Silver Bell Shifter: Wolf Juction Book One
Robin Deeter
Silver Bell Shifter
Wolf Junction Series Book One
Robin Deeter
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Other books by Robin Deeter
Chance City Beginnings
(Prequels to Chance City Series)
Part One
Part Two
Chance City Series
Mail Order Mystery
Mail Order Mystery Audio Book
Mail Order Mystery Print Book
On the Fence
Crossroads
Gray Justice
When the Thunder Rolls
And the Lightning Strikes
A Very Decker Christmas
The Paha Sapa Saga
Sacrifice and Reward
Sacrifice and Reward Audio Book
Sacrifice and Reward Print Book
Winter Moon
The Bear, Part One
The Bear, Part Two
The Phantom Horse Bridge Series
Phantom Origins Book 0
Phantom Heat
Wolf Junction Series
Silver Bell Shifter
Dedication
The Silver Bell Shifter is dedicated to Stephany Yaple, Essie Michael, and Viola Vitanza for helping me create the concept for the first book in this series. It was born out of some crazy ideas that somehow solidified into a fun, entertaining story. You have my eternal gratitude.
Contents
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Epilogue
Excerpt from
A Shift in Time, Wolf Junction Series Book Two
About the Author
Chapter One
For possibly the millionth time, Calvin wished that his last name was anything but Lightfoot. He sat on a stool in the Crushed Nut Bar & Grill, holding a frozen bag of peas to his right eye.
Why was he holding a bag of frozen peas to his right eye? Not because he’d tried to rescue a hottie from some perverted jackass who’d gotten too handsy with her. Not because he’d gotten in a fight with a guy who’d cheated at pool or poker. And not because he’d stolen a sexy lady away from her boyfriend, who’d come after him to exact revenge.
Those would be cool, manly reasons to be nursing a black eye. Reasons any man could tell his buddies without fear of being branded a loser. Not that he wasn’t already in some circles, but still…
No, the peas were necessary because he’d tripped on a slightly raised wooden floorboard and fallen face-first into the back end of Righty McGowan’s pool stick. To say he’d seen stars would be a massive understatement. As he’d crashed to the floor and lain there in a daze, Calvin swore that a whole sky of stars had rained down on him, filling his vision until he’d wondered if he was going blind.
Calvin winced when someone clapped his shoulder from behind. It jostled him, making the peas press painfully against his wounded eye.
“Gonna make it, Calvin?”
Turning all the way around on his stool so he could bring the person into view with his left eye, Calvin encountered Righty’s worried blue-eyed gaze. “Yeah. I’ll live.”
“Glad to hear it. Tom needs to get that floor fixed,” Righty said, even though they both knew that the floor had very little to do with Calvin getting up close and personal with Righty’s pool stick.
I can just imagine the kind of razzing I’m going to get about this. Calvin forced a smile even though it hurt his eye. “Yeah, I guess so.” He took the thawing plastic bag away from his eye and wasn’t encouraged about his appearance by the grimace on Righty’s rugged face.
“Damn, son. You best go to the ER. That looks nasty,” Righty said.
Calvin laid the bag on the bar and stood up. “Nah. Mom will fix me up.”
Righty gave him a doubtful look. “You sure about that?”
“Yeah, I’m sure. Well, I entertained everyone enough for one night. Besides, I have an early day tomorrow. Night.”
“Night, kid,” Righty said.
Ignoring the derisive laughter and murmured jokes as best he could, Calvin made for the door. However, his hyper-sensitive hearing picked up what others were putting down. One woman thought it was a shame that someone who had such a nice ass was so clumsy. That wasn’t so bad, but some of the other comments were downright cruel.
Careful not to trip again, Calvin got outside as fast as possible before he lost his temper and started shooting his mouth off. The bone-chilling early November Nebraska wind hit him, making his injured eye water and throb harder. His blood ran hot, so his heavy red-and-black checkered flannel jacket was plenty warm enough.
Tugging his beat-up black leather cowboy hat down to help protect his eye, Calvin took his cellphone from his jeans pocket and was glad to see that it hadn’t broken when he fell. He hit the icon for his buddy, Pete Killian.
“Lightfoot, this better be good. Game of Thrones is on.”
Calvin rolled his good eye. “Too bad. I need a ride.”
“Where’s your truck?”
“I left it at home and had Mom drop me off,” Calvin said.
Pete sighed. “Okay. Where are you?”
“At the Nut.”
“Fine. I’ll be there as soon as this is over,” Pete said quickly, and hung up.
“Hey!” Calvin objected, but Pete was already gone. “Shit.”
He looked at the time. The TV show was only half over, and it would take Pete another fifteen minutes after that to reach the bar. What the hell was he supposed to do for forty-five minutes? He couldn’t go back inside, and he couldn’t shift and run home since he’d have to leave his clothes and cellphone behind.
With a frustrated groan, Calvin sat on the lone bench in front of the bar. He couldn’t call his mom because she was at bingo, and you only interrupted her bingo night if you had a death wish. All of his siblings of driving age were busy that night, so he didn’t want to disturb them. His dad was away at a cattleman’s convention.
