Page 4 of Bearly Chilly

“What happened?” he asks as we reach the front door. Oreo takes one look at the deep snow outside and sits down, refusing to take one more step.

“If you have time, I’ll buy you breakfast and explain everything.” I pick up my stubborn little stinker and place him in the stroller. “After I convince Oreo it’s okay to potty in the snow.” I wrap a thick blanket around him and watch as my spoiled little pooch snuggles in before pulling on my heavy coat and gloves.

“I’d love to have breakfast with you,” he says as he slips on his leather jacket and grins as hunger shines from his dark eyes. The shiver that runs through my body isn’t from the cold at all. “Let’s go see what we can do to clear a spot for Oreo to use.”

We step out into the frigid weather, and Grant pulls me close to his side with one hand and pushes the stroller toward the edge of the parking lot with the other. It’s hard to tell if we’re on grass or cement with all the snow, but he manages to find a small spot next to the sign that appears to have less snow.

Grant uses his booted foot to clear most of the snow from a small spot of grass. “Come on, little man.” He lets Oreo sniff his hand for a few seconds before gently lifting him up from the stroller. When he lifts my little dog up against his chest so he can sniff his face, Grant steals my freaking heart.

I can practically see little hearts floating around my pooch’s head as he stares adoringly at him. When Grant sets him down, Oreo sniffs for a few seconds then does his business without complaint.

“He never cooperates like that in a new place,” I tell him. “You have the magic touch with Oreo.”

Chapter 4

Grant

Now that I’vemade friends with the little Frenchie, I’m hoping to cement my relationship with his owner.

“I’m glad to hear it.” I take her gloved hand in mine and lead her back to the hotel entrance.

Inside the hotel’s small café, we grab a table near the heater. Lennon pushes the stroller next to the table, and Oreo snuggles up in the thick blankets.

The waitress, looking like she’s been up since dawn, takes our order before coming back with two steaming cups of coffee.

Lennon fixes her gaze on the steaming mug of coffee in front of her and takes a sip, seeming to savor each drop. “So, what’s the story about your job that wasn’t quite right?” I ask, curious about her. Clay won’t have the report on her for a while, and I want to know everything about my mate.

“Well,” she starts, rolling her eyes, “I’m on my way back to Anchorage from Glacier Pass. I went there for a job interview, but it wasn’t what I’d been led to believe.”

What the fuck? “Oh yeah? What kind of job?”

She sits back in the chair, a little laugh escaping. “It was supposed to be for a live-in housekeeper position, but… let’s just say the guy wasn’t exactly who he said he was, and the job definitely wasn’t what he advertised.”

Who the hell do I have to kill for fucking with my mate? My inner bear stretches under my skin as rage cuts through me at the thought of something threatening my mate. “Explain to me what happened?”

Lennon sighs, clearly appalled. “The guy was super creepy,” she explains, swirling her coffee slowly. “He’d sent me these picturesof his supposed mansion, but when I got there, I realized they were stock photos or something because the actual house was a dump. A small, creepy cabin in the middle of nowhere. Totally different from what he showed me. Then he started talking about mail-order brides and I freaked out. Talk about false advertising.”

My hands clench in my lap as I listen to my mate. “What happened next?”

“My intuition told me to get the heck out of there.” Her expression shifts to something warmer as she glances at the small dog snoring loudly in the stroller. “I didn’t waste another second. I grabbed Oreo and hit the road before the creep could stop me.”

Motherfucker. I need to find out more about this asshole from my hometown who’s preying on unsuspecting women.

“What was this guy’s name?” I ask, and Lennon glances over at me with a raised eyebrow.

“Why are you so curious?” She sits back, a little more closed off than she was a few minutes ago.

There’s so much I need to tell my soulmate and I don’t even know where to start. “I’ve lived in Glacier Pass my entire life, and I want to know who the asshole is that’s pulling this shit in my hometown.”

Her mouth opens and closes a few times before she mutters, “His name is Henry Helson.” Red-hot rage flows through my veins when she tells me his name. Son-of-a-bitch. I figured Henry had left town when his cousin, Harold, moved clear across the country to get away from my younger brother’s wrath. “Do you know him?”

“I do, but it’s a long story.”

Her eyebrows shoot up in surprise, and there’s this sparkle of curiosity in her eyes. “Really? Well, looks like we’ve got time. The snow doesn’t seem in any hurry to let up,” she says, nodding toward the window where snowflakes are still drifting down at a steady pace.

I take a breath, leaning back in my chair, debating how to put this bizarre tale into words that won’t scare my mate off. “It sounds like something from a bad made-for-TV movie,” I start, amused at just how surreal it sounds out loud. “Henry has a cousin, Harold, who’s a piece of work. The fucking weasel is always looking for a way to twist any situation for his benefit.”

Lennon leans in slightly and places her elbows on the table. “Go on.”

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