Big Bear Papa: BBW Werebear Surprise Baby Romance (Sweetwater Father Bears) Read online

  Big Bear Papa

  Sweetwater Father Bears

  Anya Nowlan

  Contents

  A Little Taste…

  Copyright

  Prologue

  1. Devlin

  2. Carlie

  3. Devlin

  4. Carlie

  5. Devlin

  6. Carlie

  7. Devlin

  8. Carlie

  9. Carlie

  10. Devlin

  11. Carlie

  12. Devlin

  13. Carlie

  14. Devlin

  Epilogue

  Big Bear Dad Excerpt

  Want More?

  About the Author

  Thank you for reading!

  A Little Taste…

  “You run into some trouble?” he asked, slowing down as he got closer to the woman.

  “Thank you for stopping,” the woman said with a relieved sigh, shushing the little one and starting to rock her arms back and forth.

  She looked like she was twisting her face into some sort of normalcy almost forcefully, like she couldn’t do it naturally. The way she stood made him think of prey, knowing that it was being chased and being powerless to do anything against it but keep on running.

  “My car was on its last leg as it was, and now it’s decided to finally kick the bucket,” she explained, glancing at the rusted doors and dented bumper.

  Devlin found himself momentarily tongue-tied as he took in the sight of the delicious Latina in front of him. He doubted he had ever seen anyone more beautiful than her, with her wild curls and doe-eyes, framed by a thick band of lashes.

  She was dressed casually but the jeans and top seemed to only accentuate her figure. And though she was obviously terrified by something, he still couldn’t deny that she was unquestionably gorgeous.

  Yet it went beyond her dark eyes and kissable lips, the attraction he felt was much deeper than that. Even his bear clawed its way closer to the surface, rumbling softly as Devlin’s eyes caressed the woman’s soft curves.

  Copyright © 2016 Anya Nowlan

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and any resemblance to any persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Big Bear Papa

  Sweetwater Father Bears

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this work may be used, reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means by anyone but the purchaser for their own personal use. This book may not be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of Anya Nowlan. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material is prohibited without the express written permission of the author.

  Cover © Jack of Covers

  Prologue

  Carlie

  What a day.

  Sighing, Carlie sank down on the bench of the locker room, surrounded by the chemical smell of disinfectant. Her whole body ached with exhaustion and she couldn’t be happier to finally be over with her shift. A pile-up on I-55 had kept the whole hospital busy, and she needed some rest to get her mind off things.

  Sliding off her totally hideous but unbelievably comfortable Crocs – substance came over style when you were on your feet all day – her mind drifted back to the little boy brought in with his hysterical father. Luckily, the toddler had been properly strapped into his car seat and wasn’t seriously injured, but the sight of his bloodied, crying face still stuck with her.

  In her opinion, kids should be exempt from the everyday horrors of the world, but unfortunately, that was not how it worked.

  This is what I signed up for, she reminded herself.

  Every day, something would happen that would stay with her for a little longer than she might have liked. It wasn’t comfortable, being on the front lines of a lot of the sadness and pain that the world had to offer. But, it was true what she told herself – this was the life she’d chosen.

  She did this because she could. Not everyone was that lucky.

  At least she could help the scared, injured people coming through the doors every day, and make a difference. That was what kept her going, no matter how draining and demanding the job got. Being a nurse was one part thankless drudgery, and one part the greatest job she could ever ask for. Sometimes the lines just seemed to blur a little.

  Too tired to even get out of her scrubs, she just grabbed her purse and shuffled out of the locker room, dreaming of a glass of wine and a good night’s sleep. The hustle and bustle continued all around her at the Mercy Hospital St. Louis as she made her way through the brightly lit hallways, idly tugging at the hair tie holding her wild curls in check.

  “Night, Carlie,” Mona called to her, waving at her between trying to hush an unruly teenager with a head laceration and filling something out on the kid’s chart.

  “See you tomorrow!” Carlie called over her shoulder, producing what would currently have to pass for a smile as she made it to the emergency room exit.

  The night air was cool as she stepped outside, running a hand through her locks and relieving some of the tightness in her scalp. Her heavy, unruly hair could be a handful and she had thought about chopping it all off many times. In the end, she just couldn’t do it.

  Thick, glossy curls ran in the Ferrara family, and styling it in eye-catching fashion was a matter of pride among the women. If she showed up to Sunday dinner in a sleek bob, someone was bound to faint.

  That someone would probably be her mother.

  Setting her sights on the lot she’d parked her car in, she trudged on along the familiar, empty streets, lost in thought. Her moment of self-imposed quiet was interrupted when she noticed a figure rushing towards her, obviously upset judging by how fast she was breathing and the hurried stumble in her steps.

  Carlie frowned.

  It was a woman, dressed too lightly for the weather outside, carrying something in her arms.

