Animal Rescue Bear Read online

  Table of Contents

  Copyright

  Foreword

  Chapter One – Ronni

  Chapter Two – Lucas

  Chapter Three – Ronni

  Chapter Four – Lucas

  Chapter Five – Ronni

  Chapter Six – Lucas

  Chapter Seven – Ronni

  Chapter Eight – Lucas

  Chapter Nine – Ronni

  Chapter Ten – Lucas

  Chapter Eleven – Ronni

  Chapter Twelve – Lucas

  Chapter Thirteen – Ronni

  Chapter Fourteen – Lucas

  Chapter Fifteen – Ronni

  Chapter Sixteen – Lucas

  Chapter Seventeen – Ronni

  Chapter Eighteen – Lucas

  Chapter Nineteen – Ronni

  Chapter Twenty – Lucas

  Epilogue

  Also By Harmony Raines

  Get In Touch

  Animal Rescue Bear

  Return to Bear Creek

  Book Twenty-Three

  ***

  All rights reserved. This book, or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written consent of the author or publisher.

  This is a work of fiction and is intended for mature audiences only. All characters within are eighteen years of age or older. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, actual events or places is purely coincidental.

  © 2018 Harmony Raines

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  Foreword

  When closure threatens the animal sanctuary in Bear Creek, Ronni knows she has to act. And act fast. But finding the money needed to buy the land before it’s sold seems impossible. However, she soon realizes she is not alone. Especially when fate steps in and her mate walks into her office—in the heavenly form of Lucas Chance.

  Tall, dark, and handsome...a man with the heart of a bear shifter and a smile that melts her heart.

  He is everything Ronni could wish for in a mate. But will thoughts of her mate, and the family she dreams of, distract her from her mission to save the shelter and the lives of each and every one of the animals who live there?

  Lucas planned to adopt a dog to ease the lonely nights now the rest of his family have found their mates. Instead, he meets his mate. And what a mate she is. Fierce, loyal, and protective, he will move mountains to help her save the animal shelter she’s dedicated her life to.

  With the help of old friends and new, Lucas and Ronni fight to save the shelter. But when a property developer arrives in town, they might not get the happy ending they deserve.

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  Chapter One – Ronni

  “You’re shutting us down?” Ronni reached for the back of her chair and sat down heavily. “How could you?”

  “It’s not like that, Ronni.” Kevin Jones came around the desk and crouched down in front of her. “You have to understand I have no choice. The land has to be sold so I can pay for my dad’s medical bills. I wish it hadn’t come to this…”

  Ronni looked down at Kevin through tear-filled eyes. His face was blurry, but she could see his sadness all the same. It was a gift of hers, to be able to sense sadness or pain or fear. Maybe it was due to all the sad and lonely animals that passed through the doors of the animal shelter she managed. Each of them had their own story, their own unique past. They spoke to her on a deep level, which was why she’d dedicated her life to caring for them.

  “I know, Kevin. I’m sorry I overreacted. I’m also sorry for your loss.” Ronni placed her hand on Kevin’s. “I’m just going to need some time to raise the money.” If she could raise the money. But the alternative was too much to contemplate.

  “I wish I could give you all the time you need, but the land is going up for auction in four weeks.” Kevin’s brow creased and he swallowed down his emotions. “The land has been in my family for generations. I never thought I’d have to sell. But Dad’s medical bills mounted up so fast.”

  “Four weeks? Right before Christmas?” Ronni asked in disbelief. She’d spent the whole of her career telling people pets were for life, not just for Christmas. Now she had to find homes for nearly one hundred cats and fifty dogs, not to mention all the other weird and wonderful animals that had crossed her threshold. As if to confirm that fact, Polly, the African parrot, squawked loudly and ruffled her feathers.

  No, Polly wasn’t an original name, but when you had to find names for so many animals in your care, sometimes you went with the obvious.

  “Before Christmas.” Kevin rose to his feet. “I’ll do whatever I can to help you, Ronni. I’ve already asked around for another piece of land you could rebuild on.”

  “Rebuild? I don’t know where we’d begin. The shelter has grown step by step from when Martha first opened the doors to unwanted animals to what it is today.” She slumped forward, her elbows resting on her desk. “As for the money… We barely have enough funds to pay the food bill each month, let alone start all over again.”

  Kevin bowed his head. “I’m sorry.”

  Ronni closed her eyes briefly and drew on her inner strength, the same inner strength that she used to get herself and her team through some of the harrowing animal cruelty cases they witnessed. “Thanks, Kevin. For everything. We’ll find a way through this, we always do.”

  “My dad always did like you.” Kevin gave a crooked smile. “He said you were one of the smartest, most resourceful people he knew. In many ways, you reminded him of Martha. And that was more of a compliment than he ever gave me.”

  Tears threatened to overwhelm Ronni once more. She knew Kevin had a difficult relationship with his father and had moved away from Bear Creek to live in Reamington, although Kevin had returned to nurse his father when he became too ill to look after himself.

