Read Shifter’s Baby (Alpha Fantasy Paranormal Billionaire Shifter BBW Romance) Online
Authors: Faye Summers
Shifter’s Baby (Alpha Fantasy Paranormal Billionaire Shifter BBW Romance) (61 page)
“We are going to be married!” Miko exclaimed with a huge smile. Laura’s eyes widened and she smiled in disbelief as she turned to look at Holland. Holland looked just as stunned. He hadn’t mentioned to Miko that she wasn’t to say anything about their future together, he hadn’t thought he’d needed to. Yet, here he was and Miko had spilled the proverbial beans.
“Oh, wow!” Was all Laura could manage as she tried to regain her composure. “That’s…well, that’s fabulous!” She forced a smile as she stared at Holland.
‘Well…” Holland tried to find a middle ground between pleasing Miko and keeping his mother happy. “We have been talking about it, but we’re not engaged or anything yet.” Holland saw the relief on his mother’s face. Sure she had wanted him to find a nice girl, but finding someone and talking marriage so quickly was something she had not been prepared for.
“Yes. We have talked about getting married from the first day one!” Miko beamed over at Holland who reached over and placed his hand on top of hers.
“Well, it’s about time that Holland found a nice young girl to take care of him!” Laura looked kindly at Miko. Miko nodded furiously.
“Yes, in my family the wife…she always take care of the family. She do the cooking and cleaning and stuff like that…” Laura nodded.
“Goodness knows Holland needs someone who will clean up after him!” Holland shook his head but Miko laughed.
“I will do that, I don’t mind. I feel very lucky that he choose me.” Holland crossed his fingers that Miko wouldn’t let it slip that he had found her on a mail order bride website.
“I’m the lucky one.” He broke in. “Miko is amazing, mom. She is very down to Earth and I just know you two will get along so well!” Laura nodded.
“I’m sure we will. Anyone who loves my son is amazing in my book!” Holland frowned.
“Hey!” Laura chuckled.
“So, Miko, how did you and Holland meet?” Holland lowered his eyes to the table, he could already feel his mother’s accusing stare blaming him of irresponsibility.
The End
Go Back to the Table of Contents
Copyright 2015 by (Lisa Cartwright) - All rights reserved.
In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.
Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.
Callie’s long blonde hair frizzed and stuck to her sweaty forehead. She swiped it away with her forearm and leaned down over the ice filled freezer. The cool gust of air evaporated the beads of sweat from her bronzed skin. Just as quickly as she cooled off however, another sticky breeze blew through and coated her skin with summer.
“God, it’s so hot!” She gasped, pulling the neck of her tank top trying to circulate the frozen air through her shirt. Ashley stood beside her, sharing the cool breeze from the freezer.
“Tell me about it! This is
not
August weather!” She said, fanning her face. “How long until you’re out of here and back in that nice cool Washington breeze?” She asked Callie.
Callie rolled her eyes. “I was supposed to head back up there last week.” Callie said, grabbing a piece of ice and rubbing it on her neck.
“Supposed to?” Ashley asked hesitantly. “What’re you sticking around this place for, not the job I hope?”
Callie shook her head. “You don’t even wanna know.”
The truth was that while Callie should have been back in her Washington apartment by now, preparing to start the new semester, her mother had begged her to stay for another week. At first she’d used the ‘I’ll miss you so much’ excuse, but when Callie caught her crying in the kitchen one afternoon she knew it was something more. Her new marriage to Callie’s stepfather and Wyatt’s dad, Ken, was already on the rocks, she’d said. After just a few months of marriage, she didn’t think they were going to make it. So despite wanting nothing more than to return to her own life in Washington, Callie had agreed to stay another week to try to help sort things out. She wasn’t exactly sure how she could do that, but in good conscience she couldn’t leave.
Working at the biker bar was tricky under the circumstances. Callie’s stepfather and his friends were regulars and after she’d talked to her mom, she wasn’t entirely sure how to act around him. For the most part, she’d begged her co-workers to take his orders while she pretended to be otherwise occupied. It was much easier avoiding him at home because these days he rarely, if ever seemed to be there.
