Bear Mechanic: BBW Paranormal Bear Shifter Romance (10 page)

“That's him.”

But it wasn't Eric at the door. It was Cecil.

Elise threw her arms around him.

“Whoa, there,” her little brother joked weakly, with an awkward pat to the head. But she knew he was just as glad to see her as she was to see him.

“I was really scared yesterday,” she told him.

“Me, too,” he said softly.

She thumped him on the shoulder. “I can't believe you'd consider giving away your college money!”

He pretended to wince, rubbing his shoulder theatrically. “Well, I wasn't exactly using it,” he pointed out, and then laughed at her furious expression.

“Cecil…”

He grinned, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Anyway, you don't have to worry about me anymore. I got a job!”

Elise brightened. That wasn't college, but it was an improvement. “Where?”

Cecil scuffed his shoe against the floor. “It's here. I was talking to Tyler, and racing season is about to kick into gear. He wants to train someone to substitute for him.”

She felt a rush of warmth for the tiger shifter. Overwhelmed, she hugged Cecil again. “That's so great!”

“Yeah, everything lately has been kind of a… wake-up call for me.” He sounded embarrassed.

“Are you sure this is what you want, though?” she asked.

He shrugged. “It's probably not for forever. Just to save some money and figure things out. And I can work part-time if I do decide to go back to school.”

Elise beamed. “The money is all yours next year, but if you need it before then, just let me know.”

“Okay.” He coughed and looked away, clearly uncomfortable with the level of emotional intensity in the room. “So, people who can turn into animals. What the hell, right?”

Elise burst out laughing.

Epilogue

Elise

For a weekends-only project, Elise thought, three months wasn’t a bad turnaround to take an unlivable heap and make it home. In fact, it was pretty damn good.

Of course, it helped that they had lots of willing and able, and well-muscled, friends to lend their hands to the effort.

Apparently they were also willing to “kidnap” her early in the morning and blindfold her for the big reveal.

“I know where we’re going,” Elise pointed out from her place in the passenger’s seat. She
assumed
. Her fingers itched to pull the fabric from her eyes. “Is there any reason I have to be blindfolded for the drive?”

“I have my mission,” said Cameron. She sounded serious. Then again, she always sounded serious. But she also, Elise had learned over the past few months, had a yen for straight-faced mischief… and a secret love of home and garden TV shows. (She’d made Elise swear to take that information to her grave.)

Heaving a sigh, Elise let her head fall back on the headrest.

“Sit on your hands if you have to,” added her unsympathetic driver.

Elise huffed, but secretly she was pleased. She’d been the odd person out, coming new into a well-established circle of friends, and their immediate acceptance of her as one of their own made her happy. Almost as happy as Noah made her.

It wasn’t long before Elise heard the car being parked and Cam getting out. Her own door opened and Cam guided her out and to the front door, where she knocked.

The door was opened and Elise ushered inside.

“Can I take this thing off already?” she demanded.

“Uh… Hold on.” That was Noah. “Can she talk the blindfold off?”

The answer was affirmative. Elise tore off the cloth before anyone else could—and then had to blink several times as her eyes adjusted to the light.

“Well?” Noah asked anxiously.

“Wait, I’m… Oh!” she exclaimed.

She’d seen the house every weekend in its various states of dress and undress. But it had always been a work in progress, with tools and drywall dust and overturned furniture everywhere.

Now it was finished. The trim had been done and the walls painted. Even the coat rack was in place.

“So?” said Noah.

Everyone else seemed to have disappeared, leaving just the two of them. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed.

“It’s perfect,” she whispered.

One of his hands cupped her face, teasing her hair. “Wait till you get out of the foyer,” he advised, a gentle laugh in his eyes.

He led her on a tour, and each room was more perfect than the one before. The living area was lush, the kitchen spacious, the dining room cozy… and the new nursery bright.

“Oh!” Elise clapped a hand over her mouth. She hadn’t known about any plans for a nursery. That must have been Noah’s idea.

She turned to him.

“Not yet,” he said bashfully. “But… someday?”

She was too overcome to do anything but nod.

“Come on, I still have to show you the master bedroom. There’s something I want you to see.” He slipped his hand into hers and led her down the hall.

There was the bed he’d built. Elise frowned. As far as she could tell, there was nothing out of the ordinary about the room, although it was very nice.

“Look a little closer,” he urged, nudging her forward.

As she drew closer to the bed, she finally saw it.

A small, black, velvet box lying in the middle of the bedspread.

“Oh, my God,” she said, stunned.

He had an innocent look on his face as he sat on the edge of the bed next to her. “Why don’t you open it?”

So she did. Inside was a diamond ring. The stone sparkled as it caught the light through the window, and it was set in a shimmering, slender gold band.

Elise turned back to Noah, who was now kneeling beside her.

He took her hands between his. “I love you, so much. And I know you love me. But you didn’t get a totally free choice when it came to taking my mark. So I wanted to give you a choice about this. Will you marry me?”

She was almost too choked up at his thoughtful words to answer, but somehow she managed. “Of course! Yes, I’ll marry you!”

Noah slipped the ring onto her left ring finger, then twined their hands together. He rose to his feet and bent to kiss her. It was more than passion; it was a promise. Of the future they shared, one that she couldn’t have imagined even a few months before.

“I really want to be alone with you right now,” he murmured, leaning his head against hers. Just behind his words she could hear the low growl of his bear’s desire. “But there’s one more thing. If you’re ready?”

