“Yeah,” Damon answered. “Don’t know what came over me.”
“Well, this job shouldn’t take too long. And it will only take a couple of us to get the boy down,” Stan said, looking up at where Robbie was clinging to the top of the tree. “If you aren’t feeling up to it, go sit in the truck. Better than you puking everywhere.”
“I have never puked on a job, nor have I ever had to sit in the truck. I’ll get my ass in gear and join you in a minute,” Damon said taking deep breaths.
“When you’re ready,” Stan said, slapping him on the back. “If I didn’t know you better, I would think you were trying to get off Christmas duty.”
“Yeah, but we all know Damon is a sad, lonely bear who has no one better to spend his Christmas with than us,” Kirsty teased, coming back to the truck.
“You mean with us other poor lonely bears?” Damon finished with a grin. “It’s not as if you have a great hunk of man flesh waiting for you at home, Kirsty.”
“Oh. So we’re going down that road, are we?” she retaliated. “I guess it’s a good job we have each other or we’ll all be lonely this Christmas. Now, let’s get this young man down before we all end up in Cougar Ridge for Christmas, I wouldn’t mind, but Harry made mince pies and they are waiting at the fire house for us.”
“You missed your calling, Harry; you should have been a chef.”
“I should, but my mom wanted me to be a big, bad bear. She said a pastry chef would never find his mate.” Harry grinned, flexing his huge muscles as he began taking tools out of the fire truck. “I keep asking my mom if she thinks I might have made a mistake following her advice. She just smiles and tells me my mate will turn up when she’s ready.”
“Well, I’m more than ready,” Damon said, coming to join them, trying to control the waves of emotion that kept washing over him. This didn’t make sense: even in the worst car wrecks, he never lost sight of the job. He never let his emotions rule his head, not when people’s lives were at stake.
Pulling the rope out, he carried it to where Stan was standing, surveying the scene. “We’re going to need to raise the ladder. No other way to get the boy down.” He went closer to the tree, and spoke to the other person stuck in the tree, “Ma’am, can you climb down, or do you need us to rescue you too?”
The woman in the tree looked at Stan, then her eyes slipped past him to settle on Damon, and a look of sheer horror spread over her face. Damon staggered back as if the full force of a fire hose had hit him.
“So that’s it,” Damon gasped.
“What’s it?” Stan asked, looking at him and then saw his expression. He turned back to look at the woman halfway up the tree, noted the same dazed look, and then laughed. “I think you might need to rescue her, Damon. She looks like a damsel in distress, and who better to save her than her mate?”
The others all stood around looking at Damon, a couple of them chuckling.
“Not funny, guys,” Kirsty said, going up to Damon and congratulating him. “About time, Damon. You know how much I love you, and I was beginning to think one day soon we would have to resolve the sexual tension between us. I guess that is not going to happen now.”
“What sexual tension?” he asked, coming back to life.
She laughed. “Thought that might make you wake up. Men. Just be careful about rescuing a cat. If she’s anything like us bears, she might well resent you for treating her like a damsel in distress.”
“I thought that was just you, Kirsty; you’re more like a prince charming than a fairy-tale princess,” Harry joked.
“And that is why you are the one who makes pastries all alone in your kitchen,” she spat at him. “Now, ladies, let’s get this boy down so Santa can come and fill his stocking.”
Damon was about to follow them when his phone rang. It was Dermot. Don’t say there was an emergency at the hospital, or with Declan? He decided to answer the call.
His brother’s voice sounded strange as he said, “Hi, Damon. Quick call to say I won’t be on duty after all over Christmas.”
“Is everything OK, Dermot?” Damon asked breathlessly. He was still trying to force air into his lungs after the shock of finding his mate.
“Yes. I’ve found her.” Dermot whispered loudly.
“You have?” asked a surprised Damon. “Well, that is a coincidence, because I have found my mate too.”
