The Cowbear's Christmas Bride (Curvy Bear Ranch 4) Read online

  “Well?” the woman asked.

  “I… my name is Carol.”

  “Yeah, so what?”

  “I might be your daughter.”

  “If you’re my daughter then I’m Queen Victoria in the flesh. What the hell are you talkin’ about?”

  The truck door opened and she turned to find Hank striding toward her. She held up a hand. He stopped but didn’t return to the car. He stood with his hands fisted at his sides.

  “Are you Victoria Fuller?” Carol asked.

  “Who’s askin’? You with the mortgage people? I told them I’ll have the money the day after tomorrow. I need my disability check to come in first.”

  “No. I’m from New York.”

  Vicki lowered the shotgun. “What’d you say?”

  “I’m from New York and I think I might be your daughter.”

  “Jesus Christ in heaven. How old are you?” Vicki asked.

  “Twenty-eight.”

  “What year were ya born? My math ain’t so good these days.”

  “Nineteen eighty-seven.”

  “Well hole-e-shit, girl. You could be her. Had a kid back in eighty-seven but left her in New York.”

  “You’re my mother,” Carol whispered. She staggered back until she hit the railing, forgetting that it might not be strong enough to hold her.

  “Could be. Money was tight back then. Stock market went to shit. I had just enough money to fly out to New York, give birth, and fly back. Then we had the damn fires in ’88. Everything went to shit that year. Damn near burned down all of Yellowstone.” She paused as if lost in memories. When she snapped out of it, she stepped back into the door. “Well, I hope life’s treatin’ you better than it did me.”

  When she tried to close the door, Carol rushed forward and jammed her foot against it to keep it open. “Wait!”

  “What?” Vicki asked in an exasperated tone.

  “You’re my mom.”

  “So what? Just cause I popped you out of my cootch doesn’t mean I’m your mom. What happened, you didn’t end up with some rich New York bitch who wanted to adopt you?

  “No, I was never adopted. I lived in the orphanage until I was eighteen.”

  “Well too bad. I figured some Park Avenue princess would jump down off her pedestal to snap you up. You were a pretty little thing. I would have kept you but I could hardly feed myself, let alone another mouth,” Vicki said.

  “What about my dad?”

  “Hmph. Good-for-nothing lowlife piece of shit. Be happy you never met his dumb ass. Died in ’89. Logging accident. Serves him right. If you ask me, he got what he deserved.”

  Carol was so shocked by her mother’s outburst that she didn’t know what to say. Her mom had wanted her, but couldn’t keep her because she didn’t even have enough money to pay for food. Was that the right thing to do? No. But she didn’t know all of the circumstances, so how could she fault her? Maybe if she could get more information, it would make some kind of sense.

  “Can I come in for a minute?” Carol asked.

  “Why?” Suspicion clouded her pale green eyes.

  “I just have a few more questions.”

  After a dramatic sigh, Vicki held the door open. “I suppose.”

  As Carol stepped into the freezing cabin, she wrapped her arms around herself.

  “Don’t have money for the heater, so I use the fireplace to keep warm.” Vicki plopped down in a rocking chair near the hearth.

  Carol glanced around the sparse cabin. The front part of the house consisted of a small kitchen and living room. They didn’t have a wall separating them, making it one big room. A narrow hall ran into the back of the house, probably to the bathroom and bedroom.

  An old tea kettle sat on a slightly rusted stove. Banged up pots and pans hung from nails in the wall. Everything looked fifty or more years old, including the rug in front of the fireplace. Carol sat on it, hoping it wasn’t flea-ridden.

  “What would you want with a poor, broken old woman anyway?” Vicki asked.

  “I thought maybe we could get to know each other.”

  “Not much to know other than what I already told you.” Vicki reached for a packet of cigarettes which sat on a small end table and pulled one out. “You doing okay for yourself?”

  “I’m doing fine.”

  “Wish I could offer you something, but I got nothing left in my cupboards.”

