Bitter Wind (Hickory Bear Rapids #1)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

R yker Windsor stood in the storeroom and wiped his greasy hands on a rag as he stared at the empty spot in the center of the space. After nearly twenty-four years, it was weird to not have to look at the food truck whenever he entered this part of his shop, and though he was glad it was gone, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing.

Which was completely stupid because he definitely didn't miss the thing.

Even covered in the tarp the truck had been a huge eyesore, and as he looked around again, he realized just how much space he'd let it take out of his life. Both in his shop and in his head. In the beginning, he'd held onto the vehicle out of guilt—wondering if he could have done anything different—but as the years went on, he'd kept it as a reminder to never make the same mistakes again.

He probably would have kept the thing forever, but something changed last summer. Suddenly, and with no probable cause, the weight of the truck felt like a burden he didn't want to carry anymore. The feeling weighed on him heavy, but it had still taken a couple more months before he'd brought up the subject with his boys.

Their adamant responses to get rid of the vehicle had shocked him, but honestly, he wasn't sure why. Although their mother had wanted the food truck, she'd never actually used the thing. It was just another one of her whiny ways to manipulate him, and he'd been stupid enough to do anything to try and make her happy.

Unfortunately, that had been an almost impossible feat from the start.

Of course, they'd had fun in the very beginning, playing house before the twins were born, but once they got married and the babies came, everything changed. He'd spent four long years trying to make her happy, and honestly, he'd been relieved when she'd finally called it quits. Unfortunately, they had officially mated—at her request—and the only way to break the mating bond was death. He'd still had to deal with her inside his head for another year before she'd gotten herself killed, but aside from the fact that his boys would never see their mother again, the only thing he'd felt was relief.

He knew that made him an asshole, but he didn't care. He hadn't loved his ex, and though he'd been trying to do the right thing by marrying her, mating with her had been stupid.

Never again.

Nope, he would never make that mistake again. Not that he was looking for a mate, because he wasn't. He never wanted to own that burden again, and aside from a few one-night stands a couple of towns over, he'd never had a need for a mate. He’d raised his boys without any help, and even though he'd barely been an adult himself,he'd done a damn good job.His boys were good men, and he was proudof all three of them.

And he hadn't needed a mate for that.

It would be nice to have a true mate, though.

It was the same feeling that had plagued him last summer. The thing that had made him wonder if holding onto the food truck had been a mistake all these years. It made him wonder if maybe holding onto it had slowly turned him into a grumpy old man. Not that he was ancient or anything, but he certainly felt older than his forty-six years. Not physically—his bear form kept him active, and he often lifted more than his share of weights—but mentally.

Even after all of his boys had moved out, he'd been content to be alone. Hell, he still relished in the quiet house, and though he loved their Sunday barbecues, he didn't miss his kids when they were gone. Maybe it was because they all lived in the same town, and he saw at least one of them daily, but he didn't think that was it. He just enjoyed the quiet that had been missing from his life since he was eighteen.

Not that he regretted anything—well, except for his failed mating—but if he hadn't met his ex, then he wouldn't have his twins, and he had never once regretted them. His oldest had come to him first, but even though they weren't related by blood, he'd been born to be the man's father, and he'd never regretted that decision either.

But he still liked the quiet, and he was glad that everyone now had their own places to live.

Of course, that meant he now had a house that was way too big for him alone, but he didn't plan on selling anytime soon— if ever. This house sat closer to the National Park than most of the other houses in the area, and it was a big plot of land so his neighbors were a nice distance away. The river flowed next to his backyard, but his property was high enough that he never had to worry about flooding, and the sun warmed his back patio in both the summer and winter, which allowed him to connect with nature even when he didn't feel like running in his bear form.

One of the best things though, was the small bridge he'd build to connect his property to the other side of the river. It was a drawbridge that used a large tree as an anchor, and he could lower it when he wanted to cross the river into the National Park. It made shifting into his bear form easy, because all he had to do was cross the river and disappear into the trees. His shift was instant, and the magic allowed him to keep his clothes on during the change, but he also had the added bonus of privacy. The part of the park that was across from his land was barely visited by people, and he never had to worry about finding strangers in his special spot.

He also didn't have to worry about anyone using the bridge to cross into his land, but that didn't mean that he didn't take precautions. No Trespassing signs were posted on the tree on his side of the river, and he'd also attached a sign to a chain that he used to block the entrance to the bridge. He also used his bear senses to check the area before coming and going, and he had never found a trace of anyone, other than his family, crossing into his land.

He checked the clock on the wall and realized he'd been staring at the empty spot in the middle of the storeroom for way too long. Normally he locked up promptly at five unless a customer asked him to stay late, and that hadn't happened today. No, he'd just been wasting time thinking about the past. Except... that wasn't exactly true, because he was also wondering about that nagging feeling he'd felt back in August.

It had been the thing that had finally pushed him to fix up the truck and put it up for sale, but he'd never even made it that far. In late December another shifter—Liam Rivers—had showed up wanting to buy the truck, and even though the man's story about Santa sending him sounded crazy, it was the only thing that had made any sense.

