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

  Lana looked around curiously, smiling at passersby and getting a little wave in return from some of them.

  Feels like home already.

  The next morning, Colt found himself staring a little too long at Lana after he’d handed her over to a sweet-looking woman at a local daycare. His little girl was already engrossed in all the new toys she would get to play with, but his heart still constricted at the thought of leaving her so soon after moving to a new town.

  But he knew if Lana was one thing, it was resilient.

  And he had business to take care of. It was better to meet the Alpha of the local clan on his terms, without a toddler in tow. The last thing he wanted was for Lana to be around if things got a little testy.

  Now all he had to do was facilitate a meeting.

  “Bye, baby!” he said to Lana, waving at her, before exiting the daycare with a heavy heart.

  He wasn’t used to leaving her with anyone. The guys at the sheriff’s department had always been great about having her around, so he’d rarely had to be apart from her. It felt weird, alien to Colt.

  The sooner I get this done, the sooner I get back to her, he thought, resolving to go and deal with what needed dealing with.

  So he walked around town, breathing in deep, until he sniffed out a bear shifter coming out of the general store and caught the man’s eye.

  “See you tonight, Latham!” someone called after him from inside the shop.

  Latham was tall and fit, like most shifters, but Colt still towered over him. Getting a good grip on the animal inside of him, Colt approached the guy, trying to look as unthreatening as possible. It wasn’t easy, giving his stature.

  The last thing I want is to start a fight before I even get to introduce myself properly.

  “Excuse me,” Colt started, stopping in Latham’s path.

  “Who the hell are you?” Latham asked, squinting in the bright sunlight when Colt came to a stop before him.

  “Sorry to bother you. My name is Colt Hennessy and I need to talk to your Alpha.”

  “Okay, and I should help you because…?” Latham sneered.

  “My father was a member of the clan.”

  “I don’t know of any Hennessy’s and I don’t feel like wasting my time and bothering Ethan because of you. Fuck off and goodbye,” Latham replied tersely, turning to walk away.

  Colt sighed in frustration. There was no need for this to be difficult, but if that’s the way Latham wanted to handle it… His bear was already clawing to the surface, ready for a challenge and not happy about the other shifter’s rudeness.

  Grabbing Latham’s sleeve, Colt dragged him closer, until they were face to face. Latham put up a good struggle, his boots dragging across the dirt and kicking up dust, but he stilled as soon as Colt wrapped his long fingers around his throat, squelching the growl that had been growing in it.

  “I was trying to be nice,” he growled, giving Latham’s neck a squeeze. “Now run along and tell your Alpha I’ll be waiting to meet him at that diner in the center of town before I really lose my temper.”

  Uncurling his fingers, he released Latham, who quickly drew in a couple of deep breaths.

  “Geez,” Latham complained, rubbing his neck. “No need to get your panties in a bunch. Shit like that will get you killed around here.”

  “I doubt it,” Colt shrugged, motioning for Latham to run along.

  Sometimes you have to show ‘em who’s boss.

  Colt had to admit, leaving Lana with strangers was taking a toll on his patience. Otherwise, he would have probably tried to talk it out with Latham instead of resorting to more hands-on tactics. But his bear was almost purring, pleased by the possibility of challenging another one of his kind.

  “I’m kind of in a hurry,” Colt shrugged, in way of an apology.

  “I’ll relay your message,” Latham said, before turning to leave.

  Colt could swear he saw the man grin at him as he did.

  Respect can be a violent thing to achieve among predators.

  Brushing off the dirt on his clothes, Colt strolled over to the diner and stepped inside, grabbing a booth by the back. There were a some guys drinking coffee at the counter and a couple sharing a milkshake near the entrance, but otherwise the place was pretty quiet.

  He ordered a burger and sat people-watching until it arrived, glancing at the large clock above the counter from time to time. As he was done with his burger and taking the last sips of his iced tea, a man walked in, tall and broad and definitely a bear shifter. If his physique wasn’t enough of a hint, the scent of shifter sealed the deal.

