Bear's Heart: BBW Paranormal Shifter Romance (Bear Heat Book 5) by Natalie Kristen Page A
Authors: Natalie Kristen
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step back and
give her brother time to regain his confidence and take back control
of his life.
So Jade had gone back to her
town and her orderly, quiet life. But the restaurant where she had
worked as a waitress for more than fifteen years had burned down
suddenly. Jade suspected that someone had set fire to the restaurant
deliberately. She was sure the fire wasn't an accident but there was
no proof and no one was ever arrested.
The owners of the restaurant,
Mr and Mrs Xi, had packed up and left the town shortly after. And
Jade had found herself out of a job for the first time in her life.
The other restaurants in town weren't hiring.
Jade decided that it was time
to let go of the past and start looking to the future. She had
continued living in their family home, taking care of the modest,
comfortable house that held so many beautiful memories. She hadn't
wanted to sell the house. She and Luke had grown up in that house.
It wasn't just a house. It was their home.
But now her parents were
gone. And Luke was living and working in the city. She shouldn't be
clinging to the past. The house was too large for her, too empty.
She had discussed her plans with Luke, and he had heartily approved of her plan to sell the house and move to the city.
She had split the sale
proceeds with Luke since their parents had left the house to both of
them, and gotten herself a tiny apartment in a nice neighborhood
close to the heart of the city. Luke was working for the Black Bears
Group and his apartment was closer to the Black Bears' office. Luke
had offered her his place, but she had declined. Luke's little
apartment was cozy but it had only one bedroom. He had wanted her to
have the bedroom while he took the couch. It was sweet of him, but
Jade decided that it was best that she get her own place.
Jade had been worried about
finding employment in the big city. But as it happened, the job
seemed to just fall right into her lap.
She had been having breakfast
with Luke and one of his colleagues, Baxter, at Dino Diner. Baxter
had been happily showing her photographs of his mate, Lindy and their
lovely little daughter, Shannon, over breakfast.
On their way out, she had
caught sight of the notice at the door. Dino Diner was hiring.
Baxter and Luke had to rush off to work, so she had shooed them off
and gone back into the diner to make enquiries.
The manager had conducted the
interview in one of the booths right there and then, and she had been
offered the job on the spot.
She had texted her brother
the good news right away.
It was a good start to her
new life in the city.
Jade looked at herself in the
mirror one last time. She slicked on another coat of lip gloss,
grabbed her bag and headed out the door.
She checked her watch and
walked briskly to the bus stop. She was early. Her shift started at
eight. Dino Diner was open twenty-four hours so the night crew would
still be around.
The hours were long but the
pay was good. Dino Diner paid their staff really well, and the
manager told her that she could expect generous tips from their
regular customers.
Jade tried to calm her nerves
during the twenty-minute bus ride to the diner. For some reason, she
found herself feeling anxious and jumpy.
Come on, Jade, you're a
very experienced, competent waitress , she admonished herself. Get a grip .
CHAPTER
TWO
Dylan Hart glanced around and
checked that his team was in position.
The Black Bears were
providing backup while the police prepared to storm a building where
a masked, psychotic robber was holding an elderly lady hostage.
The police assumed that the
robber was acting alone, but the Black Bears assumed nothing.
Dylan was in charge of the
backup operation, and he suspected that the police were making a
mistake by focusing all their personnel and attention on the building
and the robber. Dylan suspected that the robber wasn't as mad and
stupid as he looked.
Dylan gave the signal and his
Black Bears fanned out discreetly to cover a
give her brother time to regain his confidence and take back control
of his life.
So Jade had gone back to her
town and her orderly, quiet life. But the restaurant where she had
worked as a waitress for more than fifteen years had burned down
suddenly. Jade suspected that someone had set fire to the restaurant
deliberately. She was sure the fire wasn't an accident but there was
no proof and no one was ever arrested.
The owners of the restaurant,
Mr and Mrs Xi, had packed up and left the town shortly after. And
Jade had found herself out of a job for the first time in her life.
The other restaurants in town weren't hiring.
Jade decided that it was time
to let go of the past and start looking to the future. She had
continued living in their family home, taking care of the modest,
comfortable house that held so many beautiful memories. She hadn't
wanted to sell the house. She and Luke had grown up in that house.
It wasn't just a house. It was their home.
But now her parents were
gone. And Luke was living and working in the city. She shouldn't be
clinging to the past. The house was too large for her, too empty.
She had discussed her plans with Luke, and he had heartily approved of her plan to sell the house and move to the city.
She had split the sale
proceeds with Luke since their parents had left the house to both of
them, and gotten herself a tiny apartment in a nice neighborhood
close to the heart of the city. Luke was working for the Black Bears
Group and his apartment was closer to the Black Bears' office. Luke
had offered her his place, but she had declined. Luke's little
apartment was cozy but it had only one bedroom. He had wanted her to
have the bedroom while he took the couch. It was sweet of him, but
Jade decided that it was best that she get her own place.
Jade had been worried about
finding employment in the big city. But as it happened, the job
seemed to just fall right into her lap.
She had been having breakfast
with Luke and one of his colleagues, Baxter, at Dino Diner. Baxter
had been happily showing her photographs of his mate, Lindy and their
lovely little daughter, Shannon, over breakfast.
On their way out, she had
caught sight of the notice at the door. Dino Diner was hiring.
Baxter and Luke had to rush off to work, so she had shooed them off
and gone back into the diner to make enquiries.
The manager had conducted the
interview in one of the booths right there and then, and she had been
offered the job on the spot.
She had texted her brother
the good news right away.
It was a good start to her
new life in the city.
Jade looked at herself in the
mirror one last time. She slicked on another coat of lip gloss,
grabbed her bag and headed out the door.
She checked her watch and
walked briskly to the bus stop. She was early. Her shift started at
eight. Dino Diner was open twenty-four hours so the night crew would
still be around.
The hours were long but the
pay was good. Dino Diner paid their staff really well, and the
manager told her that she could expect generous tips from their
regular customers.
Jade tried to calm her nerves
during the twenty-minute bus ride to the diner. For some reason, she
found herself feeling anxious and jumpy.
Come on, Jade, you're a
very experienced, competent waitress , she admonished herself. Get a grip .
CHAPTER
TWO
Dylan Hart glanced around and
checked that his team was in position.
The Black Bears were
providing backup while the police prepared to storm a building where
a masked, psychotic robber was holding an elderly lady hostage.
The police assumed that the
robber was acting alone, but the Black Bears assumed nothing.
Dylan was in charge of the
backup operation, and he suspected that the police were making a
mistake by focusing all their personnel and attention on the building
and the robber. Dylan suspected that the robber wasn't as mad and
stupid as he looked.
Dylan gave the signal and his
Black Bears fanned out discreetly to cover a
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