Bear My Soul (Fire Bears Book 1) Read Free Page B

in town.
    Rory frowned at her beat-up shoes. Perhaps she should’ve put more thought into what she was wearing to see Cody for the first time. But then again, he probably wouldn’t recognize her anyway, seeing as how he’d been inebriated when they’d shared those six hours together all those years ago. Plus, dressing up meant she cared about what he thought about her, and she definitely didn’t. Absolutely not.
    She had questions.
    He hopefully had answers.
    That was all.
    Even though it was summer, the evenings were still cool enough that she should’ve brought a hoodie or light jacket. Crossing her arms over her chest, she lengthened her stride and inhaled a draw of fresh mountain air. She’d forgotten how beautiful it was here. The houses that lined the street were tiny Victorian style homes, many of which had been kit homes built in the 1800s when the gold mining town had first flourished. Down below, she could make out the tops of the buildings that lined Main Street, and back behind her were piney mountain passes where tourists and townies alike enjoyed hiking and biking. The sun was already half set over the trees. She’d loved it here as a kid. Hell, she loved it still, despite her unfortunate decisions when she’d been a wild-child twenty-year-old.
    Rory smelled the high-end pizzeria before she saw it. The ski town was a hub of unique dining, but this place had always been one of her favorites to eat at during her childhood visits. It was tiny, seating only twenty or so at a time in cramped quarters, but the food and ambiance couldn’t be beat.
    She rushed inside before she could change her mind and looked around. It was busy, and there was a wait in the small entryway, but she spied Cody immediately and was rocked back on her heels by how much he’d changed and how little, all at once.
    He sat by a girl, surrounded by friends. He laughed at something the striking brunette said, then took a sip of water as he listened to the man across the table. His hair was shorter than he’d worn it before, but still obviously blond. He kept his waves a little longer on top, and his eyebrows were still so light in color they were baby blue in the dim lighting. His face looked just the same as she remembered. Strong nose, chiseled jaw, dimples when he smiled deeply enough. What she hadn’t expected was for him to be so muscled up. His arms fought against the thin fabric of the long-sleeved shirt he wore, and his neck looked strong enough that he could probably smash a pecan between his chin and chest. His fingers were graceful, though, as he traced condensation across the bottom curve of his water glass. The girl beside him whispered something into his ear. He stared vacantly ahead, his eyes filled with a faraway look as she spoke. He was practically looking at Rory, but apparently saw right through her, as if his mind was in outer space. As the brunette giggled against his neck, Rory stood frozen in the doorway.
    “’Scuse me,” a man said as he sidled around her, “are you in line?” He pointed to the counter beside her.
    “Oh, no. Yes. Yes, I’m in line. To buy pizza. Because that’s what you do here.”
    The man frowned and canted his head. “Great.”
    She couldn’t do this.
    She couldn’t just walk over to Cody’s table when he was obviously with someone. What was she going to say? All those hours and miles in the car on the way from Oklahoma, and had she given a single fleeting thought to how she would broach the subject of his surprise child? No. She’d drowned her worries in cheese puffs and blared kiddie songs on a deafening level while Aaron slept like a stone most of the trip here.
    This had been a terrible idea. Worse than terrible. Cody had a life now and couldn’t be trusted to keep Aaron’s secret. No. Nope, nope, nope.
    Wuss that she was, she ordered a pie and hid in the corner behind a man in a giant cowboy hat while she waited for her order to be ready. And try as she might, she