Bear Shifters: Hunt Collection #1 (8 page)

Chapter One

Abigail Yates yawned as her alarm went off.  Another morning gave way to another day at her dead end job.  The job was one that she never enjoyed going to, but it paid the bills.  This wasn’t how she wanted her life to be.  This wasn't how it was suppose to go for someone who studied hard all through high school and college and earned her degree.  After years of disappointment when going for job interviews, she gave up and took the first job she could get which was a waitress position at a local diner, where regular customers visited everyday and tourists came during the peak of tourist season. 

After a quick shower and brush of her teeth, Abigail got into her waitress uniform. She checked herself in the mirror, making sure all her tags were tucked in. Today she had a double shift after promising to take over for a co-worker who had a job interview.  It killed her watching the other workers get jobs and quit the diner, when she was stuck in a rut.  It didn’t look like she was getting out of there anytime soon.

“Morning Abigail,” Oscar, her manager, greeted her as she walked into the backroom. 

“Morning Oscar.  I see the breakfast crowd started earlier than usual today.  I don’t even know some of the customers here this morning.”

“There’s a convention going on this week.  Why they chose this town is beyond me.  But they’ve been coming into the diner in shifts.  Thank you again for taking Jessie’s shift tonight.  If this is any indication of the crowds we’re going to have all day, I’ll need all the help I can get.”

“It’s my pleasure.  You know I always love to help out as much as I can here.”  Although she just tried to be polite, Abigail couldn’t get the taste of the words out of her mouth.  How could she make working at this diner sound so glamorous?  How did she end up with a job like this?

Abigail was well known throughout the town of Hampton.  It was a small town, with only a population of around five hundred citizens. She'd been born and raised there in Hampton, earning ribbon after ribbon for her looks. The local beauty pageant winner, she thought she could use that to her advantage when it came to getting a job.  Sadly it didn’t mean that at all, until she met Oscar.  He hired her as a waitress on the spot.  That was nearly five years ago and yet, there she was, still being the most reliable waitress at the diner.

Lately she found herself daydreaming while she worked.  What would her life had been like if she got a job in her skill set after college?  A job that was within her career choice and college major?  She wanted to be a businesswoman who would eventually have her own jewelry design company.

I was top in my graduating class in college.  I shouldn’t be a waitress.
  She shook the thoughts out of her head.  It was her own fault.  She should’ve been saving her money throughout college and moved to the big city after she graduated, she believed.  Now she was a twenty-seven year old still living with her parents in order to save money.

“Hey Abigail!”  A customer called to her from across the room.  She smiled when she heard her name.  It was from Josh, a regular who she had known since her first day on the job.  He was an elderly man that quickly became her friend.  It was nice to see a familiar face in the crowd.

“Josh, what can I get you today?  The usual?”

“You know me so well,” Josh smiled.  “Maybe you can tell me, what’s with the crowd here today?  I almost thought I was going to have to go out of my way and go to another diner and miss your beautiful face.”

“You’re too kind,” Abigail blushed.  She was use to this kind of attention from everyone in town, but it felt so much more genuine with the true friends like Josh.

“Well it is the truth.  I didn’t want to have to go out of town to get my breakfast at some other diner who didn’t know me.  Between you knowing my order without me having to say it and the cook knowing exactly how I want it prepared, why would I want to go to another place?”

“I’m sorry about the crowd.  But Oscar said there’s a convention going on and that’s why so many people are here today.  I don’t know how long they’ll be here, but like you I hope not for long. I don’t want our regulars to be turned away because they can’t get a seat.”

For as long as Abigail could remember, she was always in the spotlight.  Starting at an early age, her mother would enter her into beauty pageants.  As a child, she didn’t have a say in the matter.  All she could remember starting from age five was her mother signing her up for dance classes and singing lessons.  The first pageant she entered, she won first place.  And that’s how it went for her childhood.  There wasn’t a pageant she didn’t win.  She was the local celebrity and everyone loved her.  When she was eighteen, she retired from the competition, much to her mother's dismay.  It wasn’t in her anymore to compete against the other girls, not when she had bigger dreams set for her life. 

