Untamed Daddy (Mountain Men of Bear Valley Book 3)

  Untamed Daddy

  Mountain Men of Bear Valley

  Chantel Seabrook

  Frankie Love

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Continue the Journey

  Chantel Seabrook

  Also by Chantel Seabrook

  Frankie Love

  Also by Frankie Love

  Chapter 1

  Weston

  “Dammit, Finley, where are you?” I growl out, trying my best to stay calm and not freak the fuck out.

  Last time she snuck off I told her it needed to be the last. But here I am, once again, running down Main Street calling out for my little girl. Finley may be six, but the kid acts like she’s going on sixteen, and I need to put a stop to her reckless behavior before something happens to her.

  “Finley? You are in so much trouble when I find you,” I call, feeling the tug of fear course through me. If I were in the woods right now, I’d shift into bear form - run with all my might, let out a growl that would tell my daughter she crossed the line - that it is time to stay within her father’s line of sight. But I can’t exactly do that here in the open, on the main drag of Bear Valley.

  And Finley knows that. She’s testing my boundaries more than she ought. If she had a mother, maybe it wouldn’t be like this - me being both mother and father to her. That dream died along with her mom though.

  “What are you hollering about?” Bennett, my younger brother, asks, crossing the street with a sandwich from the deli.

  “It’s Fin, I can’t find her.” I run a hand over my beard, my eyes darting around. “She’s gonna be the end of me.”

  “She can’t have gone far,” Bennett says, following me as I head down the sidewalk, brushing past tourists as I move quickly. “She was sitting on the bench outside the guide shop before I left to get lunch.”

  “Yeah?” I say crossly. “Well, she’s a little girl. My little girl. And there’s an entire Grizzly clan out for revenge.”

  “The Grizzlies aren’t insane enough to put a child in the crossfire of this…” He struggles to find the word.

  “This fuckup?” I suggest as we hustle down the street together.

  Bennett shakes his head. “I was gonna say feud.”

  “You’re always such a damn diplomat.” I stop running, seeing a whip of wild blonde hair through the window of the bookstore cafe. “Thank God.”

  Bennett claps me on the back. “See, she’s fine. She walked down the street and—”

  “She’s not fine,” I cut him off as I pull open the door to the shop. “She needs to learn boundaries before something happens to her.”

  As I step inside to deal with my adorable yet unruly daughter, Bennett calls to me as he walks away. “Don’t be too hard on her, after all, she takes after you.”

  I grunt, knowing it’s the truth.

  Stepping inside the shop, my nostrils fill with the most insane scent. Vanilla bean wafts around me as I move toward the kitchen, where I hear a very recognizable giggle. Bennett’s words echo in my ear. I was unruly and gave my poor mother a run for her money. I always played by my own rules, marched to the beat of my own drum - but I learned my lesson. When I hooked up with Heidi, Finley’s mother, I never intended things to go sideways so fast. But they did.

  I won’t make that mistake again. Not with any woman.

  “Daddy!” Finley cries as I enter the kitchen where a batch of cookies has just been pulled from the oven. She’s sitting cross-legged on the counter as if she owns the place. “What are you doing here?”

  She looks upset to see me, her eyebrows furrowed and her waist-length hair a knot of messy waves, unruly, just like the flash of emotion in her eyes.

  Kate, the resident baker of this little cafe, gives me a small shrug of her shoulders as she begins removing the cookies from the sheet and setting them carefully on a cooling rack. When she drops a potholder, I can’t help but look her over as she bends down to pick it up. Her round ass has me swallowing hard - this is the last thing I need. A distraction.

  I need to focus on getting my little girl in line. Especially since Finley seems to have no concern for rules.

  In fact, she takes a spoon from a bowl of cookie dough and begins eating from it.

  “Hey,” I say, taking the spoon from her. “What do you think you’re doing?”

  Finley gives me a mischievous smile. “Having a snack with Kate, Daddy. Gosh!”

  I glance over at Kate who bites back a smile. Her red hair is piled on the top of her head, set in place with a pencil, and her black apron is dusted with flour. Somehow, she looks exactly at home in this kitchen, which is surprising. I always hear how she is in Alaska to write a book, yet she looks so comfortable with the spatula in her hand. In fact, she looks really fucking hot.

  I feel frazzled - being in this kitchen. I shouldn’t be here. And neither should Finley.

  “You, missy, ran off without permission,” I say, turning my attention to my daughter, refusing to let my little girl’s upturned nose and spattering of freckles deter my lecture. “I told you this was the last time. No ice cream this afternoon, understood?”

  Finley jumps from the counter, crossing her arms. “That’s not fair.”

  Ignoring her protest, I tell her to wash up in the bathroom, and thankfully with a huff, she obeys.

  I look over at Kate, she’s twisting her lips like she has something on her mind.