“Are you joking, Damon?” Dermot asked and then continued, “Are you on a call?”
They were positioning the turntable ladder so that someone could rescue the boy. Dermot began to take his coat off; climbing the tree with it on would be dangerous. “Yep. I’m trying to rescue my mate.”
“What? Is she OK? Do you need the ambulance? I can come now if you need me.”
“No. It’s all good. At least it will be. She’s a cat. And she’s stuck up a tree.”
Dermot burst out laughing. “You’re telling me you actually get called out to get cats down from trees?”
“This is not the first time,” Damon said. “Listen, I have to go. Wish me luck, because she looks like she’s full of hellfire and sharp claws. I only hope she calms down when we rescue her.”
“Surely she will, when she knows her mate is waiting with open arms.”
“I hope so. Listen, Dermot, good luck and have a great time. I have to go. Tell Declan not to worry if he can’t get hold of me. Let’s hope he’s not feeling too sore when he finds out he’s the last bachelor brother.”
Damon ended the call, and a sense of excitement replaced the sick feeling in his stomach. He had found his mate.
Chapter Four – Zara
Zara clung on to the branches of the tree, while her head spun round and around as if she were on a carousel. What the hell? was all she could think.
Of all the times her mate could show up, this had to be the worst. She did not have time for this; her family needed her, Robbie needed her. But when their eyes locked, she knew there was no escape: she wanted him with every fibre of her body.
Well, her body and his would have to wait. All he was going to do was make her life more complicated. That was why she couldn’t help scowling at him, although she knew it was unfair. It was pure chance they had met now, but somehow it was easier to blame him.
“Ma’am,” the fire chief called, drawing her attention away from her mate. “Can you climb down?”
“Yes,” she said, trying to calm herself. She would be no use to anyone if she couldn’t think clearly. “But I want to wait until you have Robbie down safely first.”
“Would be a whole lot safer if you were down here with your feet on the ground when we send the ladder up.”
“I said I wouldn’t leave him,” she insisted.
“OK. But if at any time we feel you are in danger, you will have to climb down. I would hate for you to fall and have to spend Christmas in the hospital.”
“I understand, but even if I fall, I’ll land on my feet,” she insisted.
“Normally I would believe you, but these things,” and at that moment he slid his eyes sideways to look at her mate. Her mate. She never expected to ever think those words, least of all today. “These things sometimes upset your equilibrium, if you get my meaning.”
“I do. And thank you for your concern.” Then she turned her head away, looking instead at Robbie who had made himself, if not comfortable, then at least secure, in the high branches of the tree. “You OK up there, bud?”
“I am. They are going to an awful lot of trouble for me,” Robbie said worriedly.
“Well, you are worth that trouble. When we get down I’m going to come over to your mom’s and talk to her. See if there is anything I can do to help.”
“There isn’t anything you can do, Zara. Mom said the planes are grounded because of the snow.” His voice cracked a little. “I always liked the snow, but I don’t think I will from now on. It’s keeping my daddy from being here when Santa comes.”
“I know, Robbie. But don’t let it spoil things. Yo
u remember your dad is doing his best to get home to you and your mom.”
“OK. It’s coming up,” a voice yelled from below.
The ladder was beginning its shaky ascent, not helped by the snow, which was falling heavily all around them. The branches of the tree kept it off her mostly, but it made visibility so low, she knew there was no way her brother, Logan, was going to be getting on a flight anytime soon. Even if it wasn’t snowing where he was, air traffic control wouldn’t let his flight take off if it had nowhere to land.
“You OK there, bud?” she asked Robbie again, as the ladder drew closer to him.
“I don’t want to let go.” He sounded scared, and she wished she could reach out and hold him. “When it gets here, I don’t want to let go in case I fall.”
“You won’t fall. The firefighter will make sure he has hold of you first.” She looked up and saw it was a woman in the tower. “Sorry. Assumed you would be a man.”
