Bear of a Cowboy

Chapter One

**** Gwyn followed her brother and his new wife, Geniveve to one of the guest cabins. She loved that they all had a homey, comfortable look and noticed how the ramp on one side of the deck was made to blend in with the overall rustic charm of the house. The treated wood was lovely and light in color. How she would love to have one just like it some day. Nico opened the screen door, and pressed the doorbell before entering. He led the women through the large living room, and kitchen nook, then down a narrow hall.

She was surprised to see how the house was furnished. All the of the cabins had more furniture, more ... everything. This living room had just a love seat, recliner, coffee table and flat screen TV mounted on the wall. In the kitchen was a table and two chairs against one wall leaving the center of the room clear. Interesting....

Nothing was out of place. 'Wow,' she thought. 'Dis guy is a neat nick if I eve' saw one.'

Nico smiled back at his baby sister as he knocked on a glass door. "Bear? 'Ay, bro. Ya decent in there? I need ta speak wit' you. I ha'e someone I want fo' ya ta meet."

A loud sigh echoed off the walls before a strained voice answered. "Fine. Make it fast. I'm busy."

Nicodemus nodded with a wink and opened the door. He allowed the ladies to pass first. Gwyn was stunned. Before her, doing pullups from a bar hung from the ceiling was the largest, most gorgeous man she had ever seen.

The man was huge. He had to be six foot four at least and was built like a professional body builder but wasn't mucle bound. She watched as his biceps, pectorals, and abdominal muscles contracted and relaxed with every move. Bare chested, his bronze skin gleamed as sweat ran down his arms, face, and torso. A long, ebony braid hung down his back.

She tried not to stare but the man was built with the word power in mind. Then she noticed his ravaged leg. The knee itself was a mass of scars, some from surgeries others from injures. The knee was swollen and red and just looked painful.

'What happened ta dis man, fo' 'im ta ha'e sustained such damage?' It dawned on her then. He was her brother's friend that had been recently released from the VA hospital. 'De pain he must ha'e endured an' must still be goin' through has ta be terrible.'

Her heart went out to him but knew better than to show it. He would resent the knowledge that she felt sorry for what he had gone through. He would take it for pity and that was intolerable.

His torso and arms were marked from previous knife and bullet injuries and a terrible burn had marred his left arm, shoulder and upper chest. It was almost fully camouflaged by a magnificent tattoo. Both his arm and chest was covered by....a grizzly bear. It's left foreleg ran down Bear's arm ending with the claws digging into his hand. The head and right foreleg wrapped around the man's shoulder and down onto his chest. The beast's massive mouth was open in a roar you could almost hear. It's teeth were bared and the claws of the right paw that wrapped around his neck were ready to rip into the wide chest. It was an incredible work of art and seemed to personify the inner fury, power and strength of the man.

* * *

Bear lowered himself back down into the wheelchair and began to wipe sweat away with his towel. He studied the young lady standing before him, she was very similar in coloring and bone structure to Nico....the sister he had talked about? She was a pretty little thing with dark blonde hair, hazel eyes, red lips. She was tiny. He'd be surprised if she even stood five foot three in high heels, but he could tell she was all muscle and....cute as a button.

She looked a little nervous. 'Why? What's her problem? Oh. Of course. Great, all she sees is the damn wheelchair.'