One and Only Bear: Grizzly List, #2

By Julia Talbot

Sometimes a bear is more than just a bear.

Oscar is a socially awkward bear who's not like the other bear shifters in Colorado. He's a white spirit bear, and he works as a phone psychic. When he decides to try the Grizzly List weekly, he's only looking for a friend, knowing love isn't in the cards for him.

Firefighter Patrick is an outgoing grizzly shifter who's happy to meet Oscar and give him whatever he needs, as long as Oscar doesn't need a mate. Patrick doesn't believe in fated mates. Can these two teach each other that what they want and what they need aren't the same thing?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Turtlehat Creatives
• Release date: Jul 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9781942831488

Book preview

1

-A d in the Grizzly List Weekly-

Bear wanted. SWM DDF looking for big teddy bear type for cuddles and companionship. Love baking, crosswords, flyfishing, music (I play guitar). Friendship only. If you like lazy afternoons, watching movies, and eating homemade cookies with no pressure to perform, send message to box 2451.

In other words, Oscar thought,

Dear stranger,

I can’t get it up for other people, but I’m lonely and there are only so many cookies I can eat. Have pity on me?

Oscar, the desperate.

He groaned, banging his head on the table, managing not to hit the laptop, because he was sort of officially on work time, waiting for a call to come into 1-800-PSYBEAR.

At least he could work from home, right? The thought of going into an office every day broke him out in a cold sweat. All those people, all that talking and all those germs.

There was no way he could handle that shit.

Still, was it wrong to want… someone to take care of a little, someone to cuddle with? He was so lonely, and one on one time might be just what he needed. His few disastrous attempts at sex had shown him that wasn’t what he needed, but he could dream…

The phone rang, and Oscar jumped half a foot in the air before he picked up his headset and keyed the answer button. 1-800-PSYBEAR. For when you need a bear in the know, this is Oscar.

Oscar. I’m Gladys. You remember me? You said I was going to have a big change in my life?

Gladys! Yes! He’d read her cards and everything had pointed toward movement, momentum.

Well, you were right! I met someone, and he wants me to move to Alaska with him. I think I want to go, but I need you to read for me.

Alaska? How exciting! How isolated and interesting. He grabbed the tarot cards and shuffled. My ancestors are from up that way.

He wasn’t like normal Colorado bears.

Are they? How interesting! Are you Inuit?

Something like that, yes. He was a spirit bear and they tended to stay where they were. Not his mom, though. Mom was a gypsy.

Oh, that’s a portent, isn’t it?

If it is, it’s a good one. He didn’t believe in stringing people along. He told them what he believed to be true.

Wonderful! Will you read for me? My card is on file.

Of course I will. Anytime. He looked at his computer, at the Grizzly List ad sitting on the screen. For God’s sake. He could either deal with his whole life happening over the phone with paying clients, or he could try meeting someone.

Oscar pushed send.

Patrick stared at the ad he’d just pulled up on the Grizzly List website, intrigued as hell.

Cuddles and companionship, no sex. Huh. Now Patrick had to admit, he’d been looking at the G-list for a hook-up. He had a ton of friends for platonic cuddles and shit. Still, in a sea of ads about dick length and bottom boys seeking bear daddies, this ad really stood out.

He read it again. Patrick loved movie Sundays and he was a fiend for Oatmeal Scotchies.

Not only that, but he was curious as all fuck to meet someone who didn’t want a booty call.

Was the dude mated already? Was he hurt? He’d met a couple of circus rescues that were… Patrick grabbed his balls and shook his head. Poor guys.

Okay. So, he hit reply to the mailbox and took a deep breath. Then he typed.

Love to cuddle with friends, love cookies. Would be a friend forever for a mixed berry pie. Firefighter grizzly, but can totally be a teddy bear. Love to fish and take long float trips on the river. Would love to meet and get to know you.

Patrick attached his mailbox number and a picture of him in his jeans and boots, a flannel shirt tied around his waist. He was vain and he knew it, but the pic spoke to him being big and fuzzy and cuddle worthy. At least it wasn’t a dick shot.

He was way classier than that. Patrick snorted. Yeah, who was he fooling? Still, he closed the list for the day. His email would ding if little snuggle bear wanted to get together.

His phone rang, Fin’s name showing up on the screen. Ah, his favorite out-in-the-woods bear. Dude, what’s up?

Watching Lane try to learn yoga. It’s unnatural, man. I tell you.

His buddy Fin and little Lane had been a thing for a year or so now, and it was adorbs. Bendy!

That’s the theory. Fin chuckled and Patrick could hear the furniture creak under the weight of the big bear. What are you up to?

I was surfing the list. You won’t believe this ad, man.

Yeah. I haven’t been on in a while. Lane growls if I surf. Share.

No sex. Cuddles. Movies. What bear doesn’t want sex? Patrick wasn’t mocking; he was genuinely baffled.

Is he intact? Fin asked. I mean, sex is the best part, isn’t it?

I don’t know. I mean, I thought about that circus guy we know. Yan? Scary. But I answered. You know me; I can always widen my circle of friends. Hey, we should do supper. Sizzling Siam is open for the season.

Oh, when? I’m there. I love that soup. Although Lane makes this amazing thing with bacon and potatoes and cheese…

Lane is a great cook. This guy likes to bake, he says. Cookies. You know that’s why I answered the ad. How about Thursday?

Rock on. Let me know if he answers. He sounds like a character.

He does. I’ll holler. Take pics of the yoga.

You got it, man.

Patrick checked his computer when Fin hung up. Nothing. Well, it had been what? Five minutes?

Six?

Oh, God.

Oh, God.

A response.

Oh, God.

Oscar let his fingers hover over the mouse. Should he click it? His heart raced really hard.

What could it hurt, right?

No one would know. No one. Only him. Not even the guy who sent it would get a seen notice. The Grizzly List was super discreet that way.

Oscar hit open.

Oh.

Big and dark, so pretty. So large. Fuzzy. Very much a giant, ripped teddy bear he could use as a pillow.

Oscar reached out, touched the screen, and traced the outline of the picture. No. No way. This guy was too hot. Too overtly sexual. How could he possibly just want to be friends?

But what if he did?

Oh, Oscar could just lose himself in the warmth there. He could.

He bit his lower lip. A fireman and outdoorsy. Oscar liked being outside well enough, and the guy hadn’t said he liked class four rapids or anything. Float trips sounded fun…

Should he? They could just chat online, right? To begin with. Then if the guy came off as too pushy Oscar could block him.

It wasn’t like Oscar was one of those anti-technology, burrs in your fur type of bears, after all. He was with it.

He hit reply.

Hi. Firefighting sounds dangerous, but important. I like cookies and I make a great pie crust. You look amazing, like a champion snuggler. I’m not like other bears. My people are northern. Hope that’s okay. Here’s a picture. Thanks for responding. Look forward to talking maybe.

Before he could think on it too much Oscar hit send.

2

The ding came on Patrick’s phone when he was doing sit ups. He was working out hard, doing Tabatas style circuits, and he was hot and sweaty and pretty darned happy with life.

Blowing in and out, he checked his inbox. Hello, cuddle bear! Score.

He opened the email and looked at the included pic first. Sue him; he was shallow.

The guy was pale as milk, but with huge chocolate brown eyes and a mane of strawberry blond hair and a tiny trimmed beard, broad shoulders and a tiny waist—Cuddle bear looked purely edible.

Patrick grinned. Someone just hadn’t shown this one how good sex could be, he would bet. Clearly the guy