  But Ronni suspected Kevin had returned more out of duty than love. What caused the rift between father and son, Ronni didn’t know. What she did know was that she couldn’t imagine not having the love and support of her family. They were supportive of everything she did, and they loved her unconditionally. Suddenly, the whole thing didn’t seem so bad.

  She wasn’t in this alone. With the help of the many supporters and volunteers who worked tirelessly for the animals, and her family and friends, they would get through this.

  Ronni wished Kevin had the same love and support to draw on at this difficult time.

  “I’m sure your dad loved you, Kevin. He was just one of those people who didn’t know how to show it.” She came around the desk and hugged him. “Take care of yourself.”

  Kevin’s arms closed around her and he held her close.

  When was the last time anyone hugged Kevin? her bear mused sadly.

  “You know what you need, Kevin?” Ronni pulled away from him and looked him square in the eyes.

  “What?” He eyed her suspiciously.

  “You need a puppy.” She was deadly serious, but Kevin just tipped his head back and roared with laughter. It was a good sound to hear but not the reaction she’d been looking for.

  As he backed up to the door, he was still chuckling to himself. “You’ll be okay, Ronni. Smart and resourceful.”

  With those words hanging in the air, he opened
the door and left the small reception area, closing the door carefully behind him. Ronni stood rooted to the spot as Kevin walked away shaking his head.

  What do we do? her bear asked.

  I have no idea, Ronni replied. Old Mr. Jones might have thought her smart and resourceful but right now Ronni felt weak and pathetic. How was she going to save the animal shelter in four weeks?

  “Everything okay?” Sian breezed in, her cheeks glowing from the cold wind that cut across the small parking lot outside the center. She’d just dropped her daughters at the local high school and was here for a morning shift.

  “Not really.” Ronni had only known Sian for a couple of months, but she liked and trusted her instantly. She’d moved here with her two children, Ella and Rachel, after the breakdown of her marriage. Sian was smart, confident and loved working with the animals. So much so, that when her divorce settlement came through, she planned to open a pet grooming parlor.

  She’s just the kind of person to help save the shelter, Ronni’s bear said.

  “Want to tell me what’s wrong over a coffee?” Sian asked, dumping her purse on the desk and heading for the coffee machine. She wrinkled her nose as she surveyed the contents. “I’ll make a fresh pot.”

  Ronni followed Sian out to the room behind the reception area that served as a kitchen, storeroom, and often a bedroom, if Ronni had to stay overnight to nurse a sick or injured animal. When a litter of orphaned kittens or puppies were taken in by the shelter, Ronni would spend more nights on the old threadbare sofa than in her own bed.

  “Kevin Jones just told me they are auctioning off the land the animal shelter is built on.”

  The coffee pot nearly slipped from Sian’s hand as she turned to face Ronni with a shocked expression on her face. “Why?”

  “Kevin’s dad died just before you arrived. Kevin needs to sell the land to pay for the medical bills. He doesn’t want to…” Ronni’s voice trailed off.

  “What are we going to do?” Sian asked, gathering her composure and switching on the faucet. This was going to take more than a pot of coffee to solve.

  “I don’t know. And we only have four weeks to do whatever it is we have to do.” Ronni swallowed down the thought that strayed into her head. What if they had to destroy all the animals?

  Not happening, her bear replied fiercely. We will find a way to resolve this.

  “How much money are we talking about?” Sian asked as they went back to the office. In no time the smell of fresh coffee filled the room.

  “I have no idea. But thousands. Tens of thousands.” Ronni berated herself for not asking. But however much it was, the animal shelter didn’t have the cash to buy the whole plot.

  “That’s the first thing we need to figure out.” Sian crossed her arms and leaned back against the desk while the coffee pot hissed and gurgled. “Then we break it down into steps. Some of those steps will be big. Some of them small. But each step we take brings us closer to our goal.”

  Ronni grinned. “What did you do before you moved here?”

  Sian’s mouth curled up on one side and she rolled her eyes. “That’s a dirty secret I aim to keep to myself.”

  Ronni giggled. “So something corporate.”

  “I was a fund manager for a big corporation before I had the girls. After that I worked part time as a consultant. But since moving to Bear Creek I haven’t kept up with the changes in regulations and I have no interest in returning to such a high-powered job. But I do know a thing or two about raising capital.” She waved a finger at Ronni. “Don’t get your hopes up. The animal shelter is not something any self-respecting business would take a chance on.”

  “Because it’s a money pit.” Ronni swallowed down her disappointment.

  “Exactly. What we need is to find sponsors for the animals.” She poured two cups of coffee and handed one to Ronni. “What we also need is a huge dollop of luck.”

  “Or a helping hand from fate,” Ronni mused as she nursed her coffee cup in her hands.

  “Christmas spirit is also welcome,” Sian carried on.

  Ronni sighed. “Is it even possible, or should I start contacting other animal shelters and asking if they can take…” Her voice broke as she thought of all the animals that had come through the shelter, all those that had found new homes and those that were a little too hard to handle. She’d promised them all a home for life. How could she even contemplate giving them away?

