Page 45 of Bear Creek Thanksgiving (Holiday Mates #3)
Since Jillian, Asha, and Dustin all wanted to see this year’s live music concert (and the dancing bears), they’d had to split up and go one at a time.
Tonight was Dustin’s turn, and he and Gruff invited Orrin Crosby and the orphans to attend with them, followed by gifts at the Cub House.
They met in the parking lot, and Orrin brought along old blankets to keep everyone warm.
Each of the adults were paired up with two cubs apiece, and they went in search of good seats.
All the concerts were well-attended and only lasted about twenty minutes, but it didn’t take long to get chilled in the open air.
Thankfully, it wasn’t snowing tonight, and everyone seemed to be bundled up properly.
Orrin was in a good mood; excited to get out of the house and interact with other adults, all while exposing the cubs to something new and expanding their view of the world.
They didn’t understand concerts, let alone dancing bears, but their curious natures meant tonight would be a fun learning experience.
Dustin’s cubs were old enough to walk on their own, though he held their gloved hands the entire way.
They glanced up at him every so often, no doubt wondering who he was and why he smelled like a human.
Orrin had warned him that most orphans were unacquainted with humans, or living in town instead of the woods.
Part of his job was to teach them about the broader world, civilized manners, and all the other things human children were exposed to as a matter of course.
Gruff walked ahead of him with the two youngest cubs cradled in his arms. Even though he was a stranger, they found his shifter scent calming and safe—wiggling their faces as close to his neck as they could get.
Gruff may have looked odd or fierce at first glance, but he was always gentle and patient when interacting with the Tillman cubs or his own nephews.
Dustin believed he’d make a wonderful father someday.
More than likely, they would be adopting orphan cubs just like these.
Orrin found them a stretch of concrete seating which could accommodate everyone and provided a great view of the stage.
There were projection screens for those who didn’t have a good line of sight, but he wanted the cubs to see the action directly.
Half the blankets were to sit on, while the rest helped keep them warm.
There were a few media teams in attendance, set up for evening news clips or to grab footage for this season’s concert recording.
Right on schedule, Levi McCoy made his way to the elevated podium while the community choir filed in.
The crowd quieted down as the first notes began to play—until the dancing bears trundled in from both sides.
The surprised cubs squealed, pointing at the stage while the choir began singing Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree .
The audience went wild as the bears, dressed in holiday aprons, gyrated and grooved to the music, joined by various choir members for a few beats before moving on.
The two bears in the middle suddenly decided to dance with one another, creating more laughter.
The bears appeared in every song while the choir did their thing, mostly acting silly, but making the concert a lot more fun than it would have been otherwise.
The final song, We Wish You A Merry Christmas , included a line about figgy pudding, which the bears kept stealing from the roaming carolers.
Perfectly choreographed to coincide with the words, the hilarious ursines kept the audience in stitches right up to the final beat.
Applause would be pointless with everyone wearing heavy gloves, so people roared their approval and stamped their feet—shouting for encores and generally whooping it up while the choir and bears filed off the stage.
The cubs were both enchanted and confused by the spectacle of their kind doing very un-bearlike things on the stage.
Orrin, Gruff, and Dustin enjoyed the concert just as much, though perhaps for different reasons.
Now that the crowd had been revved up, they left the venue with smiles, discount coupons, and a map showing all the participating businesses in Bear Creek.
Tonight, Jillian and Asha would have to put up with the surge of customers at the Red Barn while Gruff and Dustin spread a little Christmas cheer here in town.
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Shortly after, at the Cub House
While Orrin got the cubs out of their winter gear, Gruff and Dustin carried in boxes full of gifts and some holiday snacks.
Food always got a shifter’s attention, but brightly wrapped packages were a close second, and the wide-eyed little ones weren’t quite sure what to do with themselves.
Orrin hung up the last of the coats and redirected his charges.
“All right, off to the living room! Sit in a big circle on the floor like I showed you.”
They took off like a shot, eager to see what their new friends brought them.
Gruff and Dustin had asked Orrin what kinds of gifts each of the cubs might like or need, and then went on a frenzied shopping jag to collect it all.
The BSA orphan homes were chronically short of funds, especially for non-essentials, though the couple was determined to make a difference going forward.
While Gruff had lived hand to mouth for years, he’d readily agreed with Dustin to spoil the cubs for Christmas.
In the living room, the couple found a slightly off-kilter tree in the corner, laden with handmade decorations, strings of popcorn, and little candy canes.
The cubs were sitting obediently on the floor, watching Gruff and Dustin’s every move.
Hands went up as names were called, and each child ended up with a pile of gifts.
Orrin blushed as he, too, received several wrapped packages, before starting the real fun.
“When I count to three, you can start opening your presents—but only yours. Ready? One…two…three!”
The circle erupted like a lidless blender; paper flying everywhere amid grunts, growls, and shouts.
Gruff and Orrin helped the littlest ones open theirs while Dustin took pictures.
As the only human present, he noticed that the main goal seemed to be getting the paper wrapping off so they could see what was underneath.
There was no throttling ursine curiosity, especially at this age, but the cubs were having a grand time.
They received a mix of fun and practical gifts—toys, art supplies, stuffed animals, and classics like clothes and shoes.
Orrin loved his dancing bear sweatshirt, kitchen gadgets, and a set of steamy shifter novels for nighttime reading.
He’d also received a lifetime membership to the children’s museum in Scranton which boasted an entire wing dedicated to activities for rough and tumble shifter cubs.
Once the little ones had checked out everyone else’s gifts, Orrin reminded them what came next.
“Wasn’t it nice of Gruff and Dustin to bring us all these presents? Who wants to say thank-you?”
