Page 1 of Spark
Chapter One
Bearpaw Springs Resort
Friday, June 1
Sophie Markidis was already having a memorable birthday dinner before the Bearpaw Springs Resort ghost attacked their waiter.
"Happy birthday, Ms. Kiddo," Sophie's mom said as their waiter, Javier, cleared away the plates of what had been the best dinner that Sophie had ever eaten.
Mom added, with a wry smile, "Though now that you're twenty-two, I guess I ought to stop calling you that. But Ms. Young Lady doesn't have the same ring, ya know?"
Sophie thought about all the other names she'd been called over the years, some affectionate, and others, well, not so much. She shook her head with a smile. "Maybe just call me Sophie from now on?"
Mom made a face. "I'll take it under consideration," she said, her voice still flavored with her native New York accent. "But you'll always be my kiddo, you know that, right?"
"It's really good to have you home again, Sophie," said her stepdad. "It's been a long time, and we worried about you every time Todos Santos was in the news."
He reached inside his jacket and pulled out a bulging greeting card envelope. He reached across the table and handed it to her. He and Mom both beamed at her as they waited for her to open it.
They were a striking couple, both dressed in expensive but tasteful outfits.
Dimitri Medved, whom everyone called by his nickname, Mitya, had a Hollywood star's striking good looks with black hair and clear gray eyes. His impeccably-tailored Italian suit had probably cost more than some new cars.
Mom's makeup and nails were flawless, as usual. Best of all, she was still glowing with the happiness that had characterized her ever since she'd met Mitya during a tumultuous summer vacation trip to Bearpaw Ridge when Sophie was eight.
Sophie had always thought that the two of them looked like they'd be more at home in New York City, where they were both originally from, than in rural Idaho. But they both seemed happy here, and they had jobs they both loved and a large circle of friends and an adopted family with the Swanson bear shifter clan.
Under normal circumstances, Sophie Markidis would never have been able to afford a dinner at Calidus, the Michelin-starred restaurant located inside the historic Bearpaw Springs Resort hotel.
However, both Mom and Dimitri were part of upper management at Ash Swanson's incredibly successful Grizzly Creek Games, so when Mom had proposed coming here for Sophie's birthday, Sophie eagerly accepted the invitation.
Besides, she'd been looking forward to a bit of pampering after a gap year of volunteer work in Todos Santos, a developing country recovering from a recent civil war that had killed thousands and left the tiny South American nation's infrastructure in ruins. She'd been there working for her bio-dad Noel's international medical relief organization, Asklepios International Mobile Medical, or AIMM, as it was more commonly known.
Sophie opened the envelope, and a key fob slid out into her palm.
Inside the envelope, she found the expected birthday card inside, with a sweet message from Mom and best wishes from Mitya.
There was also a title certificate from the Department of Motor Vehicles tucked inside the birthday card. It was for the brand-new red Toyota mini-SUV that had been parked outside the house this morning.
Mom, the sneaky woman, had casually inquired whether Sophie liked it, and Sophie had assumed that Mom had bought herself a new vehicle to replace her beloved Subaru wagon.
"Oh," Sophie said, staring down at the key fob in her hand, stunned at the unexpected generosity of the gift. "I—I don't know what to say. Thank you so much!"
"Now that you're home again, your mom and I were thinking that you needed a reliable vehicle for whatever comes next," Dimitri said in his deep, gentle voice.
"Were you still thinking of applying to medical school?" Mom asked, eagerly.
Sophie had to give Mom credit. She'd managed to avoid asking about Sophie's post-gap year plans for a whole twenty-four hours.
"Yes, I—" began Sophie.
Just then, her longtime friend Chris Langlais emerged from the kitchen, dressed in chef's whites. He was tall and leanly muscular, with sun-streaked light brown hair, sharply-cut features, and a generous mouth that was usually smiling. He was also one of Bearpaw Ridge's many shifters, and a member of the Cougar Lake sabertooth shifter pride.
"Hey Sophie. Welcome back!" he greeted her, his cat-green eyes alight with pleasure as he approached their table.
Wow. I don't remember him being this good-looking, she thought.
He was carrying a large white plate that held an exquisitely-molded chocolate bowl mounded with ripe, hand-dipped, beautifully-decorated strawberries. A slim lighted candle had somehow been embedded in the pile of strawberries, and "Happy Birthday, Sophie" was written around the rim of the plate in chocolate syrup.
