The Cowbear's Christmas Shotgun Wedding (Curvy Bear Ranch 3) by Liv Brywood

time.”
    “Thank you,” Kate said.
    The long dining room table held at least twenty seats on each side. A variety of people sat chattering amongst themselves. They were probably guests at the B&B.
    Logan guided her to a seat near the end of the table. Rachel sat Jimmy down between her and a man she guessed was Brady. Madison sat in the seat directly to the left of the man sitting at the head of the table. She slipped her hand into his and flashed an adoring smile. That was a woman in love if she ever saw one.
    Kate glanced at Logan out of the corner of her eye. What would it be like to be in love with one of the Grant brothers? They were all so strong and seemed capable of anything.
    The man at the head of the table stood. “I’d like to propose a toast. To new friends and great family.”
    “Hear, hear,” accompanied the clinking of glasses together.
    “That’s my brother, Mack,” Logan whispered in her ear.
    A shiver of awareness raced up her spine. She leaned closer to Logan as if driven by a magnetic attraction. Her bear pushed her to lean even closer. The only way she knew how to distract her bear was with food, so she heaped thick slices of beef, roasted red potatoes, and green beans onto her plate. As she shoveled the first heaping forkful into her mouth, she told her bear to calm down.
    As the meal progressed, the conversations around the table jumped from tales about the guest’s various snowmobile trips to their Christmas plans. For the first time in years, she wondered where she’d be on Christmas. Would she be in her tiny apartment with only Mittens to keep her company, or would she finally have someone to spend it with?
    Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Logan scarf down enough food to feed the hungriest bear. The man sure could eat. As he reached for a glass of spiced cider, she smiled and wondered if he’d passed up the wine because she was with him. She didn’t expect him not to drink. Most men could handle their liquor without a problem. Her dad just hadn’t been one of those men.
    As soon as the last person put their fork down, Madison jumped up. “I have a special surprise for you guys tonight.”
    She hurried into the kitchen, and then returned with a huge strawberry cheesecake. Although Kate was stuffed fuller than a Thanksgiving turkey, she could probably manage a small piece.
    “Did you get enough?” Logan asked.
    “Yes. The food was amazing. If it’s like this every night, I might have to invite myself to dinner for the rest of the week,” she said.
    “You’re more than welcome to come over anytime,” Madison said.
    “We’re sorry about your father. If there’s anything we can do to help over at the ranch, let us know,” Mack said.
    The other brothers nodded their heads in agreement.
    “I’m fine, but thank you for offering,” Kate said.
    “I’m heading over there tomorrow to help replace the windows,” Logan said.
    “You are?” Kate asked, surprised.
    “Yep,” he said. “Bright and early. We have work to do.”
    “Okay.” How could she refuse his help when he was looking at her like he wanted to eat her for dessert?
    As she scooped chunks of mouthwatering cheesecake into her mouth, she couldn’t help but notice that Logan was still watching her. Was she eating too much? She set her fork down.
    “Are you going to eat the rest of that?” Logan asked.
    At first, she thought he was judging her for over-indulging, but then she realized he was fixated on the cheesecake, not her. She suppressed a smile. Was it possible to be jealous of a piece of cake?
    She pressed her lips together and fought the rush of laughter that threatened to spill from her lips.
    “What?” he asked.
    “Nothing. You can have it,” she managed to blurt before grabbing a glass of water to cover her chuckle.
    He shrugged and set her plate on top of his. Two bites later, he sat back. “Damn, that has to be the best cheesecake I’ve ever had.”
    “Don’t let my mother hear you say