Page 2 of Luke: The Bears

Valley was leaving.

Neither of them had said how strange that was.

Valley put the coffee down and picked up another box. “So why did you bribe me?”

“Bringing a coffee is a bribe?”

“At four p.m., yes. It means you want me caffeinated so I’ll stay up late for some shenanigans.”

“You know me too well.”

“Spill it.”

“We’re going out tonight.”

“No.”

“Come on! One last hurrah. You’re leaving in a week. We won’t get another Friday night like this.”

Valley’s heart panged a little.

She looked at the box, and then around the apartment. There was still a lot to do, but she wasn’t working until she started at the bakery, so she had time to finish up.

“What did you have in mind?”

“Yay!”

“I didn’t say yes.”

“You basically did! Okay, we’re going to The Amber Howl.”

Immediately, something inside Valley fluttered like a trapped butterfly. The Amber Howl was a tavern owned by a small wolf pack, across the river in the shifter town of King Lake. She’d never been across the bridge, just because there really wasn’t any need for her to go there. Mill Creek was entirely human, and King Lake was entirely shifter as far as she knew. No animosity between the towns, it was just how they’d been settled.

But she had heard about The Howl’s amazing burgers of the week, and only someone living under a rock wouldn’t know that there was now a deck on the back of the tavern and tonight was the kickoff for a weekend concert series.

“I’m not much of a crowd person.”

“I’m not really either,” Eisley said.

“You also have to work tomorrow.”

“Yeah, so it’s not like I’d want to stay out super late. Just…kinda late. The doors open for the deck at seven. Let’s go at six. They aren’t taking reservations for the deck, so we’ll wait and get a seat, have a burger, and who knows where the night will take us.”

Valley looked out the window. Outside, the June afternoon was turning to evening in a slow way like it had all the time in the world. Her mother’s wind chimes moved in the breeze and the tinkling sound was something she sometimes found annoying but knew she’d miss.

Just like the hum of her dad’s electric sander.

Or the dog barking at the birds.

For a sharp second, Valley felt the weight of her decision. Was she really moving two hours east?

She exhaled sharply and clenched her teeth. She’d made a decision. It was the right one for her. She wanted to someday own her own bakery. Margie was giving her more responsibility with the move, and the pay raise was a step closer to her being able to start her own business.

So, she was doing it.

“Fine.”

“Fine?” Eisley asked, grinning.