Page 25 of Bear Creek Christmas
“Every year. I think the Shaws will be there too and maybe some others.”
“It’ll be nice to meet Eden’s husband. Do you know Calvin?”
“Not very well. They’re busy with their kids, and we don’t cross paths often but the Shaws are good people.”
“It sounds like fun. How about you come over to my place afterward? I’ll order some take-out so neither of us has to cook.”
“Wouldn’t miss it, and I’ll come early on Wednesday night to give you a hand with practice. Gonna miss you until then.”
Knox pulled Levi close for a hug, licked under his ear, and kissed him goodbye. A mountain of paperwork and planning awaited him at home, yet Levi wanted nothing more than to stay right there in his strong arms. He wasn’t sure what that meant, but oddly enough, the idea no longer scared him.
Chapter 8
Wednesday
The early part of the week flew by for both men, though they kept in touch by phone. Knox also managed to drop off some fresh fruit harvested from his territory. On Monday, a large bag of pears showed up, which Levi shared with the staff. On Tuesday, he found several quarts of cranberries waiting for him in the main office, with instructions to freeze them for use at Thanksgiving. Levi thought they would make a wonderful contribution to the family meal when he returned—his first visit home since moving to Pennsylvania.
That’s when Levi realized he couldn’t goanywherefor Thanksgiving! The Bear Creek holiday season started the day after, and he was responsible for the public performances. Even Christmas would be nearly impossible, as the final concert took place on December twenty-fourth. His ruminations got him thinking about what Knox planned to do. Levi definitely wanted to know because spending the holidays by himself held absolutely zero appeal.
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As promised, Knox arrivedto help Levi set up for practice in the gym thirty minutes before the others arrived. While Levi hooked up the boombox, Knox measured out a large rectangle on the floor and marked the boundaries with orange cones. Levi wanted the men to practice within the same amount of space as the outdoor stage. After all, it wouldn’t do to have bears stepping all over the choir or falling into the audience.
With time to spare, Levi started the music and went through the routine with Knox to refresh his memory. The big man’s confidence, and nearly flawless performance, put wide smiles on both their faces. Levi reset the CD and then gave Knox a quick smooch.
“I’m so proud of you! Your bear will be the best of the bunch—just don’t tell the others I said so.”
Knox’s nose picked up the scent of someone approaching.
“That’s Leroy and Thad. They both have mates and cubs, but I haven’t seen either one of them for months.”
Knox followed Levi over to meet them, an arm wrapped possessively around his waist. Soon after, Rowan, Jace, and Hugo arrived and got a little too close to Levi for Knox’s comfort. He let them get a cursory sniff and then warned them off with a rumbling growl. They got the message and kept their distance, wondering when Knox had claimed the handsome newcomer to town. After a bit of friendly conversation, Levi gave them a quick rundown of the program.
“Before we get going, I want to thank all of you for volunteering. We’re doing something different this year, and I think our audiences are going to love it. We’ll start with the most complicated piece, and after you’ve learned it, the others will be super easy. Our total time on stage is around fifteen minutes, and the community choir will be doing all the singing.
“We won’t have live accompaniment, so there’s not much room for error. Tonight we’ll practice in human form, and if we make good progress, we’ll try it with your bears. First, Knox and I will demonstrate. Listen and watch, please.”
Levi started the music, and the routine began. This time, they did it side by side, facing the other men, and Knox moved with confident grace. When they finished, the guys clapped and hooted, all smiles and eager to try. Levi handed out copies of the words, and they sang it through together before the real work began. Levi broke the song into smaller chunks to teach the routine in manageable segments, calling out instructions as they moved.
“Step out, step back, STOMP! Switch feet, do it again, STOMP! Then, on the word HOP, do a little march in place like this. Great! Now the next part is where you get to improvise. It’s only a few seconds, but I want to see some dancing and prancing, all right? No extreme movements—I don’t want you crashing into each other. Come on, boys, show me what you got!”
Levi made the learning process fun, giving individual attention when necessary. It made Knox growly, but he managed not to get up in anyone’s face. Near the end of practice, the guys asked to try it in bear form, and Levi agreed. With the gym doors closed, they stood over by the back wall to disrobe while their human director rummaged around in a large bag. Knox, having already shifted, walked over on all fours and rubbed against his mate, leaving him covered in scent.
Figuring it was safe to turn around, Levi found the guys all sniffing each other amid friendly grunts and growls. He’d never seen black bears in a group before and began to notice the subtle differences between them. Some coats were shaggier than others, one had a patch of white fur on his chest, and their bodies displayed variations in weight, size, and shape. Even the lighter brown fur around their muzzles showed different patterns, making each bear unique.
