Read Online Lumberjack Werebear (Saw Bears Book 1) by T. S. Joyce - Free Book Online
Authors: T. S. Joyce
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taken an old lawn chair right beside hers.
Brighton sat down across the fire with a beat up old guitar and started strumming a song she recognized from the radio. If she had any kind of voice, she’d hum along, but as it stood, she couldn’t hold a tune. Denison, however, could.
He sang a strong, clear baritone with that thick, country accent of his, and Brooke propped her feet up on an overturned log in front of her and relaxed into her plastic chair. The boys grew quiet, settling in as Denison hit the chorus. Conversation faded to an occasional murmur as the boys nursed their beers and stared at the fire in the middle of them all. Brooke looked up to the sky, suddenly yearning to see the stars she’d seen last night. The ones that looked radiant in the mountain sky.
“You want to go up there?” Tagan asked.
Brooke rolled her head toward him and smiled. “How’d you know?”
“That place calls to me, too. You can’t see it as well from here. The firelight and smoke pollute the view of the sky.”
Shyness crept over her, dragging heat into her cheeks. Leaning over, she whispered into his ear. “Will you come with me?”
Tagan’s breath hitched, and he hesitated before he answered. She thought he would say no, but instead, he grabbed her hand and helped her up, then led her around the outskirts of the circle.
Connor’s cold eyes followed them. Brooke couldn’t look away from him as the firelight reflected strangely across his face. They looked like the eyes of an animal illuminated by high beams at night on the side of the road. A chill rippled across her skin, causing a wave of gooseflesh over her arms.
“Don’t mind him,” Tagan said.
“You know the rules, Second,” Connor said. “I challenged. You can’t touch her until Jed gets back.”
Tagan pressed his hand against the small of her back and guided her away from the campfire.
“Why does he call you Second? And what did he mean about he challenged you?”
“Nothing you have to worry about,” Tagan said, his voice hardening.
“Okay, but you know my entire ordeal, and no one will answer my questions here. You all speak in some secret code, and I get the distinct feeling I’m the only one here who is left out of the loop.”
Tagan dropped his hand from her back, and she knew she’d pushed him too far. The rest of the trip to his favorite place on the mountain was quiet. Uncomfortable quiet—the kind that pressed weight onto her shoulders and made it hard to breathe.
She came through the tree line into the mountainside clearing first. The stars were just as stunning tonight as they were last night. The wind was harsher here, and she rubbed the sleeves of her jacket to conjure warmth back into her arms.
“You’re right,” he said. “You told me everything, and I haven’t shared much with you. It’s not fair. Ask me something.”
She wasn’t brave enough to turn around. Not yet. Instead, she gave her question to the wind. “What does Meredith mean to you guys? Every time I’ve mentioned her, there is a reaction, but for the life of me, I can’t tell if it’s good or bad. I want to know why she sent me here. The real reason, not just the bull caka excuse she gave me over the phone.”
His hands slid up her arms and rested on her shoulders where he gently squeezed. “Meredith is my mother.”
“What?” she said, spinning. “Your mom? Meredith James is your mother?” She couldn’t help the disbelief in her voice. She tried to find any similarity between the tall, stoic, gray-haired beauty and Tagan. “But you don’t look anything like her.”
He laughed a surprised sound, and it echoed off the mountains. “I took after my father.” He shrugged his shoulders, as if his jacket had grown too tight. “My mom says I’m the spitting image of him.”
“Where is your father? I’ve never seen Meredith…I mean, your mom with anyone.”
“He died when I was a kid. I don’t remember him.”
“Oh.”
Hurt slashed
Brighton sat down across the fire with a beat up old guitar and started strumming a song she recognized from the radio. If she had any kind of voice, she’d hum along, but as it stood, she couldn’t hold a tune. Denison, however, could.
He sang a strong, clear baritone with that thick, country accent of his, and Brooke propped her feet up on an overturned log in front of her and relaxed into her plastic chair. The boys grew quiet, settling in as Denison hit the chorus. Conversation faded to an occasional murmur as the boys nursed their beers and stared at the fire in the middle of them all. Brooke looked up to the sky, suddenly yearning to see the stars she’d seen last night. The ones that looked radiant in the mountain sky.
“You want to go up there?” Tagan asked.
Brooke rolled her head toward him and smiled. “How’d you know?”
“That place calls to me, too. You can’t see it as well from here. The firelight and smoke pollute the view of the sky.”
Shyness crept over her, dragging heat into her cheeks. Leaning over, she whispered into his ear. “Will you come with me?”
Tagan’s breath hitched, and he hesitated before he answered. She thought he would say no, but instead, he grabbed her hand and helped her up, then led her around the outskirts of the circle.
Connor’s cold eyes followed them. Brooke couldn’t look away from him as the firelight reflected strangely across his face. They looked like the eyes of an animal illuminated by high beams at night on the side of the road. A chill rippled across her skin, causing a wave of gooseflesh over her arms.
“Don’t mind him,” Tagan said.
“You know the rules, Second,” Connor said. “I challenged. You can’t touch her until Jed gets back.”
Tagan pressed his hand against the small of her back and guided her away from the campfire.
“Why does he call you Second? And what did he mean about he challenged you?”
“Nothing you have to worry about,” Tagan said, his voice hardening.
“Okay, but you know my entire ordeal, and no one will answer my questions here. You all speak in some secret code, and I get the distinct feeling I’m the only one here who is left out of the loop.”
Tagan dropped his hand from her back, and she knew she’d pushed him too far. The rest of the trip to his favorite place on the mountain was quiet. Uncomfortable quiet—the kind that pressed weight onto her shoulders and made it hard to breathe.
She came through the tree line into the mountainside clearing first. The stars were just as stunning tonight as they were last night. The wind was harsher here, and she rubbed the sleeves of her jacket to conjure warmth back into her arms.
“You’re right,” he said. “You told me everything, and I haven’t shared much with you. It’s not fair. Ask me something.”
She wasn’t brave enough to turn around. Not yet. Instead, she gave her question to the wind. “What does Meredith mean to you guys? Every time I’ve mentioned her, there is a reaction, but for the life of me, I can’t tell if it’s good or bad. I want to know why she sent me here. The real reason, not just the bull caka excuse she gave me over the phone.”
His hands slid up her arms and rested on her shoulders where he gently squeezed. “Meredith is my mother.”
“What?” she said, spinning. “Your mom? Meredith James is your mother?” She couldn’t help the disbelief in her voice. She tried to find any similarity between the tall, stoic, gray-haired beauty and Tagan. “But you don’t look anything like her.”
He laughed a surprised sound, and it echoed off the mountains. “I took after my father.” He shrugged his shoulders, as if his jacket had grown too tight. “My mom says I’m the spitting image of him.”
“Where is your father? I’ve never seen Meredith…I mean, your mom with anyone.”
“He died when I was a kid. I don’t remember him.”
“Oh.”
Hurt slashed
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