  “There something you want to say?” I ask. “Because you know, you shouldn’t have let her back here without telling me. I was worried sick.”

  She lifts her eyebrows. “Oh, this is my fault?”

  “I didn’t mean—”

  “Look,” Kate says, taking a cookie and breaking it in two. She hands me half and takes a bite. “She told me she asked you if she could hang out while you finished up work.”

  “And?” I ask. “I know women well enough to know you have a few more thoughts on the matter.”

  She snorts. “If you must know, the consequence of no ice cream this afternoon is pretty lame.”

  I scowl. “What do you know about parenting?”

  “I know enough from helping with my nieces and nephews, from babysitting for like, a decade, to know that if she really ran down here without permission, she doesn’t seem to understand boundaries. That’s scary, Weston.”

  I see the concern in her eyes, and her words don’t carry any judgment, even if she thinks it. Kate isn’t vindictive. She’s making cookies with my little girl for heaven’s sake. Even if she is young, the woman has more motherly instincts in her left pinkie then most of the women in this damn valley combined. Not that I’ve been looking for a mother for Fin, but I’ve gone through enough babysitters to know it takes someone special to spend a day with my little girl and not want to pull their hair out by the end of it.

  A thought comes to me.

  “Then why don’t you spend more time with her?” I take a bite of the cookie she offered. Damn, it’s as good as it smells.

  I wonder if Kate tastes just as good.

  Shit. I push the thought
away.

  “You think you can teach her some boundaries? She seems to listen to you.”

  “You’re the parent, not me,” she says, setting her hand on my arm. I feel a spark at her touch and our eyes meet, and she quickly pulls her hand back and glances away, returning to her baking. She gives a small shrug. “I didn’t mean to insinuate I could do a better job. You’re a good dad, Weston.”

  For a moment the kitchen goes quiet. I’ve never spent much time with Kate, she is always quiet, shy, but here in this kitchen, it’s like she is more relaxed. I like this side of her.

  The woman is beautiful, but she doesn’t seem to know it. I’ve never had a thing for redheads, but the color, a dark shade of auburn, fits her perfectly. She always has it up in a bun or a ponytail, but I can’t help wondering what it would look like down, draped over her bare shoulders, across her milky skin as she—

  “Weston?” Kate is looking at me expectantly like she’s asked a question.

  Shit. I clear my throat.

  “I could use the help,” I admit, rubbing the back of my neck, and trying to stay focused on why I came in here - Finley.

  “Look,” Kate adds with a small sigh. “If she wants to stay and help me clean up this mess, then that is fine by me. But I don’t want to step on any toes.”

  “You wouldn’t be.” I hold her gaze, probably longer than I should, but there’s something about the blue of her eyes that has me mesmerized. She’s not just pretty, there’s also a sweetness to her, edged with a strength that’s hidden under her shyness.

  She’s the opposite of Heidi, who was always wanting to be the center of attention, finding her confidence in the way others saw her. She’d been beautiful, and full of life, and even though she wasn’t my mate, I’d let myself fall hard for her.

  And then I’d lost her.

  The day that should have been the happiest of my life had turned into heartbreak. Holding my newborn daughter in my arms, I’d been rushed from the delivery room, not knowing what was happening.

  She’d hemorrhaged on the table. There was nothing they could do. No one to blame. But I knew the truth. It was our punishment for going against the laws of the bears.

  Heidi wasn’t my mate, but she was someone else’s.

  Axel. The man went crazy when she denied him. Or maybe he was insane before. It’s hard to know, since the grizzlies aren’t exactly stable to begin with.

  He’d tried to kill Finley. And he would have if my brother and his mate hadn’t been there to protect her. The man is dead now, but that doesn’t mean the threat is over.

  Heidi came from the Grizzly clan, which makes my daughter both Kodiak and Grizzly. And those insane bears think that she somehow belongs to them. They’ve already made a couple of attempts to kidnap her.

  And while I don’t think they’ll dare set foot on Kodiak territory for some time, after the council ordered them to stay away, I still worry.

  But how the hell do you explain to a six-year-old that there is an entire clan of bears that want to snatch her away, without scaring the shit out of her?

  “Daddy, are you going to leave now?” Finley asks, staring up at me, arms crossed. I’d been so lost in my thoughts I hadn’t noticed she’d come back into the room.

  Kate is watching me still, and I see a flash of concern in her eyes.

  But Finley just taps her toes, obviously impatient that I’m still here.

  “What? You don’t want to hang out with your dad?”

  “Kate is way more fun.”

  “Really?” I glance over at the woman, who’s holding back a smile. “And why’s that?”

  “Because she makes cookies, and tells stories, and she doesn’t turn into a bear when she’s mad—”

  “Finley,” I say sharply. She knows better than to mention the bear-thing around others.

  “What?” She blinks up at me all innocent-like, which I know is an act. The kid is pushing my buttons.

