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Chapter One
Ruby
I used to love that tv show,‘Surprise Delivery.’Not because I enjoyed the heartwarming stories of all the lovely people that were having babies, but because they were somehow nine months pregnant and managed to hide it from everyone.
How did their closest friends and family not notice they were eating like an ox left out to pasture? How did they not notice their bellies expanding to the size of planet Earth? How did a close friend not pick up on a major hormonal shift?
Turns out, it’s not that hard to conceal. An oversized hoodie, a pocketed comeback to serve in a timely fashion, and staying away from everyone as much as possible. Yeah, that’ll do it… and no one is the wiser.
I drag in a deep breath and lean back in the oversized library chair whose stuffing is supposed to make it more comfortable, but in reality, only makes the chair impossible to get out of. It’s a mistake sitting here, but my feet are killing me, and this is the only option. Well, I guess I could go to the office and sit in the swivel chair, but then I wouldn’t be front and center to help the asshole I see making his way toward me.
Hudson Laskin. The man is at least six foot and seven inches of hairy, pure, Alaskan, goliath nonsense. I swear the man wakes up in the morning to piss people off.
“I saw you at the grocery store yesterday and the diner last night. What’s your deal?”
He laughs and brushes his hand down over his salt and pepper beard.God, this man really is full of himself.“It’s a small town, little girl. Don’t flatter yourself.”
“Little girl?I’m not a little girl.”
He cocks a brow. “You look pretty little to me.”
“So, what do you want today? I don’t have time for this.” I think about struggling up and out of this chair, but I fear the embarrassment, so I stay put.
“You. A librarian of an empty library doesn’t have time to help me, even when I made an appointment?” His tone is deep, but arrogant. Why is that turning me on? I scan his broad frame quickly, noting the trucker hat he wears with a tractor on the front and the flannel he keeps rolled to the sleeves despite the fact that it’s freezing cold outside. He’s probably showing off all the ink.
If he were even a hair less attractive, I wouldn’t even speak to him. But he’s hot as fuck, so I guess I’ll do my job.
“I forgot about the appointment.” I shimmy to the edge of my chair, trying to balance my weight and also lift myself up without a scene, but I fall backward into the pile of fluff again before I’m able to stand. It’s not pretty. This is where my crimson cheeks make their entrance.
He laughs. “You need help?”
I narrow my gaze. “Do I look like I need help?” Wrong thing to say. “Don’t answer that. I’m fine. This chair just…” I push up in one final shove and make my way to a standing position. “It sucks you in, is all.”
“Right, well, I’m here for maps. I need a full, detailed version of the mountain with all the property lines clearly listed. We don’t want any more trespassing trouble.”
I roll my eyes and waddle past him, dragging in the scent of cedar on his clothes. He smells like he was chopping wood this morning.
Why does that excite me?
Hormones.Hormones.Hormones.I repeat the reminder to myself as I pull the map from the drawer. “You’re never going to get that bear. He mocks everyone in town.”
“All due respect to you and everyone else here, we’re used to taking down big, menacing game. We get into the animal's mind. We learn their tactics and we take them out before they know what’s coming.”
I shouldn’t belly laugh right now, but I do. “You get into their mind? Are you a Jedi? You sound ridiculous. Bears like Koda don’t make plans and keep them. They’re erratic and unpredictable. That’s why he’s not hibernating.”
“You named the bear?”
“Yeah.” I shrug. “People name things. So what?”
“You do know thatKodameans little bear, right?”
I roll my eyes. “Well, if the bear has a problem with that, he can bring it up with management.”
Hudson drags in a deep breath as thoughI’mthe most annoying person on the planet, when it’s clear as day thatheis. When his eyes are done rolling in sarcasm, he takes the map from my hand, and lays it out on the nearby counter. His huge, rough hand lands on the drawing like sandpaper, scuffing across the sheet as he traces a line. “We think he moved after the storm and he’s in this territory over here.” He circles a spot on the map near the mines. “We need to lure him off private property and into the forest so we can get a shot without more drama.”
“I know the folks that own that land. They’ll be willing to help. I’m sure of it.”
“No.” He glances toward me. “No more private property. It’s messy.” He scans me up and down. “Who’s that guy that was in here yesterday? The one that was yelling.”
