To Save A Bear

  Table of Contents

  TO SAVE A BEAR

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Thank you!

  TO SAVE A BEAR

  Emilia Hartley

  © Copyright 2018 by Blues Publishing. - All rights reserved.

  The contents of this book may not be reproduced, duplicated or transmitted without direct written permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Legal Notice:

  This book is copyright protected. This is only for personal use. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded or distributed via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the author’s permission.

  NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. The author does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for third-party websites or their content.

  Chapter One

  Reid Bronson looked at the list in his hand and groaned. It grew longer each week and he was tired of being the only one who ventured into town. Ever since Boomer mated with Emmy, the parties had grown bigger. Boomer had also kept his mate from visiting town.

  Emmy would roll her eyes, but never outright fight him. Reid didn’t blame either of them. The fight with her ex-husband had been exhausting. Who knew a human man could be that shifty? Hayden had almost gotten away with Emmy. If Boomer hadn’t dropped on the hood of the car, she would be long gone, and Boomer would be a raging mess.

  Instead, she was right where she belonged. Unfortunately for Reid, that meant he was in charge of gathering supplies for the weekly hang out. He couldn’t wait for the temperature to drop and for snow to start drifting to the ground so that he might gain a moment’s reprieve from not only the other shifters, but from humanity.

  The back of his neck prickled, hair rising, as he stomped through town. Every time he looked over his shoulder, he expected to see the hunter’s dark eyes. The hunter never appeared. Reid rubbed the back of his neck and told himself he was being foolish. The man most likely realized he was in over his head and left town.

  Reid shoved the bank door open and let it swing shut behind him. The faint grunt of a human filled the air and he turned to find a man glaring at him. The human clearly expected an apology, but if he couldn’t open his own door then what good was he? Reid paid him no mind and turned back toward the line ahead.

  Dominic better reimburse him for this trip to town. The constant get-togethers were draining his account. Ahead, the same auburn-haired bank teller worked behind the counter. She smiled up at the old man before her. While Reid’s gut twisted, the old man was far less affected by her charm. The old man raised his fist and brought it down on the plexiglass between them.

  The woman started, eyes flashing wide, but quickly resumed her smile. This time, her teeth were clenched tight. When the man shouted and slammed his fist again, Reid sighed and stepped out of line. About to take matters into his own hands, he hesitated when the door behind him clattered.

  The whole room paused and stared at the person who’d just entered. A rubber mask in the shape of a dog’s head obscured his face. The whole room was quiet. No one could make sense of what was happening.

  Reid watched in slow motion as a gunmetal-black object slid free of the person’s coat. The robber brandished the gun before Reid could move. It was the woman’s squeal of terror that propelled him forward.

  He was sick of guns. He’d seen enough of them in the past weeks to last him for the rest of his life.

  “Everyone on the floor!” the man screamed from behind his mask, muffling his demands. Still, everyone dropped to the floor. Everyone save for the auburn-haired woman.

  She cowered behind the plexiglass as the man pointed the gun at her. Rage rose and filled Reid’s veins with fire. He didn’t stop to think about what he was doing. Before the man could react, Reid stood between the gun and the woman.

  The robber flinched, and the gun went off. Reid swallowed his grunt of pain. The bullet pierced his thigh and exited the other side. As soon as he knew he wouldn’t need it dug out later, he turned back toward the robber.

  One punch and the man collapsed to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Just as quickly as it had begun, it was over. Outside the glass door, police light swirled and brought a migraine to the front of Reid’s head. He turned away to let the professionals deal with the man on the floor.

  The auburn-haired woman peeked over the counter as Reid approached. When she saw him, she let out a small breath and the corners of her mouth quirked. There was a bank card in his pocket that he could have swiped at any store to get the party supplies. Reid didn’t want to admit that he’d been withdrawing cash just to see her.

  He offered her a weak smile, as if he didn’t quite know how his lips worked. He didn’t really. Smiling was beyond Reid’s comprehension. All he wanted was to crawl back home and work out the frustration building inside him. There were too many human voices, too many human smells. The police made a ruckus outside until someone opened the door and told them the robber was unconscious. The police entered, cautiously taking in the state of the bank as Reid turned back to the teller window.

  The woman counted out Reid’s cash. A tap on the shoulder brought a growl to his lips as he swung around. The cop stepped back, hand reflexively reaching for the gun at his hip. Reid swallowed the sound emanating from him, but it took some effort.

  Why couldn’t they do their job and leave?

  “Sir,” the cop began. “We’re grateful that you stepped in, but next time leave it to the professionals. The bystanders say that the gun went off. If it had hit anyone, you would have faced a lawsuit for sure.”

  Reid’s brows furrowed, lips parting. “A lawsuit? For saving lives?”

