Bear For Her (Lone Reach Shifters Book 1) Read online

  “Oh goodness.” The voice sounded more awake now and full of concern. “Are they all right?”

  “Yep, they’re fine. They’re here with me, but their car got covered and they need a place to stay. Do you have any rooms?”

  “Of course,” Joe said. In the background of the call, Chloe could hear him moving around as if he were getting out of bed. “Mary…,” he said. “Mary… wake up… Mason has just rescued some folks up on the mountain road, there’s been another avalanche.”

  A lady’s voice cut in and Chloe already felt weary. She was in the middle of nowhere, caught in an avalanche, on the run, her car was wrecked, and now, by the sound of it, she was waking up an elderly couple in the middle of the night for a place to stay.

  “Oh, heavens,” the lady gasped.

  “Bring them right over,” Joe said on the other end of the line. “We will head to the office and get a room set up. We have a few available, so it’s no problem.”

  “Thanks, guys,” Mason said before ending the call.

  “Oh, man, I feel awful,” Chloe said. “They sounded old. And we woke them up.”

  Mason laughed and caught her eyes in the mirror again.

  “Are you insane?” he laughed. “You were caught in an avalanche. People tend to look out for each other, you know…”

  “Hmmm,” Chloe said with an eyeroll. “I’m not one hundred percent sure on that.”

  Mason shook his head, a little grin still playing on his lips.

  “I’ll put the fact that you’re hard work down to the trauma,” his reflection winked at her. “Anyway, it’ll do you both good to be somewhere safe and warm while your car gets sorted out. Who knows how long it’ll take in weather like this?”

  Chloe nodded. She knew he was right. She may have been feeling hot and cold, open and then defensive, but she was overly tired and she had just been through a traumatic experience.

  Harper was silent and still in the seat next to her, and Chloe could tell it was all too much for her to take in. She had to get her somewhere comfortable and warm; Mason was right. Once they had slept, they could reassess.

  They weaved through trees, further into the mountains, and as they began to head down the other side and the air became thicker, Chloe saw a sign welcoming them to town.

  LONE REACH.

  It looked like Bridge Hollow, and for that, she was kind of grateful. At least it wouldn’t be a big shock to her system like a city would be. And she knew Harper would be able to relax a little.

  Mason drove through town, but it was dark, and Chloe could barely see anything until they reached Main Street, the lights illuminating the sidewalks. It was a quaint little place, with lovely little stores, and as Mason pulled around a corner and off the road, into a driveway that looped around and was clearly the entrance to the motel, she felt her jaw sag a little.

  This place wasn’t a motel at all.

  It was an actual hotel.

  It was big, with glass doors and bright lights inside. It may have been closed only moments before, but inside, she could see the little old couple, Joe and Mary, waiting with a security guard at the check-in desk.

  How bizarre.

  She smiled as Mason looked at her over his shoulder.

  “So, this is The Lone Reach Hotel,” he said. “And they are Mary and Joe, and they’ll take good care of you.”

  “Where are you going?” she asked, almost offended.

  “To get some sleep,” Mason said. “I’ll call over tomorrow when I’ve spoken to someone at the car garage.”

  Chloe nodded, almost on autopilot. She felt completely bewildered.

  “Will my car be okay?” she asked.

  “Do you mean, is someone going to steal all your goods in the trunk?” he half-laughed. “I can’t see anyone going to the trouble of digging through over a meter of snow to see if there’s anything worth taking, can you?”

  Chloe felt herself blush.

  She unclipped her seat belt and then Harper’s before smiling and reaching for the door.

  “Thank you, so, so much,” she said genuinely. “I honestly don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t driven by. I dread to think what could have happened.”

  Mason nodded.

  “Especially with the wolves and other wild animals that roam the mountains at night.”

  Harper gasped, and Chloe shot Mason a warning glance.

  “Sorry.” He looked down and cringed. “Not much experience, you know…”

  Chloe frowned and stepped out of the truck and helped Harper out next. When she looked back to Mason he was smiling, but he seemed to stop himself, as if he was internally conflicted.

  “Shall I come and meet you at the office tomorrow?” she asked.

  Mason leaned out the driver’s window.

  “No, no need,” he said, before he cleared his throat and looked away. “I’ll give Joe or Mary an update in the morning, tell them to pass the message on.”

  Chloe felt a little crestfallen but didn’t know why.

  “Okay,” she said. “Well, thanks.”

  She stepped away from the car and picked Harper up. She held her in her arms and waved as best she could before turning to make her way up the steps to the hotel.

  3.

  The warmth cocooned her and kept her safe as she started to stir from the most peaceful sleep. She stretched and felt her bones softly click, and she yawned and pushed herself down into the softness of the mattress and pillows.

  This had to be the comfiest bed she had ever slept in.

  Where the hell am I?

  She opened her eyes slowly and scanned the room, her mind not working fully and the sleep still clinging to her.

  The room was one she didn’t know, but it was familiar. She looked next to her and saw Harper sleeping soundly and any fears she may have had quickly vanished.

  Of course, she half-smiled. We’re stuck in a small town, in a hotel, our car is totaled, and we have no way of getting out of here.