She nodded, and they went out the back door—to the new porch, which had not existed the last time she’d been here.

“Congratulations!” several voices yelled.

“It is congratulations, right?” asked Tyler. “Unless she turned you down? The other side of the banner says ‘Condolences,’ just in case.”

Elise held up her left hand and stuck her tongue out at the tiger shifter. “You wish!”

Tyler laid a hand over his heart like she’d wounded him, but his grin was genuine.

Everyone was there: all of Noah’s crew, her brother, and even Clara in a video chat on someone’s tablet. Everyone was passing around cups of pink punch.

“A toast!” someone said, and the chant caught on: “Toast! Toast! Toast!”

“I’ll make a toast,” offered Elise, whose heart felt full to brimming over. “My brother and I have been on our own for a while. You guys took us in—accepted us like were your own—saved our lives—I’m so glad we get to be a part of your family. To family!”

“To family!” echoed everyone, and together they drank.

A note from Zoe Chant

Thank you for buying my book! I hope you enjoyed it. If you’d like to be emailed when I release my next book, please
click here
to be added to my mailing list.

Please click on the title to write a review of
Bear Mechanic
. I love hearing what my readers think! It helps me decide what to write next.

Page down to read a special sneak preview of
Loved by the Lion
.

The cover of
Bear Mechanic
was designed by Augusta Scarlett.

More Paranormal Romance by Zoe Chant

Hero Bear.
A wounded Marine who lost his bear + a BBW physical therapist with a secret + a small town full of gossips = a hot and healing romance!

In the Billionbear’s Den
.
A stressed-out BBW in need of a break + a sexy billionaire bear shifter in need of a mate to share his home + the remote woodland house he built himself = one steamy romance!

The Bear With No Name.
A BBW park ranger + a sexy bear shifter with amnesia + a town that needs their help = one unforgettable romance!

Bearing Your Soul.
A shy BBW who’s been burned by love + a sexy veteran bear shifter + a family code of silence = one sizzling hot romance that defies all odds!

Country Star Bear.
BBW + country star bear shifter + a slippery night in New England = hot nights under the covers!

Bodyguard Bear
.
A BBW witness to a murder + the sexy bear shifter bodyguard sworn to protect her with his life + firefights and fiery passion = one hot thrill ride!

Hollywood Bear
. A BBW stuntwoman + a movie director bear shifter + Hollywood hijinks = one blockbuster romance!

Bearly There.
BBW + billionaire bear shifter + chocolate-drizzled desserts = one lick-your-fingers-good story!

Bear West.
BBW city girl + bear shifter cowboy + a mail-order bride company = one Wild West romance that's truly WILD!

Kodiak Moment.
Workaholic wildlife photographer + loner bear shifter + Alaskan wilderness = one warming and sensual story.

And many more!

If you love Zoe Chant, you’ll also love these books

Laura’s Wolf
,
by Lia Silver. Werewolf Marine Roy Farrell, scarred in body and mind, thinks he has no future. Curvy con artist Laura Kaplan, running from danger and her own guilt, is desperate to escape her past.  But together, they have all that they need to heal. A full-length novel.

Prisoner
,
by Lia Silver. Werewolf Marine DJ Torres is a born rebel. Genetically engineered assassin Echo was created to be a weapon. When DJ is captured by the agency that made Echo, the two misfits find that they fit together perfectly. A full-length novel.

Partner
,
by Lia Silver. DJ and Echo’s
relationship grows stronger under fire… until they are confronted by a terrible choice. A full-length novel.

Mated to the Meerkat
, by Lia Silver. Jasmine Jones, a curvy tabloid reporter, meets her match in notorious paparazzi and secret meerkat Chance Marcotte. A romantic comedy novelette.

The Christmas Tree Bear
, by Rosie Lynne.  Bear shifter Willis Barnett meets his fated match in Charlotte Caldwell when she hopes to earn extra money as Santa Helper’s on Willis’ family farm turned Christmas Tree Town for the holidays.  A romantic comedy novella.

The Strength of the Pack
, by Jorrie Spencer. Seth Kolski, a werewolf, hides his heritage and passes for normal. Until he meets Jamie.

Taming the Beast
,
by Honey Dover. Beauty is a paranormal investigator hired to deal with a man cursed to become a monstrous beast. Helping him recover his humanity will change her life.

Claimed by the Wolf
, by Candi Jackson.
Zenobia Jones ends up pregnant after a night with a billionaire—and lands herself in a war between werewolf packs. A full-length novel.

The Right Bear's Arms
, by Nora Eli. After a sizzling one night stand with bear shifter Jake, curvy Katie realizes her perfect man is everything she's tried to avoid. If they can both stop running from their pasts, they may find a destined future together.

Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
, by Lauren Esker. Curvy farm girl Julie Capshaw was warned away from the wolf shifters next door, but Damon Wolfe is the motorcycle-riding, smoking hot alpha of her dreams. Can the big bad wolf and his sheep shifter find their own happy ending? A full-length novel.

Handcuffed to the Bear
, by Lauren Esker. A bear-shifter ex-mercenary and a curvy lynx shifter searching for her best friend's killer are handcuffed together and hunted in the wilderness. Can they learn to rely on each other before their pasts, and their pursuers, catch up with them?

Discovering the Dragon
, by Sofia Stone. When reporter Chloe Martin investigates Lancaster Gold, she finds herself tangled up with the oldest son
—
Isaac Lancaster, billionaire dragon shifter.