The Christmas Tree Bear: A Bear Shifter Paranormal Holiday Romance Read Online Free PDF Page B

baby.”
     
    “I know, I know.  But I’m still going out to Christmas Tree Town.  I promised Jolie I’d come tonight, and I don’t want to leave her to run the place herself.”
     
    Her mother trailed after her down the stairs to the main part of the house.  Mork and Mindy bounded up the stairs, their little claws clicking on the tile, and danced in glee around Charlie’s ankles.  
     
    “Hey hey, babies!” she greeted them, and scratched their ears.
     
    “Well, call before you leave the farm, okay?  Otherwise, we’ll worry.”  
     
    “Yes, mama,” Charlie agreed.  She grabbed up her bag as she was heading out the door, scooting the corgis back so they couldn’t follow.  “I’m staying at Lynne’s this weekend, remember?  I’ll see you guys on Tuesday!” she shouted over her shoulder. 
     
    She had not told her parents about trying out the whole roommates thing with Lynne yet.  She had told them she would be staying off and on with her this month, then thought they would have the conversation after the holidays.  It seemed less stressful for her parents – and her, she could admit to herself.
     
    Her mother waved at her from the screen door, the corgis whining about her heels, as Charlie got in her car and pulled away.  
     
    If she let on to her mother that she had a date, she would want to know everything and try to convince her to have Willis over to the house instead.  Bless her mother.  
     
    She glanced at her phone again to Willis’ text message.  “Excited for tonight.  Snow can’t scare me off.”  He had even put a smiley face.  A guy comfortable enough with his masculinity to use emojis.  She liked him.  Which was still stupid and wasn’t in any of her plans, but there it was.  She liked this guy.  She wanted to talk to him, sit with him, and she sure as hell wanted more of those intense kisses from him.
     
    So, why did the weather hate her?
     
    What was normally a twenty minute drive out to the the farm took less than ten.  There was no one out on the roads.  She pulled up the dirt driveway to the main area of Christmas Tree Farm, and she could hear the frozen ground crunch under her little car’s tires.  There were no cars in the blocked-off area the Barnetts used as a parking lot.  
     
    Willis met her as she was getting out of her car.  He looked dangerously sexy in wrangler jeans, boots, a leather jacket, and a sweater.  
     
    “Hey,” he greeted her, and didn’t hesitate to lean down and press a kiss to the corner of her mouth.  
     
    “You look like a sexy secret agent.”  After a slight hesitation, Charlie tucked her cold hands under Willis’ coat against his sides.  The sweater was snuggly soft, and he was incredibly warm.  “A warm sexy secret agent,” she added.
     
    “I run hot,” he explained.  He tugged her close, and they hugged in the faint afternoon light.  He was tall enough that he could rest his cheek on the top of her head.  It felt so nice as they quietly held on to each other.  Eventually, they pulled apart, but Willis kept a hand on her waist.  “I think our plans for tonight might need a rain check.”
     
    Charlie eyed the empty parking lot, then the greying sky.  “Yeah, I am getting that feeling.”  She sighed.  “Well, let me at least check in with Jolie.  Maybe she wants me to stick around for a bit.”
     
    Willis walked with her back toward Christmas Tree Town.  Their fingers kept brushing together, and she felt him start to grab for her fingers more than once, then hold himself back.  This boy was going to be very dangerous for her:  not even on the first date, and he wanted to hold her hand.  
     
    Jolie was standing next to Bill Poole by Santa’s throne.  Bill was only in his Santa’s pants and a heavy parka, and Jolie had not bothered to put on her elf costume.
     
    She gave Charlie a hug as they got closer.  “Oh, honey, bless you!  I’m sorry you came out today.  I’ll make sure