So, that left only Pete. Usually when Pete picked him up, he’d take Calvin down the road a little and pull over where no one could see what he was doing. He’d leave his clothes with Pete, who would drop them off at home. Then Calvin would shift and have a good run. This was their usual routine, minus a black eye caused by extreme clumsiness. Shifting would speed the healing process and by tomorrow morning, the black eye would be gone.
He looked up when the bar door opened. Music spilled forth and the scents of alcohol and BBQ wings wafted on the wind. Candy Brannigan shuffled outside, and Calvin smiled as he realized his saving grace had just arrived in the form of a feisty, blue-haired elderly lady who would most likely need a designated driver. If he drove Candy to her place, he’d get home a lot sooner than if he waited for Pete since she lived near his farm.
Hurrying over to the door, Calvin held it open for Candy. “Evening, Candy. You’re looking especially sexy tonight.”
Candy smiled up at him. “Oh, Charlie! Your poor eyeball. Tsk tsk.” She shivered as a gust of wind threatened to knock her thin frame over. “Brr! Damn cold weather. One of these days, it’ll freeze my ass right off.”
Candy had “drunk names” for everyone. When she’d downed too many shots of JD, Calvin became “Charlie” the same way that Pete turned into “Paul”.
Calvin put an arm around her slim shoulders to keep her upright. “I hope not,” he said. “I’m kinda fond of your ass.”
Her faded green eyes gleamed. “It’s okay if you’re fond of it, just don’t fondle it.”
Calvin laughed as he guided her toward her red Buick Verano Turbo. Candy might be old, but she still liked things that went fast. “I’ll try to control myself.”
Candy chuckled as she opened her huge purse and started rummaging around in it. “Well, shoot. Should’ve gotten my keys out in there. Can’t see a thing.”
Although Calvin could see the keys even in the dim light, he helpfully got his cellphone out, turned on the flashlight app, and shone it down into the cavernous handbag.
“There they are! Thank you, Charlie,” Candy said.
“Have you been drinking tonight, young lady?” Calvin asked.
“I didn’t come here to play Tiddly-Winks. Of course I had a few.”
Calvin cleared his throat dramatically. “Then, in good conscience, I can’t allow a fine lady such as yourself to drive home in your somewhat compromised condition. Grant me the honor of assisting you home.”
“Well, aren’t you the gallant one?” She handed him the keys. “Where’s Paul?”
Calvin grinned. “Home on the throne.” Paybacks, Pete.
“Oh, well, that sucks balls,” Candy commented. “I’ll have to ask how he’s doing when I go to Barkley’s tomorrow for breakfast.”
“You do that,” Calvin said.
Pete was the daytime cook at Barkley’s diner and Candy ate there every morning.
Finally, they reached her car and he helped her into the passenger seat. Walking around to the driver’s side, Calvin bumped his hip on the taillight. He rubbed it for a moment before sliding behind the wheel.
“That new store is opening tomorrow,” Candy told him.
Calvin backed out onto the road and put the car in drive. “The tack and feed store?”
“Yep. From what I hear, the new owner is quite the dish,” Candy said.
Calvin hadn’t gotten a chance to meet the woman who’d bought Shannon’s old place because he’d been so busy. “I heard she’s nice to look at, too.”
Which was another reason why he’d steered clear. He always made an idiot out of himself around beautiful, single women.
“Gunther says she has golden honey-brown hair, big corn-flower blue eyes, and a nice rack,” the retired English teacher informed him.
“Well, he would know,” Calvin said.
Gunther Dalton, Wolf Junction’s resident writer of erotica, was an expert on the female species. It didn’t surprise Calvin that Gunther had already met the new store owner. Gunther made it his business to know all the women in town.
For the remainder of the ride, Candy regaled him with stories about her worst students. Calvin had heard it all before, but he still enjoyed them. Once they reached her house, he helped Candy inside and said goodnight.
Back outside, he headed into the woods behind her house. Finding a deer trail, he stripped and spread out his coat. He left his cellphone in his jeans, balled them and the rest of his clothes up, and laid his boots and hat on top of them. Then he folded up his jacket and tied the arms tight to secure everything. The resulting bundle was unwieldy, but he wasn’t far from home. He’d drop them near the back porch and then go for a run.
Smiling, he tapped the ground twice with his right foot, which was his body’s trigger to shift. All shifters had their own unique abilities. Calvin could take the shape of any hooved animal, but his favorite form was a stallion.
All the cells in his body heated as his bones broke and immediately knitted again in the proper confirmation. Organs grew and skin stretched. Short hair sprouted all over his body and a tail grew from the base of his spine. His ears elongated and his face lengthened. The whole process took less than thirty seconds and, while it was painful, it felt good in a strange way.
With an all-over body shake, Calvin snorted happily and half-reared. Coming back down, he picked up his clothing bundle in his teeth and walked through the woods until he broke through the trees.
His fleet hooves, long, trim legs, and powerful shoulders and haunches allowed him to exceed the speed and jumping abilities of a normal horse. He’d been clocked at sixty-one miles an hour and recorded jumping a nine-foot fence in the past. With a gleaming jet-black coat, noble head, gracefully arched neck, and long, flowing mane and tail, this sixteen-hands tall powerhouse of a horse would’ve been sought after worldwide for stud services.
