by J. K Harper
“So she’s a horse whisperer and a teenager whisperer? You need to marry that girl right away,” Logan joked.
“Right?”
“That’s one hell of a combo.”
“I guess so,” Brody said with a chuckle.
“What does your bear think?” Logan asked.
“My bear fell ass over teakettle the minute we met.”
“Well that’s a good sign. What does she think about your bear?” Logan asked.
“I haven’t told her yet. She has no idea that any of us are shifters.”
“If there’s any chance that you two will end up together, you’re going to have to tell her at some point. I’d do it sooner than later. You might be worried about nothing. She might take one look at your bear and go running for the hills.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Brody grumbled.
“I’m just being honest. You won’t know how she’s going to react until you tell her,” Logan said. “And who knows, she might surprise you and be totally cool with it. Stranger things have happened on the ranch.”
“You’re probably right,” Brody said.
“Damn right I’m right.” Logan chuckled. “Either way, once you tell her, you’ll know exactly where you stand.”
“Yeah.”
“I’ve got to round up the horses for the night. Good luck,” Logan said.
“I’ll see you at dinner,” Brody said.
As Logan opened the gate, Brody turned and walked back toward the B&B. Logan was right. Brody had been so worried that she wouldn’t want to be around his sister that he hadn’t even considered her potential reaction to his bear. Maybe he’d been worrying about the wrong thing. Maybe she’d find out that he was a shifter and decide to end the relationship immediately. If she was on the fence about being with him before, then this might be the final straw. Either way, he had to find out.
Chapter 8
Donna lay on her side facing the frost-covered window. She hadn’t slept a wink since Brody had left two hours earlier. As she watched the numbers click by on the alarm clock, she battled an overwhelming sense of exhaustion. The more she tried to stop thinking about him, the more he lingered in her thoughts. No matter how much she wanted to deny her feelings, she couldn’t imagine walking away from Brody at the end of the week.
The alarm buzzed. She’d already hit snooze more times than she should have, so she couldn’t ignore it again. After turning it off, she pulled herself out of bed. She stretched her arms overhead and glancing at the time.
“Dammit,” she muttered.
The next dinner lesson would be starting in less than an hour. She’d have to hurry to get ready in time. After changing into a pair of black slacks and a white and black print blouse, she pinned her hair back. Tendrils fell in loose waves to frame her face. It wasn’t perfect, but she didn’t have time to orchestrate a full updo.
A knock sounded on the door. Now what?
She padded to the door and opened it.
“Hey,” Brody said softy. “Can I come in?”
“I’m getting ready.”
“I’ll be fast.”
“Sure. But I need to finish what I’m doing,” she said.
“Okay.”
She returned to the bathroom. He followed her in and sat on the edge of the bathtub. As she dug through her makeup bag for the correct shade of concealer, she tried to calm the flutter of nerves in her belly.
“Did you take a nap?” she asked.
“No. I went out for a walk. I ran into Logan over by the barn and talked to him for a while.”
“He seems like a nice guy.”
She pulled out a green concealer stick to cover uneven spots of pink on her face. After covering the offending spots, she dabbed a matte finish over the spots. Then she began to cover her entire face. Satisfied with the coverage, she sifted through a bag of eyeshadow cases and another bag filled with different types of mascara. She set the items on the counter in their order of application.
“Are you going to have enough time for all that?” Brody glanced at his watch.
“Yes. I’m just doing the basics.”
“You’re naturally beautiful,” he said. “You don’t need any of that stuff.”
“Ha! The older you get, the more you need.”
“You’re not old,” he said.
“I’m about to expire.”
“What?”
“I’ll be forty in a few years,” she said.
“You don’t expire when you turn forty,” he said. “Most people live another thirty or more years after they turn forty. Life is far from over.”
“I don’t mean life, I mean beauty. For women, the minute they turn forty it’s over. It’s not the same for men. No one cares what men look like when they get old. They get ‘distinguished’,” she finger quoted. “Not old.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Why are you so focused on physical beauty?” he asked. “Being a beautiful person isn’t about how many layers of paint you can spackle on, it’s about what’s in your heart.”
“Right,” she said, entirely unconvinced.
“Why don’t you believe that?” he asked.
“I grew up in Hollywood. My mom was one of the most sought-after actresses in her time. But the day she turned forty, the calls stopped. My father filed for divorce and she was essentially put out to pasture.”
“Yeah, but that’s Hollywood,” he said. “Their idea of beauty isn’t real.”
“It’s pretty damn real when you have to sell your house just to get by. Once the work stopped coming in, my mom lost everything. She ended up a bitter, despondent alcoholic. So don’t tell me beauty doesn’t matter. It does.”
She threw a wand of mascara into a bag with more force than she’d anticipated. The bag toppled over, spilling its contents on the floor. As she bent to scoop up the rolling bottles, Brody dropped to his knees to help her. Tears formed in her eyes. When she couldn’t hold them back, they spilled over her lashes. She sniffed.