  Because if she didn’t, they might be homeless once more. Or worse.

  “We’ll figure something out,” Sian reassured her.

  “I know.” Ronni sniffed loudly. No doubt her face was red and blotchy, so it was a good thing there were only the animals to see her. She smoothed her hands down her curvy thighs and sighed at her old worn clothes. A blotchy face was the least of her problems. She’d let herself slip into a habit of wearing work clothes twenty-four-seven.

  “Oh, here’s Lucas,” Sian said happily, going to the door and looking out as a big truck pulled into the parking lot. It had Chance Heights Activity Center emblazoned along the side and a picture of a happy, smiling kid on a rope swing. “He is hot!”

  “I thought you weren’t interested in men?” Ronni asked. It was no secret that Sian had been burned by her nearly-ex-husband and had sworn off men for life. Or at least until her daughters had flown the nest. Although Ronni didn’t completely buy that since Sian always seemed to look for the good in people and loved seeing everyone around her happy.

  “He’s a little too young for me. I was thinking he would be perfect for you,” Sian replied with a twinkle in her eyes.

  “Not my type,” Ronni said apologetically. Or not my mate.

  Are you so sure? her bear asked inside her head.

  Ronni breathed out as a wave of nausea swept over her. She put her hand to her forehead and turned away from the man who had jumped down from his truck and was striding toward the reception area. With each step, the gravel scrunched under his boots. Scrunch, scrunch, scrunch. Her heart went bump, bump, bump in time with him.

  Then her heart skipped a beat and his footfalls stalled.

  “Oh, he’s having a wobble. I so thought he would come in here and adopt a dog. He was saying how lonely he’d been feeling since everyone around him has found a mate.” Sian turned to face Ronni. “Is that a colloquial term? I’ve never heard of anyone calling their significant other a mate.”

  “Erm…” Ronni took a deep breath and swallowed down her nausea. “It’s just a word people around here use.”

  Concern spread over Sian’s face. “Are you okay, Ronni?”

  “Uh huh.” Ronni nodded, but she felt anything but okay. In fact, she felt as if she’d been bashed over the head with a sledgehammer. Or through the heart. Yep, definitely her heart. She clutched at her heart as if it might explode any moment.

  “I’ll get you some water.” Sian dashed out of the office, just as the door opened and Lucas, the hot, lonely potential animal sponsor, walked in.

  He froze, staring at her. And she was probably frozen, staring at him, but she could no longer feel anything other than the intense attraction between them.

  “Here.” Sian burst back into the room with a glass of water. No one answered as Sian looked at the two people before her. Then she laughed, a joyful jingly sound like Christmas bells. “I think I’m witnessing love at first sight.”

  Then she promptly erupted into tears.

  Chapter Two – Lucas

  Sian’s sobs brought him back to life. Not that he’d been dead. No, the opposite, he felt very, very much alive. The blood pumped through his body, thrumming like the wingbeats of dragons overhead.

  So this is what they felt, his bear mused. They being his sister, and brother, and his mom, all of whom had found mates in the last few months.

  This is it, he answered with confidence. She’s our mate.

  “Sian, hey, what’s wrong?” His mate was comforting Sian, the woman who had encouraged him to fill the void in his life wit
h a puppy. But that void was gone, filled instantly by his mate.

  “It’s so beautiful. So very special.” She looked up at Ronni with tear-stained cheeks, then her gaze fell on Lucas. “Don’t you feel it, Ronni? Of course, you feel it.”

  More sobbing. Lucas reached for the box of tissues on the desk and pulled out a handful, offering them to Sian while trying not to stare at his mate. She was beautiful, all soft curves and luscious lips. He closed his eyes momentarily. He was in danger of losing control in the emotionally charged atmosphere of the office.

  “I think you need to drink the water.” Ronni placed her hand over Sian’s and guided the glass of water to her lips.

  Sian sipped the water slowly. “I’m okay. I’m just so happy for you both.”

  Ronni looked at Lucas squarely for the first time. She was unsure how to react, which meant Sian probably didn’t know about shifters, confirming his suspicions. Last night when he’d talked about his family meeting their mates, she didn’t seem to know what he was talking about and he hadn’t elaborated.

  “Maybe we could go and look at the animals?” Lucas asked.

  “Yes.” Ronni jumped up. “That’s why you came, right?”

  “It is.” Lucas felt like a bad actor as he nodded his head.

  “Whoa, you are not getting away that easily.” Sian stood up and put the glass of water down on the desk. “You two had a connection… No, you have a connection. The kind you don’t just brush off.”

  Lucas glanced at Ronni. Sometimes you just had to come clean on the whole shifter thing and this was one of those times. “We’re mates.”

  Sian tilted her head to one side. “And what exactly is a mate?”

  “You’d better sit down again.” Ronni put her hand on Sian’s shoulder and gently eased her back into her seat.

  Sian did as she was told, but her forehead creased, and her lips were pressed into a thin line. “What’s going on?”