Mail-Order Bear: BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (BRIDES fur BEARS Book 5) Read Online Free PDF Page B

started the drive home. Seconds later, soft snores
could be heard.
    Reid had only intended to
feed them and show them around town for a bit. It was the least he
could do since his idiot cousin had made the poor woman lug her kid
all the way to Shadow Point. It was a wasted trip for her. She
thought she would be snaring a husband, but Reid wasn't about to be
snared again. He had wised up.
    But in the end, he found that
he had enjoyed himself tremendously. They had spent the whole day in
town, and Reid had been surprised to discover new shops and cafes.
Perhaps Damien was right. He should get out more often. He was only
thirty-five, but he was fast becoming a grouchy, old hermit.
    Eddie slept throughout the
drive home. Without the kid's incessant chatter and questions, the
car felt awfully silent. Even Lauren wasn't talking much.
    Reid glanced at Lauren. She
seemed to be deep in thought as she gazed out the window. What was
she thinking? Did she regret coming to Shadow Point? Maybe she
would be the one to tell him “thanks but no thanks” at
the end of the visit. It wasn't like he was such a great catch.
    If she was a gold-digger, she
would most certainly have been disappointed at seeing his small,
plain house and old car. He definitely didn't have dollar bills
oozing out of his ears. He was just a simple plumber. He worked for
himself, and he worked hard. But that was it.
    He could provide for his
family, and they would be comfortable enough. But they wouldn't be
living in the lap of luxury.
    Reid studied Lauren quietly
as he drove. She didn't look like a high maintenance woman. Her
clothes were simple but neat, and she didn't wear any make up or
jewelery. She hadn't ordered the most expensive dishes in the
restaurant knowing that he would pay for them. And she had given
Eddie stern, disapproving looks when the boy pestered Reid to get him
a dinosaur robot.
    “No, Eddie. I mean
it.” The boy pouted but didn't throw a tantrum. The look she
gave Reid told him that she would put her foot down and stop him if
he insisted on getting the toy for Eddie. But he would never
override her. She was the boy's Ma. He was just…“sir”.
    Reid suddenly wished that the
little boy would call him something other than “sir”. He
didn't know why but that distant, respectful form of address stung
him. Eddie was keeping him at arm's length, making sure he didn't
get too attached to him. Even at this young age, the boy was guarded
and wary of letting someone get too close.
    With a start, Reid realized
that the boy was doing the exact same thing he was doing. He wasn't
the only one who felt safer keeping people out rather than letting
them in.
    Reid sighed heavily and
cursed Damien for the umpteenth time under his breath.
    Heck, Eddie even called
Damien “Uncle Busybody”.
    Reid scowled.
    Even Uncle Busybody was
better than “sir”.

CHAPTER
FOURTEEN

    Reid carried Eddie from the
car and into the house. There was no sign of Damien. Everything was
neat and tidy. There wasn't even a dirty coffee cup in the sink or
an empty pizza box on the table. His cousin usually dropped by and
left a big mess for him to clean up.
    Reid placed Eddie gently on
his bed and smoothed a lock of hair from his forehead. The boy
grunted and let out a little snore.
    “I'll undress him,”
Lauren whispered as she carefully arranged Eddie's precious dinosaurs
and book on his bedside table. “Thank you, Reid.” She
paused and added, “Eddie had a wonderful day today. We don't
go to the shops that often, and when we do, we...just look at the
stuff.”
    Reid shrugged. “I'm
glad he likes the dinosaurs.”
    “He loves them!”
Lauren said, her eyes shining.
    Reid nodded and left them
alone. He went to his room and peeled off his clothes. Stepping
into the shower, he turned on the cold water at full blast and let
the water pelt his back.
    God, what was he getting
himself into?
    He told himself repeatedly
that he would let them stay for a day, at most two, and send