A Bear Of Her Own [EBOOK]

Chapter 1 <b>
Alana sighed, getting the last box into her new home, back in the hometown where she had grown up.
“It feels right,” she said to herself. <b>
The barren space felt more like home than her shitty apartment in the city ever did. It was massive, and for the price she was paying, it would be worth it. <b>
She went to her car, heading to the small grocery store in the middle of town. The parking lot was empty, except for one person’s bike and a couple of cars in the employee parking lot. Alana stepped inside, heading to the aisles and getting food she would need for the week.
When she got to the counter, an older woman stared at her. Alana smiled back.<b>
“I would like to pay for these,” she said.<b>
“You must be new here. I heard someone moved into Leonard’s old place,” the older woman said.<b>
“Yeah, I'm Alana. I moved here recently,” she said.
“Very nice. Well, I'm sure you’ll find this town quite charming,” she simply said. <b>
Alana nodded as she looked around the small grocery store, and then the shops nearby.<b>
“I'm guessing you guys don’t have department stores out here, do you?”<b>
“Nope. Everything is family owned.”<b>
“Makes sense. I-”<b>
Suddenly, she heard a voice, one that she immediately recognized, but that she hadn’t heard for a long time. She whipped her head around, eyes fixated on the man across from her. <b>
“Travis?” she said, her eyes wide and her mouth agape.
The brown-haired man smiled back at her, a teasing grin.
“Hey, Alana. It’s been a long time,” he said.<b>
“Yeah. I mean, I never thought that I'd see you again,” she said.<b>
She couldn't stop staring at his muscular, solid chest, swept back brown hair that touched his shoulders, and his hypnotizing blue eyes. Suddenly, the sound of the woman pulled her back into reality.<b>
“Do you want to finish this transaction?” she asked.<b>
“Oh yes! Sorry about that,” Alana said, a blush obvious on her face. <b>
She quickly paid for her items, heading out from the checkout area, but she waited for Travis. She was surprised that Travis never left their hometown, since it had been about eight years since they graduated from high school. They weren’t necessarily close back then, but she did have a crush on him. <b>
When he finished, he walked over to Alana, looking her over. It was obvious he was checking out her body, judging from the way that his eyes continued to wander, but it didn't bother her. Instead, it made her smile.<b>
“So, what brings you all the way out here? I thought you were still living in the city?” he asked.<b>
“Fuck that. It’s too expensive, and with the new taxes, I had to get out. Chicago is a mess,” she added.<b>
“I don’t blame you. Why do you think I ended up out here?” he asked with a slight tension in his voice.<b>
Alana stopped for a moment, looking him over. He seemed strong, and he had grown quite a bit. She also noticed the bulge in his pants, making her blush.
“Y-yeah, totally. I mean, it seems like you have a good life going here,” she said.<b>
Travis looked away slightly, hesitating to speak.
“You could say that.”<b>
The conversation ended there, and Alana’s eyes wandered.<b>
Fuck, how do I continue the conversation?<b>
“So, what are you doing out here?” she asked.
“I run a ranch. I've been taking care of cows since I graduated high school, and I sell them off to butchers and the milk to stores, both locally and nationally,” he explained.<b>
“Cool, I'm still writing. I don’t know how much you read, but I've been pretty busy with my work,” she said.<b>
“I see. That’s good. I'm glad you’re doing something you love,” he said. <b>
There was a tone of jealousy as he said that, prompting Alana's brows to furrow at his words.<b>
“Something the matter?”<b>
“No. It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it,” he said.<b>
Alana looked at him, her eyes veering around at his body. Earlier, he seemed pretty open, but something had triggered this newfound reticence, the urge to shy away from her words.<b>
“You’ve changed,” she said.<b>
“How so?”<b>
“Well, I remember in high school you were all over me, and earlier you were greeting me like I never left. I'm sorry if I struck a nerve,” she said.<b>
“No, it’s fine. It’s just... different, that’s all. I know that you’re here now, and I honestly thought I'd never see you again. Don’t worry though,” he said.<b>
“Telling me not to worry when I'm concerned won’t make me worry any less, you know,” she teased.<b>
“No, I'm fine. I just have a lot of ranching to do when I get back. My farm is pretty big, you know,” Travis explained.<b>
“I understand. I have a pretty big place too,” she replied.
“Oh yeah, the rental market is super cheap here. I was renting for about a year before I ended up buying. Of course, I had the help of some friends,” Travis explained.
“Oh, you’re living with people? Must be pretty easy then, and having roommates must help,” she said.<b>
“You could say that, yeah,” he said with his voice growing quiet.<b>
Alana nodded, feeling a bit stiff. “I mean, you’re welcome to come over whenever I finish getting the place ready. Might take a few days, since I've got some commission work and edits to wrap up. Or maybe I can come over to your place. I don't want to sound desperate or anything,” she said.<b>
There was a long pause, and Alana immediately started to shake her head.<b>
“Of course, if that’s not what you want-”<b>
“No, I do Alana. I'll let you know what happens. I'll need to get my place ready for people as well,” he said, the tension becoming awkward. <b>
“Well, I'm glad. By the way, you’ve grown a whole lot. I'm glad that you’re doing better,” she said.<b>
However, Alana felt that her words weren’t hitting the spot, her voice hollow as she uttered them.<b>
“Thanks, Alana. You have, too. You’ve become quite the sweet lady,” he said.<b>
“Thanks.”<b>
There was a pause, and then she noticed Travis start to move towards the right.<b>
“Anyway, I should be heading back to my place soon. I need to get dinner started and get the cows inside,” he said.<b>
“Okay! Well, I'll see you around,” she said.<b>
He then walked to his car without another word, turning on the engine, and as he drove away, Alana felt torn. She walked over towards her car, but then, after a second, she heard the sound of the door open.<b>
“Oh Miss, you forgot this!” the old lady said, handing Alana a couple of coins.<b>
“Oh, you can keep the change,” Alana said.<b>
The old lady pocketed it, smiling.<b>
“Thank you. And I will say, be careful. That boy is a bit strange. He never comes out to town unless he needs to buy food, and we’ve never seen the other guys that live with him. Do be careful,” she said.<b>
Before Alana could respond, the old lady headed back into the shop, closing the door. Alana walked to her car, her thoughts racing as she tried to grasp what the old lady meant.<b>
Was Travis dangerous? What did this all mean? Did I do something wrong? <b>
Alana felt the connection, but she noticed he grew more aloof as time went on. However, her mind continued to recall his sexy body, his beefy arms, and the boyish looks that kept roping her in.<b>