Free Bearly Begun (BBW/Bearshifter Romance) (Bachelor Bears of Yakima Ridge Book 1) by Isadora Montrose Page A

two grand to fix it. Isn’t worth two hundred. So I left it parked on the street and Hunter and Cord watched out for it and made sure the neighborhood kids didn’t break in.”
    “And when you thanked Lenny, what did he say?” Maddie asked.
    “He didn’t say much, but he sort of sat up taller and looked pleased. He said the boys had done a lot of the work, and then they fell all over themselves explaining how they had changed the oil, and put air in the tires and I stopped thanking Len to listen to them.”
    “That sounds like Len, or Doug, or Jack. Doesn’t it Hannah?”
    “Uh huh. And then I bet he made those heroes clear the table and wash up?” Hannah predicted confidently.
    “Yes, that’s what he did. I sort of thought he fixed my car to teach those boys to treat me better. They have been so rude. I literally can’t tell you the things they had started to call me.” Erin shook her head.
    “That bad?” Hannah asked.
    “Worse. You really think Len is courting me? Even though he never asks me out? Never tries to cop a feel?”
    “Where would he ask you to that you wouldn’t have to take those boys? And Len would never, but never, treat you disrespectfully in front of your brothers. He just wouldn’t.”
    “Huh.”
    “Listen, Erin, you have to change your frame of reference,” Hannah said earnestly. “Modern women have been brainwashed to believe romance is some combination of useless luxury and shimmering lace and pearls. That’s not how Jack and his cousins see things. They might give you flowers, or buy you chocolates, but they would make sure they were the kind you liked and that you didn’t need snow tires more.”
    Maddie gurgled and nodded in agreement. “And they’d think of the snow tires first. Which is good—no—great.”
    “You have to stop thinking that romance is something separate from everyday life,” Hannah said. “These guys build their world around their women. Everything they do is to make her happy, or safe, or well-fed. But they are probably never going to stand in front of some rack of cards picking out something gooey. They’re going to be too busy building a pantry or what not.”
    “That’s exactly it,” said Maddie.
    “Huh,” said Erin.
     
     

CHAPTER TEN
    Len was enormously pleased. Winnie Malcom had assured him that they would be done with the roof by dark. “I don’t say we won’t want to tidy up in the morning. But you’ll be tight and dry by sundown,” she told him with a big grin.
    Winnie Malcom ran her own roofing business in Seattle and she had a lifetime of experience bossing crews. She had Len’s cousins sorted in no time. She had waved away Lenny and Joey’s thanks with one large hand and bellowed at Jack Enright to keep an eye on “Those danged cubs.”
    Seemingly she did not mean her own well grown and competent lads, Jacob and Caleb. Her sons were doing the work of grown men with great skill, shoveling off great swathes of rotten shingles with effortless sweeps. Nope boss lady meant Hunter and Cord who were trying to help, but were stumbling over their own feet. Question was: Did she too think they were bears, or was cub just the word she used for kids? Something to think about when he had some time to spare.
    Winnie explained again to Hunter and Cord that the bundles of shingles had to be moved twice. Once to the foot of the ladders, and once up the ladders. But nothing was to go on the roof until she had inspected the plywood. And the shingles had to be stacked so they were not in the way.
    Even though Winnie was foreman, Len kept half an eye on Hunter and Cord out of habit. He noticed that there was a white panel van cruising up and down the sidewalk where a dozen people had gathered to gossip and watch the work get done. That seemed to be normal for this city neighborhood. Back home, watching your neighbors without helping out wasn’t considered seemly. But the van revived an unpleasant memory.
    Len groped for his cell and flicked