Her Bear To Keep (Second Chance Shifters 5) by Meredith Clarke Page A

back to town, and Jordan had been thrown together with Ty more than she was comfortable with.
    It was much easier to deny the attraction, the desire, the need, she felt for him when she was sitting alone in her apartment reading horror novels and binge watching shows on Netflix.
    Keeping her thoughts to safe, non-sexy things, like how to get a wine stain out of her living room rug, and whether or not fish made good pets, Jordan walked out of the church and into her car without any further interaction with Ty.
    Now she just needed to get through the wedding reception. Then, she could go back to avoiding Ty and living her sad little life alone.
    “Well, that was a depressing thought,” Jordan muttered as she parked and made her way into the hall where the reception was being held. Then she looked into her rear view mirror and said, “Just a couple more hours, Jordan. You’ve got this. Stay away from the alcohol and Tyson, and for God’s sake, keep it in your pants.”
    She stopped in the restroom to freshen up and pull down her Spanx in private, before taking a deep breath and going out into the music filled room. People were already starting to dance, but Jordan wanted no part of that. She just wanted to be there to wish her friends well on their honeymoon, then get the hell out of there and go spend some alone time with her cat, Vicious.
    “Oh, Jordan, there you are. It’s so nice to see a familiar face. I swear everyone’s been giving me the evil eye since I walked in.”
    Jordan turned to see Mia’s mother standing against the wall, her eyes wide with sadness as she surveyed the room.
    “Hi, Ms. Carter, how are you feeling?” she asked as she walked over to lean against the wall next to the woman who’d baked cookies for her as a child.
    Mia’s mother had been one of the driving forces behind Mia being sent to New York and being away from Drake for twelve years or so. Mia and Drake had been through a lot to get back together, and were trying very hard to find it in their hearts to forgive Mia’s mom, going so far as to invite her to the wedding. Their friends and the clan members hadn’t been quite as forgiving.
    “I’m doing much better, thank you,” Ms. Carter answered. She’d been in a coma after being shot during a robbery, which had been instigated by Mia’s father. It was a long story, but even though Ms. Carter had done bad things, Jordan was happy that she hadn’t been more seriously injured, and she knew Ms. Carter regretted her actions. “But I could really use a drink. Have one with me?”
    “Oh, I don’t know,” Jordan said, holding up a hand to wave off the suggestion. “I really wasn’t planning on…”
    “Please,” Mia’s mother pleaded. “Don’t make me drink alone.”
    Jordan sighed and held up one finger.
    “Okay, one drink.”
    Ms. Carter smiled and said she’d go get them.
    Jordan was leaning against the wall when she felt Tyson enter the room, causing her to push off of the wall and stand up straighter. He barely spared her a glance as he walked over to the DJ booth, and a few seconds later, the music stopped as the DJ announced the arrival of Mia and Drake.
    Good, she’d get to leave soon.
    “Here you go, Jordan,” Ms. Carter said as she handed her a glass filled with dark liquid.
    Jordan grabbed the glass like it was a lifeline, taking a healthy swig, then choking as it burned its way down her throat.
    “What is it?” she asked when she was able.
    “Double whiskey and coke,” Ms. Carter replied. “You said only one, so I figured it’d better be a good one.”
    Jordan felt Ty’s eyes on her and took another drink, and as warmth spread through her, she realized that she probably should have eaten something that day other than the blueberries she’d had for breakfast. But she’d wanted her dress to look good, and the day had been so hectic, that Jordan just hadn’t found the time to eat.
    She was thinking about grabbing a snack, the fluid feeling of her