  “Nothing?” Carol asked. She’d known some pretty destitute people in New York, but they’d at least had a little food in their kitchens.

  “Empty. But I guess I can’t disappoint you more than I already have.” She shrugged and lit the end of the cigarette.

  Carol wrinkled her nose. She’d always been repulsed by smoking. But it was her mom’s house, not hers, so she’d just have to deal with it.

  “I could go pick up some food for you,” Carol offered.

  “I don’t need your charity.”

  “It’s not charity, you’re my—”

  “Stop it! Stop saying that.” Vicki’s eyes narrowed. “I wasn’t a mother back then and I’m not one now. So just stop with that fake family bullshit.”

  “I want to help. At least let me go pick up a bag of groceries for you,” Carol said.

  “You really want to help me? Leave… and don’t come back. I don’t need a reminder of how I messed up your life. I know I screwed up and there’s not a damn thing I can do about it now. Not a damn thing.”

  Carol stood and stared at her mother in disbelief. There was so much she still wanted to say, but the look on her mom’s face was enough to make her blood run cold. She turned and raced out of the house. Tears blurred the stairs, making her miss the last step off the porch. She stumbled forward into Hank’s arms.

  Chapter 4

  “What happened?” Hank asked as he caught Carol in his arms.

  “She’s my mom, and she hates me,” she sobbed.

  “Oh honey.” Hank stroked her head. “I don’t think she hates you.”

  “You didn’t hear the things she said to me.”

  “Let’s get into the truck where it’s warm. I want you to tell me everything. I knew I should have gone in there with you,” he said.

  After helping her into the truck, Hank ran around to the driver’s side. He’d left the engine running to keep the cab warm. But it wasn’t enough for Carol, who sat trembling in the seat.

  “How could she hate me so much?” Carol asked in a whisper.

  “She doesn’t hate you. She probably hates herself for abandoning you.”

  “She said she was too poor to take care of me.”

  “But she had enough money to fly to New York,” he said.

  “Maybe someone loaned it to her.”

  His hands gripped the wheel tighter. How could anyone abandon their baby? What kind of a person was her mother? He could never imagine giving up his baby willingly. Not that he had one—not yet—but if he ever had a baby, he wouldn’t abandon her if his life depended on it. He’d take on three jobs if that’s what it took to take care of her.

  “But if she was poor, can I really be mad at her?” she asked.

  “That’s no excuse,” he said.

  As he navigated the road back to the ranch, his bear grew restless. Anger swelled in his chest. He didn’t know much about Carol, but she seemed like a sweet person and she definitely didn’t deserve to be treated like crap.

  “I want to go back,” Carol said softly.

  “What?” His head whipped to the side so he could look at her.

  “She didn’t have any food.”

  “You don’t owe her anything,” he said.

  “Could you leave someone alone if they were starving and cold?” she asked.

  “No.”

  His anger dissipated. She was right, he couldn’t turn his back on someone in need, no matter how much the person might have deserved it.

  “We’re almost back to the ranch. I’ll drive myself back. I’m sure I can find it again,” she said.
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  “The sun will be going down soon. Let me drop the groceries off at the ranch first. If you can wait a few minutes, I’ll drive you back to the store and we can buy her some food,” he said.

  “You’ve been driving me around all day. I can’t keep imposing on you like this.”

  “It’s no bother,” he said.

  It didn’t hurt that his bear wanted to spend as much time with her as possible. He’d never felt the beast so satiated this close to sundown. Normally his bear would be doing somersaults in his chest, anxious to escape. He hadn’t been paying too much attention to his bear today, but now that he was, he realized why the beast was so calm—it wanted Carol.

  He shook the idea away. No way, bear. Even though she wasn’t the typical tourist on vacation, she clearly had more issues than he wanted to have to deal with. He’d sworn off needy women after his last relationship and he wasn’t about to break that rule now. It didn’t matter how hot she was, or how much his bear wanted her. She was completely off-limits.

