Lost To The Bear

By Ariana Hawkes

"This book was so intense at times, it was fantastic! Definitely a MUST READ!" 

Found badly injured on a lonely forest road, Rockland Cooper can't remember anything at all. All he knows is that he needs to stay away from cops and hospitals, and that he owes his life to an angel named Paige Flanagan, a feisty, curvy rock chick. As Paige takes him to a safe place and nurses him back to health, it's not long before things start to heat up between the two of them, but his fears that he might be mixed up in something dangerous put the brakes on their mutual attraction.

Paige's sarcastic, fun-loving personality has long been repressed by a life of enforced solitude with her eccentric mother, who has banned men from their lives. And then she comes across the handsome, terribly wounded amnesiac on her way to work one day. She doesn't hesitate to help him, even though it could mean the end of her relationship with her mother. Sharing a small room with a complete stranger is everything her mother warned her about, but it's also an opportunity to get to know each other without any preconceptions. And the more she learns about the fun, charismatic, tender-hearted guy, the less she can believe that he has any bad in him. 

Will Rockland's discovery of who he is put an end to their budding relationship, or will it enable him to make a choice between a life in the shadows and a life-long love with the most incredible woman he's ever met?

This is a standalone, 34,000-word romance. HEA and no cliffhanger!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Luna Negra Press
• Release date: Nov 13, 2016
• ISBN: 9781386012306

Book preview

Chapter 1

In the middle of Midwinter Creek was a lonely back road that was rarely disturbed by a single human being. Except for two times per day when a pickup truck passed through. That pickup – a battered red Ford – was driven by Paige Flanagan, at high speed, with hard rock blaring through the open windows and the lucky fuzzy cherries that hung from the rearview mirror bouncing like crazy. She had long, jet black hair with a russet ombre and poker-straight bangs, a maraschino cherry of a mouth, a flattish nose that she was always wishing was narrower, and slanting, gold-flecked eyes, carrying more than a hint of mischief.

If you’ve never seen another living soul on the road, what’s stopping you from having a little fun? she reasoned. Her brakes were good and her reactions were fast, and this was her little moment of freedom every day, between caring for her mama and tending bar. She loved the way the wind whipped through the windows, making her streaked hair fly everywhere. Loved the way that there was no-one to hear her powerful, yet tuneless voice, so she could sing along to her favorite bands to her heart’s content. She knew every turn and bend in the road as well as she knew her own generously proportioned curves, and she barely needed to concentrate as she rocked out to Iron Maiden, System of a Down and Korn, drumming her hands on the wheel and tossing her head back and forth.

She always played the same songs in the same order, because she loved the anticipation of knowing what was coming next, and if she drove faster than usual and arrived at work before the playlist was finished, she’d stay in the car, put the seat right back, close her eyes and listen to the rest of it.

As she turned dry creek corner, Lie With Me Another Day began to play.

If I get to the first chorus before I hit lightning tree bend, I’ll do it. I’ll give mama the ultimatum, she promised herself. I’ll tell her she’s moving to the city with me so I can go to college. Either that or I’m leaving her behind in that moldering old house. The stretch ahead was straight, visibility was perfect, and Paige hit the gas hard, the truck’s engine complaining as it gathered speed.

It was going to be close. She was doing a little over 120, the music was pounding, and Paige was singing her heart out. The black, twisted stump of the lightning tree was just coming into view, and… A second too soon there was a clash of cymbals, and the chorus began. With a groan of defeat, she stepped on the brake.

Better luck next time, kiddo, she muttered as the speed of the truck dropped sharply and she navigated the tight bend. It was the third time she’d entrusted her scary future to the engine of the battered old truck, and the third time it had let her down. And then, just as she came out of the turn and pressed on the gas again, her eyes widened as she she saw something – a huge something – directly in front of her. It was right in the middle of the road, approximately human-shaped, and moving very slowly; almost staggering.

What the hell? Cursing loudly, she dragged the steering wheel to the right and punched the brake. The truck juddered off the side of the road and collided with the trunk of a big old pine tree.

"What is that?" Paige muttered, squinting into the gloom of the forest canopy. The figure fell to its knees, then keeled over sideways and collapsed in a heap. She climbed out of the truck and walked over to it cautiously. It made a sound, a kind of drawn-out groan. Pain, she realized instantly, and she received a stab of pain in her abdomen. It was her unfortunate lot in life to empathize with the sufferings of others. Mama called it her gift, but most of the time it felt more like a curse. She tiptoed closer, her heart pounding. It was a man; lying on his side, his body all hunched up in a protective position. And he was covered in blood. A lot of blood. Black and tarry, and soaked into his clothes. She laid a hand on his shoulder.

Hey there, mister? Can you hear me? The man had black hair, thick black brows, and black-lashed eyelids, sealed closed. At the sound of her voice, his eyes snapped open and he blinked several times. They were blue-gray eyes, dulled with pain.

Mmmmphh, he groaned.

