Second Chance Bear and a Baby: BBW Bear Shifter Baby Paranormal Romance (Who's the Daddy? Book 3) by Harmony Raines

other. As much as she could, she had shielded Mike, who was five years her junior, from the arguments, often reading him bedtime stories until he was asleep, and then creeping into her own bed, and lying awake unable to blot out the sound of two people who had once loved each other tearing each other apart.
    “Hey, sis. That’s not who you are.” He came over to her and hugged her close. “You are not Mom, I am not Dad, we are unique, and we won’t grow into them because we know the damage it did to us.”
    “I know; I tell myself the same thing every day. But still… It’s hard.” Especially when the man you are in love with turns into a bear right before your eyes.
    She started at her own thoughts, her breath catching in her throat. I love him. Or at least I’m in love with him.
    “Have you ever thought to tell Liam about your childhood?”
    “No. We’ve only just met.”
    “I told Tammy on our second date. More because I was scared I might have the same temper as Dad.”
    “You always were fiery.”
    “That’s why I walked out. But since we’ve been back here, we’ve talked, and now I stay if we have an argument. I know myself, and count to ten or leave the room to calm down. Then we talk things over like adults.”
    She hugged him tighter. “My brother, an adult. Who would have guessed?”
    He laughed, and then looked up. “I think your Liam is here to see you.”
    She turned around, and sure enough, Liam’s car was parked outside. A knock on the door told her it was time to confront her future. All six foot four of him.
    “Thanks, Mike.” She kissed him on the cheek, and went to answer the door, not sure exactly what she was going to say, or how she felt about the man who could change into a bear, now stood on her doorstep. He wasn’t quite back to looking like a party pooper again, but he was damn close. Her heart ached for him.
    Then she reminded herself that he could change into a bear. A Bear.
    “How are you, Carla?” he asked, his hand twitching as if he wanted to reach out and touch her, or maybe his bear wanted to reach out and swipe at her with his claws.
    “I’m OK.”
    “Want to walk with me?” he asked, indicating outside.
    “Sure.” Yes, she was sure, she had to give him a chance to explain this whole thing to her. She wanted to hear what he had to say, because it would eat her up inside otherwise. This was new to her, and she had to have answers, even if she didn’t like what those answers were.
    “I’m just going to grab my purse.” And my cell phone , she thought, wondering if she should put the police emergency number into her phone for easy access. Then she reminded herself he was the police. She slipped her phone into her pocket, and called, “See you later, Mike. I’m going for a walk with Liam.”
    “Have a good time.” Mike poked his head out of the kitchen. “And have some fun.” He emphasized the last word, and she wanted to ask him how much fun he would have dating a man who could turn into a bear the size of a horse, who could probably rip her head off her shoulders in one blow.
    “I will.” It was the easiest answer.
    Liam reached for her hand, and she let him hold it, feeling his familiar warmth spread across her skin. “You are just the same man,” she murmured, squeezing his hand. “Apart from the bear thing.”
    He glanced around nervously. “It’s a secret.”
    “I guessed that, since I had no idea.” She frowned. “So why did you tell me? We could have dated, lived our lives, and I would have had not needed to know.”
    “Is that what you would have preferred, that I live a secret life?”
    “No. But I still want to know why you told me now. I could go and tell the whole world about you.”
    “Because I hoped it would explain why you can trust me never to leave.”
    “What does that have to do with you being a bear? Or do you mean now you’ve told me you are in some way stuck with me? Or am I a captive of yours and you are going to