His injured eye began healing as he trotted across a huge field that bordered his family’s farm. The wind carried his younger brother, JJ’s palomino stallion scent clearly to Calvin, indicating that JJ was somewhere up ahead. He let out a muffled whinny, announcing his presence to his brother.
A moment later, he heard JJ’s answering call and the approach of hoofbeats. Soon, JJ came into view, his powerful golden body turned silver by the half-moon, and his mane and tail streaming out behind him. He let out a loud blast and crow-hopped a couple of times, which made Calvin smile inside.
JJ came over, sniffed Calvin’s clothing bundle and let out a horsey laugh. Calvin’s ears swept back, and he squealed his irritation. No doubt JJ had surmised that something involving his clumsiness had occurred. Calvin’s lack of coordination disappeared when he changed. His stallion was surefooted and graceful, granting him a reprieve from his awkward human state.
JJ gave him a playful nip on the neck and trotted beside Calvin. Nearing their farm, they heard their sister Tyra’s Great Horned Owl screech high overhead. JJ reared up, pawing the sky as Tyra swooped down at him. Calvin whickered at their play-fighting and slowed to a walk along the path to their house. He’d felt the coat bundle start coming undone and was trying to keep it intact until he reached the back porch.
He made it and sat it down gingerly at the bottom of the steps. Tyra alighted on the banister with a great flapping of her mighty wings. She folded them and blinked expectantly at Calvin. Tossing his head, he turned and trotted toward the barn. His siblings followed him around the barn to the wider trail that wound through their land.
Ready to let off some steam, Calvin reared, let out an ear-piercing stallion blast, and galloped off. His siblings gave chase and the trio raced away into the night.
Chapter Two
Riley Flowers walked through her new business venture fifteen minutes before the grand opening, making sure that everything was ready. She sipped coffee from a huge travel mug that she’d most likely kill before noon. Some people got jittery and suffered from lack of sleep if they drank as much coffee as her, but Riley thrived on the brew.
Coming back up to the sales counter, Riley set her coffee down and took a calming breath as she looked through the large, glass double doors. Several vehicles pulled into the parking lot, and she tried not to become too excited. People often came to grand openings out of curiosity and for whatever freebies were offered, but most of them didn’t turn out to be repeat customers.
Still, she’d be grateful for each person who showed up because they were walking, talking advertisements. Many of them would mention their visit to at least one other person, who would also pass it on. This was the most crucial day of her life, even more important than her wedding three years ago. This was the start of a new life far away from her old one and she was going to be happy and successful if it killed her.
At five to seven, she stepped over to the doors and unlocked them. Opening the righthand one, she put a big smile on her face and motioned the people approaching the doors inside.
“Good morning, folks! It’s good to see you. Come on in. Welcome to the Bits and Buckets Depot,” she called out. “I have fresh coffee and donuts for everyone.”
She held the door open for the eleven people who filed through it. Most of them smiled and greeted her before they started looking around. A couple of guys made a beeline for the refreshments arranged on a long counter against the back wall while a woman who was obviously a rancher started looking at her selection of bridles.
A middle-aged woman with thick blonde hair pulled into a ponytail approached her. “Hi, I’m Delia Lightfoot.”
Riley took the hand she held out to her. “Riley Flowers. It’s great to meet you, Delia.”
“Same here,” Delia said. “Congratulations on your new business.”
“Thanks. Would you like some coffee and donuts?” Riley asked.
“No, thanks, hon. We already ate,” Delia replied. “I’d like you to meet my son, Calvin. He’s the town treasurer.”
Riley looked where Delia indicated. A man stood with his back to her, looking at a long shelving unit of grooming supplies. Faded jeans showed off a very fine male behind and long legs. His black-and-red checkered flannel jacket hung on a frame that looked strong yet not brawny.
“Calvin! Get your ass over here.”
Riley’s eyebrows rose in surprise at Delia’s authoritative tone. Her gaze shifted back to the man who was apparently Calvin. His shoulders tensed a little, but he didn’t pay Delia any heed otherwise. He continued perusing the brushes and hoof picks and Riley had the distinct impression that he was hiding.
“Calvin.” Delia’s voice held warning.
Calvin put down the curry brush he’d just picked up. Squaring his shoulders as though bracing himself, he turned towards them and walked over with stiff, deliberate steps. His strange gait made Riley wonder if he’d recently suffered an injury.
“Calvin, this is Riley Flowers,” Delia said. “Riley, my son, Calvin.”
Calvin flicked an annoyed glance at Delia. “I know who she is.”
Calvin’s short, coal-black hair peeked out from under his scruffy black leather cowboy hat. His Native American heritage was evident in his deep brown eyes, slightly aquiline nose, and chiseled cheekbones.
His eyes met Riley’s. “Pleased to meet you, ma’am.”
Her attention became riveted on his mouth when the right side lifted in a half-smile. He had the most beautiful male lips she’d ever seen, and she could imagine kissing them for hours. Riley also noted that he stood around five-feet-eleven and admired his physique.
Calvin wasn’t musclebound, but his shoulders and chest filled out his jacket nicely, indicating that his lean frame held power. As her eyes ran down over his arms, her gaze settled on his hands, which were as beautiful as his mouth. He held one out to her.
