Stripe Search: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Furocious Lust Shorts Book 5) (5 page)

BOOK: Stripe Search: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Furocious Lust Shorts Book 5)
3.19Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

 

TEN

 

Gabby was torn. She wanted to see Jill and loved visiting with Janie, but once they reached Janie and Jill’s apartment, Gabby was ready to leave. She hated the conditions her niece lived in, but she could not help any more than she already did and keep Joel bailed out.

She knocked on the door, her hands feeling frozen from nerves, and waited.

“Are you okay?” Slade asked. “I can tell something’s wrong. You’re highly agitated.”

“Jill’s got Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. She is super energetic but a handful for Janie.”

“That’s it? You sure you’re okay?”

She blinked up at his handsome-but-worried face. “I’m fine. I just hate how Janie and Jill live. If I could, I’d help Janie find a better job, but she’s had a tough break between my irresponsible brother and the pathetic amount of money she makes working at one of the lower end casinos.”

The door opened, and her niece, holding her favorite cloth doll, flung herself into her arms. “Auntie Gabby!”

Gabby sucked in a breath to stop herself from bursting into tears. It was like this every time she visited. Jill was so desperate for some time with family. As an only child who didn’t have any friends because Janie worried over the neighbors, Jill was lonely.

Gabby hugged the six-year-old and kept from glancing at Slade. He’d probably sense her sadness, too. “Look how big you’ve gotten, in less than two weeks,” she exclaimed. Jill’s tiny body and angelic face tugged at her heart. With curly dark hair, warm brown eyes, and mocha skin to match Gabby’s own, Jill reminded her of herself when she’d been a kid. “What is mommy feeding you?”

Jill was followed out by Janie. Gabby’s ex-sister-in-law had bags under her eyes and looked pale. “Hi, Gabby.”

She frowned, scanning Janie’s face for an illness or something she might not know about. “Janie, are you okay? You look like you’re not feeling well.”

“Mommy’s tired. She’s working all the time,” Jill supplied, bouncing on her heels.

Gabby handed the gift bag to Jill. “This is for you, sweetheart.”

Jill squealed and dug into the bag, pulling out a brand-new baby doll. “Oh, I love her, Aunt Gabby! It’s so pretty.”

Gabby smiled at Jill and then frowned at Janie. “Are you okay?”

Janie shrugged. “You know how it is. Have to pay the bills.” She glanced at Slade and shoved clumps of brown hair behind her ears. “Hello. Sorry for being rude. I’m Janie.”

“No, no!” Gabby said. “It’s my fault. I should have introduced you guys right away. Jill, Janie, this is Slade. Slade, this is my niece, Jill, and her mother, Janie.”

Slade shook Janie’s hand and squatted down to get eye level with Jill. “Nice to meet you, lovely young lady.”

Jill smiled shyly at Slade. “Do you like dolls?”

“I think dolls are great. Especially when owned by pretty little girls like you.”

“Hey, Janie,” Gabby said casually, “can I talk to you for a second?” She glanced at Slade, and he nodded for her to go, continuing his conversation with Jill.

Janie nodded and pulled her inside the apartment, just a few feet away: enough for them to have some privacy for the little girl’s curiosity while leaving Slade to chat.

Gabby went into her handbag and pulled out an envelope. “I’m sorry about the delay. I know you expected this two days ago.”

Janie glanced down at the envelope. She took it without saying anything and grasped the paper hard. “I can’t thank you enough for ensuring Joel does his job. Until you came around, he was so irresponsible. Now, he actually pays his child support. He didn’t make any attempt to answer my calls, or even Jill’s, in the past. I’m hoping in time he’ll start calling her.”

“He’s in a place where he’s getting help, but I will make sure he keeps paying.”

“Thank you.” Janie threw her arms around Gabby’s neck and pulled back before Gabby got a chance to really hug her. She always felt like she didn’t do enough for Janie and Jill. Ensuring they had the child support her brother should have been paying was something she could help with even if it meant she had to pick up a few extra shifts a month at work.

“Are you sure there’s nothing else going on? Something you need my help with?”

Janie sniffled and shook her head, breaking Gabby’s heart a little more. “We’re fine. This helps tons.”

“Okay, then let me know if there’s anything at all you need.”

Janie nodded. “Thank you, Gabby. You’re amazing.”