Abigail’s mother, Audrey, took her retirement the hardest.  A former beauty queen in the same town, she wanted Abigail to go further than she had ever gone.  She saw Abigail as a contender for Miss America as she got older.  But Abigail had to put her foot down and tell her mother enough was enough.  She wanted to go to college and make a name for herself as a professional.  She didn’t want to go through life only being known for her looks. 

Seven years had passed since her last beauty pageant and yet people always brought up how she won by a landslide that night.  Every night Abigail prayed that people would erase it from their memories, but it was no use.  She would always be known as the town’s beauty queen.  The girl who gave up fame to become a waitress at a rundown diner.

What most people in town didn’t know was there was something else weighing in the back of her mind.  Not having a real job wasn’t the only thing that was bothering her.  She was also single.  How was it possible that a girl who was a beauty queen for years didn’t have a boyfriend?  Abigail had gone on dates, but the guys didn’t date her for the person that she was.  They only wanted to be her boyfriend because they wanted to say they were dating Abigail Yates.  She was sick and tired of all the fakes.  What she wanted was to find true love.  A man who didn’t know her and would love her for the person they saw when they met her, not for what she was known as for years.

*****

Mark Conklin got off the train at the station, looking around to take in his new surroundings.  This is where they sent me for the convention?  He couldn’t believe that a billion dollar company sent him to such a ghost town.  He couldn’t find anyone around, not even an attendant at the station’s desk. 
Great.  How am I supposed to find the hotel I’m staying at this week? 
He laughed to himself.  If this was any indication of how the town looked, he could just imagine how rundown the hotel was going to be. 
Guess I’ll just start walking.
  He took out his phone and typed in the hotel’s address. 

“No service.  Why am I not surprised?”  He put his phone in his pocket, knowing it wasn’t going to help.  Maybe if he kept walking, he’d find someone who could help him to his destination.

Mark was more than happy that he was able to fit everything he needed for the week into one suitcase.  If he had more luggage, he’d never be able to make it on this road.  There was dirt and sand everywhere and the wind made it harder to walk through.  I can’t believe this is how my week is going to be.  He wished he never agreed to take this trip.  Right now he could be in his office, in the city where he could go out whenever he wanted to the nearest cafe for coffee.  From the look of things, he didn’t think he’d find a cafe anywhere near this hotel.

It felt like hours to Mark since he left the station, but it had only been thirty minutes or so.  So far all he had walked by were empty stores and not one person on the street. 
Such a lonely little town
, he mused.

Jacob, his business partner, was who signed their company up to go to this convention.  There were to be classes for Mark to attend on how to get more publicity for their company as well as more investors.  He wanted nothing more than to get Jacob on the phone and give him a piece of his mind about this arrangement.  And why did he send Mark instead of going himself?  Mark left so much work on his desk that it would take him weeks to catch up once he returned home.  This week couldn’t go by soon enough to please him.
Oh well, best make the most of it while I'm here.

He looked around the desolate town. Plenty of wide open spaces and from the looks of it, very little townfolk to bump into. For a moment, he realized it was the perfect place in one aspect; a bear shifter could let his inner self out to roam without worry. It was so much harder in the city and because of that, Mark spent several days a week at the gym trying to exercise enough to appease his bear side. Often it didn't work and he'd have to find some way to steal a day or two away to enough forestland to let him out.

Mark took his phone out of his pocket with little hope that he could pick up any signal. 
What kind of place doesn’t have cell towers for phones to work? 
He groaned.  Surely there would be a phone in the hotel.  The first thing he’d do is call Jacob and see if he could convince him that he didn’t need this convention and be on the next train home.

Mark continued to walk, no hotel in sight.
I can’t do this much longer.  I have to find some place, any place, where I can sit down and relax. 
At this rate, he was about to go into the first hotel he saw.  Even a motel was looking good to him about now.  Forget that the company was paying for his stay at the hotel.  He was willing to pay out of his own pocket money to stay anywhere he could put his suitcase down and catch some sleep before heading over to his first lecture.