“Come here,” he said softly.
As he opened his arms to her, she crawled into his lap. She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his sweater. Her makeup was probably a disaster, but she couldn’t stop crying.
“Shh,” he whispered as he stroked her hair. “You’re beautiful and loving and kind. I know you keep saying you don’t want to date, and I understand why, but one day you’re going to make someone a very happy man.”
“Why are you being so nice?” she asked.
“Because I care about you.”
“We hardly know each other.”
“I think I understand you more than most people,” he said. “I’ve seen the way you work with horses and with kids. You’re a gentle soul with a brick wall wrapped around your heart. I know you’re not ready to risk getting hurt again, but one day you’ll be ready.”
“Sometimes I think you’re too good to be true,” she whispered. “I can’t imagine walking away from you at the end of the week.”
When he didn’t respond, she looked up to find a guilty expression on his face.
“What?” she asked.
“I came here to tell you something.”
Her heart thudded in her chest. This wasn’t good.
“What?” she asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe now’s not the right time.” He lifted her off of his lap and scooted back so that they were sitting on the floor facing each other. “But, I guess I’m going to have to tell you eventually.”
“I knew it, you’re a criminal,” she joked in an effort to clear the sudden tension in the air. It didn’t work. “What’s going on?”
“Maybe it would be better if I showed you,” he said. “But we have to go out into the woods.”
“Right now?” she asked. “It’s freezing outside and class is about to start. Can’t you just tell me what it is here? Why do we have to go into the forest?”
“I’m afra
id you won’t believe me,” he said.
“Try me,” she said.
“I’m a bear shifter.”
She cocked her head to one side. What the hell was a bear shifter?
“I can turn into a bear,” he said.
“What kind of bear?” she asked with a chuckle. “A polar bear? Do you roar too? You’re a funny guy, Brody. I have to finish getting ready.”
“Wait.” He placed his hand on her thigh. “I’m serious.”
She climbed to her feet and backed away a couple of steps. The expression on his face scared the hell out of her. He seemed completely convinced that he could transform into a bear. It had taken a few days, but she’d finally discovered what was wrong with him. He was completely insane.
“I know you don’t believe me,” he said. “That’s why I have to show you.”
“There’s no way in hell I’m going into the woods with you now,” she said. “I think you should leave.”
As she backed up toward the door, she kept her gaze riveted on him. One wrong move and she’d scream. How had she missed it? He seemed like such a nice guy. But then again, so had many serial killers.
“I’ll make you a deal,” he said. “You stay here and I’ll go outside. You can look out and watch me shift.”
“Deal.” At that point she was willing to say anything to get him out of her room.
“Just give me a minute to get outside,” he said.
“Sure. No problem.”
The second he crossed the threshold into the hall, she slammed the door and locked it. She crossed the room and grabbed the phone next to the bed. When she called downstairs, Madison answered.
“Hello,” Madison said.
“Hi, it’s Donna.”
“Hi, hon. Are you running late?”
“No. I think… I… oh God this is going to sound so insane,” Donna said.
“What is it?” Madison asked.
“I think Brody’s dangerous.”
“What makes you say that?” Madison asked softly.
“He thinks he can turn himself into a bear. I think he’s on drugs or something,” Donna said.
“Oh, sweetie. Where is he right now?”
Confused by Madison’s calm response, Donna frowned at the phone.
“He said he’s going outside to show me. I think we should call the cops.”
“Hang on,” Madison said. “I’m coming right up. Give me thirty seconds.”
After hanging up, Donna walked over to the window. She scanned the snowy afternoon landscape. Brody appeared. He turned and looked up at her. For a moment, their gazes locked. She held her breath as he nodded slightly.
Behind her, a quick rap at the door proceeded a key in the lock. Madison pushed open the door and strode into the room.
“Is he down there?” Madison asked.
“Yes.”
“After he shifts, I’ll explain everything,” Madison said.
“What?” Donna turned and stared at her. “What do you mean after he shifts?”
“You’ll see. Don’t be afraid.”
Donna moved closer to the glass until her breath fogged the window. She watched in horror as Brody’s bones twisted and cracked. Fur sprouted from his hands and feet while his nose elongated into a snout. His clothes ripped at the seams as he transformed into a huge grizzly bear.
She gasped and took a step back. The bear was still in her line of sight when it threw its head back and roared. She shivered and wrapped her arms around her belly. What the hell was going on?
When Madison touched her shoulder, she jumped.
“You know about this?” Donna asked.
“We’re shifters. We become bears from time to time.”
“What do you mean we?” Donna asked as she backed away.
“Don’t be scared. I understand that this is all very overwhelming, but we won’t hurt you,” Madison said.
When Donna glanced out of the window, the bear was gone. Brody stood in the bear’s huge tracks in the snow and he didn’t have a single stitch of clothing on. He gazed up at her for a moment before walking toward the front door. He was coming for her.
