Hot and Badgered. Shelly Laurenston

right,” Charlie cut in, “here’s the deal. Take five hundred off the rent—it was way too high anyway—and we’ll get this place cleaned up for you. So clean, you’ll actually be able to rent it for what you’re trying to squeeze out of us.”

      “Uh—”

      “Plus, no thirty days’ notice. When we leave, we leave. But, before you complain, we’ll give you three months up front and in cash. And if we leave before the three months, you get to keep the extra. Deal?”

      Tiny gazed at Charlie until he shrugged and said, “Uh . . . deal?”

      Berg had no idea why Tiny had made that sound like a question but . . . okay.

      With a smile, Charlie shook Tiny’s hand again, turned her head, and yelled out, “Max!”

      Max came in from the kitchen. She’d finished the honeycomb and had cleaned off the honey and dead bees from her face. Now she had bright red, angry sting marks all over her skin. If it bothered her, she didn’t let on.

      “What?” she asked her sister.

      She jerked her thumb at Tiny. “Money.”

      With a nod, Max suddenly pulled off her T-shirt and both Berg and Tiny backed up, hands raised.

      “Now wait a second—” Tiny said, trying to halt her. He had a sow mate who’d tear his balls off if he even entertained the idea of taking out rent in trade.

      But Max shook her head. “Get over yourself,” she said before digging into her bra and taking out chunks of cash. She’d managed to place the bills in a way that made them look like actual breasts. She handed the big chunks to her sister and put her T-shirt back on.

      Charlie quickly counted out the cash and handed it to Tiny.

      “Okay. Well.” Tiny blew out a breath. “Um . . . if you need anything, I’m down the street. Berg knows where.”

      “Thanks.”

      “And remember, Tiny,” Berg added as the bear lumbered toward the front door, “they’re not here. If anyone that’s not from the neighborhood asks about them, let me know.”

      With a grunt, Tiny walked out, and Berg offered, “You know, we’ve got extra bedding you can borrow over at my house. And me and my siblings can come by tomorrow to help you clean up the place. I’m sure this is all really daunting.”

      “Sure.” She smiled at him. “And I can’t tell you how much I appreciate everything you’ve done. After the day I’ve had . . . you were my only bright spot. Thank you.”

      “No problem.” Now. He should ask her out now. Mostly because he didn’t know when she’d leave. She’d paid for three months, but he got the feeling she’d only done that because she didn’t expect to be here three months and she didn’t want any complaining from Tiny. “Um . . . sooooo—”

      Sensing he was being watched, Berg glanced down and to his left. Max stood right next to him, gazing up at him. He then looked to his right and down. Stevie watched him, eyes narrow in distrust. But when she realized he was staring back, she forced a smile that just made him feel terribly uncomfortable.

      Maybe this wasn’t the best time to ask Charlie out. Yeah. Probably not.

      “Okay, well . . . see ya tomorrow.”

      * * *

      Charlie watched the bear walk out of their temporary home, the front door closing behind him.

      Alone with her sisters, she let out a breath and looked around the room.

      “You said we’d clean this place?” Max asked.

      With an eye roll, Charlie snapped, “Don’t worry. I wasn’t including you. I know how much you hate to . . . you know . . . help.”

      “As long as we’re clear.”

      “I can help,” Stevie said, grabbing the first thing she saw. “I can organize or . . . uh . . . put stuff in a pile. Or I can—”

      “Or,” Charlie quickly cut in, “you can relax. Let me handle this.”

      “Charlie, this is a lot of stuff, and you have to be as tired as—”

      “Let me handle it. I’ll give you guys things to do . . . later.”

      “Sure you will.” Max snorted and disappeared up the stairs. Stevie just shook her head and went toward the kitchen.

      Once they were gone, Charlie let out a relieved sigh. Now she could see what needed to be done and handle it. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust her sisters or Berg to help her; it was just that people tended to get in her way when they thought they were helping. And everyone always needed some kind of direction. It was just easier for her to take care of it herself.

      What Charlie didn’t understand was why everyone insisted on acting like that very sound reasoning was somehow wrong!

      * * *

      The house was way bigger than Max had realized. Old but very nice. It just needed to be cleaned. Something she was sure her sister could easily handle. Charlie wasn’t one for sitting around, doing nothing.

      Max picked a room with a window seat. She sat down and stared out at the quiet Queens street. The big bear who she felt positive really liked Charlie came by with fresh bedding and towels, handing it off to Stevie.

      Sadly, though, Max couldn’t concentrate on much, like the bears and all the hives they had around this street. She shook her head. Her father wasn’t dead. How could she concentrate enough on anything when people were still after them? And now they were on a street filled with bears. For their safety.

      Charlie would try to fix this on her own, but nope. They needed backup. They needed friends.

      Pulling her phone from her back pocket, Max hit speed dial and waited for the other side to connect.

      “Is he dead?” a low voice asked without even a hello.

      Max smiled. “Sadly, no. And we’re in trouble.”

      The low chuckle she knew so well. “Of course you are. I’m across country . . . but I’m on my way. And there’s one other thing I heard about your father that I think I should tell you . . .”

      Max closed her eyes . . . and sighed.