by Anya Nowlan
They roamed around the empty house for a bit until they came upon large closed double-doors.
“Um… You go in first,” Jennifer hesitated.
Karen raised a brow.
“You’re being weird today, Jen,” she said, edging past her and stepping through the door.
“Surprise!” a dozen voices shouted at her, making her almost stumble backwards out again.
Jennifer nudged her forward, a huge smile on her face. Karen looked around the room. There were balloons everywhere and most of the clan was present, cheering with pink little party hats on their heads. Evan was in the middle of the crowd, holding a huge birthday cake.
“Oh my god! How did you even know it was my birthday?” Karen gasped, thoroughly shocked.
“I remembered it from your profile,” Evan replied. “As the date inched closer, I thought you’d say something, but you didn’t. So we thought we’d surprise you,” he explained, grinning.
“You definitely did,” Karen chuckled. “Thank you all, this means a lot. I love you guys,” she said, getting a little misty-eyed.
“Don’t get all weepy on us now!” Everett shouted. “Why don’t we just stop talking and eat some goddamn cake!”
“Yeah, that’s probably the only reason you got up this early on a Saturday,” Karen joked.
Everett clutched his heart. “You hurt my feelings, sis. My adoration for you is what got me out of bed this morning,” he said theatrically.
Someone sounding suspiciously like Ethan muttered, “Yeah, right,” and everyone burst out laughing.
Karen spent a good twenty minutes receiving hugs and well wishes while Evan cut and handed out pieces of cake. Surrounded by so many people that cared about her, the man she loved by her side – it just might have been the best birthday Karen had ever had.
She had always dreamed of a big family, and, oh boy, had she got her wish. Looking around the room, there wasn’t a single person she wouldn’t have done absolutely anything for, and she knew the feeling was mutual.
As everyone scattered, Evan plated two pieces of cake and led Karen to a small courtyard behind the house. They sat down on a little bench looking over the garden. It was mostly weeds, but wildflowers had also taken root, breaking up the green with patches of lilac and red. Evan reached down underneath the seat, pulling out two glasses and a bottle of champagne.
“The surprises keep on coming.”
“The first birthday of many we get to spend together. I thought it should be memorable,” Evan replied with a smile, filling the glasses and handing one to her.
“To you,” he said, holding up his flute.
“To us.”
And to think that all their troubles had led them to that blissful moment. Everything had almost sorted itself out. Karen’s mom couldn’t have been happier – she was already planning a visit. Evan and Ethan had talked things out and were getting along better than ever.
Alex had agreed to testify against Kyle, who had turned out had a history of stalking and assault. He was rotting in a jail cell, awaiting trial. No word on Jamie, but he was probably licking his wounds somewhere.
“You know, there’s something else I’ve been wanting to tell you. But perhaps it’s more of a gift to everyone else than to you,” Evan said mysteriously, trying to hide a smile.
“Okay…” Karen trailed off, intrigued. “What is it?”
“I’ve finally found a tenant for the apartment and the cabin is all ready to move in,” he beamed.
“Really? That’s great news,” Karen exclaimed, clapping her hands together.
“Now we can make all the noise we want, no one around for miles to complain,” Evan smirked, giving Karen a little wink.
She laughed, a slight blush coloring her cheeks.
“And we can finally blast “You Can Leave Your Hat On” and you can show me those moves of yours,” Evan grinned.
“Oh, I don’t know if you can handle my moves,” Karen teased, egging him on.
“Is that right,” Evan snickered, snatching the glass from her hand and setting it on the ground. With one smooth move, he pulled Karen into his lap, her legs straddling him.
“Let’s find out,” Karen coaxed, nibbling on Evan’s lower lip.
“I love you more every day,” Evan said, suddenly growing serious. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed tight.
“I know exactly what you mean.”
Big Bear Blunder
Sweetwater Brides
One
Sara
“Come on, you rustbucket,” Sara grumbled under her breath.
The highway stretched before Sara, empty and seemingly unending. She was close to her destination – the sleepy town of Sweetwater – and traffic had grown sparse long ago. Sara rolled down the window, the sweet summer air playing in her hair. The stereo filled the cabin with old-school guitar riffs. Sara drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, following the beat.
The truck had been acting up since she left the last rest stop, gurgling and screeching every time she switched gears. If it gave up on her, she would be stranded in the middle of nowhere, Wyoming. In these areas, cell service was spotty at best.
That’s the last thing I need, she thought glumly, eyeing the blinking gearbox light.
Plus, the goods were supposed to be handed over that day. Sara had a near perfect record of being on time with her deliveries, which was something she was quite proud of. She didn’t plan on breaking that pattern now.
Fortunately, it wasn’t long before a roadside sign welcomed Sara to Sunny Sweetwater, 300 days of sunshine per year! Sara chuckled. She loved these kinds of little towns with their humble claims to fame. The road was often a lonely place, but Sara didn’t mind. She enjoyed being constantly on the move, even though it left little time for any meaningful human connections. To Sara, it meant she didn’t have to answer to anyone but herself. Little joys like silly Podunk towns just added to the flavor.
