Page 1 of Bear Creek Father's Day
Prologue
February, ten months ago
An unremarkable sedan made its way south along Interstate 476, carrying one occupant on a crucial mission. Though DeeDee Tillman disliked long drives, this was time well spent if she successfully pitched Bear Creek to her intended audience. She’d come well-prepared, of course, anticipating every possible objection or roadblock. Even so, it would take all of her persuasive abilities to secure an important addition that the town desperately needed.
Traffic picked up significantly as DeeDee neared Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s largest city, now only a few miles farther south. She hadn’t been to Philly for years, and was astonished by the multitude of changes in every direction. Unfortunately, her target lay at the heart of the metropolis, surrounded by homes, businesses, and one and a half million residents. Unused to the concrete jungle, her bear fussed at the lack of green space, attendant noise, and malodorous scents.
While DeeDee understood her other half’s discontent, she remained both focused and determined, exiting the interstate in search of an address amid a confusing tangle of streets. The man she’d come to see was difficult to pin down, given his schedule, but she’d found an unorthodox way to bend his ear privately. Seeing him in his element would also give her a good idea if he was truly the person Bear Creek needed. Soon enough, she’d have her answer.
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Meanwhile, at the Philadelphia College of Medicine, patient clinic
“… so this time, make sure you take your medication for theentire ten days. Don’t stop when you begin to feel better, or the infection could return, and it may be harder to treat. The nurse will give you detailed instructions to take home, and if you have any questions, just give the office a call.”
Zak’s nose caught the telltale scent of interest from his dolled up patient before he slipped out of the treatment room with a friendly farewell. Norma Dunn was old enough to be his grandmother, but he gave her points for trying. Being young, fit, and attractive were all good for his social life, but it sometimes caused him trouble at work. The nursing staff constantly teased him, though some of them were worse flirts than his patients. Zak had witnessed many workplace dalliances crash and burn, and he wasn’t about to dip his toe into those waters.
According to his schedule, the next appointment was a routine physical, followed by a new patient consultation. Hmm… normally, residents weren’t consulted aboutanything, and he still had ten months to complete his training and pass final board exams before receiving his medical license. Since every patient interaction taught him something, it wouldn’t be a total waste of time, though it did pique his curiosity. Who in the world had scheduled an appointment just to talk tohim?
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On the way to the small consultation room, Zak nearly tripped when the distinct scent ofshifterreached him. It was strongest outside the closed door, meaning it had to belong to his mysterious patient—a woman named DeeDee Tillman. Shifters were rarely in need of medical care, which meant that this wasn’t a health consultation after all. What was her real purpose here?
Aside from his parents, Zak did his best to avoid shifters and their condescending attitudes. He paused for a moment to put on his neutral ‘doctor’ face, though it wouldn’t do any good. Any shifter would detect his true feelings no matter what he did, and he opened the door with a resigned sigh. Tillman stood to greet him, smiling pleasantly. He noted that she was well-dressed and appeared to be in her mid to late fifties. Zak extended a hand to introduce himself.
“Ms. Tillman? I’m Zachary Hall.”
DeeDee had seen her share of attractive people in her day, but this blue-eyed blond was beyond handsome, built like a truck, and oozing charm from every pore. DeeDee tucked away those thoughts and shook his hand. Leaning in to scent him wasn’t a good idea, but she didn’tneedto in the small confines of the room—already bombarded with the man’s unique scent and his obvious discomfort. She came prepared for outright hostility, though he didn’t, as yet, have any idea what she knew about him.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, and please call me DeeDee. I know our time is limited, so let me explain why I’m here.”
They took their seats and DeeDee began her spiel.
“I’m the proud mayor of Bear Creek, located two hours north between Wilkes-Barre and the Pocono mountains. We are a growing, mixed community that is in need of a family physician. I’ve been following the new training program you’ll be graduating from, and your career in particular. In case you’re wondering, I also have Dr. Stewart’s blessing to see if I can’t convince you to join us.”
Zak blinked owlishly at the woman, trying to mentally unpack the info dump he’d just received. Dr. Stewart was the attending physician here at the college, and Zak’s boss, so he must havethought Tillman’s idea had merit or he wouldn’t have given his stamp of approval. Her interest in securing his services was flattering, and aligned with his goals of opening a practice of his own, but he’d never heard of Bear Creek. He wasn’t particularly fond of small towns, either, and wondered if his years of training would be wasted in such a place. There were too many questions needing answers, but he began with the most personal.
“There are plenty of physicians in the state, and more graduating every year. Why me?”
DeeDee chuckled at his forthright approach.
“I like a man who doesn’t beat around the bush! There are many reasons why I chose you, but I’ll share the most important: you have an excellent academic record, are highly recommended by the college and your patients, and as a quasi-shifter, you are the best person to serveallthe residents of Bear Creek.”
And there it was. Zak bristled at her audacity, though everything she’d said was true. Few humans knew that people like him existed, and the shifters who did were often dismissive or cruel in their scorn. Through a quirk of genetics, Zak possessed certain shifter traits but had no inner bear nor the ability to transform—leaving him nearly human in most respects. He briefly wondered how the mayor of a backwoods town had gathered such accurate information, but that discussion could wait.
“If Bear Creek is the mixed community you claim, it gives me evenlessreason to consider starting a practice there. I prefer to avoid casual contact with shifters, so why invite rejection by my own neighbors and patients?”
DeeDee was prepared to address this concern, personally grieved that it was even an issue.
“If you visited Bear Creek and spoke to our people, you would find them warm and accepting. We aren’t perfect, of course, but only the truly ignorant might consider harassing you. Tell me, where could I find someone better prepared to treat humans, shifters, and natural bears? Your unique training and background are aperfectfit for our community, and we would welcome you with open arms.”
At this point, DeeDee slid a professional, bound presentation across the table—the cover emblazoned withBear Creek, Pennsylvania. A Place To Call Home.
“In here, I’ve made my best pitch as to why you should seriously consider establishing your practice in Bear Creek. We’re asking you to make a ten-year commitment, and to sweeten the deal, we’ll supply a newly remodeled, rent-free building and attached home for your use. If you remain for the entire ten years, the property will be deeded over to you, free and clear. In exchange, we ask that you consider hiring locals first for your support staff. And, if you need help paying off student loans, grant money will be made available to assist you.”
DeeDee let her proposal sink in for a moment, parsing out the man’s rapidly changing scent. Clearly she’d surprised him, and his far-off gaze snapped back to her face.
“I… that’s an incredibly generous offer, Mayor Tillman. When were you expecting a decision?”