  Sweeping his eyes over the diner, the stranger’s gaze stopped at Colt and he ambled over, taking a seat opposite him.

  “Ethan Grimpaw. You wanted to see me?”

  Pushing his plate aside, Colt studied the man before him. He definitely had the quiet confidence and dominant stance of an Alpha, and Colt recognized the name immediately. His father had been a member of the Grimpaw clan, and by way of blood, so was Colt.

  “Yes. My father used to belong to the clan and I was born here, in Sweetwater. I’ve decided to come back home.”

  Arching a brow, Ethan mulled that over, idly brushing sawdust off his flannel shirt. It was obvious Latham had caught him in the middle of something, probably construction. Shifters tended to prefer jobs where they could work with their hands, or where they could use their strength. Construction fit both bills.

  Glancing out of the window, he could see a truck with the Grimpaw name proudly displayed on the side, confirming his assumption.

  “I spoke to some of the old-timers after Latham called me. They remembered a Connor Hennessy living in one of the cottages a long time ago, with his son and wife. They were only here five years before Connor died and his wife relocated their son.”

  “That son would be me,” Colt confirmed.

  “I hear you have a little girl with you?” Ethan asked, signaling something to the waitress.

  “My daughter, Lana.”

  “And what about her mother?”

  It wasn’t an unexpected question, but it still made him bristle. Lana was as much his daughter as a biological child would be, and he didn’t want the adoption to be common knowledge, something people discussed behind his back.

  “It’s complicated,” Colt growled.

  Ethan gave a curious look at his passionate response, but seemed to accept it. For now.

  “Okay, I didn’t mean to pry. I have kids of my own and I couldn’t imagine getting by without my wife around to help corral those rascals,” Ethan grinned, and Colt couldn’t help but mirror the expression.

  Being a single dad was definitely challenging, but also immensely gratifying. He hadn’t put much thought into starting a family before Lana came into his life, and now he couldn’t imagine living without her. Watching her grow and learn new things every day brought him more joy than he would have thought possible.

  The glimmer Ethan had in his eye when he mentioned his kids told Colt the Alpha of the Grimpaw Clan knew exactly what he felt like.

  “I have a feeling you’re not here to start trouble, so you’re free to take up your father’s old cabin. It needs a bit of work, but we’re not in the habit of giving family houses out to someone not in the bloodline, so it has been standing vacant since your kin left. But don’t make me regret this decision.”

  Ethan’s tone was cordial enough, but there was an edge to his warning that told Colt the man meant every word.

  “I used to be a sheriff, so I’m as law-abiding as they come. I’m here to give my girl the best childhood, that’s it.”

  The waitress Ethan gestured to earlier came over to place a cup of coffee on the table, smiling at both of the men as she did.

  “Thanks, Maisy,” Ethan said, curling his fingers around the mug.

  Leaning back in his seat, Colt felt some of the tension leave his body. He had hoped his dad’s old place was still standing, and now with the go-ahead from the Alpha, he co
uld start fixing it up and making it a home again for him and Lana. And once they got settled in, he could start looking for a job, be a real part of the community.

  His path seemed laid out for him, a quiet life with his baby girl in the peaceful little town of Sweetwater. Little did he know his world was about to turn upside down.

  Again.

  Eight

  Jessy

  “Oh, come on, you piece of junk,” Jessy groaned as the city limit sign whipped past her.

  Cursing her rust-bucket of a car, Jessy pulled into Sweetwater, Wyoming, tired and annoyed. Her beat-up ’95 Toyota wasn’t exactly made for roadtrips, which was the height of irony in Jessy’s opinion, and she’d had to stop more than once because the engine overheated.

  To be fair to the vehicle, she had been pushing the thing to its limits in her hurry to get to Lana.

