Page 38 of Bear Creek Father's Day
After the cubs saw the addition to the cabin, including new, unused bedrooms, they stayed for supper. It was an odd experience for the children, since meals had always meant lots of people and noise. This was a quiet affair with only the four of them, and they observed Knox and Levi interact with touches and an occasional smooch. That it was two men didn’t seem to bother them at all, as they’d already seen Orrin and Zak do the same things.
With everyone helping, they cleaned up after the meal—leaving just enough time for a little talk. Knox got them started.
“Was today fun? Did you have a good time?”
Birdy let Scout answer first, already knowing what she wanted to say.
“Yes! Can we come back?”
Birdy’s long ponytail danced as she nodded in agreement.
“I like you. You’re nice!”
Levi, now relieved and more relaxed, shared an idea with them.
“We like you, too. Maybe next weekend you can stay overnight, and we’ll do something fun together. What do you think?”
The cubs responded with hugs and growls, talking about their favorite things to do, what they liked to eat, and games they enjoyed playing. Knox and Levi made mental notes of what the cubs revealed, and then put on their winter gear for the drive back to the Cub House. When they arrived (booster seats in tow), Orrin opened the door with a damp towel slung over his left shoulder and wet spots on his clothing.
“Bath time. This is Tasha’s night off, so come on upstairs if you want to give me a hand.”
Knox and Levi didn’t mind being drafted, helping the cubs get into their jammies while Orrin finished supervising the baths. Afterward, they held Scout and Birdy on their laps for story time as if it had always been part of their evening routine. Whenever something being read made the pair laugh, they looked up to see if Knox and Levi were also laughing. Without even trying, the little stinkers had wrapped themselves around the mated pair’shearts, and Levi couldn’t wait to ask Knox how he felt about ‘their’ kids.
When story time was finished, they escorted the sweet cubs to their room, tucked them in, and gave each of them a kiss on the head. Levi paused at the door on their way out.
“Goodnight Birdy. Goodnight Scout. We’ll see you again soon—promise.”
Orrin awaited them at the top of the stairs with a knowing smile on his face. He didn’t say anything until they reached the front entryway.
“I can tell you had a good time together. Will you be seeing them again?”
Knox growled his answer, so Levi spoke for both of them.
“We had a great time with the cubs and would like to have them overnight next weekend if it’s okay. If you know of anything they might enjoy doing or fun places to go, we’re open to suggestions.”
Orrin’s eyes twinkled with delight.
“Wonderful! I thought they’d be a good match. I’ll send you some ideas early in the week, along with pointers to make this transition time easier for you. If things continue to go well, you might consider having them over every weekend until you’re able to take them full time. Oh, and you should probably pick up a couple of booster seats for the jeep. Eventually, there will be legal paperwork to fill out, a home inspection, and an interview with a counselor from the regional BSA office. I can guide you through all of that whenever you’re ready and answer any questions you have in the meantime.”
Knox and Levi left smiling, probably eager to have a private conversation about how things went down today. Orrin absolutely loved arranging permanent homes for the orphans—the ultimate reward for difficult and often heartbreaking work. It was even sweeter when he personally knew the families involved, and that he would continue to see the cubs around town as they grew up.
As Orrin turned off most of the downstairs lights and locked the doors, he received a text from Zak saying he was on the way over. Heart pounding, he acknowledged the message with ‘OKAY!,’ and made his way through the connecting passageway to his own home to greet the man. They’d have to wait in the Cub House for Tasha to return home (and keep their clothes on), but it was better than sitting there alone. Orrin had plans for the sexy doctor, even if he had to wait until midnight to implement them.
Chapter 18
Meanwhile…
Tasha laughed along with her friends at the conclusion of the rom-com/action flick mashup they’d gone to see. Though Hollywood had historically been slow to embrace films with shifter lead characters, audiences now ate them up like popcorn. This one was the latest starring Theron Burkhardt—who according to rumor had some type of local connection. The popular actor’s looks and talent had given him a lucrative career as a leading man, and stripping down to shift whenever the story called for it certainly hadn’t hurt his popularity.
Back in December, shortly after moving to Bear Creek, Tasha had attended one of the public Christmas concerts and fortuitously sat next to a group of shifter friends who called themselves the ‘Grrr Girls.’ They had invited her to join them for lunch that day and was folded into the group without hesitation or fanfare. All of them were unmated—some by choice, and others who were still waiting for the right person to come along. Tasha felt fortunate to have gained an instant group of friends as a new resident of Bear Creek, and her time off was well-spent when they got together.
Following the film, the ladies lingered in the lobby to discuss the show and plan their next meeting. While all of them preferred nature, roaming about the woods wasn’t practical during the winter, so they enjoyed indoor activities until the season changed. After a quick round of scenting, Tasha said her goodbyes and headed home. By now, Orrin would have put the cubs to bed and was probably reading in the big room upstairs. He preferred making it easy for the little ones to find him if theyneeded anything, and the years of caring for them by himself had produced habits that were difficult to break.
Tasha arrived home, only to discover Zak’s truck parked next to the Cub House van. She couldn’t blame Orrin for wanting as much time with the hunky doctor as he could get, though the relationship came with two sweet little complications. Mating a shifter was one thing, but adding instant fatherhood to the mix might be giving Zak reason to hesitate. In her opinion, they were well-matched, and the perfect parents for Kip and Rayn. At some point, the good doctor would have to make a decision, and she fervently hoped he’d make the right one or heartache would surely follow.
Tasha let herself in through the back door and shut off the porch light. The house was incredibly quiet at this time of night, making it easy to hear even the slightest sounds. She hung up her coat and then went to the kitchen in search of an evening snack. Theater popcorn and boxed candies were tasty, of course, but her ursine metabolism required protein to get her through until morning without nocturnal hunger pangs.
In the fridge, she found a wrapped supper plate Orrin had left for her and popped it into the microwave to reheat. With no one watching, Tasha downed the snack in record time, put her plate and fork in the dishwasher, and quietly climbed the stairs to check in with Orrin. She found him in Zak’s arms, snuggled together on a pile of pillows—freshly kissed but fully clothed. The air was thick with randy pheromones, and she gave them a look usually reserved for naughty cubs.
