Pleasant Valley Bears: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Pleasant Valley Shifters)

by Marlie Monroe

  “Sounds good to me.” She took his hand and stood up. As if on cue, her stomach gave a loud grumble. She smiled and shrugged. “Any idea what you want to eat?”

  “I’m easy. Besides, there are really only two choices since the deli closes at six: the diner or the sub shop.”

  “I’m not really in the mood for a sandwich. How about the diner?”

  “You’ve got it.” Toby grabbed the doorknob and pulled open the door.

  Zoe went to step out and stopped. “What the...” She gaped at the red, glistening organ lying in the center of her porch. As the realization of what she was looking at registered, a bolt of fear shot through her, chilling her to her marrow. “Oh my God. Is that a heart?”

  Chapter Five

  Zoe didn’t know what to think. She probably would have stood there frozen like a mannequin forever if Toby hadn’t lifted her off her feet and moved back enough to slam the door closed.

  “Zoe.” He tilted her chin up until she was looking right at him. “Zoe, I need you to stay put. I’m going to go out and see if I can figure out what the hell is going on. Lock the door behind me and call the police. Tell them to send Stuart if he’s available, all right?”

  She nodded, still picturing that organ. Where had it come from? Who had it come from? “Oh God. What if that’s somebody’s heart lying out there?”

  “That’s what I’m going to try to find out. But I can’t go out there unless you promise to stay in here, where it’s safe. Can you do that for me?”

  Her fear spiked and she shook her head. “No. That’s not a good idea. What if whoever did that is still out there, just waiting for one of us to come out? You could get hurt. You could get killed. Please, don’t go out there. I couldn’t stand it if something happened to you.”

  “Hey.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her up against his chest. “Listen to me, okay? Nothing bad is going to happen. I’m going to make sure of it.”

  “All right.” She hugged him tight and pulled in a deep breath full of the scent of him. “Okay. I can do this. You do what you need to do and I’ll stay here and call the cops.”

  Toby kissed her head. “I’ll be right back. I promise.”

  “I know. Just be careful.”

  “I will. Lock the door behind me just in case.”

  She released her death grip on his midsection and stepped back. She fidgeted, her nerves getting the best of her. “Don’t be a hero out there.”

  “I won’t. I’ll be right back.” He opened the door and stepped out, closing it behind him. She hurried over and turned the lock on the knob. As soon as that was done, she raced over to her purse, dug her cell phone out, and dialed the police. She gave them her information and disconnected the call.

  Long, interminable minutes went by until finally there was a knock at the door. “It’s me,” Toby said. “Open up.”

  She rushed to obey, fumbled the lock with trembling fingers, and yanked it open. The second Toby stepped inside, she threw her arms around him, so thankful he was all right. “The police are on their way.”

  “Good. I don’t know what’s going on, but the poor deer that heart came out of is lying in your backyard.”

  “A regular deer or...” She let her sentence trail off, too scared of the answer to finish.

  “It’s a wild animal, not a shifter.”

  “Thank God.” An animal was bad enough. She couldn’t stomach the thought of the alternative. “Did you see anything else out there?”

  “No. Whoever was here is long gone now. I did smell something sort of familiar, but I can’t place it.”

  Blue and red flashing lights shined through the front window. She lifted her head off Toby’s chest. “The cavalry is here.”

  Toby pulled back the curtains and peered outside. “Looks like they sent out Aaron and Andrew Hale. Was Stuart off?”

  “I forgot to ask. Sorry.”

  “It’s all right. I don’t know Aaron or Andrew well, but they’re both good guys. I’m sure they’ll help us out.”

  Toby opened the door for the officers and invited them inside. Zoe stood by his side and let him fill the policemen in on the situation. Despite the officer’s concern, there was little they could do other than file a report and offer to have someone come out and dispose of the deer.

