The Bear's Runaway Bride (A Second Chance at Bear Creek Lodge Book 5)(Paranormal Women's Midlife Fiction)

Table of Contents Copyright A Second Chance at Bear Creek Lodge Series Free Book Offer Chapter One – Jodie Chapter Two – Ryan Chapter Three – Jodie Chapter Four – Ryan Chapter Five – Jodie Chapter Six – Ryan Chapter Seven – Jodie Chapter Eight – Ryan Chapter Nine – Jodie Chapter Ten – Ryan Chapter Eleven – Jodie Chapter Twelve – Ryan Chapter Thirteen – Jodie Chapter Fourteen – Ryan Chapter Fifteen – Jodie Chapter Sixteen – Ryan Chapter Seventeen – Jodie Chapter Eighteen – Ryan Chapter Nineteen – Jodie Chapter Twenty – Ryan Chapter Twenty-One – Jodie Chapter Twenty-Two – Ryan Chapter Twenty-Three – Jodie Chapter Twenty-Four – Ryan Chapter Twenty-Five – Jodie Chapter Twenty-Six – Ryan Chapter Twenty-Seven – Jodie Chapter Twenty-Eight – Ryan Epilogue – Jodie Get In Touch The Bear’s Runaway Bride A Second Chance at Bear Creek Lodge Book Five *** All rights reserved. This book, or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written consent of the author or publisher. This is a work of fiction and is intended for mature audiences only. All characters within are eighteen years of age or older. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, actual events or places is purely coincidental. © 2023 Harmony Raines Kindle Edition A Second Chance at Bear Creek Lodge Maid for the Bear A Second Chance at Bear Creek Lodge Book One The Bear’s Forbidden Love A Second Chance at Bear Creek Lodge Book Two Nanny for the Bear A Second Chance at Bear Creek Lodge Book Three Trapped with the Bear A Second Chance at Bear Creek Lodge Book Four The Bear’s Runaway Bride A Second Chance at Bear Creek Lodge Book Five The Bear’s Unexpected Mate A Second Chance at Bear Creek Lodge Book Six Sign up to the Harmony Raines Newsletter And I’ll tell you about my new releases and special offers. You’ll also receive a FREE EXCLUSIVE BOOK The Bear’s Surprise Mate A Second Chance at Bear Creek Lodge FREE Book! The Bear’s Surprise Mate Read Grant and Lana’s story. It’s exclusive to my newsletter subscribers You can join Harmony Raines’s author newsletter by clicking/tapping HERE! Chapter One – Jodie Jodie slowed down as she drove along the winding mountain road toward Bear Creek Lodge. The cold seeped into her bones through the car windows, causing her to shiver in her wedding gown. What there was of it. Why had she followed the advice of the wedding stylist Wilhelm had hired? Because she’d been carried away by the fantasy of a happily ever after with a man who claimed to love her. What was she thinking? All Wilhelm cared about was publicity. It didn’t matter now. That dream had come to an abrupt end. She closed her eyes for a split second and cursed under her breath. What had she done? Jodie let out a snort. She was well aware of what she had done. An image of Wilhelm standing at the altar flashed through her mind. He smiled, his veneered teeth whiter than her dress. That flash of white teeth had been followed by the flash of a camera as a member of the film crew stepped out in front of her. Jodie blinked as the light blinded her, and when she opened her eyes, it was as if she saw the truth of her life, her fiancé, and the wedding for the first time. She’d taken a few faltering steps forward before she locked eyes with her grandma. She was dabbing her eyes with a tissue. Only they weren’t happy tears. There was sadness there. Jodie was making a mistake. Probably the biggest one of her life, and goodness knows there was plenty of competition for that honor. “What a mess!” Her eyes sparkled with tears, and the view of the world outside the sanctuary of the car fractured into a million pieces. She blinked rapidly, chasing away the picture of her doomed wedding. If she didn’t pull herself together, the headlines that would fill the news tomorrow would not be - Jodie Swan, The Runaway Bride, but - Jodie Swan, Found Dead on a Remote Mountain Road. She had not imploded her life just to end it here on the way to Bear Creek Lodge. As she’d hurried to her car and drove away from the wedding, Bear Creek Lodge had been a beacon of hope. It was as if the place was calling to her. Which was ridiculous, but then she’d not exactly been in the best state mentally. She snorted, releasing a cloud of vapor from her mouth. That was probably close to the headlines the press would run with. Jodie Swan Has a Mental Breakdown. Had she? Jodie shook her head firmly. No. If anything, her head was clearer now than it had been for a long time. She flexed her frozen fingers on the steering wheel and shot the heater a reproving glance. It wasn’t man enough to keep the interior of the car warm on a night like this. Leaning forward, Jodie focused on the road. It was so dark this high in the mountains. The only light came from the headlights of her car, illuminating the dense pine trees that seemed to close in around her. Much as her life had closed in around her, inch by inch, day by day. But not anymore. Now she was free. The only question remained, what did she plan to do with this newfound freedom? The road twisted and turned, much like the plot of some of the movies she’d starred in. But none of those movies packed the same twist as she’d created in her life today. No screenwriter had written this plot twist. It was too cliched. Was that who she was, a cliche? Jodie continued on the winding mountain