, and obviously new to Shadow Ridge.

  “Hi! Welcome to Waverly Chocolates! How can I help you?” The woman asked in a loud, peppy voice.

  Perky was an understatement. Her smile never faltered, and she yelled the greetings as if she had a hearing problem. Her demeanor reminded Fiona of an overzealous cheerleader. A closer look revealed a young, college fresh face with flawless skin. Her gorgeous, long blond hair hung loose around her small, petite frame. Aside from standing a few inches shorter than Fiona, her perfect proportions resembled a popular fashion doll.

  A twinge of jealousy skated over her less than perfect form, but she squashed it. She had no reason to be jealous of the seemingly perfect woman.

  “Hi, is Owen here?” Fiona asked.

  “Yeah, but he’s busy right now. I can help you!”

  Fiona hesitated, but then agreed when a group of tourists came into the tiny shop. She placed her order, and then kept watch on the door to the kitchen as Perky bagged up her candy and rang up her order. Owen never appeared.

  She’d expected him to be waiting for her arrival, and it was hard not to be disappointed by his absence, especially because he had promised her a surprise. She didn’t want to be rude, but she really wanted to see him.

  “Thank you,” she said when the woman handed over her receipt. “Can you please check on Owen again? Let him know Fiona is here, please.”

  “Sorry, but I can’t. He’s busy and told me to only interrupt him if there’s an emergency. I’m in charge out here now; I’m the new Mrs. Chocolate!” She spread her hands wide, as if to encompass the whole store, and then stuck out her right hand. “My name is Heather Waverly. It’s nice to meet you!”

  “Oh, I see,” Fiona said, and shook the woman’s hand in a state of shock.

  Heather Waverly? She was his big surprise?

  Her heart ached, but she couldn’t let the woman know how much the news had stunned her. Owen had never promised her anything, and now his distance made sense.

  “It’s nice to meet you, too,” Fiona forced out the words and broke the connection as soon as possible. “Congratulations.”

  She offered the word meekly, almost as an afterthought, and she had a feeling Heather knew about her affection, and her mistake that he felt the same way. She ducked her head, opened the door and hurried outside before the woman could say another word.

  Suddenly chilly, she pulled her jacket closed to block the icy wind. Tears threatened, but she fought to hold them in. She didn’t want to break down in public, especially on Main Street during the crazy lunch rush. She dropped the candy in the first garbage can she passed and turned down one of the side streets toward home. Dependable to a fault, she hated to leave work in the middle of her shift, but she couldn’t go back today. She’d never be able to sit at her desk and keep the tears in.

  After all this time, Owen wasn’t dedicated to his business and courting her in an unconventional way. He hadn’t been courting her at all. He’d been amusing himself, throwing a bone to the chubby bear that hadn’t been able to hide her infatuation with his perfection. He’d been stringing her along, teasing and testing her feelings, but not too much. Not too much that she could ever say with certainty that they’d had any sort of relationship.

  She should have known he’d never be interested in her.

  Her shame and humiliation grew with every memory they’d shared together. What a fool she’d been. When she made it home, she ran to her room, jumped in bed and buried herself under the covers.

  Tears and sobs echoed around the room and she grabbed a pillow to silence her agonizing screams.

  He’d married someone else—loved someone else—and she could never show her face in public again.

  ***

  Owen Waverly walked out of the kitchen and stopped as the high-pitched voice of his cousin reached his ears. She was a recent college graduate, and he had no idea how she cheered her way through four years of college. His ears rang every time she opened her mouth.

  Friendly and perky to a fault, he watched as she almost cheered her way through half of the transaction before he walked behind her and whispered a gentle reminder.

  “Indoor voice.”

  She smiled at her customer and lowered her voice a fraction. Her enthusiasm still echoed around the room and he wondered if his business would survive the next nine months. His rational side knew if it didn’t, it wouldn’t be Heather’s fault, but in that moment he silently blamed her voice for any future failures.

