The Playboy Bear's Baby: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance by Marlie Monroe

show up out of the blue for any other reason. “While
I can see how you might think that, you couldn’t be more wrong. Grandma’s will
was clear about who her estate was left to and it wasn’t you. You weren’t even
mentioned.”
    “Is
that right?”
    “Yes,”
Mara asserted.
    Nancy
shrugged. “It doesn’t really matter what her will said.”
    “Why
is that?”
    “I’m sure we can have it overturned easily enough.
She was getting up there in age. I doubt Mama was in her right mind when she
passed away.”
    Mara gritted her teeth and counted to ten. Losing
her temper wouldn’t help anything. “Grandma was rational right up until she
took her last breath, but you go ahead and do whatever you think is right. If
that’s contesting the last wishes of the only person who loved you
unconditionally, then so be it.”
    “I’m so glad you’re being an adult about this. I
was worried you were going to be angry.” Nancy got up and pushed her chair up
against the table. “Well… I have to run some errands, but I’ll be back by
dinner time. See ya later.”
    Mara watched her mother leave and wondered if
they’d been having the same conversation. If her mother thought she was fine
with someone contesting her grandma’s will, then she was delusional.
     

Chapter Eight
     
    Mara
gazed at herself in the full length mirror on the inside of her closet door and
decided to the blue maxi dress she had on would have to suffice. It was
probably her least favorite dress, but it was the only one that didn’t cling to
her stomach. While her belly had never been flat, the soft swell was definitely
more pronounced now. Only she didn’t look pregnant. She looked seriously
bloated. The empire waist of the indigo dress highlighted her cleavage and
masked her imperfections. Even better, she could wear strappy sandals instead
of heels. She couldn’t deal with heels tonight on top of whatever fancy shmancy
restaurant Gray intended to take her to for dinner. She just hoped the menus
were in English and they served something besides red meat. Just the thought of
a medium rare steak made her nauseated.
    She
twisted this way and that, and fingered the neckline. She needed a necklace and
could only think of one that would be perfect. She headed down the hall and into
her grandma’s bedroom. Her jewelry box sat on the dresser, untouched since Mara
had returned home from the funeral home with her grandma’s personal
possessions. As Mara opened the little glass door that held her necklaces, a
flood of memories rushed over. Being allowed to play dress up with Grandma’s
costume jewelry. The diamond studs that had been handed down to her on her
thirteenth birthday. Borrowing gold hoops and a herringbone chain for senior
prom. Her eyes grew a little misty.
    She
caressed her stomach and wished her grandma could be there to meet the baby, to
help guide her child the same way she’d been a guiding force in Mara’s life.
She took a deep breath and let it out. There was nothing she could do to change
what had already happened. All she could do was move forward and hope she and
Gray would be enough of a family for their little one.
    Thinking
of Gray reminded her of his impending arrival. He would be there any time now,
so she needed to get a move on if she wanted to be ready by the time he picked
her up for their date. She riffled through the contents of the jewelry box,
searching for the string of pearls she wanted to wear, and came up empty. The
antique pearls were nowhere to be found. What the hell? She knew they hadn’t
just walked out of the room on their own. Unfortunately, that only left one
other option.
    Mara
was fit to be tied as she stormed toward the guestroom to confront her mother.
Behind her anger was a heaping dose of self-loathing for forgetting to hide the
few small items that held sentimental value for her. The pearls were included
on that list. They were over a hundred years old and had originally belonged to
her great, great