Sunshine for the Grumpy Grizzly (Obsessed Mountain Mates #7)

Chapter 1

1

Preston

T he front desk phone is ringing.

In Twin Falls Mountain Retreat , that’s an event. I stare at it in disgust. There’s no caller ID on this old relic, but I know who it is. Gritting my teeth, I snatch it up.

“…Uh, helloo?” a voice says after a few seconds. A voice that’s dripping with sarcasm.

I clench my jaw, my bad mood plunging into an abyss of fury.

“What is it, Clay?” I demand of my irritating-as-shit younger brother.

Clay launches a dramatic sigh into the receiver. “What is it? Lemme see. How many times have I asked you—no, begged you—to say some goddamn thing when you answer the phone? Even hello would be a big improvement on this fucking creepy silence.”

I give a rumble of annoyance. “And I’ve told you, it’s not necessary. Someone wants to talk, they talk.”

“Can’t you just pretend to be civil? Be good to get some paying guests here.”

“I didn’t ask for any of this,” I growl.

“Neither of us did, bro,” Clay retorts.

My beast’s fur prickles my skin. All it wants is to be out in the wilderness, running and snapping up small animals in its jaws, not cooped up in this hotel lobby all day. Holding the fort while my little brother goes on his extended honeymoon.

“You calling to say you’re on your way back here?” I demand.

“Ahh, the doc says I need another week at least,” Clay mumbles.

“What!?” I roar.

“It’s a complex injury, Preston. It’s not gonna heal overnight.”

I clench my jaw so hard, my teeth squeak. Clay had a skydiving accident three weeks ago and fractured his coccyx. A bad injury for a human, but shifters heal fast, and he’s already delayed his return date once. I’m pretty darn sure it’s because he can’t tear himself and his new bride, Lola, away from their dream honeymoon. I glance around the dark, stuffy lobby that has recently become my home. Guess I can’t blame him.

“Better be the last time,” I grunt.

“Any guests in the diary?” Clay asks.

“Ten,” I reply. And I’m so mad about it that I don’t even get any pleasure out of the shocked silence that follows.

Takes a hell of a lot to shock my brother into silence. He’s always done the talking for the both of us. He’s three years younger, but he actually started talking before I did. Guess that’s why I’m so taciturn.

“That’s… that’s great,” he sputters. “Staying how long?”

“Three nights.”

“Full rate?”

“Yup.”

“That’ll be good money, bro. We’ll be able to get some new carpets put in…”

While Clay drones on about the potential renovations for this old dump, I drift off, wondering just how the heck I’m gonna deal with ten guests.

“Huh?” I grunt, realizing that Clay has stopped talking.

“I said, are you all ready for them?”

A snarl bursts from my lips. He’s so goddamn condescending sometimes. “They’ll sort themselves out. I explained we’re not doing food at the moment.”

I swear I hear him shaking his head. “Just make sure everything’s nice and clean at least.”

“What do you think I am—an animal?”

“Sometimes, bro. Sometimes I wonder. You got menus for the local restaurants at least?”

“Yup.” I eye the sad collection of flyers scattered on the counter.

“You checked on the hot tubs?—?”

“Listen, Clay, I gotta go.” I slam the phone down before he can say anything else.

My beast’s roar echoes around the lobby. I can’t stand any of this shit. Twin Falls Mountain Retreat has been in the family for generations, but I’ve never had anything to do with it.

At least, not until a couple of months ago, when our ninety-six-year-old granddaddy was taking his last breaths. He extracted a promise out of me and Clay that we wouldn’t sell it, but we’d keep it going, in all its glory .

Yeah, right. Hard to believe that this place was ever glorious. And I say that as a bear who’d be happy to live in a cave most of the time. What the cunning old coot didn’t mention was that this place is drowning in debt. So any money we make just disappears into a black hole. So. Fucking. Pointless.

I’d love to just walk away from it all, but a promise is a promise. And there’s not many things in my life that I’m proud of, but I’m a bear of my word.

The door clangs open and I look up in time to see Renata, the housekeeper, traipsing in.

Halfway across the lobby, she freezes and lets out a shriek. Her eyes are bulging, and her face has gone deathly pale.

“What is it?” I demand, but my voice comes out as a feral roar.

“You—!” She jabs a finger at me. “You’re all…”

I look down. My entire arms are covered in thick brown fur and my claws have burst from my fingertips. My face and canines are aching, too, which means that my beast is half-way out at least.

With an almighty effort, I haul my animal back inside me.

“Crap, I’m sorry, Ren. I didn’t realize.”

She shakes her head. “I’ve had just about enough of you shapeshifters .”

She says the word like it’s something distasteful. I guess I don’t blame her. I don’t feel real appealing right now—scratch that—I don’t ever feel appealing. Probably the reason why I don’t have a mate, while my garrulous brother is off on his honeymoon with a gorgeous human female.

I try to make my voice human-soft. “Renata, you know we’d never hurt you. We just get a bit growly sometimes.”

She plants her hands on her hips and huffs. “And this place. It’s beyond my pay grade.”

I raise my eyebrows. “What d’you mean?”

“I mean, it’s as run down as shit, Preston. It takes so long to clean everything.”

I groan. She’s probably right. “I’ll give you a raise.”

She shakes her head. “Nope. I’m done here. I’ve been offered work at that fancy new place in town.” She stalks over to the desk and dumps her set of keys, then holds out her hand. “My paycheck, please.”

I open the cash drawer, and count off her wages, adding in an extra twenty by way of apology.

“Good luck,” she says. “You’re sure gonna need it.” And she’s gone, the door swinging behind her.

Crap. It’s so hard to get staff here. And what the hell am I gonna do about the guests who’ll be arriving any minute now?

Right on cue, my ears prick up at the sound of a vehicle approaching.

Here they come, the ten humans.

The one who made the reservation had a nice voice. Sweetest voice I’ve heard in my life, in fact.

Got my bear all riled up.

Sure it’s not gonna feel like that when she starts demanding all kinds of stuff from me, though.