  In less than twenty minutes, the officers were on their way out the door, leaving her at loose ends as to how she should act or feel about what had just happened. Someone had killed an innocent animal and left said animal’s heart on her doorstep. There had to be a reason for something so gruesome; she just couldn’t fathom what it might be or who might have done such a thing.

  After showing the officers out, Toby returned to her side. “Why don’t you get some things together and come home with me tonight? I don’t like the idea of you staying here alone.”

  She jumped at the suggestion. She didn’t like the thought of being there either at the moment. “Yeah. That sounds like a good idea. Just let me pack an overnight bag and we can get out of here.”

  * * * *

  Zoe spent the weekend at Toby’s house. Despite the reason for her being there, she loved the glimpse she got into Toby’s day-to-day habits. She got to wake up with him wrapped around her every morning and go to bed with him every night. If she’d thought the heat they’d generated their first time together had been a fluke, their subsequent times together had proven her wrong. Being with Toby transcended her expectations and made every romance novel she’d ever read seem like child’s play.

  Although they weren’t any closer to figuring out the mystery of the mutilated deer, she’d tried not to think about it too much. She preferred to focus on the things she could actually control, like her love life, or work. Since everything other than the deer had been going so well, she was floating on cloud nine right up until Monday morning.

  She got up bright and early, got ready for work as best she could without all of her things at hand, and made herself at home in Toby’s kitchen. She fried up the last of the sausage in the fridge and filled a platter with big, fluffy pancakes with a touch of honey and vanilla.

  She had breakfast on the table and ready to go by the time Toby came out of the bathroom. He looked especially handsome with his skin still flushed from the shower and his damp hair trying to curl around his ears and neck. His work uniform was plain navy polyester, but he made the cheap fabric look good. “I hope you’re hungry.” She grabbed the coffeepot, filled a fresh mug for Toby, and then refilled her own. “I made breakfast.”

  Toby put his arms around her and nuzzled her cheek. “Something smells good.”

  “Thanks. I added a little honey and vanilla to the pancakes.” She kissed his freshly shaven jaw.

  “I was talking about you.” He nipped the end of her chin.

  Startled at the sudden nibble, she jerked her head back and laughed at him. “Hey now. I am not on the menu this morning.”

  “That’s a shame.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “I’d take you over a little honey any day of the week.”

  “That’s high praise coming from a big bad grizzly.” She stepped back and pointed at the table. “Let’s eat before everything gets cold.”

  “That’s a stereotype. Not all bears are honey-a-holics.”

  She grabbed a fork and filled her plate with pancakes and sausage. “Are you saying you don’t like honey?”

  “No.” Toby picked up his own plate, heaped food on it, and covered the whole lot with syrup. “I like honey just fine.”

  “Mm-hmm.” Zoe sat down and started cutting her breakfast into bite-size pieces. “So stop being a grouch and dig in.” She popped a bite into her mouth, groaned at how good it tasted, and then glanced at the clock on her phone. “You aren’t going to mind dropping me off at home on your way to work, right? I need to get my car.”

  “About that... I don’t really think you should go to work today.” Toby popped a hunk of sausage into his mouth and chewed.

  “Why not?”
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  Toby frowned. “You know why.”

  Zoe sipped her coffee and swallowed. “I know someone killed a deer and put part of the poor animal on my porch. I don’t know who or why. For all we know, it could have been some kind of messed-up prank.”

  “Or it could have been some serial killer hell-bent on cutting out your heart the first chance he gets.”

  Zoe gasped. “Is that what you really believe?”

  “Yes.” Toby’s shoulders slumped. “No. I don’t know. I’m not trying to scare you; I just can’t stomach the thought of you being on your own so soon after what happened. If anything happened to you—”

  “It won’t,” she was quick to interject. “I’ll be fine.”

  “You don’t know that.”

  “No, I don’t, but I do know I have responsibilities to the school and the kids I teach. I’m not going to stay here and hide when I don’t even know what I’m supposed to be scared of in the first place. That’s asinine.”