Even though her permanent residence was set up in the bustling city of Chicago, Sara much preferred the close-knit rural communities she so often passed through. Seeing how rarely Sara was at her apartment, calling Chicago home was a bit of a stretch anyway.
The highway is my home, she thought wryly, this being one of the days she was feeling especially poetic.
It’s not that Sara didn’t want to have friends or even a family someday. It was just that people had tried to shove her into boxes of what they thought she should be like for most her life. She had trouble bonding with most other women due to a lack of common interests. Men either found her not feminine enough or started treating her like one of the guys.
In either case, she was used to feeling like an outsider.
Sara sighed as she pulled into town.
Looking at her GPS, Sara drove to the outskirts of town. The roads narrowed, but for a trucker as experienced as Sara, it was only a slight inconvenience. She maneuvered the lumbering machine with practiced precision, until she came up on a small farmhouse.
This must be it, she thought, looking at the coordinates.
Sara opened the glove box, getting out the necessary documents. She squinted at the recipient’s contact information.
Clearpond? That’s an interesting name, she thought.
Probably hearing the truck rumble to a stop, a man appeared from the house and started walking towards Sara, a cowboy hat concealing his eyes from the sun. Sara hopped out of the truck and extended a hand to the man. He eyed it before shaking it.
“Hello, little lady. You got something for me?” the man said with a smirk, after having taken off his hat.
“Depends. You Keith Clearpond?” Sara asked with a raised brow. She was used to customers calling her pet names and trying to flirt. Not much bothered or shocked her anymore.
“Sure am,” Keith said, thumbing the belt loops of his blue jeans.
“In that case,” Sara said, handing him a delivery form. “Sign this.”
Sara considered the man befor
e her. He was of average height, with dirty blond hair and a bright smile. He was also fit and tan – benefits of working outdoors. Most women would probably have described him as classically handsome, but for whatever reason, Sara was unaffected. After a bit of reflection, she realized she found him too boring to be attractive.
Dimples and high cheekbones were so last century, after all.
Keith handed Sara the signed paperwork before letting out a short, piercing whistle. Two other men in matching getups came out from behind the house and started unloading the truck.
Sara knew from the cargo sheet that the boxes were filled with different machine components, mostly agricultural. They must have been quite heavy, but Keith and his friends made quick work of it. Sara stood, leaning on the side of the truck and enjoying the show.
It’s not every day one gets to watch sweaty, muscular cowboys lift heavy boxes, she mused, though none of them really did it for her past the basic visual appeal.
It had definitely been too long since she had felt a man’s strong hands on her body. Sara cleared her throat when the thought hit her and shook her head.
As the last of the shipment was carried off, Keith came back to shake her hand once more.
“Pleasure doing business with you…” he trailed off, a glint in his eyes.
“Sara, Sara Sawyer,” she offered with a polite smile.
Keith didn’t say anything, just smiled and looked at her.
“Well, have a nice day,” Sara said, breaking the awkward silence and climbing back in her truck.
Keith gave her a wave before walking back towards the house.
Halfway back to Sweetwater, steam started billowing out from under the hood of Sara’s truck.
This can’t be good, she thought with growing anxiousness.
Right as Sara made it into town limits, the truck sputtered and coughed to a stop. She got out and popped the hood, climbing up on the massive bumper. To her dismay, she couldn’t really see anything through what was now dark grey smoke bursting forth in all directions.
Best leave this to the professionals, Sara thought waving her hands in front of her face, a sinking feeling in her gut.
She dug her phone out of her pocket and googled ‘mechanics in Sweetwater’. One shop popped up that seemed like it would be able to handle big rigs like hers.
Sara dialed the number provided.
“Grimpaw Auto Repair. How can I help you?” a smooth, deep voice sounded in her ear.
Must be another hot cowboy.
“Hello, my truck broke down. I’m at…” Sara looked around for any street signs or house numbers.
“Well, I don’t really know where I’m at,” she laughed nervously.
“Why don’t you tell me where you came from and where you were headed, it’s a small town, bet I can figure it out,” the man on the phone said, his smooth drawl flowing over Sara’s senses. She could hear a hint of a smile in his voice.
“I made a delivery to the Clearpond home and then started driving back into town… I can see a gas station but I’m pretty sure it’s closed or abandoned,” Sara said, wiping sweat from her brow, the midday sun beating down on her.
“I know where you are. I’ll have a tow truck come pick you up,” the voice said, growing huskier.
“Okay, thank you,” Sara managed to say before the call ended.
I’ve never been a damsel in distress before, she thought. The way that voice sounded, I might have to try it more often.
Two
Everett
Everett Grimpaw got in his tow truck, strangely excited. He usually didn’t go out picking up broken down vehicles, but the call he‘d just gotten had made him curious.
The woman in need of his help had delivered something to the Clearponds. This alone caught his attention. If this lady had any information about what the wolf pack was up to, he needed to know.
Can’t trust those mutts further than I can throw them, he thought, rubbing at the back of his head where a lingering pain of his last run-in with the pack still pulsed.
