Bear My Heart: A Small Town Paranormal Romance by Natalie Kristen Read Free Book Online Page B

there are quite a few budding writers in
Bear Cove. I've talked to some of the teachers, and we thought it
would be great to invite a writer to give a talk at the library.”
Her hazel eyes shone with hope and enthusiasm. “We're a small
town, but I know the turnout will be great!”
    “Oh, I'm not a famous
writer or anything,” Dot said nervously. “I just...”
    “We don't want fame.
Fame has nothing to do with anything.” Megan waved a hand.
“You're writing for a few magazines, right? I've read your
stories. They're very good.”
    “Thank you,” Dot
murmured. “I...”
    “And you are famous,” Megan added. “You'll be surprised how many
people look forward to reading the next installment by A. Dot.”
Megan patted Dot's hand. “Don't say no just yet. Think about
it, okay?”
    “Okay.”
    Logan looked up at Dot and
asked, “Are you coming to talk to my class? Mom came and
talked to the whole class about her work at the library. She even
brought a whole bag of library books with her.”
    “Uncle Brandon came to
talk to us too,” Leo said. “He told us all about being a
handyman.”
    “Uncle Brandon and
Uncle Troy are Mister Handyman,” Logan informed Dot proudly.
“They built new cabinets for our kitchen and put up the shelves
for Mom.”
    “And Uncle Brandon lets
us play with his hammers,” Leo said, giving Troy a pointed
look.
    Dot chuckled. “Let me
guess. Uncle Troy won't let you touch them.”
    “Who dropped the hammer
repeatedly on the wooden floorboards, until the floor looked like the
surface of the moon?” Troy asked, planting his hands on his
hips. “The floor was covered with pockmarks and craters and
you even made a hole right through a panel.”
    “It wasn't me!”
The twins pointed at each other.
    “Liar! You dropped the
hammer first!”
    “You made the hole!”
    “Uncle Brandon didn't
mind,” Leo said defiantly.
    “And it was Uncle
Brandon's floor,” his brother added cheerfully.
    Troy rubbed his chin. “Maybe
I should have a word with Uncle Brandon.”
    “No!” the twins
howled.
    “It's all your fault,”
Logan snapped at his brother.
    “Don't poke me!”
    As Megan settled the boys'
argument, Troy met Dot's eyes across the table. She didn't seem to
mind the noise and the racket the boys were making at all.
    She was smiling, and she
looked happy and relaxed. In fact, he had never seen her smile so
much or heard her laugh and chat so happily with anyone before. She
was always keeping to herself, keeping herself apart from the
townspeople.
    She felt she didn't belong.
Or maybe she was afraid to belong.
    He would show her, just as
his sister and nephews had shown him, that being alone wasn't going
to solve anything.
    Dot turned to him and smiled.
Troy felt his heart clench with hope, longing and joy.
    He never realized how much
her smile meant to him.

CHAPTER
TWENTY

    After dinner, the twins
dragged Dot to the living room and begged her to play 'Snakes and
Ladders' with them.
    Megan finished loading the
dishwasher and came out of the kitchen. “It's almost bedtime,
boys, and I think Dot wants to get home for some peace and quiet
after spending such a rowdy evening with you rascals.”
    “Aww, Mom...”
Logan looked up and gave Megan his best puppy-dog eyes. “Just
one game. Please! We're not tired. Dot's not tired too.” He
glanced hopefully at Dot.
    “I'm not tired,”
Dot answered. “And I haven't played 'Snakes and Ladders' in
ages. I'd love to play a game—if it's okay with your mom.”
    Megan beamed and hunkered
down between her sons. “All right. Let's set this up.”
    They all sprawled on the
living room carpet and a lively, noisy game of 'Snakes and Ladders'
began.
    Dot sat beside Troy on the
carpet and their shoulders touched briefly. His arm brushed against
hers when he reached out to roll the dice and move his token, and it
sent a sizzle of pure heat and desire through her body.
    Dot stole a glance at Troy as
he joked with his sister and nephews.