Page 42 of Coveted By the Bear

The hunger gnawed at me like a buzzard on a bone. Pain from my healing injuries was a constant, buzzing background noise, but after the first six hours of straining work, the ache of hunger overpowered it. I needed to eat a lot more now that I’d been changed.

The boys were taking me to lunch for my glad-you-didn’t-die celebration. My boss had even given us an extra half hour so we could grab our grub in town. Unheard of before now, as a rig always kept rigorous hours, but hey, who was I to complain?

I popped a couple of pain meds into my mouth and downed them with a bottled water. The empty plastic container gave under the weight of my crushing hand. I didn’t have to squish it to oblivion, but for some reason it made me feel better.

“Where do you want to eat?” Reyes asked.

“Oh, it’s my choice, is it?” I pretended to think long and hard, but I already knew my answer. “I feel like trying somewhere new.”

The boys and I piled into my truck and headed into town. There were six of us, which meant six opinions on what kind of music we should blare through the speakers. Evan flopped through the back window and stood up in the bed as we drove through town, legs splayed and holding on for dear life to the sides of the cab. He whistled at any girl on two legs. A part of me wanted to jerk the truck to a stop and flip him over the hood, but with him being my brother and all, I thought it a little too harsh a punishment for idiocy.

I hadn’t been inside of the Main Street Pie & Candy Co., and I lifted my gaze to the diners relaxing on the second floor while they enjoyed their meal. If I could ignore the eye-maiming color of the outside, the place looked nice enough. Evan jumped out of the back of the truck and landed with a thud right in front of me.

“I know why Caleb picked this place,” he said, loud enough for the boys to hear. “The waitress in here is a hot little piece of ass.”

My blunt fingernails pressed into the skin of my palms as I imagined what it would feel like to put my knuckles through his teeth. If Evan knew anything at all, it was how to pick at a festering wound. And he did it for enjoyment.

Ignoring the guys and their obnoxious catcalls, I stepped around Evan. It was pointless to engage my brother. Years of arguing with him had taught me that.

I scanned the room for Mira as soon as we stepped inside and spotted her behind the counter. She had her hair pulled back. She wore a flour-covered apron and had an orange pencil tucked behind her ear. She looked thoughtful and polite and smiled shyly at old man Tucker as he put in his order.

“It’s your party, little brother.” Evan grinned at me with a predatory smile. “Why don’t you and the boys take a load off, and I’ll order us lunch. On me.”

The disappointment that soaked my resignation was as uncontrollable as my heartbeat. He knew he’d taken my chance to talk to Mira away, and the dumbass all but skipped to the register as the others shouted their orders. Evan leaned against the counter, dripping with ego, and Mira’s face fell when she saw it was him. I wished I could protect her from whatever utterly stupid thing Evan had said to draw her eyebrows down in anger.

“Hey, man. Have you heard anything we’ve been talking about?” Reyes asked.

I tore my eyes away from Mira and tried to pretend I hadn’t just spaced on every single word that had been said since we walked through the door.

“Dude, there’s Becca. Better run, McCreedy,” Jeff snorted. “She’ll have you married by nightfall.”

I saw the recognition light up Becca’s face as she saw us through the window, and I stifled a groan. It was too late to hide.

Becca came in and leaned into the chair behind me. “Can I talk to you?”

The boys made kissing sounds, but I ignored them. Instead, I nodded to Becca. I couldn’t be rude to the girl in front of everyone. The chair made a scuffling sound as I pushed it back, and I caught the surprised look on Mira’s face as I headed with Becca to the hallway for the bathroom.

“I was wondering if you would want to sit with me at the Founder’s Parade?” she asked, getting straight to the meat of it.

Relief flooded me. I had a legitimate excuse not to subject myself to that uncomfortable hour. “Sorry, but I’m in the parade. I have to get back to the guys. We have a short lunch.”

She grabbed my hand. “Please tell me you aren’t here for her.” Her whisper was pleading, and it grated on my last nerve. “I’ve been the only one to like you through all of your problems. I came to your mother’s funeral, not her. I still care about you, even after that bear ruined you.”

“Ruined me?” Sure, I felt ruined most days, but I never thought it was a deal-breaker for friends. Family. Girls. Apparently, I owed people who accepted me despite my marred skin. “Do my scars bother you that much?” I unbuttoned the top button of my old flannel work shirt, and when she looked around to make sure no one saw the red mark I had exposed, I undid another. And another. Her growing discomfort amused me.

“That’s quite enough,” she snapped as the last button was undone. “You’re going to embarrass both of us.”

She grabbed the flailing pieces of shirt and tried unsuccessfully to put them back together. I didn’t help. I couldn’t take my eyes away from her shame-filled blush at how torn and ragged my chest was.

“Excuse me,” Mira said as she inched around us. “I just have to get to the bathroom.” Her voice shook, and I glanced down to see what Becca and I must have looked like to her.

“Mira, wait,” I rushed out, prying Becca’s hands away from my clothing.

“You don’t have to explain anything to me. It’s none of my business,” she clipped out softly before she disappeared into the restroom.

Chapter Sixteen

Mira