Big Bear Dad: BBW Surprise Baby Suspense Romance (Sweetwater Father Bears Book 4) Read online

  “I’m on break,” she said, hurrying past him.

  Colin just quirked a brow at her, but didn’t say anything.

  Pushing open the door marked ‘Staff Only’ and stepping into the small breakroom, she walked to her locker and opened it, pulling out her purse. Rummaging around, she fished out a protein bar and her phone before sinking into one of the chairs.

  The first thought she had as she sat down was to call Wright, a childhood friend of hers she still kept in touch with. He always had a way of cutting through the crap and giving her the harsh truth. His straight-forward nature turned some people off, but not her.

  She knew that beneath that grouchy, stand-offish exterior of his, Wright was nothing more than a teddy bear. How he hadn’t grown tired of hearing her talk about her string of dead-end jobs and terrible boyfriends, she would never know. She appreciated it, though.

  Now that he had a kid, she did her best to not bother him too much. He was raising the baby on his own, and was very tightlipped about his son’s mother, so he had a lot on his plate, it seemed. Even so, whenever he talked about baby Jonah, she could hear the love in his voice.

  It was nice to see, or at least hear him being happy.

  Makes one of us, Remy thought wistfully, ripping through the wrapper of the protein bar.

  She had been planning to go back to Montana and visit them for a while now, anxious to see the Jonah in person. Nothing would lift her spirits like doting on a sweet, innocent little baby. Remy had always thought she would be the one to start a family first, especially since Wright insisted on being a hermit in that cabin of his.

  Life happened when she was busy making plans, it seemed.

  Now she questioned if she would ever find someone to settle down with. If her luck with men thus far was any indication, she was going to be waiting a long time.

  After the last guy, she didn’t even want to think of dating again. Even now, months after Kevin had shown his true colors, the thought of getting back out there was enough to make her want to climb into bed, get under the covers, and never come out again.

  You’re letting them get to you. You weren’t supposed to do that, she reminded herself.

  Taking a bite out of her protein bar, she turned over the phone in her hand. With some surprise, she noticed the light on the top of the screen was blinking, indicating a missed call. With her social life as it was, it was probably a telemarketer, trying to get her to buy something she couldn’t afford.

  Before she could even check the number, her phone rang in her hand. Sliding her thumb over the screen, she pressed it against her ear, ready to tell whoever it was that no, she wasn’t interested in a boxset of self-help books.

  Even though it’s looking more and more like I might need them…

  But it was soon clear this was no telemarketer. Remy listened to the professional-sounding voice on the other side of the line, struggling to come to grips with the information flung her way.

  “Miss Marshall, I am sorry to inform you that Wright Renly has passed away.”

  That was really the only part she caught. Everything after that was a blur.

  Ice settled into the pit of her stomach as she sat, stunned and nauseated, waiting for her world to start revolving again.

  Three

  Remy

  Giving a friendly wave to the cowboy who had been kind enough to give her a ride as he drove off, Remy hauled her huge backpack to a nearby bench before strapping it on. The mountain air of Sweetwater, Wyoming, smelled familiar, reminding her of home.

  She would rather be in Montana right now, paying her respects to Wright, but there were more important things to take care of.

  Like finding that bastard, Alistair.

  Still having trouble wrapping her mind around what had happened during the past few days, she pushed herself into motion, her sneakers softly thudding on the pavement. It was a sunny afternoon, and the streets were pretty sparse. Instead of delving deeper, Remy looked around the center of town for a while, taking it all in.

  With majestic mountains shooting up in the distance, combined with the friendly, small-town vibe, Sweetwater was nothing but delightful. No chain stores, just mom and pop diners and locally owned shops, with a cobbled square in the middle and a lush park to the east.

  Remy wouldn’t have minded hanging out, grabbing a cup of coffee and some pie from the diner, but the urge to find out what happened to Wright and Jonah was more powerful. She couldn’t really focus on the good when there was so much bad to take in first.

  Ever since she had gotten that call about Wright’s cabin burning down with him inside, she had found it difficult to think of anything else. Even more suspicious, there was no sign of Jonah and the sheriff’s office didn’t even seem to think the baby boy existed. It was like she’d stepped into the Twilight Zone that morning, with Grumpy being the gatekeeper.

  As far as Remy was concerned, she was more than ready to get out of this stupid reality and go to one where Wright was still alive and the sheriff’s office wasn’t trying to convince her that Jonah was a figment of her imagination.

  She had a couple of pictures of Jonah on her phone that Wright had sent her, but the officers hadn’t exactly considered that as proof that there was a child living in the cottage. Wright’s death was ruled accidental before Remy could even try and convince anyone there was something else going on here.

  If there was a man who would not be careless with fire, it was Wright. No way he would have left an open flame unattended. Even less likely was the possibility that he’d simply not been able to get away from a fire. He was a werebear, for God’s sake!

  This whole thing stinks, she thought to herself, and she wasn’t going to let it go until she had some answers.

  And she had a good idea about where to start. Wright had mentioned an Alistair Samson, the only other person living near his cabin, in many of his letters. He never had anything good to say about the man.

