Craved by the Bear (Trapped in Bear Canyon Book 2)

by Terry Bolryder

  “I was just asking him something about my business.”

  “Yeah, she needs help,” Harvey said smugly. “I’m gonna help her.”

  “Harvey, you aren’t helping.” She rubbed her forehead with her hand. “Can you let us talk alone? I’ll see you later tonight.”

  Rock opened his mouth at that, but she caught him by the hand and dragged him down the sidewalk, shaking her head.

  “Can you even give me credit just for a minute?”

  “Why?” Rock asked. “I actually get to work trying to figure out a way to stay here, and when I turn my back, you’re already spending time with another male bear?”

  “Stop being jealous,” she snapped. “I’m just looking for help at the bar. I can’t do it alone anymore, you know.”

  “Why didn’t you ask me?” Rock asked, folding his arms. “Dammit, Ros, what is it going to take for you to rely on me?”

  “You seemed like you were busy,” she said. “And besides, I don’t want you feeling like you always have to hang out at the bar. Plus, isn’t it a little risky for you?”

  “Oh, because I’m a drunk?”

  “Not a drunk, just—”

  “Because I haven’t drunk at all since I promised you I was going to give it a go here.”

  “Not just that,” she said. “But you hate people. Well, you hate talking to them in general. You really think you’d enjoy helping me tend bar?”

  “If I could help protect you, yes,” he said.

  “But you can’t just be there scowling and scaring away customers.”

  “Why not?” he asked.

  “Because I need their money!” she shouted, exasperated. “See, here’s the thing with you, Rock.” She gestured to his clothing. “You live in this world that’s so different from the rest of us. Even the way you dress is different. Your job is different. You don’t work for money. You don’t need it, so you do what you want. You don’t dress for function because you don’t need to. You dress to look good.”

  “I could dress for function. I could do a real job,” he said. “Especially if stupid Harvey can do it.”

  She laughed bitterly. “Fine, Rock. Fine. Prove it. If you want to help, show up and help us.” She looked him up and down. “But get some appropriate clothes and make sure your attitude is in order. I don’t need you damaging my father’s legacy. He was always welcoming and kind, and I’d expect nothing less from anyone working for me.”

  “But—”

  “No matter how protective they are.”

  He shut his mouth. “Yes, ma’am,” he said sarcastically.

  She just turned, flipped her hair over her shoulder, and walked down the sidewalk, hands in her pockets. “And clean up that mess, please.”

  He bent to start sweeping the mess back in the bag.

  If he was going to let her be the boss, he might as well start now. Because he’d be damned if he let Harvey hone in on the bar without him there to watch him.

  It wasn’t that Harvey was a bad person; it was that, where Ros was concerned, Rock didn’t trust anyone.

  11

  Ros enjoyed prepping and opening the bar with Harvey. He was pleasant and surprisingly fun in conversation, talking about his time in college and his reasons for returning to Bear Canyon despite the small, dwindling population.

  “I mean, it’s beautiful here,” he said, easily carrying two stools and situating them around a table.

  It was nice having a guy here taking care of things. It reminded her of when her dad had been in the bar. Probably would even more once Harvey started talking to the customers about his Brawl experience.

  He was surprisingly talkative considering she’d always seen him as kind of an intimidating, forbearing presence whenever she’d seen him around town.

  “Yeah, it is,” she said.

  “I guess I see a lot of potential. There are roads coming up that will go through here. With all the development down in the cities, the loss of wild land, people are just going to want to move to places like this more and more. Quiet. Safe.”

  “Except for all the rabid bears,” she said.

  “Well, they keep to themselves,” he said. “That’s only once a year, high up where the locals who aren’t bears can’t see it. And every small town has secrets.”

  “Ours are a little bigger than usual,” she said.

  “And if we have to get a little better at keeping them, due to progress, I don’t see that as the worst. Either that or we see our way of life die out.”