  After parking behind the B & B, he grabbed several bags from the cab and hauled them into the house. Carol trailed behind. She’d offered to help, but she was a guest, not an employee. She shouldn’t have to lift a finger while she was here.

  He found Madison in the kitchen. She bustled around slapping biscuits onto a baking pan. She whisked them into the oven before waddling over to stir the scrumptious-smelling stew. For a pregnant woman, she moved like lightning. Mack was one hell of a lucky man to have found her.

  “Oh, I didn’t see you guys come in,” Madison said.

  “Sorry it took a little longer than I had anticipated,” he said.

  “I was getting ready to send out a search party.” She grinned.

  “It’s my fault,” Carol said. “I made him run too many errands for me today.”

  “They were important errands. I’ll run you around whenever you want me to.” As soon as he’d spoken, he wanted to take it back. He sounded like somebody’s whipped husband.

  “Anything she wants, hmm?” Madison asked with a smirk. “I’ve never heard you offer that before.”

  Carol flushed and looked at her feet.

  “That smells amazing. Is it almost ready?” Cody asked as he walked into the kitchen.

  “Almost,” Madison said.

  “I love stew,” Cody said. His eyes lit up when he spotted Carol. “Hey there. I don’t think we’ve met.”

  “Cody, this is Carol,” Hank said.

  “Pleased to meet you ma’am,” Cody said while tipping his Stetson. As his gaze traveled the length of her body, interest was written all over his face.

  “You too,” she replied.

  A sudden rush of jealousy propelled Hank forward. He stood by her side, a little closer than he should have. His bear growled low in his chest but softly enough that he could contain it.

  As if recognizing his territorial stance, Cody stepped back. “Anything you need me to do, Madison?”

  “Can you set the table?” she asked.

  “Sure.” He disappeared into the kitchen.

  “Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes,” Madison said.

  “I think I’ll go lie down for a few minutes,” Carol said.

  “I’ll come with you,” Hank said.

  When Madison whirled around with the dripping spoon still in her hand, he realized he’d made another mistake. He hadn’t meant that he’d be lying down with her. Not that he wouldn’t want to, but that wasn’t his intent.

  “Uh, what I meant was—”

  “No need to explain. You’re an adult,” Madison said with a twinkle in her eye.

  He huffed and followed Carol out of the room. “If you’d rather be alone, I can wait down here.”

  “I think I’d actually like some company. My back is killing me though, so if you don’t mind, I do want to lie down for a second.”

  He did everything he could to keep his eyes off her breasts. Having two perfect mounds of perky flesh on her chest probably didn’t help her back. His bear roared with approval.

  Down, bear!

  The beast seemed to only think about two things—food and sex. He could do something about one, but not the other. To even think about her in that way right now was embarrassing. He liked to think he at least had a little bit of class. He would never take advantage of someone whose heart was hurting.

  When they reached her room, she unlocked it and led him inside. She walked over to the bed and flopped face-down onto it, giving him a great view of her curvy ass. Oh, hell.

  He crossed the room to the chair and sat, hoping she wouldn’t notice his growing erection. There was nothing he liked more than taking a woman from behind. There was something so feral and raw about that position. He loved it. The only place he ever really let loose was in bed. He really needed to get laid soon or his bear would never leave him alone.

  “Do you think she hates me?” Carol asked in a muffled voice.

  That stopped his dirty fantasies faster than a leap into Hebgen Lake in the middle of winter.

  “I don’t think she hates you.”

  “She probably never wanted to be pregnant in the first place.”

  “Did she tell you that?” he asked.

  “No.”

  “Then don’t assume it. You never know what’s going on in someone else’s head until you ask them.”

  “Maybe I can change her mind. Maybe if she gets to know me…”

  “It’s possible, but some people are set in their ways and they don’t want to change. I’m not trying to discourage you; I’m trying to be realistic,” he said.

  “I know.”

