Page 5 of The Bear’s Second Chance Mate (Bear Creek Forever: Thornberg Vineyard #5)

Stanley unlocked the front door of Bear Creek Pets. It was early, and he reached up to catch the bell before it rang and disturbed the animals inside, who were probably still tucked up in their bundles of hay or snoozing in their little houses.

He stepped inside and carefully closed the door, then stood for a moment, surveying everything he’d prepared.

It all looked normal, at least, to anyone else.

The displays were tidy, the small enclosures clean.

The faint hum of the filters in the reptile tanks blended with the rustle of hay and gentle squeaks from the rabbit pens.

But this morning was different.

It was Tuesday, and that meant she was coming.

His bear stretched with a low, slow growl. She’s coming here. To us. Finally.

At last, Stanley murmured in agreement. It might have only been a couple of days since their first encounter in June’s aunt’s back garden, but the wait to see her again had felt like an eternity.

And despite all his preparations, he was nervous.

He’d stayed late last night, adding the finishing touches to a quiet area at the back of the store. Just a corner near the window, softened with a beanbag chair, a small bookcase filled with picture books, and a little table with a puzzle left halfway done, to make it feel welcoming, not staged.

It doesn’t look staged, does it? he asked his bear for the umpteenth time.

Does it matter? his bear replied with a huff. June will appreciate the time and effort you’ve taken to create this safe space. That’s all that matters to her.

And June was all that mattered to him.

Well, June and Oli. Damn, he wanted them to be a part of his life. He wanted to be part of theirs. A real part. There for them. Always.

His bear was right. June would appreciate the effort he’d made. He’d even selected some of the quieter animals for Oli to interact with. There was Herbert, of course, who, it turned out, was a real snuggle bunny. He loved having his ears stroked and went into a kind of trance when you did.

I’d go into a daze if June stroked my ears, his bear sighed dreamily.

Can we focus on the present? Stanley replied.

I’d prefer to focus on the future, where you’ve told our mate about me and we’re living happily ever after, his bear answered.

Ignoring the hint, Stanley walked to the counter and set down the tin of cookies he’d baked before leaving the house. Yeah, he’d been up before the sun after a restless night of tossing and turning, plumping his pillow and checking the clock, sure it was broken as the minutes ticked by so slowly.

He inched open the lid and peeked at the cookies with a sigh. He’d attempted his mother’s triple chocolate recipe, but they’d turned out a little wonky in shape. Still, the smell was right, warm, nutty, with a hint of vanilla.

He moved the tin to the back room and put on a fresh pot of coffee, then glanced at the clock.

It was going to be a long day.

***

Stanley filled the hours the only way he knew how, by tending the animals and helping customers.

After his first cup of coffee, he started work, moving through the shop in a familiar routine.

He checked enclosures, replaced water bottles, and cleaned cages while generously handing out attention to those animals who craved it.

He scooped out fresh hay for the rabbits, refilled the guinea pigs’ pellet dishes, and cleaned Clive’s tank with gentle precision.

Customers trickled in through the morning, mostly regulars he’d known for years. He smiled, he laughed, he joked, but today it felt different.

Because you are keeping something from them, his bear said.

Yeah, these customers were his friends, and they would be over the moon when they found out he had a mate. But until he told June, it was a secret he needed to keep.

And so, he rang up cat litter and chew toys, offered his usual calm advice about tropical fish filters, and helped a local teacher collect mealworms for a classroom project, all while pretending nothing had changed.

But in reality, everything had changed.

As he worked, he kept one eye on the clock.

It moved in slow, reluctant ticks. The shop grew quieter again after lunch, and he found himself glancing toward the door, hoping the next person to walk through it would be his mate.

By early afternoon, everything was spotless. Ready. Perfect. Or as close to perfect as Stanley could manage.

He fed the last of the turtles, wiped his hands on a cloth, and turned toward the front of the store.

Stanley exhaled hard and ran a hand through his hair. “What if Oli finds the place too loud?”

Then we help him find the quiet, his bear said gently. We show him he’s safe here.

He glanced at the clock.

Almost time.

Stanley crossed the room to turn down the tank lights, adjusting the dimmer until it was a softer glow. He moved through the presence of the animals, soothing the nervous energy that buzzed beneath his skin.

When he’d finished, he stood still in the center of the shop and looked around one last time.

“Please let this go well,” he whispered to no one in particular. Maybe to the universe. Maybe to his mate. Maybe to himself.

And then he sensed her drawing near. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end, and his knees went weak. He sucked in a breath and reached out to rest his hand on the counter to steady himself. He didn’t want June and Oli to walk through the door to find him face down on the store floor.

No, that is not the kind of second impression we want our mate to have of us, his bear said as excitement threaded through his veins.

Outside, a car came to a stop. A moment later, two car doors opened and then clicked shut.

His bear stilled. She’s here.

The bell above the door chimed, and Stanley stepped out from behind the counter just in time to see June guide Oli through the entrance.

She wore her dark hair tied up in a loose bun, and her expression was cautious as she scanned the store as if memorizing every detail, searching out any immediate triggers, before letting herself take a breath.