“I have to go,” Donna said.
She raced to the closet and tossed her luggage on the bed. She grabbed armfuls of clothing from the hangers and stuffed them into the bags. Normally she’d be careful so the clothes wouldn’t wrinkle, but that was the least of her concerns.
“Will you stay long enough to at least hear him out?” Madison asked.
“Hell no. I feel like I’m in an episode of the Twilight Zone. I’m not sticking around a second longer than I have to.”
A knock sounded on the door. While Madison went to open it, Donna redoubled her effort to pack as quickly as possible.
“I tried to talk to her,” Madison said.
“Thank you,” Brody replied as he walked into the room. “But I need a minute alone with her.”
“I don’t think so,” Donna snapped. “I don’t know what the hell I just saw, but I’m out of here.”
“Let me know if you need anything,” Madison said as she left.
Donna froze as the door closed. She was alone in the room with Brody. As she slowly turned to face him, a tremor of fear raced down her spine. Now that she knew their secret, would she ever be allowed to leave?
* * *
When Brody strolled back into her room, she whipped around to face him.
“Don’t come another step forward.” She brandished a stun gun. “I’ve been trained in how to use this and trust when I say I won’t hesitate to do it.”
“I believe you,” he said. “I know that this is a huge shock—”
“A huge shock?” She laughed. “Are you kidding me? At least now I know why you don’t date. It’s all fun and games until the fur flies. I can’t imagine a lot of women want to stay when they find out that you can change into a huge fucking bear.”
“Will you stop screaming?” he asked.
“No.”
His bear rumbled in his chest. The creature didn’t like her tone.
“Please let me explain,” he said.
“You don’t need to say a damn word. And you’re right, if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I never would have believed it,” she said. “And to think—I thought I knew you. God, how could I have been so blind.”
“There’s no way you would have figured it out,” he said.
“You’re right,” she said. “You did a damn good job with keeping that little tidbit quiet.”
“I have to. I can’t just tell someone about it the first day I meet them. I only told you now because…well, I thought we might have something.”
“Well, we don’t,” she snapped.
As she continued to shove stacks of panties and bras into her suitcase, he slumped into a chair.
“What can I say to make you understand?” he asked.
“I think I’m pretty clear about what’s happening here. You’re a fucking bear-man. I swear no one’s going to believe me when I tell them,” she said.
“You can’t tell anyone.”
“Or what?” She put her hands on her hips. “Are you going to claw me to pieces?”
“No, but I can’t have you telling other people that I’m a shifter. My family’s safety depends on keeping this a secret.”
“Fine,” she said. “I won’t tell anyone. I just want to get out of here.”
“Please don’t go.”
“How could you do this to me?” she yelled. “I opened myself up to you.”
“Which is why I knew I had to tell you the truth,” he said. “I didn’t think you’d be so upset.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“No. I thought that maybe after I explained everything, you might accept me for who I am. I really like being with you. And not because of the sex, although that’s good too, but because you’re a sweet, gentle, caring woman.”
“And I thought you were a good guy,” she said.
“I am a good guy,�
�� he said. “But you have to look at it from my perspective. I have to protect my family. You’re right, I don’t let just anyone get close to me. I have to protect my sister. And if that means lying until I know that I can trust someone, then that’s what I have to do.”
“I understand your need to protect your sister. I really do. But what about me? Don’t I deserve to know who you really are?” she asked.
“I just showed you who I am.”
“I don’t know what any of this means. All I know is that you morphed into an animal capable of biting my head off,” she said.
“Have I ever done anything to hurt you?” he asked.
“Other than lie to me?”
He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
“You keep talking about protecting your sister,” she said. “How do you expect to do that if you can turn into a bear?”
“I love her. I would never hurt someone I love,” he said. “I’d give my life for her.”
Donna sighed and plopped down on the edge of the bed.
“I honestly don’t know what to think right now,” she said. “Does your sister know that you’re a bear…what was it called again?”
“Shifter.”
“Does she know?” Donna asked.
“Yes. She was born with Down syndrome but she’s not clueless,” he said.
“I know that. I looked it up online and read that there can be a huge range of ability from one person to the next. Where does she fall within the range?” Donna asked. For a second she wanted to think about anything other than what she’d just witnessed.
“Lizzie’s capable of almost everything you and I can do,” he said. “She works at the mini mart on the corner stocking shelves. She’s a little slower than some people, but she’s a good kid.”
“How old is she?” Donna asked.
“Lizzie will be twenty-five on Saturday. That’s partially why I’m here. I want to be able to bake her a birthday cake that doesn’t suck.”
“She sounds like a great girl,” Donna said.
“She is, which is why I’ve been holding out for the right woman.” He took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “When I saw you working with the horses the other day, and when you talked that girl into getting up on the horse at the therapy center…I don’t know. Something changed for me. I really like you and I was thinking that maybe one day, I could introduce you to Lizzie.”