  As she sat up, her sweater dipped to reveal the tops of her creamy breasts. A hint of pink lace teased him before disappearing. He shifted in the chair. Dammit, one glimpse and blood rushed into his cock to make him even harder. There was no way he’d be able to hide it if he stood right now.

  “You’ve been so sweet to me. I don’t know how I can repay you,” she said.

  “There’s no need,” he said.

  Images of all the naughty ways she could repay him flashed through his mind. It was all he could do to keep his hands on the chair and not cross the room to her. His bear thrashed, wanting to move closer to inhale her scent.

  No, bear!

  He needed to get it together and remember why he could never touch her. She was hotter than hell, no question there. But he couldn’t get involved with someone who was just passing through. Regardless of what happened between her and her mother, she wouldn’t be staying in West Yellowstone. Any relationship he’d try to have with her was doomed to fail. No matter how much his bear wanted her, he needed to stay focused. He couldn’t risk another broken heart when she inevitably left him.

  ***

  Carol clutched the bag full of groceries in her lap. Every bite of Madison’s scrumptious beef stew soured in her stomach as she pictured her mother sitting alone in her cold, dark living room. If it had been up to her, she would have insisted they leave immediately after dropping off Madison’s supplies, but she couldn’t do that to Hank. Besides, the emotional drain of so many highs and lows during the day had sucked the energy out of her body.

  As the truck’s headlights cut through the night, a deer dashed onto the road. Hank slammed on the brakes, causing the truck to fishtail. He narrowly missed a metal sign before correcting out of the slide.

  “Didn’t see that guy coming,” Hank said apologetically.

  “I didn’t either.”

  “You have to be really careful driving around here at night. All kinds of wildlife jump onto the road.”

  “Like what?” she asked.

  “Mostly rabbits and deer, but you might see a buffalo or even the occasional bear.”

  “Bear?” She perked up. “You have bears living up here?”

  “Yep. Grizzly and brown bears. Most of them live in the park, but every once in a while, one sneaks out and gets hit. Most of them end up dead, but a few survive. There’s a
nature center in West Yellowstone that rehabs wounded animals.”

  “That’s terrible. I’m glad someone can take care of them.”

  She glanced out of the window. Were some of those “bears” really humans? Could they transform the way she could? Maybe there were more people like her. She couldn’t exactly ask Hank; he’d think she’d lost her mind. Who would believe she could shift into a bear? He’d probably drive her to the mental hospital instead of her mom’s house. She had to keep her mouth shut for now, but maybe she could investigate the wildlife center later.

  After turning onto the narrow road to her mother’s house, the staccato beat of her heart skipped around in her chest. Her mom hadn’t wanted to see her again. She certainly didn’t want her daughter’s help, but Carol couldn’t just leave her alone, cold, and hungry. No one should have to live that way.

  They pulled up to the house. Hank turned off the engine and hopped out of the truck. He jogged around, opened the door, and then took the bag of groceries. She jumped down, then reached for the bag.

  “I’m going in with you,” Hank said.

  Although the tone in his voice left little room for argument, she didn’t want him to see how much her mother hated her. “I’d rather go in alone.”

  “Not this time. She waved a shotgun in your face and I don’t know what she’s capable of. You said she wasn’t too happy about seeing you, so she could be dangerous,” he said.

  Before they could continue the argument, the front door flew open. Her mother stepped onto the porch and pulled her threadbare robe taut around her waist.

  “What in hell are you two doing out there?” she asked.

  “I brought you some food,” Carol said.

  “I told you, I don’t need your charity,” her mom said.

  “It’s not charity. She’s your daughter and she wants to help you,” Hank said as he strolled up to the porch.

  “Well, shit. Come in then, but you’re not staying.”

  Carol shot a glance at Hank, who gave her a soft smile. Just that little bit of understanding was enough to melt her heart. He was a good guy. If he didn’t already have a girlfriend, he was going to make some lucky woman really happy.

  “What’d you bring?” her mom asked.