Page 13 of Her Painter Bear Mate

She pushed the thoughts out of her mind. Maybe one day. Right now, she had far too much on her plate to even think about romance.

While she unloaded, she listened to the chatter of the other students as they talked between themselves, picking up conversations from last week and starting new ones. It was an eclectic bunch of people from all over the valley that didn’t intersect in any other parts of their lives but Clarissa wouldn’t have it any other way. She liked that her class brought people together who wouldn’t otherwise socialise. That was the power of art.

Once all the paint materials for the class were unloaded, she turned to Dee. “I have an easel and a canvas ready for you. Do you need brushes too?”

Dee patted the large black leather bag slung over her shoulder. She looked out of place in her expensive but thin coat, her tight jeans, and shoes that were more beautiful than practical. “No, I brought my own. You can keep your Kingston brushes.”

Clarissa grinned. That was exactly the answer she expected. She reached into her van for the box of paint and held it out. "If you won't take my brushes, I hope you'll at least take the paint. It's a good brand."

The look on Dee's face was worth a picture. "Acrylics? I haven't used acrylics since... I don't even remember. I use oil paint."

"I know but trust me, acrylics are better suited for this type of painting. You don't want to sit here waiting for oil paint to dry, do you?"

"That's a good point." Dee accepted the box of paint tubes, her cold fingers brushing against Clarissa's.

She let go quickly and the box almost fell. Her shriek alerted Bork and he came her way, not to save her, but because he thought there might be food. He stuck his snout in the air, sniffing longingly.

Dee crouched down so she could scratch him all over, her voice softer and higher pitched than normal. “Hello! Hello! Who is a handsome boy? Girl?”

“Boy,” Clarissa said, watching the whole thing with pleasant surprise. She hadn't expected that her dog would be able to make Dee melt in an instant. The smile on Dee’s face was radiant and warm, making Clarissa realise that she hadn't been on the receiving end of one of those yet.

It almost made Clarissa a little jealous of Bork. A dumb wonderment flitted through her that maybe she would elicit a reaction like that if she turned into her bear form. She shook that idea away. That was ludicrous.

Dee continued in her baby voice. “Aww, you're very fluffy and soft. Yes, you are.”

Bork's tail couldn't go faster.

"He loves when you scratch his chest," Clarissa said.

Without missing a beat, Dee ruffled her hands through Bork's fluffy fur. “What's his name?”

“Bork.”

“Bork?” Dee gave her a frown.

“He does lots of barking. And it's short for Lord Borkington.”

"Oh, pardon me, Your Grace," Dee said, mock bowing to the border collie before scratching his snout in a way that made it clear she was used to being around dogs.

Bork flopped down on his side and rolled himself in the dirt rendering the bath he had earlier completely useless. He made a show of it, causing Dee to laugh even more.

Clarissa decided to forgive her dog just for that reaction alone.

Dee caught her staring. "Yes?"

"Nothing," she quickly denied. She cleared her throat and turned her attention back to the group. "Alright, everyone. Grab your easels and let's go. Be careful on the path, okay?"

It was only a short hike into the forest to their viewpoint but small accidents in a place like this could quickly turn into big disasters.

“If I fall, just leave me here to die,” Vanessa said with all the theatrics of a teenage girl, even pretending to faint.

Her girlfriend poked her in the ribs. “Oh my god, don’t say stuff like that.”

“Nobody is going to fall and nobody is going to die,” Clarissa said sternly. Even though she was only in her early thirties herself, watching them made it feel like her own teen years were centuries ago.

She gestured to the path leading into the woods, letting the outdoorsy Rosemary and Beth lead the way. They knew where they were going, this was a regular painting spot after all.

Dee looked appalled. “Wait, we’re actually carrying our easel into the forest?”

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