Page 9 of Sunshine for the Grumpy Grizzly

I shush it up.That’s not how these things work, doofus.She’ll leave too, and I’ll never see her again.

My beast howls.You’d go after her. She’s your mate and you’d follow her to the ends of the earth.

Mate.The word resonates through my being.

She’s my mate?

Beasts like me don’t have a mate. Least of all a beautiful, delicate human one.

She’s staring at me expectantly. Shit. She was talking and I was too busy obsessing to hear her.

“Huh?” I grunt before I can stop myself.

“They’re saying you’re in breach of contract, so they want a refund.”

“Okay.”

She blinks several times, then shakes her head. “Not okay.”

“No?” This tiny goddess is confusing the heck out of me.

“We’ve got to find a solution.” She laces her hands together. “Or I’m toast.”

I frown. “You’ll get in trouble?”

“Big trouble.” She’s looking at me real seriously. She’s also chewing on her lower lip, which is driving my beast to distraction.

Fuck. I already know I’ll do whatever it takes to help her. “Just tell me the solution?”

She laughs again. “Well, that’s the hard part. Looks like most of the amenities are out of order.”

I grab the phone, scan the list again.

Finally, I jab at one of the entries triumphantly.

“Fire pit. We got a fire pit.”

“Fire pit… fire pit.” She stares up at the ceiling dreamily. ““Great! So, we could have a campfire evening. That would be so cozy and bonding.”

I stifle a snort.With that bunch of assholes?But I keep my thoughts to myself. She’s extra pretty when she’s soft and dreamy like that.

“I could go get stuff to make s’mores,” she says.

“I can get s’mores stuff,” I blurt out. I have no idea what that is. Hopefully I can find it in the grocery store.

The look she gives me sets my chest on fire. “Thank you. That would be real nice.”

“Least I can do,” I say, and I know that’s true.

She peers at the glowing screen. “Is there a barbecue?”

“I can make one! It’s just a fire with a grill over it.”

Her eyes fill with excitement. “Be so cool to have a cookout.”

“What’s that?”

She giggles. “It’s where a bunch of stuff gets cooked up and eaten.”

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