Bearly Sweet(2)
Author: Loni Ree
Chapter 2
Thorne
“Mother.” I take a deep breath, attempting to bring my anger under control before I let expletives fly that will upset my mother and piss off my overprotective father. No one upsets Momma Bear without dealing with Papa Bear’s wrath. “I don’t have time to take on another job.”
When I woke up with the sunrise, an out-of-the-blue feeling of happiness and excitement cut through my soul. Like the universe was telling me how great today would be. Then an hour later, my mother’s call puts an end to my sunny outlook as my mood takes a nosedive.
Staring out my back patio window, I watch a fucking squirrel trying to find a way to steal my bird seed while I listen to my mother get her way.
“Thorne.” The steel reinforcing my mother’s words tells me I won’t be getting out of this. “The adorable owner is going to hurt herself trying to do all those dangerous tasks.” My soft-hearted, strong-willed mother volunteered my services to the human bakery owner without even checking with me first.
“We just discussed my overbooked calendar last night.” I remind my mother of her promise not to add anything to the calendar until I catch up.
“I’ll move a few things around.” The steel in her voice tells me this is one argument I have no hope of winning. “Mr. Brown can wait a few weeks for his new deck.” I’m betting Ernest Brown isn’t going to agree, but I’ll let my mother deal with him.
“Okay.” I sigh, close my eyes, and hope to find my inner peace before my head explodes. “I’ll try to stop by the bakery and check things out after my breakfast with Clay and Wilder.” The old bakery has been closed for years, and I’m betting it’s in horrible shape.
“I told Mabel you’d be there at nine am.” My mother blows my plans right out of the water. “Don’t worry, I’ll come by and pick up Angel Baby, so you don’t have to take the time to drop him off at my house. And I’ll let your brothers know you can’t make your breakfast at Pooh’s Diner.”
My inner bear shakes his head at me in disappointment as I fold like a cheap suit. “Thank you,” I grit out through my clenched teeth. At thirty-two years old, my mother is still running my goddamn life. “I’ll head straight to the bakery.”
“Thank you. The town will be so happy to have the old bakery up and running again.” I can picture my mother clasping her hands together happily at getting her way. Momma Bear wouldn’t just add a massive job to my already bulging-at-the-seams schedule unless she’s got something up her sleeve, and it isn’t making the town residents happy.
When the old Honey Time bakery closed, all the bears in town threw fits at the thought of losing our favorite treats. Most of us started ordering our honey buns from an online source, but they aren’t as good as homemade. We’ve been making do while the town searched for someone to buy the bakery.
To everyone’s shock, the town council decided to sell the building to humans, which caused quite an uproar with the town’s mainly shifter residents. My mother’s offer is putting me right where I don’t want to be—in the middle of the bear shifter versus human debate.
Hopefully, the new owners make sweets worthy of Honey Pot Hollow or there will be hell to pay with the other bears in town.
After hanging up the phone, I pour my cold coffee down the drain before heading to my bedroom to wake up my spoiled Chihuahua.
“Angel Baby.” I kneel next to the baby bed, yes, a real fucking baby bed, and gently pat his little tan back the way he likes.
Two years ago, my life took a turn for the nutty when I found a tiny Chihuahua puppy at one of the worksites. Without thinking things through, I brought it to my parents’ house, hoping my mother would help me out. I expected her to bring the puppy to the local vet to see if he could help us find the little dog a home. Instead, my family pulled a fast one on me, and I ended up the proud owner of a spoiled little shit called Angel Baby.
When Momma Bear got the crazy idea in her mind that my puppy could get crushed in the middle of the night if I accidentally rolled over on him, my brothers and dad saw the perfect opportunity to fuck with me. The assholes bought my spoiled pooch a baby bed. For his protection.
“Gramma Bear is on her way to pick you up.” Angel Baby’s pointy little ears perk up at the sound of my mother’s name.
Convincing the spoiled dog to hurry through his morning backyard sniffing routine is impossible. By the time Angel Baby decides on the perfect spot for his morning shit, I’m drowning in sweat and running twenty minutes late. This goddamn day from hell just keeps getting better and better. I remember my earlier happy mood and mentally flip off the universe. Fuck you, universe, for toying with me.
The lopsided sign hanging across the front of the bakery building tells me this is going to be painful. I push open the cloudy glass door and step into the large rundown shop. My bear wakes up and stretches under my skin as a sugary sweet honey scent reaches my nose. My fangs stretch under my gums, wanting a bite of whatever smells so delicious. I’m so caught up in the sweet fragrance that I miss the ladder directly behind the door.
“Oof.” I barely have time to catch the curvy goddess as she drops into my arms.
“What the hell are you doing on top of that ladder?” Fear causes my words to come out harsher than I’d intended. My captive’s cornflower blue eyes narrow, and I notice the effect she’s having on my body.
“Who the heck do you think you are?” She pushes futilely against my chest as I pull her sweet body closer. Her movements cause her luscious tits to jiggle, which wakes up my cock. The fucker turns to stone and aches behind my zipper, shocking the hell out of me. Only my mate should tempt me physically. I ignore the thought buzzing around my mind and concentrate on the pain holding her close is causing below. These tight jeans were a fortunate choice since I don’t want to scandalize the three human women.
My frazzled mind kicks in enough to warn me to take things slow with the gorgeous human. I let my eyes roam over her heart-shaped face, memorizing each detail. The adorable smattering of freckles across her cheeks and nose calls to me, and I promise myself I’ll find the time to taste each little dot later.
Her stunning wide, bright-blue eyes are surrounded by the longest, thickest eyelashes I’ve ever seen. When she bites her bottom lip, my tongue aches to soothe the tiny ache.