Free Bearly Apart (Big Paw Security Book 5) by Becca Fanning Page A

Wyatt’s truck out to the cattle with Jamie directing them. She and Jesse were sitting next to each other up front with him, the others in the back. They could hear them laughing and cracking jokes. Jamie noticed that Wyatt had the exact same eye color as Jesse and remarked on it.  

    “Well, he’s my cousin,” Jesse said smiling.  

    “Yup,” Wyatt said. “Guilty. So if this little squirt gives you any trouble, you call me and I’ll sort him out for you.”  

    Jamie laughed at that.  

    “I think I can handle him,” she said.  

    Wyatt eyed her. “Of that I have no doubt,” he said.  

    They spent a long day in the fields. The sun came out breaking the clouds into huge floating islands. This made the day humid and uncomfortably warm. Soon all the men had their shirts off as they worked. Jesse had a plan and everyone took direction from him Jamie included, even though she didn’t really understand what they were doing all the time. Some of it seemed highly suspicious but they assured her that when it came to werewolf proofing, they were the best in the business.  

    “How do you know what to do?” she asked Tyler when he was taking a break. He rubbed his arm across his forehead.

    “Well.”

    “We’re were-bears,” Kyle said with no preamble at all.

    Then when Tyler and Wyatt threw clods of earth at him, he held up his hands saying, “What? She was going to find out anyway.”  

    “How do you figure?” Wyatt asked.

    Kyle just smiled. “It’s all over her and if you can’t smell it then…”  

    “What is?” Jamie said, sniffing her arms but the guys just laughed. “No seriously guys, what are you talking about?” And then as it sank in, Jamie stood with her mouth open. Of course. That’s why Jesse was so good with animals, why he had known that the creature who killed the cow was a werewolf. It all made sense now. Jamie searched inside herself to see if this revelation about the guy she had kissed earlier changed how she felt about these people.  

    “What’s going on here?” Jesse asked as he walked over to them.  

    Jamie just about choked on her own saliva. He glistened, each perfectly formed muscle just there. He stood so close to her that her arm hairs stood on end. And then he smiled and Jamie had to go back to the truck urgently to get more water for everyone.  

    Standing at the truck she realized that she didn’t give a rat’s butt that he was a were-bear. She was falling for Jesse in the worst possible way and his species was the furthest thing from her mind.  

    When she came back she was much more in control and she handed out water bottles. Jesse took his and their fingers touched. Jamie broke out in goosebumps.  

    By the end of the day they were all exhausted, but the werewolf proofing was up and Jamie was happy. Jesse held her hand in his as they surveyed the work.  

    “Your cattle should be safe tonight,” he assured her.  

    “Thank you so much,” she said turning to him. “You’ve been such a blessing.” She reached up to kiss him but Jesse pulled back a little.  

    “Listen, before we go any further, I have to tell you something,” he said, his golden eyes serious.  

    She reached up and pulled his face to hers, “You’re a were-bear, I know.” Then she kissed him. He was surprised but he leaned into the kiss after a moment and wrapped his arms around her as she tangled her hands in his hair.

      They stopped kissing and he rubbed the tip of his nose gently against hers. “How did you find out?”

    “Kyle,” she said. “He told me. Said he could smell something on me and that I’d find out sooner or later.”  

    “Remind me to thank him later,” Jesse said and kissed her again.  

    “Oh, holy shit! She’s eating him alive!” Tyler cried. “Seriously guys get a room!”  

    Jamie and Jesse pulled apart and they got into the truck and drove back to the farm house.  

    Jamie invited them all in for dinner. They all