Page 117 of The Cowbears of Curvy Bear Ranch

“When I heard you were back in town, I wanted to find a way to make up for the terrible things I said to you in high school.” He hung his head in shame. “I especially want to make up fortheprom.”

She sat up and pushed back until she was sitting against the headboard. “I only owned one dress—one—and you turned me into the laughingstock ofschool.”

“Iknow.”

“I had nothing else to wear. It was my senior prom. I had to go alone because no one wanted me, but I wanted to go to one dance.” Her voice cracked. “I’d been dreaming about going to the prom my whole life and I’d finally gotten up the courage to go alone. And then youruinedit.”

“I had no idea how much it meanttoyou.”

“That was my mother’s wedding dress. It was the only dress we owned. I hadnothingelse.”

“I never knew.” A pit of sorrow developed inhisgut.

“We were poor. We had nothing. That’s why I wore the same two pairs of pants and three shirts all year. It’s allIhad.”

“I never really thought about what life was likeforyou.”

“That’s because you were a typical, self-absorbed, high school jerk.” She sighed. “That was years ago, Logan. I’moverit.”

He wanted to ask if she was really over it. Had she left town because of him, or was it because of herfamily?

“I’m tired. I need a nap. Go home.” She rolled awayfromhim.

He reached for her shoulder, then stopped in mid-air. What was he doing? He’d already tried to take advantage of her when she was in physical pain. Was he really such a jerk that he’d try to take advantage of her emotionalpaintoo?

As he slid off the bed, he silently cursed himself for being such an ass. He didn’t deserve a woman like Kate. He should have known better than to jump into her bed. If all the one-night stands had taught him something, it had been that relationships were less messy that way. Wham, bam, thank you ma’am. That had been his MO for years. Why changeitnow?

He yanked up his boxers and stuffed his still-hard cock inside. He’d just have to endure the discomfort as a penance for his stupidity. Maybe later he’d go into town and find a hot tourist. His bear snarled with disapproval. The beast wanted Kate. It hungered to taste her sweetness again. Well too bad, bear. He’d probably ruined any chance he’d had with heryearsago.

As he walked toward the door, he ran through a thousand ways to apologize, but none of them seemed good enough. He wanted to talk to her more, to earn her forgiveness. Even after all these years, what he’d done to herhauntedhim.

“Kate?” heasked.

“Yeah.”

“Will you come up to the B&B and have dinner with metonight?”

“I don’t know. I think I just need time alonerightnow.”

He placed his hand on the doorknob and hung his head. Yep, he’d royally fucked up. But when had he ever given up on something he’d trulywanted?

“If you change your mind, dinner’s at sixthirty.”

She gave a noncommittalgrunt.

As he closed the door, his bear growled. Anger at his own stupidity pulsed through his veins. But it wasn’t until he stood out on the front porch that a furious roar blasted out fromhissoul.

He dropped to all fours as fur sprouted and grew on his arms and legs. As his hands and feet formed enormous paws, his snout elongated. As soon as he finished shifting, he sniffed the air. The scent of pine filled his nostrils. Icy wind blew in from the north. A storm crested the mountains in the distance, but he had at least another hour before the first snowflakeswouldfall.

After bounding down the rickety steps on her porch, he crossed the driveway and lumbered toward the tree line. Before he disappeared into the forest, he took one last look at the house. The curtain at the bedroom window was pulled back. Kate stood with her face pressed against the glass. He couldn’t read her expression through the frosted window, but his bear sensedsadness.

His chest ached at the thought of causing her pain. She didn’t deserve it. He needed to work harder to make her life easier, at least until she left. She’d said she was staying a week, just long enough to make some repairs and sell the place. If nothing else, he planned on working his ass off to help her. It was the only way he knew how to do penance for making fun of her in high school. It was the least hecoulddo.

The curtain fell across the window. He turned and jogged into the forest. Based on the position of the sun in the sky, he had at least a couple of hours before sunset. Running had always helped him work off nervous energy in the past, so he picked uphispace.

As he crashed through the bushes, he delighted in the caress of wind through his fur. Sometimes, he wanted to stay in his bear form forever. Life was a lot less complicated when it only involved eating, sleeping, and mating with women he’d never see again. But it could also be lonely. He envied what Mack and Brady shared with their mates. There was something to be said about having a partner. A part of him longed for enduring love, but he wasn’t sure if he’d ever find hisfatedmate.

Chapter5