“Likewise, Calvin.” She enjoyed the feel of his warm, rough palm for the few brief moments they shook hands. “I’m glad you came to the grand opening.”
Calvin shot a hard look at Delia. “She made me.” He seemed as surprised at his blurted comment as Riley. “That came out wrong. I meant that I was sort of in the middle something at home when Mom decided to come.”
Delia said, “Quit your whining and enjoy yourself.” Her smile turned sly. “Seems like the view in here is nice.”
Calvin’s jaw tightened and Riley blushed slightly at Delia’s pointed statement.
Jabbing a thumb over his shoulder, Calvin said, “I’m going to check out the grooming stuff. I’ll be over there.”
Delia’s blue eyes sparkled with humor as he strode away from them. “Don’t take it personally, Riley. Calvin’s a little shy around the ladies,” she said in a lowered voice.
Riley chuckled. “Oh, he’s one of those, then.”
“One of those?” Delia queried.
“The kind of guy who doesn’t know he’s good-looking.”
Calvin jerked a little, but Riley was sure that he was too far away to hear her quiet murmur to Delia.
“That’s an understatement,” Delia said.
Calvin walked toward the back of the store as though trying to get away from them and Riley frowned. She’d never had someone act so uncomfortable around her before. However, she had work to do and couldn’t dwell on it. Shrugging off her concern, she excused herself and went to help a couple who had questions about lunge lines.
Calvin was impressed by the wide selection of merchandise and how well Riley had organized the place. He liked that, although the wide-planked wooden floors were new, she’d kept the rustic, pine interior of the place. Looking overhead, he saw that skylights had been installed, allowing plenty of natural light into the Depot. They would help keep the electrical costs down.
As he checked out which brands of horse coat conditioners and liniments Riley stocked, Calvin’s irritation with Delia ebbed. He knew she meant well, but he was tired of her throwing him at every available female.
I wish Mom would get it through her hard head that I don’t want anything to do with women. Well, okay, there are some things I’d like to do with them, but I don’t want a relationship. Not going to make that mistake again.
He walked around a corner and found himself facing a wall full of all manner of whips. Anger heated his blood as his gaze traveled over them.
“Can I help you find something?”
Calvin whirled around at the voice. Normally, he’d have heard her, but he’d been too preoccupied. Riley stood behind him, a friendly smile curving her full mouth.
He shook his head. “No, I—”
She moved past him and took a riding crop that had been hung incorrectly with a buggy whip off the hook. “Do you raise horses?”
Calvin flinched when she slapped the whip lightly against her thigh and then twirled it. His jaw worked as he fought the impulse to snatch the whip from her with his teeth and bite it in half. “Yeah, a few. But I don’t use those damn things on them. No need to.”
Riley’s lovely blue eyes widened. “I’m sorry—”
“You should be.” He pointed at the whips. “Selling these just gives people the idea that it’s okay to whip horses,” Calvin said.
Riley’s mouth dropped open at his harsh words. His dark eyes gleamed with anger and…fear? She moved to hang the whip on the proper hook and was amazed to see his nostrils flare as his eyes followed it. She’d seen that look before, but never on a human.
He took a step back. “Horses have feelings, too, you know.”
“Of course they do.”
Calvin had to get away from the whips. He knew that he was making an ass out of himself, but he couldn’t help it. “I’d better be going. I have a bunch of stuff to do today. Good luck with everything.”
There. That was nicer. He gave her a stiff smile and walked past her towards the front of the store. As he went down the aisle containing various sizes of bird and chicken feed, he bumped a ten-pound bag of bird seed with his elbow. The slippery plastic bag slid off the shelf and fell to the floor. It burst, spilling bird seed everywhere.
Calvin went stock-still, his hands clenched as embarrassment and anger flowed through his veins. Shit. He turned around to face Riley. “I’m so sorry. I’ll pay for it.”
To his surprise, Riley wasn’t angry. Her eyes glittered with restrained laughter. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not a big deal.”
Calvin looked down at the mess he’d made. “If you get me a broom and dustpan, I’ll clean it up.”
Riley nodded. “Okay. I’ll be right back.”
As she walked away, Calvin couldn’t help noticing Riley’s sweetly rounded rear end as it moved beneath her black jeans. She had the kind of hips a man could hold onto during lovemaking. Calvin ripped his gaze away from the enticing sight before someone caught him staring.
Along the way to the storeroom, Riley pondered Calvin’s odd behavior about the whips. The fear in his eyes made her think that he’d had a bad experience with them. Had he seen a horse abused with one and now couldn’t stand them?
She greeted and helped a couple of customers along her way. Nearing the front counter, she saw Nate Nichols, her assistant manager, ringing up sales. Three people stood in line behind Delia, who was purchasing a bag of sweet feed. It didn’t look like people were buying a whole lot, but every sale counted.
Nate smiled when Riley told him what had happened. “Calvin is a walking disaster. Everyone holds their breath when he comes around because he’s so clumsy.”
Riley chuckled and went on her way. She grabbed a broom and dustpan and returned to Calvin, who held out his hand for the broom.
“I can get this,” Riley said.
“No. I made the mess. I’ll clean it up.”