“Hey…” A familiar voice called out. Callie dropped the piece of ice she was holding and it fell back in to the freezer. She glanced down and realizing that she’d never find it, looked back up to the source of the deep voice. “I won’t tell if you don’t.” Wyatt walked up to the bar and nodded down at the freezer with a smirk.
“Deal.” Callie said, smiling back. She glanced at Ashley who took the hint and slid off to the other end of the bar.
“So…what’s up?” Wyatt asked, leaning over the bar top. It was the first time he’d seen her since he got back from his weeklong camping trip with friends. “I thought you were leaving sometime last week?” Callie looked around conspiratorially before leaning on to the bar’s hardwood top.
“That’s what I asked you here about.” She said eying him. “Has your dad said anything to you?”
Wyatt’s forehead wrinkled as his perfectly shaped eyebrows came together. “About…?”
“About him and my mom.” Callie said in a ‘you should know by now, duh’ tone of voice.
“Oh…no? Why would he?” Wyatt obviously had no idea and it was going to be up to Callie to bring him in on it.
Callie hated serious talks with Wyatt. For the most part of the summer their relationship had consisted of quickies in her bedroom while no one was home. Serious conversations had never been part of the deal and they made her feel uncomfortable – they made him feel like family.
“Can we meet up after my shift?” She asked.
He smirked knowingly. “Sure.”
Even after their repeated intimate encounters, Callie found his smile irresistible and she flashed one back.
“Not for that.” She whispered. “To talk about our parents.”
Wyatt looked deflated. “Oh…” He shrugged. “I guess. Gimme a beer and I’ll hang outside until you’re off.”
The scent of Wyatt’s warm leather vest permeated her nostrils as Callie grasped tightly around his waist. It brought back memories of the first time she had ridden behind him on the bike, how she had longed for him but not yet tasted him. Over the last few months she’d come to like riding on his motorcycle more than she had back then. She couldn’t quite tell if it was the closeness to his tight muscular body she enjoyed, or the thrill of the wind in her hair, but either way, she enjoyed it. She held her body tightly to his as he expertly navigated the tight corners of the backroads leading home. They were headed to her mother’s house. It was the only place Callie could think of to get a little privacy since her mom would still be at work and Wyatt’s dad hadn’t been there in a while.
When Wyatt pulled up in the driveway Callie noticed her mother’s car still parked in the garage. She tapped him on the shoulder and pointed to it. Turning off the engine, he reached up and took off his helmet. Callie followed suit.
“What?” He asked in a voice much louder than it should have been. Before Callie could answer, her mom appeared on the front doorstep watching them both.
“Mom’s home…” She said under her breath.
“What have you two been up to?” Her mother called, her voice sounding accusing as if they had been caught doing something they shouldn’t have been.
“I just got off work.” Callie slid off the bike. “I just need to grab a change of clothes.” She said.
Her mother looked affronted. “So you’re just going right back out again?” She asked.
“Sorry. I promised Ashley.” Callie didn’t finish her sentence. Mostly because she hadn’t promised Ashley anything.
Callie’s mom shifted her gaze to Wyatt who was still straddling the bike. “And what about you?” There was a coldness in her voice that froze Wyatt to his seat. Since she and Ken had begun having trouble she had distanced herself from Wyatt as if it was all his fault.
Callie answered for him as she slid past her mother and in through the front door. “He’s dropping me off.” She said.
Wyatt raised his hand and gave his step-mother an apologetic smile. “I’m just the taxi.” He said in an effort to lighten the mood. It didn’t work.
Callie’s mom stared at him for a moment before shaking her head and following Callie inside. Wyatt decided that he was safer staying on his bike.
“Callie, I don’t think you should be spending so much time with him.” She said, following Callie in to her bedroom.
Callie glanced at her and pulled a fresh t-shirt from her open closet and folding it neatly. “Why is that, mom?” She said almost as accusingly as her mother had been moments ago.
Her mom huffed loudly. “You know why!”
Callie could hear her mom’s voice crack with each word she spoke. “Mom, he’s still my step-brother and even if things don’t work out for you guys, he and I aren’t just going to stop talking or hanging out. I’m sorry, but we’re friends.” She grabbed a clean pair of shorts and folding those too, she shoved both her shorts and t-shirt in to her backpack. Ducking in to her bathroom, she grabbed her makeup case for appearances and shoved that in the backpack too. She looked back at her mom who was staring silently at the floor like a sullen teenager. “Mom, I’m not trying to upset you, okay?” Her mom nodded sadly. “Look, I have to go, but we can talk about it tonight when I get home?”
