The Beary Best Holiday Party Ever by B.G. Thomas

Author:B.G. Thomas [Thomas, B.G.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 2015-11-25T00:00:00+00:00

AUGUST

RON’S FIRST meeting as the president of the Heartland Bear Clan went off like gangbusters. Everyone was thrilled. Every idea he and Paddy came up with was met with cheers of excitement. And Jon’s idea of a big paint-by-numbers party met with equal enthusiasm. The only thing that had annoyed people was that Ron had, in fact, started the meeting exactly on time. It had been a decision he’d made and kept. Yes, some people were mad—they were used to being able to show up half an hour late and still not miss anything.

But besides that one little bit of unpleasantness, he couldn’t have been happier. And after taking care of business and assuring them that next month the meeting would start on time once again, it was fun to stand back for a few moments and let everyone talk.

He had one more thing he wanted to say before the meeting was officially over, though. “Everybody? Everybody!” But everyone was chattering away so excitedly, they couldn’t hear him.

Paddy let out a high-piercing whistle that brought the uproar to a stop. “Listen,” he shouted. “Your president has something to say.”

With the room quiet—even the bar music had been turned way down—Ron smiled and stepped back in front of the men. The dance floor had been converted into their monthly meeting place by pulling the extra chairs from the storeroom and lining them up in rows. That didn’t stop people from sitting on the stools around the room.

He pointed at one of those stools, the one occupied by a big man with gray hair and a goatee, wearing a bright orange shirt. “I think we all need to give a big round of applause to Mel Gunter, your president for the past ten years. He leaves on Monday morning, along with his husband, Jerry, for Florida, and I think we should send him off with plenty of cheers!”

The room exploded into whoops and hollers and loud clapping.

Mel stood, and the noise grew even louder. He pumped his fist, and there were even more cheers. “Thanks, everybody,” he said in his deepest, “manliest” voice. “Woof!”

More cheers.

Woof? Ron thought. I thought that was for when you’re flirting?

“I want to thank you guys for your years of loyalty,” Mel continued. “Years”—he locked eyes with Ron (it was very uncomfortable)—“of tradition. Of remembering what’s important.” He put lots of emphasis on that last word.

There was a spattering of applause at that—as if the crowd wasn’t sure what it should do.

Ron decided it might be best to do a little directing.

“To Mel!” he shouted. “To Mel!”

That did it, and the cheers were back, along with echoes of “To Mel!” Mel himself—who had looked confused for a moment—was now grinning and pumping his fists in the air again.

When the noise finally quieted down, Mel sat as well, surrounded by his closest friends. He had at least three beers handed to him, and Ron wondered how drunk he’d be before he went home.

Hell, he thought. Mel deserves it. So what if he’s gotten a little lax in the last few years.

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