  Alistair had just showed up one day and started causing trouble, trespassing on Wright’s property and being a general nuisance. From what she gathered from his stories, Alistair was a cold and hateful man with no friends to speak of, who spent his time chasing tail and getting drunk.

  Exactly the kind of guy I don’t want to meet, but he’s also my best lead. My only lead.

  Samson had left Montana soon after the fire, which she already found suspicious. Calling around, she managed to get hold of a barkeep, who said Alistair had mentioned visiting his brother in his hometown of Sweetwater. She’d even gone to check out his cabin, finding no one there.

  So now here she was, ready to play detective and hoping she wasn’t getting in way over her head.

  Since Alistair had preferred living in a remote area before, she was reasonably sure he would stick to that same pattern. Grabbing a hair-tie from the pocket of her navy jeans, she pulled her long blonde hair up into a ponytail and started towards the mountains.

  I’m going to get to the bottom of this. No matter what it takes.

  Remy was getting further and further from town, leaving behind the small family homes she had already knocked on the doors of and heading for the cabins nestled into the wilderness near the foot of the mountains.

  No one she had talked to so far knew anything about anyone named Alistair. It was easy to get discouraged, especially with the sun beating down on her and the heavy bag cutting into her shoulders, but she wasn’t about to give up.

  The looks she got weren’t entirely uplifting either. Since she was asking about a werebear, regardless of whether he was a Sweetwater bear or not, she was looking for one of them while she herself certainly was not. Even though there was very little latent animosity between werebears and humans, it all seemed to change when a bear sensed one of his kind to be threatened by something.

  Trekking through the greenery, she thought about what she was going to do when she actually found the man. If he had information about what happened to Wright, there had to be a reason he h
adn’t shared it with the cops. Or even worse, he could have had something to do with the fire.

  The thought made a shiver run down her back, but it didn’t mean she was going to stop looking for the man. She wasn’t going to let fear get in the way of finding out the truth about Wright’s death and Jonah’s disappearance.

  My mom did always say I’m too stubborn for my own good… And he wouldn’t hurt a woman after half the town knows I’m looking for him.

  She wasn’t entirely convinced by her strand of logic, but she was going to use it regardless. Desperate times calling for desperate measures, and all that.

  Pushing aside some branches, she finally came upon a more travelled road and followed it up to a small cabin. There was someone out front, a large guy swinging what looked like an axe. The sound of wood splitting drew her attention to the pile of firewood at his side.

  A regular lumberjack, she mused, strolling closer. I’ve been away from the wilderness for too long.

  The man’s head whipped around as she cleared the tree-line, as if he had somehow sensed her there. Remy raised her hand in a friendly wave, so as not to seem she was trying to sneak up on the guy. The lumberjack let his axe fall into the tree trunk in front of him, leaving it stuck there, and studied her with his hands on his hips and a glower on his face, though it cleared a moment after.

  An odd sensation filled her gut as she walked up to the front of the cabin and got a good look at him. Sweat beaded at his forehead and left a trail down his neck, making the front of his gray t-shirt stick to his chiseled chest.

  Oh… Okay… A hot lumberjack.

  Angling his body towards her, his broad shoulders nearly seemed to block out the sun. Glancing at his strong arms, Remy was sure he could chop up enough firewood to keep the whole town warm in the winter without much effort.

  And then there was the way he looked at her.

  A shade darker than his dark brown hair, the man’s eyes looked almost black as he stared at her, like he could see right inside her soul. Remy’s mouth was suddenly full of cotton as she came to a stop in front of this huge man, unable to stop her eyes from roaming across his perfect body.

  Square-jawed, with an angular face covered in thick stubble, the man quirked an expressive brow at Remy as she stood there, wordless. He wasn’t about to start the conversation, apparently.

  “Uh, hello,” she finally managed to get out, tearing her gaze away.

  “Can I help you with something?” the man asked, wiping the back of his hand over the bridge of his straight, narrow nose.

  “Yes,” Remy immediately sighed, transfixed by his every movement.

  I bet there are a lot of things you could help me with, she thought, a blush creeping up her cheeks.

  Quickly brushing those thoughts aside, she straightened her spine and cleared her throat, looking up at the man. Yes, he was handsome and looked entirely too good to be true, but she wasn’t here for romance. And she wasn’t ready to repeat the disasters of her dating past.

  Lumberjack man was looking at her curiously, rubbing his palms together tentatively, his shirt sprinkled with bits of wood.

  Okay, I should probably say something right about now.

  “Do you live here?” she asked, pointing her chin towards the cabin behind them.

  It wasn’t the most eloquent opener, but she had to work with what she had.

  “I do,” he confirmed. “Don’t get a lot of visitors around these parts, though,” he commented, looking her up and down. “Not that I mind,” he hurriedly added, flashing her a quick grin.

  Remy gulped, something about the way his voice sounded reaching straight into her core. That smile of his wasn’t fair either. He’d been hot before, but now she could firmly characterize him as panty-melting.

  She cleared her throat before speaking, simultaneously chiding herself for getting so affected by the man’s presence.

