Fated To Her Bear by Harmony Raines Read Free Book Online Page B

going to share with you every day for the rest of our lives.”
    She looked up at him, seeing the joy and hope in his eyes. Could she fulfil the dreams he had, the image of domestic bliss he was dangling in front of her? She could hear her mother’s words now. “If he can cook, scoop him up quick. Sometimes I would be happy if I never cooked another meal in my life.”
    “I’ll settle for your culinary talents tonight. I’m going to have to skip lunch to catch up.”
    “See you later,” he said, closing her door. As she backed up the car and then turned it around, she looked out of her rearview mirror. Was it only yesterday she had run away from him? Now she wished he would follow her, follow her and never let her out of his sight.
    “Work,” she said aloud and headed for her house to check for messages and shower. On the drive home, she passed through Bear Bluff, avoiding the coffee shop, although her body screamed for coffee. It was a nice town, not unlike the one she grew up in. Small, people knew each other and helped each other out.
    It had been a long time since Ciara had pined for her hometown, but right now, she did. And when she got home, instead of going straight to the shower she did something she hadn’t done for too long. Ignoring the flashing light that signalled she had messages, she picked up the phone and dialled the number that was ingrained in her head.
    “Hi Mom,” she said.
    “Hi, Ciara, is everything OK?” Of course her mom would jump to that conclusion, why else would Ciara phone?
    “Yes. I’m sorry to bother you. Only I wanted to hear your voice.”
    “Now I am worried,” her mom said lightly, but Ciara knew by the hitch in her voice that she was concerned.
    “No, really, everything is fine. I just … well, wanted to know if you are OK.”
    “Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?” She paused. “Want to tell me what the problem is, sweetie? I could always tell when there was something on your mind.”
    “Can I ask you something, Mom?” Ciara decided she had to know what it was like to have a mate. A mate, like her dad, who asked you to give up everything.
    “Sure, anything you want. You know I’ll always try to help you.”
    “How did you feel about giving up your career for Dad?” The questioned just kind of poured out of her mouth. It had been sitting in her head for so long, burning a hole there; now she had asked it, a great weight had been lifted.
    Her mom paused and for a second, Ciara thought she was going to avoid it. But then her mom said quietly, “I didn’t give up my career because he asked me to. I gave it up because I wanted to raise you and your brothers. Having you all was the best thing that ever happened in my life.”
    “But you had a career.”
    “And then I had children. To me, that was the most important job I would ever have.” She laughed, “The hours and the pay is lousy, but it is still the best thing I ever did.”
    Ciara gave herself some time to think of what her mom had said. “But why did you seem so sad? When we left school. I always got the feeling you wished you had carried on with your job.”
    “No,” her mom laughed. “I was sad because all of a sudden I had four grown-up children who wanted to move out, move on, and leave me behind. And that scared me, because for so many wonderful years I had been a part of everything you did. I wasn’t missing my career, I was missing you kids.”
    “I always thought Dad made you give up work. When you got pregnant.”
    “Ciara, it was always most definitely my choice. Your dad would have supported me whatever I had chosen. We would have made it work. And he did support me, when I chose to be a full-time mom. He took on extra work and made sure we never lacked for anything.”
    Ciara felt her eyes welling up. She had misjudged her mom and dad and, with that misjudgement, had built her life on a lie. But did it change the way she felt about her own life and career?
    “I never knew. You