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“Nuh-uh. These are mine. You’ve got fish and berries and whatever the hell bears eat. This chocolate is spoken for.”
Brutus stopped. Looked at her. Looked at the bag. Then looked at Cal with pure betrayal in his large brown eyes.
This is your fault, he seemed to say.
Cal, who had just climbed to his feet and was brushing snow off his coat, received the accusation with amused composure.
He shrugged at Brutus. “They’re Mama’s cookies. You wouldn’t want to share them either.” He paused, thinking about it. “Actually… you didn’t share them with me last time.”
Brutus huffed rudely at him.
Sage drew herself up to her full five-foot-three, snow still clinging to her hair, standing defiantly between a grizzly bear and his goal with the unshakeable conviction of someone who had finally found her hill to die on.
“No cookies for either of you.”
Brutus looked at Cal again. His look could have translated roughly to: I don't know who she is but she has our cookies and this is a problem you need to solve.
Cal looked at Brutus. Then at Sage. Then at the bag of cookies clutched like state secrets by the girl who had just tried to fight a grizzly with her bare hands.
“Fair enough,” he said, the corner of his mouth twitching.
SAGE
“Are you sure you don’t want to go inside, sweetheart?” Cal asked with perfect sincerity, working hard to keep a straight face.
The snow was falling again gently in the gathering twilight.
Sage managed to glare at him while sitting perfectly still, as if she were balancing the grizzly bear head currently resting heavy and warm in her lap. The thick, coarse fur smelled of pine, earth, and wild musk under the coming night.
“I am going to get you… As soon as I get out of this, I’m literally going to make you pay.”
Her voice stayed impressively calm and low, though her pulse fluttered visibly at the base of her throat.
Brutus just sighed, eyes closed, shifting his weight to get more comfortable. His huge paw nudged her arm a few times, surprisingly gentle.
“Aww…he wants pets,” Cal said innocently.
Sage looked at him like he was insane, her eyes wide as she whispered, “Do I look crazy to you?”
Cal gave that half smile as he stepped closer on the porch. The soft golden glow of the landscape lights spilled across the wooden planks, pushing back the deepening purple of evening. A cool breeze carried the scent of pine and woodsmoke.
“He likes you,” Cal said approvingly.
Sage gulped. “Yeah… as a snack, maybe.”
Brutus shifted again, opening his mouth. His large tongue lolled out as he made a low, rumbling purr that vibrated through Sage’s thighs and into her chest, like distant thunder wrapped in contentment. The sound said, clear as day, ‘You and me? We’re going to be best friends now.”
Cal was pretty sure Brutus meant it, despite the way the bear kept eyeing the bag of cookies clutched tightly against Sage’s chest.
Cal yawned dramatically and stretched. “Well, princess, I’m heading inside. You hungry? ‘Cause I’m hungry.”
Sage looked at him desperately. “Don’t you dare! Get this oversized fur bus off of me!”
Cal shrugged, that lazy smile spreading. “He needs pets first. He’s waiting for you to tell him he’s the bestest boi.”
If looks could kill, Cal would’ve been in serious trouble.
Finally, Sage closed her eyes, raised her trembling hand, and whispered under her breath, “Please don’t eat me, please don’t eat me, please don’t eat me…”
