Shiftr: Swipe Left for Love (Lori) BBW Bear Shifter Romance (Hope Valley BBW Dating App Romance Book 5)

by Ariana Hawkes

  “I thought I’d go for a walk in town, maybe check out my old store,” she replied. “Bruno says he thinks it’s owned by some shady characters, so I’m not sure if it’ll be possible to get the premises back, but I just wanted to see it, and reminisce, I guess.”

  “I think it’s great that you want to get it back,” Andrea said. “I used to love your shop so much. It was so pretty, and had this really nice, homey scent. I remember I’d go in sometimes just to get a little fix from the ambience!”

  “You owned a store?” Magnus asked, dragging his concentration away from Nancy.

  “Yes, it was a home furnishings and design boutique. Just a little one, but I really liked it. I had to shut it down when I moved away, of course.”

  “That sounds cool. Let me know if you want any help to get it going again, I’ve got plenty of time on my hands these days,” Magnus said.

  “That’s really kind of you, thank you!” Lori replied.

  “Anything to help my sister in law,” he said, with a lazy wink.

  “So, anything happening on Shiftr?” Andrea asked.

  “Not really… What would you think if someone you knew a little sent you a message saying ‘Good luck in your search’?”

  “Uh, what did the entire message say?” Lori relayed it word for word, and Andrea’s eyes widened as she discovered it was from Bruno.

  “It sounds a little cold, I guess. What do you think, Magnus, from a shifter’s perspective?” Magnus frowned.

  “Shifters are usually pretty direct when they like someone, so it does sound like he’s warning you off. Sounds weird though. I saw you two dancing at the ball. He wasn’t acting like somebody who wasn’t interested.”

  “I know,” Lori said miserably. “I guess that’s just his way though.”

  “Forget him,” Andrea said. “There are plenty more fish in the sea, and bears in the forest.”

  “I’m trying. I right-swiped him out of my feed, and that’s it,” Lori said firmly.

  “Good girl. If you waste your time thinking about the wrong one, you won’t be ready when the right one comes along.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Hey, I’m not working till 3 today. You can take my car to drive to the store, and would you like me to watch Nancy for you?” Andrea offered. “I know the last couple of days haven’t been easy for you.”

  “Yes please,” Lori said, with a rush of gratitude. “That would be amazing. I could do with a couple of hours just to be, you know?”

  “My pleasure,” Andrea said looking at Nancy like she couldn’t wait to play with her.

  *

  An hour later, Lori was walking around downtown Hope Valley, heading northwest. The sun was out and there was still that special, new day feel in the air. Lori didn’t get people who said they weren’t ‘morning people’. Being out and about when the day was beginning made her feel like anything was possible. Eastman Street where her store was located was a little out of the way. When she’d first started it up, she’d been worried that there wouldn’t be enough people passing by to generate a sustainable business, but word of mouth had been fast, and the place was always busy. A couple of other businesses had also started up on the same street on the back of her success, benefiting from the increased footfall.

  As she reached the street, anticipation turned to shock, as she saw that those other businesses were no longer there. One of them was boarded up, and the other had turned into a dingy-looking convenience store. But why? They’d been thriving businesses. One had been an organic produce store and the other had been a fashion boutique. As she passed them, her shock turned to horror. Her beloved little store was unrecognizable. The outside was painted in flaking black paint, and there was a security mesh over the windows, still padlocked shut. The door was metal, like a nightclub door, and it was battered, as if someone had tried to kick it in at some point. She pulled her phone out and snapped a photo, then pressed her face up to the dirty glass, trying to peer inside. Bruno had said he thought it sold vintage clothes. There was a dim light coming from the back of the store, and she could just make out a couple of racks of miserable-looking clothes, suspended limply from hangers. The contrast with her old place couldn’t have been sharper.

  Suddenly, there was the screech of grating metal, and the door flew open. She stepped back from the window and was greeted by the sight of a tall, burly man with a huge potbelly filling the doorway. He had a straggly gray beard, and he was wearing a black Jack Daniels t-shirt, torn black pants and sunglasses, and he had a grubby bandana over his hair.