  “I guess so,” she said, thinking of her ill father and the other elderly in the town.

  “It’s up to us as the younger generation to make sure this town survives,” he said. “And hey, if we need to alter things around the Brawl or something, that’s where it’s a benefit to be in cozy with one of the Brolin brothers.”

  “I feel like if it was up to them, they’d want this town to disappear completely,” she said.

  “It’s a damn shame,” Harvey said. “Don’t get me wrong. I have the utmost respect for them when they run the Brawl. They’re efficient as hell and never let the bears who gather feel like it’s some sort of unfortunate duty. But it’s a shame to see them all want to run from the town or not care if it burned to the ground.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far,” a dry voice said from the door, which had been silently pushed open while she was focusing on checking supplies behind the bar and listening to Harvey.

  She didn’t look up at Rock, wanting to note a few more numbers. “Finally here,” she said.

  “And not a moment too soon,” Rock muttered. “You were gossiping about me.”

  “I wouldn’t say gossip,” Harvey retorted. “Discussing.” He paused and then let out a snort. “Nice duds.”

  She nearly hit her head on the bar as she shot upward to see what he meant.

  When she saw Rock, her jaw dropped. “That’s your idea of country duds?”

  He looked over his body, which was clad in a neat pair of new jeans, free of dramatic holes or rips for once. He had on a long-sleeved, checked flannel shirt in shades of light and dark blue buttoned up over a tight white tee. The whole outfit seemed to outline every rippling muscle, from his powerful shoulders to his muscular thighs and calves.

  His sleeves were rolled up to show off tight forearms and wrists accented by handmade leather cuffs and bracelets.

  Always had to have that rock star touch.

  He was making his leather hiking boots look ironic, like he was on a runway in Milan, trying to make camper chic happen.

  Harvey snorted again as he went back for more stools to set up another table, and Rock glared at him and then Ros, his hands on his hips.

  “Hey, I went to Nancy’s store and told her to set me up like a local, which I am, for now.”

  Ros flushed, unsure exactly why she was objecting to the outfit. He was clean cut, dressed practically, but still looked nothing like the other men around here.

  She bit her lip and felt an odd urge to giggle as Rock walked closer. He put his arms around her, and she heard Harvey mutter something under his breath.

  Rock’s gray eyes burned down at her, his handsome straight features and smooth jaw showing just the faintest hint of stubble. His scar was evident but somehow only made him more attractive.

  It felt so right, having him here holding her, in the bar, in Bear Canyon.

  But as much as his other clothes didn’t fit in Bear Canyon, these clothes didn’t seem to fit him.

  “You don’t like them?” he asked, pushing closer to her, making her body heat up.

  “No, I do, but I—”

  Harvey cleared his throat. “Not to interrupt your inappropriate display of affection, but we’re supposed to open.”

  “Oh,” she squeaked, pushing out and around Rock and heading over to flip the sign and unlock the door. “Thanks, Harvey.”

  “Like anyone is just racing to get in,” Rock muttered. “Like anything is crowded in this town.”

&nbs
p; “It could be,” Harvey said, looking around the bar and seeming satisfied by what he saw. He was wearing a blue dress shirt, as usual, with black slacks. But he had an earthy, stocky look to him that managed to make the outfit more casual. His blue eyes were warm.

  Rock perched on a stool. “I guessed I missed the setup,” he said. “Sorry.”

  “Busy with clothes?” she asked, setting up glasses for drinks.

  “Sort of,” he said as the door rang and the first group of people came in. “Joe also called and wanted to ask some questions about the camp.”

  “You really think you’ll do it?” she asked as she put a notepad in her pocket and passed him to go to the table. He waited until she was back with the order and eyed the notebook.

  “I don’t know. Still feeling it out,” he said. “Here, let me do that.”

  She handed over the notepad. “Are you sure? You hate working with customers.”

