Page 5 of Claimed By Her Bear

“Of course I’ll be there.” She laughed. Shekita arrived at her truck. She opened her door and tossed her bag in the back seat. She took a look at herself in the back-door window and grimaced. Going out drinking at a bar in a flannel shirt and jeans wasn’t flattering. She never knew who she would meet. She unbuttoned her shirt and removed it. She threw it in the back to join her bag. A white cami and jeans would do. She glanced down at her feet and kicked off her steel-toed boots. She tossed them in the back to join her growing pile of items. She hopped in and snagged her flip-flops that were resting on the floor of the passenger seat and slid them on her feet.

Now, that was much better.

“Will you be bringing anyone?” he asked.

“Seriously? You are going to ask that?” She scoffed. She turned her vehicle on, and the phone flipped over to the Bluetooth connection of her vehicle. She popped her phone in the holder to free up her hands. Thankfully, she kept some items in her car to allow her to freshen up. After brushing her hair up in a ponytail, hitting her pits with a fresh layer of deodorant, a spray of her favorite perfume, and applying a fresh coat of lip gloss, she felt like a new woman.

“I don’t mean anything by it. You don’t talk much about your personal life after you know who,” he said.

Shekita closed her eyes and exhaled. It was hard to talk to her family about her love life.

She had thought she had found the one she was going to spend the rest of her life with, but that was a massive fail. She’d been so wrong about Bobbie. The woman she had thought she’d love had turned into a psychopath who would rather hurt her than love her. Shekita had suffered not only mental abuse but physical at the hands of Bobbie.

“No, there is no one,” she grumbled. She threw her car into gear after inputting the bar’s address in the GPS. The guys apparently hadn’t wanted to wait on her. They’d better get a good table and save her a seat. “Got any friends who have single sisters?”

“I’ll keep my ear out for you.” Troy barked a laugh.

“You’d better, and tell Mom I’ll be there. Alone.” She groaned. According to the GPS, the bar wasn’t far from the ice cream shop. By the looks of it, she would be arriving in two minutes.

“I will, and have fun tonight. Drink a lot and get hungover. It won’t hurt if we miss one day on the ice cream shop. You all deserve it for your hard work.”

They disconnected their call with the promise to talk tomorrow. Shekita turned the corner and saw the sign of the bar.

The Dirty Habit.

She smirked at the name. It had the appearance of a log cabin with a porch that wrapped around it. The backdrop of the establishment was a gorgeous mountainous range off in the distance. There were rows of motorcycles parked out front, and the lot was almost full. She quickly found a spot then made her way to the entrance.

The bouncer at the door was tall and had muscles on top of muscles. She would be surprised if he wasn’t a bear shifter or something of that nature. He gave her a nod and held the door open for her. She hefted her bag on her shoulder, offered him a smile, and went inside. The moment she crossed the threshold, she was assaulted with loud country music blaring from the speakers. The scent of cigarettes, weed, and good food was thick.

Shekita inhaled and smiled. The guys had been right. She needed to get out and relax. They had been working hard on the job and were owed a night out on the town. Troy was right. She deserved to go out, get drunk, and have one hell of a hangover.

That was what she was going to do. It had been a long time since she’d gone out and gone home with someone. She only hoped to be so lucky. Shekita scanned the establishment, taking in the throng of bikers, cowboys, and other patrons that filled the bar from wall to wall. Even the dance floor was packed with gyrating dancers moving to the rhythm of the music.

Her gaze landed on a bunch of raised hands trying to get her attention. She laughed at Hector who stood and sent a sharp whistle through the air.

How many drinks had they had without her?

She navigated her way through the bar and finally arrived at their table. They all shifted around it, giving her a newly opened seat.

“Boss lady is here!” Mike hollered. He instantly slid a shot glass filled with a clear liquid in front of her.

Warren grabbed a chair from somewhere and returned to the table. He took his seat and raised his glass to her.

“It’s about time, boss,” he joked. He motioned to the round of drinks on the table in front of them. “I made these knuckleheads wait for you to get here before we got started.”

“That’s so kind. You all didn’t waste any time getting here,” she grumbled. How fast had they driven, and when had they left the site?

She raised her glass, and they all followed suit. She glanced around the table and took in her team. Mike, Rudy, Hector, Warren, Ryan, and Tim were hardworking men who she could count on.

“Harper Construction. The best damn construction crew,” she said.

“Harper Construction,” they echoed.

She knocked back the shot of vodka and slammed her glass down on the table. It felt good to be out with the guys. This was just what she needed. The Dirty Habit was fast becoming a place she could see herself returning to.

Two rounds later, Shekita had a nice buzz and was feeling great. It looked as if she would be getting a hotel tonight. There would be no way she would be okay to drive. She wasn’t fully drunk, but she planned to get there. Her brother was right. One night to just forget all responsibility was what she needed.

“Next round is on me,” she shouted.

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