  She was running as fast as she could without jostling the package against her chest, while looking wildly all around her, like she was being chased. Carlie was immediately alarmed, especially when the woman’s face came into view. The professional in Carlie immediately kicked into gear, the exhaustion and long day suddenly forgotten.

  The woman looked scared as hell, with sunken, red-rimmed eyes and a sallow complexion. Her blonde hair was a tangled mess and streaks of mascara ran down her cheeks. Something was obviously wrong.

  Could she be running to the hospital? Carlie had time to wonder, before the woman came to a stop before her.

  “Please, you have to help me,” the woman said, her voice breathy and panicked, throwing wild glances all around her.

  “What’s wrong, are you hurt?” Carlie asked, already assessing the woman for injuries, keeping her voice level.

  It was sort of amazing, how quickly her brain forgot all about the stuff that had happened that day and focused steadily and only on the situation at hand. Even if she was about ready to collapse on her feet from exhaustion. Adrenaline was a wonderful thing, in that sense.

  Except for her disheveled appearance the woman looked unharmed, but that was just based off of a visual evaluation. Carlie’s attention was drawn to the bundle in the woman’s arms just as it was pressed into her hands instead. Reacting out of instinct, she reached out and grabbed the swaddle of blankets, feeling something squirm inside them.

  “Keep her safe, please, please,” the woman rambled with tears in her eyes, before turning on h
er heel and running off.

  There was something familiar about her that Carlie couldn’t quite put her finger on, but this wasn’t exactly the moment for contemplating which grocery store or dentist’s office she had ran into the woman before. Sparing one look at the warm bundle in her arms, Carlie looked up just in time to see the mystery woman disappear into the night, her steps echoing behind her.

  “Wait!” Carlie called out, but the woman was already rounding a corner and sprinting out of view.

  The mass of blankets in her arms started to cry. It was a high-pitched and heart-wrenching sob, the sound reaching right into her core as a caregiver.

  Oh no, did she just give me her baby? she thought, peeling back the fabric. Yup.

  There she was, a baby girl, no older than a couple of months, squirming and wailing with her eyes squeezed shut. Starting to sway the little one in her arms, Carlie shoved her shock aside. High-stress, unexpected situations weren’t anything new for her, but this caught even her off guard.

  Her heart was beating a mile a minute. Yet a smile stretched across her lips as she looked at the little miracle in her arms, looking healthy and okay, if a bit annoyed at having her rest disturbed.

  “So what are we going to do with you?” she asked quietly, eyes tracking the street for any signs of the mother.

  Not knowing what she should do, Carlie started walking in the direction the woman ran off in. Maybe she could persuade the woman to come to the hospital with her, sort this thing out. If not, she could just round the next few corners and be back at the hospital, where there were child protection officers and Safe Haven laws and all that. It was a bit of a walk, but it was the best option Carlie could think of, off the top of her head.

  The mother had obviously been scared of something and reluctant to leave her child. Maybe, if she could find her, Carlie could get some information out of her in a safer environment. Calm her down, get her some help… And give this child her mother back before she even knew she’d lost her.

  “It’s okay,” she murmured to the baby, still crying despite her efforts. “We’ll find your mommy and everything will be fine,” she cooed, clutching the baby closer to her chest.

  Though Carlie was strictly focusing on the rational side of things, she couldn’t help but enjoy the feeling of the little bundle of warmth against her chest, seeming to radiate a feeling of calmness through her. Like she had the child right where the universe wanted her to be.

  Rounding the corner, she looked around for any trace of the woman, but there was none. She could have gone in any direction, and she had a good head start on Carlie. Starting to feel defeated, she tucked the baby into her left side and shrugged off her purse, rummaging around for her cell.

  Maybe it’s time to call this in. Mona should know who to alert… The ER sees this kind of stuff sometimes.

  Having thrown her phone into her bag at the start of her long shift, Carlie wasn’t exactly surprised when she found the battery was dead, but she let out a low curse nevertheless.

  Why do I always forget to charge it?

  Annoyed, she stuck the useless thing in her purse and was getting ready to head back to the hospital when a wail of sirens stopped her in her tracks. It seemed to be coming from somewhere close by, and she followed the sound up the street. It wasn’t even a conscious thought, that’s just where her feet were taking her.

  Maybe I can help somehow?

  The baby was fussing softly, but wasn’t crying anymore, at least. The murmur of voices drew Carlie forward as the sirens stopped, and she followed the people rushing towards a nearby alley. A grim-faced police officer was already cordoning off the area, pushing back the people standing and gaping on the street.

  The paramedics were leaning on the side of their ambulance, talking amongst each other in hushed tones, which Carlie knew wasn’t good. It meant whoever they were called here for was beyond their help. She pressed herself past the other onlookers, hugging the child tightly to her chest, when a flash of blonde hair made her stop short.

  The cops huddled together behind the police tape scattered for a moment, as someone approached with a tarp to cover up the body, and she felt her mouth hang open as she got a look at the scene.

  It’s her.

