Page 36 of Sunshine for the Grumpy Grizzly

“Last I saw, he was working on the wine cellar.” She scampers off.

“Okay, I better go find him,” I tell Preston.

“He can wait.”

“What—?” I say. Then I understand.

“That moment when I saw you in the lobby for the first time,” he growls, drawing me into his arms. He dips his head and kisses me. When his tongue touches mine, pure need flares in my belly. We’ve mated every single day since we’ve been together. At least once a day, and my desire for him only gets stronger.

“I need you.”

“Where?” I ask, all innocence.

Instead of replying, he drags me to the cabin he’s working on.

My eyes light up as I take it in. Each room is unique, and this one is done in the style of a jungle paradise. Animal wallpaper and furnishings, lush plants in every corner, and a huge canopy bed wrapped in vines. I half-expect to hear monkeys chattering outside the windows.

“It’s ready for you, baby,” he purrs, his eyes glowing with lust.

We, uh, have a thing about christening each of the rooms.

“Oh, I need a shower first,” I protest.

He laughs. “If you do, then I do.” He kisses me hard and pushes me up against the wall of the cabin. “Neither of us have time for that. And I love you like this.”

He lowers his head and licks my neck, the little hollow between my collarbones, all the way down to my cleavage. And he doesn’t quit.

SECOND EPILOGUE

Ten years later

Iwatch from the doorway as Lucy moves to the front of the studio, speaking in a low, soothing voice. Her class of expecting mothers are stretched out on their mats, watching her with rapt attention. There’s a serene glow about them that has everything to do with Lucy and how she makes people feel.

Lucy settles herself into a graceful kneeling position, her hands resting lightly on her big, pregnant belly. She’s so darn gorgeous in her turquoise tank top and tight yoga pants. Even after all these years, she takes my breath away.

“Take a deep breath in,” she says. “And as you exhale, honor your body and the new life you’re creating inside it. You’re stronger than you know.”

All the women press their hands together, and “namaste” echoes around the room.

The women gather up their things. They’re eager to talk to Lucy as they leave. I see how they hang on her every word, and she patiently answers all their questions, handing out hugs and words of reassurance.

“Is the class going ahead next week?” a quiet young woman asks.

Lucy pats her belly. “Yes, as long as baby number four doesn’t have other plans,” she says.

The woman snickers sympathetically, and I can’t fight the grin that spreads across my face. Baby number four. My fourth cub. The thought of it still hits me like a freight train. Sometimes I wake up and I can’t believe that we’ve built this life together, Lucy and me. A house full of cubs, a business that we both love, and a love that has grown roots deeper than the pines around us.

When the last of the women filters out, Lucy goes to tidy up the room.

“Stop right there.” I step out from my spot beside a support post.

Her smile when she sees me is wide and delighted, the kind of smile that’s always made me feel like the luckiest bear alive.

“Hey, you,” she says, straightening with a hand on her lower back. “Didn’t expect you back so early.”

“I got all our chores done quick. Wanted to make sure you didn’t think about clearing up in here.”

“Oh, it’s not much, Preston.”

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