But there was something else. The sultry voice of the caller stirred something deep and primal in him and his bear growled in anticipation.
Everett arrived at the scene in no time, leaving clouds of dust in his wake. He pulled up in front of the rig, noticing a mess of dark brown hair peeking out from the cabin window as he drove past. The hood was propped open, strands of smoke coloring the wind grey.
The heat was dry and unrelenting. Leaving his air-conditioned car made Everett feel like he had stepped right into an oven. Sweat broke out on his body almost immediately, making his t-shirt cling to his back and chest.
A tall, striking woman climbed out of the broken down truck. Everett’s gaze followed her curves like a roadmap, up her strong, toned legs to her shapely hips and voluptuous chest. Her long hair took on a golden tint in the sunlight, framing a face with strong features and big brown doe eyes. She gave Everett a look that told him she had caught him staring.
“I’m guessing you’re the one that called?” Everett asked, gesturing at the rig.
“Yes, thank you for coming so quickly,” the woman said, closing the distance between them and offering him a handshake. When their skin touched, a jolt of energy went through Everett, making his eyes widen.
She’d sounded like something else on the phone and one look at her confirmed that, but now touching her… Wow.
The woman pulled her hand back a bit too quickly, leading Everett to believe that she’d felt it as well.
“I’m Sara,” she said, sliding her hands into the back pockets of her cut-off jeans.
She had a no-nonsense kind of look to her, but Everett didn’t miss the hint of a blush coloring her cheeks all of a sudden. It looked good on her.
“Nice to meet you Sara, I’m Everett,” Everett said with a smile, studying the woman curiously. She too gave him a quick once-over, before suddenly turning her gaze away.
“Let’s get your friend here into the shop, then,” he proposed, preparing to hook the machine up to his tow truck.
“My friend?” Sara quipped with a slight laugh.
“Oh, come on. My line of work, I meet quite a few truckers. It’s a lonely job. Sometimes, your truck is the only buddy you have,” Everett noted while continuing to work.
Sara seemed to consider it for a moment.
“It is the longest relationship I’ve ever had,” she finally said, patting the side of the truck with a wry smile.
Everett laughed.
“Okay, all done. Time to get out of this sun,” Everett said after a while, straightening up and leading the way to his tow truck.
He could feel Sara’s eyes on him as she followed. He opened the passenger door for her, getting another jolt of electricity when Sara brushed him to get in.
Sara let out a sigh when the cool air from the air conditioning swept over her body. Her scent filled the car, warm and sweet. Everett felt the urge to touch her grow, but he resisted.
Get a hold of yourself, man.
“So, you were delivering something to the Clearponds?” he asked, much less subtly than he had originally intended.
“Yeah, do you know them?” Sara queried, fishing a hair tie out of her pocket.
“Sort of. Everyone knows everyone around here,” he said, trying to remain neutral.
The mangy mutts of the Clearpond wolf pack had taken shots at the Grimpaw bears one too many times. Their latest attempt included attacking Everett’s brother Evan, in his own home. It ended much worse for the wolves than for the bear, though.
Sara pulled her thick hair into a bun, revealing a long, slender neck.
How many kisses would it take to reach the top? Everett caught himself thinking.
“Someone named Keith signed for the shipment,” Sara offered, searching his face for a sign of recognition.
Everett gripped the steering wheel tightly. He and Keith had gone to high school together. He was a bastard then and he was surely a bastard now
. Despite his feelings on the matter, Everett managed to conjure up a smile.
“Oh yeah, Keith, sure. What’s he up to nowadays?” he asked, trying to sound friendly and carefree.
“Farming, I guess. I delivered parts for different kinds of farming equipment, along with some fertilizers and other chemicals,” Sara said with a dismissive gesture.
The Clearponds were still trying to hold on to whatever land they had left. Their fields had been having trouble yielding crops for a while due to overcultivation. Now, in desperation, they were throwing money at the problem. This time Everett’s smile was genuine.
“Good for them,” he said, not meaning a single word of it.
* * *
Everett felt disappointed as he pulled into his shop. The drive over had gone too quickly. He really enjoyed Sara’s company. She was laid-back and easy to talk to – something of a rarity in Everett’s opinion.
Not to mention nice to look at.
Everett rushed to open the door for her, but she was already getting out.
“Contrary to what you have witnessed up to this point, I’m not completely helpless,” Sara quipped, eyes glinting with something Everett couldn’t name but wouldn’t mind seeing more of.
“I think out of the two of us, I might be the helpless one,” Everett said, lips twitching.
Sara avoided his gaze and stared at her feet.
“Do you want to hang around while I see what’s troubling your travel buddy?” Everett asked, trying to change the subject.
Sara looked up at him and nodded, a small smile on her pink lips.
Everett took a look under the hood, finding it as good of a distraction from staring at Sara as he could conjure up. He didn’t like what he saw.
“I’m not gonna lie,” he said, shaking his head. “This is pretty bad. I don’t even have all the parts I would need to fix this. I’m going to have to order them in and that may take a while,” Everett continued, picking up a nearby rag and wiping the oil off his hands.
