Bear's Curvy Mate: BBW Shape Shifter Paranormal Romance (Nightbrook Book 2) Read online

  “I’m a regular here,” Kyle explained as they slid into the booth. “I eat here at least twice a week.”

  As Kyle flipped through the menu, Hollie looked around. The diner wasn’t very crowded, and only a few elderly customers were in the diner, enjoying their coffee as they read the papers.

  Maria came up to their booth to take their order. “I haven’t seen you around,” she remarked, studying Hollie over the rim of her glasses. “Are you new in town?”

  Hollie saw that Kyle was about to answer for her. She didn’t want him to lie and say that she was just visiting or that she had just moved to Nightbrook.

  She didn’t want to hide who she was. She refused to be ashamed of her past. The truth was the truth.

  “I’m from the Black Blade pack,” Hollie said.

  Maria’s eyes widened. “You are? But...”

  “She was from the Black Blade pack,” Kyle corrected. “Hollie is no longer a part of that pack.”

  Maria frowned and shook her head. “I’ve never heard of anyone getting out of the Black Blade pack. That pack is...not like the other shifter packs in town. The members don’t mingle and talk to the townspeople. They keep to themselves, and there’s an air of secrecy around the pack.” She lowered her voice and added, “I’ve heard that the members can only choose their mates from within the pack.”

  Hollie made a face. “The union has to be approved by the Alpha, so...it’s really the Alpha who chooses your mate.”

  Maria sucked in a breath. “How did you get out, Hollie?” she asked.

  “Kyle saved me,” Hollie answered without hesitation.

  Maria broke into a grin. “I’ve always liked you, Kyle,” she said. “But now, I adore and admire you! You got a girl out of that awful pack. I don’t know how you did it, but...well done!”

  Her expression sobered suddenly. “Will they come after you? I don’t think they let you go willingly, did they?”

  Hollie shook her head and snarled, “No. But I’m not going back. I won’t. They’ll have to drag my corpse back.”

  Maria nodded and a steely glint entered her eye. “And I won’t let them drag you back. If anyone comes asking or sniffing around, I won’t breathe a word.” She made a zipping motion across her mouth.

  Hollie smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Maria.”

  “Now, what can I get you?” Maria said chirpily, clicking her pen.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Hollie leaned back and sipped her coffee. It was a very satisfying meal, and she felt happy and relaxed, just sitting in Joe’s Diner, chatting with Kyle and soaking in the atmosphere.

  The diner was beginning to fill up. The buzz of conversation was getting louder and all the tables and booths were occupied.

  Maria was rushing in and out of the kitchen, looking increasingly frazzled. The other waitress, Lucy, was equally busy, and the whole place was a hum of activity. Kyle informed Hollie that Lucy was a single mom who worked part-time at the diner. Lucy would finish her shift by the afternoon so she could pick her kid up from school.

  As Maria hurried past their booth, she stopped and said breathlessly, “Lunch time is always busy for us. But this past week has been crazy. Joe’s the only one in the kitchen, so...”

  “What happened to Joe’s assistant cook? Gavin, right?” Kyle asked.

  “Gavin went back to his hometown last week. His dad is really sick, so Gavin went back to take care of his dad’s business.” Maria blew out a breath. “We really need a new cook, but we can’t find a replacement at such short notice...”

  “I can cook,” Hollie said suddenly.

  Maria and Kyle stared at her.

  “I mean...I know how to cook, and I can cook pretty well,” she said nervously.

  A slow smile spread across Kyle’s face. “Yes. Hollie was a cook in the Black Blade pack. She’s really smart and hardworking.”

  Maria turned to Hollie. “Do you want to work here, Hollie? Some of the young cooks we hired in the past complained that there’s too much to do, and the pay isn’t great...”

  Hollie let out a mirthless laugh. “I used to work sixteen hour days and I did everything, from cleaning to chopping to cooking...”

  “Sixteen hours! That’s...that’s...” Maria spluttered, looking horrified and outraged.

  “I’ve always wanted to work in a real kitchen,” Hollie said eagerly. “In an eatery, a diner, where I can see people enjoying the food I prepared...”

