Page 30 of The Grizzly Situation
“Of course, sir.”
“Thank you! You’ve made my day.”
She chuckled. “Happy to help, sir.”
Then she disconnected. I got up and hurried from the office. I wanted to inspect the RV before Tom and Sandy showed up. And oh, it was a glorious thing. The moment I stepped into the receiving dock, my breath was stolen from me. In my years with Ursine we’d developed many beautiful products, but none of them could match this work of art.
Forty-five feet long, twenty feet high with the roof deck open, width of a bit more than eight feet, but fully extended out to sixteen feet, and living space of a little more than seven hundred square feet. As impressive as the measurements were, the real selling point was the luxurious insides.
The vehicle—with everything it featured, could it really be called simply an RV?—had a four meter wide automatically extendable lounge sofa and the sections were individually electrically adjustable. There was bar furniture with refrigerators, a wine cabinet, and a coffee machine.
The kitchen had more refrigeration, a sink with a water control system, freezer, ice-maker, a stovetop with a hood, storage cabinets, and more. There was a bathroom with a sink, a spa with a rainfall shower, and light therapy mirrors.
For those days they decided to stick around a while, there was a multimedia center with two forty-two inch LED screens, satellite television connected to a Steinway Lyngdorf audio system, with Ambiente light control.
Even the bedrooms were elegantly appointed and would make anyone who slept there feel like a king or queen, which was exactly what I wanted for our dear friends.
This wasn’t an RV, it was a rolling palace. With something like this, they could be on the road for years and never need to come home. I hoped that wouldn’t be the case, but it was an option. Initially I had thought about hiring a driver so they could simply relax and enjoy the trip, but Tom wanted this to have fun with Sandy, and I wouldn’t take that away from him. I would, however, offer them the choice.
I checked out more of the things the new ride had and was tempted to get one for myself, but couldn’t see being away from the sleuth long enough for it to be useful. Though I had a feeling the boys would enjoy riding in it to visit the wilderness areas where they could shift and run. Once they were able to. Usually shifters could transform within a few years, but five was a little old to not have shifted yet. Of course, there were some who never shifted, and maybe the boys would fall in that category. Not that it mattered. I loved them for who they are, not who I expected they should be.
Something my own father never understood.
Chaim’s image crashed into my head again. He and Benjy, cuddled together under a big pine tree, Chaim’s bear’s enormous head draped possessively over Benjy’s flank, while I continued to romp around, tossing needles into the air with my snout anddancing like a fool who hadn’t a care. They’d brought me out so I could, in Chaim’s word, find my bear. To bond more closely with him. Dad was always too busy to indulge me in such things, but Chaim and Benjy made time for me.
When I finally tired myself out, I crept over to where Chaim and Benjy had fallen asleep and insinuated myself into their pile. With the birds chirping, the sounds of the animals in the forest, the water rushing over the rocks, Chaim dropped a big paw over both of us, and dragged us closer to him, I felt at peace for the first time in too long.
My phone rang, startling me. I answered quickly—mostly because I wasn’t sure how long it had been ringing—and said hello.
“I hear you’re looking for us, cub.”
The voice, deeper than I remember, washed over me, wrapping around me like a most treasured memory, holding me in an embrace I’d forgotten how I loved.
“Chaim?”
“The one and only. I was working the diner and had been in the middle of flipping Bryce Jacob’s omelet when the door opened and in walked a man in an impossibly pressed suit. Pleats so sharp you could cut your fingers on the creases. He glanced at a picture, then back to me. I asked if I could help him and he smiled and said Chaim Flynn? Gotta say, we were surprised—pleasantly—to hear from you. Benjy was bouncing on his heels until I told him to calm down. Won’t deny I felt like doing the same. What are you up to, kid?”
And just like that, I was twelve again, being held against that big body, crying into his chest because I’d been beaten up, wishing I was his kid instead of my dad’s.
“Been thinking about you a lot,” I admitted. “It’s so good to hear your voice.”
“Same. Benjy and I were dreaming about you. About how it all went down with Peter. How we… left.”
“Why’d you leave?” I asked, desperately wanting to know and dreading the answer.
“It’s not important,” he said.
“It was my father, wasn’t it?”
“Brent, it?—”
“Wasn’t it?” I demanded, my voice a deep growl.
“Heh. Little cub found his balls,” Chaim said with a chuckle. “You’re head of the sleuth now?”
“I am, so answer my question.”
“Little bear, I’m not part of your sleuth so you’re not in charge of me. Don’t ever forget that.”
