by Shea Balik
“Please,” Cass teased. “You don’t stand a chance with Dane. I don’t know who broke that man’s heart, but it’s obvious he’s off limits.”
“You’re telling me,” Kip added. “One night, I admit I was a bit tipsy, but I was practically offering for him to bend me over the bar and he turned me down flat.”
Spencer chuckled as he imagined Kip’s reaction. Out of all of them, Kip was the one guys flocked to. Not that Spencer could blame them. Kip was gorgeous. He was lean with defined muscles from all that yoga and Pilates he did. Tattoos scattered his body in places that one could only see the full image if he had his clothes off, yet peaked out from the edges of his sleeveless shirts or crop tops.
Piercings in his ears and the corner of his mouth made so many gay men drool. Probably straight ones too, if they were honest. His light brown, spiky, short hair was shot through with blonde highlights that he naturally got from spending so much time communing with nature.
In general, all Kip had to do was glance at a man and the guy would get on his knees and beg to let Kip take him home. But those few times when someone didn’t respond, Kip had acted as if he’d lost his best friend. Fortunately for Kip, his pout was adorable enough to attract a slew of other men, which would take his mind off the rejection.
But in Mystic Pines, there weren’t that many people. About twenty people who had grown up there were all that were left and none of them, that they knew of anyway, were gay. Since Spencer and his friends had announced turning the town into a resort destination for the LGBTQ community, several newcomers had moved to town in hopes of making a living in a place they would feel safe.
But those newcomers weren’t that many, and several were already in committed relationships, leaving the current prospects slim. Up until Reese, Dane and two others were the only gay men who had moved to Mystic Pines who were also available.
Kip shook his head at Axom. “Give up that dream, honey. No way is Dane ready to get involved with anyone.”
Axom took the last bite of his chili, stood up, rinsed his bowl off in the sink and put it in the dishwasher. Dishes and food were the one rule Anook had demanded the others adhere to. Everyone must clean their plates as soon as they were done. Bears were known to try and come into homes that had food left out for any period of time.
Apparently, their sense of smell was quite good and, when hungry, which was prevalent to the few, mostly male, members of the population that didn’t hibernate in the winter, nothing, not even a door, would easily stop them from coming inside to get to food. Spencer hadn’t exactly believed that, but since he was somewhat of a neat freak, he didn’t mind that Anook used it to get the others to clean.
However, he started to hear stories, not just from some of the other residents of Mystic Pines, but the construction crew who lived in nearby towns also. Spencer had still been skeptical about what seemed to be a tall tale, but then he’d seen the video proof. When someone showed him a bear rummaging around their home in search of food, Spencer had become a believer.
Axom, too. For that was when the normally messy man started to make sure not even a speck of food was left out.
Once he had the dishwasher closed, Axom turned to face Kip with a grin. “I don’t know, Kip. Giving up seems too easy. After all, a cupcake is a muffin that believes in miracles.”
As the man walked to his room, Spencer and the others were shaking their heads at him. “I’m telling you, it’s like he comes up with the most bizarre analogies possible,” Cass said.
Anook chuckled. “The man believes in Bigfoot, aliens, and that there are other dimensions. Did you think his analogies would be any less weird?”
Kip shrugged as he got up from the table with his empty bowl. “I don’t know. The stories of this area do suggest that Axom might be right about there being something else besides humans out there.”
Spencer rolled his eyes as he joined Kip at the sink with his own dish. He didn’t want to be pulled into another discussion about weird phenomenon. He had to deal with it on a daily basis with Axom. He wasn’t about to do so when the man wasn’t even in the room.
“I’m heading to my room,” Spencer said once he had put his dish into the dishwasher. “The interior decorator was supposed to send décor possibilities for the guest rooms and I want to look through them.”
That wasn’t entirely a lie. He just hadn’t mentioned that he’d already seen them. Spencer did plan to go over them again, but he really wanted to get started on his research to keep pets out of the resort.
His dick twitched as the image of Reese and his pretty smile came to mind again. But first, he might have to take a cold shower. It was time to get Reese out of his thoughts. The man was off limits in Spencer’s mind. No way was he going to pursue a man who probably thought it was perfectly acceptable to have his dog on the bed while they were fucking.
That thought alone, thankfully, wilted his erection. Taking a cold shower in the middle of winter in Alaska hadn’t been something he would have relished.
CHAPTER 4
“That’s it, Reese. Keep up the good work,” the trainer called out as Reese struggled to keep up with the programmed spin class on his stationary bike.
He tried not to grimace as the trainer, Cathy, for this class, told them to up the resistance for the next five minutes. He really hated working out like this. Reese much preferred to run or bike ride outdoors, not in a gym setting, even if it was his spare bedroom and not an actual gym.
Nothing could replace the feeling of being in nature as he ran through the trees with the birds chirping, or the wind on his face as he raced his bike along a well-worn path. Unfortunately, it had snowed the night before and he wasn’t sure he could even get out of his house with how much of the white fluffy stuff was currently packed against his front door.