She didn’t feel amazing. She felt like she should be doing more. She glanced up and noticed Slade watching her intently. Shit. He’d heard their conversation. She’d forgotten all about the shifter super hearing. He spoke softly to Jill and guided her away from the door so the child couldn’t hear the women speak.

The ride back to her house was quiet. She was distracted with Janie and Jill until Slade spoke. “Why didn’t you tell Janie that you were giving her the child support check? You and I both know your brother didn’t give that to you.”

She glanced at him on the driver’s side and bit her lip. “Janie is really stubborn. If she knew that I was the one giving her the money, she wouldn’t take it.” She leaned her head back on the seat and sighed. “As it is, I can’t get them to move. I offered my house for them to come stay. Janie says that she won’t burden me. I tried and tried, unsuccessfully, to explain they’re family and never a burden, but it didn’t work. She’s super independent. Will only take the child support because it’s for Jill from Joel. I have to gift Jill clothes and shoes or else Janie won’t take money.”

“Why is she so set on doing things herself when you’ve offered?”

“She knows how much I’ve tried to help Joel. She’s seen my struggles with him and refuses to add to my stresses. I think if she’d just get a better-paying job, she’d be able to move out of there and work less hours. It’s just hard, because when Jill needs help, Janie drops everything, and not all jobs are that accommodating.” She cleared her throat and rubbed a hand on her lap. “I...wish I could do more. It drives me crazy to see them living that way.”

He grabbed her hand and gave her a warm smile. “Don’t worry, beautiful. You’re not alone anymore. We’ll figure this out.”

She loved how he said that. Even though it was a lot to hope for, she was getting attached to Slade…a lot more than she’d ever allowed herself to be with any other man. All she could hope for was that if he ever chose to walk away, she’d be able to handle the heart break.

 

ELEVEN

 

Gabby stopped wearing the pink atrocity her brother had gifted her and instead wore a brown nondescript trench she’d gotten herself. At least now she didn’t feel like there were neon signs on her saying: “I have something hidden under this coat.”

Her cell phone rang just as she was about to leave the club. It was Slade. The thought of his name made her belly flip-flop. She’d not seen him all day and missed him. “Hi.”

“Hello, beautiful. Can I come over?”

She loved that he didn’t assume she wanted company. Working two jobs lately was taking a toll. Not that Charlie hadn’t been wonderful and cut down her hours so she could do both, but she was still exhausted.

“You may.”

He laughed. “Good, because I’m sort of already here.”

She tripped on the step as she walked to the back door. She opened the big, metal door and stopped. “Huh?”

“I took the liberty of starting a barbeque in your backyard.”

“How did you even get over the big-ass fence?” She laughed. “Let me guess, tigers climb fences?”

She heard his chuckle along with some movement on the other side of the line. “This one does.”

“Alright. I’ll see you soon.” She readied to take the final step when she noticed someone hanging by her car. It was a man. Ah, fuck. The big guy from the casino, the one who accused her of stealing his wife’s winnings. She didn’t know what that man’s problem was. He’d called multiple times saying she stole his money. She’d had to explain the whole thing to Charlie and the security staff to make sure he wasn’t allowed inside.

She rushed back into the building and waited for two of the security guys to escort her outside before heading home. It was getting ridiculous. The last thing she wanted was for the idiot who believed she’d taken money from him to keep showing up at her workplace.

The incident didn’t stop her from feeling excited to see Slade. She’d missed him. He’d been so sweet and concerned with her and what she wanted for Jill and Janie. The fact that he’d sat there, listened, and then given her input and moral support meant more to her than anything else.

“Hello?” She called out as she entered her house. The doors were locked, and the inside of the house was dark. She couldn’t figure out how he’d gotten inside.

She tossed her bag on a sofa, dropped her cell phone on the kitchen counter, and marched to the backyard. She’d been so excited when she bought her house. Her first real piece of property. She didn’t owe anyone any money on it. Sure it was small, but it was hers. It had a decent-sized yard and a pool. She’d gotten it with a pet in mind, hoping to one day get herself a dog or cat and share the space with an animal.

When she reached the backyard, she was left speechless.

“Oh, my god. Did you pimp my yard?”

He started laughing and almost sputtered out the beer in his mouth. “You say the funniest things.”

