Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 22478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 112(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
“Oh, fuck this guy!”
I shove my hand out the window and give him the finger.
I’m not totally zen yet.
I must have a little bit of lawyer still in me. A little piece of New York City still floating around.
A little bit is not so bad.
It comes in handy when I need it for pricks like him.
three
. . .
Michael
Is this lady seriously giving me the finger?
She almost hit me and now her hand is out the window with her middle finger in the air. Unbelievable.
I lay on the horn as I back my truck up before she slams into it with her giant blue bus. Is she even looking where she’s going?
I shake my head as I back away, giving her lots of room.
I love my small mountain town of Caldwell, Montana, but I can do without these types. This lady converted a bus into a house and is now driving it around my small roads, expecting me to move out of her way.
That thing has a freaking chimney sticking out of the roof.
She puts it into forward and starts driving away. When she finally stops giving me the finger, I take my hand off the horn and park.
My heart is pounding as I get out of my truck and slam the door. I give the bus one last dirty look as it disappears around the corner. The wind is to my back, so at least I can’t smell the hippy scent wafting off it.
“What’s with you, Mikey?” Earl, the owner of the general store asks. “There’s moose in Adrinbrook that can hear you making all that racket.”
“That lady almost hit me with her bus!”
“Oh, she didn’t mean it,” Earl says as he looks down the road. “She was really nice. Bought half of my food.”
“Yeah, I bet. Where’s she from?”
“New York City,” he says with a look that says ‘how about that?’
“Figures,” I grumble.
His eyes narrow as he looks at me more carefully. “Are you okay, Mikey?”
“I’m fine,” I grunt.
He doesn’t look so sure. “I heard your brothers both found their mates.”
“Yeah, what about it?”
He puts his hands up and takes a step back. “Is your grizzly taking it okay?”
I take a deep breath. Earl is an old black bear shifter. He has his mate, but he knows how hard it can be to live without one. I think he was about twenty-seven when he finally found Martha.
I’m thirty and still nothing.
My two younger brothers recently found theirs. I’m happy for them, but it’s been hard. Really hard. Every time I see Tara hugging Leo or Oliver with his arm around Layla, I want to snap.
All this mate activity has been making my bear act up too. He’s constantly restless inside, pacing and growling and keeping me up all damn night. No matter what I do, or how often I let him out, I can’t seem to take the edge off him.
It’s been rough.
I just wish she was here. I wish I could finally see her face and smell her scent.
Everything would be okay if she was here.
All of this intense yearning and burning desire would dissipate like that.
“It was rough for me when I was waiting for Martha to come along,” Earl says as he lights a smoke. “My younger cousin found his mate and it sent me spiraling. I almost bit the head off some poor fuck who cut me off.”
I lean on my car and take a few deep breaths. My temper has been short lately. My fuse is an inch long. It seems like any small thing makes me want to blow.
That’s not me. It’s not the man I want to be, but it’s fucking hard when my inner grizzly bear is determined to torture me every second of the day.
Even now, he’s pacing around and snorting angrily. I try to ignore him, but he always manages to make his presence known.
“She’ll come soon,” I say, not quite believing it. “It’s destiny, right?”
Earl nods as he puffs on his cigarette. “Destiny always delivers.”
Yeah, well destiny is taking her sweet fucking time on this one.
“I heard that Leo’s mate is some fancy romance author?” Earl asks.
We chat about Layla and her new book a bit, but pretty soon, I’m done talking about mates. I just want to put it all out of my mind.
Earl crushes his cigarette and opens the door. “Do you need something?”
“A birthday present,” I say. “For my nephew, Anthony. He’s turning one today. Got anything good?”
“Not unless he drinks craft beer or likes to play with fishing lures.”
I laugh. “I don’t think so.”
“Then you better head into town to that toy shop. Want a cold drink for the road?”
I push off my truck and head to the door. “Why not?”
I step into the store and am immediately struck with an intense sensation. The air… I’ve never felt anything like it. It burns down my throat and fills my lungs with fire.