His stubborn expression told Riley that he wasn’t going to give in. “All right.”
Calvin took the equipment and started sweeping the seed into a pile. Riley couldn’t stop watching him as he worked. Nate had called Calvin clumsy, but his movements were graceful. She’d never been so affected by a man’s hands before and she smiled inwardly at her preoccupation with that part of his anatomy.
Once he’d gathered the seed, Calvin crouched and swept it into the dustpan. His powerful olfactory senses picked up the scent of female pheromones, the kind a woman released when she found a man attractive. Slowly looking up at Riley, he saw it in her eyes. The animal in him responded, but his human mind rejected the idea that she found him appealing.
Returning his attention to cleaning up, he emptied the dustpan into the small bucket Riley had brought with her. Rising, he was careful not to upset the bucket.
“Where should I dump this?” he asked.
Those little invisible molecules of attraction still wafted from Riley. She tucked her hair behind her ear, releasing more of them. The stallion in Calvin almost went berserk and he barely kept from tossing his head and snorting. But that would be majorly weird and send her running for the hills. He’d already insulted her and made a mess in her store. That was enough humiliation for one day.
Riley reached for the bucket and broom. “I’ll take it out back and spread the seed around for the birds.” Her smile revealed pretty white teeth and Calvin imagined how good it would feel if she bit him. “No sense in it going to waste.”
Calvin handed them over. “Okay. I’ll stop up front and pay for it.”
“That’s really not necessary.”
“Yes, it is.” He smiled, and the expression added warmth to his eyes, making him even handsomer. “The customer is always right, right?”
“Fine. You can pay for it,” Riley said grudgingly.
“Thank you.” Calvin resisted the urge to shuffle his feet like a bashful teenager. “Well, I’d better not keep Mom waiting. Sorry again for making a mess. See you later.”
“See ya.”
Riley watched him walk away and decided that he would indeed see her again. Clumsy or not, he was hot, and she’d seen the glimmer of attraction in his eyes. Plotting her next move, Riley got rid of the bird seed and went back inside to make sure the grand opening was running smoothly.
Chapter Three
Calvin jerked awake when something reptilian trailed over his foot. His heart settled down when he caught his little sister Meagan’s underlying scent. The eleven-year-old enjoyed practicing her shifting abilities.
Pulling back the covers, Calvin’s eyes widened at the sight of a king cobra raising its head as it slid closer. If he hadn’t known it was Meagan, he’d be shitting his boxer briefs. The “snake” spread its hood and hissed, making the hair on Calvin’s forearms rise.
“Okay, that’s enough,” he said. “Back to human form.”
The snake opened its mouth, baring deadly fangs.
“Knock it off.” Calvin’s inner horse didn’t like snakes any more than it did whips. “You better go get dressed before Mom comes looking for you.”
Meagan slid off the bed and slithered out of his bedroom.
Calvin looked at the clock and was surprised to see that it was almost seven. He’d had a late night and had apparently overslept. Ten minutes later, he was showered, shaved, and just about dressed when Adam popped his head into his room.
“Hey, bro.”
Calvin smiled. “Hey.”
Adam came all the way in and shut the door. “Did you come up with any ideas about what to get Mom and Dad for Christmas?”
The holidays were fast approaching, and the Lightfoot kids were searching for something that would express their profound gratitude and love to the people who’d given them so much. To the outside world, Lightfoot Farm was simply a legitimate agricultural business, but to the people who lived there, it was much more.
Trent Lightfoot was a shifter who’d run away from his foster home at the age of seventeen. He and Delia had met seven years later. When Trent had revealed his true nature to Delia, she’d been surprised, but had accepted his shifter abilities as a part of the man she loved. They’d bought the farm when they’d gotten married. Adam had come along a year later, but Delia hadn’t conceived again.
At a cattle auction eight years later, Trent had encountered six-year-old Calvin. He’d been homeless, dirty, and hungry. Shifters always recognize other shifters, and Trent had instantly known by Calvin’s scent that the boy was of his ilk. Trent had cajoled Calvin into telling him his story.
The boy’s parents had abandoned him at the cattle auction a few days before Trent had arrived. It had amazed Trent that no one had turned Calvin into the authorities. When Trent had called Delia, and told her about Calvin, she’d urged him bring the boy home.
With some finagling, Trent’s lawyer friend, Wayne Carson, had gotten Calvin’s adoption pushed through. So, Calvin Black Bear had become Calvin Lightfoot, the first of ten shifter kids adopted by the Lightfoots. Wayne and a couple of other friends had kept their ears to the ground regarding more shifter kids.
Ten years ago, Adam had appointed himself a shifter rescuer and begun helping Wayne. He pored over social media and traveled the country looking for shifter kids who needed a home with people who understood them.
Calvin pulled on a long-sleeved black T-shirt. “I have a few ideas, but we’ll all have to decide together. I wish Mom was as easy to buy for as Dad.”
Adam sat down on Calvin’s bed. “What are these ideas?”
Calvin shoved his wallet in his back jeans pocket. “A bingo cruise.”
Adam cracked up. “A bingo cruise? Mom would love it, but Dad would hate it.”
