Bearly A Squeak by Ariana McGregor Read Free Book Online Page A

then the rustling of leaves. As the barking continued, Tara got up and walked to the window, curious now. Peeking out, she could see the neighbours' Alsatian dog, Rocky, chasing a smaller animal down the street. It was too far away to be certain, but she knew anyway. It was a fox.
     
    ***
     
    The day was not going at all well. Tara sighed as she cleaned up the broken cup that she'd knocked onto the floor. Her brain felt sluggish and uncooperative, probably from lack of sleep. Her reflection that morning had been more raccoon than mouse, her skin pale, dark circles appearing under her eyes. Work had been a disaster from start to finish. Her baking was burnt, misshapen, contained the wrong ingredients, or had been dropped on the floor. Her colleagues had given her strange looks, clearly unconvinced when she insisted that she was fine. Dana had watched her carefully, her expression concerned. She should have stayed home, but she’d missed so many days lately, it had been time to get back to work.
    Late afternoon, Barry had shown up. She'd known he would, had spent the day sneaking furtive glances through the kitchen door, waiting for him to show. He'd sat there, drinking his coffee, facing the kitchen door. Dana had spotted him and looked to her for confirmation that he was her ex. When she'd nodded, Dana had 'accidentally' dropped a glass of orange as she passed, soaking him. She had batted at him, apologising enthusiastically while he stood there, face like thunder, fists clenched. Tara knew from experience that he was suppressing the urge to strike out. He couldn't hit Dana, not in public. During the confusion, Tara had slipped out the back door and made her way home.
    The phone rang, jarring her from her thoughts. For a moment, she froze. What if it was Barry? The call was on the landline. Friends and family were more likely to call her mobile but Barry wouldn't have that number. The house phone? Her number was listed in the phone book, easy for anyone to find. It could be a sales call but Tara was half convinced it would be Barry.
    Her stomach twisted with indecision. To answer or not? The ringing stopped, making her decision for her. She let out a shaky breath, willing her heart to slow its rhythm. She filled the kettle and picked up another cup, only to drop it as the doorbell rang. The cup smashed on the floor, her heart pounding, her hand pressed to her chest. The bell rang again.
    She reluctantly left the kitchen and passed through the living room, glancing at the window. Alex's car! Of course. Alex had said he would pick her up after work. Almost sobbing with relief, she made her way to the front door. She took a deep breath to compose herself. No one needed to see her in full panic mode, especially not her mate.
    She opened the door and looked at her mate. Wow. Every time she saw him, he seemed more attractive. He watched her look at him, the corner of his mouth tugging up. Damn bear knew he was pretty.
    “Tara?” he asked. “Can I come in?”
    What? Oh. She scurried backwards, giving him space to get through the door. As he walked past, he brushed against her, setting all her nerve endings alight with anticipation. Giving a little shiver, she closed the door and turned to find Alex watching her.
    “What?” she asked. His eyes were narrowed slightly as he looked at her face. A little frown creased his forehead. Slowly, he reached out and cupped the side of her face, his thumb gliding over the area under her eye.
    “You're not sleeping,” he stated. “You look exhausted. What's wrong?”
    “Nothing,” she said. She didn't want to explain. She felt silly enough about allowing herself to get into the situation. The part of her life that included Barry was humiliating. She knew she had done nothing wrong, except perhaps for being a little naïve. Still, it embarrassed her, particularly when Barry still had the power to make her jump at shadows. She didn't want to be that woman now, she wanted to be better