Page 86 of Bear Creek Valentine
Since Serena happened to be changing out the window display, she was the first to spot the McCoys coming down the sidewalk. The roving bears worked when they could, usually making a stop atDeliciousat least once on their rounds through the downtown. Her collaboration with DeeDee Tillman resultedin several new promotional ideas for Valentine’s Day, including multiple prize drawings from local stores, and opportunities to eat, drink, shop, or have your photo taken with a bear. Most were random encounters, but some, such as those at a restaurant, required a reservation.
The public especially loved having their picture taken with a real Valentine’s bear, despite—or perhaps because of—the suggestive attire. Levi wore normal street clothes and carried a small backpack, while Knox’s ursine costume included only two items: a red and white stocking cap, and a classic pair of white boxer shorts, plastered with red hearts—made to fit a four-hundred-pound black bear, of course. With such thick fur, he didn’t need to wear anything at all to stay warm, but for the sake of public decorum, private bits must be covered.
When they reached the shop, Levi opened the door for Knox, surprising the waiting customers. Some squealed with delight while others laughed at the jauntily dressed ursine. Aiden came up front to see what all the excitement was about as interested shoppers handed their phones to Levi for free snapshots. Now that Knox had been through two Christmas seasons as one of the famed dancing bears, he was no longer reticent to perform in public, or perhaps he simply couldn’t tell his mate no.
While he hammed it up in front of the camera, Aiden asked Serena to grab some goodies for the couple, presenting them when the photo ops were done. Levi gratefully accepted a sample bag of his favorites, while Knox devoured several Bear Brownies with appreciative grunts. While technically an animal, shifters in bear form were allowed in food-serving businesses as long as they remained out of the kitchen and prep areas. Aiden loved the silly marketing scheme which brought his friends in today and requested a photo of his own.
Knox posed standing up—with Aiden on one side and Levi on the other, heavy forelegs resting on their shoulders. It was a great shot, which he immediately forwarded to Dash.
“I don’t think I could ever convince my mate to loosen up quite this much in public. He’s getting better about it, but I have a lot of retraining to do.”
Levi laughed and affectionately rubbed Knox’s ears. The big bear tried to lick his face, and Levi stepped back out of reach just in time.
“Oh, no you don’t! The last thing I need is frozen bear spit all over me. You can lick all you want when we get home.”
Knox growled and stuck his nose in Levi’s crotch for a sniff.
“Stop that, you silly bear! It’s time to go anyway, or you’ll eat Aiden out of business.”
They said their goodbyes and sauntered out onto the sidewalk to continue their rounds. Aiden’s phone beeped with a response from Dash.
>Nice photo, but don’t get any ideas, mate. Only YOU get to see me in or out of my underwear. Out is better. XOXO.
With only a week to go before Valentine’s Day, Aiden and the crew were settling into their new surroundings and enjoying a tremendous uptick in business. Based on the number and breadth of online orders,Deliciouswas no longer a small, backwoods confectioner. They had, literally, become nationally known with regular customers from coast to coast. Aiden could no longer count the requests he’d received for his Bear Brownie recipes, which were not only a secret but registered trademarks, too.
His human goodies received their fair share of praise as well, featured in foodie blogs, podcasts, and social media posts. Much of that came from guests of the Pocono Ridge Resort who enjoyedDelicious’treats while on vacation and then orderedthem for home delivery. The rest was primarily because of Serena’s work on the shop’s website, which he recognized with a special bonus.
In fact, she and Leo were about to be promoted to operations managers and given more say in running the production floor and shop. Their old assistant manager positions would be filled by present employees or new hires, freeing Aiden to focus on what he loved—creating new products and expanding the business even further. None of this, he knew, would have happened without Dash’s generous funding and support. How could Aiden ever thank him properly? More to the point, what was he going to get him for Valentine’s Day?
Chapter 31
Sunday, February 12th
Aiden woke up with Dash sprawled over him like a blanket; heavy, hairy, warm, and sporting a killer hard-on. The sun was peeking in through gaps in the curtains, and a glance at the clock confirmed it was after eight—awfully late to be lazing about, though he certainly felt rested.
Dash had refused to set an alarm last night, insisting that his mate be allowed to sleep in. Aiden had arrived home wiped out from a long month of exhausting days at the shop. Dash, bless his heart, prepared supper, and then joined his mate for a relaxing soak in the tub before bed. What little energy remained was spent on a hot sixty-nine and warm kisses before he conked out.
Aiden’s scent alerted Dash that he was awake, causing the sexy bear to rumble softly as he sniffed and licked his mate’s neck. Aiden loved Sunday mornings, as they were the only day they could relax and enjoy waking up together. They had nowhere to be until lunchtime, with reservations for noon at the Delaware Room. Their suite wouldn’t be ready until one p.m. anyway, which made for an unhurried start to their romantic getaway.
That idea flew out the window as Dash suddenly growled, rolled off Aiden, and reached for the alarm clock. A mild curse preceded him trying to tug a confused Aiden out of bed.
“What’s the matter? Where are you going?”
Dash’s need to keep his plans a secret had almost ruined everything! He cradled Aiden’s face with both hands.
“Do you trust me?”
Aiden gave him a strange look.
“Sure, now what’s going on?”
Dash couldn’t help the blush creeping up his neck and face, but he had to choose his word carefully.
“I planned a... uh, big surprise for today, but we have to hurry or we’ll be late. Come on!”
Dash tugged him to the bathroom and started the shower. Soon, they were scrubbed, dried, combed, shaved, and dressed. Breakfast was a hurried affair, and they’d just finished packing their overnight cases when the doorbell rang. Aiden looked through the peephole to find a handsome young man in a crisp uniform standing on their porch. In the driveway sat a stretch limo, sparkling in the winter sunshine. Thoroughly flummoxed, Aiden opened the door as Dash grabbed their coats from the nearby closet. The man tipped his cap.
“Good morning, gentlemen. Allow me to carry your bags.”
