Page 7 of Bearly Hot

“I’m trying to help your ass out since it took you a whole week to ask her out for a date. I figured you might need all the help you can get,” he says, his laughter crackling through the line like firewood. My inner grizzly bear nods his head in agreement with the other bear.

I grumble to myself. There are no secrets in Glacier Pass, a fact that’s becoming increasingly clear. “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I retort, but I can’t help the amused twinge in my voice. “Let me guess, that includes unsolicited advice?”

“Consider it intel,” Dillon counters smoothly. “Gianna loves the molten chocolate cake our cousin’s wife sells at Honey Buns II. If you want to knock this date out of the park, one of those bad boys might just be the trick.”

I pause, processing this tidbit of information, realizing I’m going to owe him one. “I appreciate it, Dillon.”

“Just trying to give you a fighting chance. Good luck, sloth boy,” he teases, his tone laden with brotherly mischief.

“Sloth boy?” I can’t stop a chuckle from erupting past my lips.

“You move slower than a goddamn sloth on melatonin.”

I wince at the crazy analogy. “Did you make that up all on your own?” I tease him.

“Yep, I spent my morning working on it instead of all the work covering my desk. You’re welcome.” I can already see I’m going to love being a part of this crazy family.

As the call ends, I huff a laugh, shaking my head at the unexpected yet oddly endearing intervention from the Bearly brigade. I try to refocus on my cooking, but the cake idea is firmly lodged in my brain.

With my sauce simmering away, I make a quick call to Honey Buns II and end up talking to the bakery owner. She laughs when she hears my request and promises to set aside her famous chocolate cake.

Feeling surprisingly prepared, I turn my attention to getting ready for tonight. After a quick shower, I pull on a soft knit sweater, well-worn jeans, and my favorite pair of boots.

After a quick shave and a last appraisal in the mirror, I’m all set. My bear’s been surprisingly cooperative today since I finally started listening to his orders. With everything in order, I head out into the cool mountain air, feeling an exciting nervous edge flitting about my thoughts.

I hop into my massive four-wheel drive and head down to Glacier Pass to pick up my secret weapon.