  “I’m looking for someone. I’ve already gone to the houses down the trail, but they hadn’t heard of him. I’m Remy, by the way.”

  “You walked all the way here? You must really want to find this guy,” he chuckled, reaching down and grabbing a bottle of water. “Here,” he said, throwing it to her.

  “Thanks,” she replied, taking a gulp of the cold, crisp liquid.

  He was right, it was a long hike. Surprising what a woman with a mission could disregard. Like physical discomfort, for one.

  “Yeah, it’s important I find him. I think he might have some information about a crime. His name is Alistair Samson, you wouldn’t happen to know him?”

  The man’s expression turned thunderous on the flip of a dime. His lips thinned into a straight line, his shoulders growing tense.

  “You’re looking at him.”

  It took Remy a second for it to sink in.

  Shit.

  “You’re Alistair?”

  Luck really wasn’t on her side this time. Or maybe it was? It certainly made her look at him in a different way.

  “And do you mind telling me who you are?”

  “I’m a friend of Wright’s. He was your neighbor back in Montana.”

  “Yeah, I know who he is,” Alistair rumbled, his brows furrowing.

  The way he responded sent a flash of discomfort through her. He looked about ready to fell a tree with his bare hands out of nothing but frustration. Still, she was entirely certain that he wouldn’t do anything to her.

  Which was odd, considering that she thought him a possible arsonist and murderer.

  “I thought you could maybe answer some questions, I…”

  “I have nothing to say to you,” Alistair all but growled, turning on his heel and heading for the cabin.

  Remy scrambled to catch up with him, insistent to get what she came for. The surprise was quickly waning, turning into annoyance instead.

  “If you could just…” she started, following him up the porch steps.

  “Get off my property,” was all he said before slamming the door shut in her face.

  Motherfucker.

  Four

  Alistair

  Alistair stomped into his bedroom, pulling off his sweaty shirt with an annoyed sigh. All he wanted was his privacy, to be left alone… well, and maybe a long, hot shower without distractions. Instead, now some friend of Wright’s had tracked him down, asking questions he didn’t want to answer.

  I shouldn’t have even talked to her at all…

  But with how delicious the woman looked, how could he not? Long legs and voluptuous hips, she had gotten his attention the moment she stepped out of the forest. A cute button nose and huge, grey eyes made the blonde beauty look almost doll-like, and he couldn’t help but stare.

  He wasn’t the kind of guy to hold a conversation with a trespasser just because she was pretty, but his bear would have it no other way this time. He had to talk to her, and the knowledge that she was Wright’s friend didn’t really even phase him as much as it really should have.

  Which, in itself, was entirely odd.

  I wonder who she is to Wright…

  That thought was cut short as Wright Junior started crying in the other room, making Alistair rush to the nursery. It was amazing how quickly he had fallen into the role of temporary dad. He had never even considered having kids, yet here he was, caring for the son of a man he had actively disliked. He was already more attached to the baby boy than he had even thought possible.

  It was tough, not having help, but he was managing. Learning things as he went had always been the way he did things.

  “Shh, it’s alright,” he murmured, picking Junior up and gently rocking him back and forth.

  Slowly calming down, the baby opened his bright blue eyes, wiggling around in Alistair’s arms. He looked remarkably like Wright, that much had been clear to Alistair as soon as he found the child. That, and the boy’s scent, which had hints of Wright’s smell even when the two were far removed.

  It made Wright keeping the child a secret from everyone even more confu
sing. Clearly this wasn’t someone else’s kid he had been hiding away.

  At least I hope so…

  A clatter at the backdoor made his bear perk up, a protective growl ready at the back of his throat. Gently placing the baby back into the crib, he went to check it out. Creeping up to the door on light feet, he smelled the sweet scent of the strange woman from earlier even before he saw her reach through the broken windowpane on the door and undo the latch.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Alistair boomed, making Remy shrink back for a moment.

  She’d broken his window! The nerve of the woman.

  She visibly braced herself before stepping inside, her soft features tightening in determination. This was one woman who didn’t give up easily.

  “I know you have a baby in here, I could hear the crying,” she said, stomping past him towards the nursery, moving through the cabin like she damn well owned it.

  Stunned by her brazen entrance, Alistair could only trail close behind after a moment, furious. What were his alternatives? Pick her up and throw her out? Colt, the local sheriff, would be up here so fast it would make Alistair’s head spin, and then he’d have to explain where the baby came from.

  If she was indeed Wright’s friend like she claimed, he couldn’t fault her for trying to find out what happened to him. Wright had definitely died under suspicious circumstances, and Alistair couldn’t help but feel he would be acting much the same as her if the roles were reversed.

  “You need to leave,” he growled in an attempt to salvage the situation, but it was no use.

  Remy stopped in her tracks when she got to the crib, gaping at the baby staring up at her.

  “That’s Jonah,” she whispered to herself. “What are you doing with Wright’s son?” she demanded more loudly. “And why are you naked?” she asked, jerking her head back as she finally spared a longer glance at him.

  Shit. This whole thing has ‘complicated’ written all over it.