“Okay.” Her mom said quietly.
Turning her back, Callie rolled her eyes. Dealing with her mom sometimes was like dealing with a teenager. Ever since she’d found out about the rocky marriage, Callie had felt more like a therapist than a daughter and it was wearing thin. She was far too young to serve as her mother’s sounding board, in fact, she didn’t think she’d ever quite be prepared to fulfil the role.
When she got back to the bike, Callie jumped on the warm leather seat behind Wyatt and hugged him tightly. The warmth of his body provided more comfort than she could imagine. “For the love of God, go.” She said as her mom appeared back on the doorstep.
“Go, where?” He asked quietly walking the bike backwards.
Callie raised a hand to wave at her mom, who was once again staring at the two of them as if they were about to pull off a robbery. “I don’t even care. Just take me somewhere away from here.”
The backroads were becoming a little unfamiliar. Callie looked over Wyatt’s shoulder at the trees whizzing past. She’d never been out this far from home before, but the unfamiliar territory was quite welcoming. The tall trees offered shelter from the scorching August sun and the lesser traveled roads were much smoother than they were closer to home. It was refreshing to be somewhere new, somewhere without anyone depending on her, somewhere where she could just be with Wyatt.
Wyatt seemed to know where he was going. He anticipated each curve in the road and when he leaned, she leaned with him. Callie was becoming an expert passenger. She liked to think that their sex life had something to do with it. Throughout their many summertime encounters, she had learned to read Wyatt’s body. She could anticipate every thrust, every moan, and most importantly, she always knew when he was going to cum before even he did. It was much the same when she rode as a passenger on his bike, she just had to read his body.
After thirty minutes of riding the smooth asphalt roads, Callie’s thighs were beginning to feel numb and she was thankful when Wyatt slowed to a stop. Pulling off the main road, he drove slowly down a dirt path leading in to the woods. Callie hated when he took the bike off the asphalt, the unsteadiness made her nervous. Ever since the first time he did it and she had punched him in the arm for it, he had started slowing to a crawl whenever a road even thought of having texture. A few minutes in to the dirt road, they came out at a small parking lot that had just one other bike in it. He chose a spot right under the shade of a large fir tree and parked. The other bike in the lot looked familiar to Callie, she could swear she’d seen it before. Working at the biker bar she saw so many bikes though, that she dismissed her familiarity.
Callie pulled off her helmet and shook out her long blonde hair before scooping it back in to a ponytail with the tie around her wrist. It was far too hot to leave her hair down. “Where is this place?” She asked looking around at the hundreds of tall trees above them.
Wyatt pulled his helmet off. “What?”
Callie laughed. “I said, where is this place? What is it?”
“This…” Wyatt gestured around them grandly, “Is my getaway spot.”
Callie looked around them at the wooded area. “Is there more to it?” She asked. “I mean, it’s beautiful and all, but…”
“Oh yeah, come on, I’ll show you.” Wyatt waited for Callie to slip off the bike and then got off it himself. The both secured their helmets to the saddle and Wyatt crammed his keys in to his pocket. Callie grabbed her backpack. “This way.” Wyatt said, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards an indistinguishable part of the woods.
Callie had no idea where they were headed or, why, but it was better than being at home listening to her mother complain about her stepfather. Besides, Wyatt had never failed her. Although on the same note, he had never taken her anywhere quite so remote before either.
“We’re almost there…” Wyatt paused and Callie almost walked straight in to the back of him. “Do you hear it?” He asked, cocking his head.
Callie stopped and listened. Through the trees she could hear falling water. “What is it?” She asked curiously.
“Come on, you’ll see!” He tugged her hand excitedly as he walked faster towards the source of the sound. Then, through a small gap in the trees, Callie caught sight of a waterfall. Tall slick faced rocks ran up on either side of it and the rushing water tumbled gracefully down to the bottom. At the bottom of the fall was a deep blue lake, not too large, but about the diameter of a large city fountain. Around the perimeter of the water were more of the slick faced rocks. It looked like something out of a travel brochure.