“Not the one I’ve been checking into. There are other things to do on it, too. Deep sea fishing, snorkeling—stuff like that. Dad would love it,” Calvin said.
Adam shrugged a big shoulder. “Yeah, he would, but it doesn’t matter. They’ll never leave here for two weeks.”
Calvin said, “It’s time that we convince them we can handle it. I mean, who do they think is going to run the farm when they’re gone someday? Hopefully, that’s decades into the future, but you never know.”
“You’re right,” Adam agreed as they started for the kitchen of the main house. “We have our work cut out for us.”
Calvin tripped on nothing, and Adam steadied him. That type of thing was second nature for them and neither commented on it as they continued walking.
“Which is why we gotta start now,” Calvin said.
Entering the large kitchen, Calvin and Adam piled scrambled eggs, sausage, home fries, and toast on plates and sat down to eat. As the Lightfoots had kept adopting kids, a bigger kitchen table had become a necessity. Trent had built a long table and separate benches to accommodate their growing family.
Calvin was in mid-swallow when Adam said, “Mom tells me that Riley Flowers seems to have taken a shine to you.”
Calvin’s eggs stuck in his throat, making him cough.
Adam pounded on his back. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” Calvin croaked, glaring at Delia, who was washing dishes. “What are you talking about?”
Delia’s devious smile made him uneasy. “Well, when you disappeared the other day, she told me that she thought you were good-looking.”
Calvin remembered the scent of attraction he’d picked up from Riley, and Delia’s reply confirmed what he’d suspected. However, he didn’t need a romantic entanglement. “It doesn’t matter. Not interested.”
Delia rested a hand on his shoulder for a moment while she passed by on her way to the refrigerator. “Calvin, you have to get past what happened with Jenny.”
Calvin laid down his fork. His appetite had disappeared. “Being stood up at the altar once was enough. I’m not setting myself up for that kind of disappointment again.”
“Who said anything about marriage?” Delia asked. “Just go on a date. Have a little fun.”
Adam said, “If you don’t want Riley, maybe I’ll take a crack at her. Mom says she’s a hottie.”
Delia cuffed the back of Adam’s blond-haired head. “Don’t talk about women that way. We’re not objects.”
Adam flinched. “Okay. Sorry.”
Jealousy took Calvin by surprise at the thought of Adam asking Riley out. He squashed it, telling himself that it didn’t matter to him if his older brother dated the store owner. Except it did. He tried to hide it, though, knowing that Adam would smell the change in his body chemistry.
Adam had inherited Trent’s shifting abilities and usually took the form of a white wolf. His nose was just as keen as any other shifter, and he’d pick up on Calvin’s emotions.
Adam smiled. “I don’t think Calvin wants me to ask Riley out.”
Damn it. Calvin scowled at him. “I don’t care. Have a nice time.”
“Liar,” Adam accused.
Rising, Calvin took his plate over to the can in which they collected scraps to feed the pigs. The Lightfoots weren’t rich and conserved money any way they could. Saving scraps cut down on pig feed a little. He scraped off his plate and put it in the sink.
“I’m going to move the Hereford steers to the winter pasture,” he said and went out the door, effectively ending the conversation.
Chapter Four
Two days later, Riley drove up to Lightfoot Farm. She wanted to buy a yearling steer to raise for meat and she’d heard that the Lightfoots sold quality beef steers. It was the perfect excuse to see Calvin again.
As flurries floated lazily on the faint, chilly breeze, Riley followed the gravel driveway that wound through the Lightfoot property. To the right, cows grazed on hay that had been thrown into the pasture for them since there wasn’t much green grass for them to eat.
A big gray two-story house with white trim and shutters stood at the end of the drive. A line of three white barns had been built off to the right of the house. A couple of bunkhouses occupied space to the left of the drive. Several cars and trucks were parked at various locations.
Riley parked behind a blue pickup truck and got out. An Australian shepherd came running from the direction of the barns. It barked, announcing her arrival to the rest of the farm. Riley stood still and talked quietly to the dog as it sniffed her legs. It seemed to realize that she was friendly and allowed Riley to pet it.
“Can I help you?”
Riley looked up to see a tall, broad-shouldered man striding toward her. His gray eyes assessed her with a little suspicion even though he smiled. He had a dimple in his right cheek and a strong jaw. Riley thought he was handsome, but she preferred Calvin’s dark good looks.
“I’m Riley Flowers and I came to buy a steer.”
His smile broadened as he looked her over. “So, you’re the one who bought Shannon’s. Mom sure was right about you being pretty. I’m Adam Lightfoot.”
Riley laughed at his flirting. “Thanks. Delia’s a very nice woman. It’s good to meet you. Now, about that steer?”
“Come with me,” Adam said. “What breed are you interested in?”
Riley kept an eye out for Calvin as she followed Adam to toward the barn. “A good beef producer.”
“We have some really nice Angus steers right now.”
“Sounds good,” Riley said. “Do you use hormones or antibiotics?”
Adam shook his head. “Never have, never will.”
“Good.”
He led her between two of the barns to a large pasture where big black cattle grazed and milled about. A few curious steers came over to the barbed wire fence when she and Adam approached it. Looking over the steers, Riley found them impressive. They were filled out nicely without being fatty and their coats gleamed with good health.
