“I am. There’s nothing I want more.” She skimmed her palm along Rick’s arm. The same arm that had been injured and had healed so quickly. She had a lot to learn about werebears, but she’d spend her life doing that. “I just wish he’d wake up.”
“He will. Besides, I think he’s milking it.”
“Who’s milking it?” Rick opened one eye, then the next.
“It’s about time.”
“Damn, I barely get my eyes open and she’s already nagging at me.” Rick grinned at her, then sought out his brother with a questioning glance. “Mallory, I need to tell you how sorry I am.”
It warmed her heart to know that she was the first thing on his mind. She pressed her fingers to his lips. “No, you don’t. I’m not sure my heart could handle an apology from you. Just get better. That’s all the apology I need.”
“No. Don’t let me get off that easy. I should’ve listened to Gunner and told you earlier. We lied by not telling you, by ignoring your questions. I treated you like crap even as I tried so hard to bring you closer. I’m sorry, baby. Sorrier than I can ever say.”
“It’s okay.” She didn’t want to cry. If she did, she wasn’t sure the tears would ever stop. “I understand and it doesn’t matter now. I’m staying.”
Gunner’s hand caressed her shoulder. “I’m sorry for lying, too, and for not taking the time to tell you. We just got caught up in everything and forgot to think about it from your perspective. I should’ve forced Rick to tell you.”
He chuckled at Rick’s snarl. “Easy, bro. Don’t hurt yourself.”
“We love you, Mallory. More than life itself. Can you forgive us?”
Gunner’s hand continued its path along her arm, exciting her with his gentle touch. “Yeah. If you don’t. I’m not sure what will happen to us.”
She took Rick’s hand, loving the way he searched her face. Hungry. Yearning. Vulnerable. “Yes. I forgive both of you.”
“Does that mean what I think it means?”
“Yes.” She thrust out her chin. “It does. After all, someone’s got to take care of you two. Besides, I love you two beasts.”
“You’re staying? You’ll be our mate?” He sat up even more, taking both her hands.
“Not that we deserve her.”
“Hell, no we don’t,” agreed Rick. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to let her go.”
She took her hand away. “I’m staying and I’ll be your mate on one condition.”
“Aw, shit.” Rick gave her a palm’s up after catching her haughty eyebrow lifting toward the ceiling. “Forget I said that. What’s the condition? Whatever it is, the answer’s yes.”
She reached out and took his hand, then Gunner’s. “First of all, you have to find someone other than Lawson Industries to handle your cattle.”
“We need to,” added Gunner. “Tyler checked into it and found out that you were right. They’re using practices we won’t stand for. I’ve already switched our contract to another facility. And trust me. Tyler has already checked the new place out. Other ranchers say they’re top-notch.”
“Then that’s an easy yes.”
“There’s more.”
“Aw, shit.” He cringed. “Again, forget I said that.”
She loved her men, but that didn’t mean that a girl had to give up her convictions. “I want you to do your best to get out of the business of raising cattle. Instead, I want to ask you to focus more on training the therapy horses. From the research I’ve done, that’s actually a more lucrative business. Besides, you’ll still have the oil wells.”
“She’s right about that, too. I can fill you in later, but we can make almost double the money we make from ranching if we get more horses and spend the time raising them. Plus, you’ve got to admit, it makes us feel good to help out that way.”
Rick was already nodding before Gunner had finished speaking. “It’ll take time to phase out of the cattle business, but I’m game.”
“Then you agree to my terms? If you do, I’ll be proud to be your mate. Both of you.”
“Then it’s a deal.” He pulled her to him. “I never figured I’d have to negotiate to keep my mate, but I’d do anything to make you happy.”
“Would you paint a calf and put the message on YouVideo?” She laid her head on his chest and heard the steady beat of his heart. Could he hear hers? It was pounding loudly enough.
“Okay, now you’re going too far,” joked Gunner.
She laughed, then leapt up and grabbed Gunner’s hand to pull him onto the bed along with her. “Aw, shit. You ain’t seen nothing yet. I’ve got a lot more ideas.”
Their groans were louder than her laughter, filling her with a joy that was boundless. She’d come to Shatland to fight against animal cruelty and had ended up finding two animals of her own. They were her men. Her bears.
