Free Bearly In Control by Kim Fox

It was the ninth outfit that he had tried on for them.
    Grace groaned. “Angie is a total nerd Sidney. She doesn’t care about clothes.”
    He looked at his faded reflection in the window. “No, no, no,” he said, yanking it over his head.
    “Will you stop stressing?” she asked. “She’s into you.”
    The past four days had been like this. Sidney was leaving tomorrow to go spend some time with Angie. He was a touch nervous.
    “I should wear a hat and get a fake mustache,” he said, scratching his head.
    Grace shook her head. “I’m going to regret asking this but why would you do that?”
    Sidney dropped his hands. “Because I’m a celebrity Grace. And I’m going to be walking around New York City. The paparazzi will go nuts.”
    “You played two NFL games two years ago,” Connor said, walking over. “Even your former team mates have forgotten your name.”
    Sidney turned back to his reflection in the mirror and held up a finger under his nose as a pretend mustache. “I look good with a mustache.”
    An older man wearing a fishing vest and sneakers walked up the dirt path to the road. He was holding a thick blue file stacked with papers. “Who is that?” Edwin asked, sitting up in the swing.
    “Oh that’s for me,” Grace said, jumping off him and darting down the steps in her bare feet. Her blond hair was flying in the wind.
    The three bear shifters froze, trying to listen to their hushed whispers. Edwin couldn’t hear anything. The man handed Grace a stack of papers. She read through them quickly and then placed them on her Porsche and signed each one of them.
    “What is going on?” Edwin muttered.
    Grace handed the man a key and he got into the Porsche with a smile on his face. She leaned into the car and pointed some things on the dashboard out to him. The engine roared to life and the man drove away, waving out the window.
    Grace walked back holding a stack of papers. She had a huge grin on her face.
    “Did you just sell your car?” Connor asked before Edwin had a chance to ask the same thing.
    Grace shook her head. “Nope. Traded it.”
    “For what?” Edwin asked.
    “For us,” she replied. “Come. I’ll show you.”
     
     
     

     
     
     
    Grace could hardly contain her excitement. She skipped down the road, practically running, with the three werebears behind her. “Hurry up,” she said, turning towards them.
    She ran onto the property next to Brooke Excursions. It was a five minute walk down the road. A cute, charming cabin on the river. And it was theirs.
    Ours.
    “What’s this?” Edwin asked when he walked down the driveway off the road. He looked up at the cabin with wide eyes.
    “It’s ours,” she said, tossing him the key.
    He snatched it out of the air. He opened his palm and stared at it in disbelief.
    She had met the neighbor two days ago and offered to trade her Porsche for the cottage straight up. The car was worth more but she felt like she got the better deal. She was getting a home. For her and for Edwin.
    Connor and Sidney snuck back out of the driveway giving them a moment alone.
    “I haven’t had a home since I was ten years old,” he said, getting chocked up. He wouldn’t take his eye off the key.
    Grace stepped up behind him and wrapped her arms around his thick body. They both looked up at the cottage.
    It was perfect. It had a gorgeous porch that looked out onto the gurgling river. There were two chairs side by side just like the older werebears they met at the fruit stand. Grace could see herself with Edwin there in thirty years, still in love, still happy.
    There was even enough room in the cottage for a couple of future bear cubs to roam around.
    Edwin turned around and hugged her. He was getting teary eyed. She had never seen him so emotional before. “Grace I-”
    He stuttered, unable to find words. Grace kissed him, saving him the trouble.
    “Come,” she said, pulling his hand towards the cottage. “I want to show you the