Bear Meets Bride (Online Shifter Dating Agency Romance) by Sasha Winter Page B
Authors: Sasha Winter
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joked. “Now is she back causing trouble again?”
“She’s going on about returning to work,” Jake replied.
“I’m fine,” Nana insisted.
“And I’m here,” Jake added, “to break it to her that, not only can she not return to work—what an absurd suggestion—but just like my dear wife and kids she’s going to have to be moved out of town; into protective custody in fact.”
“Listen to him, Nana,” Tom said, interrupting her before she could respond, “this good old boy is treating you like family…and he’s right anyway.”
“Damn sure, I’m right,” Jake went on, grateful for the support in combating Nana’s assertiveness. “We want you safe, not a target.”
“But can’t I just have an armed officer at the house?” Nana pleaded. “I’ve been in here a week already and there’s so much that needs doing.”
“Nothing is that important. Don’t worry, I’ll fix it so you can take your fiancé with you and this thing isn’t going on much longer, take it from me.”
“That’s what they kept saying about the First World War,” Nana responded, trying to be as insolent as she could about the fact that she was having to back down.
“I’d forgotten how much you love history,” said Tom, trying to cheer her up. “It’s your own fault, though, for being too valuable, otherwise we’d let you take your chances.”
He winked as he made the joke, and Nana almost smiled.
“Exactly,” Jake agreed, nodding his head, “but we need you out of the picture on this one. Let him come after someone with a gun if he wants to hurt the police; he’s a big grizzly after all.”
“You could give me a gun,” Nana suggested, sulkily.
“Coming from the person who insisted I buy a humane mouse trap for the workplace when I found that one had been chewing on my sandwiches, I don’t imagine that’s the best suggestion. No, we like you just as you are, Nana. Alive and with a heart of gold that wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
So it was settled. Jake had already been in correspondence with the relevant departments anyway—the discussion had only taken place to make matters seem more amicable, but Nana knew she had no choice. There were some picturesque valleys in South Dakota that Jake promised Nana would not want to leave after a week, though Tom thought this a bit farfetched, knowing that she would be waiting for news on when she could return every day that passed. She was a control freak; the pleasant kind for sure, but she wouldn’t relish any getaway that she didn’t have a say in.
Bidding her farewell, the two of them left Nana still under armed guard and now awaiting a pick-up that would take her far away. Up until then, Tom had found it hard to tell what Jake was thinking, managing a storm as he was that was coming at him from all angles. After they left Nana, however, Tom thought he recognized the same determined expression that he had been sporting in looking to bring this hell to an end. Never had a case divided their forces so much; Jake’s own family were in Oregon, and now he had sent an invaluable colleague almost as far in the other direction. His service was relying on backup staff and all the communities under his remit needed this killer caught in order for life to return to normal.
Until then their home was invaded and in peril.
The two of them had spoken a lot on the phone over the last week, but usually fast and blunt conversations, and so now felt like a good time to seize the opportunity for a real catch up. Jake suggested they get a coffee somewhere and they took a walk to a nearby diner.
“How’s that new gal of yours?” Jake asked as they were on their way.
“She’s good, actually. Thanks for the extra deputies to watch over her when I’m not there,” Tom replied. “She’s pretty resilient, in fact, and I’m relieved she doesn’t seem to be blaming me for any of this.”
“Why would she?”
“If we hadn’t hooked up, she would never have become a
“She’s going on about returning to work,” Jake replied.
“I’m fine,” Nana insisted.
“And I’m here,” Jake added, “to break it to her that, not only can she not return to work—what an absurd suggestion—but just like my dear wife and kids she’s going to have to be moved out of town; into protective custody in fact.”
“Listen to him, Nana,” Tom said, interrupting her before she could respond, “this good old boy is treating you like family…and he’s right anyway.”
“Damn sure, I’m right,” Jake went on, grateful for the support in combating Nana’s assertiveness. “We want you safe, not a target.”
“But can’t I just have an armed officer at the house?” Nana pleaded. “I’ve been in here a week already and there’s so much that needs doing.”
“Nothing is that important. Don’t worry, I’ll fix it so you can take your fiancé with you and this thing isn’t going on much longer, take it from me.”
“That’s what they kept saying about the First World War,” Nana responded, trying to be as insolent as she could about the fact that she was having to back down.
“I’d forgotten how much you love history,” said Tom, trying to cheer her up. “It’s your own fault, though, for being too valuable, otherwise we’d let you take your chances.”
He winked as he made the joke, and Nana almost smiled.
“Exactly,” Jake agreed, nodding his head, “but we need you out of the picture on this one. Let him come after someone with a gun if he wants to hurt the police; he’s a big grizzly after all.”
“You could give me a gun,” Nana suggested, sulkily.
“Coming from the person who insisted I buy a humane mouse trap for the workplace when I found that one had been chewing on my sandwiches, I don’t imagine that’s the best suggestion. No, we like you just as you are, Nana. Alive and with a heart of gold that wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
So it was settled. Jake had already been in correspondence with the relevant departments anyway—the discussion had only taken place to make matters seem more amicable, but Nana knew she had no choice. There were some picturesque valleys in South Dakota that Jake promised Nana would not want to leave after a week, though Tom thought this a bit farfetched, knowing that she would be waiting for news on when she could return every day that passed. She was a control freak; the pleasant kind for sure, but she wouldn’t relish any getaway that she didn’t have a say in.
Bidding her farewell, the two of them left Nana still under armed guard and now awaiting a pick-up that would take her far away. Up until then, Tom had found it hard to tell what Jake was thinking, managing a storm as he was that was coming at him from all angles. After they left Nana, however, Tom thought he recognized the same determined expression that he had been sporting in looking to bring this hell to an end. Never had a case divided their forces so much; Jake’s own family were in Oregon, and now he had sent an invaluable colleague almost as far in the other direction. His service was relying on backup staff and all the communities under his remit needed this killer caught in order for life to return to normal.
Until then their home was invaded and in peril.
The two of them had spoken a lot on the phone over the last week, but usually fast and blunt conversations, and so now felt like a good time to seize the opportunity for a real catch up. Jake suggested they get a coffee somewhere and they took a walk to a nearby diner.
“How’s that new gal of yours?” Jake asked as they were on their way.
“She’s good, actually. Thanks for the extra deputies to watch over her when I’m not there,” Tom replied. “She’s pretty resilient, in fact, and I’m relieved she doesn’t seem to be blaming me for any of this.”
“Why would she?”
“If we hadn’t hooked up, she would never have become a
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