Are you okay? she whispered. Of course he’s not okay, idiot. Something real bad has happened to him. Slowly, he began to move, and as he gradually unfurled himself from a tight ball, she registered that he was a very big, powerfully-built man. His face was streaked with dirt and sweat and blood, and his massive forearms were covered in long gashes. Did you get hit by a car? Instead of answering, he tried to pull himself up into a sitting position, but she pressed on his shoulder, trying to make him stay down.

Wait – you’re hurt bad. Stay where you are. I’ll call 911. But as she got up to run back to the truck for her phone, he reached for her arm, and made another mmmphh sound. Huh? You don’t want me to call the cops, and an ambulance? He shook his head, then winced in pain.

But why not? You’ve most likely got broken bones. You could have internal bleeding. He shook his head again.

No, he gasped, in a hoarse, broken voice.

But why?

Please – no. Just leave me. I’m fine.

Mister, you’re not fine, any fool could see that. You’re all fucked up, and if I leave you out here, you’ll probably die. His irises cleared and he flashed her a fierce look.

No cops. No hospitals, he said, forcing his words out between painful rasps. Paige sunk down onto the ground, dumbfounded.

Then what can I do with you?

Just – leave me. He doubled over again, and a jolt of pain shot through Paige’s body in sympathy.

I can’t do that. It’s not humane. He made an undecipherable sound. At least tell me what happened?

I don’t know. She frowned.

Maybe it was a hit and run. Where were you coming from? she asked. It was his turn to frown. I don’t know.

She raised an arched eyebrow.

Then where are you going to?

I don’t know that either.

You’re serious?

I am.

What’s your name? He shook his head, and distress flashed across his eyes.

You can’t remember?

No. I don’t know. I mean, I don’t know anything.

Hey, it’s okay. You most likely hit your head and it made you forget. Everything will come back soon, I’m sure. I’ll take you to the emergency room, and they can figure out where you’re hurt. Suddenly, his hand shot out and encircled her wrist in an iron grasp.

No! His voice was suddenly much stronger, almost a growl.

But why? If you can’t remember anything, what’s the problem?

I just know. I can’t explain it, but it’s the one thought I have in my head now. It’s dangerous.

For you, you mean?

Maybe.

Are you dangerous?

No. He flashed the ghost of a smile. She ran her eyes over his injured body in dismay.

But what if I drive you there? No ambulance. I’ll just bring you right up to the door? he doubled up in pain again.

No. I just – need – sleep. His voice was so low that she could hardly catch his words. Paige cast a worried glance back at her truck, thinking. What could she do? Leaving him wasn’t an option. Neither was taking him home to mama. Men were strictly banned from the little house they shared. Mama hated every one of the ‘dirty, deceiving bastards,’ as she was fond of saying. Paige wasn’t even allowed to refer to men in her presence. There was a room upstairs at the bar where she worked though. A bedroom left over from when it used to be a lodging house. No-one ever went up there. But the last she’d seen of it, there was still a bed in there. That could be an option, I guess. The man had closed his eyes again, his eyelids fluttering with evident pain. Goddamn him. How am I even in this position? Why can’t he just go to the emergency room like everybody else? She bit down on her bottom lip.

Okay, I guess I do know someplace where you could sleep for a while, she said slowly, wondering at the same time if she was crazy. A quiet room where no-one will bother you.

Thank you, he muttered.

But you’re going to have to get into my truck, and I don’t think I can lift you.

That’s okay.

Wait, I’ll bring it closer. She climbed back into the driver’s seat and said a silent prayer to the goddesses as the engine started first time. She reversed away from the tree trunk, the bumper grinding and creaking, then put the truck in drive and pulled up right beside him. Then she ran around, opened the passenger door, and tried to help him as he hauled himself to his feet and dragged his huge, muscular body into the truck.

It’s about another half hour, she said, starting up the truck.

Okay, he rasped, slumping down in the seat. She knew instinctively that she needed to drive real slow on the dirt road so the bumps didn’t jolt him. She cast a glance at him. Fresh beads of perspiration were standing out on his forehead and running down the side of his face, cutting a trail through the blood and grime. What the hell am I doing? she wondered. This man needs to get checked out in a hospital. But something about him persuaded her to follow his wishes. A kind of desperation – no, more a conviction. And she did have one idea. There was an old veterinarian who hung around the bar most afternoons. He was semi-retired and foul tempered, but he treated people’s animals when the urge took him. He was also known to treat the occasional human for a small fee, no questions asked.

Paige drove on in silence. The man was either sleeping, or trying to block his pain out. She looked at him at least once every minute, checking that he was still alive.

As she pulled up by the back door of Darlene’s Bar and cut the engine, he opened his eyes.

We here?

Yup. She looked around. There was no one about. Good. She had a hunch that the fewer the people who knew about this injured stranger, the better. Let me check the coast’s clear, and we can get you upstairs.

Okay.

She ran up the back stairs to the old guest room. It was just as she remembered it. Kind of