Page 119 of Bearly Hanging On

“And why the hell would you go and do that?” Jim said. “We’re handing you our business on a silver platter.”

“Because Kieran wants to be his own boss.” Mum sat back in her chair and then beamed at the lot of us. “Just like you lot did.”

“That was different,” Brenton huffed. “Times were easier.”

“In the middle of a recession?” Mum shot him a dark look. “And we were all in our early twenties, with no idea what we were doing. I was pregnant with Kai.” That was my older brother. “We didn’t have much other than energy and a dream and now Kieran’s gonna chase his.”

“So where does that leave us?” Fred spluttered. “We’re in the middle of a job.”

“We’ll finish the work we’re contracted to do.” Mack replied before I could, obviously warming to the topic. He leaned over, placing his elbows on the table. “But after that? I’d suggest getting some apprentices on to cover any staffing deficits you might have.”

“And who’s going to do your books?” Jim said. “It won’t be your mother.”

“Mack already knows what he’s doing there,” Mum said, “and anyway. Your mother taught me what to do, so I figured I’d do the same. Harper, love, bookwork and invoicing isn’t all thatinteresting, but it frees the guys up to be more present when they get home.”

“Well, seeing as I am no longer employed,” my mate said, “I’d be happy to take you up on that.” She grinned at me. “The family that works together, stays together.”

“You do know you have to follow pretty strict legal requirements when doing bookwork,” Mack said. “If we don’t, we could have the tax office on our backs.”

“Does this mean you’re gonna check my work for me?” Harper twirled her spoon around in her fingers. “I could sit on your knee and you could show me everything I did wrong.”

“How the hell do you make invoicing sound sexy?” Tor asked.

“So yeah, Kim, I’d be glad to take you up on your offer,” Harper said, turning back to Mum.

“You got it. So what’s your calendar look like…”

As the women worked out a time that suited them, I was left to face down my dads.

“Is this about Mack?” Jim said, but the others hissed at him.

“Look, we know we haven’t been super supportive of this… sleuth,” Brenton said. “But your mum has talked us around. Honestly, as soon as that Dax was out of the picture, we were a lot more open to the idea.”

“I’m thirty, Dads.” I nodded to each one of them. “If I was human I’d have left the next ages ago. It’s just we have this whole weird co-dependant thing going on in the bear community.” I was dimly aware that everyone had fallen silent. “It’s both amazing and terrible to know there’s a whole massive group of people watching out for you, ready to help you if you fall, but…” I shook my head. “Always in your business, even when you’re standing on your own two feet. Honestly, a little bit of distance would make a big difference to our relationship.”

“He’s right.” The dads barely let me finish before they sucked in a breath to retort, but Mum cut them off. “You all know he’s right, even if you’re too stubborn to admit it right now.” She shot me a rueful look. “I love your fathers, but they are very set in their ways.”

“Never seen you complain about our ways before, Kimmy.”

“Gross…” I said.

My dads were all clustered around my mother, saying something I really didn’t want to hear, if the flush in her cheeks meant anything, but right now, it wasn’t their sleuth, but mine that mattered. I looked at Harper, Tor, finally settling on Mack.

“I didn’t run this by you all, but?—”

“I’m in.” Tor’s reply was so quick we all snorted. “I am so in. Being the boss.” He popped a bicep. “Yeah, I like the sound of that.”

“Boss?” Mack rolled his eyes. “You’d be lucky to be the gofer with your bullshit.”

“Going for coffee with Harper while you lot unplug someone’s backed up toilet?” Tor shrugged. “Where is the bad in this situation.”

“So we’re doing this?” Harper stared at each one of us. “Like really doing this? Sounds like it could be kinda tough.”

“Nothing’s so hard we can’t get through it together,” I said, grabbing her hand and that’s when I saw my mum smile approvingly. The dads, it took them a little longer, but whatever magic Mum wielded had them on board.

“Together,” Tor said, trying to take my other hand, then cackling when I knocked it away.

“So, now that’s settled,” Mum said. “How’s that friend of yours going, Harper?”

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