  Despite Denise assuring her the little girl was in good hands, she still felt like she was in a rush. Maybe it was because of all the time she had already missed with Lana, or maybe because she wanted to know, once and for all, if Lana was in fact her niece and this whole thing wasn’t just a cruel coincidence.

  Having been disappointed too many times, she couldn’t help but be overly cautious.

  Now that she was finally here in Sweetwater, though, new worries popped up in her head. All she had to go on was the name - Colt Hennessy. The former sheriff had only told Denise the name of the town he was moving to and that he’d get in touch once he and Lana got settled in. He hadn’t left behind any contact information and his old phone number was now disconnected.

  Like I haven’t heard that goddamn message of the number being ‘unreachable’ enough to last me a lifetime.

  She took solace in the fact that Sweetwater was a small town, and even with the little information she had, she was bound to bump into someone who knew of Colt sooner or later.

  Right?

  A sheriff with a baby girl, travelling alone had to be easy to spot… At least she hoped so.

  With the thought of wrapping Lana into a tight hug strong in her mind, she parked her car and pushed herself out of the vehicle and out into the afternoon sun. At least Wyoming wasn’t sweltering like Louisiana had been, though she could have done with some portable air conditioning even now.

  There weren’t many people out in the streets, so after wandering around in the heat for a while and asking random strangers if they knew anyone with the name ‘Hennessy’, she decided to step into one of the stores instead.

  Shopkeepers always have the best information, and if I stay out here for much longer, I might pass out.

  The cool air hitting her as she walked inside made her stop and take a deep breath, even as she felt her limbs get heavy and her thoughts grow fuzzy. She had been taking naps in her car on the way to Sweetwater, which meant she hadn’t gotten a lot of rest. Plus she felt dehydrated as hell.

  I need to find a place to sleep, eat and wash the last couple of days off me. Then I can start fresh with my search and not look like a complete mess when I finally find Hennessy. I’d like to look somewhat presentable when meeting the man who has custody of my niece.

  Still, she couldn’t resist the desire to talk to an employee or two while she was already inside the shop. Looking around at all the tools littering the walls, she realized she’d stumbled into a hardware store. There was no one behind the counter, so she took to roaming around the aisles, searching for someone who worked there.

  She must have looked as lost as she felt between the rows of hammers and nails, because after a while, a deep voice addressed her. It made her jump a little before she turned around.

  “Miss? Can I help you with something?”

  Now how did he manage to sneak up on me? was the first thought she had when she came face to face with the man looking down at her.

  He was absolutely huge, towering over Jessy’s modest 5'7" frame and looking like his wide shoulders barely fit in between the shelves. Wearing a t-shirt that accentuated his hard chest and narrow waist, and sporting the sexiest beard she had ever seen, the mere sight of him made Jessy’s mouth run dry.

  “Umm, do you work here?” she stammered, trying not to gape at Mr. Sexypants and failing spectacularly.

  The way his eyes flicked down for a second and moved across her curves told Jessy her appreciation wasn’t one-sided, at least. He smiled at her, the way his full lips quirked up demanding her attention in the most carnal way. Blushing at the naughty thoughts starting to run through her mind, she did her best to pull her mind out of the gutter and focus.

  I’m here to find my niece, not to date, she reminded herself, yet all she could think of was how the man’s beard would feel against her face.

  “No, but I thought I’d offer my help anyway,” he replied, his voice low and husky, with just the right amount of twang.

  “That’s how hopeless I look, huh?” she asked, crossing her arms and trying to sound casual.

  Mr. Sexypants shrugged, his biceps bulging under the thin cotton fabric of his shirt. Dark eyes glimmering, he took a step closer. The heat emanating from his body wrapped around her, the intensity of it almost making her gasp.

  Suddenly, she didn’t mind being warm. Fire pulsated through her veins, pulling her towards this stranger in a way she had never experienced before.

  “We’re all hopeless at something. But then we learn,” he said, studying her face closely, like he was trying to place her. “Have we met somewhere before?”

