Page 17 of Bear Creek Thanksgiving (Holiday Mates #3)
With every big project, something is inevitably overlooked.
In this case, Gruff hadn’t realized until the last minute that the Red Barn needed an employee break room.
Dustin could use his office, but none of the other workers had a place to eat and relax out of the public eye.
While it was unconventional, Dustin suggested utilizing the long, wide space under the stairs.
Gruff agreed, but it required hiring extra help to get it done before Monday.
The crew who constructed the building had already finished and moved on to their next assignment, so Gruff asked Knox McCoy to recommend someone.
Fortunately, he knew of a father-son team who could take the job, and they arrived this morning about the same time Asha and Dustin started baking in the commercial kitchen.
While they put up with the noise, Gruff’s hungry bear endured the intoxicating aroma of freshly baked sweet breads.
Around mid-morning, his human helpers went outside for a coffee break, and Dustin came down the steps holding a tray filled with goodies.
“Here you go, love. Try to save a little for your helpers, but if you need more, give me a holler.”
Gruff pulled him in for grateful kisses and then set about demolishing the tray. Dustin returned to the kitchen slightly mussed but smiling, knowing how much Gruff appreciated the gesture. Asha shook her head fondly, nibbling on a snack she’d brought with her.
“Is he always hungry?”
Dustin shrugged.
“He never turns down food, but I think it’s less a hunger issue and more of a bear thing. In the fall, natural bears will forage for up to twenty hours a day to achieve their winter weight.”
Asha’s eyes widened with amazement.
“I didn’t know that, but it makes sense. Should I set something aside for him when I’m baking?”
The thought hadn’t occurred to Dustin until now.
“Good idea. A little extra of whatever you’re making will be fine. In fact, we should plan on daily snacks for Gruff, Ruben, and Nina during the season, along with something for the breakroom. I’m sure they’ll all appreciate it.”
A few minutes later, the sawing and pounding resumed downstairs and Dustin helped Asha get set up for their next recipe.
Once she learned all of them, he was confident she’d be able to keep up with the production schedule.
It all depended on how many customers they had and what their favorites were, but they’d figure it out in time.
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Suppertime
Dustin sent Asha home around five o’clock with her own set of keys, and then spent another hour cleaning and resetting the kitchen for tomorrow.
They’d made tremendous progress, streamlined processes, and made minor tweaks to a number of the recipes.
Based on Asha’s recommendations, Dustin had placed rush orders for more cooling racks, pans, and other items to increase efficiency and save time.
He’d learned quickly that she was not only pleasant and hard-working, but smart and proactive.
They made a good team, and Dustin was more than satisfied.
Finished for the day, he gathered the soiled aprons, towels, and washrags and headed downstairs.
It had been quiet for a while, though Dustin wasn’t surprised to find Gruff sweeping up sawdust when he reached the first floor.
He received a rumbly kiss on the way past, heading for the mop closet/laundry nook, adjacent to the restrooms. He got the load started, locked up, and went back to take a look at the breakroom.
“Wow! You got a lot done today.”
The space just under the first few feet of stairs had been closed off to make a storage/supply closet, opened from the hallway.
At the opposite end they’d roughed-in an L-shaped mini-kitchen with room for a small refrigerator, sink, and microwave.
Given the limited space, a fifteen inch shelf would be mounted on the long wall instead of individual tables, leaving room for chairs and a walkway behind.
Dustin reached up to brush some wood shavings out of Gruff’s beard and returned the kiss he’d received earlier.
“You’re amazing, and this looks great! It should be quiet back here and away from customers—exactly what our employees need. Don’t forget wall hooks for coats, and places for people to plug in their phones or tablets.”
Gruff pulled Dustin close, scenting deeply while his hands roamed.
“You smell sweet—like sugar and spice. I could eat you up. Stay for supper with me?”
Dustin gave him a grateful smile. They’d had little time together since Sunday, and Dustin missed his man.
“I’d love to. I might even have enough energy for some snuggling later.”
Gruff liked the idea and hustled them out of the building toward home.
############
The following day
“… so tomorrow afternoon will be training for our temp workers. We’re going to do some role play to get everyone familiar with our products, and also make sure they know how to answer guest questions.