  “It’s not stupid for me to be worried about you,” he growled.

  “I didn’t say you were stupid.” She pushed her plate away, no longer hungry.

  Toby sped through the rest of his breakfast and drained his coffee without saying another word. After he finished, he slid his chair back and rose to his feet. “Come on. We need to leave now if you want me to take you home first.”

  She stood, collected their dishes, and carried them to the sink. Dread filled the pit of her stomach. Arguing with Toby sucked. Although she could see things from his point of view, she didn’t agree with him. She couldn’t live her life dwelling on every little thing that might go wrong. If that were the case, she’d never get out of bed.

  She turned away from the sink and found Toby standing right behind her. He moved in close and pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry. I know I’m overreacting, but I can’t seem to help myself. I love you, Zoe. You mean the world to me.”

  Her breath caught and her mouth went slack. “You what?”

  His dark eyes narrowed and his cheeks flushed. “I realize it’s probably too soon for the L-word, but I do. I love you.”

  She smiled, touched by the declaration and by Toby’s need to rationalize something as illogical as love. She threw her arms around him and hugged him back. “I don’t care whether or not it’s too soon. I love you, too.”

  He nuzzled her hair, kissed the top of her head, and then her temple.

  She tilted her head up and offered him her lips, and he didn’t waste any time swooping down to claim them. The kiss was soft and sweet and exactly what she needed at the moment. Although she knew they were running short on time, she wasn’t ready for it to end when Toby pulled away.

  “We better go,” Toby whispered against her lips.

  “I guess so.” She sighed. As much as she looked forward to staying busy at work, she dreaded going back to life as usual. Spending the weekend with Toby had spoiled her. Seeing him once or twice a week was going to seem so inadequate now. “Do you want to come over to my house tonight after work?”

  “If you want me to.” He threaded his fingers through hers. “I’ll go wherever you want. I just want to be with you.”

  So sweet. “I feel the same way.”

  They gathered their things and headed out to his truck. Toby drove her home, waited while she went inside to get her school supplies, and then followed her to work. She stuck her hand out the window and waved goodbye to him as she turned into the employee lot behind the school and parked.

  Having arrived a little earlier than usual, she noticed there was only one other vehicle in the lot. She didn’t recognize the brown SUV, but then she didn’t know all the other teachers either, much less what each of them drove.

  She snatched her bags off the passenger seat, got out of her car, and headed inside the building. Her steps echoed through the hallway as she made her way toward her empty classroom. Once inside, she set her school essentials on the desk and locked her purse in the top drawer on the right side.

  She dug out her lesson plan for the day, read over it to remind herself what she would be doing with the class, and then got up to write out the assignments for the day on the white board as a reminder to stay on task for herself and her assistant.

  The classroom door flew open and slammed into the wall. “How could you?”

  Startled, she dropped the marker and spun around to see Geoff standing in the doorway. His homely features were twisted into a thunderous caricature of his normally docile appearance. “Pardon me? Are you okay, Geoff?”

  He stormed toward her. “How could you?”

  Zoe backed up until he she was standing behind the desk. “I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about, Geoff, but I’m sure we can work out your problem if you calm down and explain what’s wrong.”

  “That man’s the problem.” He stopped on the other side of her heavy desk and leaned forward, bracing his hands on the wood veneer. “He shouldn’t be coming around, sniffing at you like you’re some bitch in heat. It’s disrespectful and I’m not going to take it anymore.”

  “Whoa now. Just calm down. I don’t understand what you’re talking about. What man? I haven’t been around anyone except my mate, Toby.”

  “No.” Geoff slammed his hands down on the table. “He’s not your mate!”

  She jerked back, startled at the sudden anger and aggression. Her mind raced, trying to come up with some way to get him out of the classroom. If she could just get to the hallway, she could get help. Surely there were other teachers who came in as early as she did. Failing that, she could make a break for it and run for her car.