  “He’s doing it,” Rock said, glaring at Harvey, who was talking to another group that had come in. “I can.”

  She noticed several at the table she’d talked to were eyeing Rock tentatively. People often recognized Rock from the human world. The other group in the bar was comprised of shifters, and Harvey was already entertaining them with stories about the Brawl. He was sharp enough to do it in a way no one listening would ever know the Brawl was about bear shifters unless they were one.

  As the bar began to fill up, she was impressed to see Rock keep his promise of interacting with customers.

  She overheard people asking about his stunt career, and instead of running or dodging or telling people he wanted to be alone, he actually acted like an employee.

  It was so weird to see Rock doing what he was told for once, instead of being a rude, belligerent, fake-proposing drunk.

  He caught her staring at him and flashed her a smirk, so handsome it almost made her knees buckle. Seeing his face without all that hair hiding it brought all his handsomeness into full 3D. There was more dimension as the light hit the planes of his face. His large, expressive eyes, full lips that were always quirked in a teasing half smile, and adorable dimple on one side of his mouth were all plain to everyone.

  As was the scar. She caught people trying not to stare at it and found herself oddly protective.

  Rock seemed to take it in stride.

  Could she really start to hope he was ready to accept himself and his past and maybe even this town? Could she really hope he wouldn’t run when he had every other time?

  He grinned at her again as a semi-drunk woman pulled him down by the arm to whisper in his ear. His grin froze, and Ros felt a flash of protectiveness. She was about to make her way over when she saw Rock stand, say something polite with a tight smile, and then leave the table, walking toward her.

  “What was that?” she asked. “What happened?”

  “Nothing,” he said.

  “No, what?”

  “That’s the third person to proposition me,” he said, sighing heavily as he set down his pad and passed it toward her. “My guess is that’s the last round for this group. The other ones are looky-loos. They’re just here to stare.”

  She felt warm anger flood her cheeks and neck but pushed it away. She was still a female bear. Of course she didn’t like anyone encroaching on her mate.

  “Are you… jealous?” he asked, peeking up at her as she tried to keep herself focused on the drinks.

  “No,” she said. “I know it’s nothing. Drunk tourists just proposition people. They think their backcountry adventure comes with a country person on their back.”

  He sat up straighter. “What do you mean? You get propositioned?”

  She raised an eyebrow. “I’m a female bartender in a town that sees at least ten times as many men as women. What do you think?”

  He cracked his knuckles. “I’m thinking I need to stick around here and beat some asses.”

  “I can take care of it,” she said. “I always have.”

  “Mort has,” he said.

  She frowned. “I guess so. And now I have Harvey.”

  “Speaking of which, he’s awesome at this,” Rock said, looking over to Harvey, who had a hand on his stomach and was laughing heartily at something one of the tourists was saying.

  “Yeah, he’s pretty good.”

  “He keeps talking to people about life in the town, how nice it is to live there. How he sets people up with business loans,” Rock said. “He’s proud of this place.”

  “Lots to be proud of,” she said. “It’s beautiful up here, but not easy to survive. But for those who do it, we get to live in a way few people ever experience. Far from traffic and smoggy skies and busy offices.”

  Rock nodded. “Makes me wonder how I would have seen this place if it hadn’t been for…”

  He trailed off and stared forward with a somewhat glazed expression on his face just as the door slammed open and a large group, headed by Connor, came in.

  Rock stiffened, and Ros’s eyes shot to Harvey, who had already picked up on the situation and was headed over.

  Harvey’s expression was pleasant, but his eyes were hard as he led the guys to a table and leaned casually on one hand while taking their order. There was something about the way he held Connor’s eye the whole time that seemed to make the other man crumble somewhat.

  When Rock looked over at him, Connor flinched visibly and then glared back at Rock with a snarl.

  Ros knew there was still unfinished business there. Connor didn’t want to admit it, but he was afraid of Rock. And maybe Harvey as well. And that would keep her safe.

