ROMANCE: SHIFTER: Shifter to the Max Collection (Dragon, Bear, Wolf and Panther Shifter Romances) (Paranormal Fantasy Romance Collection) (2 page)

“Look, Amber, I’m sorry it has to be this way,” Laura fretted, “But you haven’t had a job in weeks, and Tori and me…we need a roommate who can help with the bills.”

Amber ran her tongue over her teeth and took a deep breath. She stuffed her last t-shirt into her carry-all and took a look around the place she’d called home for the last six months.

Strangely enough, she sure had a very few number of items to pack up for someone who had lived here for that long.

“Laura, it’s okay. Jobs and me? We haven’t been working out so well lately. I get it.” Amber said. She quickly glanced around the room to make sure none of her personal items were left behind. Nope. She was an independent woman. She pawed through her sacks and bags stacked on top of the bed. “Here. I have some money.” From a pocket deep within the lining of a knapsack, Amber pulled out some bills and shoved them towards Laura.

Laura reached out and took the money. She stood stock-still for just a moment and blinked at her hands. “Four hundred dollars? You had four hundred dollars? You’re giving me four hundred dollars now?” Her voice rose in volume and pitch with each question. “When Tori and I were scraping pennies together to try to make the rent payment last week, you had four hundred dollars in a pocket? When I had to call and beg my mom,
my mom for God’s sake
, to buy us groceries until our next payday, you had four hundred dollars? When…” she stuttered to a stop.

It was Amber’s turn to just stand and blink.  “It’s my emergency fund. In-the-hospital-or-stranded-on-the-side-of-the-road money. I try never to touch it at all.”  Amber cleared her throat uncomfortably. “Well, I better go.” She slung each of her many bags over her shoulders or draped them on an arm until she resembled something akin to a bunch of grapes. She waddled her way past Laura, who was still staring incredulously at the bills in her hands, and down the hallway to the apartment door. For a little while she’d been happy here.

“Laura? Thank you! And tell Tori thank you, as well. I appreciate you taking me in when you did. I’ll see you around.” She called back over her shoulder as she struggled to reach for the doorknob.

“Wait… Just, wait.” Laura’s protest drifted down the hall to Amber. Just as she got her fingers closed about the knob and was able to give it a firm twist, she felt Laura sidle up alongside her. Amber looked up quizzically. “You were a great roommate. Always kept your stuff tidy and even cleaned up after us. Ran our errands if we didn’t have time to do something, and ran interference if we didn’t have the guts to do something. I’m glad you were here. Where will you go? Where should I forward your mail?”

“Oh, mail…Um.” Amber closed her brown eyes briefly and when she opened them again, they were firm and decided. “Send my mail to Jade Flynn, 874 Huckleberry St, Prospector’s Ridge, Montana. My sister can hold on to it for me until I get my footing again.”

“You’re going back to The Ridge? I thought you said you’d never…”

“Well, the saying ‘Never say never’ seems to always bite me on the ass. I wish it worked on ‘I’ll never win the lottery’ or ‘I’ll never lose 20 pounds’ the way it seems to work with ‘I’ll never go back there’ and ‘I’ll never do that again.’” Amber laughed a bit bitterly.  “It’s all good. Part of me is actually looking forward to going back. I’ve been having these dreams lately…” Her voice trailed off.

“Dreams? You don’t believe in dreams. No dreams, crystals, meditation, incense. I think even aromatherapy is too New Wave for you.” With the assurance of her share of next month’s rent in her pocket, Laura could afford to be generous with her time and attention, for a few more minutes.

“No… I leave that to Jade, her stock and trade, quite literally. Maybe I’ve caught some kind of bug. When I get to The Ridge, no doubt she’ll fill the air with smoke and my belly with herbs. I’ll get well out of self-defense.” Amber pulled the door wide and turned sideways so her person with its layers of bags could fit through the doorway easily.  “I’ll see you, Laura. Thanks again. And when you and Eli decide to tie the knot, send me an invitation, okay?”

Laura nodded agreement and stood in the door a moment watching Amber shuffle and totter down the hall to the staircase. Maybe she should help? No, Amber was a grown woman who could take care of herself. She’d be just fine. Laura closed the door firmly, turned to the kitchen alcove where her laptop was set up, and began formulating the want ad for a third roommate.