“Where are you?” Mallory held the phone to her ear as she stood at the railing of the enclosure and watched Gunner and Rick work with the new horse. For two bears, they had a special way with horses that should’ve sensed their inner beasts and been frightened. Instead, the horse was responding nicely to their commands.
After phasing out of the cattle business in less than two months, they’d started buying more horses and spending their days training them. Even they admitted that they enjoyed that more than herding cattle then having to send them to the slaughterhouse. The last shipment to the meat packing facility they’d used since dumping Lawson Industries would go out next week. Once that happened, she’d breathe easier.
“I’m almost there. Be patient, girl.”
She’d missed Kid so much in the short time since she’d moved to their home. Giving up her bank job was easy, aside from leaving Kid behind, and helping the men with the therapy horses was much more fulfilling.
Her life had changed so much in a few months, and all she could see was a bright future. She couldn’t wait to share her life and her good news with Kid.
“And your mom? How’s she doing?”
Gunner lifted his cowboy hat to her, taking his attention away from the filly. He jumped to the side when the animal whirled first one way then the other, trying to get the men away from her. Misty, as Mallory had named her, would soon fall under their spell just as all the other horses had. Just as she had.
“She’s doing great. Back to her old self. Although now that you’ve found love, she’s pushing for me to get busy and settle down, too.”
“And you should. I highly recommend it.”
“Yeah, well, find me a cute little cowboy with a tight ass and I’m there.”
“Hey, I’m looking. It’s not easy to find anyone good enough for my best friend.”
“Ain’t that the truth?” He laughed, the sound bellowing in her ears.
“I can’t wait for you to get here.”
“Yeah? What are you doing right now?”
“I’m watching my hunky men train a new horse.”
“And what color is that horse?”
“What color?” It was a strange question, but then again, it was Kid. “Um, it’s black with white around its hooves. There’s a name for that part of the horse, but I can never remember it.”
“Ooh. And the white star on its forehead is pretty, too.”
“It is.” She paused. “Hey, wait a sec. How’d you know it has a star on its forehead?”
Gunner and Rick turned, their gazes going past her as they started striding her way.
In the next moment, she was swept into the air. She let out a yelp, then started laughing as she recognized the huge arms engulfing her.
“Kid, put me down!”
He dropped her to her feet. She spun around and jumped into his arms, hugging him around the neck.
“Hey, watch who you’re hugging, big guy. That’s our woman.” But there was no menace in Gunner’s voice.
“I know.” Kid’s grin was as wide as his face. “I heard you three are a thing now. Of course, I knew you were meant for each other from the moment we met.”
“Come on. Let’s get the grill out and get those steaks to cooking.”
She rolled her eyes at Rick. They were still eating meat while she feasted on vegetables, but she knew that was one thing she’d never change about them.
“Sounds yummy.” Kid leaned over and whispered in her ear. “As yummy as they look.”
“Hey, keep your paws off my men.”
Kid held up his hands to ward her off. “Okay, okay. I’m just saying is all.”
A few minutes later and the men were busy grilling steaks while she and Kid shared tall glasses of sweet tea at the picnic table.
“So, is it as good as it seems to be?” He wiggled his bushy eyebrows. “And I’m talking about
everything
.”
“Better.” She giggled, and sputtered some of her drink just as Gunner and Rick set a large platter of meat in front of them. At least the smaller platter held her grilled veggies.
“So tell me? You said you had some good news.”
“We sure do.” She looked to her men for the okay to tell Kid. Turning to him, she took his huge hand between her two smaller ones. “We’re getting married.”
He let out a whoop just as she’d expected he would. “That’s terrific.”
“Of course, it won’t be a legal marriage since she can’t marry the both of us. We’re going to have a few friends over and do a ceremony of our own.” Gunner’s booted foot pushed against hers under the table.
“It looks like threesomes and gay marriages are on the same shit list in Texas. So? Is it going to be a big to-do? With lots of handsome groomsmen?”
“No. But I do have a favor to ask you.”
Kid made a large hunk of meat disappear. Funny, how she’d never noticed that her men and Kid ate the same way. Fast and in huge quantities. Was it a male thing?
