Free Home Or Her Bear: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Bear Bluff Clan Book 4) by Harmony Raines Page A

safely,” he said, wrapping his arm around her as they sat together and watched the fire die down.
    “How are you?” she asked. “You know with the baby and everything.”
    He smiled. “It’s amazing. Better than I ever thought. But all of a sudden there is this huge responsibility on my shoulders. I mean, having a mate is one thing, you know that’s going to happen. But a little bear cub, well, all of a sudden you want to be the best person you can possibly be.”
    She laid her head on his shoulder. “You already were the best person you could be. Look how you turned our lives around.”
    “I wouldn’t have done it without you and Alli. You two are the best support system I could ever wish for.”
    “And now I’m going to move away,” she said, her voice filled with sadness. “At least that’s one less responsibility for you.”
    “Melanie, I never saw it that way. And if there was a way to make it right, I would. But Taylor is your mate. I want to plead with you to stay here, but I know you have to do what is right for the two of you.”
    “What if I don’t know what that is? I mean, yes, we are bonded, and I want to be with him. But my life is here in Bear Creek.”
    “Have you told him that?”
    “No. How can I? His family, his work and his home if in Bear Bluff.”
    “Melanie. You are a partnership. You should speak to him, work it out with him.”
    She stood up, offering him her hand, and pulling him off the sofa. “Come on, we both need some sleep.”
    He stood, and hugged her tightly. “Speak to him. He seems like a good man. Tell him how you feel.”
    “I thought you didn’t like him.”
    “Alli pointed out that he was protecting you by lying. So I think he must be alright, to do something like that.”
    She laughed. “Don’t go overboard.”
    “One step at a time, Melanie. One step at a time.” He walked to the door, and then turned and paused. “I know why I might appear not to like him, and it’s not his fault. It’s only that I hate the idea of losing you. It wouldn’t matter how good a man he was, I would feel some resentment towards him. I love you Melanie. Alli and Callum love you to. Never forget that. This will always be your home.”
    “Thank you, Kian,” she said, holding her tears inside, as she watched him walk up the stairs to bed.
    Despite her own tiredness, she sat back down and watched the embers glowing in the grate, for a long time she sat and tried to puzzle her way through the situation, but she could see no way around it. Not unless she could ask Taylor to move to Bear Creek. When she eventually went to bed, she knew she would wait until after dinner with his family tomorrow and then broach the subject
     

Chapter Eighteen – Taylor
    “He’s still not back,” Taylor said to Cooper as he entered the office.
    “Nope, no word from him. He must be stuck in Cougar Ridge, I guess the ladies there will be pleased to see him.”
    “I’m not looking forward to being on the receiving end of his bad mood when he gets back,” Taylor said, feeling even guiltier now for not coming into work yesterday.
    “Don’t worry. You know Trent, he’ll have made the best of it.” Cooper looked out at the snow. “Starting to melt. But I think for now we should sit tight. Wait until the boss gets back. I would hate to send you out on a delivery and find he would rather you had stayed grounded.”
    “Grounded? I’m not a kid.”
    “Not in that way. Keeping the trucks grounded. That’s safest for now.” Cooper threw him a brush. “You can go sweep the warehouse instead. Then clean the insides of the windows.”
    “Great. More sweeping,” Taylor said, but he didn’t mind, it kept him busy and this way it meant he wouldn’t be late for dinner with him family and Melanie. It also gave him an opportunity to let his mind wonder. Daydream was not practical when you had a big truck under your control, but a sweeping brush, that didn’t take much thought to