  “Have you ever thought that maybe a bar isn’t the right place for you?” he asked. “Now that your dad isn’t around?” He scratched his head. “Heck, maybe it wasn’t the best idea even when he was around. What was Mort thinking?”

  “He was thinking we should be together.”

  “Then maybe you should be home with him,” he said.

  “He sleeps a lot,” she said. “And he worries about the bar.”

  “I get it,” Rock said. “He doesn’t want to depend on you.”

  “Right,” she said.

  Rock seemed to sense she didn’t want to talk about it. He stood, taking the drinks she’d prepared. He nodded to Connor. “So you want me to throw them out or let them stay here?”

  “Stay, as long as they don’t make a scene,” she said. “I’d rather not disturb the others.”

  “You know I have enough money that you’d never have to work the bar another day in your life, right?” he asked.

  She flushed. “Shut up. I like the bar.”

  “Oh, right,” he said. “Totally safe. Totally savory.” With that, he turned on his heel and went back to the table, carrying drinks. As he bent with his tray, she saw one of the women at the table reach out for his ass.

  Ros heard the shatter of the glass she’d dropped only as everyone, including the wretch about to grope Rock, looked up at her in shock.

  “Sorry,” she muttered, bending down to clean up as the noise picked up in the bar again.

  She stayed down behind the counter, trying to let jealousy roll off of her.

  It made no sense. She’d never been jealous like this when Rock had been out in the world, surrounded by adoring fans.

  Yet the animal in her, the bear, told her he was hers. Told her to claim him, to take him back.

  He was capable of defending himself, twice the size of anyone who might hit on him, but still, she wanted to lock him up all for herself, tie him to a bed away from the world, and just go crazy on him.

  He sent her an odd glance, almost as if he heard her. But he didn’t. She imagined she just had an odd expression on her face. She was also probably beet red. She ducked behind the bar again, taking a deep breath.

  Before, he hadn’t been hers. He’d been in the world.

  But now, he’d made love to her. He’d said he could stay in the mountains. He was dressing for her, working her bar. Everything seemed so possib
le, and the bear in her was holding on with all claws.

  She stood again, straightening her apron, and looked at the clock. Just a couple more hours. Rock had moved to another table and was joking with them, and she took the chance to go over to the table with the groper.

  She kept her tone polite as she stepped in front of them. “Anything else I can help you with?”

  The girl with the wandering hand gave her an insolent glare. “No thanks, we’re being helped.”

  Ros grinned and then leaned forward, speaking low and directly to the woman so no one else could hear. “You help yourself to one of my employees and I’ll help you to the ass-whooping of your life.”

  The girl reddened and made an offended gasp. “Well, I never.” She stood. “Let’s get out of here. I’d rather just drive for a few hours and get a hotel than stay in this crazy town.”

  She and her friends, some of whom were male, stood and walked out of the bar, and Ros watched with folded arms, wondering why she didn’t mind at all if she lost customers.

  “Jealous?” Rock’s breath brushed her ear as he leaned in from behind her conspiratorially. “Hot.”

  She frowned and resisted the wetness she felt, the weakness in her legs just from having him close.

  The longer she was with him, the more everything pointed to him being more than just the guy she’d always been in love with.

  He was her mate.

  She’d kill to keep everyone from touching him.

  She knew he felt the same.

  He breezed by her with a laugh, and she went back to the bar to finish out her shift.

  He continued to give her amused glances, and she continued to get turned on, anticipating what would happen when the shift was over.

  Today, she’d felt he was her mate. Tonight, she would show him.

  Rock scrubbed a hand through his sweaty hair as he watched the last group leave the bar.

  Harvey let out a huff as he moved past him, already working to put up the stools. “What a night,” he said. “I never realized working a bar was so hard.”

  “It was a busy night,” Ros said briskly. She gave Harvey a smile. “How’d you like it?”