  Oh, I would definitely remember seeing you before, Jessy almost said aloud, biting her tongue at the last moment.

  Yet Mr. Sexypants did seem familiar somehow. Being on the road, Jessy had learned to be suspicious of people she didn’t know, but his presence was exciting in a way that was also reassuring.

  “I don’t think so. I’m only passing through.”

  “How long are you staying for, Miss…?”

  As long as it takes to track down my missing sister’s secret baby, Jessy’s inner monologue helpfully offered, but it didn’t seem like the appropriate response at the moment.

  “Probably a couple of days or so. I just got in today. And you can call me Jessy.”

  “Then you’ll need a place to stay, Jessy. I can give you some recommendations. And then I can show you the best places to eat around here, later.”

  Holy shit, is he asking me to dinner?

  Jessy was stunned into silence for a moment. Whatever she had expected to happen when she walked into the store, being asked out by a guy who looked like he belonged in the Firefighters Calendar was definitely not it.

  She had so much on her plate right now, she couldn’t possibly say yes to him. Or could she?

  Yes, I can, that inner voice piped up again.

  Nine

  Colt

  Wow.

  Staring at the woman before him, the animal inside Colt started to thrash against his skin. Jessy’s sweet scent, with something entirely familiar about it, invaded his senses, driving him wild. He had smelled it even before he saw her, and once he had spotted her walking aimlessly through the store, there was no way he could have suppressed the urge to approach her.

  Her blonde hair was piled into a messy bun on top of her head, so the focus was all on her face and her long neck. She looked soft and elegant, reminding him of a young Grace Kelly, only with a lot more curves to admire.

  And then there were her eyes.

  He hadn’t been able to put his finger on why she felt so familiar to him until he really looked into her eyes. Bright blue with a ring of green around the pupil, just like his baby girl’s. The longer he looked at her, the more he felt he was supposed to meet her somehow.

  Could she be the one? he wondered for a moment, caught up in wishful thinking. Has destiny stepped in to make my family complete?... Being a father has really made you a corny son of a gun, Colt.

  As a shifter, he knew better than to dismiss fate. His kind was different from humans in more than just physical ways. Every bear
had a soul mate out there, the one person they were meant to share their lives with. It was the shifter’s job to find that person. It could be easy, or it could not be, one never knew.

  A shifter wasn’t complete without his mate. In addition to unrivaled passion, a mate would also make Colt’s bear stronger, giving him power and accelerating his healing. He already recovered from injuries much faster than humans and having other bears around also helped, but his mate’s presence would speed up the process even more.

  Most of all, though, was that a mate simply gave something to live for to a bear. Instead of just going through the motions on a daily basis, they would get a reason to truly try to excel, for themselves and their family.

  Beyond all that, there was an insanely potent chemistry at work between mates. The pull a shifter felt towards his mate was like no other feeling. Colt had heard it described as intense, magnetic and irresistible. And damn if he wasn’t feeling a hell of a connection between himself and Jessy, unlike anything he’d ever experienced before.

  And now I’ve asked her out, knowing she’s only here temporarily.

  Fate aside, even he could tell when something was too good to be true. Similar eyes didn’t exactly guarantee relation. And the mother of his daughter showing up at a town he had just moved to and bumping into him at a random store?

  It sounded more like a Lifetime movie than real life.

  No need to get ahead of myself here and freak her out in the process. I’ll see if she even wants anything to do with me and go from there.

  Jessy was staring at him, mouth slightly open, seemingly still thinking about his offer. Just as he was considering repeating the question, she blurted out an enthusiastic “Yes!” looking surprised and slightly embarrassed immediately after the word left her mouth.

  Chuckling to himself, he enjoyed the blush that spread across her cheeks. It made her even more adorable in his eyes.

  “Is that a ‘yes’ to helping you find a place to say or having dinner with me? Or can a man hope it’s a yes to both?” he asked with a raised brow, watching her shuffle uncertainly on her feet.