The Bear’s Spicy Mate (Bear Creek Forever: Thornberg Restaurant #3)

Chapter One – Isla

“Look at how big the mountains are!” Percy’s voice was low, filled with awe as he stared out of the car window. “Have you ever seen mountains that big, Mom?”

Isla looked from her son’s animated face back to the winding road ahead. The rental car felt small as it snaked between towering peaks shrouded in mist, giving them an almost ethereal quality.

“No, never this big,” she admitted, feeling the same sense of awe and wonder as her son. “They’re something else, aren’t they?”

“I can’t wait to explore them,” Percy pressed his hands to the window. “Do you think there’s bears and wolves up there?”

“I expect so.” Isla shivered. The last thing she wanted to do was encounter a wild beast on a mountain trail. But Percy was enthralled by nature and the wilderness. The mountains were a stark contrast to the concrete sprawl and manicured parks they were used to in the city.

“Can we go hiking?” Percy asked, his face still pressed against the window. “Like, real hiking? With backpacks and everything?”

Isla smiled. “We’ll see. I do have to work while we’re here, remember?”

“I remember…” Percy sighed.

“But,” she added quickly, seeing his face fall, “I promise we’ll make time for exploring. That’s part of why I brought you along this time.”

Percy’s smile returned. “Really?”

“Really.” Isla nodded, easing the car around another bend. “The restaurants here aren’t like those in the city. They’re more spread out, so we’ll have time between visits. And I only have to review about eight places over two weeks.”

“How much longer till we get there?” Percy pressed his nose against the window.

“About fifteen minutes.” Isla checked her GPS.

“Fifteen minutes.” Percy had that tone. The one that said he would not last another fifteen minutes without a bathroom break.

Isla glanced at Percy, who was now shifting uncomfortably in his seat. The mountains were beautiful, but they were also wild and remote. She hadn’t seen a rest stop for miles.

“Percy, do you think you can hold it until we get to the cabin?” she asked, already knowing the answer.

“Maybe,” he mumbled, but the way he squirmed told her everything.

She wasn’t about to have her son relieve himself by the roadside with who knew what wildlife lurking in the trees. Bears and wolves. The thought made her shudder.

“Oh!” Isla slowed the car as they rounded another bend. A rustic-looking shack appeared, nestled against the edge of the forest. Smoke curled from a small chimney, and colorful strings of dried chilies hung from the eaves. It wasn’t exactly a rest stop, but it was a sign of life.

Which meant people. And people usually meant a bathroom.

Decision made, she pulled into the small gravel parking lot and stopped the car, tires crunching on the loose stones. A hand-painted sign propped against a barrel read “Restrooms for Customers.”

“Here,” Isla said, unbuckling her seatbelt. “There’s a bathroom, and we can grab some snacks for later.” She pointed to another sign listing their offerings. “Look, they sell chili chocolate.”

“Bleh!” Percy wrinkled his nose in disgust. “Why would anyone ruin chocolate by mixing it with chili?”

“Hey, don’t knock it until you try it.” Isla opened her car door and got out, inhaling the fresh mountain air. She circled around to her son’s side of the car and opened his door. “Some of the best flavor combinations are unexpected ones.”

“I don’t want to try it,” Percy insisted as he slid out of the car. The moment his feet hit the gravel, he began hopping from one foot to the other. “I really need to go.”

“Okay, come on.” Isla held out her hand and, out of habit, checked for traffic. The mountain road was empty in both directions, so she guided Percy across the small parking area toward the shack.

As they approached, she became aware of someone watching them. A man stood next to a display of potted plants, each one vibrant green with healthy leaves. Was he another customer? Isla met his gaze with a challenging stare, the protective instinct she always felt around Percy flaring automatically.

For a moment, the man didn’t react. Then he blinked, opened his mouth as if to speak, but seemed to think better of it. He turned away, his fingers trailing almost reverently over the leaves of the nearest plant.

“Mom,” Percy wailed urgently, tugging at her hand.

Isla switched her attention back to her son and hurried toward the shack. She pulled open the wooden door and went inside with Percy. After the bright afternoon sunlight, the interior seemed dark, and she had to blink several times before her eyes adjusted.

“Hi,” Isla called out, glancing around the small store. It looked as though it had once been a room where someone might have sat by the fire on a winter’s evening.

“Hello there.” An older woman with wavy gray hair smiled from behind a rustic wooden counter. Her face was weathered but kind, deep laugh lines framing her eyes. “Welcome to the Spice the familiar gesture steadied her. “Why don’t we pick some goodies to take with us? And maybe some of Kirk’s chocolate since we liked it so much?”

“Isla and Percy are staying at Bear’s Rest,” Win said as Isla browsed the shelves. “His aunt and uncle own it, you know.”

“I did not,” Isla replied with surprise.

“Kirk’s family, the Thornbergs, have been here since the town was founded,” Win added, leaning against the counter with comfortable familiarity.

“Thornberg?” Isla tilted her head. The name rang a bell from her research. “Does your family own the restaurant in town as well?”

“It does,” Kirk nodded, his expression brightening with what looked like pride. “My parents, actually.”

“They serve local food,” Win chimed in. “It’s family-friendly if you want to take the little man with you.” She winked at Percy, who was now examining a jar of honey with chili flakes suspended in the golden amber.

“Good to know,” Isla said. The Thornberg Restaurant was already on her review schedule, but now she found herself curious about the connection to the chili-growing man standing before her. Did he work there, too? Perhaps growing chilies was a hobby.

“Mom, come look at these!” Percy called, pointing to a collection of small bottles filled with different colored powders.

“Coming,” Isla said, offering Kirk a brief smile before joining her son. She really didn’t need to know his business. If she saw him again, fine; if not, well, that was fine too.

Five minutes later, they left the shack with their purchases, Percy clutching his small paper bag to his chest as if it contained treasure rather than snacks. Isla helped him into the backseat and buckled herself in, adjusting the rearview mirror before starting the engine.

As she pulled away from the small shop, movement caught her eye. Kirk had come outside and stood watching their departure, one hand raised in a subtle farewell. Isla lifted her own hand in response, a small flutter of something unexpected stirring in her chest.

Something that had been dead for a long, long time.