  If she had been a negative person, she could have let this situation define her and drag her down even further. But she had been through too much in the past year, and she knew this was just a minor bump in the road.

  They were lucky to be alive, and even luckier to be staying in such plush surroundings.

  She yawned again and sat up, climbing out of bed as quickly and quietly as she could. They hadn’t gotten into the room until almost 5am and she had been utterly exhausted, but she could tell Harper needed to rest too. It was a lot for her little brain to take in, and they had experienced a trauma; Chloe had to hold it together and protect her daughter. Being here in The Lone Reach Hotel was the best she could have hoped for, and she wasn’t disappointed.

  In the early hours of the morning, when Mason had dropped them off, she had walked inside to the warmest welcome from Mary and Joe, the owners. They had been waiting with blankets and cups of hot chocolate and had helped them straight to one of the best suites and insisted they stay free of charge.

  Chloe had never met two kinder people. They clearly could see how distressing it must have been for them, and they seemed keen to settle them in and make sure they were comfortable before leaving them to rest.

  The big, red, velvet curtains were still drawn across the windows and the room was as dark as it had been when they had fallen asleep, but right down the middle where they joined, Chloe could see a small sliver of light. She reached for her cellphone and pressed it to illuminate it.

  “Almost noon,” she whispered to herself before she held the phone to her chest.

  She hadn’t slept in this late since she had been a teenager. And since Harper had come along, she hadn’t slept later than 6am on most mornings, so it felt quite luxurious, even if it did mean she was wasting a day.

  She turned the light on in the adjoining bathroom and looked around the suite. It was big and spacious, with a huge super-king-sized bed in which they had both slept, fur throws, an original wooden floor, and ornate fixtur
es and fittings. It was the sort of suite to expect from an old hotel in a city, not one in a small town that looked as if it had recently been refurbished.

  She crossed to the minibar and opened the door before pulling out a bottle of mineral water. Mary and Joe had insisted that anything they needed was on the house, but Chloe already felt too indebted to them, and there was no way she wasn’t going to pay her way.

  Harper rolled over in the bed and yawned. It was clear to Chloe, who knew her better than anyone, that she could likely sleep for the rest of the day, but she wanted to wake her up as soon as possible, get them downstairs for a bite to eat, and out to the garage to see if their car had already been towed.

  “Hey, sleepyhead,” she whispered as she sat on the side of the bed next to Harper and traced her finger softly down her cheek. “How are you doing?”

  “I’m tired…” Harper yawned. “Do we have to get up?”

  Chloe smiled and nodded.

  “Sorry, kiddo,” she said. “But we have to get some food and see if our car’s been towed here to town. I’m hoping someone went out for it at first light.”

  Harper opened her eyes slowly and they settled on her mother’s. She was such a beautiful little girl, and Chloe thanked the stars every day for being so lucky to have her in her life. Out of all the darkness, Harper had made everything worth it.

  “Come on then,” she said as she stood straight and pulled the covers back. “Let’s get moving, little lady! We can’t lie around in hotel rooms all day. We have places to go and people to see!”

  “Where are we even going?” Harper asked, a lot more intelligently and aware than Chloe thought she would be on the matter.

  She turned and looked at her; Harper was standing now with her hands on her hips.

  “I don’t want to get back in the car,” she said nervously.

  Chloe rushed toward her and knelt so she was at eye level.

  “Oh sweetie, you don’t need to worry about that,” she said genuinely. “What happened last night was a complete one-off… it wouldn’t happen again.”

  But Harper crossed her arms over her chest and frowned.

  “I’m scared,” she said.

  Chloe felt her heart break for her. Was she a terrible mother for putting her in this situation?

  No! Surely, she would have been a worse one if she had risked staying in Bridge Hollow and not knowing if he would ever show back up.

  She shuddered at the thought of him. An ice-cold tingle rolled right down her spine and she had to shake herself to pull herself back to the land of the living.

  “We don’t even know if our car is ready yet, sweetie,” she said soothingly. “Come on, let’s go down and get something to eat.”

  Harper hesitated for a moment, but she slowly smiled and nodded.

  The lobby of the hotel was a lot more modern than the bedroom had been, but it was still quite ornate and seemed out of place in such a small town. It was clear, the owners, or certainly whoever had designed it, had expensive taste and a budget to match.

  Mary was pottering around in reception, but now there was staff working away too. A girl sat behind the check-in desk, a porter was bustling around tending to luggage and speaking with drivers outside, and a cleaner was busy dusting the big, gilded mirrors and marble countertops.

  Chloe stepped out of the elevator area, and Mary’s eyes flicked straight up to meet her.

  “Chloe!” she beamed. “Good morning, how are you feeling?”

  She had the warmest smile; it was almost enchanting. As if she had the natural ability to look after people and was an instinctive caregiver. Chloe had spent so much of her life around people who just seemed to take; this was refreshing. It made her feel completely at ease and happy to be there, even considering the circumstances.

  “We are good, thank you, Mary, and thank you so much again for your hospitality, I honestly don’t know how to repay you.”

  Mary laughed and waved her hand as if she were waving away the suggestion.