“Most people do. No offence taken,” she said and then turned her attention to Robbie. “OK, young man. What’s your name and why are you stuck in a tree?”
“Robbie. My name is Robbie.” He didn’t offer any more.
“Well, Robbie my name is Kirsty, and I would love to know why you climbed this tree. And how you got so high, for that matter. Were you trying to get away from someone?” Kirsty looked down at Zara, and Zara suddenly realised what they must think.
“I didn’t chase him,” she said.
“She was trying to get me down,” Robbie offered. “I had to reach the star. It seems so stupid now.”
“Ahh. So is the star special, or did someone dare you?” she asked. The ladder was nearly in position next to Robbie.
“My dad has been working a long way away, and I want him home for Christmas. So I climbed up here to wish on the star, because my dad always said it was special. But I was wrong, I’m old enough to know Santa doesn’t exist, and wishes don’t come true.”
“I don’t think any of us really stop believing in Santa,” Kirsty said. “There. OK, Robbie, you have to climb down next to me here. Can you do that?”
Zara couldn’t see what was happening anymore. The ladder blocked her view. All she could do was wait, and hope that her nephew was going to be OK. She glanced down, purposely keeping her gaze away from her mate, although she could pinpoint his exact position down there amongst the other people.
Then a cheer went up, and she knew Robbie was safe. Now she had to climb down. She only hoped that when she reached the ground her legs would support her, because inside she felt like a trembling, lovesick fool. Zara began her descent, one foot after another, stopping to look up occasionally to see the ladder—with Robbie safely in Kirsty’s arms—dropping back down to the awaiting crowd.
The lower she got, the harder it was to breathe, not because she was tired but because of the crushing realisation her life was about to change forever. There was no escaping her fate. Her whole body was attuned to him, her senses straining to catch their first scent, first touch, of him.
Inside, her cougar stretched. It had slept through the whole drama of Robbie climbing the tree, knowing her human form could handle it. Now the leggy feline got up, stretching her long sinuous legs, claws digging into the ground as she prepared to cast her eyes on her mate. She wanted to assess him, to see if he was fit to run with a cougar over the mountains that were her home.
Zara could tell her cougar wanted him to be a predator, not something small and frightened, like a little rabbit. Oh please, not some small rodent.
Zara hoped so too, because her father was going to be mighty mad that she hadn’t found herself a big old cat as a mate. A bear might be tolerated, but really, he had always envisioned her mating with a lion or a tiger. They had their pride, after all.
Close to the ground, she was tempted to shift into her cougar and take off. It would be the easiest way to avoid all the commotion that was going on below. They didn’t need her, Robbie was safe, and she would rather go off alone and collect her thoughts.
However, since her brother was away, she had assumed his role in the town. As daughter of the leader, she had responsibilities; she couldn’t run off. That gave her an idea; maybe she could keep this quiet, tell the people that there was no harm done and imply that her father didn’t need to know about Robbie’s adventure.
They might do as she asked. Everyone realised that Robbie was having a hard time without his dad here. But she was fooling herself: the fire truck had brought the attention of the whole town to the square. And there, in amongst them, was her father. She could see the anger on his face and knew Robbie was in trouble.
To compound the situation, her mate approached from her right, while to her left, her father moved towards her, the crowd parting for him. This was about to get worse. She only hoped Robbie wasn’t going to bear the brunt of her father’s disappointment when he found out her mate was a bear. Was there any way to stop this happening?
“Hello,” her mate said, reaching out and touching her arm, sending shock waves through her body. “I’m Damon.”
Her knees felt weak, but she found her inner strength and made herself stand firm. She turned to him, meaning to tell him to back off. But she was taken off guard by the look of wonder on his face, the excitement of meeting her for the first time so obvious. When she spoke, her voice was soft, imploring. “Can we leave this for now? Please.”
“Leave what?” her father asked sharply, coming up to stand by her.
