Page 33 of Bear Creek Valentine
For the rest of the morning, they worked on making Nut Bombs. Though often compared with turtles, these treats were large, heavy, and loaded with various nuts. Like everything else, they made Leo hungry—something he’d learned to ignore throughout his food service career. Too much tasting at this place, however, might mean extra time in the gym to burn off the calories. Aiden had named the shop appropriately because everywhere he looked was something delicious.
While Blanche and Serena took their lunch break, Leo joined Aiden for a crash course in front-end operations. Just learning the contents and location of the product in the display cases would take some doing. Customers came and went, including DeeDee Tillman, who showed up for her weekly order of Bear Brownies. She took a moment to welcome Leo to town, and then quickly summarized the latest goings-on in Bear Creek for Aiden. Leo had a lot to absorb during his first morning on the job, but he was already enjoying the friendly small-town vibe.
When the ladies returned from their meal break, the men took off for their own lunch at the Honey Bear restaurant. On the way, Aiden shared some good news.
“The next issue of National Confectioners Magazine comes out tomorrow, andDeliciousis the featured article. Most of our customers will never see it, so I’m going to add a link to it on our website and brag a little. I never thoughtDeliciouswould attract national attention!”
Leo was thrilled for his friend and quite proud to be part of the magic.
“They’re going to be lined up down the sidewalk, waiting to get in! I’ll have to learn fast to keep up with demand.”
Aiden was greeted by name at the restaurant, and they settled into one of the booths. Once the server took their order, the pair agreed to focus on personal rather than professional topics during lunch. It didn’t take long for Leo to ask about Dash.
“We didn’t spend much time with him that day, but I could tell he really liked you. How are things going?”
Aiden couldn’t hide the affection in his voice or on his face.
“Dash is everything I ever wanted, Leo. I’d never been with a shifter before, and he continues to surprise me. He’s sweet and generous, but his bear can be feisty and demanding sometimes. It’s a strange mix, but somehow it makes him more fascinating and loveable. I think we’re a good match.”
Leo washed down a bite of his sandwich while he considered his next question. At Aiden’s suggestion, he’d been reading up on bear shifters, though some things remained a mystery.
“So, are you like mates now, or how does that work?”
Leo watched as some sort of inner conflict skittered across Aiden’s face before he answered.
“We haven’t mated yet, but I hope to someday. Don’t repeat any of this, but Dash lost his first mate years ago. Shifters don’thandle deaths like that very well, and he’s afraid to commit to someone else. I just have to be patient and wait for him and his bear to agree. Meanwhile, we spend as much time together as possible, though it’s never enough.”
Leo’s reading told him that shifters mated for life, so it must have been quite the blow for Dash. He understood not wanting to rush into it a second time.
“I’m sorry, man, but I hope everything works out. You make a great couple, and I can’t imagine he’d let you slip through his fingers.”
Aiden shrugged and glanced at his watch.
“Thanks, my friend. Now, we have six minutes left to hear whyyouare still single, so start talking.”
####
The afternoon flew by as Aiden and Leo worked together in the kitchen, making some of the fancier chocolates. It was a painstaking process, though an excellent learning experience for Leo. While they were dipping, Aiden brought up the situation at D2.
“You’ll be making these by machine in the future. It will save us a ton of time, bring costs down, and free us up to do other things. The same goes for almost everything else except for the Bear Brownies and a few other items the machines can’t handle. We have everything needed to get going at D2—equipment, supplies, licenses, and permits. The only wild card is the second walk-in freezer I ordered to store some of the fruit and nuts from our local suppliers this fall. The last update said they would arrive a week from Monday to install it.”
Leo’s brows shot up.
“But where are we going to put it? There’s no space either inside or out.”
Aiden and Dash had solved the problem while Leo was still in Scranton.
“No worries. Remember the party room next to the kitchen? We tore it out to make room and moved a bunch of the storage racks to the unused lobby area. The only drawback is that there’s no direct access from the kitchen, so you’ll have to get to it from the former dining room. It was the best we could do without major remodeling, but since it’s intended for long-term storage, you won’t need to use it often. I’ll take you over later in the week so you can see what I’m talking about.”
Leo caught on quickly to candy-making once he understood the processes and techniques. With two of them working, and the front taken care of by Blanche and Serena, they cranked out a prodigious amount of product by mid-afternoon. Shortly after three o’clock, Toby arrived for his shift and Blanche went home for the day. The young man stopped short when he noticed Leo working in the kitchen, face gone full tomato.
“Oh! You’re here! I mean, of course you’re here, except I forgot you started today. Ha! Uh... sorry, I’ll just go get my uniform on.”
The nervous teen scampered to the back room like a scalded cat, eager to escape the awkward exchange. Leo turned to Aiden with a raised brow and chuckled.
“Did I miss something?”
Aiden leaned closer, speaking in hushed tones.
