Bear Flesh Delights

“Oh, I’ve paid for the old Henderson place for two whole months,” she explained. “I was hoping to find time to write a book while I’m here. It’s way too stressful to write back in Portland, especially during the school year since I’m a teacher at a private school there. I really wish I had known what it would be like before I chose that career.”

“What do you mean?” asked Skylar curiously as he stepped closer as well. A swarm of butterflies launched in Amelia’s belly as she stood between the two attentive men.

“I had no idea it would be such a stressful, thankless job,” she admitted. “I was stupid to assume just because I was so eager to learn, that meant every other kid is too. But I guess that’s just not true.”

“Sounds like what you need is a real change of pace,” Joe laughed. “Who knows? Maybe a couple months of mountain life might make you want to become a permanent resident.”

“I couldn’t possibly do that without one heck of an income boost,” Amelia pointed out. “You have no idea how much of my inheritance money I just spent for this little retreat.”

“Then I hope you find whatever it is you’re looking for here,” Skylar added, giving her shoulder a little squeeze. “And to help you out on that journey, what do you say we take you girls out for a night on the town? Our treat.”

“What? Wait,” gasped Ashley. “What’s up with that, Joe? You’ve never wanted to take any of us anywhere before.”

“Well, considering you were ten the year we met, imp, I think you can understand how a pair of teenage boys who had only just went in on a house together might have been a bit more reluctant to invite you out, don’t you think?” Joe said. “I can only imagine what your mother would have said about it back then.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s true,” she shrugged.

Joe laughed at her expression, and then cast Amelia a look of hopeful inquiry. “What do you say, Amelia? Do you want to go?”

“I—I guess I could go along, maybe find out a bit more about the place,” she conceded. “I surely won’t mind having such handsome tour guides. But obviously I’d have to put away all these things I bought first and change into some sort of evening attire. That is, if any of you girls want to go? I probably shouldn’t go alone since we’ve only just met.”

“Sure, we’ll all go,” said Judy excitedly. “Anything to get you started off on the right foot, Amelia.”

“No, Judy, we don’t all want to go,” said Kathy tiredly. “I just want to go home, take a bath, and relax.”

“And I want to read the book I just bought,” added Mary.

“I’ll go,” said Ashley, her eyes gazing at Joe dreamily.

“Great, then how about we give you girls a lift back over to your cabins so you can get ready?” asked Joe with a smile. “We can use my delivery van. It has enough room for everyone, but you’ll have to sit on the floor because it only has a driver’s seat installed.”

“Yeah, we could do that,” Judy agreed, smiling at the others encouragingly. Her sisters mostly scowled except for Ashley. She and Amelia smiled agreeably instead.

“I’ll go ahead and drive the car down to the pub,” Skylar said then. “It doesn’t make sense to cram me in there as well.”

“All right, sounds good,” Joe agreed as he led the women over to the van. “We’ll see you soon then.”

“I call shot-gun!” said Ashley.

“There’s no seat to call, silly,” Judy reminded her.

“So what, I can still sit there,” she pointed out.

They all climbed into the vehicle, getting comfortable on the floor, and then Joe started the engine and drove them back to the Bench cabin, where all of those girls piled out.

Amelia said, “I could just walk across from here and save you driving for one minute, don’t you think?”

“But I want to drive,” said Joe with a smirk. Something in the way he said this made Amelia blush, but she settled back into a seated position and let him do it. About half a minute later he said, “Okay, here we are. I’ll wait out here if you want me to.”

“Sure,” she said. “I won’t be long. I already know what I’d like to wear since I just bought it today anyway. Now I won’t even have to put it away.”

“That’s convenient,” he agreed with a chuckle. “I can’t wait to see you in it, whatever it is.”

“A cute dress,” she supplied as she scooted to the door and swung it open. “I’ll be right back.”

“Just remember when you put on what goes underneath that you’re crawling around on this floor,” he teased her. “Unless of course you don’t mind me seeing it?”

Amelia’s eyes widened at the thought, and she blushed. “Um, yeah, I didn’t think about that. Maybe I should wear the shorts instead.”

“Okay, then,” he chuckled. “See you soon.”

Amelia practically sprinted inside and headed for her bedroom door. Her heart raced unaccountably fast for the action, and she was fairly certain that the handsome man waiting for her must be the cause. He had a gorgeous smile, and he was funny, too. She had a feeling this night would be fun.