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CHAPTER 1
BAMBI
"Miss Bambi, do you have a disease?”
A disease? That’s a new one. A laugh bubbles up, but the earnest expression on the furry face of the sweet little Sasquatch boy makes me swallow it down.
Little? Did I say little? Ha! Hardly. Even though he must be all of about six or seven, we stand eye to eye.
“No, Cai, I don’t have a disease.”At least not one I’m aware of.
“Oh, then why are your arms so bald?"
Ignoring the muffled snickers behind me, I glance down at my decidedly un-furry appendages, then back at the wide-eyed child. "Why are yours so furry?" I counter, raising a brow.
His mouth puckers in contemplation. "Because... I'm a Squatch?"
Still trying hard to keep a straight face, I tap his adorable button nose. "And I'm a human. We come pre-waxed."
His forehead furrows as he considers this. "Was your growth stunted?"
A chorus of giggles erupts from behind me and I glance over my shoulder at the group of slightly older male Sasquatch kiddos who clearly put Cai up to peppering me with these questions.
I can’t help but grin. These young sasquatches are a hoot.
"Nope, this is just how humans come.” I swipe a hand down the length of me. “We're fun-sized."
With my hands on my hips, I turn, scrunching my face in a faux scowl to mock-scold the boys. “Very funny, guys.”
In truth, I love the teasing. I love that they feel comfortable with me. They’re really great kids. In the few days that I’ve been in the underground Sasquatch city of Grotto, I’ve made it a point to leave the dorm I share with a handful of other human women early so I can sit out here every morning and chat with them as they make their way to school. I’ve gotten to know many of the children by name.
Before I can field any more inquiries about my apparent deficiencies, I see Steph heading our way juggling three steaming cups of coffee.
“Okay,” I tell the kids in my stern-but-kind teacher voice. “Now, you fuzz-butts get off to class, study hard, and learn something.”
Just as I’d intended, the boys roar with laughter when I call them fuzz-butts.
Interacting with kids makes my heart lighter. They’re so innocent, guileless and straightforward. Refreshing.
My little buddies take off amid cheerful waves and choruses of goodbyes as Steph hands one of the coffees to me then another to Deborah who saunters up a few seconds later.
"Oh, sweet nectar of the gods," I murmur, inhaling deeply. The rich aroma is enough to make me weak in the knees. “Just what I needed.”
"Right? I still can't believe there's no coffee in Grotto.” Steph takes a sip and sighs contentedly. "I mean, they have every other luxury imaginable, not to mention an abundance of hot, hairy guys with overdeveloped protective instincts."
"Priorities, I guess," Deborah chimes in, her eyes twinkling over the rim of her cup.
I'm about to add my two cents when Kiki strolls up, looking annoyingly put-together for someone living in a cave. "There you all are," she says, beaming. "I've been looking everywhere for you ladies. Where's Octavia?"
Deborah shrugs. “Probably still helping with breakfast cleanup. That girl never stops working.”
It's true, Octavia’s always volunteering to help with something. The woman makes me feel like a lazy freeloader.
Almost a week ago, the five of us traveled here in the same van and arrived in Grotto together. To my knowledge, none of us knew exactly what we were getting into. We certainly didn’t know our destination would be an underground city inhabited by Sasquatches. Or that we were intended to be potential dating candidates for these Sasquatches due to their overabundant male population.
Kiki launches into a spiel about keeping her coffee pot in the dorm for everyone to share, but maybe she should ask Frank for a second one so she can have one in her and Gruffydd's cave. The thought of Kiki and her Sasquatch beau living inharmonious bliss makes something twinge in my chest. Envy? Longing? Indigestion? Who knows.
"But then you'd miss out on our daily coffee klatch," Steph points out.
