“You don’t miss it, then?” she asked.
“Are you kidding? This is what I’ve dreamed of. OK, maybe not the mac and cheese, but the rest of it. You, being here with my mate. Exactly what I wished for.”
“I usually spend it with my parents. My dad is normally very uptight. He has certain traditions that he has to uphold each year, and my mom suffers in silence.”
“Are they OK about you being absent this year?”
“You know, I didn’t ask. I told him where I was going, he wished me luck, and that was it. I hope he’s happy Logan is home, but who knows.”
“Must be hard, being in charge. I know my brother Declan finds it tough being sheriff. But he is only responsible for maintaining law and order, not making those laws. Must make it tough.”
“I know. But we’ve become so distant. Even though we live in the same town.” She ate her food, but thinking of her father took her appetite away. “I don’t want us to be like that.”
He placed his fork down on his plate. “We won’t be.”
“Even though there is a chance I will take over from my father?”
“Even if you do. But isn’t your brother older than you? Won’t he take over the town? Or you could elect a leader.”
“I don’t think my brother wants the job. He never has.”
“And you do?”
“Yes.”
“Because you feel obliged to? Or because you want to?”
“A little of both. I think seeing Logan going off to find work has made me realise we have to do something to make ourselves more self-sufficient here in Cougar Ridge. More and more men are leaving to go and work elsewhere to support their families. I want to make the town a place where they can live and work, otherwise we will die out. And cougars have lived on this ridge for hundreds of years. I’m not going to let the town die.”
“You know, Zara, I may have only known you for a couple of days, but I believe in you. If you are the new leader of Cougar Ridge, I know you will find a way to make it work.”
“You are biased,” she said, but smiled at his words all the same.
“I am. I admit it, but it doesn’t mean I don’t believe in you.”
“You know, I might just get used to having you around.”
“I hope so, because I don’t intend to leave you. I don’t care what I have to do. You are my home.”
“Right. Let’s eat and then we can do a tour of all the people we should visit on Christmas day.” She ate her food, letting go of the ghosts of the past and those of the future. She intended to live in the present on this one special day.
Chapter Seventeen – Damon
“Hi there, Robbie. How is my favourite nephew?” Zara asked as they visited her brother’s house.
“I am playing a game with Daddy and Grandad,” Robbie said, launching himself into Zara’s arms.
“Oh. I didn’t know Grandad was here too,” Zara replied and Damon felt her tense.
“Yes. He came over to welcome Daddy home,” Robbie said, grinning.
They followed Robbie into the living room, where Logan and Zara’s father were sitting putting a train set together.
“Hi, Zara, Damon, come in. What can I get you to drink?” Logan asked, getting up.
“Oh, some tea or coffee. We aren’t stopping long, I’m afraid, we are going over to Bear Bluff to say hi to Damon’s brothers.” Zara looked worried, and he moved to place a hand on the small of her back.
“I want to show Zara off to my family,” Damon said, and felt her stiffen. Damn it, he was such a fool, she hadn’t told her father yet about him being her mate. Talk about letting things slip out.
However, the old man was on his feet and coming towards Damon with his hand outstretched. “Welcome to our family, Damon. I would have said something before. But my daughter didn’t tell me.”
“That’s because you are a cranky cougar,” a female voice said.
“Mom,” Zara said, kissing the woman on the cheek. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas, sweetheart. So this is your man. Cindy told me all about him. Damon, call me Susan, please. And my husband, the cranky cougar, is called Ron.”
“It’s good to meet you. And don’t worry, I plan to take very good care of Zara,” Damon said, feeling the need to impress.
“I know you will. And she will need your help and support,” Ron said.
“Why?” Zara asked.
“I have been talking to Logan,” Ron said. “And we have come to an agreement that you should begin to take over the running of the town. I’m tired, and I think, if we are going to survive, we are in need of a fresh outlook on the modern world. We have isolated ourselves up on the ridge for too long.”
Logan continued, “Now you have Damon, we thought you would have a deeper understanding of what we’re up against.”
“What he means,” Cindy said, “is we don’t want anyone else to go through what we have this last month. Families need to be together.”
“We want you to come up with a plan of how we are going to bring money into the town. Revitalise our economy,” Ron explained.
“Wow. This is one gift I never expected,” Zara said, sounding overwhelmed.
“You know I’ll be her by your side, whatever you do,” Damon said.
“That’s good to know, Damon,” Susan said. “I hope you will give us a different perspective on the world.”
“Yes. Being an outsider,” Ron said.
He had never been regarded as an outsider before, but he was willing to help Zara in whatever ways he could.
“The rest of the towns rely on tourism. That’s going to be tough, unless you start hiding who you are. What you are.” It was true, that was the main problem with the town as far as he could see.
“Not going to happen.” Ron shook his head.
“We’re going to have to think a little more laterally than that,” Zara said.
“But not today,” Cindy said. “Let’s forget about the future. And celebrate what we have here that’s special. Change can wait for the New Year.”
“That’s it!” Damon exclaimed. “You don’t have to change.”
