Page 5 of Bear Creek Thanksgiving (Holiday Mates #3)
Wednesday, late afternoon
Dustin hadn’t stopped smiling since leaving Bear Creek nearly two hours ago.
He’d be home soon with surprising news that even he thought was hard to believe.
Who knew so many things could change in such a short time?
He had a running list in his head of the stuff he needed to do, but he’d ask his sisters for help so he wouldn’t forget anything important.
His mother would undoubtedly cry, but his parents were always supportive, so that was a non-issue.
His folks were at home when he pulled in, probably ready for supper if he had to guess.
They were still getting used to eating real meals at their own table after years of grabbing something on the fly at work.
His news would throw another monkey wrench in the works, but it was his turn to live a little, and he wasn’t going to let anything stop him.
Dustin grabbed his things from the passenger seat, including the box of chocolates he’d been given at Delicious .
He didn’t even know Aiden Romero, and yet the man insisted he take the sweets back home to his family.
With heart and mind overflowing, he raced to the front door, pushed it open, and shouted the news.
“Mom! Dad! I got the job!!”
############
Later that night
Phone calls weren’t good enough to share the news or answer the questions Dustin’s family lobbed in his direction.
Joan and Kevin solved the problem by inviting both of their married daughters to join them for a meeting, allowing Dustin to fill all of them in at the same time.
It would still be loud and chaotic, because that’s how they rolled as a family, but everybody agreed it was the best way.
Being a weeknight, Tara and Nicole’s husbands and children were unable to come, making the get-together special for a different reason.
Once his sisters arrived, everyone found seats in the living room, passed around the box of chocolates, and let Dustin tell his story.
He was nearly breathless when he got to the good part.
“...and so after we looked around, they offered me the job. I couldn’t believe it!
It’s such a cool place and the building I’ll be working in most of the time is brand new.
Plus, I get to use my own recipes to make the baked goods we’ll sell, and I have a whole list of ideas for everything else.
They offered me a decent salary, vacation time, and health insurance, too. ”
Questions and comments flew thick and fast as they grilled Dustin on the particulars. Tara, always the bold one, wanted to know more about Gruff.
“How much do you know about this boss of yours? Can he be trusted?”
Dustin appreciated her concern, and he supposed if the situation were reversed, he’d be asking a similar question.
“He’s good friends with the mayor, and she’s an honest sort of person, so I don’t think they’re setting me up for failure.
Gruff is a hard-working, quiet guy about my age who lives with a cat named Baxter, and has been operating the orchard all by himself.
He seemed intelligent and considerate to me. Is that what you wanted to know?”
Tara wasn’t completely satisfied, and pushed for more.
“Is he a homophobe?”
Dustin shook his head.
“No. I think we bat for the same team.”
Tara’s eyes were like saucers.
“Oohhh, I see. Is he hot? Are you attracted to him?”
Joan frowned at her brash daughter and intervened before Dustin could answer.
“Tara! Get your mind out of the gutter. He just met the man, and Gruff will be his boss , not his lover.”
Dustin was blushing by this time, unwilling to share how he actually felt about the hunky shifter. Nicole rescued him by veering the conversation into neutral territory.
“What about housing? If they want you there soonest, you’ll have to find something fast.”
Dustin was glad she’d asked; eager to share more good news.
“I already have a place. Mayor Tillman showed me a small furnished apartment in town, and I can rent month-to-month until I find something I like better. It’s already vacant, so I can move in right away.
I told Gruff that I would be there by the weekend, and I should be able to fit everything I need in the car. ”
Kevin was more excited for his son than he let on, and a farewell party seemed to be in order.
“It sounds wonderful, Dustin, but before you go, we should have a going away bash. Your grandparents will certainly want to see you, and it will give all of us a chance to say goodbye. Does Friday night work for everyone?”
Heads nodded all around, and Dustin got a bit teary-eyed before his father continued.
“That’s settled then. We’ll have supper together and then a little celebration. After you’re used to your new place, we’ll come up for a visit so you can give us the grand tour.”
The meeting ended with Dustin showing them photos he’d taken of the orchard, Baxter, and a few points of interest around Bear Creek.
By the time his sisters went back home, the box of Delicious chocolates had been reduced to a few stray crumbs.
In the morning, Dustin would start in on his to-do list to prepare for the big move.
############
Meanwhile, in Bear Creek
Gruff shed his dusty work clothes after supper for a quick shower and a wank.
His poor dick had been hard as steel from the moment he scented Dustin Mowry.
Try as he might, thoughts of the sexy human, aided by his randy bear, returned again and again.
Gruff was enamored with his warm smile, hazel eyes, and charming personality.
In fact, he’d never met anyone quite like him before.
While his own judgement was suspect this time of year, underneath it all was an unexpected attraction he couldn’t deny.
His bear kept pushing for more contact, just as taken with Dustin as his human half.
Gruff wrote it off as a side effect of mating season—though his bear had never been this focused on someone before.
It didn’t matter, because no one as terrific as Dustin would ever be interested in him.
Besides, he was Dustin’s boss , and that type of relationship never ended well.
Those discouraging thoughts didn’t stop Gruff from soaping up his cock, seeking sweet relief with tight, rapid strokes until he splattered the shower wall with ropes of cum.
His chest vibrated with a low rumbling growl while he cleaned up the mess and stepped out of the shower to towel off.
Baxter watched him from the top of his porcelain throne, gold eyes following his ursine keeper’s every move.
While Gruff could wait until morning, he pulled a pair of scissors out of the top drawer and went to work trimming his overgrown beard.
He wasn’t doing it for Dustin, of course, but because.
..oh, who was he fooling? Who else might he want to impress?
There certainly weren’t any other handsome men waiting in line to offer a compliment!
A quick glance at a sink full of facial hair startled Gruff, and he looked at himself in the mirror.
Damn! He’d mowed it down to about an inch of whiskers, leaving the scars on his left cheek quite visible.
Keeping them hidden was the point of growing a beard in the first place, and now he’d exposed them for all to see.
He’d just let it grow back, but in the meantime Dustin couldn’t possibly miss his damaged face.
On second thought, the sweet man hadn’t reacted negatively or stared at him like many humans did.
Quite the opposite actually. Dustin’s scent told a far different story of interest and attraction which made no sense to Gruff.
Perhaps he was unfamiliar with shifters in general, and assuming the man was gay, a little fantasizing was perfectly natural, right?
Once Mowry moved to town and made friends, someone more suitable would catch his eye.
Meanwhile, Gruff intended to keep things strictly business between them.
If he didn’t, they’d both end up getting hurt.
############
Saturday afternoon, Locust Lodge Apartments
Dustin stopped in the middle of his new living room to look around.
He’d arrived mid-morning from Harrisburg, car packed with things he hadn’t realized he would need.
Fortunately, his mom and sisters knew what to buy, and he’d been dragged from store to store accumulating essentials.
Having never lived on his own, Dustin made the common mistake of underestimating how much stuff it took to set up housekeeping.
On Thursday, his father had taken Dustin’s car in for routine maintenance and new tires, while his mother helped him pick out bedding, towels, and kitchen must-haves.
Friday involved buying work clothes, sturdy shoes, and boots.
In between, he’d sorted through his other belongings, deciding what needed to go and what could stay.
Once he got to Bear Creek, it took a while to haul everything inside and then find places for it.
The new twin bed he’d ordered had arrived as scheduled, and he got it set up in no time.
Afterward, Dustin took himself to a trendy downtown bar called Bears Hi Gruff! I’m all moved in. Do you need any help today?
It took a few minutes to get a response, but he was glad he’d asked.
Yes, thanks. Meet me in the big old barn.