A few actually said it aloud, but mostly they rushed the couple to offer hugs and scentings—all at the same time, of course.
Next came a quick cleanup of the room, followed by snacks in the dining room, and ending with Gruff and Dustin co-reading a story.
Once the cubs were tucked into bed, Orrin escorted his guests to the door, hugging them both.
“I can’t thank you enough. This meant a lot to them, and to me.
You’re welcome back any time, and I’m sure you’ll see us at the Red Barn every so often.
Most likely, I’ll have a different batch of cubs this summer, but another concert in the park would be fun.
I hope you have a wonderful holiday, and congratulations on your mating. I’m truly happy for you.”
Though it was late, and they were both tired, the short drive home was filled with laughter and reminiscing.
The entire evening had been fun, and Dustin looked forward to making friends and going on more outings with his wonderful mate.
Gruff was slowly emerging from his cocoon, smiling more, and learning to enjoy life instead of hiding from it.
All he’d needed was a little love and encouragement—something Dustin intended to give him at every opportunity.
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Sunday, December 24 th
What a month it had been!
Amid brisk sales and the addition of ice skating, every employee of the Red Barn was eager to step back from the hectic pace and breathe .
In the past, all Bear Creek shops had remained open until eight p.m. on Christmas Eve, but this year started a new tradition of closing at three o’clock instead.
Fortunately, there were only a handful of customers in the Barn when the overhead speakers came to life with Dustin’s announcement.
“Attention shoppers. The Red Barn will be closing in fifteen minutes, and we ask you to bring your purchases to the register at this time. Thank you for your patronage, and have a wonderful Christmas!”
Gruff went outside to tend the parking lot gate, allowing people out but no one else in.
One of Dustin’s part-timers guarded the main entry doors for the same purpose, and the rest of the staff scattered to begin their pre-assigned chores.
To get people home as quickly as possible, they concentrated on the basics, leaving the rearranging and restocking of the gift shop for later in the week.
The Red Barn holiday party had already taken place last week—a little food, some laughter and games, and well-earned bonus checks for everyone.
Dustin was securing the cash drawer in the office safe when Gruff came back inside, kissing his ear with frigid lips.
“Yikes! If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’ve been smooching a snowman.”
Gruff grinned, having already made plans to overheat his sweet mate later tonight to make up for it.
“The lot is clear except for employees. What’s left to do?”
Dustin thought for a minute, trying not to forget anything important.
“Would you check the second floor and the employee break room for me? Be sure to collect all the trash, shut off the lights, and lock the party room door. I think we’re almost done down here.”
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An hour later…
Baxter watched his keepers with intelligent, golden eyes from the back of the couch; tail curling and uncurling to an inner beat only he could feel.
They often ended up here after supper for unidentifiable activities which seemed to have no purpose.
Sometimes there was growling, shouting, or a rumbly noise Baxter had thought only others of his kind could make.
Tonight, the pair seemed content to lie against one another and make mouth sounds.
Baxter closed his eyes for a bit of rest and left them to it.
Dustin looked up and over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of their scrappy tuxedo cat and grinned.
“Our chaperone has decided to snooze. I guess we aren’t doing anything worth watching!”
Gruff’s suggestive growl gave Dustin goose bumps.
“I know something we could do, but it would be more comfortable in the bedroom.”
Dustin kissed him, face cradled in both hands.
“Mmm…sounds promising, but hold that thought for a while, love. Do you know if Jay and Esther arrived today?”
Gruff suddenly recalled a text he’d received earlier from DeeDee.
“Sorry, Dusty, I forgot to say something. They showed up around lunchtime and are staying with the Tillmans through New Year’s. DeeDee thinks we should tell them tomorrow when we get there.”
With the sale of the Washington Township property, they were now able to buy land which abutted Shady Lane.
It was heavily wooded, private, and would give Gruff and Dustin a suitable territory for their future family.
It also provided a number of lovely spots for the Cunninghams to build a cabin and retire with friends and family nearby.
Originally, they were going to present the idea to the couple privately sometime during their visit, but Dustin wondered now if they should reconsider the plan.
“If the Cunninghams are as stubborn as you say, maybe it will be easier to convince them if we take DeeDee’s advice.
You know how persuasive she can be! I only wanted to give Jay and Esther more time to consider the idea of moving here instead of staying in Williamsport all alone.
Maybe we can suggest it first, and if they dig in their heels, let DeeDee and Sunny convince them. ”
Gruff kissed the top of Dustin’s head with an agreeable growl.
“Good idea, Mate. Why don’t we invite them over and show them around? It would be easier to picture themselves living here with a homesite already picked out and waiting for them.”
Dustin agreed and asked Gruff another question that also related to Christmas day with the Tillmans.
“Were you able to square everything with the bank?”
Gruff pulled Dustin into his lap and slipped both hands underneath his shirt, playing with the hair on his chest and stomach.
“Yep. I have a check made out for the full amount, plus six years of interest. No more debt, and we’ll still have plenty to put an addition on the Red Barn in the spring, and buy a new tractor.”
The Tillmans had taken an enormous chance when they’d loaned Gruff the money to buy Shady Lane—an eighteen-year-old they barely knew.
Receiving their investment back years sooner than expected would be a lovely Christmas gift indeed.
DeeDee might argue about the added interest, but it was the least he could do.
Without their help, Gruff wouldn’t have had a place to live, an occupation, a found family—or Dustin.
His beautiful mate squirmed as Gruff’s caresses gave the man shivers—nipples hard and sensitive under the focused attention of deft fingertips. Heart full of gratitude and desire, he stood and carried the precious man to bed where he could demonstrate his love and devotion properly.