Red's Bear (Erotic Shifter Fairy Tales) by Yvette Hines Read Free Book Online Page B

the
towel rack. Both rooms had full-size beds: one brown and green and the other
sky blue and white.
    “I remember sleeping in the blue and white room, but
not the one with colors.” Rena stood at the entrance of the room. She could see
a budding teenage girl, skinny with long legs and thick unruly hair, lying in
the bed. At the same time her memory became flooded with muted words and
voices. Her grandmother and mother arguing in the front room. Rena recalled
wanting to crack the door and eavesdrop on what was being said, but having no
desire to incur her mother’s wrath.
    “You and mom argued a lot that last summer we were
here.” Rena looked at her grandmother, now standing before the closed door at
the end of the long hall.
    Genma’s expression was a blank mask. “Lillian and I
have butted heads since she was a little girl. She likes to have things her way
and she doesn’t always understand that there may be a bigger picture she isn’t
seeing.” Falling silent, her grandmother pushed open the other door. “I think
you are old enough now to have a more comfortable room.”
    “It’s beautiful, Grandma.” Rena walked passed her grandmother
still standing at the door. Moving deeper into the room, Rena took in the mango
and cream decorations: comforter, piles of pillows, curtains and the large
thick area rug under the bed. She noticed that even the bathroom matched the
room’s color scheme. Her suitcase and carryon were sitting beside the closet.
    “I hoped you would like it.” When I saw the items last
week at the cabin décor shop in town I knew it would be perfect for you.
    “Oh, it is. You didn’t have to go through all this
trouble. I’ll only be here a short while.”
    “Who knows, maybe you will come to love Den as you did
when you were younger and stay…longer.”
    Glancing over at her grandmother, she saw the twinkle
in the older woman’s eyes.
    “No promises.” Rena would at least visit more.
    “None asked.”
    Rena sat on the queen-size bed with its thick wood
posts. The bed looked as if someone hewed it from a tree and left the bark on
it. It was rugged and homey at the same time. The mattress was soft, but firm
just like she liked it. “I think I could use a nap on this bed.”
    “Good. You need your rest. The soup will be ready in a
couple of hours. No rush, just rest. I have some final packing to do for my
trip.”
    “I only need a few minutes.” Rena slipped her shoes off
and curled up on her side, facing the door. A yawn swelled up in her chest and
came out louder than she expected. “It’s been such a long and agonizing year,
Grandma.”
    Coming to her, Genma grabbed a blanket from the end of
the bed and pulled it up over Rena. “Everything will be better soon. Just you
wait and see. Things will all start to make sense.”
    “I hope so. I really do.” Physically, she was feeling
better, but emotionally, coming back to her grandmother’s was draining.
Memories were exploding in her mind like popcorn. Fragmented and obscure, it
was taking too much mental energy to try and sort out the meaning. Allowing her
eyes to slide shut, Rena gave in to her body’s wishes and slept.

Chapter
Four
     
    Cord rose from his couch and stretched. The action
movie he’d been watching had ended. It was a new release he’d just gotten in
the mail. The movie was good and he was looking forward to seeing it a few more
times over the winter home hibernation months.
    Glancing over at the clock he noted the time. It was
getting late and he had a lot of work to do over at Genma’s tomorrow. If his
father got his wishes, this would be the last landscaping job he took. The
position of mayor of Den County was more of a managerial-type job, executed
from an office in town next door to the sheriff’s office. Cord would have to
allow Rand, his assistant manager, to handle the day-to-day operations of his
business.
    Frustrated, Cord grabbed the now-empty trail mix bowl
from the coffee table and took it to