Shawn: Spring (Shifter Seasons Book 5) Read online

  “Thanks.” Shawn headed for the fridge. “One won’t hurt.”

  “Your mate won’t let you drink and drive,” Amber hissed.

  “We’ve already discussed handcuffs,” Joanna said drily.

  “Firstly, I would never drink and drive,” Shawn said lightly. “As for the cuffs…”

  “I thought you said they weren’t your thing.” Joanna arched a questioning eyebrow.

  “I might reconsider.” Shawn took a beer out of the fridge. “Bear Creek Honey Beer. My favorite.”

  “If you want to drink more, I can always drive you home since I’m not drinking because of the baby,” Amber offered. “Although, I’m not sure you should let Joanna see you drunk this early in your relationship.”

  Joanna chuckled as she poured herself a glass of wine. “That sounds like a story that needs telling.”

  “Oh, I’ve seen Shawn drunk. On more than one occasion.” Amber giggled.

  “That is all in the past,” Shawn assured them. “I’m a father now. And as a doctor, I have a reputation to uphold.”

  “Really?” Amber’s eyes narrowed. “The last time was the night we arrived in Cougar Ridge when we were on the run.”

  Shawn groaned. “One night. One night in how long?” He took a sip of his beer and nodded at Amber. “Just wait. You and Kelos are going to see what it’s like.”

  “Ahh, you know I’m only teasing you,” Amber replied. “We all know how seriously you take being a dad.”

  “It’s the best job in the world.” Shawn glanced toward Jane who had piled her plate full of cakes and cookies and added a couple of sandwiches for show. “Best job ever.”

  “I can’t wait to find out.” Amber shot a surreptitious look Joanna’s way. Shawn could almost hear the question on her lips. Would Joanna think it was the best job ever, too?

  “I bet Kelos is ecstatic about becoming a father.” Joanna sipped her wine and leaned back against the counter.

  “He is. He’s waited longer than any of us.” Amber glanced over her shoulder. “It just seems weird when I think that this baby will one day grow up to be a dragon shifter. I’m not sure how I’m going to handle that.”

  “You’ll be fine,” Joanna assured her. “My mom wasn’t a shifter and she coped.” Her smile broadened. “She actually liked it when my dad used to take us all out to do shifter stuff. It was her quiet time, the time she did what she wanted.”

  “Like catch up on that Netflix series you never have time for,” Shawn suggested. “Or read a book.”

  “Or go get drunk?” Amber opened her arms and hugged Shawn. “If I’m half as good a parent as you are, I’ll do okay.”

  “Thanks, Amber.” Shawn hugged his friend tightly. “You’ll do fine and I am here for you whenever you need me. Not that I am in any way an expert.”

  “Jane’s a wonderful young lady and you did it all on your own. So don’t sell yourself short,” Amber reprimanded him. “Now, before I start blubbering like a fool, I’m going to go talk to my sister-in-law.”

  Amber turned around and left the kitchen, brushing her hand across her eyes as she went.

  “Can I go outside and eat?” Jane asked, edging toward the door. “I think Lauren and Elliot are looking for me.”

  “Sure. They can share the plateful of cookies,” Shawn called after his daughter as she slipped out of the room.

  “Amber’s right. You have raised a wonderful daughter.” Joanna watched her mate as she drank her wine.

  “You did just see how she disobeyed me? There should have been at least equal amounts of cookies to sandwiches.” Shawn didn’t see that he’d done anything special with Joanna. No more than any other parent would do.

  “That’s the thing.” Joanna pushed herself off from the counter and sidled up to him. She was so close he could feel the warmth of her body through the fabric of his clothes and her scent invaded his senses. He took a swig of beer, afraid that if he didn’t drink, he might drool instead.

  Nice, his cougar wrinkled his nose.

  “What’s the thing?” he asked gruffly.

  “You raised a daughter who is independent. She respects you but isn’t afraid to push boundaries.” Her smile faltered. “My dad raised me the same way.”

  “Your dad must have been very proud of you.” Shawn reached for a tendril of her hair and wound it around his finger.

  She swallowed hard before answering. “He died before I became a cop.”

  “I’m sorry.” He wished he’d been there. He wished he’d been by her side to support her through a difficult time.

  “He is the reason I joined the police force.” Joanna took a large gulp of wine. “He was shot. A hitman shot him. And I couldn’t let it go. I needed to find justice for him.”

  “And did you?” Shawn asked.

  “I did.” She nodded toward the open kitchen door. “The hit was ordered by the same man who Fabian was testifying against. Kelos managed to get his hands on some evidence that put the man, Roman Ostabell, away for a long, long time.”

