Page 1 of The Bear's Christmas Wish
Chapter One – Michael
It’s that time of year again,Michael said as he stood near the entrance to North Peak Pines, waiting for his friends to arrive to help select a tree fit for the Bear Creek town square.
Yes, another tree, another Christmas...his bear rumbled.
Another Christmas alone,Michael finished, his breath forming delicate clouds that dissolved into the still December night. He wouldn’t let the melancholy blunt the quiet pride he took in providing Bear Creek’s centerpiece each year, a tradition stretching back to his great-grandfather, when North Peak Pines was just a sapling of an idea.
A low engine note rolled up the lane, and snow squeaked under his boots as he turned toward the sound. Headlights swept across the snow-dusted timber arch, reflecting off the tin star he had hung up a couple of days earlier, when the tree farm officially opened for Christmas. Then Daniel’s truck appeared, tires crunching over frozen gravel as it rounded the final bend into the parking area.
A small voice whispered in the back of Michael’s mind, the same one that visited him each December like a Christmas ghost. If he didn’t find his mate soon, the North family tradition might end with him. No cubs to teach the proper way to select a tree, no next generation to inherit the gentle slopes and neat rows of pines. He pictured little boots double-stepping in his tracks and felt an ache of longing in his heart deeper than the biggest snowdrift.
There’s still time,his bear assured him, with more patience than Michael himself could manage some days.Have the trees taught you nothing?
Patience.Michael heard his grandfather’s voice in his head.It was one of the first lessons the older man had taught his grandson. That trees take time to grow. They can’t be rushed. They can’t be forced.
A lot like waiting for a mate.
Daniel emerged from his truck, his broad frame silhouetted against the vehicle’s interior light. Steam curled from the four travel mugs clutched in his hands, and tucked under his arm was a familiar brown paper bag that released the enticing aroma of his famous Christmas treats—spiced honey cookies shaped like pine trees, a tradition Daniel had created when they’d first started these annual outings.
Michael breathed in the scent of cinnamon and orange peel, which filled him with a sense of nostalgia. Daniel’s mom had baked the same cookies from the exact same recipe when they were kids.
“Hope I’m not late,” Daniel called, his breath visible in the crisp air. “The kids insisted on helping with the cookies, which meant twice the mess and half the speed.”
Before Michael could answer, two dark shapes emerged from the tree line as James and Christopher, in their bear forms, appeared, noses lifted to catch the scent of Daniel’s baking. Their massive paws left deep impressions in the snow as they approached, moonlight gleaming on their thick winter coats. Snow dusted their paws like icing sugar.
With a shimmer of magic that never ceased to amaze Michael, they shifted, the transition seamless, and the two men strode through the snow. James, in his practical dark jacket, and Christopher with his trademark cap pulled low, leaving footprints rather than pawprints.
“Right on time,” Michael said with a broad smile as the four men greeted each other with bear hugs and backslaps. The physical contact settled his bear, who always found comfort in their makeshift pack. The night always seemed less empty when the four of them stood shoulder to shoulder.
“These smell incredible,” James said, accepting a mug from Daniel and inhaling deeply. “Mulled tea?”
“With a hint of blackberry,” Daniel confirmed, passing the remaining mugs around. “New recipe. Figured we needed something special for our annual expedition.”
Christopher reached for the paper bag. “Please tell me these are your pine tree cookies. I’ve been dreaming about them since last December.”
The men huddled in the moonlight, steam rising from their mugs as they caught up on the week’s happenings. From Christopher’s latest midnight repair at Cabin 7, to James’s encounter with tourists who’d gotten their car stuck in a snowbank, and Daniel’s preparations for the school’s holiday bake sale. Somewhere down in the valley, a bell chimed the hour. As if in reply, a gust of wind made the cold branches creak.
When the last crumb had been eaten and the tea was gone, Michael collected four axes from the tool shed, each one meticulously sharpened for the occasion. “Ready to find Bear Creek’s centerpiece?”
“Ready and willing,” James said as they each accepted an axe.
They headed up the slope, their boots crunching through the frost-crusted snow as they made their way to the higher elevations where the tallest trees grew. The moonlight was bright enough that they didn’t need flashlights, casting the pines in silver and shadow.
“Another year, another Christmas,” Christopher said as they walked, voicing what they were all thinking. “And here we are, four eligible bears, still unmated.”
“At least we have each other,” Daniel replied, clapping James on the shoulder.
James nodded, his slate-blue eyes reflecting the moonlight. “Sometimes I wonder if our mates are even out there.”
“They are,” Daniel said with conviction. “Mine’s probably just stuck in traffic somewhere.”
Michael chuckled. “Must be a very long traffic jam!”
“As long as she gets here someday,” Daniel replied with a wry grin.
Michael’s bear huffed in amusement.She will. We just have to keep believing.
I’m trying,Michael told his bear.
