Chapter 12
Meanwhile, at Shady Lane Orchard
Baxter stood on Dustin’s shoulder as they looked out the dining room windows, watching the action in the backyard.
Gruff, Zuzu, Jay, and Esther were all in bear form, having a fun romp through the mounds of drifted snow.
The little one didn’t have an extra layer of winter fat to keep her warm, and he worried that Zuzu would be chilled long before the others noticed.
Baxter must have agreed with him, tail twitching nervously and vocally scolding the group for gallivanting in the wretched white stuff he despised. Dustin reached up to rub his ears.
“Yes, they are being silly, but I think Zuzu is having fun. Don’t worry, Baxter—you’ll see her in a few minutes. I’m going to get the hot chocolate started, but you can stay and watch if you want to.”
Dustin pulled a chair away from the table, turned it around, and transferred Baxter from his shoulder to the padded seat.
He immediately pressed his black and white nose to the cold glass, eyes shifting back and forth while he chittered at the frolicking bears.
Dustin chuckled and left him to it, stopping by the laundry room to throw a bunch of clean towels in the dryer to warm.
He’d shortly have three adults and one cub who’d be wet and cold once they shifted, and a hot towel would be more than welcome.
He got out the large stock pot and added a gallon of milk, cocoa powder, sugar, and a handful of salted caramel baking chips.
With the burner on medium heat, Dustin whisked the concoction into submission and then continued stirring so it didn’t scald.
The simple task gave his busy mind time to contemplate an eventful day, though it wasn’t over yet.
It had started when he and Gruff picked Zuzu up at the Cub House this morning right after breakfast, and they’d listened to the excited little pixie’s prattle all the way home.
While bears were naturally curious, she seemed to be doubly so, asking questions about anything and everything that snagged her attention.
Dustin did most of the answering as Gruff drove with a smile on his face.
They’d been eager to spend time with the girl and see if she might be a good match for them.
Since she was too young for school, they had consulted with Jay and Esther about how to care for her during working hours.
Esther solved the problem without hesitation.
“Oh, now don’t you worry about that! Grandma and Grandpa Cunningham will be glad to watch Zuzu until you close up for the day, and after she starts school, we can take her there and pick her up if the bus won’t come out this far. It’ll be good for us to feel useful again.”
With Grandparents officially on board, he and Gruff were free to test the parenthood waters, knowing that Zuzu would be properly supervised by people they trusted.
The Cunninghams had moved into their new cabin in early June of last year, within sight of the main house, but still leaving each couple with a modicum of privacy.
They had even jumped in to help with last fall’s apple harvest, learned to make cider, and put in a few hours each week helping customers at the Red Barn.
Gruff enjoyed having them close by, and they, in turn, relished being near friends and loved ones with plenty to keep them occupied.
Dustin had made two requests of his mate at Christmas in lieu of a gift list. One was asking Gruff to marry him, and the other was to start a family.
They’d gone to the courthouse for the legal part, followed by a private reception that included the Tillmans, Cunninghams, and Mowrys.
If Dustin had his way, they’d have three or four kids, but they had to start somewhere, and Zuzu just happened to be the first cub that caught their eye.
So far, everyone seemed to be getting along well, and Baxter was in spoiled cat heaven with the sweet girl around.
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 had hopped 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.”
############
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.”