Page 25 of Bear Creek Father's Day
The pair enjoyed imaginary conversations, with Baxter doing most of the talking and Zuzu interjecting a word or two here and there. Since he was too big to ride on her shoulder, she carried him around or let him curl up on her lap whenever she sat down. If he started purring, she did too, and the vibrating harmony relaxed both of them. Once spring showed up, and later during the apple harvest, Zuzu would have all of Shady Lane to explore—perfect for a little one with a big imagination.
Dustin heard a ruckus on the back deck just before Baxter trotted into the kitchen yowling like a banshee. Apparently, the snow bears were ready to come inside, and he turned off the heat, slapped a cover on the pot, and went to grab the warmed towels. Fortunately, the adults had shaken the snow off their coats before Dustin opened the door to let them in. Zuzu entered first, padding over to Dustin and shifting without being asked. He grabbed a towel from the basket, wrapped the little one in it, and took her into the living room to dry off.
“I played in the snow! Did you watch?”
Dustin nodded as he tried to restore order to her wild, damp curls.
“I sure did! Were you cold out there, sweetie?”
“Uh huh. It was fun but my paws got frozed.”
Dustin helped her redress and then used a dry part of the towel to rub her little hands and feet until they were pink. Baxter hadhopped up on the sofa back to watch the proceedings, chittering at his new favorite person as Dustin tended to her. The anxious cat jumped down when she reached for him, giving her a good sniff and curling up in her lap as she told him about her snowy adventure. The adults were also dried and redressed by now, and Dustin went to pour the hot cocoa. Gruff came up behind him to steal a kiss with cold lips and grab a mug of chocolaty goodness.
“Thank you, mate. The warm towels were a nice touch. I think Zuzu had a good time, but she’s got more energy than I expected.”
Dustin laughed as he filled two more mugs for Jay and Esther.
“Orrin told me that this is her regular nap time, so I expect she’ll nod off any minute now—especially if Baxter is purring. Let’s go see.”
Sure enough, the little firecracker had snuggled down with Baxter on the couch, both napping while the adults settled in around them. The Cunninghams thanked Dustin for their drinks, and after a quiet pause, Esther asked him what he knew about Zuzu’s background. It pained him to relate the depressing details, and he lowered his voice.
“From what Orrin told us, she was found wandering alone in Hills Creek State Park near Mansfield by some human campers. The police were called, and they brought her to the nearest BSA facility in Sayre. They estimate she’s about four years old now, but no one knows her background or if she has any littermates. They spent a year teaching her to talk and introducing her to life as a human. When Sayre ran out of space, they arranged a transfer to Bear Creek. Orrin says that they did a good job with her, and that all she really needs now is love and a good home.”
Jay’s somber expression brightened when he interjected a question.
“Where did she get her name? It’s very unusual, though it fits her somehow.”
Dustin had asked Orrin the same thing.
“Well, right about the time she was learning to talk, the cubs were watching an old holiday film called “It’s A Wonderful Life.” One of the characters is a little girl named Zuzu, and when she heard it, she pointed at the screen and repeated the name several times. If she’d already been given a name, no one knew what it might have been, so the staff started using Zuzu and that was that.”
Gruff looked over at the sleeping girl; affection showing on his face and in his scent.
“Zuzu Cunningham sounds good to me.”
While Jay and Esther smiled knowingly, Dustin leaned over to kiss his mate on the cheek.
“I think you’re right, love.”
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Wilkes-Barre, later that afternoon
Anticipation.
It had simmered on the back burner, warm, fragrant—threatening to boil over if not carefully controlled. The simple act of holding hands as they visited the various galleries and shops served as foreplay, and it became more difficult to focus on anything except one another. Orrin had actually enjoyed the outing tremendously, not only because he was with Zak,but because he got to do something relaxing and fun. With a constant focus on the cubs and their needs, his own were relegated to the background or another time.Not today.
Zak’s scent told its own story, along with how handsy he’d been since they arrived at Art Avenue. Orrin loved his gentle touches, the warm breath in his ear as he shared comments and ideas, and Zak’s possessive maneuvering if anyone came too close. Without consciously realizing it, he’d been treating Orrin very much like his mate, and it stirred both hope and desire. It also riled up his bear, prompting strangled growls that Orrin couldn’t quite suppress.
Zak seemed to understand what was going on without a word between them, and he gripped Orrin’s hand tighter as they made their way back to the vehicle. Once he got the truck started and the heat going, he leaned over for gentle kisses, fingers twisted in Orrin’s long hair. Randy pheromones filled the cold air of the cab, giving both men aching hard-ons. Zak broke the tension with a suggestion.
“Let’s take this back to my place.”
Orrin’s heated growls alone were answer enough, but he responded while nibbling Zak’s neck.
“Yes… that sounds perfect.”
Zak kissed him again and got them moving in the right direction with just a few turns. A comfortable silence descended on the pair, and Orrin slid off his left glove to place a bare hand on Zak’s upper thigh. He welcomed the warm contact as a promise for more when they reached their destination, and spent the rest of the short journey fighting off doubts and wondering what Orrin would do.