Oli hovered close to her side, gripping his sketchbook to his chest like a shield.

But his eyes were already darting toward the animal enclosures.

Stanley kept his tone light and steady as he approached. “Hey there. How are you doing, Oli?”

The boy clung close to June, not quite meeting his gaze.

“Do you want to check in with Herbert?” Stanley gestured toward the quiet corner where he’d moved Herbert’s crate.

At the sound of the rabbit’s name, Oli stepped forward.

“Herbert’s doing okay?” he asked, voice barely above a whisper.

“He’s doing great,” Stanley said. “He had lunch, hopped around a bit, and now he’s ready to say hi. He’s waiting in the quiet corner over there.”

June’s shoulders dropped a fraction, and Stanley didn’t miss the way she glanced around the room. Her eyes caught on the quiet corner near the window—the beanbag, the books, the soft pen—and lingered there.

“You set this up for him?” she asked.

Stanley nodded, keeping his tone matter-of-fact. “I thought it might help. I did a bit of research online. I hope I got it right.”

That earned him a smile. And his legs threatened to give way under him. Damn, he wished he could make her smile like that every day for the rest of their lives.

“Thank you,” she said quietly. “It all looks great.”

Stanley cleared his throat and said, “You are welcome. Now, shall we?” He led them to the pen where Herbert waited, sat up on his haunches, his whiskers twitching as he heard them approaching.

“Hello, Herbert.” Oli crouched down next to Herbert. Stanley watched the boy’s face shift from cautious to calm. Slowly, he reached out toward the rabbit. Herbert flicked an ear in Oli’s direction and leaned in closer, his whiskers twitching.

Oli murmured something, probably a rabbit fact, but even with his shifter hearing, Stanley didn’t catch it. He was too busy watching June.

She stood back, arms crossed loosely, trying to look natural, but he could see she was impressed.

Or was that wishful thinking?

“Would you like a coffee?” Stanley asked. “I’ve got cookies, too. Triple chocolate. I baked them myself.”

She might not be as impressed by the cookies as she is by the quiet corner, his bear warned him.

“You are a man of many talents,” she said.

“You might not say that once you have tasted them,” Stanley warned.

“I’m sure they are wonderful,” she replied.

His bear chuckled but kept his thoughts to himself.

“Can we have one?” Oli asked. “Please.”

June nodded. “Maybe you could do the taste test.”

“I’m good at tasting food.” Oli stood up and followed Stanley into the room behind the counter.

“Here we are.” Stanley opened the tin of freshly baked cookies and offered them to Oli.

For a moment, Oli stood there staring at them, biting down on his bottom lip as he scanned the cookies. But Stanley stood patiently, waiting for Oli to select one. “This one has the most chocolate chips.”

Stanley grinned widely. “A man after my own heart.”

Oli looked up at him and tugged his brows together, the cookie held firmly in one hand.

“Stanley means he likes the ones with the most chocolate chips, too,” June explained calmly.

Oli looked at his cookie, then at Stanley, before holding it out. “Do you want it?”

“No. It’s yours,” Stanley said. “But when I was growing up with five brothers, it was always a competition to see who could get the cookie with the most chocolate chips.”

“Six sons, your mom must have had her hands full,” June said as Stanley offered her a cookie.

She hesitated for just a second, perhaps barely noticeable to anyone else, but he caught it. Then she reached in and took one.

“I left you the one with the most chocolate chips,” she said softly.

Stanley could barely breathe. It was as if she’d given him the greatest gift in the world, even though it was only a cookie.

But she thought about what mattered to you, his bear said, fit to burst right out into the open.

“Thank you.” He cleared his throat. “A handful, yes, to be sure,” he added, answering her earlier comment with a smile. “But we weren’t bad boys. We spent a lot of time roaming the mountains.”

“I bet,” June said, and then gave him a strange look he couldn’t quite read.

There was something behind her eyes. As if she wanted to ask him something but wasn’t sure she should.

Stanley held her gaze for a long moment, then turned away. “Coffee coming right up.”

As he filled two mugs, he caught June watching him. Not closely, not quite openly, but watching all the same.

He was certain she could feel the connection between them. That’s what his brothers’ mates had told him. That it wasn’t as strong for a human as it was for a shifter, but it was there from the start. An intense knowing .

She’s got that right , his bear said happily.

Stanley handed her the mug and gestured to the nearby table where they could sit. June followed him over, and Oli trailed close behind.

They settled into the chairs. Oli was on the edge of his seat, turning his cookie carefully in both hands before taking a bite.

He chewed for a moment, then declared with absolute authority: “This is really good.”

June raised her eyebrows, clearly impressed. “High praise. My son doesn’t hand out compliments lightly.”

Stanley chuckled. “I’ll take it.”

June bit into her own cookie and gave a hum of approval. “Okay, I admit it. You’ve got skills.”

Stanley felt something ease in his chest. Not just because she liked the cookie, but because her expression had softened again. Her body was more at ease. Whatever tension had been holding before had begun to loosen its grip.

And that made him happy. More than she could ever know.