Who would have thought that something that weighed nothing as a snowflake, could be so damn heavy when it piled up on the ground? It was like trying to push a dump truck all on his own.
There was no way he could run with that much snow on the ground. Having moved up to Mystic Pines a few weeks earlier, Reese wasn’t entirely sure when, or even if, the roads would be plowed. So, he’d let Sammy out in the backyard to romp around in the snow, while he reluctantly climbed on the stationary bike and plugged in one of his many already downloaded routines.
That was the other thing, there was no internet. Hell, with how bad the wind had gotten during the night, he wasn’t entirely sure his satellite dish was still standing. Nor did he really want to brave the calf-deep snow to find out. Sammy might be having a ball playing in the stuff, but Reese had discovered quickly that, although he enjoyed its beauty, trudging through it was a royal pain in the ass.
“Come on, Reese,” Cathy called out as he had slowed down when his mind had wandered to the weather conditions. “You can do this.”
Refocusing, he forced himself to push his body to the limits and finish the class. Exhausted, he climbed off and went in search of Sammy, who was still in the backyard, his fur covered in snow, as he pounced on the piles of white.
Deciding to leave him to his fun for now, Reese went to the kitchen and poured himself a much needed cup of coffee. It wasn’t to help wake him up as the icy air that was coming in through the opened doggie door and his workout had accomplished that. No. He was just trying to stay warm. Having grown up in Seattle, he wasn’t at all used to these frigid temperatures.
He’d never appreciated how living so close to the coastline helped to keep the temperatures moderate. He used to hate the near constant rain that fell on the city, but in that moment, Reese would take it pouring down on him compared to the way the cold seemed to never go away. Not even in his home with a roaring fire, under blankets with Sammy curled up next to him.
Reese would swear his very bones were frozen. Not exactly a comfortable feeling when he had work to do.
After his argument with Spencer a week ago, Anook had let Reese know that he and his friends would hear both
sides to the pet issue at the resort in four weeks. Spencer would present the reasons why it wasn’t a good idea, and Anook asked if Reese would do the same for allowing pets.
Eager, Reese had quickly accepted. At the time, a month had seemed like a lot of time, but with a week already passed, he wasn’t sure a year would be enough. But, like with everything else in his life, Reese would find a way.
With that thought in mind, he filled Sammy’s food and water dishes. Then he called inside his very wet and nearly pure white dog as snow covered him from nose to tail.
“You are a mess, my friend,” he told Sammy as he padded into the house tracking snow with each step. Sammy looked up at him with a grin and eyes that clearly told Reese he knew he was a mess but he didn’t care, for he had a ball in the snow.
Laughing at Sammy’s expression, Reese said, “I’m going to go take a shower so we can get to work.” As if he completely understood every word, which Reese believed he did, Sammy went to his dish to eat so that he would be ready to help when Reese got out of the shower.
***
Woof.
The sound was low, as if Sammy were trying warn Reese to remain quiet. Glancing up from his laptop he was working on to research statistics on people who preferred to take their animals with them on vacation, Reese froze, his eyes going wide.
He and Sammy were lounging on the couch, a soft fleece blanket covering Reese’s legs, while Sammy curled up next to him. A fire crackled in the fireplace. But that wasn’t what had Reese’s heart racing as he struggled to comprehend what he was seeing.
On either side of his fireplace, overlooking wooded land and the Wrangle Mountains were windows that went up as high as the ceiling. But it wasn’t the top he was staring at, for there, with two paws against his the window, was the largest bear Reese had ever seen.
Okay, in fairness, up until that moment, he’d never actually seen a bear in real life, but still, it was enormous and it was looking right at Reese. Or Sammy. Either way, not good. He wasn’t standing all the way up but, if Reese had to guess, he was at least seven feet tall.
Suddenly, things like, what was the impact rating for his windows, can bears even break windows and what the hell was he supposed to do if a bear was in his house, started to pop up in his head. One question after another, followed by one plan after another kept coming. All of which seemed ridiculously stupid when facing a bear.
He remembered the bartender, Dale, telling him to get bear spray and always have it on him. Reese had gotten several cans of the stuff, but since he hadn’t thought he’d need it in his own house, it wasn’t where he could easily reach it. There was some next to the front and back doors as well as one attached to his backpack and his computer bag, none of which were close enough to be at all useful.
Now what?
The hairs along his whole body stood on end when Sammy tilted his head back and howled. He was used to the sound, but this time, Reese could tell it was different. Instead of making the noise for the sheer joy of it, Reese would swear his best friend in the whole world was calling for help.
And damn if there weren’t answering howls in the distance.
The bear swung his giant head in the direction of the mountains behind him. Then he appeared to push against the window, which thankfully held, and got back down on all fours. It wasn’t until he was lumbering away, his massive body swaying with each step, that Reese felt his lungs open up and he was able to suck in much needed air.
Not even thinking about it, Reese’s hand went to Sammy’s body and he leaned into his faithful friend. “Thank you,” he whispered. Even though the threat was retreating, Reese wasn’t able to get his voice any louder.