Because he hadn't told anyone about the truck, and neither had his boys. In fact, all three of them had admitted later that they hadn't believed he would ever sell the thing, and he understood their position. He'd sat on the truck for months after talking to them about it, and when he'd finally started working on fixing it up, it had been without a lot of fanfare. He didn't keep his work a secret, but he also hadn't talked to them much about the process.

Ryker thought again about the story Liam had shared with him and shook his head. It had sounded unbelievable—it still did—but he was a man who could shift into a grizzly bear, so he knew some things were unbelievable. Plus, while Liam was reserved, he was also sincere, and Ryker had no reason not to believe the other man's story.

Admittedly, despite all the work he'd done, he'd still been on the fence about selling until Liam had shown up out of the blue. He'd taken it as a sign and sold the vehicle for the price of new parts and nothing more. The other man had balked at the price, claiming it wasn't enough, but in that moment, Ryker had known it was time to let the monstrosity go.

He still believed in that choice, but unfortunately, that nagging feeling still remained. He'd thought selling the truck would settle him, but yet, it had been nearly a month and he still felt like something was missing. His bear grumbled in agreement, and he shook his head as he threw the rag into a nearby bin.

It had been a long time since he'd sought out a woman for release, and maybe that was all he needed. Someone to warm his bed for the night. His bear growled this time, and he dismissed the thought almost as soon as it had formed. A one-night stand held little appeal, and even less when he considered searching a few towns over.Aside from his ex, he'd never had a relationship with anyone in town, and that wasn't about to change. He'd had plenty of offers—way too many—but their motives had always been selfish, and he wasn't about to repeat any of his past mistakes.

Especiallywhen he didn't feel anything toward any of them.

He used to think it was because he was angry, and that his stance would change over time, but his indifference had never waned. Sure, there were some pretty women in town, but he'd never felt anything more than a slight appreciation for their looks. And that definitely hadn't been enoughto change his stance on finding someone new. If anything, it had cemented his resolve, and he'd accepted the fact that he would never be mated again.

That nagging feeling felt stronger now, and he rubbed a fist over the center of his chest at the same time the bell on the door chimed.

Fuck me!

He'd forgotten to lock the front door, and though most people read the posted hours and didn't bother him once they were closed, every now and then he was greeted with an annoying soul who thought the world revolved around them. Usually he would help them anyway, but right now he was feeling out of sorts, and he didn't want to deal with anyone.

He started walking toward the front, but stopped in his tracks at the sound of the unfamiliar voice.

"Hello?"

C arly Masters smiled as she walked down the path on the side of the raging river. She loved the way the river rolled over the rocks, and she could watch the swirling rapids all day. She glanced across the river, and saw a grizzly bear eyeing her curiously, but she didn't linger or make eye contact with the animal. In order to get to her side, the bear would have to cross the bridge that went over the rapids, bringing it closer to town, and though it could do that, she wasn't worried about the animal following her.

She'd moved to Hickory Bear Rapids nearly six months ago, and during that time she'd seen lots of grizzlies, but none of them had paid her any attention. She loved being outside and surrounding herself with nature, but being a city girl, she could admit that seeing a grizzly for the first time had been frightening. Luckily, the feeling had only lasted a few seconds, and she'd relied on the information pack she'd received in the mail from both the National Park and the city council on what to do when encountering a bear in the wild.

She hardly ever ventured very far into the National Park on the other side of the river, but the bears were frequent visitors of the water, and since she was also a frequent visitor, she was used to their presence. It wasn't unusual to see a bear splashing in the water, or just wading around in the shallower pools, and when it was warmer, she'd even seen one or two sunbathing on one of the larger rocks. Now that she was used to seeing the animals nearly every day, she loved getting to view them up close.

A gust of wind swirled around her and picked up some of the soft powder that covered the path. The powder-like crystals seemed to float around her feet as if by magic, and she shivered slightly as the chill battered her coat. She still had time to get to get to Windsor Auto before they closed, but she needed to move faster so she didn't freeze before she got there.

One of her coworkers had planned to drive her to pick up her car, but the other woman had gotten a call to pick up one of her kids early from practice, and by the time Carly had learned of the news, most of her other coworkers had already gone home. At least, all of the ones that she'd feel comfortable asking for a ride. Luckily, she didn't mind being out in the cold with the right coat, and she loved walking.

As soon as she reached the end of the path along the river, her phone rang, and after glancing at the caller ID, she only answered it because she still had a while to go before she reached her destination.

"Hey Jules, what's up?"

"Oh, so you are still alive."

"Funny." Carly rolled her eyes, but still forced out a laugh.

She knew her friends meant well, but none of them had understood her desire to move away from the city, and she received these kinds of calls weekly. She loved her friends, but she was thirty-four years old and single, and everyone she knew was married and having babies. Though she loved kids—that's why she'd chosen teaching as a profession—she didn't want any of her own, and she definitely didn't want to become a full-time baby sitter. Not that anyone took advantage of her single status or anything, but she'd babysat all of her friend’s kids at least once during an "emergency", and that wasn't the way she was going to spend her life.