“OK, speak English. I’m no good at riddles,” Zara said, with hope in her voice.
“You have something unique here. You are open about who you are. So why not attract other shifters? You know, they can come here and relax, not have to worry about anyone seeing them, because you all know who they are. If they want to go into the bar as a bear, who cares. Right?”
“A vacation town for shifters?” Ron said, frowning. Then he smiled. “I like the idea. Damon. Welcome to the family.”
Damon grinned. He wasn’t going to feel like an outsider after all. He had managed to win over Zara’s father. He thought he might be able to chalk that up to Christmas miracle number two.
Chapter Eighteen – Zara
“I know how nervous you felt now,” Zara said. They were heading down to Bear Bluff to meet Damon’s family.
“I have to see my brothers, and celebrate with them,” Damon said. “I feel as if we have been uniquely blessed this year. Beyond what we deserve.”
She leaned over and took his hand in hers, squeezing it affectionately. “You know what I think? You boys have been the best you could be. All of your jobs revolve around helping people, so maybe it is your turn. Maybe you made it onto Santa’s list. Not the naughty one.”
Damon laughed. “You know, I don’t believe in Santa.”
“Maybe you should start. How else do you explain how well things have turned out?”
“Luck. Coincidence,” he said, pulling up outside the wooden vacation cabins owned by Mrs. McKinley. “I have no idea why we have to meet them here, but let’s go and find out.”
“What number?” Zara asked.
“Number four,” he said, pointing to the number carved into a piece of wood, hung up on the wall of a small cabin.
He knocked on the door, and waited. Just as they began to look at each oth
er, wondering if they had the right cabin, a large, broad-chested man—who looked so like Damon, she instantly knew it was one of his brothers—opened the door.
“Declan,” Damon said. “Merry Christmas. This is Zara.”
“Zara, at last!” he said leaning forward and kissing her on the cheek. “Come in. It feels as if the party is complete now.”
“Hey everyone, Damon and Zara are here,” Declan announced. “I’ll introduce you to everyone. This is Maria, my mate.”
They all said hello, and then Declan moved around introducing Jason, who was Maria’s nephew. Then Dermot, and Vicky, who was a reindeer.
“And you really can fly?” Damon asked.
“Yes. I can. But only because Dermot helped me find my Christmas spirit,” Vicky said.
“A long story,” said Dermot.
“And the black eye?” Damon asked.
“Polar bear fight,” Vicky said. “Dermot was very brave and let the polar bear beat him.”
“Let him?” Damon asked bemused.
“That is the story I am sticking to,” Dermot said.
“Oh, come and meet Sorcha and Marla,” Vicky said, tactfully changing the conversation.
She took Damon and Zara over to where a young girl sat in a wheelchair, with her mom by her side.
“Hello, Damon. I’m so pleased you could come,” Marla said, looking teary eyed. “I’m so sorry. It’s been an emotional day.”
“Marla lost her husband in a terrible accident a few months ago,” Declan said, putting his arm around Marla. “She and Sorcha have been living here since then.”
“I just wanted to thank you for helping to cut Sorcha out of the car wreck. I feel so blessed to have three of the men who helped to save her here on Christmas Day. It means the world to me that I have my daughter.”
Zara watched the emotion wash over Damon. “I remember it so well. I am sorry about your dad, Sorcha.”
Sorcha nodded. In her lap lay a doll, and some candies. “Seeing Vicky flying, and then changing from a reindeer into a … person made it easier. I can believe in magic. And that makes me hope one day I will see my dad again.”
Zara turned away, tears running down her cheeks. Damon felt for her hand and took hold of it, squeezing it tightly. Then he said to Sorcha, “You know, there is a magic tree in Cougar Ridge. Zara, do you think it would be OK if we all go and visit it?”
“I don’t think anyone would mind,” she said, unsure of what he had planned, but she trusted him.
“Come on, everyone. Road trip.”
***
The convoy of cars had brought them all back to Cougar Ridge. Zara had gone to find her father, and by the time she reached the tree, there were many more people crowding round. Damon came over and spoke to her father, who thought for a moment and then smiled.
“Wonderful idea.” He spoke to Logan, who disappeared, before returning with a box and a permanent marker pen.
“A little crude,” Logan said.
“Perfect.”
Damon put his hand in the box and pulled out a glossy Christmas ornament. Then he handed the pen to Sorcha and said, “Here, write your dad’s name on here. Then we can hang it on the tree.”
Zara’s dad stepped forward and cleared his throat. “Before I hand over the running of Cougar Ridge to my daughter Zara.” A murmur passed through the people gathered round. “I want to make one last announcement. Her mate, Damon, has asked that we make our tree, a tree of remembrance. And I invite each and every one of you to place the name of a loved one you have lost on the tree. Each year we may add to those who have passed from this life. But when we look upon our tree, we will never forget them.”
One by one, the tree was hung with baubles. Each carried the name of a loved one. As Zara stood leaning on Damon’s shoulder, she felt sad for those that had been lost.
