Baby Protector Bear: BBW Bear Shifter Baby Paranormal Romance (Who's the Daddy? Book 4) by Harmony Raines Page B

himself out of the passenger seat and then straightened up slowly. Despite the danger they were currently in, on the journey back to the city, she had felt lighter than she had for a while. Joel had opened up a part of her that had been sealed off for a long time.
    In those first few months after her dad stopped being her rock, her protector, her six-year-old self had convinced herself that it was now her role in the family. Her mom was so busy getting the best care for her dad, that Chrissie had become the one who looked after Kelly, made sure she had a bedtime story, even if she had to make it up because she couldn’t read all the words yet.
    At school, it was Chrissie who made sure Kelly had her lunch, handed her homework in, and fought her battles in the schoolyard. Chrissie had grown up being the sensible one, the one who wasn’t allowed to show weakness, and who wasn’t allowed to think of her own future, when there were three other futures to take care of.
    By the age of thirteen, she was cooking most of the meals, while her mom continued researching a way to bring back the man she loved. The help they had always had, a cook, gardener and cleaner were long gone, the money saved on wages diverted into the care fund for her father.
    “I think it’s cozy,” she said sweetly.
    “I’ll have to teach you the meaning of the word cozy later,” he said, going to the back door and taking Sam out. “Come on, my friend, let’s go eat. I’m starving.”
    “What about the key?” Chrissie asked. “Don’t we have to go and get it?”
    “Nope,” Joel said, walking up the path to the front door. “Here, you hold Sam, and I will get it.” He walked over to a plant pot and lifted it up. Under it was a key.”
    “And you told me off for leaving my GPS in the car. I mean, that is the first place anyone will look.” Chrissie shifted Sam on to her other hip, waiting for Joel to open the door.
    “This house is surrounded by police. Anyone even sniffing around here would be arrested.”
    Joel unlocked the door, and they went in; they hadn’t made it to the kitchen before his phone sounded. Welcome home. L
    “I take it back,” she said, restraining her urge to go and look out of the windows to see if she could spot the officers watching the house. “This does creep me out, though.”
    “Hey, we could go upstairs and make love with the curtains open.” He kissed her cheek, but she shoved him away.
    “You are joking?” she asked.
    He pulled her close. “Most definitely, I am not sharing you with anyone. Ever. Not even a peek at those luscious breasts of yours.”
    “Language,” she said, covering Sam’s ears. “Sam’s first words are going to be bad words.”
    “Sorry.” He kissed her all the same, and then sighed. “I’m going to make some coffee, and then we can settle in and wait for things to kick off. Now that we are back, Landy said they will let Anderson have his phone, and we wait to see if he contacts us.”
    “What if he gives up? What if Anderson realizes how bad this is and goes straight for the rest of his life?” Chrissie asked.
    “We have to hope that he doesn’t. Either that or we have to find the guy who killed Angela. They have his DNA, they just have to find him and make the match.” He was putting the coffee pot on, while she warmed a bottle for Sam.
    “So many ifs. What if we can’t adopt Sam because of this?” She had set her heart on having the little boy in her life and watching him grow up. Joel had opened her heart and now it needed to be filled with love, which she could shower on the small, wriggling child in her arms.
    “Don’t add any more ifs to the list. I don’t think the Chief is going to be willing to let this go. One way or another, he is going to pin it on Anderson. We have time, we just need patience.”
    “I know.” She blew the air out of her lungs, and then took a deep breath. “OK, diaper change, and then we can settle down to this nice, warm bottle of