Consumed (Gem Creek Bears Book 7) Read online

  How much of Gran’s stuff did I plan on getting rid of?

  My teeth sank into my bottom lip as I flipped on lights and made my way to the stack of cardboard boxes in the corner. I grabbed one from the top and made my way to the kitchen, deciding to focus on one room at a time.

  I was halfway through packing up some of Gran’s random knick-knacks I’d never cared for when a knock sounded at the front door. I paused in what I was doing to answer it and was surprised to see Tris, Penny, and Vada on the porch.

  “Hey. We know you wanted to go through everything here yourself, and that you probably want to be alone while doing it,” Penny said in a soft tone.

  “But we got something for you, and we couldn’t wait to give it to you,” Tris insisted, holding a small white box out to me.

  “Oh. You guys didn’t have to get me anything,” I said, genuinely surprised.

  “We know, but we wanted to,” Vada insisted.

  I opened the box and saw a beautiful silver heart on a chain among cotton.

  “It’s a cremation pendant,” Penny said. “So you can always have a piece of your Gran with you.”

  My eyes filled with tears as a wave of heavy emotion washed over me. “Thank you so much. That’s so sweet.”

  Gran’s ashes were on the mantle because I hadn’t known what to do with them. That was one thing we’d never talked about while she was still alive that I wished we had.

  “All right, well. We just wanted to give you that,” Tris said, pulling me in for a quick hug. “We’ll let you get back to it now.”

  “Unless you want us to stay. We don’t mind helping,” Penny insisted as she pulled me in for a hug next.

  Over the last few weeks, I’d grown close to these ladies and valued their friendship.

  “I’m okay doing this alone. I appreciate the offer to help though, and I love this necklace. Thank you.”

  “Are you sure?” Vada asked, hugging me next.

  “Yeah. I’m good.”

  “All right, well then we’ll get out of your hair,” Penny insisted.

  They climbed into the golf cart they’d rode here and backed out of the driveway. I closed the door and looped the necklace over my head while I walked to where Gran’s ashes sat on the mantle. Once I had a pinch of them inside the pendant, I felt lighter. Better. It was nice knowing I had a piece of her with me always, that she wouldn’t only be a memory.

  “Now, what did you want me to do with the rest of you?” I asked, hoping for a sign. “Where are you wanting me to set you free?” My gaze drifted around the room, but nothing happened to signify an answer.

  I made my way back to the kitchen and resumed packing up the oddball knick-knacks before moving on to the living room. Forty minutes later, I stood in Gran’s bedroom with a new box in hand. I’d barely filled two boxes between the kitchen and living room, and I’d also decided to donate her couch and keep mine. However, I knew the majority of my boxes would be filled with things from her room.

  As I stepped further inside, something on the nightstand caught my eye. An envelope. My name was written across the front in Gran’s perfect cursive.

  Had this been sitting here the whole time?

  I used my thumbnail to open it, and pulled the paper that smelled of Gran free from the envelope before sitting on her bed to read it.

  My Dearest Sam,

  It seems so strange to be writing you this letter, but I know it needs to be done. I need to tell you goodbye in a way that brings you closure. I love you. I miss you already, but please know that I’ll be with you always. Think of me often—but only of the good times we shared. Mend your fragile heart. Forgive Nash entirely if you haven’t already. Get married. Grow old together, and love one another so much you feel like you’re about to burst. Don’t fault people for hurting and grieving in a way you wouldn’t. Always watch the sunset with gratitude in your heart, and be thankful for each sunrise you get to see. Tend to your houseplants because they bring you joy, but also tend to my garden because I worked too damn hard for it to go to waste. Look for rainbows when you need answers from me. And know that this pregnancy is different. You will hold the sweet bundle of joy in your arms this time.

  I’m with you, sweetheart, always.

  Love,

  Gran

  P.S. Set my ashes free in the garden. I want to spend time in my favorite place while watching you as a mother.

  My hand fell to my stomach. This pregnancy? Was I pregnant?

  Bone deep exhaustion. Nausea. Emotions being haywire.

  Yes, I was grieving… but I was also pregnant.

  My bear let out a noise that I knew meant she was excited, and I wondered if she’d known this entire time. Maybe that was why she’d kept nudging me to take better care of myself. I’d just thought it was her way of making sure I was coping with Gran’s loss okay.

  Nash.

  I pulled my cell from my back pocket and dialed his number.

  “Are you okay?” He asked when he answered, concern heavy in his tone. “I’m turning around now. Just passing Rayna’s RV.”

  “I’m fine, but I want you here,” I said, wondering if he’d be able to hear the smile in my tone—the happiness.

  “I’m almost there. Rounding the corner now. I can see the cabin.”

  “Good.”

  The crunching of gravel sounded a few seconds later, and I knew Nash was here. I made my way through the cabin to meet him on the porch. He hung up and shoved his phone in his pocket as he slid from the golf cart and started toward me.

  “What’s wrong?” He asked, eyes wide and worried.

  “Nothing.” My lips twisted into a smile as I held his stare. “I’m pregnant.”

  “What?” His brows pinched together, and the tension in his features melted away as a smile twisted across his face. It reached the corners of his eyes, crinkling them. “Really?”

  “Yeah.”

  “How do you know? Did you take a test?”

  “Gran left me a note. She said it’s going to be a healthy baby.”

  Nash smoothed a hand over his face. “We’re going to be parents. Holy shit, we’re having a baby!”

  He lifted me up and spun me around. When he set me back down, his hand dipped to my stomach and he dropped to his knees.

  “You’re going to be spoiled rotten and loved so much,” he whispered to our baby. “Do you think it’s a boy or a girl?” Nash asked, looking up at me.

  “I think it’s a girl,” I said without hesitation. It was a feeling I had.

  “We’re going to be in trouble if it is because there’s no doubt in my mind that she’ll be a knockout just like her mama.” Nash’s attention shifted back to my stomach.

  I grabbed hold of the heart pendant with Gran’s ashes tucked safely inside and made her a silent promise—my daughter’s name would be Dottie.

  I hope you enjoyed Sam and Nash’s story. If you enjoyed the feel of my Gem Creek Bears series, you might also enjoy my Marked Duology.

  One Bite Changes Everything…

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  Thank you for reading Consumed (Gem Creek Bears, Book Seven), I hope you enjoyed it! Please consider leaving an honest review at your point of purchase. Reviews help me in so many ways!

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  About the Author

  Jennifer Snyder lives in North Carolina where she spends most of her time writing New Adult and Young Adult Fiction, reading, and struggling to stay on top of housework. She is a tea lover with an obsession for Post-it notes and smooth writing pens. J
ennifer lives with her husband and two children, who endure listening to songs that spur inspiration on repeat and tolerate her love for all paranormal, teenage-targeted TV shows.

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