***

I need a keeper,
Amber thought viciously to herself.
I can’t even take care of myself for a single day! How did I ever think I would be fine on this road trip back to The Ridge?
She leaned her forehead onto the steering wheel of her ten-year-old Mazda and stared morosely at the instruments on the dashboard. No matter how much wish-power she directed into it, one of those gauges stubbornly refused to move.

“Damn Montana freeways. Damn automobiles and combustible engines. Damn empty bank accounts. Damn Prospector’s Ridge for being twenty-five miles on the other side of nowhere. And damn me for thinking I could make it and didn’t need to use that gas station fifteen miles back. Damn. Damn. Damn. Damn. Damn.” With each damn, Amber softly beat her head on the steering wheel as if to knock some sense into it. Her brown hair, meanwhile, had come loose of its tie and was falling about her face, secluding her from the world for just a moment. 
That’s fine, just fine. I’ll hide here and no one will see me or notice me, and that’ll solve all sorts of problems. I can die here and the bears can eat my body, plenty of sustenance to take back to the cubs.
Tears welled up and began to trickle down Amber’s cheeks. She placed both hands over her mouth and began to sob.

A knock on her car window completely unnerved her. She screamed and flinched away from the window, expecting the glass to break and a hand to come through at any second. When that didn’t happen, she decided to bite the bullet and look out the window.

Casting a long shadow over the hood of her car stood a police officer in full uniform! A savior!  Amber pressed the down window button, but nothing happened. Belatedly, she realized she had turned off her car to preserve the battery. She twisted the key in the ignition to get power and tried again. With a soft hum, the window slid down its tracks.

“Ma’am? Are you all right?” Crisp, no-nonsense words were music to her ears. Amber was sure she looked a fright. She began to smooth back her hair from her face, and use the back of one hand to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

“Yes. No. I mean…” Amber stuttered to a stop.

“Ma’am?”

Amber took a deep, calming breath. “Physically, I am fine. I ran out of gas before I could make it to The Ridge. My calculations were off.”

“Have you called for a tow? For a friend to come bring you some gas or a ride?” he inquired patiently.

“Erm. No, sir.” Amber replied, “I don’t have a cell phone. Well, I have a cell phone, but I don’t have cell service right now. I mean, not because of where we are but because of who I am. Not that I am anyone special. Because I’m not.” Babbling, Amber chastised herself, and you probably smeared your makeup everywhere. Bet you look like Halloween is early this year.

“I’m quite sure you’re special in your own way, ma’am. May I see your license and registration, please?”

“My…? Of course.” Amber scrabbled through her purse to pull out the items, wondering why the officer needed them. Could a person get a ticket for running out of gas on the side of the highway? Surely it wasn’t a law in Montana now that everyone had to have a working cell phone… Wouldn’t she have heard that by now? She handed them over to the officer and searched for his nametag. F. Fisher. “Officer Fisher? Could you call for a tow or for gas? Or even call my sister for me? She’ll be closing up the shop now and could come help me.”

Officer Fisher leaned over to hand her back her documents, “Be happy to, ma’am. Amber Flynn? Jade’s sister?”

Amber’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Well, yes, how did you know?”

“I was a grade ahead of your sister all throughout school. Had the biggest crush on her when I was in tenth grade. Too bad…” A smile broke out on his face, and to Amber’s surprise, two deep boyish dimples appeared in his cheeks. “C’mon. Hop out. I’ll take you to your sister’s and make sure she’s there and can help you get back here to get your car.” With a flourish of his arm, he lifted the door handle and swung open her car door.

Amber knew she must look terrible. She rolled up the window, removed the key from the ignition, and climbed out of the car. She brushed at the t-shirt she’d worn for the last two days, surreptitiously checking for stains or crumbs. Her jeans sagged from being worn too many times between washings, and, of course, her hair had come loose of its tie. She’d wished she’d not even bothered with make-up that morning, since she knew it had streaked down her face, but such was not her luck.

“I’m sorry. I look a fright.” She reached back into her car for the bag containing her wallet and ID.

