ROMANCE: Lion Protector (Paranormal Shifter BBW Military Romance) (Shapeshifter Alpha Male Short Stories Book 2) (137 page)

Chapter 3

Nicole absently tucked an errant strand of gold hair, which had managed to escape her bun, behind her ear as she sang The Old Rugged Cross along with the rest of the congregation. She held the hymnal in front of her just as everyone else did, though she knew every word of the old hymn and had no need of the book.

She wore a floral print dress and a pair of silver crosses dangled from her delicate earlobes. A matching cross pendant hung at her throat.  The set had been a gift from her mother, and in truth she wore them more to appease her than out of any sense of Christian devotion. The last two times she had come to church without them on her mother had questioned her about them.

She wasn’t really quite sure why she still attended church every week. Habit, perhaps, she supposed. Until she had turned 18 and moved out of the house it had been required of her. Any attempt to weasel her way out would be met with a stern look from her father who would say, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

But she was also looking for reassurance, some sign that her faith had not been misplaced.

When the last notes of the song had died out Nicole replaced the hymnal in its slot in the pew in front of her. As everyone began to take their seats her mother rose from the old piano and made her way to take a seat next to her on the worn red velvet of the pew. The two exchanged brief smiles, but did not speak as Nicole’s father made his way to the podium.

He set his Bible down on the podium and looked out at the congregation for a long dramatic moment before opening it to the page he had marked with the Bible’s satin ribbon. The ceiling fans squeaked as they labored overhead, but they were no match for the Texas heat and sweat stood out on his face. His voice washed powerfully over the congregation as he began to read.

“If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.”

He paused again for dramatic effect and Nicole’s mother nodded thoughtfully in agreement. Nicole suppressed a sigh. No reassurance today then. She let her mind wander as her father launched into a sermon on the sanctity of marriage and the evils of homosexuality that was more tirade than it was anything else. It wasn’t as though she hadn’t heard it a thousand times before.

After the service her parents insisted, as they always did, that she join them for dinner that evening. She agreed and slipped out without staying to mingle.  She needed some time alone before having dinner with her parents.

Once she was back home she removed the earrings and necklace, setting them in their usual spot on her dresser. Then she kicked off her high heels and slipped out of the floral print dress. She pulled on a pair of blue jean shorts and a pink peasant blouse in its place.

She padded to the kitchen in her bare feet and microwaved some leftovers that her mother had sent home with her the week before. She wondered briefly if they were still safe to eat before deciding that she was hungry enough to chance it.

When she was done eating she rinsed her plate and left it in the sink before making her way into the living room and lifting her guitar from its stand. She sat down on the couch, pulled the pick from between the strings and began to play. She wasn’t great at it.  But she found that playing grounded her in a way that nothing else did.

*****

Nicole slung her purse across her shoulder as she stepped out into the sweltering heat and locked her front door. She immediately regretted having traded her shorts for jeans, but she supposed it was necessary if she wanted to avoid a lecture on modesty from her mother, who seemed unable to accept the fact that her daughter was no longer 15. Except when it came to the topics of marriage and grandchildren of course.

Nicole grimaced at the now familiar squealing sound that came from beneath the hood when she started her car. She really should get that checked out, she supposed. But one problem at a time. For tonight, all she had to do was get through dinner.

When she reached her parents’ red brick house she pulled her Cavalier into the driveway behind their white Cadillac. She sat in the car for a moment before shutting it off and making her way up the sidewalk to the front door. Sprinklers gently showered the lawn, lending it a lush greenness that it never could have achieved unaided in the arid Texas soil, and two rose bushes stood on either side of the winding sidewalk where it met the porch. Nicole rang the doorbell and waited for her mother to answer it.

Her mother opened the door and ushered her in. The two of them made small talk as Nicole set down her purse and helped set the table. Her mother heaped generous portions of roast beef, potatoes, and carrots onto white china plates with vine patterns wrapping around the edges. Her father joined them and the three seated themselves around the table and bowed their heads as her father said grace.

“So,” her mother said as they began to eat, “Is there anyone special in your life these days?”

Well, she certainly doesn’t waste any time,
Nicole thought to herself.

“No, not really,” she said with a shrug.

“Well, your father and I aren’t getting’ any younger, you know. It would be nice to have at least one grandbaby.”

She said it in a joking tone, but Nicole knew that she was only half joking.

“I don’t know what to tell you, mom,” she said. She had to work to keep her tone light.

The truth was that she just didn’t have any interest in dating. It wasn’t that she wanted to be alone. That was far from true. But she simply had no interest in any of the men in town and she wasn’t about to settle for someone she wasn’t attracted to. She wasn’t sure what the answer was.

Thankfully, her father changed the subject. They passed the rest of dinner with idle chit chat and Nicole heaved a sigh of relief as she finally stepped out the front door and made her way back to her car. The sun was just beginning to set, painting the eastern horizon in brilliant shades of orange and pink.

Nicole turned her key in the ignition and winced at the shriek that sounded from under the hood. She could swear it was getting worse. No more putting it off. She’d have to get it seen to in the morning.

*****

Nicole rolled over and blindly smacked her alarm clock until it finally fell silent. She took a quick shower, brushed her teeth, and pulled on a pair of shorts and a black tank top with pink lace around the edges. As an afterthought she threw her hair into a loose bun. Then she called in to work to let them know she would be late, slipped on a pair of sandals, and headed out to Henderson Auto Repair.

