Big Bear: BBW Bear Shifter Paranormal Romance (BRIDES Fur BEARS Book 4) by Natalie Kristen Page B

witches and said sternly, “I'll be keeping an eye on you, Gramma. If I see any sign of pain or discomfort, I will come over and make sure...”
    “Yeah, yeah,” Gramma said, waving her away. “Don't you worry now. I'm fit as a fiddle.”
    “And stubborn as a mule,” Ne-ma quipped.
    “It's just an auction,” Gramma huffed. “Will I be required to do stunts, or somersault across the stage?” Gramma challenged.
    “No,” Zoe answered. “But you should get enough rest and not strain...”
    “Oh, I'll rest when I'm dead,” Gramma declared defiantly. “I'm on! Make sure I'm on. I'm sure we'll attract some of the highest bids at the auction!” Gramma smirked and did a hip bump with Ne-ma.
    After Gramma and Ne-ma left, Zoe took a deep breath and wondered briefly what had possessed her to sign up for the auction in the first place. Why didn't she just volunteer to sing or dance instead? There would be quite a few performances before the auction, and a large crowd was expected.
    Her fellow nurses had all wanted to be part of the auction, so she had just gone along. It sounded like fun at the time, but now, on second thought...what if she was the only one standing on that stage without a single bid?
    Zoe shook away that mortifying thought. This wasn't about her. They were raising money for the children's ward. She was doing this for the children, the patients.
    Surely there would be a kind soul in Shadow Point who would put in a pity bid for her.
     

CHAPTER THREE

    “You painted the kitchen the wrong color! The client's going to have a heart attack,” Nick Sullivan snarled at his crew. They were rushing to complete a remodeling job on time, and the smallest mistake could cost them precious time and money. The company had a few projects going on simultaneously, and they were all divided into small, lean teams.
    “It's a small mistake,” Damien said sheepishly. “Geez, I didn't know there're so many shades of gray!”
    “There are fifty shades of gray, don't you know?” Graham snorted.
    There were more snarky comebacks but Nick tuned them all out.
    “Come on, come on, let's fix this. Now!” Nick barked.
    “If we all pitch in, we should be able to fix it in the nick of time,” Damien trilled. “Right, Nick?”
    Nick glared at Damien as the guy chortled and hi-fived his mates, clearly pleased with his clever pun.
    Inhaling deeply, Nick tried to count to ten under his breath. He only made it to five.
    “Move it, people,” he roared. “We'll have to stay back for an hour or so. But let's get this done before the Harrisons come back.”
    The Harrison family had gone to live with an aunt in the next town while their house was being renovated. There was nothing valuable in the house, but Nick made sure he locked up and secured the premises carefully every evening when the guys left. Beck's Builders took pride in their work and took good care of their clients. Their old clients recommended new clients to them, and the business kept growing.
    Beck's Builders had started out as just a two-man odd-job company. Back then, it had just been Nick and his best friend, Marcus Beck. Over the years, the company had expanded and business had boomed. Marcus's two younger brothers, Josh and Jax, had also joined the company. Beck's Builders had come a long way, and it had grown to become one of the largest, most reputable renovation and remodeling companies in Shadow Point.
    A company is only as good as the people it keeps. Nick firmly believed that.
    Most of the guys they hired were shifters, so they were incredibly strong and fast. But strength and speed counted for nothing if the guys didn't have the right attitude. His guys were loud and rowdy, but when there was work to be done and a deadline to beat, every one of those guys pulled his weight and more. They never cut corners, and they always delivered on time.
    After swearing at Damien and making the rascal promise to buy a round of drinks, the guys got right down to