Big Bear Trouble: BBW Werebear Shapeshifter Romance (Sweetwater Brides) (9 page)

Epilogue

K
aren stared
at the man sleeping next to her, thinking about how suddenly her whole life had changed. If someone had told her just a couple of weeks ago that she would leave everything behind and decide to move to Sweetwater, Wyoming, she would have referred them to a psychiatrist. But there she was, happier than ever.

Joe was absolutely thrilled when he heard Karen had decided to stick around and had immediately offered her a job at Bluejay’s, which she’d gladly accepted. She couldn’t have imagined a better boss.

The summer season was officially in full swing and Karen enjoyed being busy. She spent whatever free moments she had outdoors. Evan was more than happy to show her all his favorite hiking trails. He had even persuaded her into going mountain biking with him. She was glad she got through that one alive.

Then there was Everett, who kept pestering her to go fishing with him and the guys. Karen suspected that what he really wanted was someone to cook the fish afterwards. Her new life really made Karen realize how smothered she had been in New York.

Now, she had finally found her way.

Karen got dressed, hopped in Evan’s truck and made her way to Jennifer and Ethan’s house. She and Jennifer had made brunch plans and Karen was excited to have some girl time.

Jennifer was already waiting for her in the yard when she arrived.

“Hey! Do you mind if we make a quick stop before heading into town? Evan is out working on the old Grimpaw estate and I thought I’d bring him some lunch,” she said, holding up some sandwiches wrapped in tin foil.

“Sure, I’ve been dying to see the place,” Karen responded cheerily.

Jennifer guided Karen through the winding back roads until the forest cleared and the large complex came into view. The brick facade was a bit tired and chipped, but one could easily imagine how grand it had looked in the past.

The women got out of the car and made their way up to the house, Jennifer fidgeting nervously the whole way there.

They roamed around the empty house for a bit until they came upon large closed double-doors.

“Um… You go in first,” Jennifer hesitated.

Karen raised a brow.

“You’re being weird today, Jen,” she said, edging past her and stepping through the door.

“Surprise!” a dozen voices shouted at her, making her almost stumble backwards out again.

Jennifer nudged her forward, a huge smile on her face. Karen looked around the room. There were balloons everywhere and most of the clan was present, cheering with pink little party hats on their heads. Evan was in the middle of the crowd, holding a huge birthday cake.

“Oh my god! How did you even know it was my birthday?” Karen gasped, thoroughly shocked.

“I remembered it from your profile,” Evan replied. “As the date inched closer, I thought you’d say something, but you didn’t. So we thought we’d surprise you,” he explained, grinning.

“You definitely did,” Karen chuckled. “Thank you all, this means a lot. I love you guys,” she said, getting a little misty-eyed.

“Don’t get all weepy on us now!” Everett shouted. “Why don’t we just stop talking and eat some goddamn cake!”

“Yeah, that’s probably the only reason you got up this early on a Saturday,” Karen joked.

Everett clutched his heart. “You hurt my feelings, sis. My adoration for you is what got me out of bed this morning,” he said theatrically.

Someone sounding suspiciously like Ethan muttered, “Yeah, right,” and everyone burst out laughing.

Karen spent a good twenty minutes receiving hugs and well wishes while Evan cut and handed out pieces of cake. Surrounded by so many people that cared about her, the man she loved by her side – it just might have been the best birthday Karen had ever had.

She had always dreamed of a big family, and, oh boy, had she got her wish. Looking around the room, there wasn’t a single person she wouldn’t have done absolutely anything for, and she knew the feeling was mutual.

As everyone scattered, Evan plated two pieces of cake and led Karen to a small courtyard behind the house. They sat down on a little bench looking over the garden. It was mostly weeds, but wildflowers had also taken root, breaking up the green with patches of lilac and red. Evan reached down underneath the seat, pulling out two glasses and a bottle of champagne.

“The surprises keep on coming.”

“The first birthday of many we get to spend together. I thought it should be memorable,” Evan replied with a smile, filling the glasses and handing one to her.

“To you,” he said, holding up his flute.

“To us.”

And to think that all their troubles had led them to that blissful moment. Everything had almost sorted itself out. Karen’s mom couldn’t have been happier – she was already planning a visit. Evan and Ethan had talked things out and were getting along better than ever.

Alex had agreed to testify against Kyle, who had turned out had a history of stalking and assault. He was rotting in a jail cell, awaiting trial. No word on Jamie, but he was probably licking his wounds somewhere.

“You know, there’s something else I’ve been wanting to tell you. But perhaps it’s more of a gift to everyone else than to you,” Evan said mysteriously, trying to hide a smile.

“Okay…” Karen trailed off, intrigued. “What is it?”

“I’ve finally found a tenant for the apartment and the cabin is all ready to move in,” he beamed.

“Really? That’s great news,” Karen exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

“Now we can make all the noise we want, no one around for miles to complain,” Evan smirked, giving Karen a little wink.

She laughed, a slight blush coloring her cheeks.

“And we can finally blast “You Can Leave Your Hat On” and you can show me those moves of yours,” Evan grinned.

“Oh, I don’t know if you can handle
my
moves,” Karen teased, egging him on.

“Is that right,” Evan snickered, snatching the glass from her hand and setting it on the ground. With one smooth move, he pulled Karen into his lap, her legs straddling him.

“Let’s find out,” Karen coaxed, nibbling on Evan’s lower lip.

“I love you more every day,” Evan said, suddenly growing serious. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed tight.

“I know exactly what you mean.”

Also by Anya Nowlan & Rory Dale

Did you miss the first book in this series? Check it out here:

Big Bear Problems

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Don’t miss the excerpt of the third book in the series,
Big Bear Blunder
, on the next page!

Big Bear Blunder Excerpt

I
’ve never seen
a motorcycle around here before
, Rachel thought, her interest piqued.

Heavy footfalls approached the door. The bell jingled and Rachel’s eyes fixed on the entrance. A man she had never seen before stepped in, halting in the doorframe to glance around the store.

He was almost as tall as Everett, with dark blond hair and piercing blue eyes. After marveling at his chiseled jaw and high cheekbones, Rachel’s gaze was drawn to his arms. Intricate, colorful designs shot out from under the sleeves of his navy t-shirt, reaching all the way down to his gloved hands. The stranger ran his hand through his hair, muscles flexing and making the pictures come alive.

Rachel glanced at Alice, who was staring at the man in unabashed, slack-jawed awe. Rachel squared her shoulders and cleared her throat, hoping to look a little more professional than the small woman beside her.

Who are you and where have you been all my life?

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Find out in these hot stand-alone books, each following one Alpha couple through the war between the clans. Expect some twists and turns and plenty of steam! 

If you want your shifters hard, loving and dripping with testosterone and your heroines capable, smart and saucy, this might be just the boxed set for you! 

The anthology includes the following books:

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SassyDate is here to help! Each of the Alpha shifters will find a mate that's as if made for him... Just sometimes it isn't all sunshine and roses.

If you like your shifters hot, growly and determined and your women sassy, bbw and opinionated, this is the boxed set for you! You can find all five of the 
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The box set includes:

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This special edition of 
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Warning: Billionaire Dragon's Bride is a standalone novel with no cliffhangers and a dragon so hot you can't say no to him. Be aware that there's plenty of sizzling, blush-worthy heat and intense action and the book is meant for mature audiences!

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