Page 43 of Bear Creek Thanksgiving (Holiday Mates #3)
Slammed.
Between word of mouth, Dustin’s own marketing, and Bear Creek’s promotional efforts, the Red Barn was hopping.
The most uncomfortable part of the day turned out to be the meeting with Asha and Jillian first thing this morning.
They knew something was up when Gruff appeared at Dustin’s side dressed in a Red Barn apron and cap, and wearing a nametag.
Once they understood the delicate nature of the couple’s problem, the ladies were both sympathetic and discreet.
There wasn’t time to explain the ins and outs of shifter mating habits, but they promised to cover for Dustin if he and Gruff needed some time out .
Both men deeply appreciated their cooperation and said so.
Since Gruff couldn’t leave his side, Dustin decided to train his mate while they were joined at the hip.
Actually, he would have already done so if Gruff hadn’t been so busy with the apple harvest this fall.
For now, Dustin skipped the register, ordering, and payroll, as those were more involved tasks.
He’d never seen the man use a computer, so it was possible he didn’t know how.
If that was the case, he’d teach him some basics at home and see how it went.
Meanwhile, there were plenty of other things Gruff could learn.
First off, he was very observant and listened to everything Dustin said to his customers and employees.
Learning by repetition was slower than direct training, but his intelligent mate was capable of handling much more than the apple growing business.
His customer service skills needed some polish, as he tended to be quiet and use the fewest words possible.
People who stared at his scars were the ones who really made him clam up, but he was slowly overcoming that roadblock as well.
Around ten o’clock, Gruff became clingy and anxious when customers drew near to ask for his mate’s help.
Had they been alone, there was no doubt what they’d be doing, but there seemed to be no way to communicate what he needed.
Fortunately, Dustin sensed the problem and asked Jillian to cover for him while he and Gruff stepped into his office.
“No problem. I’ll hold down the fort while you’re gone, and don’t forget to lock the door .”
The last admonition had been whispered, just in case a customer might be listening.
Dustin nodded, led Gruff into his office by the hand, and secured the door behind them.
Thirty minutes later they emerged, looking slightly rumpled but smiling, and picked up right where they left off on the sales floor.
Gruff helped Dustin stock shelves, answer customer questions, and point people in the right direction.
Each new encounter boosted his confidence, and he’d started to relax.
The new Christmas merch was flying off the shelves—both at the Barn and the on-line shop.
It seemed the dancing bears enjoyed more fans than anyone realized, and the first public concert this evening would introduce even more people to the famous troupe.
While Gruff accepted the novelty of performing bears, he wasn’t interested in volunteering himself.
Still, he’d promised to bring Dustin to one of the free public concerts before the season ended so his mate could experience the phenomenon in person.
By twelve-thirty, Gruff’s bear not only wanted more time with their mate, the ominous rumbling from his stomach meant he also needed to refuel.
An extended lunch should do it, and Jillian shooed them out the door with a wink.
They rushed home, snarfed down some Thanksgiving leftovers, and made love until Gruff’s purr returned.
A shuttle bus from the Pocono Ridge Resort had arrived minutes before they got back to work, making the shop even busier than when they’d left for lunch. Jillian was relieved to see them, needing everyone on deck to handle the rush.
About an hour later, DeeDee Tillman showed up to congratulate them on their mating. One of her minions must have told her they were working today instead of staying home—almost unheard of among the recently mated. She found them buried in the gift shop stocking shelves and gave both men warm hugs.
“We all missed you yesterday, and I want you to know how thrilled we were by the news. Gruff, your brothers are primed to give you advice, assuming you need it, but I told them to let you and your mate figure things out for yourselves. Dustin, Sunny and I are the closest thing you’ll have to in-laws, so feel free to call us Mom and Dad.
If not, that’s fine too, but you’re a part of the family now, which means lots of support and a bunch of nosy relatives. ”
Dustin laughed, though Gruff growled, knowing she wasn’t exaggerating.
With the Barn still quite busy, DeeDee let them be and went to investigate all the changes since her last visit.