She put a mask over her own wretched face, hiding the sparkle in her eyes that she knew would tell her father everything. What was she supposed to say? Her mind went blank, but her mate stepped in and saved her.
“Leave the tree as it is.” He hesitated and then went on, “We were concerned that another kid might try to do the same thing. I’m not sure if some kind of barrier around the bottom might be useful.”
“Damn it. That tree has stood there for generations. Just because one stupid child climbed it, doesn’t mean that every other child is going to want to do the same. You can take your health and safety rules and keep them. I will deal with the boy.”
“Dad,” Zara said, mentally thanking Damon for deflecting the conversation. “Robbie does not need telling off.”
“Yes, he does. You of all people should know what happens if order isn’t kept. It was reckless and dangerous. Robbie saw it as a dare, a way of getting attention. Now he’s got it in the form of a rescue by a fire truck. He needs to learn, all the children need to learn, that is not how we behave in Cougar Ridge.”
“Dad. He’s upset. Logan isn’t going to be back for Christmas. He only went up there because he misses his dad.”
“So it was for attention,” her father snapped.
“No. He wanted to wish on the star. You know how Logan always makes this big thing about the magic of Christmas. Well your grandson needs some of that magic. What he does not need is his grandfather telling him off.”
Her father closed his mouth, pressing his lips tightly together. His emotions weren’t hidden from her, no matter how hard he tried; she knew him too well. He was fighting himself, wanting to set an example, but knowing how much Robbie missed his dad.
“We all miss Logan; we all wanted him home for Christmas,” Zara said softly.
“I can’t just let it go,” her father said sadly. “You know how things have been this year. We are falling apart and if I lose control, what do we do then?”
“You will gain more respect by showing your compassion, Dad. You know that.”
“Sometimes I think it’s time I handed over the running of the town to Logan … or you. I am getting too old for the changes that are upon us.”
She touched her father’s arm, wanting him to know she loved him. Behind her, she could feel the heat of Damon’s body as he stood, looking the other way as she spoke to her father. He was waiting for her. Wanting to be there for her, just as he would always be there for her.
And as her father nodded and walk
ed over to speak to Robbie, she knew there was no way to put off the inevitable.
Chapter Five – Damon
He couldn’t walk away from her. Despite her making it obvious she didn’t want to see him right now, because of her father. It hurt that she hadn’t introduced them to each other, but then he reminded himself they hadn’t been properly introduced themselves; he didn’t even know her name.
His mood soon shifted when he heard her talking to her father. From what they said, he knew that things were not right here in Cougar Ridge. Eavesdropping was wrong, but he needed to know everything about her—particularly why she had been halfway up a Christmas tree.
She stood facing away from him as her father walked off. He saw the rise and fall of her shoulders and knew that meeting him right now was not exactly on her list of things to do. Surely she couldn’t fight the need to be with him, the same need that was telling him to reach out and grab her, then drag her off to bed, right now.
“Is there anything I can do?” he asked quietly. Hoping she didn’t reply by telling him that he needed to get out of her life.
“No. Thank you. I’m sorry I was so abrupt,” she said, trying to avoid looking him in the eyes.
“It’s OK. I understand how you feel. This is all so totally unexpected. You know your mate is out there, but when you don’t find her for years, you kind of stop looking. And then here you are.”
“Here I am. Here you are.” She allowed her eyes to flick up to his for a moment, and then she looked behind him, to where the rest of the crew were standing. “I should thank them.”
The snow was falling more thickly, landing in her hair, which was the colour of autumn leaves. He lifted his hand and brushed some flakes off her shoulder. “They will understand if you don’t. If you want to go somewhere more private.” He saw her expression change, saw the shock there. “I meant to talk. Not anything else… Well, not yet.”
“They all know?” she asked.
“They are like family to me; we all know each other so well. They saw it instantly.”
Complete Christmas Bear Brothers Box Set: BBW Holiday Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance Page 8