He looked in the distance and saw his prayers had been answered.  A building, with cars parked outside.  Finally, a sign of life.  He had reached civilization.  Not caring what the building was, he was happy knowing that he was going to see people.  A body, anybody would be able to help him find where he was supposed to be.

He squinted his eyes to see through the dust and wind to find out what the building was. A diner.  Mark started to laugh.  He couldn’t believe his luck.  Not only had he found a place that was busy, but it was a diner.  A place where he could get some food.  The breakfast he was given on the train wasn’t nearly enough to give him and his bear enough energy.  Walking inside, he saw men dressed in suits.  Had his luck gotten even better?  There was no doubt that he found where all the business people were hanging out before the convention.  Surely, they were staying at the same hotel and he wouldn’t be lost anymore.

“Excuse me, can I help you?”

Mark was lost in his own little world he didn’t see the waitress walk up to him.  “I’m sorry.  Can you tell me where I am?”

“Oscar’s Diner.  Are you lost?”

“No.  I don’t think so anymore.  But I could use a good cup of coffee and a plate of pancakes.”  The thought of breakfast made Mark’s mouth water.

“That I can help you with,” the waitress smiled.  “Come, we have a table that just opened up.”

Mark couldn’t believe this young waitress that was guiding him to the table.  He was instantly taken in by her beauty.  What was she doing working as a waitress in a place like this? 

“Here we go.  Sorry about the noise.  We’re never usually this busy, but there is a convention in town…”

“Say no more.  I’m actually one of the attendees at the convention.  I see that I found the right place to go for food.  My name is Mark," he said, hand outstretched waiting to shake hers.

“It’s nice to meet you Mark.  My name is Abigail.  I’ll be right back with your order.  And if there’s anything else I can get you, don’t hesitate to ask.”

How about a date?
Mark imagined himself asking before realizing that he was only in town for a week. Suddenly being trapped in a ghost town didn't sound so bad with the thought of Abigail fresh in his mind.

Chapter Two

Mark watched from his booth as Abigail went and took another couple's order before heading back to the kitchen with his food request.  He couldn’t take his eyes off of her as she walked around the diner.  She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.  More beautiful than anyone he'd ever dated back home in the city. It wasn't just the physical beauty, it was her eyes and how they radiated this brightness; a sense of sunshine that wiped away the dismal morning he'd had.

While Mark was muscular and well-defined thanks to his inner bear, he was also very plain looking, at least in his eyes. His job kept him away at all hours of the day and night, and so he didn't get to the gym as often as he'd like.  It was all a major turn off to the women he'd dated in the past.

Why am I even thinking about this?
he wondered.
I'm only here for a week. Nothing is going to happen with her.

Abigail noticed Mark staring and thought something was wrong.  “Excuse me sir, is something the matter?  Your order should be ready shortly.”  She never wanted a customer to leave the diner upset.

Mark was embarrassed she caught him looking.  “No, I’m sorry.  I was just looking around.  I’m not used to this small town scenery coming from back home. Hampton is quite a bit different from that city.”

“I can imagine how odd everything must be for you over here.  I was born and raised here so I don’t know what life's really like outside of here.  But I would love to see experience the city, even if for one day.”

“I guess when you’ve lived in the city all your life, there comes a day when you’ll be happy to be in some place quiet,” Mark laughed.

Abigail caught herself looking straight into Mark’s eyes. There was something wild in them, and yet, they were soothing and calming to her all at the same time. It was as if he'd known her all her life.

“I should go and check on your order.  I’ll be right back.”  She quickly made way to the kitchen.  What was going on and why did she feel suddenly attracted to this man she just met.  He was a city guy, the type her parents warned her about for years.  Stay away from any guy that comes from the city. 
They only want one thing and then they dump you. 
She could hear her mother’s voice.

But not this man.  There was something about him that told Abigail her mother didn’t know everything. 
My mom can be wrong sometimes.  She doesn’t even know this man, but he doesn’t seem to be the type to dump a girl after one night. He looks more like a stockbroker than a heartbreaker. 
After a few minutes, she looked into the kitchen and saw that Mark’s food was ready.  She smiled as she brought Mark’s food to the table.  “Here you go, Sir.  Sorry about the wait.”