Meanwhile, the bakery cases were doing a brisk business, especially with the addition of new holiday offerings: a cinnamon pull-apart wreath, a spiced gingerbread loaf, and festive candy cane brownies.
The scent of so many tasty baked goods had kept Gruff’s nose twitching all day, and Dustin plied him with snacks to keep him from getting grumbly.
Whenever they hit a lull in foot traffic, he’d print off on-line orders and have a couple of his part-timers pick, pack, and label the items. Near the end of the day, someone would make a post office run while the parcel service picked up the rest. In between, there were bathrooms to clean, people to help, and questions to answer.
All Bear Creek businesses offered extended holiday hours through Christmas Eve, meaning Gruff and Dustin had to return to the shop after an early supper.
Both Asha and Jillian were sent home at six, leaving a crew of part-timers to help Dustin until the Barn closed at eight.
That still left an additional hour to restock the shelves, clean the building, and prep the service counter for the next day.
At home, Gruff pleasured his mate, served him a snack, and took him to bed after a quick shower.
This weekend would probably be the busiest of the season, and they were already looking forward to their next day off.
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Mid-December
With the mating bond now settled, Gruff felt more comfortable taking care of some personal business.
At present, he and Dustin were on their way to the Washington Township property near the tiny berg of Phillipston.
According to the map, there wasn’t much to see or do, but Hugo Kennedy’s goal had been to provide a home for his future family which included a wooded territory away from the city.
Gruff and Dustin had left early this morning for the four and a half hour journey—only part of what they hoped to accomplish on this trip.
After meeting with Ryder Sinclair and speaking to the account representative at Pittsburg Wealth Management, Gruff and Dustin had made important decisions about his inheritance. The first was to leave the portfolio at PWM, albeit with updated investment choices and Dustin’s name as joint owner.
The second decision was to sell the Washington Township property to a developer for an obscene amount of money.
With their home in Bear Creek, there was little point in keeping the land, and the funds would give them ready cash for other projects.
While Gruff had no ties to, or memory of, his father’s land, Dustin wanted to see it in person before the developers started digging.
“Isn’t your bear curious about a place that meant so much to Hugo? I mean, if things had been different, you would have been raised on the property.”
That conversation led to today’s trip. Gruff trusted his mate, and if he believed it was important to pay the site a visit, then they would go.
He didn’t have any particular expectations, other than forming a concrete memory which may or may not be helpful.
If nothing else, it made Dustin happy—something Gruff and his bear always found worthwhile.
Shortly after ten a.m., they arrived at the rutted dirt road leading to the only structure on the property.
Twenty-plus years of neglect had left its mark on the one-room cabin that Hugo Kennedy used as his base.
Gruff parked the truck and stared at it through the windshield—damaged by weather, animal life, and vandals.
Dustin patted him on the forearm, and they exited the cab to get a closer look.
Snowfall hid most of the weeds, saplings, and piles of rotting leaves which had intruded on the small clearing, and a lush, old-growth forest surrounded the place—seemingly untouched by time.
The cabin’s two small windows had been boarded over and the door nailed shut to keep unwelcome visitors out.
Using his ursine strength, Gruff yanked it open, and they stepped inside.
It was a mess, of course, but the sparse furniture remained—a broken down cot, a small table and chair, a rusted wood stove, and a pile of kindling.
Gruff didn’t seem to be interested in looking around, so Dustin did it for him.
A narrow closet revealed a tattered flannel shirt hanging from a bent nail, and a rotted pair of leather boots.
The kitchen, if you could call it that, consisted of a short countertop with cupboards above and below, holding a rusted cast-iron skillet and some basic tableware.
Had there been anything of value here, it was now ruined by mold, water, or mice.
Dustin took one last look around and heaved a disappointed sigh.
“I’d hoped to find more of his things here—maybe personal items, pictures, or books. I suppose he spent most of his time here in bear form, and the cabin was more for shelter than anything else. Would you like to shift and look around the property for a while?”