Bear Seeking Bride: Thorn (Bear Canyon Brides Book 6) (BBW Paranormal Bear-Shifter Menage Romance) (2 page)

Chapter Two

Ava sipped her coffee and flipped the folded piece of newspaper in front of her over. The city paper didn’t have the same reach as any of the job search sites on the internet, but she’d scoured them daily with no results. Desperate, she’d decided to try the newspaper. If she were lucky, maybe she’d find something in one of the local small towns surrounding the metropolis.

After reading through all of the management jobs, she stared out of the coffee shop window and watched as people hurried past the window. A little girl with two pigtails tied with pink bows waved at her and she waved back. The girl’s father scooped her up and put her on his shoulders, and then they crossed the street and met with a pregnant woman holding an older boy’s hand. The scene was picture perfect and she looked down so no one would see her eyes welling up with tears.

More than a job, or a new place to live, she wanted a family. A man worthy of marrying, who could be her partner in all things, and children of her own to love. David’s parting words floated through her mind, and for the millionth time since their breakup, she wondered if she would ever find a man who loved both her and her perceived flaws.

You’re fat, you have too many freckles, and your hair is too wild. You should lose weight, wear some cover-up, and for god sakes, straighten your hair.

The words he’d said were true, she knew that, but she’d always felt the right man wouldn’t care. Now she wasn’t so sure. She looked the same at the end of her relationship with David as she had at the beginning. The only thing that had changed was his feelings.

All men aren’t like that. He obviously wasn’t the right man for you.

She remembered her father saying those exact words when she was in high school and the boy she’d been crushing on for over a year had asked her out and then cancelled at the last minute. She’d tried to talk to him in the hall the next day, but he’d ignored her and they never spoke again.

She’d managed to hold in the tears until everyone had gone to bed, but her father hadn’t been fooled. He’d crept into her room with cookies and milk and they’d talked for hours. He’d told her to never settle for a man that wasn’t willing to give her everything she deserved, and that’s exactly what she’d done with David.

She dabbed her eyes with a napkin and wondered how she was supposed to meet a man when she couldn’t even find a job. At the bottom of the page, the word PERSONALS was written in bold capital letters, followed by a tiny arrow pointing right.

With nothing to lose, she turned the page and began reading.

In the very last column, the second to the last ad caught her attention.

Wanted: Bear Seeking Bride!

Successful, educated, business owner and bear shifter, 34, seeks curvy, plus-sized human woman to be his bride and start a family. She must be between 29-34 years old, willing to relocate to Bear Canyon, and possess a strong desire for children. I enjoy books, movies, cooking and eating out. Sometimes a quiet night in is just what the doctor ordered, and other times I like to shake up the town. If this sounds like you and your perfect match, and you are looking for a lifetime commitment, please contact me. Those who are shifter obsessed need not apply.

Ava reread the ad three more times, and then just stared at the words on the page for several minutes. When she got up to get a second cup of coffee, she took the ad with her so the newspaper didn’t disappear while her back was turned.

The words had touched her in a way none of the other ads had, and she desperately wanted to meet the man who had penned the short note. What did he look like? Why did he place the ad? Was he a creepy psycho?

A million questions filled her mind, but the last one lingered. She couldn’t meet a stranger in Bear Canyon or anywhere else. If she came up missing, no one would know, or even care, to look for her. The last thought jolted her back to reality and she folded up the newspaper and shoved it into her bag. As much as the letter writer sounded like her perfect match, she couldn’t reach out to him.

She forced him out of her mind, finished her coffee and drove home. She’d taken the long way to another coffee shop several miles from the central hub of the city, and as she drove back home, she realized she was sick of playing it safe.

In the past six months, the ad had been the only thing to make her feel alive. Yes, it was risky to answer an ad and meet with a stranger, but it was also risky to cross the street, drive a car, or go ice-fishing. She was tired of living a half-life. She gunned the engine, sped home and opened her laptop.

After taking nearly an hour to compose a simple four sentence response, she hit send and waited for his reply. Luckily, she didn’t have to wait long. He replied back within thirty minutes, and they exchanged a few simple emails that included their first names and a brief description of what they each should look for.

His name was Thorn, and he was tall with broad shoulders, black hair and green eyes.

His description sounded too good to be true, and combined with the words in his ad, she wondered how the seemingly perfect, eligible man was still single. Her worries tried to resurface, but she tapped them down.

She would find out the truth tomorrow at their lunch date in Bear Canyon.

He’d offered to meet in the city, but if she were going to honestly consider moving to Bear Canyon, she might as well see the town. He didn’t seem to mind her change of plans, and they were now meeting at an Italian restaurant on the main strip.

Ava looked in the mirror and her hands started shaking.

What the hell did I just do?

The reality of the huge step she’d just taken started to sink in, and she forced herself to breathe in and out.

If he’s wrong, I leave. If he’s right, I stay.

She repeated the words over and over until the mantra marched through her head effortlessly. The steady reminder made it easier to calm her fears. If he didn’t see past her fat, freckles and wild hair, then he wasn’t the man for her.

It was that simple.

***

Hawk Thorn sat in front of his laptop and reread the typed words on the screen. Ava, the woman they’d agreed to meet today, hadn’t been their only response, but she’d been the only one he and Gavin had both agreed on.

Her simple words touched him in a way he hadn’t expected, and he wondered if they were putting too much stock into a simple note. Could Ava really be the woman they needed? Would she accept both of them, or run screaming as Gavin had suggested earlier?