“No need to apologize.  I see how busy you are in here, it’s no wonder you’re all backed up.”

“And we’re actually short a person.  I’m taking a double shift today because one of the other waitresses couldn’t be here.  She sure picked a fine day to take off from work," she said as she did a mild eyeroll and chuckled. Abigail couldn’t believe how she was opening up to this man she just met.

“Well then I guess you’ll be busy all day.”

“I don’t know why I just decided to tell you all that. I shouldn’t bore you.  I think I’ll just go now,” Abigail said, gesturing with her thumb to the back of the kitchen.

“It’s all right.  I don’t mind the company actually.  In fact, I’m here alone.  They only sent me from my company, unlike the other businesses that sent a few people from their company.  I don’t know anyone here, except for you now.” Mark said with a wide, warm smile.

Is this man flirting with me?
  She didn't normally pay any attention to the men that came on to her.  Yet, Abigail loved the attention from this man, who's eyes held something she desperately wanted to uncover.  “You’re considering me as someone you know?”

“Well I do know your name is Abigail, that’s much further than I know of anyone else who is in this room,” Mark laughed.  “So yes, I guess I would say I know you better than anyone in this fine town.”

Abigail looked at the clock on the wall and saw that she had her break coming up.  “Tell you what, let me just go put my apron in the back and I’ll come back to chat.  I have my break now.”

Mark smiled again.  This woman wanted to spend time with him, if only for her lunch break.  He couldn’t wish for a better welcome to an unfamiliar place.  He tried to keep everything in check, knowing that no matter how beautiful this girl was, he was only here for a week.

“That’s better,” Abigail said sitting across from Mark at the table.  “So how long are you here for the convention.”

“Sadly, it’s only a week.  Then it’s time for me to go back home.  New York City.”

New York City, a place that Abigail secretly wished she could move to one day.  That was the life she wanted.  Not staying in a small town like Hampton where everyone knew everyone else's business.  “Wow.  You’re from New York City.  I wish I lived there.”

“It’s a nice place to live, but it can get too noisy at times.”  What were these words coming from Mark’s mouth?  He never loved any place but the city.  Just a few hours ago, he was complaining about how quiet and dull the town seemed.  Now he was realizing that there were things that he wished he could change about his home. “I’m glad they’re having the convention here and not in another big city for a change.”

Abigail shrugged.  “I guess because I’ve lived here my whole life it can get boring at times.  I bet in the city, it’s hard to get bored.”

“You’d be surprised.  Sometimes, there’s too much to do that you get bored trying to figure out what to do.”  He looked into Abigail’s eyes and wanted nothing more to do than to kiss her, but knew how inappropriate that would be.  “Abigail, I know I’m only here for a week, but I do have free time after my meetings.  Would you like to go out.  Maybe to dinner or a movie?”

Of all the luck in the world, the first man to ask her out on a date that wasn't over fifty had to be a stranger from the city.  And he was only going to be here for a week.  Mark was the first man she had been attracted to in a long time, but she knew it'd never work.  Even in the best case scenario, they would only be able to date a week and then it would end.  What kind of relationship would that be?  She shook her head, she was getting ahead of the game. 
He may not even be asking you out on a date.  Maybe he just wants to have a friend in town so he would have something to do after a long day of meetings.

“Mark, I think I heard wrong.  But it sounded like you were asking me out on a date.”

“I must be losing my touch if you couldn’t tell that I was asking you out,” Mark smiled.  “Yes, I was asking you out on a date.  It won’t be really fancy or anything like that.  All I do know is that I would really like to know you better and would love for you to go to the movies with me.”

“How would it even work out, us dating?  Everything, whatever comes out of us dating will end and like it never happened once you go back at the end of the week.”

Abigail was right, Mark hadn’t thought his plan through carefully.  But he didn’t care.  A week of dating Abigail would be more special than any of his past relationships.  And they lasted a few months, usually right up until they found out he was a bear shifter.  “I have an idea.  Let’s go out tonight and see how it goes, then if it is nice we'll just date this week only.  If we still enjoy each other’s company at the end of the week, we'll talk about it.  If we decide, then we can try a long distance relationship.  But only if you want us to. For tomorrow, let's just call it dinner. We all have to eat.”