Of course, that wasn't the only reason she'd moved, but combined with the fact that nearly all of the schools in the city had cut art and music from their curriculums, and the fact that she preferred being outdoors more than anything else, it had made sense for her to make the move. Especially since she wasn't tied to anyone, and she wasn't getting any younger.

Besides her friends, there was nothing holding her in the city, and she rarely saw the other women anyway. That didn't mean she didn't miss them, but she needed to make the changes that were right for her life, and she believed moving to Hickory Bear Rapids had been the right thing for her.

"So, guess who I saw yesterday?"

The other woman said the words in a sing-song voice, and Carly knew whoever it was had to be a man. Either someone from their collage days that was now married with kids, or someone Jules knew from work that she'd tried to set up Carly with and failed.

Never again.

Ugh! She'd allowed exactly two friends to set her up on blind dates, and they had both ended badly, though not in the same way. The first guy had been a complete disaster less than five minutes in, but the guy Jules had chosen had actually seemed nice.

At least in the beginning.

That facade hadn’t lasted long though, and despite looking good on paper, his personality had been shit. At first it was a bunch of little things that could be easily overlooked, but over time, his whiny, super needy, and clinging behavior just got old.

They'd only dated a couple of months, but though she'd ended things with him nearly two years ago, he'd put her off relationships in general. She liked her independence, and her alone time, and she wasn't going to give those things up just to be in a relationship. Not to mention the sex hadn't been good. The man had been way too overconfident considering his skills, and though he gushed about loving on her curvy body, every encounter had been a waste of her time.

Of course, her vibrator could only do so much, and if she could find a man who knew what the hell he was doing, then she would definitely be down for some sexy times. She didn't need a relationship, although she wasn't opposed to that if she found the right man, but she did miss the weight of a man on top of—and behind and inside—her.

She wasn't holding her breath though, because Hickory Bear Rapids wasn't a huge town, and she'd known when relocating here that the move might have cemented her single status for life. The situation wasn't ideal, but she'd known the truth when making her decision, and she wasn't upset about it.

"Who?" She glanced around the street, and noticed nothing looked familiar.

"James Wheeler."

"Um... eww!"

James was her ex—the one Jules had set her up with—and the other woman knew why they had broken up. Why her friend thought she would be happy hearing about the man was beyond her, but it was just another example of how they were slowly drifting apart. The woman's next words confirmed her assumptions, and a wave of sadness washed over.

"What do you mean, eww?" Jules chastised. "It's been two years, and people change. He was driving a brand-new car, and he asked about you."

Anger replaced the sadness, and she hated the fact that her friend would allow, or even encourage, her to settle for someone less than what she deserved.

"He's a big baby who sucked in bed, and I'm sure that new car has put him deep in debt. I honestly can't believe you're even bringing him up. You didn't tell him anything about me, did you?"

The silence on the other end of the phone told her everything she needed to know.

"I just worry about you," Jules said. "And I want you to move back here."

"And what?" she said, her voice hard. "Marry James Wheeler? Settle for some loser so all of your friends can be married? That actually kind of sucks."

"God, you're right,” her friend said, blowing out a breath. "I do suck. I also told him where you lived and gave him your number again. I wasn't thinking, and it was a shitty thing to do. I'm sorry."

Carly looked around again and swore. She would forgive her friend over time, but she'd also taken a wrong turn somewhere and the Auto Shop was nowhere to be found. She needed to retrace her steps and hurry up if she was going to make it before the owner closed for the night.

"Okay," Carly said. "I have to go now, but don't give my number—or my location—to anyone else."

"I'm sorry, Carly."

"I know, but I have to go."

She hung up the phone and opened her GPS, thankful her phone had good reception in this town. She typed in the name of the repair shop, and then started backtracking her steps. She'd turned one street too early, and she'd walked quite a long way before realizing her mistake, so now she had to pick up the pace.

Unless she could get there in ten minutes, the shop would definitely be closed when she arrived, and the temperature was already dropping as tiny flurries fell on her nose. Hopefully she'd get lucky and the owner would still be around, otherwise she'd have to try again tomorrow, and she really didn't want to trek back home in the snow.

Twenty minutes later, she arrived at the shop, and despite the closed sign being clearly visible, she pulled on the door and smiled when the thing opened. The little bell tinkled against the wind, and though the place wasn't overly warm, she was happy to be out of the elements. Her jacket was warm, but she'd been walking for a while, and her cheeks and fingers were freezing.

She usually enjoyed being outside, but right now she was cold and tired, and all she wanted to do was get home and snuggle under a warm blanket. All she had to do was get her car and get going, but the counter in front of her was vacant, and no sounds were coming from inside the building.

In fact, it seemed like the place was completely empty, and her smile fell.

Please let there be someone inside.

"Hello?"