A Bear In the Honey (BBW Unintentional Mail-Order-Bride Paranormal Shifter Romance) by Viola Notte Page A

busy, no time for that nonsense. Besides, at my age, I’ve sort of given up on the whole love-and-marriage thing.”
     
    “Oh stop,” Carol said with a wrinkled brow as she nudged my elbow and leaned in closer across the table. “Thirty-four doesn’t make you too old. There’s still plenty of time.”
     
    “Yeah, well maybe. Anyway, I’m not holding out hope. There can’t be that many guys out there who want to be with a solitary beekeeper who lives in the middle of the woods.”
     
    “Well, don’t give up. You’re a great catch, you’ll find someone.”
     
    The rest of the evening was spent talking about other things, like Carol’s family, our adventures with bees, and swapping old stories.
     
    Towards the end of our conversation, as we were wrapping things up and getting ready to part ways for the evening, Carol asked, “So, are you going to reply to the classified ad?”
     
    “Yeah, I guess,” I sighed. “I really don’t have time right now, I’m just so darn busy at the moment. But Jim asked me if I would, and I agreed. Besides, I know it’s a great way for the Beekeeper’s Association to reach out to the public and show them we’re here. And who better to do it than a professional?”
     
    “Good for you, Sara. Hey, and who knows, maybe you’ll meet the love of your life.”
     
    “Yeah right, okay,” I said as I rolled my eyes good-naturedly. If there was one thing I liked about Carol, she was always the optimist, forever looking on the positive side of things. “The more likely scenario is his bees swarmed and I’ll have a chance to capture them and add them to my numbers,” I joked with a wry smile.
     
    ****   
     
    The next morning dawned clear and warm—it was going to be a perfect day for working the hives. I was in a good mood, the air was fragrant with Lilac, and the Tulip Poplar, Blackberry, and Locust were just beginning to blossom. If everything went well, I could have many pounds of honey to harvest in just a few short weeks.
     
    As it was 8:30 in the morning and not a good time to mess with the hives, I decided to call the individual who was in need of a beekeeper.
     
    I rang but there was no response. Instead, a sexy, deep-voiced voicemail message answered and said, “This is Sebastian. Leave a message.”
     
    I paused for a second. The voice was so alluring I could hardly speak. Finally I managed, “Uh…hi Sebastian. My name is Sara Carlisle. I’m a member of the Bear County Beekeeper’s Association and a professional beekeeper. I’m calling with regard to your advertisement in the newspaper seeking a beekeeper. If you still need assistance, please give me a call at…”
     
    After leaving my contact info I hung up and put my phone down. The voicemail voice sounded so rich and so smooth that it practically gave me chills.  Even though I was more-or-less happy with my life, I was, if I were to be completely honest with myself, a lonely woman. I wanted love, I wanted a man to love me and sweep me off my feet, but I just never had much luck in the dating arena. Still, a part of me continued to long for that special someone, to hope and pray that my prince charming would arrive sooner or later. I stared at my phone a little longer, imagining what Sebastian might look like, wondering if he was single, etc. Then I put my little girl fantasies away and got ready for the day ahead.
     
    ****
     
    It was 8 pm when the screen door to my ranch-style house finally banged shut for the last time behind me.  It turned out to be a long, hot day, but I was satisfied with how the work went. I took off my shoes and left most of my dirty clothes in the entryway and walked to the shower to rinse off. When I finished, I made my way to the kitchen to make dinner.
     
    I checked the messages on my phone. I had several, but there was only one I was hoping for—and thankfully it was first in the queue.
     
    “Hi Sara, this is Sebastian Fields, the guy in search of a beekeeper.