“Ask away. You know I’d do anything for you.”
She smiled. Her men had said the same thing. “I want you to stand up for me. Kind of like being a male bridesmaid. Or something like that.”
“Yay! Of course. I’d be honored.”
“Cool.” Now came the hard part. She hoped Kid took the news better than she had. “There’s something else.”
Kid gasped, his hand fluttering to his lips. “Do not tell me. Are you preggers already? If so, will you name it Mike? Or Michelle if it’s a girl?”
Rick dropped his fork. “Whoa, man. Slow down. No one’s having a baby.” He lifted his eyebrows at her. “You’re not, are you? Not that I’d mind. In fact, it’d be great. But that’s not what you were going to tell him, right?”
She swallowed a bite, but it went down hard. “No. I’m not pregnant. This news is about Gunner and Rick.” She tightened her hold on Kid’s hand. “I know this will be hard to believe, but it’s the God’s honest truth. I swear it.”
Kid’s happy expression went to a worried one. “Okay, now you’re scaring me. Spit it out before I pass out. Just know that whatever it is, we’ll get through it together.”
“Kid, Gunner and Rick are well…they’re…”
“Special? Honey, I already knew that.”
“Yes, but that’s not what I was going to say. They’re not just men. They’re…” This was harder than she thought it’d be.
Kid glanced at her, then at the men, then back at her. His wide smile came rushing back. “Oh, girl, don’t worry. I already know.”
“You do?”
“Of course I do. How could I not?”
“I don’t think you do, Kid. Let me just get this out before I lose my nerve.” She took in a big breath and let it out. It was now or never. “Gunner and Rick are—”
“Werebears.”
Now it was her turn to widen her eyes at him. “How’d you know?” She looked to the men. “Did you tell him?”
Why didn’t they seem shocked?
“No, they didn’t tell me. But you know what they say about gay men, don’t you?”
“I’m not sure. Tell me.”
“It takes one to know one.”
“What? I’m still not getting it.”
“Girl, I knew they were werebears, well, because…I’m a werebear, too.”
Her jaw dropped. Then came the confusion and a bit of anger, too. She glared at her men. “Did you know?”
“We had our suspicions,” answered Gunner.
“Then why didn’t you tell me?” Were they still hiding things from her?
“We couldn’t. It’s kind of a bear thing. You don’t out another werebear. Since he hadn’t already told you, then we couldn’t, either.” Rick let out a hard breath. “Damn. We’re in trouble again, aren’t we?”
“Don’t be mad at them, Mallory. I think they were too preoccupied for it to really click the first time I was here. And they’re right. It’s like it is with gays. You don’t out someone without their permission.”
She should’ve guessed after finding out that werebears existed. There’d been clues. The way Kid ate such large amounts. The way she’d always thought of him as a big teddy bear. The way his hands had always reminded her of paws. His big booming laugh that echoed like a roar around a room.
“So? Baby, are you mad?” Gunner offered her a weak smile. “Can you forgive us? Again?”
How could she be angry at them? They’d had no choice but to keep his secret. “No. I’m not angry. In fact, I think it’s really good.”
“Why’s that?” Kid preened. “Other than the fact that it makes me special, too? More so than before, of course.”
“Because now I have not two, but three bears of my own.” She lifted her glass of tea. “Here’s a toast. To all my men.”
They put their glasses together as Rick added, “To us. To all of Mallory’s bears.”
Mallory’s bears. Yeah, I like the sound of that.
THE END
WWW.JANEJAMISON.COM
Jane Jamison has always liked “weird stuff” as her mother called it. From an early age she was fascinated with stories about werewolves, vampires, space, aliens, and whatever was hiding in her bedroom closet. To this day, she still swears she can hear growls and moans whenever the lights are out.
Being born under the sign of Scorpio meant Jane was destined to be very sensual. Some would say she was, and remains, downright sexual. Then one day she put her two favorite things together on paper and found her life’s true ambition—to be an erotic paranormal romance author.
Jane spends at least six days a week locked in her office surrounded by the characters she loves. Every day a new character will knock on the door of her imagination. Her plans include taking care of her loving husband, traveling, and writing at least twelve books a year.