  “We can’t afford to pay you much though.” Maria told Hollie the salary that they were willing to pay her and Hollie almost fell off her seat.

  “That’s ten times what I was paid!” Hollie exclaimed.

  Maria and Kyle exchanged a look. Neither of them looked pleased. In fact, they looked like they were trying to control their anger.

  “If you want the job,” Maria told Hollie gently. “It’s yours.”

  “Thank you!” Hollie jumped up. “The pack didn’t allow us to work for anyone else. We had to work for the pack. You’ve given me my first real job! Thank you, thank you!”

  Hollie rubbed her hands with glee and asked, “When can I start?”

  When Maria blinked at her and didn’t answer straight away, Hollie suddenly realized that she might have been too forward and presumptuous. Maybe Maria was having second thoughts. Maria had every right to change her mind. She had to think about her own safety and the safety of the diner. If she hired Hollie, she might be putting herself in the cross hairs of the Black Blade pack.

  Hollie winced and stammered, “I...I’m sorry. You don’t have to give me the job. The Black Blade pack didn’t let me go willingly, so they might come and make trouble for you. I...”

  “No,” Maria answered firmly. “You can start today. Right now.”

  Linking her arm through Hollie’s, she said brightly, “Come on. Let’s go to the kitchen and meet Joe.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Joe was a jovial man with ruddy cheeks and kind, intelligent eyes. He looked surprised when Maria told him that Hollie was his new assistant cook, but he was supportive of his wife’s decision to hire Hollie.

  After shaking Hollie’s hand, Joe rattled off some instructions for a simple dish and asked her to show him what she could do.

  Hollie got the ingredients and started cooking. She followed Joe’s instructions and cooked the dish flawlessly. Towards the end, she decided to prepare a special sauce to go with the dish and whipped the sauce up in just a few minutes.

  She would never forget the look on Joe’s face when he sampled the sauce. “Oh, good lord!” he exclaimed. “This is perfect! Why haven’t I thought of this before?”

  Grinning from ear to ear, he clapped Hollie on the shoulder and said, “You are a godsend! Now, get to work. You can refer to this old recipe book. I wrote all my recipes in this notebook, but feel free to improve on them!”

  Hollie rolled up her sleeves and flexed her fingers. She was right at home in the kitchen. She was in her element and she even hummed softly as she zipped around the kitchen. It was her very first day at work, yet she worked comfortably and efficiently alongside Joe.

  Joe seemed delighted with her. He saw that she was a very competent cook and he encouraged her to experiment and come up with some new dishes.

  “I am so glad that Maria hired you,” he said happily.

  “You can thank me later,” Maria quipped, waltzing into the kitchen with a large order.

  “I will thank you now,” Joe said, giving his wife a kiss on the cheek.

  Hollie smiled as Maria blushed. They were so sweet and affectionate, and she liked them both a lot. They were outspoken and gutsy, and even though they had known her for less than a day, they weren’t afraid to stand up for her. Joe told Hollie that if the Black Blade wolves came near the diner, he would go after them with his cleaver.

  Joe was studying the order that just came in. He handed it to Hollie and said, “Let’s get cracking, kiddo.”

  “They ordered a lot of food,”
Hollie remarked as she started grabbing the ingredients. “It must be a big party.”

  “It’s for the Ballsy Hookers,” Maria said over her shoulder as she went back out to the diner.

  Joe chuckled. “The Ballsy Hookers have been coming to our diner for years.”

  Hollie’s mouth fell open. “Um...hookers?” she managed. “B-ballsy hookers?”

  Joe guffawed and slapped his thigh. “Oh, it’s not what you think, Hollie!”

  Hollie turned red. “I wasn’t thinking...” She ducked her head. “I would never judge anyone,” she added in a small voice.

  “I wasn’t implying that, Hollie,” Joe said gently. “I admit I was thrown for a loop when I first heard their name. It’s really clever. I won’t give anything away. But I promise you, you’ll have a real good laugh at the end of it!”