  “Okay. Well, I’m glad someone had the courage to tell me Toby isn’t really my mate. You have no idea how glad I am to hear the truth from someone I know and trust. Thanks, Geoff.”

  “Do you think I’m stupid?” Geoff snarled, his features rapidly twisting from man to beast and back again. The transformation rippled his skin like water, hinting at the beast beneath.

  “Of course not,” she said automatically. Fear shot through her bloodstream and weakened her knees. Her face went cold and her palms grew clammy. No matter how often she’d conversed with the man in front of her over the last three months, she realized she didn’t really know him. She’d only seen the kind, docile mask he’d wanted her to see. The truth was standing right in front of her, vibrating with fury, and there was nothing nice about it. If she didn’t act fast, he was going to explode and she was going to be caught in the blast. “I can see that you’re upset,” she said, trying to stall. She glanced around, looking for a weapon, and came up empty. “Why don’t we sit down and try to figure out how to fix things together? I can help you, if you’ll let me.”

  “I don’t need your help.” He lunged across the desk, fast as lightning, and grabbed her wrist. “I need you to do as I say.”

  “Let go, Geoff.” She tugged against his iron grip to no avail. “You’re hurting me.”

  “Good.” He tugged her out from behind the desk. “Maybe now you’ll know how I felt having to watch you fawn all over that damned bear, cheating on me when I was right here the whole time, waiting on you to come to your senses. I even left a gift on your porch—giving you a heart to remind you of the one you were breaking every time you let that flea-ridden bear touch you—but that didn’t work either. I saw that bastard pull you inside and call the police. I know he kept you from my accepting my present and I’m going to make him pay for that too.”

  “You’re crazy,” she blurted without thought.

  “I am not crazy!” He jerked her around and slammed her into the wall face-first. “You’ll see. When your bear is dead and I make you my mate, you’ll see I’m right.”

  Pain shot through her nose and black spots danced through her vision. Liquid heat spilled down her face. She ignored the pain and tried to focus on Geoff’s threat.

  “No,” she begged, gagging on blood. “Please don’t hurt Toby.”

  Before she could do or say any m
ore, a mighty hand gripped the back of her skull and slammed her face into the wall again.

  Chapter Six

  Almost as soon as Toby arrived at work, he started to feel anxious—like something was wrong. Despite the uneasy feeling in the pit of his gut, he couldn’t put his finger on the problem. Everything seemed fine and yet the edgy sensation persisted.

  He clocked in, got his work assignments for the day from the boss, and headed out behind the forestry station to stock his work vehicle with the tools and supplies he’d need for the day. Once he had everything he needed, he climbed behind the wheel and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed Zoe’s cell and listened to it ring and ring, before finally going to voicemail. That was odd. It was still early enough that the kids wouldn’t have arrived at school yet. There wasn’t any reason he could think of for why she wouldn’t be answering her phone—unless maybe she was in the bathroom.

  Deciding that must be the cause, he started the engine and headed back toward town. He’d been given the task of hanging up the fall decorations downtown, which consisted of a wreath of yellow and orange lights shaped like a cornucopia and a pumpkin for each of the street lights along Main Street. At the end of November, they’d be swapped out with fancy electric candy canes for the holiday season. Since he was the only employee under thirty, he’d no doubt get that assignment as well. Not that he could complain much about his job. He had stable employment during times where a lot of good, qualified people were out of work.

  Halfway between work and town, a compact car that looked a hell of a lot like Zoe’s zoomed past him. It even had the little yellow smiley face ball Zoe had on the end of her antenna. He glanced in the rearview mirror and made the split second decision to turn around. He made a sharp U-turn at the next intersection and sped after the car. Meanwhile, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Zoe again. When he got her voicemail again, he growled in frustration and pitched his phone onto the passenger seat. Something was really wrong. His instincts were screaming at him to hurry, to find Zoe now. He tightened his grip on the steering wheel and pushed down harder on the gas pedal.