Read Bearly Hanging On (A Werebear Shifter BBW Romance) (Laid Bear Book 3) for Free Online Page A

because he didn’t want to see her become some shiftless layabout. She was up at the crack of dawn and at work before he’d had his first cup of coffee. If Max Pearce knew which end was up, Pete insisted, he’d have Chet working all day, every day during his stay. Pushing a broom at the mill, if he had to.
    Chet barely noticed. All he could think about was catching a glimpse of Crystal again. It killed him that he hadn’t been back to town since that night, but his aunt and uncle had been home every night and he didn’t dare take one of their cars. Their werebear noses would have caught his scent immediately the next morning. Part of him wanted to tell them that he was an adult and could do whatever he wanted but he knew it would only come out sounding peevish and immature. So instead, he bided his time.
    “Thanks for the ride, kid,” Pete said, cranking down the passenger window. “Don’t suppose a young fella like you would be willing play driver to an old fart like me for the week, would ya? The shop says it’ll be that long before my truck’s ready. Can’t drive the company trucks with this cast. They’re all stick and mine’s an automatic.”
    Chet glanced down at the cast on Pete’s left leg and saw hope. If he could track down Crystal today, they could spend time together twice a day without having to sneak out from under the very perceptive nose of his uncle. He had a sudden urge to find the carcass of the deer that jumped out in front of Pete’s truck two nights ago and give it a big hug of gratitude. Or at least a hearty ‘Thanks, dude’.
    “Most definitely,” Chet replied, trying to not sound too excited. “What time do you want me to pick you up?”
    “Oh, seven should be good. Pull in here.”
    “Seven? In the morning ?” Chet asked as he turned into the driveway of a compact yet tidy home. It wasn’t far from Paulie’s Pizza, he realized. Then again, nothing was far from Paulie’s in this town.
    Pete just chuckled as he jammed his shoulder against the door, pushing it open with great effort and an eardrum-shattering screech. He had his crutches tucked under his arms by the time the front door of the house swung open and someone came out to help him.
    It was Crystal.
    Chet’s heart nearly stopped. Pete was her grandfather? Chet decided he must be the luckiest son of a bitch in the world to have found her so easily. The thought of running out to buy a lottery ticket ran through his brain before the rest of it kicked into gear and focused on her. A grin as wide as Vancouver Island spread across his face as Crystal bounced across the moss-patched lawn.  
    She hadn’t spotted him yet, offering him the opportunity to stare at her freely from behind his Wayfarers. His memory of her was flawless. Cute blond hair in relaxed wavelets, only a touch of makeup and curves that made his seated position increasingly uncomfortable. But he couldn’t adjust himself without Pete seeing, so he gritted his teeth and thought about what his first grade teacher looked like naked. No one wanted to see that!
    It didn’t work, though. His bear was on high alert after being away from its mate for so long, and it took all of his concentration to rein him in. Visions of jumping out of the truck and taking her right there on the hood — in front of Pete and the world — ran through his lust-addled mind. He’d never experienced a need like this before and he found it uncomfortable and exhilarating at the same time.  
    Crystal ran up to her grandfather with a big smile, kissing him on the cheek and asking him something Chet couldn’t hear. Pete replied and jerked his head toward the truck as he hobbled up the path to the house. Only then did Chet realize that Pete had left his lunch pail on the floor of the truck.
    Taking a deep, calming breath, he leaned back against his door, one arm draped against the back of the truck’s seat, the other propped casually on the steering wheel. Drawing on every drop of