  “You know the rules. You can stay with Kate if you’re going to follow them.”

  She sighs. “Okay.”

  Kate is watching us, brows furrowed. Even though two of her closest friends are mated to my brothers, as far as I’m aware, she doesn’t know about our kind. And for all of our sakes, it’s best it stays that way.

  “I can get a little grumpy sometimes,” I say, trying to cover my tracks. “I don’t actually turn into a bear.”

  Kate gives a small laugh. “I didn’t think you did. But wouldn’t that be something to see.”

  “Yeah.” I chuckle uneasily.

  “I’ll bring her home after dinner,” Kate says, shooing me out of the kitchen.

  “You’re sure you don’t mind watching her?” I glance over at Finley, who’s already climbed up on one of the stools and is elbow deep in flour.

  “With Harley and Adelaide gone, it’ll be nice to have the company.” A flash of what looks like loneliness tugs at her features.

  That’s one emotion I understand all too well. I have Finley and my brothers, but it’s not the same as having someone to share your life with. But loneliness is a small price to pay for not experiencing the pain of loss and heartbreak.

  “Okay.” I’m not sure why I’m having such a hard time walking away. I should be grateful that I have the afternoon off, to get some work done without worrying about where Finley has wandered off to. “I guess I’ll see you later.”

  “She’ll be fine,” Kate says, obviously thinking that’s the reason for my hesitation.

  Good. It’s better than her knowing the thoughts I’d had about her earlier. How if Finley wasn’t here, I may just be tempted to pull the woman into my arms and kiss her.

  Big mistake, my brain warns.

  What I need is to get laid. It’s been too damn long. That’s the only reason I’m feeling all mixed up inside about the pretty little redhead with lips that would look so damn good wrapped around my cock.

  Shit.

  I turn and walk away before the woman notices the damn hard-on I’m sporting, or before I do something stupid, like ask her out on a date.

  Not only is she my brothers’ mates’ best friend, but she’s also not the kind of woman who does casual sex. And right now, that’s all I have to offer. No emotions. No commitment. Just a night of pleasure that will have her toes curling and crying out my name in ecstasy.

  I may be practically abstinent, but there are some things a man doesn’t forget how to do.

  As I leave the kitchen, I turn and give Kate one last look. Turns out, she’s still looking at me, with a look in her eyes that can only be described as hunger - even though she has a dozen cookies right there on the counter.

  Maybe I was wrong.

  Maybe Kate can handle a no-strings night together.

  Chapter 2

  Kate

  “Can’t I sleep over at your place?” Finley asks as I take her hand and walk down Main Street toward the two-story house with the white picket fence that seems completely at odds with the man who owns it.

  Finley’s earlier comment about her dad turning into a bear when he gets upset didn’t surprise me. The man is all growlly and wild one minute, looking like he’s ready to devour me, and the next he’s all sullen and moody.

  “I’ll be good, I promise,” Finley says, skipping beside me.

  “How about this, you be good for your dad. No more running off without telling him, and we’ll talk about having a sleepover.”

  “You can sleep over at my place.”

  I cough, wondering what Weston would think of his daughter’s offer. The man is so hard to read. I know only the little bit of information about him that Adelaide has shared.

  Like his brothers, he helps run the guide shop. As far as I know, he was never married to Finley’s mom, but they were engaged, and according to Harley, they were crazy in love. And he hasn’t dated anyone since the woman passed away.

  I get it.

  Probably better than most.

  I’ve loved and lost. Experienced tr
agedy like a knife to the heart. Matt was the only boy I ever truly cared about. Everyone said we were too young to know what real love was, that it would never last, and they were right.

  I just never expected it to end the way it did.

  One drunk driver, and my life was forever changed. I should have been in the car with him that night, but we’d had an argument. It was stupid and petty, and I can’t even remember now what started it, all I know is that the last words I said to him were out of anger.

  I inhale a deep breath and let it out, blinking back tears that I never let fall.

  Three years. It should be enough time for the pain to subside, but it still catches me unaware every once in a while.

  “Are you sad?” Finley asks, taking my hand.

  “I was just thinking about someone that I miss.”

  She twists her lips and I can see the wheels spinning in her head. “Sometimes I miss my mommy even though I never met her.”

  “I’m sorry she’s not here with you.” I give her small hand a squeeze, wondering if that isn’t one of the reasons she’s been acting out.

  “Who do you miss?”

  “A boy I once loved.”

  “Where is he?”

  I glance up at the sky, then back at her. “Up in heaven.”

  “Like my mommy.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Maybe they’re watching over us together.”

  I smile. “Maybe.”

  “There you are.” Weston comes out on the porch when we start up the steps of the house.

  “Kate said I can have a sleepover at her place,” Finley says, jumping up and down until he picks her up.

  He raises a brow at me. “She did, huh?”

  “Yeah. And we’re going to make cupcakes and I get to decorate them.”