“Hey,” I answered. “What’s up?”
“You’re not gonna believe this,” Rafael said, voice thick with disbelief. “There’s a town meeting tonight. Business owners only. And we actually got invited this time.”
I blinked. “We?”
“Yup. You, me, the Wolf and Whisk crew. Even that lady who sells yarn with the scary owl logo.”
“What’s the meeting about?” I asked.
“No idea. Something about community safety and upcoming events. But still. First time we’ve been acknowledged like we actually exist,” Rafael said.
I glanced at Sean, who was licking sugar off his thumb, and I almost forgot what we were talking about. Focus, Beau.
“Yeah,” I said after a beat. “We’ll go. Might be worth showing our faces.”
“Copy that,” Rafael said. “I’ll wrangle the others. See you tonight.”
When I hung up, Sean raised a brow. “Bad news?”
“Town meeting,” I said, getting up and stealing another bite of his toast. “We’re officially business owners now, I guess.”
“Ooh, fancy.”
I leaned in, brushing crumbs from the corner of his lips with my thumb. “Guess I should wear a tie.”
He smirked. “You wear a tie, I will laugh.”
I kissed him again, slow, lingering, and whispered against his mouth, “Then I better make it worth your while.”
God, I could do this forever.
But first, Orin. And then whatever the hell the town council had in store for us tonight.
I stood in front of the mirror, tugging at the knot again. The tie wasn’t even that tight, but it felt like a noose. I hadn’t worn one in years, not since… my father’s funeral.
Behind me, Sean laughed under his breath. “You look good,” he said. “Very mayor of baked goods and brooding.”
I groaned, grabbed my coat, and tried not to look too stiff walking out the door.
When we got to the town hall, Rafael and Leo were already waiting by the steps. Rafael spotted me first, and immediately grinned like a devil.
“Is that a tie?” he asked, loud enough for passing pedestrians to hear. “Are we dressing up now? Did I miss the memo?”
Leo whistled low. “Our grizzly leader’s gone fancy.”
“You’re both hilarious,” I muttered.
“We try,” Rafael said, clapping me on the back. “Try not to strangle someone with it tonight.”
I gave him a look, and Sean, mercifully, looped his arm through mine like we were on a date to prom. “He’s wearing it for me,” Sean said sweetly. “So maybe dial back the sass.”
I didn’t miss the way Rafael’s smirk softened.
Inside, the town hall was a mix of rustic charm and old money. Worn wooden beams stretched across the ceiling, and the chairs creaked like they were older than the town itself.
Locals milled about. Small business owners, farmers, teachers. And when our group walked in, a subtle hush spread across the room.
It always happened. Even here in Sugarpaw Springs, where we’d built something good, people still looked twice when the bears showed up. But tonight, something shifted.