He had pimped her yard. Previously, her yard had been a plain spot with a few chairs by the pool and a small grill. Now, there was furniture. In her yard!

“I came by earlier to see if I could set up a surprise outing for us in your yard and noticed it needed some stuff to make it more comfortable.”

“But...how did you do all this?”

He winked, a sly smile on his lips. “I got over the fence and opened the door. Once I was able to do that, it was easy, since everything I needed was being delivered, including this awesome cooler,” he said. She glanced at the giant column that housed a flower pot on top of it.

“What cooler?”

He pressed a button, and the top of the column, the section housing the flowers, lifted and moved off to the right, revealing a massive, hidden cooler.

“Holy shit! That is so awesome!” She gasped in complete awe.

He chuckled at her excitement. “Yeah. It’s great. Anything for you, my curvy goddess.”

Her smile couldn’t grow any wider. He’d done this for her. There was a fire pit surrounded by a three two-person seats. An outdoor wicker sofa with big, green cushions was placed near the pool. New plants had been set up around the perimeter of the yard. Heck, he’d even had her one giant tree decorated with white Christmas lights. A small round dining area was set off near the barbeque area.

“This looks amazing,” she gushed. The dining area had already been set up with a pitcher of tea, plates, and silverware. “How long were you doing this?”

He strolled casually to her and pulled her into his arms. Their lips met, and it was coming home. She loved his mouth on hers. It was sweet and sexy. His tongue drove into her mouth, taking from her but leaving his mark at the same time.

A slow sizzle started in her belly and spread outward. She’d just managed to grab onto his T-shirt to keep herself from turning into a puddle on the floor when her cell phone went off. Reluctantly, she let go of him. His eyes had turned a bright gold that raised passion-filled goosebumps over her skin.

“Hold that thought. I need to get out of this outfit and have a super quick shower,” she said, rushing inside to get the phone from the kitchen counter.

“I’m holding you to that, beautiful.”

She grinned and lifted the phone. It was Janie. “Hi, Janie.”

“Gabby,” Janie said, her words teary and thick. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

“Thank me for what?” she asked, confused. She shrugged out of her jacket and ran to her room to shower.

“Your boyfriend. I didn’t know he was related to Vincent Tigris.”

“Okay?” He wasn’t her boyfriend per se, but whatever. “What does that have to do with anything?” She asked, now climbing into the shower and putting Janie on speaker.

Janie sniffled. “Mr. Tigris, the father, came to my house and interviewed me for a job.”

“He what?” She glanced to where she’d put the phone so fast she almost got whiplash.

“He said he trusted your judgement, and he offered me a desk job for three times what I was making.” Janie sobbed between her words.

“Janie... I’m... I don’t...” She stood in her shower, water sluicing over her body, frozen in place.

“That’s not all. The job comes with one-hundred-percent health insurance coverage. Gabby, nobody offers that.”

Gabby blinked. “Apparently, they do.”

“Oh my gosh, Gabby. The company offers extended childcare. I’m allowed to go pick up Jill and bring her to the childcare center when she gets out of school,” she sputtered through her tears. “This is just…so…amazing.”

It was beyond amazing. It was incredibly selfless of Vincent and Slade to do that for a person they didn’t even know.

“We get to move!” Janie squealed. “Because I’m so far from work, I’ll need to get a place closer, so someone from the hotel will work with me to find a better apartment. In the meantime, we get a few months of corporate housing until we’ve settled. I was worried Jill would be upset. You know how she is with change, but she’s ecstatic. Mr. Tigris told her there’s a pool at the corporate housing unit we’re using, and she is ready to go right now.”

Other books

A Density of Souls by Christopher Rice
Bond of Fate by Jane Corrie
Lethal Instincts by Kasia Radzka
The Crowfield Curse by Pat Walsh
Risky Business by Melissa Cutler
The Elizabethans by A.N. Wilson
Christmas Surprises by Jenn Faulk
Dangerous Attraction Romantic Suspense Boxed Set by Kaylea Cross, Jill Sanders, Toni Anderson, Dana Marton, Lori Ryan, Sharon Hamilton, Debra Burroughs, Patricia Rosemoor, Marie Astor, Rebecca York
The Silent Weaver by Roger Hutchinson
Tight by Alessandra Torre