“You’ve got quite the nice herd here,” she commented. “How much are you asking?”
“Seven hundred and worth every penny. You won’t find a more tender steak than you’ll get from these beauties.”
Riley liked his confidence in his product. “I can see they’re quality animals. How soon can you deliver?”
“Tomorrow, if you’d like,” Adam said.
“Great. That suits me just fine. Just pick one out for me.”
“I’ll do that.” Adam gestured for her to follow him again. “Come to the house with me. I’ll pass you off to Calvin. He’s the finance man around here. You can pay him, and he’ll get you a receipt.”
Adam noted the way her eyes widened a little at Calvin’s name and he barely suppressed a smile.
“Okay. Sounds good.”
Adam took her around the side of the house to a door marked “Office”. He opened the door and motioned her inside ahead of him. Riley stepped into the office and a jolt of awareness ran through her when she saw Calvin seated at a desk.
“Look who came to buy a steer,” Adam said, grinning.
Calvin frowned at him slightly and then smiled wryly at Riley as he stood up. “Hi. I’m surprised to see you after the other day.”
“It really wasn’t a big deal,” Riley assured him.
Pheromones permeated the office and Adam knew he wasn’t the cause of them. With a knowing grin, he said, “I’ll leave you in Calvin’s capable hands. It was good to meet you, Riley.”
“Likewise, Adam.” Riley wondered if her attraction to Calvin that obvious. She decided that she didn’t care. She always went after what she wanted, and she wanted to get to know Calvin better.
Adam left them and they stared at each other for a few moments. Then Calvin cleared his throat and motioned toward a chair. “Have a seat.”
“Thank you.” Riley took one of the wooden chairs with arms in front of the desk.
Calvin sat down and turned to a black desktop computer. “Which one of the steers are you buying?”
“One of the black Angus. They’re excellent animals,” Riley said.
Calvin clicked with a mouse a couple of times. “We only raise quality stock. What tag number?”
“I don’t know. Adam’s just going to pick one for me.”
Calvin sighed. Adam was a brilliant rancher, but he wasn’t a stickler for record keeping. “Okay.” He picked up his phone and texted Adam.
Calvin: Hey, dumbass. What tag number for Riley?
Adam: #102. She’s hot & hot 4 U.
Calvin: Shut up. Not interested.
Adam: Bullshit.
Calvin didn’t respond. He laid his phone aside, brought up the Angus steer records, and typed SOLD into the spreadsheet column next to steer #102.
“So, do you always work in the office?”
Calvin met her gaze and thought she had the most incredible blue eyes he’d ever seen. They reminded him of sapphires, and he could easily get lost in them. “I work outside in the mornings and then do the accounting and other office stuff in the afternoons.”
Riley caught her bottom lip in her teeth and once again Calvin had that odd desire to feel her bite him.
The suggestive smile she shot him sparked his libido. “Good to know.” She leaned forward and planted her elbows on the desk. “I might just have to call you here one afternoon.”
Calvin resisted the urge to roll his office chair back. “What for?”
“To ask you out, of course.” Riley shrugged. “I don’t have your cellphone number, so…”
“Oh, I, well, um…” Calvin snapped his mouth shut to stop his stammering. “You want to go out with me?”
Riley found his flustered surprise adorable. “Yeah.”
Calvin wasn’t sure what to do with that. He’d never had a woman be so direct before and it threw him. “No, you don’t.”
Riley cocked her head a little. “Why not?”
Calvin gave a short laugh. “Ask anyone in Wolf Junction and you’ll find out why.”
“I’d rather hear it from you.”
Heat suffused Calvin’s face, which irritated him. “Fine. I’m clumsy as hell, I’m sort of a nerdy Indian cowboy with a brain for numbers. I don’t like to drive, and I don’t want a relationship because—” He shut up before he blurted out that he’d been jilted. “I just don’t,” he finished lamely.
Undeterred, Riley propped her chin in her hands. “Well, I just happen to be into clumsy, nerdy, intelligent Indian cowboys. As far as a relationship, why don’t we just go out once and see how it goes?”
She was too close, too beautiful, and smelled too good for Calvin to resist her suggestion as he stared at her mouth. “Sure. Fine. Okay.”
“Where would you like to go?”
To bed, his brain screamed. “The Blue Diamond has good food.”
Riley was mesmerized by the way his eyes darkened with desire until they were almost black. Her breathing quickened as her stomach fluttered with excitement. What was it about him that drove her so crazy? The need to kiss him was too powerful to fight.
Grabbing his shirt collar, Riley pulled him closer and pressed her lips to his. He stiffened at first, but she didn’t release him. The next moment, he angled his mouth over hers and cupped the back of her head as he came up off his chair. He shocked her by scrambling over the desk.
His momentum drove her backward. She tripped over the leg of her chair and wound up on her ass with Calvin on top of her. Her right buttock took the brunt of the fall, but she ignored the pain as his mouth returned to hers. She obeyed Calvin’s demand to part her lips and buried her fingers in his thick black hair as their tongues clashed.
The growl he let out vibrated against her chest and her nipples tightened. His lips were even softer than they looked and the thorough way he explored her teeth and mouth made her weak with hunger. She ran her hands over his shoulders, amazed at how warm he was. Heat practically radiated from him, and he smelled so good.
