Saving Her Bear: A Second Chances Romance Read Free Page A

fire.
    “Damn, Catie’s got the skills!”
    She glanced up, acknowledging Paul’s compliment. He tried to hold her gaze a little longer. She turned her eyes back to the fire.
    Not today, Paul. Not fucking ever.

 
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER TWO
     
    “It’s such a load of horse shit up there!”
    Jason Twomey was sitting silent across from her, nursing his third Sam Adams as Paul careened through his fifth. He was up in arms about the recent efforts to change hunting regulations in Falkirk’s Seat.
    “You know they’ve shut us down every god damn year, so far. Every year!”
    Bennett was shaking his head in solidarity. The Calhoun family were avid hunters as well, and were no less influential in trying to have the regulations changed.
    Paul was getting louder and more intense with each passing moment. “Bear season opens August 1 st , right? You can start baiting by then anywhere else, but not in Falkirk.”
    “It’s always been that way,” Jason offered, but he was nearly drowned out by Paul barreling over him.
    “They have the highest number of bear sightings, some of the best hunting woods in the damn county, but the only way you’re baggin a bear in those woods is if you’re willing to go through the fucking Fenns.”
    Catherine startled at the name. “What do the Fenns have to do with it?”
    Paul scoffed, shifting into Jason and sending a stream of beer hissing across the fire. “Cause that dickhead Patrick Fenn owns the woods up in there. Everything from Falkirk’s Seat to here,” he said, gesturing to the trees behind them. “But you’re not allowed to hike with your gear from this side, and even if you do, you’re fucked if you ain’t got a permit or his permission - and he ain’t givin it to ya. Buncha bull shit.”
    Catherine turned her attention to her bottle of cider and glanced back toward the woods. The logging road went another three miles into Parkhurst Forest from there, and the lake was another two mile hike to the west.
    Jason piped up again, however softly. “It’s because of the rez.”
    “What is the rez?” Jean asked.
    “The rez – reservation. A quarter of Falkirk’s Seat belongs to the Fenns, the other three quarters are on Indian land. And reservation folk don’t want hunting on their land.”
    “Oh that’s because of those stupid myths they’ve got. Talking about Bear folk and shapeshifters or some shit.”
    Jean’s eyebrows shot up. “Wait, they believe in that kind of thing up here?”
    Paul groaned, but Jason continued. “Some of the tribe might. Doesn’t matter if they all do, council decides whether to grant permits on their land or not, and let’s just say, relations with white folk aren’t always the best.”
    Catherine scanned the tree line, pretending to shake her head in solidarity. John had told her these stories when they were young, walking through the woods on his grandfather’s land. He loved those old stories, trying desperately to convince her of their validity. “But what if it’s true?” He’d say, his arms flailing out around him.
    “I’d say it was pretty cool,” was always her response.
    “There’s plenty of hunting elsewhere,” said Bennett, to which Paul unleashed a whole new world of complaint.
    Bennett turned to Jean, nudging her gently. “Oh yeah, you two haven’t heard about the hikers, up here?”
    Jean smiled across the fire at him. “Well, you better tell me then.”
    Jean was clearly enjoying the attention, now receiving it from three fellows instead of just the one. Catherine felt inclined to deflect any attention she received, given the thought of flirting with Paul Merlotte turned her stomach, even a decade out of high school.
    “Oh man, let me tell it, let me tell it,” Paul demanded.
    “Naw, I think I tell it better.”
    Everyone startled at the voice, and Catherine turned about face to greet the new arrival. She stopped dead at the sight of him.
    “Holy shit, John boy! They let you off the compound? I