  It was definitely the same woman from before. Carlie could tell from the hair and clothing, even though her face and body were a bloody, mangled mess. It looked like something had all but ripped the poor woman to shreds, and Carlie could hear gasps and wretches from the people beside her, quickly turning away when they got a closer look at the victim.

  If she hadn’t been a nurse, she would probably be reacting the same way, but she had seen sights like this and much worse too many times to count.

  Yet it still made her blood run cold and her grip tighten around the baby trusted into her arms.

  Especially considering this meant the woman hadn’t been unhinged or mentally unstable. She’d had every reason to be afraid when she gave her baby to Carlie. Her heart tightened in her chest when she looked down at the baby, now motherless and possibly in danger herself.

  I’m so sorry, little one.

  As if on cue, the baby started to cry again, drawing the attention of those around her, but also of the detective standing over the body. He was a huge, hulking guy, with brown hair and matching stubble, wearing a black coat and an aggressive expression.

  “No ID, a Jane Doe for now,” one of the uniformed officers said to his partner as the detective’s eyes snapped from the body to Carlie.

  His cold gaze immediately fixed on the bundle in her arms, and for a moment, he looked pissed off.

  What the hell is going on here? Carlie wondered, taking a tentative step back under the ruthless gaze.

  Weaving through the other officers, the man made a beeline for the crowd, his eyes never leaving Carlie. For him to single out her and the baby seemed to tell Carlie that the detective knew the baby and dead woman were connected. Since the body was yet to be identified, Carlie could only think of one reason he’d be aware of that.

  If he had been the person the woman had been running from in the first place.

  You’re being irrational. This is a police officer, a protector of the law…

  And yet she backed away, her body switching seamlessly into fight or flight mode. She obviously couldn’t fight this guy, but there was no way she was about to hand over the child to him either.

  Slinking back into the crowd with her heart thudding against her ribcage, Carlie did the only thing she could think of under the circumstances.

  She ran.

  Crushing through the throng of bodies, she made it out and into the clear fast enough. She reached her car in record time, running wildly and without looking back. Only when she fumbled for her keys, did she glance over her shoulder.

  It didn’t look like anyone was following her, but she was feeling extremely paranoid, and who could blame her? It was like the man’s gaze still lingered on her, chilling her.

  Unlocking the door, she carefully placed the baby on the passenger seat before running around and getting in herself. She drove slowly and cautiously, glancing over at the baby. Transporting a child without a car seat was definitely not ideal, she knew that, but the circumstances were pretty unusual. Getting away from the crime scene took precedence right now.

  She wasn’t sure why she was so certain that the man she’d seen could only mean the child harm, but she did. With every ounce of her being, she was absolutely certain of it. And with just as much conviction, she knew she couldn’t let anything happen to the innocent being next to her.

  Keeping her eyes on the road, the rearview mirror and the baby was a juggling act. That detective had looked downright deadly when he spotted her and the baby, and she was sure he had something to do with the strange woman’s death, even though it looked like she had been mauled by an animal.

  But then again, he wouldn’t use his service revolver to commit murder, now would he?

  Carlie didn’t k
now what to think. This wasn’t something she was used to handling, like broken bones or a bad cough. Her dealings with corrupt cops were limited to watching them on TV. The guys she’d met on the job had always been compassionate, generally decent human beings. She didn’t get even the slightest bit of that vibe from the unknown detective.

  The drive home dragged on as her body was flooded with adrenaline, even though her watch told her it had taken forty minutes to get to her apartment building, which was about the usual time. She pulled into the parking lot in a bundle of nerves, rushing out to scoop the baby into her arms before walking briskly inside.

  The car ride had fortunately put the baby to sleep. She looked so peaceful, unaware of the chaos around her.

  Climbing the steps, Carlie wondered what her next course of action should be. That detective had been shady as all hell, but there had to be other law enforcement officials she could turn to. Hiding the baby at her place wasn’t a very longterm solution, nor was it exactly legal.

  Getting out her keys, she unlocked her apartment door and shouldered it open, heading straight to the living room. Gently, she placed the baby on the couch, sitting down next to her. Trying to calm down, to catch her breath, Carlie just watched her sleep for a while, gathering her scattered thoughts.

  It’s okay. It’s alright. We’re home. We’re fine. Everything’s going to be fine.

  So why couldn’t she bring herself to actually believe that?

  Managing to get her heartrate back to normal levels, Carlie grabbed the remote to turn on her small TV and tuned into the news. There had to be something about the grisly murder out there by now, and maybe whatever information they had could help her somehow.

  The last thing she wanted to do was to dwell on that horribly wounded body another second, but she couldn’t get away from it. She had to deal with it. Because she could.

  Flipping to the local news channel, she was greeted by flashing police lights as an attractive woman in a bright-yellow blazer was solemnly talking about a young woman losing her life in a dirty back alley. Carlie turned the volume up, glancing over at the baby to make sure the noise wasn’t bothering her.