  “You don’t need to thank me; I wouldn’t have it any other way. You both needed the rest. Now, I must show you to the dining room. Breakfast was cleared away a couple of hours ago, but I asked the chef and our resident baker to keep some pastries warm for you, and we have fresh tea and coffee.”

  It was music to Chloe’s ears, and at the suggestion of food, her stomach began to rumble. A big smile spread across Harper’s face and she clapped her hands together.

  “Do you have chocolate spread?” she asked eagerly.

  “We sure do,” Mary beamed as she held out her hand.

  Harper took it, and Mary winked at Chloe and started to lead them out of the lobby and to the dining room.

  It wasn’t as big as she had been expecting, considering the hotel seemed to be ginormous, but it was beautifully furnished and comfortable, just like everything else in The Lone Reach Hotel.

  The tables were all spaced apart, not crammed together; there was a fire burning away in a large stone fireplace; and the ambiance was just as opulent and plush as the suite had been.

  Mary sat them at a small table for two, close to the fire, and passed them two traditional cotton serviettes.

  “I’ll send one of the waiters out to help you,” she smiled.

  “Thank you so much,” Chloe said, unable to believe how generous everyone was being. “Oh, sorry to ask straight away, but has there been any update on our car? Mason said he would check in with you first thing this morning.”

  Mary shook her head and shrugged.

  “I’m afraid I haven’t heard anything yet, but don’t worry about that, I’m sure he’ll drop by once he’s had it towed for you.”

  Chloe tried not to let her smile fade, and she nodded and thanked Mary again. There had been a significant part of her that had hoped they would be able to get up and out of town the moment she had woken, but it was clear, she was going to have to do some chasing first.

  They had only been waiting a few moments when a waiter came to the table with a pot of coffee and a jug of orange juice. He filled both of their glasses to the top and then motioned to Chloe’s coffee cup.

  “Yes, please,” she smiled.

  The scent of fresh pastries was still hanging in the air and she felt her stomach growl again.

  “What can I get for you both?” the waiter asked.

  “Mary mentioned some pastries?” Chloe asked tentatively.

  “Yes! And don’t forget the chocolate spread,” Harper said mischievously.

  She was getting her spark back, and it made Chloe feel better. She could never settle when Harper was quiet; she was so used to her being witty and energetic, it was as if she were shrinking in on herself if she started to stay silent.

  “How are you feeling?” Chloe asked her as she watched Harper sip the juice.

  “Okay,” she said with a positive nod. “I don’t feel scared now that we’re down here.”

  Chloe smiled. That was all she wanted to hear.

  The waiter came back to the table and loaded them up with croissants and cinnamon rolls, topped Chloe’s cup up with more steaming hot coffee, and gave Harper the biggest tub of chocolate spread either of them had ever seen.

  “Don’t tell Mary,” he winked. “But I think you can keep it.”

  Harper’s eyes glistened and she gasped a big wide smile.

  Once they had eaten as much as they could, Chloe began to tidy the table and collect all the plates, glasses and cutlery they had used, and she walked toward, what she assumed, was the kitchen, with Harper following close behind her.

  She cleared her throat to signal she was there, and then took a little step inside and called hello?

  No one answered, but she rested the plates on the edge of the counter and pushed them to the side. She knew she shouldn’t really be in there, but everyone had been so generous with them that she wanted to earn her keep.

  When they wandered back to the lobby, Mary was chatting to the girl at the check-in desk and she c
ame over to them with a smile.

  “Did you have a good breakfast?”

  “It was amazing, thank you,” Chloe said.

  Mary smiled down at Harper, who was clinging to the chocolate spread.

  “He told me I could have it,” Harper said honestly.

  “And he’s right,” Mary laughed. “I think a girl who got caught in an avalanche deserves the biggest tub of spread we can find, don’t you?”

  Harper smiled again.

  “Can I help you with finding your way around town?” Mary asked as if she was reading Chloe’s mind.

  “Actually,” she said, “I was just about to ask you where I could find the car garage… or failing that, Mason… He said he was going to call someone about going to tow our car.”

  “The garage is right at the end of Main Street, take the last left and it’s on the street behind,” Mary said as she began to walk toward the door, pointing in the direction as she went. “As for Mason, he has good friends who work there, so he may be around, but if I were you, I’d go see them yourself.”

  “Okay,” Chloe smiled. “Thank you, Mary. Hopefully, we’ll be out of your hair as soon as possible.”

  “Don’t think anything of it,” she said, waving her hand away again. “You’re welcome to stay here as long as you need.”

  Chloe slipped her hand into Harper’s and thanked Mary again. She knew they would be getting out of there as soon as their car was recovered, but it was good to know they had options.

  And there were certainly worse places to be stranded than Lone Reach…

  4.

  When Mason woke, after the drama with the woman and her kid being stuck in the snow, his head was pounding so hard he thought it may explode.

  He rolled onto his front and pulled the pillow over his head.

  As if he was still in this goddam town.

  Of all the days he had finally decided to leave, it was so typically his luck that there would be a huge avalanche, and not only that, that he ended up having to play rescuer to a damsel in distress.