Hugging Sammy, as he willed his body to stop shaking, Reese was more determined than ever to prove pets had the right to be with their human companions. They were more loyal and trustworthy than people, that was for sure. Reese couldn’t imagine too many friends protecting him like that.
“Spencer is wrong about you, Sammy,” Reese told him. “Somehow, I’m going to make him see that.”
Then he lifted his head and looked into those pretty brown eyes. “We just need to figure out how.”
Sammy let out a woof of agreement. Then he curled back up next to him, with his head on Reese’s thigh and his nose nudging the edge of the laptop. Smiling, Reese got back to work researching his case.
It wasn’t a sure thing, but Reese was confident he could convince Spencer’s friends, and co-owners of the town, that people had the right to bring their animals with them on vacation. Maybe right was too strong a term, although it’s what Reese believed. But he would prove that it would bring them a lot more visitors not only to the hotel, but to all the businesses in Mystic Pines.
After all, if the others weren’t open to pets, they never would have offered for Reese to state his case or given him a month in which to research his arguments. The problem was Spencer.
“He’s the one we really need to convince,” Reese told Sammy.
But the articles of how people either refused to travel without their pets or would only go to destinations where they could bring them wasn’t going to be enough. No. Spencer was someone who would need more than statistics to prove he was wrong.
But Reese wasn’t sure how to accomplish that. Or why Spencer was so against animals in the hotel.
“He must have had a bad experience with a pet,” Reese told Sammy, who gave a small huff in response. “But how do we fix that?”
Sammy lifted his head and cocked it to the side as if he too were trying to think of a solution. “We need to find a way for him to be around friendly pets like you to show him he’s wrong.”
Except, that was impossible. Not that Reese watched for the man, but with the exception of heading to the construction site and home, Spencer didn’t spend much time outside. Considering how cold it was, that seemed fairly normal this time of year. Since Sammy was currently banned from the hotel, even if it was still being worked on, that would make it impossible for Sammy to work his magic on Spencer.
“What if I sent him a puppy?” Reese asked Sammy, who pulled his head back and gave it a shake.
Laughing, Reese ran his hand over Sammy’s neck. “No, huh? I don’t know, Sammy. Puppies are pretty damn cute. You were freaking adorable.”
Sammy licked Reese’s cheek, thanking him, or maybe to let Reese know Sammy had felt the same way about him.
“How could anybody not love you, boy?” Reese gave him another quick hug. “We’ll have to figure out a way to melt Spencer’s frozen heart. In the meantime, I have four others to sway.”
Turning back to his laptop, Reese went to work.
CHAPTER 5
“Fuck,” Spencer muttered as he shut down his laptop. The research on not allowing pets into the resort wasn’t going as well as he’d hoped. He’d found plenty of information about the expense of replacing things like bedding, flooring – which wouldn’t be as prevalent for them since they had pet and water-resistant flooring – not to mention things like towels, pillows, and furniture.
But Spencer feared that wouldn’t be enough since they could just charge more to the pet owners for their rooms to cover the increased need for repairs or replacements. It might help to deter them from wanting to deal with it, but Spencer knew his friends would need more.
When he’d looked up guests with allergies, he found that even that wouldn’t necessarily change anything. Their measures to keep the animals on one side of the hotel and guests without pets on the other would help greatly to alleviate that issue. Although, there would be some who would stay away, it wasn’t a large enough part of the population compared to those that now preferred to travel with their pets.
That left liability. What it would do to the resort, possibly the town, if someone was hurt, or god forbid bitten, by someone’s pet? But the numbers weren’t really helping his case. Sure, there was a risk, but realistically it wasn’t that big and getting insurance, especially in Alaska, to cover them wou
ldn’t put too big a dent in their overall costs.
With little hope and barely three weeks left to find something that would convince his friends he was right, Spencer needed to regroup. The need to clear his head had him taking a much needed walk.
Two days before, they’d had quite a storm come through, dumping enough snow to make it challenging to step foot outside their door. Although, as the owners of the town, Spencer and his friends had little choice but to head out and clear the roads.
Shortly before winter had come to their small town, Anook had insisted they buy two heavy duty trucks that they could mount snow plows to the front of in order to clear the roads. It ate into their budget, but after the first snowfall, Spencer had to admit it had been worth every penny.
That was especially true since there was no one else to plow the roads from nearby towns, where the construction crew lived, and Mystic Pines. Having to be cooped up in that truck all day the day before left Spencer with the need to stretch his legs.
Heading down a familiar path, even though he had to trudge through the still piled up snow, Spencer made his way to his favorite spot, a riverbed about a half a mile from town. The center was still flowing, but along the banks was frozen solid, not that Spencer would chance it by stepping on the ice.
He had no desire to freeze to death if he fell in, thank you very much.
Brushing off snow from the top of his usual rock, Spencer sat down and contemplated what he was going to do about his problem with Reese. Or, Spencer let out a long sigh, he meant the pet situation at the hotel.
Reese shouldn’t even be on his mind. What was wrong with him?
Something furry brushed against his hand. Spencer let out a very high-pitched yelp, that he prayed no one heard, especially when he realized it was Sammy who nearly gave him a heart attack.