  Confused, Hollie shook her head and busied herself whipping up all the dishes. Joe was still grinning as he cooked alongside Hollie.

  “You should go out and meet them,” Joe said, wiping his hands on his apron.

  “Who?”

  “The Ballsy Hookers.”

  Hollie smiled awkwardly. “That’s okay. There are more orders coming in. I should just stay here and do my work.”

  When the dishes were ready, Maria and Lucy balanced all the plates expertly on two trays and marched out to serve the Ballsy Hookers.

  After a few minutes, Maria popped her head into the kitchen and beckoned to Hollie. “The Ballsy Hookers send their compliments to the chef!” she announced. “Come on out, Hollie. Come and meet these lovely ladies!”

  Self-consciously, Hollie followed Maria out of the kitchen.

  Her eyes bugged when she saw three booths filled with giggling, chattering little old ladies.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  “Here’s our chef extraordinaire, Hollie!” Maria announced proudly.

  The rowdy group of silver-haired grandmothers turned to beam at Hollie. “Hi Hollie! We love your cooking!” they chorused.

  “You even improved on Joe’s secret sauce!” a woman hooted. “His hot sauce was pretty awesome to begin with, but you made it awesomesauce!”

  The ladies heaped praises on her, and Hollie stammered her thanks. She wasn’t used to being lavished with so much attention, kindness and praise. She could feel herself blushing furiously, and she squirmed a little.

  But a very warm and wonderful feeling was blooming inside her. Hollie’s shy smile grew wide and radiant.

  It felt really, really good to be recognized for her work and her talents. She was given full credit for her work. Neither Maria nor Joe tried to take the credit away from her. They were supportive and proud of her. Maria put one arm around Hollie, and at that moment, Hollie felt as though she had a big sister. Joe and Maria were like the big brother and sister she never had.

  It felt so amazing to be around friendly faces and kind, encouraging people.

  Tears sprang unbidden to her eyes. As Hollie discreetly dabbed away her tears, she turned and saw Kyle.

  Kyle was still sitting in his booth, with a cup of coffee and a stack of paperwork in front of him. He grinned at her and gave her the thumbs-up. He had gone to his car, grabbed some files and returned to the diner.

  He had been sitting in the diner for hours. While she worked in the kitchen, he had been sitting out here, patiently waiting for her and supporting her. He did his work quietly and didn’t get in her way. He was looking out for her while giving her the space to do her job and be herself.

  Hollie smiled at Kyle and saw the love shining in his eyes. Was this amazing, incredibly handsome man truly hers?

  Maria’s voice cut through her thoughts. “Hollie, these beautiful ladies are the Ballsy Hookers,” Maria said, gesturing at the giggling grandmothers.

  “Oh..” Hollie blinked rapidly.

  One of the elderly ladies winked and said, “Do you know what we love to do?”

  “We love grabbing big balls!” another woman yelled.

  “And we’re really skilled with long, hard rods!”

  Everyone laughed and the risque comments and bawdy jokes began to fly back and forth among the women.

  Hollie smiled. She was getting the drift.

  “Are those big balls you love...made of yarn?” Hollie asked, smirking at them.

  “Ah yes. You got it, sweetie!”

  “The Ballsy Hookers...” Hollie’s smile widened to a grin. “That’s a really great name for a knitting club!”

  The women cackled mischievously. “You got us figured out, Hollie. But we’re not as naughty as we make ourselves out to be.”

  “Oh they’re badasses,” Maria said.

  Each of the Ballsy Hookers introduced themselves, and Hollie committed all their names to memory. She liked them. They were funny, whip-smart and they had a real wacky sense of humor.

  One of them peered at Hollie over the top of her glasses and gasped. “You are Kyle’s mate!”

  Hollie immediately touched her neck.

  “Yeah, you’re right, Jodie, I see his mark too,” another lady said.

  “My goodness, why didn’t he tell us he was mated?” Jodie shook her head. “I’ve been hounding him to go on a date with my granddaughter. Kyle is a good man, and I know that he’ll make a great husband and father. I’m just so eager to have a few cute, adorable great-grandbabies to play with!”

