Big
Bear, Little Bear
Midnight
Rodeo
Book
Three
Julia
Talbot
Genre:
Gay shifter romance
Publisher:
All Romance eBooks
Date
of Publication: 9/1/2016
ISBN:
978-1-945193-14-9
Word
Count: 20000
Cover
Artist: Erin Dameron Hill
Book
Description:
Little
bear comes into his own.
Ben
Ursa has been out of the Midnight Rodeo game for a while, recovering
from a terrible head injury. When he comes back, he finds a whole new
place in the pecking order, his trained horses in high demand.
He
also finds rodeo clown and grizzly shifter, Ozzie, who rejected him
for being too young before. Now Ozzie thinks he's just right, even if
he is a little black bear. Can Ben really recover and become Ozzie's
mate, or will his family scheme to keep him "little bear"?
Excerpt:
“Man, the
bullfighters all have their panties in a wad. I hope to hell they
settle it out.” Ozzie wiped makeup off his forehead, growling a
little at Thack’s assistant, January.
“You and me and
the boss and the big boss and every other creature here, sir.”
Sir.
God, the wee little
brownie was adorable. Such a cutie, with his little square glasses
and his tiny soul patch of a beard.
Squishable.
Ozzie wanted to hug
January and lick him, maybe. Definitely sniff him. Ozzie reined in
his bear tendencies, which could crop up at the least convenient
times. His desire wasn’t even sexual. More teddy bear like.
“So, tell me about
the next venue,” Ozzie said. Their next stop was at a brand new
arena.
“It’s near Santa
Fe, sir. A charming arena with adequate facilities and a fabulous
local pool of talent. They’re… surprisingly active there.”
“Are they? Good.
We need more talent in the timed events.”
“Yes. Yes, I
believe Ben Ursa will be rejoining us. Mr. Thackery is very pleased.”
Ben? Ben Ursa?
Poor kid. Ozzie
remembered him well, and not only for his name, which was as bad as
Osbourne McMahon. Bear Son of the Bear. Ben Ursa was Grizzly Adams
meeting Latin.
“They get his
brains all unrattled? Last time I saw him, he was in a bad way.”
“That depends on
who you ask. January, I need the manifests for the drivers.” Thack
nodded to Ozzie as January scrambled.
“Oh. Poor kid. But
he’s good to ride?” He had to admit he’d had a thing for Ben,
but he’d ignored it, waiting for the kid to be more confident.
Hell, he felt like shit over it because the night the kid had gotten
hurt, Ben tried to make a move on Ozzie, which he rebuffed.
He wanted Ben to be
all grown-up first.
“He’s got a hard
head.” Thack shrugged. “Shit, man, you know the kid is terrible
at his job. He trains the best horses, though.”
“He does.” Good
hazing, roping, and bulldogging horses were worth their weight in
gold in their business. Worth enough to give a bad bulldogger a job.
“I’ll have to stop by his trailer and say hi.”
It would be good to
have another bear on tour again. Someone who understood about naps
and salmon. Mmm. Salmon. He did love that stuff. Honey, too.
“He’s in the big
black trailer with the bear painted on it.”
“Good deal.”
He’d drop by on his way to get some food. Wave. Sniff some.
Thack nodded. “Good
show, man.”
“Thank you.”
Ozzie loved his job. He got to play on his natural bearish clumsiness
and be a smart-ass at the same time.
Thack smiled, and
Jesus fuck, that was creepy. All teeth and horns. Demons. Scary like
whoa sometimes.
Ozzie waved and
headed to see the little bear. Wow. That trailer was nicer than his.
Way nicer.
Little Ben had
family with money, with land, with amazing horses. Talk about a bear
with a silver honey spoon in his mouth.
Ozzie grinned. Of
course, the kid had also been hurt so bad a few seasons ago that he
had to learn how to walk all over again. That meant the kid had grit.
Determination.
He knocked on the
trailer door, the little bear’s voice ringing out. “Coming!”
Ozzie tried to peer
inside, but the window by the door was too small to get a good view.
The door opened up,
bright button eyes shining at him from Ben’s smiling face. “Oz!”
“Hey, buddy.”
Oh, look at that. Ben looked so much better than he had last time
Ozzie had seen him.
“Come in. Come in.
I just got here.” Ben was little for a bear, but a solid, broad
shouldered man with a shock of pitch-black hair. He looked healthier,
the skinny and pallor wore clean off from when he’d been hurt.
“Thanks. Thack
said you were back.”
“I’m trying to
be, yeah. It was touch and go.”
“Well, I’m glad
you’re better, kiddo.” Man, the inside of the fifth wheel was
amazing, a big kitchen and a huge platform bed visible in the back.
“Have a sit.”
The place was like a
rolling condo—someone’s momma wanted to assure her cub was
comfortable and safe.
He didn’t even
have to move dirty clothes off the built-in sofa before he sat. “Nice
place.”
“Yeah. Momma Bear.
You know.”
“I do.” He’d
met Ben’s mom. She was something else.
Ben blushed, head
ducking, and Ozzie saw the scar, heavy and thick against his scalp.
Damn.
“Hey, my mom still
packs my lunch when she comes to visit. Smoked salmon tea
sandwiches,” Ozzie said.
“I like smoked
salmon. Lots. You want a beer?”
“Honey wheat?”
Ben nodded. “I got
a six-pack. You’re off work, hmm?”
“I am.” He
settled back, just—Man, it was nice to have another bear around,
the scent familiar. Comforting. He forgot, sometimes, how alone he
felt. Seeing Ben reminded him how much he’d liked the kid, too.
Little Ben brought
him a beer, settling down across from him, all grins. Such a cutie.
Really, Ozzie felt a little pervy around Ben. Just a little. Ben was
gentle, peaceful, not a bit of growl in him.
Ozzie grinned. He
had a lot of grr. A lot of grizzly.
About
the Author:
Julia
Talbot lives in the great Southwest, where there is hot and cold
running rodeo, cowboys, and everything from meat and potatoes to the
best Tex-Mex. A full time author, Julia has been published by Samhain
Publishing, Dreamspinner Press, All Romance eBooks and Changeling
Press. She believes in stories that leave a mark, and that everyone
deserves a happy ending, so she writes about love without limits,
where boys love boys, girls love girls, and boys and girls get
together to get wild, especially when her crazy paranormal characters
are involved. Find Julia at @juliatalbot on Twitter.
For
more information on other books by Julia, please visit her official
website:
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winners to receive a Julia Talbot eBook published by All Romance.
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