Page 44 of Bear Hunt

“I’ll come with. I’m missing my boys.” Mac heads over to Boner and picks up her cherry-red helmet. It’s so pretty, almost metallic looking.

“Don’t let Psycho hear you call him a boy, Mac.” Bear laughs and she shrugs in response, sliding her helmet over her head.

“Tell him, I’m looking forward to the punishment already.” She giggles and begins pulling on her gloves at the same time as Boner. “Laters, y’all.” Mac and Boner fistbump before leaving, and the sound of their engines coming to life is quick to follow.

“I found Christmas shit!” Grinder appears from I don’t know where—I didn’t even realize he’d gone—but he has a huge box in his arms and a large black trash bag in his hand. He’s jumping around as he walks toward the now-clean dining table, but he doesn’t make it. The bottom of the box splits… “Ah fuck.” Tinsel, baubles, and so many more Christmassy things fall to the cream carpet. “Where’s Boner?”

“Taking the chip for a ride to see the Reapers.” Bear doesn’t even comment on the mess Grinder just made.

“Nice. Soo… we decoratin’ this joint or what? No point putting it all away again.” He picks up a long garland made of red tinsel and wraps it around his neck like a scarf, taking another piece and gifting it to me. He doesn’t try and put it on for me, instead he hands it to me with a curtsey. “C’mon, let’s show these grumpy fucks how to have fun.”

Beside me, I feel Bear stiffen, his palm now at the bottom of my back continuing to make me aware of his presence with his gentle caress and reassurance. I look up at him and his big brown eyes are staring down at me, searching my face for signs of worry, no doubt, because his brow is furrowed slightly.

Damn, he’s sexy.

My lips stretch upward at the corners before I give him a wink—loving how it feels to do it because his pupils dilate in response.

“Is there a tree in there somewhere?” I’ve never actually decorated for Christmas. The masters always hired someone to do it for them, so of course, the festive feast for the eyes never made it to my room. Seeing the lights around town and thespattering of decorations at Lucy’s café makes me want to do the same here.

I don’t know what it is, but the colors just seem to bring with them a kind of joy.

“It’s in the loft. Want me to go and get it?”

“Of course she fucking does, brother. Go on, shoo.” Grinder throws the garland of tinsel at him, but he catches it with ease and scowls.

“Shoo me again, and I’ll shoo my fist into your face.” Bear growls playfully, and quick as a fox, he wraps the tinsel around Grinder’s neck and tugs on it a little.

“Ooh, do it again.” Grinder wags his brows and leans forward.

I like him. He has no hang ups or worries about what the others think or say, he’s just unapologetically himself. I’ve met and been around a lot of bad people, and he may be a little wild, but he doesn’t seem bad at all.

“There’s something wrong with you.” Bear shakes his head and turns to me. “You good with me going to grab the tree?”

“Yup. We can’t decorate without it, unless you wanna go all wood man on me and chop a fresh one.” I brave rising up onto my toes, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. I don’t need to see the blush to know it’s there, and it makes me feel like I’m walking on air.

“We ain’t got time for chopping trees today. Be right back.” He brings the knuckle of his finger up to my chin, keeping my head tilted up toward him. He looks like he wants to say something, but he stops himself and I notice a small dimple in his cheek behind his beard as he smiles. Then he kisses me like he did on the couch, only this is a lot softer, less urgent, and way quicker because his warmth is soon gone as he heads upstairs.

Vanessa claps her hands together and opens the refrigerator. “If we’re decorating, I’ll make us some eggnog.”

Two hours is how long it took us to put everything up. For someone who only has a few decorations… well, Bear stretched the truth there. He brought down another box from the loft with the tree and now it looks like Christmas threw up all over the place.

It’s amazing.

The masters’ idea of Christmas decorating was to have a boring theme throughout the house, usually in silver or gold, and there was no character to anything. Here, though, there is a family of nutcrackers by the TV, a sequin-covered reindeer on the windowsill, a tree full of every color imaginable, and so many more beautiful things.

“Your mama sure loved Christmas. I remember the year before you went off to college, she made that light show at the house, and she even persuaded Ronald from the hardware store to be Santa on Christmas Eve for the kids that came by to visit. There were lines for days to see that display.” Shade swigs back the last of his coffee and puts the empty cup on the table central to the two couches and armchair.

Looking down, I notice my cup is also empty, so I stand from my seat beside Bear and make my way to the kitchen area for a top up of eggnog. It’s non-alcoholic because Grinder and Shade still have to ride their bikes home, and Vanessa has her truck.

The easy way they all talk with each other has me constantly chuckling, and I’ve loved getting to know them more today. They haven’t once made fun of my lack of knowledge on anything and have treated me like one of them.

Trusting that this is all real is still difficult, but it gets a little easier with every passing second.

“Hey.”

I flinch, but take a deep breath and remember where I am as I turn to Grinder leaning against the kitchen island.

“You want a top up too?” I hold up the jug of eggnog Vanessa made.

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