The Bear's Perfect Mate: Cozy Small Town Shifter Romance by Harmony Raines

Author:Harmony Raines [Raines, Harmony]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harmony Raines
Published: 2025-07-17T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve – Sophie

Meeting Nero had been freeing in more ways than Sophie could count. His unwavering optimism had started to rub off on her, gently chipping away at the cynicism left behind by betrayal.

Which was helpful, considering his fake proposal was still blowing up on social media.

To make things worse—or possibly better—the journalist who had approached her that morning had now posted a photo of her and Nero leaving the bakery. It was slightly blurry, but her face was visible. His arm was just behind hers, protective without touching. Strangers on the internet were running wild with theories.

Sophie scrolled through her phone, torn between amusement and dismay. #FakeProposal was trending. Her notifications were a chaotic mix of speculation, support, and far too many opinions from people who didn’t know her.

At least the focus had shifted. The journalist’s new narrative speculated about her and Nero rather than dredging up gossip about her and Tito. That alone felt like a win.

With a sigh, she slipped her phone into her bag and focused on her grocery list. After checking out of the hotel, she’d stopped at Bear Creek’s compact but surprisingly well-stocked grocery store. If she was going to stay at The Lookout and use Nero’s kitchen, she wanted the right ingredients.

She moved through the aisles methodically, gathering fresh produce, fragrant herbs, and a few specialty items that sparked her curiosity. Her mind buzzed with ideas—wild mushroom risotto with pine-infused cream, berry tarts glazed in mountain honey, herb-crusted trout with lemon and thyme. Recipes that belonged here.

As she placed her items on the checkout counter, she found herself smiling. For the first time in days, she felt excited about cooking again. Not just going through the motions to fulfill her contract with Tito, but genuinely inspired to create recipes people would love.

Speaking of love, she needed to come up with a recipe for the plump gooseberries Hilda and Norman had gifted her. It had to be something special, just like the couple themselves.

After paying, Sophie wheeled her cart to her car and began loading the grocery bags into the trunk. She glanced around the parking lot, half-expecting to see the journalist lurking between vehicles, phone camera ready. But there was no sign of him.

Still, as she drove out of town toward The Lookout, Sophie kept checking her rearview mirror. Just to be safe, she took a few extra turns on her drive up the mountain, circling back once or twice to be sure she wasn’t followed.

“You’re being paranoid,” she muttered, even as her eyes darted to the rearview mirror again. But the truth was, the last thing she wanted was for someone to discover she was staying at Nero’s place.

Not because it would fuel speculation about their relationship, but because this place—this quiet space Nero had offered—felt fragile and precious. She wanted to protect it.

And then there was Nero himself. Her fingers gripped the wheel a little tighter. She still hadn’t shaken the sensation of his hand on her shoulder. The charged energy that passed between them was like static, sending tingling sensations racing across her skin.

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