Free Beary Guarded (Polar Bliss Book 2) by Ruby Shae Page A

left, Ridge would leave, too.
    “This will always be your home, and you’ll always be welcome here,” Ryker said. “But if you think you’re ready, then I think moving out is a step in the right direction.”
    “I’m also thinking about getting a dog.”
    “Then you’re definitely moving out,” Ryker laughed. “It needs some work, but the apartment over Polar Bliss is a good place to start.”
    Almost all of the businesses in Longmeadow had apartments built into the second floor, and Polar Bliss was no exception. She’d only been up there a couple of times since Ryker bought the building, but it had both a working kitchen and a bathroom, along with a decent sized living space and a separate bedroom. It would be perfect for her after a fresh coat of paint.
    “Ridge doesn’t want to live there?”
    “No, he’s got his eye on a little house by the lake.”
    “Really?”
    She shouldn’t be too surprised, especially considering how much time he and his best friend, Jane, spent at the lake, but that was the problem. She’d never imagined him sharing their spot with anyone else.
    “Yeah, it kind of shocked me, too.”
    “Does Jane know?”
    “I don’t think so.”
    She nodded and thought about her friend.
    Jane was four years older than her, the same age as Ridge, and the woman and her brother had been inseparable since elementary school. You rarely found one without the other, and like Jillian, Riley’s best friend and sister-in-law, Jane had practically grown up with her family. Even if she didn’t like him romantically, when Ridge found his mate, Jane would be devastated.
    “If you’re sure, then I think the apartment would be great,” she said.
    “Good,” Ryker smiled. “I’ll call an inspector tomorrow, just in case, and if all goes well, you should be able to move in after some light cleaning and a fresh coat of paint.”
    “That sounds great,” she said. “Thank you.”
    “You’re more than welcome, peanut,” he said, using the endearment her parents favored. “Above all else, I want you to be happy.”
    “I’m not sure if I can be,” she said, honestly, “but I’d like to try.”
     
    ***
     
    Nathaniel McCallister breathed a sigh of relief when the exit that would lead him to Longmeadow, Pennsylvania, came into view. He’d only visited the small town twice before, but he recognized the picturesque, tree lined landscape, and the vast, snow covered flora called to his wolf.
    After driving for nearly three days with minimal opportunities to shift, he couldn’t wait to change into his wolf and explore the wild forest land of his new home. Unlike most of the other jobs he’d taken, Longmeadow was home to two families of shifters, both polar bears, and he was looking forward to being around his kind again.
    A few miles down the road, a several homes came into view, and he turned off the highway.
    His new office was on Main Street , as were most of the small businesses that added to the charm of the small, snowy town, and he couldn’t wait to settle in. Despite the high visiting rate by patrons from smaller nearby towns, and the regular influx of tourists on their way to the Canadian border, the small town had an incredibly low crime rate. The sheriff’s office consisted of the sheriff and three deputies, and the four men were more than enough protection for the entire community.
    Nate had been working in law enforcement for nearly ten years, in both large and small cities across the country, and the comfortable, relaxed atmosphere of a small town was where he felt most at home. The usual lack of excitement in small town law wasn’t for everyone, but he preferred it. He also favored the cold. When he saw the opening for a sheriff in Longmeadow, he’d jumped at the chance to interview for his dream job.
    He’d fallen in love with the quaint village on his first visit, and on his second, he’d purchased a small, two-bedroom home on the edge of town. It was a little big for him,