Page 56 of Bear Creek Father's Day
“You smell like flowers!”
Though unusual for a shifter, Cora enjoyed spritzing on a little artificial scent, and she smiled at the boy.
“That’s called perfume, Fort. If it bothers you, I won’t wear it at the house.”
Griffin cut off whatever his companion was about to say.
“I like it. Do the lines on your face hurt?”
Cora laughed, accentuating the crow’s feet, furrows, and creases.
“Not at all, Griffin. When your papas are my age, they’ll have wrinkles, too. Now, I have a very serious question for you and Fort—what’s your favorite cookie?”
They blurted it out in unison.
“Chocolate chip!”
Cora winked at them.
“Wonderful! That’s my favorite, too. Every Wednesday is cookie day, and if there’s any left over, I’ll put them in the freezer for the weekend.”
Both men were grinning when she stood up, and Aiden added his two cents worth.
“If you’re in need of some high-quality chocolate, I happen to know a guy.”
Dash uttered a rumbly growl, kissed his mate’s cheek, and then turned to introduce the man waiting in the background.
“Cora, this is Doctor Zachary Hall. He owns the house and runs the clinic next door.”
Zak stepped forward to shake her hand, and she hesitated as his muddled scent confused her. Quasi-shifter? He must be, though she’d never met one in person.
“Welcome, Cora, and please call me Zak. I recently moved in with my partner and our two children, which is why the house is empty. Feel free to use anything I’ve left behind, and to make yourself at home. If you have any problems at all, give me a call or leave a message at the clinic. Why don’t I show you around the place before we help you unload the car?”
The tour lasted only a few minutes, and when they ended up in the kitchen, Zak handed over a set of keys and the garage door opener before pointing out the security door that led into the clinic.
“It’s locked from both sides at all times, so you never need to worry about your privacy. The clinic isn’t open on the weekends, though I or Jessica McKnight may occasionally be there to see an emergency case or catch up on paperwork. You may notice the lawn service around, though their schedule varies. I’ve also added a separate box at the curb, so our mail doesn’t get mixed up. The home is rent-free as long as you need it, though I do ask that you cover the utilities.”
Cora was floored. Who offers a perfect stranger their home for next to nothing? Dash and Aiden had told her that Bear Creek was a friendly community, but this…
“I don’t know what to say, Zak. You’re being more than generous, and I promise to care for your home as if it were my own.”
The boys lined up outside with everyone else to help unload Cora’s car, being given small things that were easy to carry. Once they were finished, Zak gave Cora his number, and the clinic’s, before taking off. With nothing in the fridge or cupboards, the whole entourage made their way to Wallin Market to kill two birds with one stone. Not only could Cora get what she needed, but she’d see exactly what her new household wanted in their cupboards.
With her phone, she took photos and recorded comments on favored brand names, quantities, and sizes as they visited every department in the store. It wasn’t only food items, but cleaning and laundry products too—mostly unscented, whichshifter folk preferred. The air in an average human home was a miasma of strong odors that would bother most of her people, and her employers were no different, despite Aiden’s presence. Apparently, he had already adapted to his mate and didn’t have any problem with the restrictions.
While they waited to check out, Aiden shared a few items that were procured elsewhere, such as the Red Barn or at specialty shops in town, as well as their preferred takeout restaurants. Cora also asked Griffin and Fort what they liked to eat so she could avoid disappointing the boys. All in all, they appeared to be an easy family to cook for, though she’d have to learn a few new dishes that weren’t part of her repertoire.
Back at the house, they helped her unload and then left for home to do the same. She was to report for work tomorrow at seven a.m., meeting with Dash to be given the specifics of her duties. It was past suppertime when Cora finished putting things away to her liking, and she made something simple to eat and then relaxed in the oversized tub before calling it a day. Having an entire three-bedroom home to herself was more space than she was used to, but it was a much appreciated gift at this transition stage of her life. Cora looked forward to working for the sweet, generous family, and finding her place in Bear Creek.
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Tuesday, March 25th
Spring brought several changes to Shady Lane Orchard, and the first one was the end of ice skating. Gruff had covered the ‘Open For Skating’ sign two weeks ago when the ice started to melt, and today he’d removed it until next winter. In its place, he put up a ‘change of hours’ notice—back to Monday through Saturday for the Red Barn and its staff. While they were anticipating a slowerpace, Gruff’s days would be filled with machine maintenance and outside chores such as trimming, fertilizing, and expanding the orchard, adding new berry bushes, and preparing the pumpkin patch for planting in May.
Malcom Nesbitt had arrived this morning to check his hives after a long winter and provided Gruff with a quick report.
“Looks like only a few problems this year, Gruff. I treated all the hives for mites, and one colony didn’t make it through the winter. There are several that need to be split, so you’ll actually end up with more hives this year. I’ll bring the boxes next week and set them up in the west quarter. I still need to ask Dustin what kind of honey supply he’ll need, but I have quite a bit reserved for him from last year. Let me know if you spot any problems as you work around the orchard.”
