Page 35 of Bear Creek Father's Day
Later that evening
Though Aiden had been on tenterhooks all day, he knew it was best to welcome Dash home and feed him before mentioning the cubs. A bit of snuggling after supper certainly wouldn’t hurt either, and with a content and purring mate in his lap, Aiden broached the subject.
“Orrin Crosby came to see me today. He has a couple of cubs that might work for us.”
Dash’s head snapped up so he could look Aiden in the eye.
“Really?Twoof them? What else did he say?”
Aiden reached over to snag the folder he’d strategically left on the side table and opened it up.
“This is Griffin and Fort. Both are about five years old and are in kindergarten at the elementary school. I know we talked aboutadopting a single cub, but Orrin says these two need to stay together, even though they aren’t littermates. Aren’t they the cutest little shavers you’ve ever seen?”
Dash’s excitement was obvious as he got all growly examining their photos and then scanned through the first page of the summary. He and his first mate hadn’t gotten around to starting a family before Harv died, and Dash didn’t want to wait any longer now that the Pocono Ridge Resort andDeliciouswere doing well and needed less of their attention.
“What sweet boys—they remind me of my nephews. Two is probably better because cubs need someone to play with besides their parents. Does the BSA know where they’re from?”
Aiden flipped to the biography page so Dash could read it for himself. He’d found it sad and upsetting, but he knew the real reason why there were so many orphans. Natural bear cubs were driven away by their sow around eighteen months after birth, forcing them to leave their mother and strike out on their own. Some female shifters, unable to fight their ursine instincts, did the same thing—resulting in abandoned cubs who needed homes. The report Orrin had given them was a dispassionate summary provided by the BSA field office, reflecting only the bare facts.
Discovery location—Shohola Falls Reservoir, Pike County, PA.
Age—approximately three years when found.
Littermates—none known.
Sows—identity and location unknown.
Physical condition—generally good, but signs of malnourishment.
Assigned BSA facility—Stroudsburg for initial assessment and training, then Bear Creek.
Assigned names—Cub #1,Griffin. Cub #2,Fort.
General Observations—the unrelated pair have bonded, and it is recommended that they remain together for placement. Both demonstrate above average intelligence, resourcefulness, ability to learn, and a desire to please. They possess good social skills and interact well with humans. No major physical, psychological, or behavioral concerns. Placement prospects are excellent, with timing at the discretion of the Bear Creek Administrator.
Sensing that Aiden was troubled, Dash set the paperwork aside and pulled his mate closer for a tender kiss.
“It may not seem like it, but these boys were lucky. You know as well as I do that many cubs have a much rougher time of it. If we’re serious about adopting, I’m wondering how we’ll handle our schedules with the boys’ schooling.”
Aiden was glad his mate had brought that up, as he’d planned to anyway.
“What if we get a housekeeper who was good with kids? I ran the idea past Orrin, and he thought it would work best if we hired an older, female shifter. He even offered to help vet the candidates for us. No matter what we decide to do, having a family means you and I will have to make some sacrifices, and I refuse to allow someone else to raise our children.”
Dash heartily agreed.
“I don’t want that either, love. I’m sure we can make it work—after all, we own our businesses and can do as we please. I don’t think anyone would begrudge us time away from work to care for our children. Now, I’d like to meet the boys and see if we get along. What do you think?”
Aiden kissed his fantastic mate with gusto, excited to be on the same page.
“Yes! How about a meal and play date at the resort? In fact, we could invite everyone at the Cub House to come along. Even better, lets include the Cunninghams and McCoys, and maybe Orrin will invite Zak to come with us.”
Dash looked puzzled.
“Zak Hall? Is he… are they… where did you hear that?”
There wasn’t much you could hide in a small town, and Aiden knew almost as many people as DeeDee Tillman.
“I found out today atDelicious, though I got the feeling the relationship is new and he wasn’t quite ready to announce it. Did you know Orrin is going to adopt Kip and a little girl named Rayn? She’s a quasi-shifter from what I understand, just like Zak Hall. Very interesting, if you ask me.”