He shuddered and logged off.

The odds of meeting their mate on the first try were pretty slim, but he wanted her to be the one. Like his brother, he was tired of searching and ready to settle down and start a family. They both had spent most of their lives studying, training and planning for the future, and now they had a large home and a thriving practice. They’d built a strong reputation in both their residential and professional communities and they were ready for the next step.

They needed a mate.

Cubs would come if they were meant to be, but a mate would complete them in ways that couldn’t be explained with words.

He hoped Ava was the one.

“You were reading her reply again, weren’t you?” Gavin asked.

He looked up to see his brother standing in his doorway with a towel wrapped around his waist. The man was notorious for getting ready at the last minute.

“Of course, I was,” he answered truthfully. “How many times have you reread it?”

“Oh, about a hundred,” Gavin said, laughing, “but you’re more practical than I am. I thought we weren’t supposed to get our hopes up too high?”

“Shut up,” Hawk replied. “Are you going to be ready to leave on time?”

“We have twenty minutes,” Gavin said sarcastically, “I’m sure I can handle it.”

“Right,” Hawk said, deadpan, shooing him away with his hand. “Hurry up. I don’t want to be late.”

Gavin laughed and continued down the hallway toward his room. Hawk heard the click of his brother’s door close, and he looked around the room that doubled as his office. Hopefully, he wouldn’t be sleeping in it too much longer.

When they’d first moved to Bear Canyon, they’d not only contracted
Mallory Building, Inc.
to build their medical office, but also their home. For their house, they’d purchased a large piece of land near the back of the canyon wall and gave the men a detailed description of their needs.

The master bedroom was double the size of most modern rooms, with three built in closets, and a master bathroom with three vanities. Three smaller rooms also occupied the upstairs, along with a guest bath, and the first floor had a kitchen, a family room, two more bedrooms and another full bath.

They had a lot of space, probably more than they needed, but they’d wanted to be prepared for anything. He and Gavin had decided not to use the master bedroom until they had a mate to share it with, so for now they each occupied one of the smaller rooms. He kept a tiny office in his sleeping space, while Gavin used one of the rooms downstairs for his office. When they found their mate, all three of them would occupy the largest bedroom, and if she wanted him to move his office downstairs, he would.

Twenty-five minutes later, they both walked into the Italian restaurant and surveyed the area. He remembered Ava’s description of herself and looked for a thirty-year-old, curvy redhead with freckles.

A blue eyed, curvy ginger goddess stared at them from the center of the room, and his brother’s abrupt intake of air told him he’d spotted her too. Hawk glanced around the room, making sure they hadn’t made a mistake, but he already knew the answer. When he looked back, the beauty had lowered her head and focused on her menu again. A strand of hair bounced into her eyes, and she carefully tucked the errant lock behind her ear. Her curly hair rested just past her shoulders, and he couldn’t wait to gather all of the wild red strands in his hand and wrap them around his fist.

His dick hardened as he thought about how the silky strands would feel between his fingers, or sliding over his body, and he silently swore. Since when did his cock harden at the sight of a beautiful woman? He wasn’t a teenage boy, he was a full grown man, and his bear took that opportunity to growl in agreement. They both wanted the woman.

Gavin glanced over at him and he realized his brother was also fighting for control. The woman had affected his twin the same way, and there was no doubt she was their mate.

Now they had to convince her of the fact.

She glanced at the door again, as if attempting to see through them, and then looked back at the menu. One of her fingers lazily wrapped around one of her large curls, but then she seemed to notice the nervous habit and placed her hands in her lap. She took a drink of her soda and fidgeted in her chair. He knew they were staring, and in an attempt to seem normal, he took a deep breath and thought about the ugly black toenail he’d seen on a patient at work the day before.

Gavin seemed to follow his lead, and seconds later, he spoke.

“Tell me you feel it, too,” Gavin whispered.

“She’s the one,” he confirmed.

“Okay,” Gavin said around another deep breath, “let’s do this.”

***

Gavin hurried toward the woman’s table and Hawk followed a step behind. They stopped about two feet away from her and spoke before she acknowledged their presence.

“Ava?” he asked.

She looked up from her menu and he willed his cock to behave. He’d noticed her beauty from the door, but up close she was stunning. The freckles over her nose and cheeks did something to him a freckle never had before, and her deep blue eyes were mesmerizing. In that moment, he knew she owned him. She had the power to fill his world with happiness, or destroy it completely. The realization surprised him, but he wasn’t afraid.

“Yes?” Her voice cracked on the word, and she eyed them warily.

“I’m Gavin, and this is my brother Hawk. We’re Thorn… We wrote the ad you replied to.”

She looked back and forth between them and frowned.

“You’re Thorn?” she asked, closing her menu. “Both of you?”

Hawk took the lead and sat down across from her. Gavin followed.

“Yes, our last name is Thorn,” Hawk explained. “I know this might be strange, especially for a full human, but it’s fairly common for identical twin shifters to share a mate. We work together, live together and we’re closer than most siblings. It makes sense that the same woman would satisfy us both.”

“Do you…satisfy each other?” she asked, her brow furrowed.

“No, we don’t,” Hawk said a little too honestly.

Shit! Time for some damage control.

“We get asked that question a lot,” Gavin laughed.

He relaxed a bit when one side of her mouth perked up, but she still wasn’t convinced.

“Think of us as two halves of a perfect whole,” Gavin continued. “Together, we possess all of the qualities listed in our ad, but you get two men loving you instead of one.”

Fuck!