  “What are you doing here?” he demanded. Lori’s voice caught in her throat. This was the last thing she’d been expecting.

  “Uh, just shopping. I guess you’re not open yet though?”

  “No, we’re not,” he said and took a step towards her. His voice was cold, with a hint of menace. She took a step back, and somehow became wedged between him and the window. “That should’ve been obvious from the fact that the shutters are closed. In fact, we haven’t been open for a while.”

  “Oh, I see – ” she started to say, but then he came even closer. She could smell his breath, the acrid stench of a heavy smoker, and the hint of stale sweat radiating from his body. She was disgusted to feel his belly brushing against her own.

  “What are you really doing snooping around here, taking photos?” he demanded. Her thoughts swirled around. She had no idea why he was being aggressive, but she had the very real sense that the situation could turn violent. Honesty was the only thing she could think of.

  “I used to have a store here, years ago. I’ve just come back to the town, and I wanted to see it, for old time’s sake,” she said in a panicked voice. The man gave her an unpleasant grin.

  “It must’ve been quite a few years ago, because this has been our place for a while. I hope you don’t have any ideas about getting your hands on it. Because I’m telling you right now, that’s not going to happen.” He bared yellow, half-rotten teeth. She repressed the urge to scream. Abruptly he stepped back and she shuffled away so that her back was no longer to the window.

  “I was just looking, that’s all,” she whimpered. His yellow eyes bored into hers, assessing her words.

  “Good. Get away from here now, and don’t come back!” he said loudly.

  She turned on her heel and scuttled away from the shop. As she turned the corner onto a broader street, she looked back, and he was still watching her, rubbing his hairy belly where his smelly T-shirt had ridden up. She kept going until the shop and the awful man were far away.

  At last, she stopped, leaning against the side of a building. She was gasping for breath, and her head was swimming. What the hell had just happened? She’d expected seeing her old store to tug at her emotions, but not like that at all. She’d never been so terrified by another human being in her life. And especially not in Hope Valley. Who was that guy? And why had he been so hostile to her? This didn’t make any sense at all. Thank goodness he’d believed what she’d told him though. She couldn’t imagine what would’ve happened otherwise. She lifted her hand to wipe away a tear, and discovered that it was shaking badly. She needed sugar or something. Or a drink. This was the first time she’d felt like drinking since was found out she was pregnant.

  She pushed herself off the wall and began walking aimlessly back into town. She stopped at a café. She used to hang out with her friends there when they were in high school, gossiping and ordering milkshakes and pastries. Gino’s had been updated for the times, but it hadn’t changed all that much over the years. As she opened the door, the familiar, well-loved smell hit her nostrils.

  “Lori!” Gino himself called as she walked in. “Is that you, darling?”

  “Gino! It’s so great to see you,” she said, walking towards him, and she was soon enveloped in a floury hug. Gino had to be in his 70s now, but his bright, black eyes still sparkled with the good humor that she recalled from years back. Laughter lines were etched into his skin and he had
an impressive white moustache that had turned from gray to pure white since she’d last seen him.

  “Are you just visiting Hope Valley?”

  “No, I’m back for good,” she replied. “I’ve come home.” He clapped his hands together.

  “That’s fantastic news! I hope we’ll be seeing you very often!”

  “You can count on it.”

  “Now what would you like, darling? Anything you want, on the house.”

  “Thank you, but that’s ok. I’ll just have a Danish pastry and a hot chocolate, but I’m paying,” she said.

  She took a seat by the window, and soon Gino brought her order over himself.

  “There you go, darling. We’re so glad to have you back here. I told Norma, and she was so excited. She’ll come out of the kitchen and say hello to you in a minute.”

  “That’d be great, thanks, Gino,” she said, trying, but failing to sound enthusiastic. His customary broad grin dropped, and concern showed in his eyes.