“No worries. I have sisters myself.” Officer Fisher smiled and unleashed the dimples again.

The ten-minute trip to town passed in a blur for Amber.  She had no idea what they had talked about or if they had talked at all. She had only been thinking that here it was, the moment of truth. She would be back in The Ridge after being gone for almost ten years.

Something the officer said pulled her back to the present.

“I’m sorry. What?”

“Once you’re settled, would you like to meet for a beer? I could catch you up on everything important that’s happened here in The Ridge since you left, if you like?” he offered.

“Oh. Uh.” Amber stuttered, “I hadn’t thought about getting caught up. I was just thinking of getting here. Officer.”

“Call me Tim, please. Just think about it. I’m pretty easy to find. Here you are!  Huckleberry Street’s very own Scentsibilities.”

Going back to The Ridge. Amber Flynn never thought that would happen. When she left, man, she was going to go far and stay far away. Now, she was back. Like a puppy with its tail tucked between its legs. How would she be able to face everyone? With no more choices, she squared her shoulders, pulled her chin up high, and got out of the car.

“Thanks for the ride, Offi…Tim. I can see Jade inside the store. I really appreciate all your help.” She turned, glanced up and down the sidewalk, and hurried to the store entrance.

Tim Fisher admired the rounded curves walking away from him. He vaguely remembered this one from years before. Kind of a wallflower compared to her vivid and outgoing sister, but she would probably be worth a tumble or two. He’d see. Whistling a confident tune, he drove back to his patrol.

***

Ryder Barrett closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. An oddly familiar perfume had just teased his senses, and he wanted more. His gold-flecked eyes snapped open and scanned the street. There! It was her! She was back! He felt the familiar deep ache her leaving had caused him; hurt flared quickly to anger.  The happy jingle of Scentsibilities’s shop bells floated to his ears, and he quickly made up his mind. If he caught her off guard now, maybe he could keep her that way.

His long legs ate up the distance in no time as he strode towards Jade’s store.  He jerked open the shop door, and stepped inside to the peal of the bells. His eyes quickly adapted to the dimmer light, and he scanned the large main room.

Jade and Iris stocked their store with crystals, wind chimes, and all sorts of scents: essential oils, incense, lotions, and candles- many of which Jade blended in her back room laboratory. They also had a massage therapy room where Iris worked her magic.

Ryder ignored the stands and presentations and moved towards the large table that served Jade as a sales counter.  Two women stood beside the table, both in tears, hand-in-hand. Their brown hair was almost the exact same shade, but there the similarities ended. Jade’s long hair was in dreadlocks with beads scattered throughout. Her Bohemian dress covered her long slender frame, and she had piercings in ears, nose, and eyebrows.  The woman he was interested in was perfect, and finally back in front of him.

He ran his eyes up her jean-clad legs and over her full breasts. Mentally, he licked his lips at the thought of getting his hands back on them. Her straight chestnut hair hung halfway down her back. She reached up with one hand and brushed an errant strand out of her eyes and spotted him.  She froze.

Brown eyes met gold. A spark jumped through the air between them. Amber gulped. She certainly was not prepared for this meeting this soon. Her stomach flipped once.              

“Ryder?” Amber whispered. Oh, Lord, he was gorgeous. All tanned skin and raven-black hair. Those golden eyes that mesmerized her. Even now she felt pinned in place by his gaze. Her eyes hungrily drank him in.

Ryder leaned one narrow hip against the opposite end of the table where the ladies stood. He took slow deep breaths to purposely pull more of her scent into his nose, into his lungs. He cocked one eyebrow up mockingly at her stare, “Wanna buy me a drink before you strip me down?”

Mortified at her behavior, Amber closed her eyes and felt the blood rush to her cheeks. Lord help her, she had been doing just that in her mind. Pulling that tucked –in, button-down shirt out of his jeans and yanking it open to reveal the muscular chest and lean waist underneath. Running her hands down his ribs to his waistband, as she had so long ago, and… She bit her lip, and squeezed her sister’s hands tightly. Jade was attempting to pull away. Under her breath, Amber hissed, “Don’t go anywhere.”