Page 36 of Bear Creek Christmas
“You’re right. I’m sorry. How about if you pay and I reimburse you for my part?”
Levi’s face brightened considerably.
“Now we’re talking. Thank you!”
When they got to the cabin, Knox led the way to the unused second bedroom as a place to store their purchases. Levi took a quick look around at the empty space.
“This is nice. I’m surprised you aren’t using it for anything.”
“I don’t have a lot of stuff. This would make a great office, don’t you think?”
“Yes! It’s big enough and has lots of light. I wish my apartment had a second room I could set up.”
Knox hid a small smile, thinking to himself.“Become my mate, and you can have this one.”
His bear wanted thatright now, and Knox reminded him to be patient. Unless they were mistaken, the day wasn’t far off.
Chapter 11
The next Wednesday
To save time, Levi often ate lunch in his office, including today. He had things to do before the first combined practice tonight with both bearsandchoir. Intending to make some copies, he stood up just as Eden knocked on the doorframe.
“I miss our lunches. I know you won’t be so swamped in the new year, but I’m here to issue an invitation. Calvin and I would love it if you and Knox joined our family for Thanksgiving. You don’t have to bring anything, just enjoy the meal and take off when you need to go. We know you’ll have your hands full on Black Friday!”
Levi liked the idea, and he and Knox hadn’t made any plans.
“Thanks, Eden, that’s very thoughtful. I’ll check with Knox tonight and see what he thinks. I’m still bummed about not going home for the holidays this year. I’ve never missed them before, but celebrating with the Shaws would be fun, too. I’ll let you know tomorrow.”
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Later that night
Knox took charge of the bears while Levi got the choir situated on the risers. They’d already marked the floor with the dimensions of the outdoor stage, including the ramps on either side. With the choir in the back, the front was reserved for the bears to do their thing. For the actual performance, Levi would be standing among the audience on an elevated platform. Here in the gym, he stood on wooden risers so everyone could see him, and for tonight they used a piano, allowing Levi to stop and start at will.
“All right, let’s settle down and get busy. Tonight we’ll try to iron out some of the wrinkles and begin putting this together. How many of you were at the Fall Concert?”
Nearly every hand shot up, and Levi smiled.
“Good!Jingle Bear Rockis the biggest production number, so we’ll start with that. The key here is to focus on the music and not be distracted by our bear friends. They will have the same problem since it’s only been the seven of us so far doing any singing. I want to run through it several times with everyone in human form first. If all goes well, I’ll ask the bears to shift, and we’ll do it again. Here we go.”
The next hour could have tried the patience of a saint. Some choir members hadn’t memorized the words, while others were distracted by the action down in front. None of them were used to Levi’s directing, and it took a while to get everyone working together as a group. He left enough time so they could try it with the bears, but things didn’t go well there either. From all outward appearances, Levi let it all roll off his shoulders. Knox, however, scented his frustration.
By the time practice ended, Levi was exhausted and discouraged. It worried Knox to see his normally cheerful mate this way, and he took him home. When they settled on the couch, Levi pulled Knox’s arms around him like a shield. After a few quiet minutes, he stirred and began talking.