  “What is it, cherry bun? You don’t look like your old self. Has something happened?”

  “Oh.” She waved her hand dismissively. “I just had a bit of a shock. I went to see my old store – you know, the boutique I used to own?” He smiled and nodded.

  “Of course I do, I used to buy treats for Norma from there.”

  “Well I went back to see it today. I’ve been thinking of getting it back, but the current owners weren’t very nice. They told me to stay away.”

  “No! They scared you, didn’t they?” she nodded.

  “A little.”

  “I don’t know anything about them myself. But I know that they don’t own the property. That whole street is owned by Hope Valley Property Services.”

  “Really?” That sounds familiar, actually. She took her phone out and looked at the photo she’d snapped. There was a brass plate on the upper left-hand corner of the store, listing the owner’s name, just like there had always been.

  “You should speak to them if you want to get your shop back,” Gino said. She frowned.

  “I guess. As long as I don’t have to deal with them personally again.” Just then, Norma came over. She’d aged quite a lot since Lori had seen her last, her long plait more gray than brown these days, but her eyes had the same warmth and vitality as Gino’s. She gave Lori a big hug and asked her a hundred questions about what she was doing back in Hope Valley.

  Lori spent a happy half hour with the couple, while they took turns at going back into the kitchen and preparing food, before leaving with promises to bring Nancy in next time she was in town.

  Out on the street again, she felt a lot calmer. The incident already seemed unreal, as if she’d dreamed the whole thing. Except that the stench of the guy’s fetid breath still seemed to be caught in her nostrils. She looked up Hope Valley Property Services on her phone and found the address. She’d stop by and ask them about the property.

  “We own that store, as well as most of the stores on the street,” the real estate agent said, confirming what Gino had told her. “Between you and me, the current tenants have been troublesome, restricting access to the property, and we suspect that it’s in a state of disrepair. Unfortunately, they still have another year left on their lease.”

  “Would you be open to selling it instead?” she asked.

  “Yes, potentially. The properties on the street have lost a lot of their value since the current tenants have been there, so we’d be happy to sell, in order to raise some capital to carry out renovations etc.”

  “And you’d be able to evict the tenants in these circumstances?”

  “Yes, I believe so. I need to review the contracts, but it should be possible. Can you leave it with me, and I’ll get back to you soon?”

  “Of course, thank you. But can you please not mention me to the tenants. They were quite threatening today when they saw me looking through the window?” The agent looked appalled.

  “Of course I won’t,” he said hurriedly. Lori shook his hand and left. This seemed to be good news, but was it?

  Chapter Nine

  When Lori arrived back at the cabin, there was a familiar pickup truck in the driveway. She went cold, as if she’d been hit by a blast of air from the arctic. Bruno. What the hell is he doing here? She couldn’t deal with seeing him again. She thought about turning around and going off on a very long drive. No. She couldn’t keep avoiding him, especially when he was friends with the guys. She climbed out of the car, straightened her spine and walked up to the cabin.

  “Hey, we’re in the kitchen,” Andrea called as she came through the door. Lori walked as slowly as she could along the hallway and entered the kitchen. What she saw almost made her gasp. Bruno was sitting at the breakfast bar, where she’d been earlier, in his firefighter’s uniform. He looked so hot in it. It enhanced the masculine angles of his face and those striking blue eyes. He was more deeply tanned than ever, and he had the beginnings of a sexy goatee. Seeing him as he’d been the night he’d rescued her brought all those feelings back – her fear, the relief of being saved, the desire to be always protected by him. A wave of emotion washed over her, and she put her hand over her mouth to stifle a cry. Bruno immediately got to his feet.

  “Are you ok?” he said.

  “Yes, I’m fine, sorry. It’s nothing,” she said.

  “It’s the uniform, isn’t it?”

  “Maybe, it took me by surprise that’s all. I’m fine now, I promise.” As hard as it was to be near him, she took the empty stool next to him at the bar. She picked up a hint of his sexy, masculine scent.