Well, looks like they’re not gonna be able to get to it today
, she thought when she saw how many cars were parked along the side of the shop. Well, she could at least find out when they would be able to get to it and bring it back then. She parked the car and made her way into the office. The bell over the door clanged as she walked in and after a minute a woman came in from the garage.

She was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a white tank top. A chain hung from her belt loop to her back pocket and she wore a pair of black work boots. Intricate sleeves of tattoos covered both of her arms and she wore a small silver hoop in her left nostril. Her short black hair was mussed and her hands, arms, and clothes were covered in grease. She had the bluest eyes that Nicole had ever seen.

The two locked eyes and neither of them said anything for a long moment. Nicole’s breath caught in her throat and her heart pounded in her chest. It was the other woman who finally spoke.

“Can I help you?” she asked in a rich, husky voice. Nicole could have melted on the spot.

“I…” She cleared her throat and started again. “I was wondering if you could take a look at my car. It’s making an awful squealing noise.”

“Sure thing,” the woman replied. “Just pull it around into the first bay.”

And with that she disappeared back into the garage. Nicole let out a long breath and tried to compose herself. Just what in the hell had that been?

She just makes me nervous, that’s all. She’s intimidating,
she told herself. She pushed it out of her mind and went to pull her car into the garage bay.

The woman was already waiting and Nicole rolled her window down so that she could talk to her.

“Sounds like you need a new belt,” she said.

“Is that something major?” Nicole asked.

“Nah,” the woman replied. “I can do it right now if you want to go ahead and shut it down.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, no problem.”

“That’s awesome, thank you so much,” Nicole said as she killed the ignition.

“No problem. Just leave me the keys. You can wait in there where it’s cooler,” she said, nodding toward the waiting area.

“Thanks,” Nicole said as she stepped out of the car and handed over her keys. She quickly made her way back to the waiting area. Part of her wanted to stay and watch the woman work, but she just made her feel so…something. She still wasn’t sure what to call it.

She didn’t have to wait very long until the woman returned.

“You’re all set,” she said as she punched a few keys on the cash register. “Your car’s parked out front.”

“Thanks again,” Nicole said as she dug in her purse and handed her money over to the woman.

“Don’t mention it,” the woman said with a small smile. Her hand brushed Nicole’s as she handed her keys back and Nicole felt an electric tingle pass through her.

“I’m Cassidy, by the way,” the woman said. “I’d love to take you out for a drink sometime.”

“I…I can’t,” Nicole stammered. “I mean…that is, I shouldn’t. I…” She felt herself growing redder with each word.

“Say no more,” Cassidy said with a smile, holding up her hands. “I understand.” She turned as she reached the door to the garage. “Damn shame, though.” And with a wink she disappeared into the garage.

Nicole stared after her for a moment before turning and heading out the front door.  The encounter stayed on her mind all the way to work. Seriously, what the hell had that been back there?

*****

“Sooo?” Matt asked teasingly.

“So, what?” Cassidy said. Matt snorted.

“Don’t you ‘so what’ me. I saw the way you were looking at her. Not to mention you bumped her to the front of the line,” he said with a laugh.

“So, nothing,” Cassidy said with a shrug. “She’s not interested.”

“Ah. Damn shame.”

“That’s what I said,” she laughed.

They both returned to their work, but Cassidy couldn’t get the thought of her out of her head.

*****

Nicole sat in her living room idly strumming her guitar as she tried to sort through her thoughts. It had been three weeks and she still couldn’t stop thinking about her brief encounter with Cassidy. She almost wished she had said yes to going out with her. But then what? What did that solve? She still wasn’t even sure exactly what it was that she was feeling or what to do about it.

It wasn’t like it mattered anyway. That opportunity had passed her by. Unless she wanted to go back to the shop and talk to her, which she wasn’t about to do. She sighed and propped her guitar up on its stand. Maybe getting out of the house for a little while would help to clear her head.

She slipped her sandals on, grabbed her purse, and headed to the grocery store. Maybe it would make her feel better to cook something other than microwaveable dinners for a change. She headed for the Super S grocery store. As she got a basket she briefly wished that she had bothered to make a shopping list.

Oh well,
she thought.
I’ll just wander through the aisles and grab whatever looks good.

She ended up with a lot more than she had intended to buy, but she supposed it was just as well. It would be nice to have real food in the house for once.

She had driven 5 miles of the 8 and a half miles to her house when she heard a thumping sound and had to pull over. She let out a low groan as she examined the flat passenger side tire. She hated having to call her parents, but she supposed there was no avoiding it. She sighed and pulled out her cell phone.

“What?” she said as she looked down at it. She had absolutely no service. “No, no, no. Don’t do this to me, come on.” She walked up and down the deserted stretch of highway trying to get a signal, but to no avail.

“Great,” she said, slipping her phone back into her purse and returning to the car. She supposed she would just have to change the tire herself. How hard could it be? She opened the trunk and moved her groceries to the back seat so that she could get to the spare tire and the jack in the bottom of the floor of the trunk.

Once she had gotten them out she went to the flat tire and started trying to figure out where to place the jack.

“Ok…ok. Here? Or no, here.” Once she was satisfied she started trying to jack the car up. It was easier than she had thought it would be.

“Ok,” she said, picking up the tire iron and staring at the lug nuts. “What was it? Lefty loosey, righty tighty…? Yeah, that was it. I got this.”

She positioned the tire iron over one of the lug nuts and heaved with all her strength. But the wheel turned and she couldn’t get any traction.