Page 26 of The Bear’s Second Chance Mate (Bear Creek Forever: Thornberg Vineyard #5)
Dawn painted the walls of the Bear Creek Pet Therapy Center in golden light, transforming the empty space into something almost magical. June ran her fingers along the smooth wooden counter, savoring the quiet before the storm of opening day.
But she was more than ready for it.
She moved quietly through the space she and Stanley had created over the past months, her fingertips trailing along freshly painted walls. This morning, these empty rooms would fill with voices, with laughter, with healing.
In the central gathering space, plush cushions formed a circle where clients could sit while rabbits and guinea pigs roamed freely.
She adjusted one of the pillows, smoothing a wrinkle that only she would notice.
Beyond the large glass doors, the outdoor pens waited in the early light—a gentle pony named Clover, Stanley’s goats, and a small flock of sheep, all rescued and rehabilitated, all ready to work their own special kind of magic.
June paused by the consultation rooms, each one carefully designed for the therapy dogs to work with clients.
The blue room for children who needed calm.
The green room with its sturdy furniture for more active sessions.
The yellow room with its extra-soft carpeting, where people could lie on the floor beside a comforting canine companion.
“I thought I would find you here.”
June turned to find Stanley standing in the doorway. She hadn’t heard him approach. He could move with impossible silence when he wanted to, a gift of his shifter nature that still made her heart skip.
“I wanted to make sure it’s perfect,” she said, her voice hushed in the quiet center.
Stanley crossed to her, his eyes filled with pride as he took in the space around them. “It is.”
June went to him, wrapping her arms around his solid frame, breathing in the familiar scent of him , the scent that had come to mean safety, love, and home. “Thank you for this.”
Stanley’s hand moved in slow circles on her back, his touch as steady and reassuring as always. “Thank you. I’d never have had the idea or the courage to do something like this if you hadn’t come into my life.”
She looked up at him, her heart aching with love for this man who had given her more than she’d ever dreamed possible. Stanley cupped her face in his hand, his palm warm against her cheek, and lowered his lips to hers. The kiss was gentle yet filled with love.
And what love they shared. It was deep and wide and unbreakable.
When they parted, June caught sight of her wedding ring, the ruby-encrusted diamond catching the morning light, sending tiny prisms dancing across Stanley’s shirt.
The sight made her smile. Coming to Bear Creek had been the best decision she’d ever made, even though there had been a moment she almost turned away from it all.
“Come on. Let’s have some breakfast before the big opening.
” Stanley took her hand, his fingers intertwining with hers, and led her back to the house they now shared.
In the kitchen, he filled the kettle and set it on the stove while June sank into a chair at the table, suddenly aware of how early she’d risen.
“Nervous?” Stanley asked, reaching for the tin of herbal tea she preferred in the mornings.
“A little,” she admitted. “But mostly excited.”
The patter of feet on the stairs announced Oli’s arrival before he appeared in the doorway, a tangle of dogs around his ankles. He giggled as they nudged and sniffed at him, vying for his attention. June smiled at the now familiar sight.
He loved it here. Loved the quiet of the forests and mountains, loved the animals who were his friends. It was as if he could finally breathe and be himself.
Oli made his way to the table, his special magnifying glass Aunt Barb had given him as a wedding present, when June and Stanley had gotten married, clutched carefully in one hand.
He set it down with the precision of someone handling treasure, then climbed into his chair just as Miam, Stanley’s half-Siamese cat, leapt onto the table.
The cat brushed against Oli’s arm before launching into a series of meows that sounded remarkably like conversation.
Uma padded in a moment later, winding herself around June’s ankles with a low purr before hopping up beside Oli.
“Morning,” June said, reaching out to smooth Oli’s sleep-tousled hair as he buried his face in the cat’s fur. “I thought you might sleep longer.”
Oli shook his head. “I can’t wait for everyone to meet the animals. Especially Herbert.”
June swallowed hard, fighting the sudden tightness in her throat. They had all come so far. The shy, overwhelmed boy who had arrived in Bear Creek just over a few months ago had blossomed into this confident child who wanted to share his joy with others.
And she had blossomed into a woman who had learned to live, laugh, and love again.
All thanks to Stanley and a rabbit named Herbert.
Will Finn make his own matchmaking mix-up or will his brothers lend a hand?
The Bear’s Matchmaking Mix-up Mate
Bear Creek Forever:Thornberg Vineyard
Boo k Six