  He couldn’t believe the drivel pouring from this man’s mouth. He must have been new to the force. Reid recognized others, like snow-moustache and caterpillar brows who were dragging the unconscious man toward the cruiser. Reid had interacted with them a few times before. Whenever things started to blow up around Reid, he couldn’t stand by and watch. His interference had become welcome.

  Reid tried not to glance down at his thigh. No one had taken that bullet except for him, not that he could show it. Already, the wound was closing over. By sundown it would be a shiny pink scar. By morning, it would look as though it’d never happened at all.

  Before the cop could push the issue, caterpillar brows approached them. He quickly drew the rookie aside and explained how things worked. Reid was able to focus on his breathing. He needed to leave. This was too much.

  “Your 0withdrawal, sir.” Her voice was small, uncertain.

  For her, Reid shoved down the cacophony of anger and confusion. When he faced her, he was able to offer a genuine smile. She smiled in return, and Reid thought his heart might burst. He needed to get away from humanity.
Screw Dominic’s list. He or Boomer could make the damn trip next time.

  Reid jammed his frame into his car and gunned it out of the parking lot, but not before he caught a flash. A familiar face in the crowd outside the bank turned and watched him leave. Reid’s heart stuttered. The hair on his arms stood on end.

  The hunter hadn’t left after all.

  ***

  Addison was done. She never wanted to set foot inside that bank again. Dealing with creepers that breathed through their mouth and asked her on dates, with old men who thought she was trying to rob them, or with women who let their tiny dogs slobber all over the plexiglass barrier had been trying. When the man in the mask entered, Addison Stravinsky knew she was done.

  She ripped the nametag off her cardigan and tossed it onto the counter. Her manager tried to stop her, but she heard nothing. All she could see was the gun as it leveled at her. Her ears still rang with the gunshot. She’d been sure the blond bear of a man had been hit, but he seemed unharmed when he stepped up to the counter.

  It was just…an awful day.

  Addison went home, uncorked a bottle of wine, and reconsidered her life as she stared at the stack of books around her apartment. The walls seemed to shrink in on her. The stacks of unread books wavered and threatened to bury her.

  Was this all she would ever know? There was a moment when the robber could have shot her. Addison’s life would have been nothing more than early mornings and foggy trips back and forth to work. Dreams tightened her chest. They cried and begged to be realized.

  She pressed her knuckles to her breastbone, tying to will away the all too familiar feeling of panic. It swelled. It made her feel like she might burst, before it collapsed and took her breath. This wasn’t the life she’d dreamed for herself. She’d never imagined any worlds, never found the time to put pen to paper and arrange words into stories.

  There was an entire part of her that had lain dormant for years and, in a moment, she could have lost it all.

  The panic reached her skull. It prickled before sending spikes of pain through her head. Addison could do nothing more than groan and buckle beneath it. No matter how she tried to distract herself, the panic refused to relent. It gripped her. It threatened to smother her.

  How could she have let her life get this bad?

  How could she live with that?

  Addison surged up from her hunched position. She snatched her wine glass, letting it splash over the edges, and reached for the newspaper on the table. This wasn’t the end. No matter what the panic in her mind said, she fought it back long enough to form a new plan.

  Chapter Two

  Addison hesitated, fingers hovering over the handle of her car door. This was the cabin from the ad in the paper, but the For-Rent sign was gone. She bit her lip and berated herself for being so foolish. Of course, a place like this wouldn’t last for long this time of year. To think that a camper wouldn’t have snatched this rental up was foolish.

  Still, she managed to convince herself to get out of the car. She would never know unless she asked. What else did she have to lose? Addie had already quit her job and broken the lease on her downtown apartment. Maybe, if she hoped hard enough on the way to the door, it would magically be free.

  She was being stupid. This wasn’t going to work out. Addison paused, spun on her heel, and marched back toward her car. The view ahead of her, the sprawling town that stretched out from the churches that rose toward the sky, reminded her that she had nothing there.

  “Can I help you? Are you lost?”

  The voice was familiar and had Addison spinning so fast she almost toppled over.

  “You!” She pointed a finger at him before slapping it back down to her side. Pointing was rude, she reminded herself.

  The tall, blond man that filled the doorway from shoulder to shoulder and head to toe was the very same one who had knocked out the robber with one hit. He looked much the same, a red flannel hanging open over the shirt stretching to encompass his broad chest. There was a tear in his jeans that was less of a fashion statement and more of an accident, as if he’d gotten caught on something. Addison glanced at her own jeans, fashionably torn on the knees and thighs.

  His face twisted with confusion moments before recognition dawned on him. “Ah, I didn’t recognize you outside of work.”

  She looked down at herself. To be fair, a faded denim jacket and torn metal band shirt wasn’t office attire. Yet, the man at the door looked at her as if he’d never seen her before—and he was trying to memorize everything about her. It brought a gentle warmth to her cheeks and made it difficult to look up at him.