  Usually, making changes sent his heart racing in a good way, but he’d been on edge since the New Year. Waverly Chocolates had been his everything for so long, it was hard to let go. Even for something more important.

  His father had bought the building the day after he’d proposed to his mother, and they’d opened for business a week after their wedding day. Growing up, Owen had helped out every day after school, and then worked weekends while he’d been in college. When his parents were ready for a new chapter in their lives, they’d offered the business to him. Unable to let it go, he’d accepted and never looked back.

  The store had always been prosperous, but he’d used his keen marketing skills to propel his chocolate even further. He’d hired a full time employee, Dan, and worked from sunup until sundown trying to keep up with the demand of his ideas. He’d enjoyed his work, and his dedication never bothered him—until he’d found the one thing he wanted more.

  Fiona Montgomery moved to Shadow Ridge two years ago. She’d bravely left her hometown, and her beloved brother, when she’d accepted a job as an office manager at Jake’s Auto Repair.

  The first time he’d seen her, she’d captured his heart and never let go.

  She came into his shop nearly every day, and in those precious moments, he’d slowly fallen in love with her. The first time he’d asked her to dinner, his heart had nearly stopped as he’d waited for her response. He remembered how her smile changed from the one she gave to everyone, into the one she shared with only him, and how her cheeks turned rosy pink to match her jacket. When she’d said yes, it was as if everything in the world had righted itself.

  In that moment, he knew she’d been made especially for him.

  He’d taken her out a few times, when he wasn’t bogged down with work, but that only seemed to be every few months. It wasn’t enough. Leaving her at the door with a simple kiss instead of holding her all night long drove him crazy.

  He knew Fiona deserved better, they both did, but it had taken him almost two years to realize the magnitude of what that actually meant.

  She needed a man willing to put her, and their relationship, above everything else. The fact that he’d been able to hold back and not claim her on their first date, proved that he’d been too wrapped up in work. He had to change. He needed to be the man worthy of her love, or she would eventually find someone else.

  He still had a shot, at least he thought he did, but he wasn’t conceited enough to think that she’d wait forever. Sooner or later she’d move on, and the realization that she could end up with another man was unacceptable.

  He wanted to marry her and have a family. More importantly, he wanted to be there for her and their children. His father had always put him and his mother first, yet he’d still been able to run a successful business. It was only after Owen took over did t
hings spiral out of control.

  The time had come for him to put his degree to good use. He’d made a new plan, and had slowly started putting it in place at the beginning of the year.

  He would market and manage, but manning the counter, making chocolate, cleaning, and all the other chores could be done by someone else. He’d hired three people to share the workload with Dan, and he’d trained them all over the long weekend Fiona was away.

  Dan’s teenage son, Chris, would work after school and on weekends. Cynthia would be another full time employee, and Heather, his cousin, would work part-time until she started graduate school in the fall.

  Cyndi and Dan could run the place on their own if they didn’t have to do any of the managerial jobs, and he’d tackle those on a normal schedule, hopefully Tuesday through Saturday, nine to six. He wanted to spend every moment he could with his soon to be wife.

  He couldn’t wait to share the news with her, and planned to do it on Valentine’s Day. It would be the first time he didn’t work the holiday, and a perfect way to show Fiona he was ready to commit to their relationship.

  Owen glanced out the window in time to see a woman in a pink puffy coat drop a tiny white bag with the Waverly Chocolates logo into the garbage. As if to block the cold, the woman hugged herself and rushed away from the store with her head down and her hair covering the side of her face.

  If it wasn’t for the pink coat, and the way her jeans outlined her ample curves the same way Fiona’s did, he would have never guessed the two were the same woman. Fiona always walked tall, with her black curls bouncing around her shoulders, as if ready to take on the world.

  What happened? Why didn’t she ask for me?

  Something wasn’t right. She never came to the store without at least saying hello.

  “Did Fiona come in here?” he asked, as he made his way behind the counter to stand next to his cousin.