Page 38 of One Chance to Stay (Bears of Firefly Valley #4)

“He’ll show,” she assured me. “But in the meantime—” She pulled off a backpack, thrusting it in my direction. “I know you haven’t quite decided on your career path, but I thought these might help.”

Taking the bag, I pulled back the zipper to see it filled with thick, oversized books. Sliding the thickest one out, I couldn’t help but smile. “Introduction to Psychology?” Much like Jon, Amanda, or even Bonnie, Firefly proved there was something heartwarming about this tiny community.

“If you want me to look over schools?—”

“University of Maine,” I blurted out.

She held her hand up, waiting for a high-five. “Don’t leave me hanging.” I slapped her mitten. “Welcome to the club, fellow Black Bear.” Everybody in Maine wore hoodies from the college, making it impossible to know who actually attended. Now, when I wear mine, it’d be a symbol of pride.

“What made you decide?”

“I’m not quite ready to give up the bartending gig.” I studied her face for a moment before deciding she was more a hot chocolate woman than frigid cocktails. “Classes in the morning, and I’ll have plenty of time between that and opening the bar.”

I sprayed a healthy dose of whipped cream along the top of a hot chocolate before handing her the cup. “You are good.” She didn’t waste any time licking the top. “Have you figured out what you want to do after?”

“Nope.” It felt liberating to admit it.

“Not at all?”

“It’s a little scary to say it. One step at a time.

I have a direction.” I gave her a slight smile.

“That’s more than I had when I got here.

” Less than two weeks ago, I stood on the side of a mountain, contemplating my future.

Now I had an application to the University of Maine sitting on my bed.

I had found a path forward, and it involved everything I loved about my life.

“Thanks.”

She cocked an eyebrow, apparently a Finnigan family trait. “Why thank me?”

“The first day we met.” It was easy to drown in the awkwardness of first meeting Seamus’s daughter. Despite that, all I could recall was the excitement in her voice. “You were so excited to tell the family. I know it won’t all be like that, but it’d be worth it, you know?”

“You’ll be great at it.”

The insecurity bubbled to the surface. “How do you know?”

She reached over the counter and gave my cheek a gentle pat. “You’ve already helped one person.” I couldn't believe they were related. At some point, I’d need to ask about her mother. Grace inherited all the outgoing genes.

A man not much younger than myself wandered toward the shack. The man didn’t quite fit in with the rest of the town. He had plenty of girth, but not nearly enough mirth. He got close enough that I waved him over. I couldn’t leave somebody drowning in their thoughts during a Firefly festival.

“Make that two.” Graced followed my eyes to the man before giving me a wink. I set her backpack and books behind the counter. What was about to happen had little to do with technical know-how and more to do with that innate bartender magic.

Sadness. Even with the exuberance of children laughing, his head hung down. Anybody with a set of eyes could see he was down on his luck. He’d want a cocktail, but something told me he needed the comfort of a delicious hot chocolate.

“Quite the spectacle, right?” He didn’t respond as he leaned against the counter. Switch tactics. “Going to do some skating?”

Slight shrug. Thanks to Seamus’s teasing of my outfit when we first met, I knew the answer. Nobody would be wandering about the snow in nothing more than sneakers, jeans, and a hoodie.

“What brings you to Firefly?” He glanced up. “The sneakers gave you away.” I slid the hot chocolate in front of him. “It looks like you need this.” I sprayed a mountain of whipped cream on the drink. “Nothing better than a good sugar rush.”

He cracked a smile. A solid beverage and a friendly tone worked every time. I reached across the counter. “My name is Patrick.”

My mystery gentleman had no option. Either be rude and ignore, or — “Nick.” He shook my hand. “I’m visiting with my…” His expression soured. “… was visiting with my boyfriend.”

I gave him the quick once-over, not because he was gay, but because he fit in with Firefly’s growing bear population. Chubby man with a goatee? At this rate, they’d have to hold Bear Pride parades.

“Sounds unexpected.” I sprayed enough whipped cream that he’d have to eat his way to the chocolate. “How are you holding up?”

“We got here this morning. I expected our first vacation together to be magical. Then— the audacity. He couldn’t cancel beforehand? So, now I’m sharing a room with my ex? There isn’t even another room available.”

I had been away from Valhalla all day and hadn’t met any of the new folks checking in. Was it wrong that I wanted to slap his ex? Who created such a tense situation? I already didn’t like the guy.

“He blind?”

Nick raised his eyebrow. “Huh?”

“Must be if he let somebody this handsome get away.” I shot him a wink. I’m sure they didn’t teach therapeutic flirting in Psychology 101. “His loss will be a gentleman’s gain.”

He let out a huff, but the smirk broke through. “You’re just being?—”

“I’m new to the man-on-man world, but if I wasn’t taken…” My eyes widened. “Oh. Here, take the key to my room.”

“Uhm. That’s sudden.”

My head tipped back as I laughed. I hadn’t talked to Seamus, and I risked sleeping in my car tonight. Taking a leap of faith, I assumed I wouldn’t be spending the night at Valhalla.

“I’m staying with a friend tonight. You shouldn’t have to deal with drama on Solstice. I’ll ask Evelyn to grab my stuff, and you can sleep there.” I held out the key. “But, there’s a catch.”

With his head cocked to the side, he pulled his hand back.

Yes, this could be the start of a torrid love affair.

But I only had eyes for one member of the fuzzy community.

In the distance, I spotted the catch of the evening, hands in his pocket as he watched a group of kids chucking snowballs at one another.

“Have fun tonight.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it. If there’s a reconciliation—” The snarl in his lip said that wouldn’t be happening. “Enjoy the bonfire. Enjoy the charm of these crazy people. Tomorrow you can figure things out.”

I dropped the key in his hand. “Thanks.”

He stared at the key, as if it were the first nice thing anybody had done for him.

As his storm brewed, I hoped that key offered a light in the darkness.

Sometimes, one small gesture was all it took, much like somebody inviting me in from the cold.

When Nick turned to leave, I caught Seamus’s eye across the green.

He raised an eyebrow as if to ask, “What did you just do?” Hopefully, I had just opened the door and invited Nick in from the cold.

The door to the shack swung open, and I snapped out of the memory. “I ran as fast as I could.”

“Mabel?”

“They’re coming!”

Between her red leggings and Santa jacket, she appeared like a North Pole Vixen. Her bosom heaved, making the fur lining take on a life of its own. That might have been shocking, but not for Mabel, nor were the thigh-high black boots with heels. Only she would dare a stiletto in the snow.

“The Quilting Guild.”

“I hear there’s a party!”

Gloria.

I looked up to see a gaggle of elderly women making their way toward the shack. They were less like Nana and more like a gang of deviants.

“Where’s the drink list?” Mabel had helped behind the bar in the past. Not as fancy, but she knew how to make a cocktail. “Screw it. There’s no time. Just give them shots.”

I wanted to laugh at the fear in her voice, but I had seen them first-hand at the tasting. The rowdy ladies of Firefly were looking for a good time, and that started with a cocktail in hand.

“If we don’t survive,” I said. “Burn my laptop.”

“Done.”