  Without the wall of plexiglass between them, it was difficult to maintain the false cheer she’d worked so well to master. The wall was gone, and Addison was left with her awkward self. Anxiety urged her to go back to the car and drive away, never looking back. She would never get anywhere if she let it dictate her life. Addison dug her heels into the ground and fought back the urge to flee crouching in her stomach.

  “I’m not sure why you’re on my doorstep, though.”

  She snapped back to attention, head jerking up. “Oh, right! The cabin was for rent…I thought. It seems you got here before me.” With each word, her heart sank lower. She’d really been hoping to score this cabin. It was the kind of abode every writer dreamed of, the place where she would write her first best-selling novel while she looked down at all the people who ever doubted her.

  Now, she doubted herself. Why had she even tried? Clearly, all Addison had managed to do was turn her own life upside down for nothing. Now, she had no job and no place to live. She really wasn’t looking forward to the starving artist cliché.

  “I put the sign up because I thought my crew would be leaving soon. Turns out we have a few more months in town, so it won’t be for rent until then.”

  “Oh, you own the cabin?” Addison should have walked away. She should have known this was pointless, but she kept talking. This man’s presence was comforting.

  “Each time the crew moves, I buy a place. It’s a good investment.” He leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms over his chest. “Were you looking to rent?”

  “Well, yeah. I quit my job and left my apartment. Everything I own is packed into the back of my car.” Addison rambled, but she couldn’t stop. “I was really looking forward to hiding up here for a while, even if it meant living off microwave ramen for a year. I always dreamed of writing books and, well, after what happened the other day I realized I couldn’t put it off any longer.

  “If you’re not ready to leave the cabin yet, I’ll take myself somewhere else. I’m just wasting your time. You don’t need me bothering you with my life’s story. I’m sorry I said anything at all.” She ducked her head to hide the fierce heat swamping her cheeks.

  She couldn’t believe how much she’d spilled. Embarrassment threatened to sweep her away. She looked to the car and wished she could dive inside. Instead, she stepped closer to the cabin, drawn to the man in the doorway. He didn’t smile when she approached, but she could see the spark in his eyes. Whatever she felt was echoed there.

  Or, she was imagining things because of her sheer desperation. Addison didn’t want to sleep in her car. As it was, she couldn’t even lay the seat back.

  The man cleared his throat. “I have a room you could rent. If you like the cabin, we could discuss putting the money I charge you for the room toward rent once I move out.”

  Her heart leapt before plummeting. “You mean live with you?”

  Addison bit her lip and let her gaze rake over the man. Already, her mind was turning over with a million romantic scenarios, as if she were a heroine of the kind of books she wanted to write. No, that wasn’t how this was going to work. Addie needed a place to stay. He was offering her a roof over her head and a way to save money in the future. It wasn’t the beginning of a love story.

  When her eyes lifted to meet his, there was a heat in them that acknowledged the way she’d looked a
t him. He straightened, pushing away from the door frame. His arms unfolded, and he swaggered forward. For a moment, Addie thought he would sweep her into a passionate kiss. The man simply extended his hand.

  A handshake.

  Deals happened like that, Addie.

  She shook herself and put her hand in his. Her grip was weak, but his hand was far too big for her to grasp. His thick fingers wrapped around her entire hand, making her feel small.

  “I wasn’t expecting company, so you’ll have to forgive the state of the cabin. The room will need bedding. If you didn’t bring any, I have some.”

  “Oh, no worries. I have my own sheets and a duvet. It’s pink and orange. There are little geometric patterns on it that I trace with my fingers before I fall asleep.” She was blathering. The word-vomit that fell from her mouth was appalling. Quickly, she snapped her lips shut and spun toward the car to gather her things.

  Addie didn’t care what the room looked like. There was a small amount of trust between them after what happened the other day. The kind of guy who stopped a bank robber wasn’t going to murder her in her sleep. Murderers didn’t risk their lives like that.

  Oh, but heroes did. And, heroes got the girl. Her stomach tightened, and her mind unraveled a wild plot about how they could be fated lovers, pulled apart in another life. It was a classic tale modernized. Addie needed to stop there, or she’d never be able to look this guy in the eye.

  “Oh, I’m Addison…ah, Stravinsky.” She shook her head. “Addison Stravinsky.”

  The man gave her a sidelong look before nodding. “Reid Bronson.”

  Addie choked.

  “I don’t get what’s funny.”

  She couldn’t hold it back any longer and smothered her mouth with her hands as she fell into laughter. “You have the name of an action movie hero.” Addie attempted to make a serious face. “Reid Bronson saves the day while the background explodes.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her, but she couldn’t stop laughing.