On a typical day, I expect you’ll be here at the register, and I’ll be out on the sales floor to keep things moving along. ”
Dustin was pleased that Jillian learned quickly and wasn’t overwhelmed (yet), though he had a lot of ground to cover.
Basically, she needed to know everything he did, from policies to procedures and products to prices.
She’d already learned how to do the morning prep—cash drawer, make coffee, set up drink machines, check supplies.
Now she had to become familiar with the product and where to find it.
Dustin gave her an in-depth tour of the sales floor, pointing out various items and everything she’d need to know about them.
When they came back around full circle, Jillian looked a little gob-smacked.
“There are so many interesting things here—how do you keep all of this straight?”
Dustin appreciated the compliment, but he didn’t want her to worry.
“When I first got here, the place was empty; no products, shelving, or displays. I learned it from personally handling each item as it came in and finding homes for everything. I don’t expect the same level of knowledge from you at the start, but make it your goal. If you get stumped, I’m here to help.”
He handed her a list of shifter or locally made items that enjoyed prominent shelf placement or colorful displays.
“Start with these, and once you’re comfortable, I’ll give you a list of our best sellers. By then, you’ll be able to help most of our customers all by yourself. While you’re doing that, I need to go check in with Gruff. If a call comes in, flag me down or take a message.”
Dustin walked out the main entrance and noticed that Gruff had hung the ‘GRAND OPENING—MONDAY AUGUST 14 TH !’ banners above the doors and out at the street.
While he tried to appear calm and collected with employees, the big day made him uneasy.
This was a huge step forward, both personally and professionally, and any number of things could go wrong (and probably would).
Gruff felt it too, but since they tended to ground each other, the stress wasn’t overwhelming.
Dustin headed for the side entrance near the stairs so he wouldn’t get in the way, seeking a certain shifter.
Gruff’s head popped up as soon as Dustin stepped through the door, pleased to see his man but worried about his scent.
He stepped over and through the construction mess, took Dustin’s hand, and led him back outside.
They embraced, wrapped in a temporary bubble of tranquility and strength—intangible, but felt deeply. Gruff pulled back for a tender kiss.
“Are you okay, Dusty? What do you need?”
Just knowing he cared was enough, despite Gruff having his own set of troubles. He looked into the sweet shifter’s stormy-blue eyes and smiled.
“You. You’re all I need. Got the jitters, I guess. I know we can do this, but sometimes… it’s a lot, that’s all.”
Gruff acknowledged the sentiment with a rumble of his own, clasped Dustin’s hand, and headed toward the pond for a little stroll.
The silence and sunshine chased away the doubt, if only for a little while, and reminded them that what they had was real.
Necessary. Unbeatable. At length, Gruff spoke, sharing things he wouldn’t have before.
“I couldn’t do this alone. Maybe I dreamed too big without thinking it through, but you give me confidence. It’s one of the things I love about you.”
Dustin stopped, turned to face Gruff, and reached up to stroke his scarred and bearded left cheek.
“You’re one of the strongest people I’ve ever met, and entirely too good for me. Do you have any kisses to spare?”
As it happened, he did, and they enjoyed a good snogging until a pushy feline interrupted their fun with a string of ill-mannered chatter.
Both men chuckled at the saucy cat who must have been feeling left out and neglected.
Gruff scooped him up and set him on his shoulder as they made their way back to the Barn.
Curious, he asked Dustin about their most recent hire.
“How is Jillian doing so far?”
Dustin’s scent revealed more than his words.
“Great! She’s a fast learner, asks good questions, and seems excited about the position. I think our customers will be in good hands. How’s the breakroom coming along?”
Gruff growled a bit, obviously not entirely happy about the state of things.
“Need more time than we have. It’ll be ready by Monday, and the guys I hired agreed to work on it after hours until it’s done. The fridge and microwave are supposed to come this afternoon, and I can pick up the folding chairs at the home store anytime.”
That reminded Dustin of another item he needed.
“Can you pick up a bulletin board for me? I need to post all the workplace notices and company policies. It’s a legal requirement.”
“Okay. I’ll go tonight after we have supper. You want to come along?”
Gruff plucked Baxter off his shoulder and told him to go catch a mouse, while Dustin tried to hide his grin.