“NO WAY!” Callie broke free from Wyatt’s hand and ran over to the edge of the water. “NO WAY!” She reached down and dabbled her fingers in the cool water before standing up and flicking them in Wyatt’s direction.
Wyatt nodded with a smile. “Yes way.” He said. “Cool, right?”
Callie nodded as she craned her neck to the top of the waterfall. “It’s incredible! How did I not know this was here?” She asked in amazement.
“Not many people do, it’s sort of a hidden gem.” Wyatt said as he surveyed the area for the other biker. He saw no one. “Come on, it gets even better!”
Callie couldn’t imagine it getting much better, but she followed as Wyatt took her up an overgrown path. It ended at the mouth of a small cave.
“I’m not going in there.” Adventurous as she may have been, Callie was not up for anything that involved a pitch black cave. “No way am I going in there.” She pulled back.
“Come on, you have to, it’s the best part!” Wyatt said.
Callie shook her head. “Seriously? God knows what’s in there.”
Wyatt pulled her hand again and this time she relented. She had always had a hard time resisting him. “I’ll protect you, I promise.” He laughed quietly as Callie clutched his hand so tightly it felt like she could draw blood.
The cave was pitch black for all of thirty seconds as Callie followed Wyatt cautiously through the cool damp air. The path went upward and as soon as they hit midway point, a bright opening appeared at the top. Callie could see the roaring water rushing past in a veil. They were behind the waterfall.
“Holy shit!” She said, her mouth hanging open as she stared up ahead.
“I know, right?” Wyatt pulled her up the last of the rocky incline on to a flat section of rock. “Be careful, it’s slippery when you get close to the water.” He warned.
Callie craned her neck trying to look over the ledge without getting too close. “I can’t believe I didn’t know this place was here.” She pulled her backpack off and reached inside pulling out her change of clothes. She handed her t-shirt to Wyatt. “Here, sit on that.” She lay her jeans down and made herself a seat. Wyatt sat beside her. It was like having their own secret meeting place, the thought made Callie laugh. As a kid she’d always pretended to have a brother in the forts she built, and now she had a step-brother and fort that would make anyone jealous.
“Okay, so are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Wyatt said breaking her concentration. His eyes fixed on the rushing water in front of them. The cool water flew back at them in a rainbow streaked mist. Callie lifted her face to it with a smile.
“Can’t we just enjoy being here for a little while longer first?” Callie asked.
Wyatt shrugged.
After a few minutes of staring at the water, the weight of having to tell Wyatt became too much and Callie blurted it out. “I think your dad and my mom are getting a divorce.”
Wyatt looked at her. “What?”
“Mom told me last week. That’s why I’m not back in Washington yet. She asked me to stay and then sort of dumped everything on me like I was her therapist or something.” Callie felt the heaviness of the obligation sitting hard on her chest. Now that she’d said it out loud it only felt heavier. Things went quiet as Wyatt tried to take it all in. “Your dad hasn’t said anything to you?” She asked.
Wyatt shook his head. “Nope. It’s not like he talks to me about anything anyway, we’re not like that.” He frowned. “But…we’re still living at the house and they’re still sleeping together…that’s just weird…right?” He looked at Callie for confirmation.
She shrugged. “From what mom said he isn’t coming home to sleep anymore, he’s staying at a friend’s or something.”
Wyatt shook his head in disbelief. “How did I not know that?” He asked.
Callie shrugged again. “Same reason I didn’t. They didn’t want us to know. Kind of like how we can hide our…relationship from them.”
Suddenly Wyatt went wide-eyed. “If they get divorced we wouldn’t have to hide anymore.” He said a little too hopefully.
“You think?” Callie asked. She shook her head. “I doubt it. They’d forbid us from having anything to do with each other’s side of the family if they got a divorce. Plus, I know my mom would freak out on me because we were ‘related.’ I’m pretty sure your dad would too, come to think of it.”
Wyatt chuckled and shook his head slowly. “My God, we’re like a daytime talk show on steroids.”
Callie sighed. “I’ll be kind of glad when I can get out of here and go back to school.” She said without thinking.
Wyatt shifted his eyes to the rumbling water. Disappointment crippling his entire being. He couldn’t begin to find the words to say what he wanted to say.