Page 22 of Stout Bear

“No,” Max replied quickly. “You look amazing.”

The folk band started playing on the small stage across the square, their lively tune carrying over the chatter of the crowd. Above them, strings of fairy lights swayed gently in the evening breeze, creating patterns of light and shadow that danced across the festival grounds.

“Let me show you around,” Max said, offering his arm. “The beer garden has all our seasonal brews on tap, and there’s a great taco stand that just set up.”

They wove through the crowd, stopping occasionally when someone called out to congratulate Max on the festival. He guided Laney to the food area where the aroma of grilled meat and spices filled the air.

“Two taco platters, please,” Max said to the vendor, who nodded in recognition.

With food in hand, Max led Laney to a table in the beer garden. He left her to quickly grab their drinks and returned a moment later with two pints of beer.

“This is Timberline Sunrise. My masterpiece.”

Laney took a careful sip, her eyes widening. “This is delicious.”

Max spotted his parents making their way through the crowd toward their table. Drew’s imposing height made him easy to spot, with Quinn beside him, waving enthusiastically.

“Max,” Quinn called as they approached. “The festival is wonderful. You’ve outdone yourself this year.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Max replied, standing to greet them. “I want you to meet someone. This is Laney Collins from the Bright Institute. Laney, these are my parents, Drew and Quinn Bock.”

“The famous scientist,” Quinn said, taking Laney’s hand warmly. “We’ve heard so much about you.”

“You have?” Laney looked surprised.

“Of course,” Drew said with a nod. “Not every day someone saves our family business.”

“And finds a perfect match with our son on mate.com,” Quinn added with a knowing smile.

Max felt his face grow warm. “Mom, we’re still getting to know each other.”

“Don’t mind us,” Quinn said, sliding into the seat next to Laney. “Tell me, has Max shown you his baby pictures yet? He was the chubbiest bear cub you’ve ever seen.”

“Mom, please,” Max groaned.

“When he was twelve, he got stuck halfway through the kitchen doorway,” Drew continued, ignoring Max’s protest. “Too big to go forward, too stubborn to shift back.”

“How did you get him out?” Laney asked, looking delighted by this glimpse into Max’s childhood.

“Bacon,” Quinn said with a wink. “Works every time.”

Laney laughed, and Max felt both embarrassed and pleased. Chris approached their table, looking apologetic for theinterruption. “Sorry, boss, but we’ve got a situation with the BioClean system. The evening tour starts in fifteen minutes, and we can’t get the display panel working.”

Max frowned. The behind-the-scenes tours were a popular festival feature, allowing visitors to see the brewing process up close. They couldn’t cancel now.

“I’ll be right there,” he said before turning to Laney. “I’m sorry, but I need to handle this.”

“Go ahead,” she assured him. “I’ll be fine.”

“You most certainly will,” Quinn said, patting Laney’s hand. “Stay with us. We want to hear all about your work at the Bright Institute.”

Max hesitated, caught between duty and desire. The last thing he wanted was to leave Laney. But the tour had to go on.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he promised, squeezing Laney’s shoulder gently.

As he hurried across the square toward the brewery, Max glanced back. The sight made his heart swell. Laney sat between his parents, laughing at something his father had said. Quinn gestured animatedly while telling a story, and Drew nodded along, his usual stoic expression softened by amusement.

For the first time in weeks, Max felt a genuine sense of hope. The festival was a success. His parents clearly adored Laney. And his feelings for her grew stronger every day. Maybe everything was finally falling into place.

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