Mending the Bear Read Online Free PDF Page A

bears?” Eve asked.
    “I
sort of have a soft spot for them.”
    “Well,
we won’t have any bear patients coming through here, well, at least I don’t
think so.”
    Chloe
smiled. “You never know around here.”
    “That’s
true because I did hear it’s prime bear territory.”
She looked at the application one more time, knowing she’d already found her
new employee. “The job would be eight to five Monday, Thursday, and Friday. The
former receptionist is staying on for the other two days. Would that work for
you?”
    “It
would be perfect because my parents just moved here and they’ll be able to
babysit Sophie and drive her to her therapy class on Fridays. Sophie’s our baby
girl.”
    “Sophie.
That’s such a pretty name.”
    Ironic
that it was one of the names she’d wanted to give to her daughter one day.
Didn’t look like she’d been getting one of those now. “I’m very family
orientated and like to give employees flexibility, so anytime you need to bring
her to work, that’s fine with me.”
    “That’s
great to hear, and I know Sophie would love seeing all the animals.”
    “The
job pays fifteen dollars an hour, but unfortunately I can’t offer any benefits
right now, well, other than free vet care for any pet you have.”
    “That
works for me.”
    Chloe
seemed eager for the job, she had some background in the topic of veterinary
science, and Eve had taken an instant liking to her. She was outgoing and
friendly, and in a way, she reminded her of herself when she was of college
age. She wasn’t going to bother interviewing anyone else because she’d found
her ideal candidate. “The job’s yours if you want it,” Eve said.
    “Really?”
    “Yes,
really. Can you start on Monday?”
    “I
sure can,” Chloe said. “And I have to call Ash straightaway to tell him the
news.”
    Eve
smiled as Chloe dug out her cellphone.
    ****
    You are hereby
summoned to a disciplinary hearing. What the fuck? If he didn’t already have
enough shit going on in his life, now he had to go before a board of shifters
today at noon.
    Ian
tapped his fingers on the countertop as he looked at the text message on his
phone. He was guessing that the Goodsen brothers had
made a formal complaint about his bad bear behavior.
    Okay,
he might have stepped a tiny bit over the line by trashing their store, but
surely the board members would know that losing a mate was enough to make any
bear go crazy. That was if today’s board consisted of fellow bears. Sometimes
it was the luck of the draw and lately fortune had not shone upon him.
    Ian
could choose to ignore the hearing, but that would land him in more trouble.
Trouble wasn’t what he needed right now. One thing the shifter community hated
was a bad member who drew attention to them in any way. Trashing a supermarket
that was also frequented by humans had certainly done that. He’d go along,
plead his case, and hopefully get off with a warning.
    He
checked the rest of his e-mails and messages. No new clients. Even his business
was slower than usual. Maybe he’d have to look farther afield. Maybe he’d even
move to another state, someplace he wouldn’t be constantly reminded of Joanne.
    He
walked into his bedroom and opened up his closet door. What did one wear to
this sort of thing? Certainly not a shirt and tie. Not that he had many of
those. Maybe he should leave the jeans and his leather jacket at home today. He
pushed the hangers along on the rack and suddenly came across one of Joanne’s
dresses. She’d worn that to the last wedding they’d attended. He took it down
and held it in his hand, picking up the lingering scent of her odor and the
perfume she’d worn that day. He put it to his nose. And yes, the scent of their
lovemaking was still evident, too. They both gotten a little drunk and couldn’t
wait to get home to have sex and they’d fucked in the back of her car.
    Ian
squeezed his eyes tightly shut, hoping that would stop his tears from forming.
Liam