  “I just stopped by to complete the complimentary fire safety check that the Hope Valley Fire Service offers to all residents,” he told her.

  “I guessed it wasn’t a social call,” she said, indicating his uniform. She cringed at the snarkiness in her tone. It had slipped out before she could get it under control. A shadow passed across his eyes. Have I offended him?

  “Well, it wasn’t initially, but your sister makes very good coffee,” he said, raising his mug.

  “Would you like some coffee, Lori?”

  “Thanks, but I’d better go check on Nancy.”

  “Oh, she’s sound asleep. Magnus spent a good couple of hours playing lions with her, letting her ride around on his back, and I think he tired her out!” Lori gaped.

  “He was playing with her as a lion?” Andrea laughed.

  “No! He was just pretending, but she seemed to love it.”

  “Oh, ok,” Lori said with a smile. “In that case, coffee would be lovely!” Damnit. After all the times Nancy had been awake when Lori badly wanted her to go to sleep, she had to be asleep right now.

  “I play with Tad in my bear form sometimes,” Bruno said. “He hasn’t known about me being a shifter for very long though. I had to wait until he was old enough not to go and blab to all the kids at school.”

  “I bet he loves that.”

  “He does. And he’s dying to find out if he’ll be capable of shifting himself. He’ll be really disappointed if he can’t.”

  “It must be cool being able to shape shift,” Lori said. Bruno shrugged.

  “It’s all I’ve ever known, but I’d say it’s pretty cool. It’s amazing to have animal strength, and be able to enjoy all the simple things in life, but then it’s also great to have human interactions and complex verbal relationships. I think human intimacy is better too. Bears just tumble around and fight each other for dominance.” At his last words, a tingle ran all the way through Lori’s body. Bruno was thinking about intimacy, but not with her. The thought was another stab in her already fragile heart.

  “How did the visit to the shop go?” Andrea cut in, rushing to change the topic of the conversation.

  “It’s changed a lot. It was kind of a shock to see it, I guess,” Lori said, omitting any reference to her experience. She couldn’t let herself appear needy in front of Bruno again. “But I also spoke to the property owner and it looks like he might be willing to sell i
t to me. He’s going to get back to me when he’s had a chance to look at the terms of the rental contract.”

  “That’s great,” Andrea and Bruno said at the same time.

  Andrea put her coffee cup down with a clunk.

  “Well, I’ve gotta go and get ready for work. You two should stay and relax here. Don’t worry about Nancy – she’s out for the count, and I know Magnus will be happy to deal with her if she wakes up.” Lori looked at her in confusion. Why is she telling me this? she wondered.

  “Ok, see you later,” she said, instead.

  “Lori, I was actually hoping we could speak somewhere more private,” Bruno said, turning to her.

  “Oh. Sure,” she said. “Did you want to go walk outside or something?”

  “Yes,” he said immediately.

  He seemed extra tall and huge in his uniform. She’d never got why women had firefighter fantasies before. But now she understood. He was the essence of masculinity – strong and fearless and protective. He’d tucked his helmet under his arm and the fireproof material of his pants made a swishing noise as he walked.

  They walked out into the forest. The trees were all green now, and sunlight filtered through their branches, dappling the earth and the carpet of fallen leaves. Bruno had been silent up until now, and she sensed he was figuring out how to say something. Her frustration building up, she stopped and stood stock-still.

  “So?” she said. He stopped too and turned around. He met her eyes for a long moment, seeming to be frozen on the spot. Then he strode forward, seized her in his arms, and kissed her full on the lips. She gasped, her lips parting at the same time, and he kissed her again, more fiercely, his lips searing hers, his tongue seeking out her tongue. At first, she was too shocked to do anything, but then she returned his kiss, reaching up and pulling at his hair, trying to bring him closer to her. Heat ran through her veins, making her feel light and euphoric. His mouth was incredible; it felt like his lips were made for hers. She never wanted the kiss to end. As her arm snaked around his waist, he pulled away. And then he looked down at her in horror.