Abigail was silent.  She didn’t take any type of relationship lightly.  Never been in a long distance relationship, she didn’t know if she wanted her first to be with someone she just met.  “I don’t know.  I mean you hardly know anything about me and I know nothing about you.  Do you really think that’s wise?”

“If there’s anything I’ve learned with the girls I’ve dated back home, it’s that it doesn’t matter how long you’ve known a person.  If it’s meant to be, then it’ll happen.  And the moment I laid eyes on you, I felt that we were meant to be together.  So all I’m asking is for a week of dating.  In the end, you can make the final decision about us.  What do you say?”

“I have complete control over the decision at the end of the week?” Abigail asked while she saw Mark nod.  “All right.  I will go out with you.”

“Great!”  Mark took out his wallet and grabbed a twenty.  “I have to get to the hotel and check in.  But here, this should cover my order.”

“Mark, your order is nowhere near this much.  Let me go get your change.”

“Keep it.  But I do need to know where I can reach you.”

Abigail took a piece of paper, “Okay this is my phone number and address.  I usually only work mornings, but you know today I’ll be working late at night.”

“Thank you.” Mark winked as he headed out to the diner.  He had a lot of work to do, between the conferences and then looking forward to getting to know her.  He wanted to make this a week to remember for not only himself, but Abigail too.  He wanted to make it one of the best weeks of his life, within the limits that the small town would have.

"Thanks for the tip!" she yelled after him as he exited the diner, smiling as she pocketed the extra ten.

His luck was starting to change it seemed.  Out of nowhere, he saw the sign for the hotel he was staying at. 
Weird
, he thought.
I walked right by this spot on my way to the diner earlier and never saw the sign. 
He didn’t care.  Finally he would be able to put his suitcase down and get some sleep.  But not before he worked out plans on how to surprise Abigail each night of their week together.

*****

Mark planned a date the next night with Abigail.  He didn’t want to waste another day of his short stay without seeing her again.  If he wasn’t so tired from his travels, he would’ve secured the date's details the very second he asked for her number.  But the lack of sleep was catching up to him and he didn’t want to be a bad host.  He wanted to make the week memorable.

The conferences that day couldn’t go any slower if those in charge wanted them to.  Mark found himself constantly looking at his watch, hoping that three o’clock would come so he could get back to the hotel, take a shower, and head on out to pick up Abigail.  He spent the whole night looking up online the best places to go on a date in that quiet town.  He found a restaurant that wasn’t far from the address Abigail gave him to her house.  It would be perfect.  Dinner and then a drive down to a nearby park so they could have a romantic moonlit walk. 
Hurry up and end this presentation so I can leave
, he thought,
almost unable to stand it any longer.
  He wasn’t even listening to the speaker anymore.  He had far more important things on his mind.

Finally, the conference ended. Conference goers shuffled out of the small room and made their way to the parking lot.  He hoped this wasn’t what the whole week was going to be like, boring speeches with Power Point presentations on how to perfect his business.  He wouldn’t be able to take this kind of torture for seven days.  It was no wonder Jacob sent him to these meetings instead of going himself. 
Thanks, Jacob
, he thought as he rolled his eyes. But then thought of Abigail and how meeting her had stirred something deep within him. Someone that his bear sensed was the one for him.  The only thing that would make this week bearable was knowing that at the end of each day, he would be seeing Abigail.

Mark planned ahead after the conference and rented a car for the week.  He didn’t like the idea of having to rely on the hit or miss public transit system there in town everyday to get to places, especially on his dates.  Plus, the company would pay for any transportation he needed.  Everything was working out perfectly.

He rushed to the hotel, took a quick shower, and dressed in a clean pair of jeans and button down shirt.  He gave himself a glance over in the mirror, making sure he looked appropriate for his date with Abigail.  He double checked and made sure he didn't need to shave again; werebears were always hard to keep clean shaven. Once he got into the car, he punched in her address on his phone’s GPS.  The last thing he needed was to be late picking her up because he was lost.