Damon placed a hand on her cheek, feeling her tears. “Don’t cry, Zara. Remember that there is always loss. But there are new beginnings, too.”
He was right. As she stood in front of the tree, surrounded by her old and her new family, she knew that this was a new beginning, for her, her family, and the town of Cougar Ridge.
How could it be otherwise when she was in the presence of one of Santa’s reindeer and a magic star?
The End
Bear Humbug!
Christmas Bear Brothers
(Book Three)
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Note from the author: My books are written, produced and edited in the UK where spellings and word usage can vary from U.S. English. The use of quotes in dialogue and other punctuation can also differ.
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All rights reserved. This book, or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written consent of the author or publisher.
This is a work of fiction and is intended for mature audiences only. All characters within are eighteen years of age or older. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, actual events or places is purely coincidental.
© 2016 Harmony Raines
Kindle Edition
Foreword
Bear Humbug!
Christmas Bear Brothers
(Book Three)
Declan and his brothers always volunteer to work the Christmas Holidays. Why? Because they know how important family is. And since none of them have a family of their own, they think it's only fair for others to enjoy this special time of year.
However, this year, Declan, the Sheriff of Bear Bluff, is feeling like a bear with a sore head. He wants to have a mate, he wants to have a family. So when he meets his brothers for their traditional before-Christmas-shifts-begin-drink, he is feeling like Scrooge–all bah humbug!
What he doesn't know, is fate is about to reward him in the best way ever.
Maria needs help, but where the hell is the sheriff?
When her sister died, Maria came to Bear Bluff to be the sole guardian of her nephew, Jason. Thrust into this strange town, she feels like an outsider. Worse, she is sure Jason sees her as an evil stepmother and has now run off up the mountain.
Scared he is going to freeze to death in the snow, she turns to the one man who should be able to help her, the sheriff. Because that's his job, right? Only when she first meets him, his behaviour is so strange, she wonders if he's just a guy in fancy dress. Is it possible the sheriff can pull himself together and help her find her nephew?
And why does he keep looking at her in a way that makes her stomach go all funny? Find out what fate has in store for these two in Bear Humbug!
Chapter One – Declan
“Here we are again. Another Christmas is here and we are all still bachelors.” Declan looked at his two brothers. They were having their traditional family get-together before they all took off to work their Christmas shifts. It was three solid days of duty for which they always volunteered, because the Holidays were a time for being with mates and cubs. Something none of them had.
“Come on, it’s not that bad. You get to spend the Holidays with other sad, lonely people,” Damon said, taking a sip of his beer.
“Speak for yourselves—I love Christmas at work. Between calls, I get to spend time with all the people stuck on the wards. The nurses work hard to make it special, particularly for the kids who are in over the Holidays.” Dermot grinned. “I bet I could rustle up some lonely nurses for a bit of fun.”
“I might take you up on that. I’m stuck with my crew at the fire station. And although there are the delightfully curvy figures of Kirsty and Sonia to gaze at, they are firmly off-limits. Work and relationships don’t mix,” Damon stated.
“Unless you are bonded,” Declan said evenly.
“Which we’re not.” Damon had that far off-look in his eyes, and Declan wondered how much his brother longed for a mate. A lot. Both his brothers did. While Declan, on the other hand, wasn’t interested .
.. oh, who was he kidding? He longed to have a woman in his bed and a cub running around. Sometimes he even dreamed of what it would be like. Getting up at stupid o’clock on Christmas morning with an overexcited child. To Declan it was the perfect dream. How sad was that?
He was longing for something unattainable. Waiting for his bonded mate to come along was taking more patience than he possibly possessed. It was why Christmas was particularly difficult for him, usually turning him into a bear with a sore head. God help anyone who decided to break the law over this Holiday period. They would feel the very strong arm of the law. Or at least get one hell of a tongue-lashing from the Declan, who was the sheriff of Bear Bluff.
“Let’s face it, we hate Christmas,” Declan announced. The other two rounded on him. But he insisted. “What? We do. It reminds us of everything we haven’t got, everything that we long for.”
For a man who kept his feelings under very tight control, this was an outburst that came from… where? His heart? Yes, it did. A heart that longed to be filled with love and happiness. Damn it, he was a sap. And he could only blame the Holiday season for making these feelings surface.
“OK. So let’s make a toast. Or a pact. By this time next year, we will all be looking forward to our first Christmas at home with our families. It will be some other lonely bachelor’s job to keep things rolling, while we eat too much food and make love to our mates.” Dermot raised his glass.
“Sure, why not,” Damon said.
“I’m in.” Declan raised his glass, but then added, “But I still think it’s pointless. After all, we can’t change our fates just because we promise to.”
“Damn it, Declan. Lighten up. You never know what’s round the corner,” Dermot said, slapping his brother good-naturedly on the back. And, if you haven’t found your mate by mid-summer, I’ll put your bad-tempered bear face on one of those dating websites. I heard Marjorie in Bear Creek was thinking of starting one.”
Complete Christmas Bear Brothers Box Set: BBW Holiday Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance Page 13
