Page 26 of Sunshine for the Grumpy Grizzly

“You know, Lucy—” Natasha paws at me with her talons. Sheesh. It’s just as painful when she’s trying to be friends.

“Can you quit doing that?” I snap.

She startles. “Sorry, hun.”

I can’t resist a little smile. There was a time when I wouldn’t have said a word, even if she’d scratched up my whole arm.

“A lot of the stuff people say about you in the office isn’t fair,” she continues, her voice a little slurry. “You were actually real awesome with directions, and soassertive.”

“Yeah,” I say non-committally.

“I’m sorry I’ve been teasing you, Lucy. You, like, saved my life today,” Kellie chips in.

I shrug. “It’s just herd mentality.” And for the first time, I know it’s true. It wasn’t me; it was them. They made me the office scapegoat because I was a bit different from them.

They start gossiping about the guys in the office that they’ve dated, and I zone out for a while.

“Have a top-up, hun!” Natasha grabs the wine bottle and splashes some more into my already full glass. I pretend to take a sip and put it back down. All I can think about is Preston up there on the mountain. I know he’s in his element in the wilderness, and he could even sleep out there in his bear form if he needed to. I just don’t feelright,him being so far away from me. And he’s been gone a good long time. It’s dark outside already.

“He’ll be back soon, you know.” Natasha slides me a sideways glance, full of intrigue.

Of course, they’ve been trying to get me to open up about “the wild man”, but I haven’t breathed a single word. No way am I going to turn this feeling I have for Preston into cheap gossip.

When I stay quiet, she sighs.

“Spoilsport.” She shoves me with her shoulder, like we’re best buddies. “You know who’s gonna be jealous if you have a little holiday romance?” She wiggles her eyebrows.

I stare at the ceiling, say nothing.

“I think Errol really likes youuu!” she sings.

I jolt upright, fury pouring through my veins. I’m not the old Lucy anymore. The one who would’ve stayed quiet and probably pretended that I was grateful for Errol’s attentions.

“Errol is a fucking sleaze, Natasha!” My voice is loud, but I don’t care. “He’s been groping me and staring at me the whole time I’ve been working for Elevate.”

“That’s because he’s into you, Lucy!” Kellie’s eyes are bulging with excitement.

“No. It’s because he’s an entitled prick who has no respect for women. Kellie, that’s not how a guy acts who’s really into you.”

“You don’t need to be so uptight, Lucy. Some guys are just real physical.”

“That’s not physical. That’s—” I break off and close my eyes as last night rushes over me again.

When I open them again, I grab Kellie’s hands and hold them tight. “Kellie, listen to me. A strong guy doesn’t need to be rough and gropey. He can be gentle because he knows his own strength, and he respects you. And when a guy truly cares about you, he’ll show it in the way he touches your heart, not just the way he touches your body.”

Kellie falls into a stunned silence, and I don’t care, because I can go back to thinking about Preston. The way those firm lips kissed me so softly. How gentle his massive, callused hands felt on my body.

Come back soon, I say inside my head.

Almost there, baby.

Huh? My head jerks. “Who said that?”

“Said what?” Natasha is holding one of her legs out of the water and examining her pedicure critically.

“Oh, nothing.” My heart is beating fast. Preston spoke those words to me. I know it.

I need to be with him. I leap out of the tub and put on my robe and slippers.

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