Riley’s touch drove Calvin wild, and he couldn’t remember wanting a woman so much. Of its own accord, one of his hands slid up her torso until it covered one of her full breasts. She moaned and arched into his palm as he kneaded it. One of his thighs was trapped between her legs and she moved restlessly against him.
Calvin moaned as his groin tightened and he ached to unite their bodies. Breaking the kiss, he rasped out, “We have to stop. The door…someone…oh God.”
Riley didn’t care that they lay on the floor in his office. She wanted him and wanted him now. The bulge of his erection pressed against her hip, and she yearned to touch him. Worming a hand between their bodies, she caressed him through his jeans.
Closing his eyes, Calvin fought against ripping her clothes off as he grew even harder. “Riley, what the hell are you doing to me?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” she said. “I want you so much and I don’t even know you.”
“This is insane.” Calvin tried to pull away from Riley, but he stilled when he felt her unsnap his jeans.
Her wicked smile made his heart slam inside his chest. “I know, but it’s fun.”
Her fingers dipped just below the waistband of his jeans. “If you keep going, I won’t be responsible for what happens,” he warned.
The smooth skin of his toned stomach enticed her. Arching an eyebrow at him, Riley inched her hand lower. Voices on the other side of the inner office door that led into the house made them freeze.
As fast as his engorged member would allow, Calvin scrambled to his feet. He reached a hand down to Riley and helped her up. They straightened their clothes and Riley finger-combed her hair. With a grimace of discomfort, Calvin sat behind his desk while Riley took her chair again.
Calvin turned to the computer, intending to create a receipt for Riley, but his hands shook too bad to type or manipulate the mouse. He plowed a hand through his hair and tried to get himself under control. Looking at Riley, he saw the same struggle on her lovely face.
With a gesture at the computer, Calvin said, “I can’t think right now.”
Riley’s naughty smile did nothing to cool his blood. “Me, neither.” She took her wallet out of her purse, counted out seven one hundred-dollar bills, and handed them to him. “Here you go. You can give me a receipt tonight. Seven sharp at the Blue Diamond.”
She stood up and gave him another flirty smile before heading for the door.
Calvin’s hands gripped his thighs hard as he forced himself to stay seated instead of stopping her and taking her right against the wall. He blew out a sigh of relief once she was gone. It took him almost ten minutes to calm down enough to accurately create her receipt. Printing it off and putting her money in the safe, Calvin didn’t even bother trying to keep a smile off his face.
Chapter Five
As he waited just inside the door of the Blue Diamond, Calvin could’ve kicked himself for suggesting the fanciest place in Wolf Junction. He was sure to spill a drink or drop food on the floor. It wouldn’t have mattered so much in one of the bars or Barkley’s, but it would be extremely embarrassing in the upper-scale establishment. He smoothed a hand down the jacket of his black suit and made sure his tie was straight for the tenth time.
After the scene in his office that afternoon, he’d shifted and taken a run to blow off some steam. He’d run far and fast to burn off some of the residual heat Riley had created. It was a little scary how quickly she’d broken his control. If they hadn’t been interrupted, he knew that he’d have had his way with her right there on the floor.
The door of the Blue Diamond opened, and Riley stepped inside. She smiled and he tamped down the urge to kiss her. Walking to her, he offered to take her stylish black woolen coat. She turned around and he helped her out of it. Was she trying to kill him?
Her deep maroon long-sleeved dress wasn’t daring in the traditional sense. She showed off no cleavage and the skirt was of modest length, but the way the silky material clung to her curves created an understated, elegant allure that excited him more than if she’d arrived wearing a bikini.
“You look amazing,” he said, handing off her coat to the coat check girl.
Riley ran her hand down his suit lapel. “So do you.”
“Right this way, Calvin.”
He tore his gaze away from her and smiled at the hostess, Carrie Gordner. He pursed his lips at the way Carrie looked with disbelief between him and Riley. By midnight, it would be all over town they’d been out on a date. Depending on how things went, that could be a blessing or a curse.
Calvin rested his hand on the small of Riley’s back and guided her into the dining room behind Carrie. He resisted scowling when people started murmuring to each other in surprise. He was glad that Riley’s hearing wasn’t as powerful as his.
“Did you see that? I can’t believe a beautiful woman like her would go out with Calvin Lightfoot…”
“…Wait until she finds out that he’s as awkward as a kitten in a candy store…”
That one confused Calvin. A kitten in a candy store would be odd, but why would it be awkward? Of course, that statement had come from Larry Grundy, and he wasn’t wrapped too tight.
“I hope he doesn’t take her dancing. She’ll wind up in the ER with a broken foot…”
It galled Calvin to admit it, but that was true. He avoided dancing the way a mouse did a rattler.
Carrie stopped beside a table. “Here are your menus. Tom will be right with you.”
Calvin groaned inwardly. Tom Mitchel was tall, suave, and cultured. Everything that Calvin wasn’t. Then he shrugged off his insecurity as he remembered that Riley had asked him out, not the other way around. With smug satisfaction, he thought that it also wasn’t Tom who Riley had practically attacked that afternoon.