Read Online Woodcutter Werebear (Saw Bears Book 2) by T. S. Joyce - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: T. S. Joyce
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She wasn’t built for life mated to a logger. Or for wilderness at all, really. Highfalutin smarmy witch who berated the crew at every turn. He’d been glad when she left. Unfortunately, it ripped up their alpha at the time, made him off-his-rocker-crazy, and threw the entire crew into uncertainty and chaos.
What if Skyler left because he couldn’t offer her more? What if she went back to Roger in desperation for commitment Kellen wasn’t able to give?
“Hey,” Skyler murmured as he sat down with his food and half-empty beer bottle. “What’s wrong? You look panicked.”
Her hand on his forearm soothed him, and he attempted a smile. “Just thinking.” Too damned much. He wasn’t a smart man. Never had been, never would be. It wasn’t his low self-esteem that admitted this. He had good attributes such as loyalty, a strong back, a level head under pressure, a mechanical mind, and skill with big machinery. Thinking too much like this confused him more than he usually was and stressed him the hell out.
“Did I do something wrong?”
“No.” The word came out too loud, too forceful. “No,” he said, softer. “I’m just scared I won’t be what you need. That I won’t make you better.”
The smile faded from her lips. “I don’t need you to fix me, silly bear. You’ve already done enough. You took me away when I wasn’t able to get myself out of the predicament I’d found with Roger. I can take it from here. I just need you to be my friend.”
“Good. Just a friend.” That word pierced him, but it was what he needed, too. His head cleared, and the jumbled mess in his mind slowly faded away. “I can be that.”
Her face fell, and she slid her hand off his arm. “Okay.”
Skyler didn’t speak to him after that. She ate in silence as the other men informed Brooke of all she’d missed while she was away. The snake in Haydan’s toilet, the raccoons that stole a carton of eggs Tagan had left unattended by the grill for too long. The rope swing the boys had tied over the creek, and the makeshift skateboard ramp Bruiser had made. Drew had jumped off a roof onto it and broken the ramp into splinters. The usual shit that often led to minor injuries and more bad ideas. Brooke shook her head and called them “man plans,” but she didn’t try too hard to hide her amusement.
The fireflies lit up the woods that surrounded the trailer park, and Skyler watched them with wide-eyed wonder. Kellen couldn’t take his eyes off her. God, she was beautiful. She was also rubbing the gooseflesh on her arms. It was June and warm enough during the daylight hours, but nights were always cool, especially in the mountains.
Kellen stood and retrieved his jacked from his trailer, then dropped it around her shoulders from behind. Skyler jumped, as if he’d startled her, but smiled her thanks. It didn’t reach her eyes though, and Kellen knew he’d failed to keep his turmoil to himself. She was smart and probably saw right through him. He had to do better than this.
He opened his mouth to ask her if she wanted anything else to drink, but Denison beat him to it.
“You sure have a pretty tone to your voice, Skyler,” Denison said. “You sing?”
Brighton had been plucking away at his old guitar for the better part of half an hour now, and he looked up from the fret he was fingering as Skyler seemed to mull over her answer.
She pulled her shoulders up to her ears, as if she didn’t like the attention on her. “In the shower.”
“Mmm,” Denison said, tapping the toe of his work boot in rhythm to Brighton’s plucking of the strings across the fire. He reclined in his old plastic chair. “I bet you have a folksy, bluesy, country-sounding voice. What kind of music do you like?”
Skyler dipped her gaze to her lap and hid a smile. “Folksy, bluesy, country-sounding music.”
“Name your favorite band,” Denison challenged her.
Tagan stretched his legs out and wrapped his arm around Brooke’s shoulders,
What if Skyler left because he couldn’t offer her more? What if she went back to Roger in desperation for commitment Kellen wasn’t able to give?
“Hey,” Skyler murmured as he sat down with his food and half-empty beer bottle. “What’s wrong? You look panicked.”
Her hand on his forearm soothed him, and he attempted a smile. “Just thinking.” Too damned much. He wasn’t a smart man. Never had been, never would be. It wasn’t his low self-esteem that admitted this. He had good attributes such as loyalty, a strong back, a level head under pressure, a mechanical mind, and skill with big machinery. Thinking too much like this confused him more than he usually was and stressed him the hell out.
“Did I do something wrong?”
“No.” The word came out too loud, too forceful. “No,” he said, softer. “I’m just scared I won’t be what you need. That I won’t make you better.”
The smile faded from her lips. “I don’t need you to fix me, silly bear. You’ve already done enough. You took me away when I wasn’t able to get myself out of the predicament I’d found with Roger. I can take it from here. I just need you to be my friend.”
“Good. Just a friend.” That word pierced him, but it was what he needed, too. His head cleared, and the jumbled mess in his mind slowly faded away. “I can be that.”
Her face fell, and she slid her hand off his arm. “Okay.”
Skyler didn’t speak to him after that. She ate in silence as the other men informed Brooke of all she’d missed while she was away. The snake in Haydan’s toilet, the raccoons that stole a carton of eggs Tagan had left unattended by the grill for too long. The rope swing the boys had tied over the creek, and the makeshift skateboard ramp Bruiser had made. Drew had jumped off a roof onto it and broken the ramp into splinters. The usual shit that often led to minor injuries and more bad ideas. Brooke shook her head and called them “man plans,” but she didn’t try too hard to hide her amusement.
The fireflies lit up the woods that surrounded the trailer park, and Skyler watched them with wide-eyed wonder. Kellen couldn’t take his eyes off her. God, she was beautiful. She was also rubbing the gooseflesh on her arms. It was June and warm enough during the daylight hours, but nights were always cool, especially in the mountains.
Kellen stood and retrieved his jacked from his trailer, then dropped it around her shoulders from behind. Skyler jumped, as if he’d startled her, but smiled her thanks. It didn’t reach her eyes though, and Kellen knew he’d failed to keep his turmoil to himself. She was smart and probably saw right through him. He had to do better than this.
He opened his mouth to ask her if she wanted anything else to drink, but Denison beat him to it.
“You sure have a pretty tone to your voice, Skyler,” Denison said. “You sing?”
Brighton had been plucking away at his old guitar for the better part of half an hour now, and he looked up from the fret he was fingering as Skyler seemed to mull over her answer.
She pulled her shoulders up to her ears, as if she didn’t like the attention on her. “In the shower.”
“Mmm,” Denison said, tapping the toe of his work boot in rhythm to Brighton’s plucking of the strings across the fire. He reclined in his old plastic chair. “I bet you have a folksy, bluesy, country-sounding voice. What kind of music do you like?”
Skyler dipped her gaze to her lap and hid a smile. “Folksy, bluesy, country-sounding music.”
“Name your favorite band,” Denison challenged her.
Tagan stretched his legs out and wrapped his arm around Brooke’s shoulders,
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