Free The Playboy Bear's Baby: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance by Marlie Monroe Page B

“Welcome to the club.”
    Mara
fought hard not to roll her eyes. She wasn’t sure she wanted to listen to
advice from someone who’d dumped her kid off with family before puberty had
even started. She sipped her coffee and refrained from commenting.
    “So,
I assume the Gray fella who was here yesterday is the daddy?”
    Mara
nodded. “He is.”
    “Is
he as loaded as his folks were?”
    “I
don’t know. His finances aren’t really any of my business.”
    “Sure
they are. You’re having his kid, aren’t you?”
     “Yes,
but I’m not sure what one had to do with the other.”
    “Kids
aren’t cheap.”
    “I’m
sure I’ll be fine, with or without Gray’s money. I have a college degree that
I’m going to put to use just as soon as I find a decent job.”
    “I’m
sure you know best.” Nancy stood, walked over to the counter, and freshened up
her coffee. Her hands shook as she poured. “So, have you been with Gray long?”
    “Long
enough,” Mara replied. For whatever reason, she didn’t want her mother to know
the whole story. Besides, it didn’t matter how their child was conceived. They
were together now. They were mates. Or they would be as soon as Gray claimed
her. She wasn’t quite sure about that point.
    “Mm
hmm.” Nancy sat back down and cradled her cup between her palms. “He seems nice
enough.”
    “He
is,” Mara repeated. “Gray’s a wonderful man.”
    “You
think he’ll stick around after the baby comes?”
    “Yes.”
Indignation stirred in Mara’s gut. Gray was a good man and she didn’t appreciate
her mother implying anything else. She frowned and sat up a little straighter.
“What kind of question is that anyway?”
    “No
offense, but if there’s one thing I know about it’s men. The ones who leave are
more common than the ones who stay.”
    “That
may be true about the men you’ve chosen to surround yourself with but I’ve
known plenty of good, honorable men. The bad apples don’t account for the
majority.”
    “I
felt the same way about your daddy and you see how well that turned out.” Nancy
lifted her cup to her mouth and drank.
    Mara
didn’t even know where to begin replying. Her father had overdosed on heroin
when she was a toddler. She didn’t remember him, or know anything about him
other than what she’d been told. By all accounts, he’d been a troubled young
man whose life had been cut short by his addiction. “Dad didn’t leave. His
death was a tragic accident.”
    Nancy’s
nostrils flared. “Is that what Mama told you?”
    “Yes.”
    “She
lied. While it’s true that he OD’d, it wasn’t an accident. He hated his life and
he hated us. He couldn’t handle being married or having a child. He
intentionally overdosed just to get away from us.”
    Mara’s
nose lit up from within and moisture filled her eyes. “That’s a horrible thing
to say.”
    “It’s
true.”
    Mara
looked down, blinked to force the tears free, and wiped them away before they
could trail down her face. She hated crying. It made her feel weak and
vulnerable.
    When
she looked back up at her mother, her eyes were dry and she was done beating
around the bush. “Why are you really here? I doubt it’s because of Grandma. If
you actually cared about her or me we have gotten more than a postcard from you
over the last thirteen years.”
    Nancy
narrowed her eyes and stared across the table at Mara. The moment stretched
between them, growing more uncomfortable by the second.
    Mara
refused to be the first to look away.
    Finally,
Nancy crossed her arms over her chest. Her lips twisted upward in a frightening
parody of a smile. “Fair enough. If you want me to be straight with you, then
you’ve got it. Mama was a judgmental bitch. As far as I’m concerned, the world
is better off without her. However, she was my mother and that means I’m
entitled to her estate.”
    Mara
shook her head. She should have figured this was about money. It was stupid of her
to think her mother would