Read Online Santa Paws: BBW Holiday Bear Shifter Romance (Christmas Bear Brothers Book 1) by Harmony Raines - Free Book Online Page B

to tell. Like a young boy on Christmas morning, he knocked on the door. Waiting for Declan to answer.
    He heard the keys jingling in Declan’s hand as his brother approached the door; it reminded him of the bells on Vicky’s harness. He felt so enormously happy, and couldn’t resist putting on a deep voice and saying, “Ho, ho, ho. Merry Christmas.”
    “Dermot.” Declan opened the door, looking surprised to see his brother. “What the hell are you doing here at this time?”
    “I couldn’t sleep. Didn’t know if you would be here either. Thought you had found your mate.” Dermot went into his brother’s office. Declan seemed more interested in the food he was carrying than what Dermot had to say. But when Dermot took a closer look at him, he realised how rough he looked, and handed him one of the baguettes.
    “Thought I would bring you breakfast.”
    “Thank you,” Declan said, accepting the baguette and tucking in. “That is wonderful.”
    “You look terrible, by the way.” Dermot said, between mouthfuls.
    “It has been a rough couple of days.”
    “Tell me about it,” Dermot said nodding in agreement.
    “You have a black eye,” Declan said accusingly. “Don’t tell me you got into a brawl on Christmas Eve.”
    “I did. With a polar bear,” Dermot said matter-of-factly.
    Declan nearly choked on his food. “A polar bear. In Bear Bluff?”
    “Oh, no. I have been to the North Pole. And I take it all back. Santa is real.” Declan nearly choked on his food.
    “So now I know you’ve been drinking.” Declan thought for a moment. “Hey. Did you really get dropped off by Santa in a sleigh?”
    “I most certainly did.” Dermot grinned. “He has a very sexy reindeer called Vicky.”
    This time Declan did spray his food. “You have the hots for a reindeer?”
    “She’s my mate,” he said simply.
    “Then we’ve both fulfilled that pact we made,” Declan said with wonder.
    Dermot nodded. “I think Damon has too, although I’ve not heard from him since he nearly got ripped to shreds by a cougar.”
    “Was she his mate too?” Declan asked.
    “I think she was. We need to take him in for an interrogation. If we can find him.”
    “What a Christmas,” Declan said, leaning back in his chair. Then a strange look of bliss came over his face. “She’s here.”
    “Who’s here?” Dermot asked, and then the door of the sheriff’s office opened and a pretty woman came in, with a teenager behind her.
    “Oh, we brought you breakfast,” the woman said, then saw the baguettes. “I see you’ve already eaten.”
    “We were starving, and still are. Bears have huge appetites,” Dermot said, getting up and giving Declan’s mate a warm hug. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”
    “Maria, this is my youngest brother, Dermot. Dermot, Maria. And this young man is Jason.”
    “Hello, Jason,” Dermot said and a flash of pain crossed his face; he remembered the car accident only too well. It was the same accident that had claimed the life of Sorcha’s father and left her so terribly injured. But this wasn’t the time to bring up thoughts of the past. They were all looking to the future now. So instead, he grinned. “I think we are all going to be one great big family.”
    “Dermot met his mate too.” Declan had finished his first baguette and was eyeballing more food. Dermot wondered what he had been doing to work up such an appetite.
    “She’s one of Santa’s reindeer,” Dermot said proudly.
    “That’s crap. Santa isn’t real,” Jason protested.
    If only you knew , thought Dermot. And then he had another idea. “Oh yes, he is. In fact, if you come with me now, I will show you. Vicky said she would be back around ten. Come on. Maria and Declan can meet us on the North Slope when they are ready.” Dermot hooked his arm around Jason’s shoulders and guided him out of the door. He turned to wink at Declan. “Have fun, bro’.”
    It didn’t take much to realise Declan wanted some alone