  Hollie didn’t know what to say. She didn’t even know why she was feeling jealous all of a sudden. She didn’t want Kyle to go on a date with Jodie’s granddaughter. She didn’t want to think of him with any other woman.

  He was hers!

  She glanced at Kyle. It was no surprise that women would be beating a path to his door. He was sexy, strong and very attractive. He was also a great provider and protector. He would make a wonderful mate.

  Hollie took a deep breath. She had no right to be jealous. No right at all.

  Jodie was peering knowingly at Hollie. “Kyle is mated, and he is off limits. The mate bond is sacred. Every shifter knows that.”

  She chuckled and added, “Many of the Ballsy Hookers are shifters. And we are regulars at The Maverick Mechanics. Your mate and his friends are wonderful mechanics. Those sexy boys take great care of our cars. They make our cars purr.”

  “Kyle is sitting right there,” Maria deadpanned.

  As one, the Ballsy Hookers all turned and waved at Kyle. “Hi Kyle!”

  Kyle raised his cup at them. Hollie was surprised that they didn’t rain questions on Kyle. Instead, they simply resumed their own conversation and chatted with Hollie.

  Jodie noticed Hollie’s quizzical look and said, “Kyle’s mating is his business. We tease and joke, but we don’t pry. Since he didn’t share the news, he must have his own reasons. Everyone is entitled to his or her privacy. Besides, he can hear everything we’re saying.”

  When Hollie’s eyes rounded, Jodie winked and tapped her ear. “Shifter senses.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Kyle straightened up from under the hood of the car. He took a deep breath and stopped himself from reaching for his phone.

  He was working alone in the garage but he couldn’t stop thinking and worrying about Hollie. He had dropped Hollie off at Joe’s Diner an hour ago. She had been working at the diner for a week now, and she was always so excited to get to work every morning.

  For the first three days, Kyle had parked himself in the corner booth and waited for Hollie to get off work. He busied himself with paperwork for the business, and worked on his laptop and phone while he was at the diner.

  But that night, Hollie had told him firmly that he should go back to the garage and work.

  “The diner is a public place and there are always people around. You can see how busy it is,” she had told him. “The Black Blade pack won’t come and make a scene. They’re cowards. They operate in secret, in the dark. They won’t dare try anything when there are so many witnesses around. Go back to work, Kyle. Don’t babysit me. I’m an adult. I want to
live and work like one. People have been breathing down my neck all my life.” She sighed and went on, “I know you care for me, Kyle. But...I want to know what it’s like to live a normal life. I want to be free, independent and unafraid. I want to get up, go to work, keep busy and happy, and just...be like a normal person. I don’t want to be afraid and timid.”

  When he tried to argue, Hollie pleaded, “Please, let me do my job. And you’re not being fair to Shane and Ian. You should be at the workshop with them.”

  Kyle blew out a ragged breath.

  Hollie was right. She deserved to live a normal, happy life. She had a good job and was making friends at the diner. He shouldn’t be so paranoid.

  Joe and Maria treated their staff like family. Kyle liked and trusted Joe and Maria, and he knew Hollie was safe with them.

  Joe’s Diner was frequented by shifters from various packs, and Kyle didn’t think the Black Blade wolves would dare stir up trouble at the diner. Those cowardly wolves only targeted prey that they deemed were weak, defenseless and isolated.

  Joe’s Diner was pretty popular. Joe and Maria were human but they had many shifter friends and customers. They even knew the Alphas of some of the larger shifter packs. There would be friends and neighbors who would step up and help them if the Black Blade wolves caused any trouble for them.

  Kyle forced himself to focus on his work. He was alone in the workshop at this time. It was still early morning. Hollie had wanted to get to the diner early to prepare for the breakfast crowd.

  Shane and Ian usually came in to work around nine. There was still half an hour to go.

  Kyle grabbed his tools and went back to the car. He threw himself into his work for the next twenty minutes or so. But a sound in the distance made his ears prick up.

  He sniffed the air and put down his tools.

  Kyle walked out of the workshop and squinted down the quiet road.

  He heard them before he saw them.