Page 37 of The Grizzly Situation
“Oh, you don’t need to do that.”
“Is it okay if I want to? I mean, I’m a guest in their home, so shouldn’t I bring something to show my appreciation for having me?”
“Really Uly, you don’t need to buy anything. No one is expecting it.”
I sighed. I was already frustrated, and this exchange wasn’t helping. “Is there a store or not? If you’d rather, I can just go to my room and wait to be called.”
He winced. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”
And he hadn’t, which I knew. I was just… annoyed. Had never been good at hiding it.
“No, my bad. I really want to give someone something. Is that wrong?”
And now his smile was back. He reached out and put a hand on my shoulder. “No, it’s most definitely not wrong. You’re just the first guest who ever asked to get the kids something, so it threw me a little. What were you thinking?”
“A stuffed animal of some sort? Do the kids like things like that?”
“They do. And I think it’s an awesome idea.” We got into the car and drove through downtown. With each place we passed my heart sank a little more, because this town was somewhere I could see putting down roots, but would never have the chance. Cullin pulled to the curb across from a quaint looking shop, with a wooden door and stylish glass that had the wordsGrin and Bear Itetched into it.
“Okay, this place is pricey, but everything is handmade. The owners will fix or replace anything you buy if it rips or is damaged.”
“You’re kidding.”
I’d never seen or heard of a place that would do that.
“I am not, I promise you that. They’re in their early seventies, and this is more a hobby for them than a business. Mrs. Feder always loved sewing and when they retired, she said she wanted to open a store. Mr. Lockhart thought it was an incredible idea and gave them the storefront.”
A pang seared through me as I once again realized I would never have the chance to be part of this community. And for some reason I didn’t understand, it hurt.
BRENT
After tossingthe keys to Tom, I watched as the two of them got into their new vehicle, giggling like teens the whole way, and pulled out of the garage, headed to their place, I assumed. Fortunately they lived on the outskirts of town, so they had room to park the behemoth. Afterward, I went home, had some lunch with the boys—basic tenders and macaroni and cheese—then tucked them in for an afternoon nap with a story about a boy and a beanstalk. Afterward I returned to my office to try to squeeze in a bit of work.
As I sat at my desk, staring at the sheaf of papers, my mind wandered back to Milwaukee, to the coffee shop, and to the barista who helped me root out someone who’d stolen from my people. His demeanor, his nervousness, his desperation. All of it spoke volumes. It’s why I asked his uncle to tell me where Uly lived. Okay, it was a bit more insisted than asked. Then I went back to the office, got everything figured out—for the most part—then decided I had a bit of time to check in on Uly and invite him to apply for a job. I hadn’t expected to drag his brother and sister-in-law along for the ride, but that cake was amazing.
It was weird how nervous I was to see Uly again. We spoke most every night, but seeing him in person had my nerves jangled and I’d be damned if I knew why. I’d told the boys about their daddy’s new friend, and they seemed excited to meet him, which I expected. Though we lived somewhere big and beautiful, it was still small compared to other places. There weren’t nearly as many children for the kids to become friends with, which wasone thing I was unhappy about. As much as bears needed room to gambol, too many had become adjusted to life in the big city, only taking time on occasion to shift and run. Fortunately we had plenty of space they could use, but it saddened me that our people only got out once in a while.
Maybe that was on me. I loved the wilderness. Romping around with the kids, showing them the fun things bears could do. We hadn’t done it lately because they needed to shift first. I didn’t want them to feel bad if they weren’t able to, so we’d wait and see what happened. Uly flashed in my mind again, and I found myself reaching for my phone. I hit call once I found Cullin’s contact info. He answered on the first ring.
“Yes, Mr. Lockhart?”
“How are things going?”
“Quite well. Mr. McNamara is visitingGrin and Bear It, trying to find a gift for the boys.”
“What? No, tell him not to bother.”
“I have. He insisted.” He paused. “Sir, I might have screwed up.”
I settled back in my chair. Cullin was a perfectionist, so I couldn’t imagine him messing something up. He had plans for his contingencies. “Talk to me.”
“Uly asked me if we might find a spot for him here, in town. I told him we don’t accept and then caught myself before I said humans.”
I sighed. “If you messed up, so did I. I’m the one who invited him here. I should have realized the situation I was putting us all into.”
“No, you’re the leader and you?—”
“Still make mistakes,” I finished for him. “Being in charge doesn’t mean I’m immune from criticism or blame. If anything, I’m more responsible since I’m the one who invited him here in the first place.”