  “Has it given you closure?” Shawn asked gently.

  “I don’t know. Not yet.” She met his eyes briefly before turning away. “I’m still dealing with all the emotions it dredged up. Emotions I’d buried for a long time.”

  “And now this.” Shawn stroked her cheek and she turned to face him. “I won’t push you, Joanna. We can take things as slowly as you want.”

  “And what if I don’t want to take things slow?” she asked, her voice hoarse with emotion.

  “Then we go fast. No regrets.” A smile flitted across his lips. “Maybe this kind of crazy is what we both need.”

  “Maybe it is.” Her tongue snaked out and she moistened her lips as she leaned in and kissed him.

  Fireworks exploded in his head as he slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. She nipped his bottom lip and his pants tightened across his groin. He wanted her. Right here, right now.

  Only the people in the backyard stopped him from claiming her right here, right now.

  As Joanna slid her hands over his chest, her thumb brushing against his nipple through his shirt, he was in no doubt his mate felt the same way.

  Chapter Four – Joanna

  “What do you wear on a first date to your mate’s house to cook brownies?” Joanna asked O’Malley as he lounged on her bed while she sorted through her clothes.

  “That’s your first date?” O’Malley pushed himself up off the bed and grabbed a blue blouse and denim skinny jeans. “Just go for casual. Wear these with your knee-high boots and put your hair up in a messy bun.”

  “You don’t think that’s too casual?” Joanna asked as she headed to the bathroom to change.

  “Not if you team it with some killer lingerie.” His advice was met with a shocked stare.

  “I’m not planning on sleeping with Shawn tonight,” Joanna protested.

  “But what if you do?” O’Malley asked. “I’m telling you, two mates, together. Two shifter mates together…”

  “Not happening.” Although she was now doubting her ability to keep her resolve if Shawn was willing.

  “Well, if you do, you don’t want to wish you’d made an effort.” He grinned and shook his head as she gave him an appalled look. “Don’t ask me how I know these things. But follow my advice.”

  “How do you know?” Joanna paused at the door.

  “It’s not because I have slept with a lot of women,” he said frankly.

  “I never thought it was.” She tipped her head to one side and studied him for a moment. “I’d say it was because you have three sisters, but I don’t think that would explain the lingerie.”

  “No, nothing to do with my sisters.” O’Malley screwed up his face. “But I have had a lot of experience with women.”

  “You are a tease.” She turned around ready to flounce out of the room, then she had second thoughts and went to her closet to find her most alluring lingerie.

  “When I went to college, I shared a
house with a group of girls,” he said quickly. “In case you get the wrong idea and tell everyone I’m a man-whore.”

  “I never thought you were.” Joanna couldn’t help smiling. “Why did you share with a group of girls? Isn’t college all about male bonding?”

  “Which is why I shared with a group of girls.” He picked up her perfume bottle and sniffed it. “I didn’t want to spend college in an alcohol-fueled haze. I went to work hard. Women work harder. On the whole.”

  “And?” Joanna asked.

  “And most of the guys…and most of the women thought I was gay…because I lived with women. Women I treated with respect. The outcome was that I didn’t get harassed. Not by the guys wanting me to join them in their conquests or the women who wanted me to be a notch on their bedpost.” He shrugged and turned his cheek to her, so he was in profile against the window. “What can I say, I’m a good-looking guy.”

  “I don’t know if I’m supposed to believe you or not.” Joanna glanced down at the clothes he’d recommended she wore. “I believe you.”

  “It’s true. I had a great time. Mani-pedis are the bomb.” O’Malley curled his fingers and studied his nails. “I miss those days.”

  Joanna rolled her eyes and giggled. “I’m going to get changed.” She left O’Malley in her bedroom and went to the bathroom, a smile on her face and a song in her heart. Although the rest of her just felt plain nervous.

  What if Jane decides she doesn’t like us after all? Joanna said to her wolf.

  She can’t not like me since she hasn’t even met me, her wolf replied. This is all on you.

  Thanks for the support. Joanna stripped off her clothes and quickly dressed.

  “How are you doing?” O’Malley handed her a cup of chamomile tea as she joined him in the kitchen. She’d applied minimal makeup since she didn’t want to look as if she were trying too hard.

  The lingerie will tell Shawn that morsel of information, her wolf commented.

  If he gets to see it, Joanna replied shortly. Sleeping with Shawn was not a forgone conclusion.

  Her wolf chuckled but didn’t argue otherwise.

  “Okay. But nervous.” She smoothed her clammy palms over her thighs. “Very nervous.”

  “I was thinking more about the court case and Ostabell.” His jaw tightened and then he added, “Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up now. Not when you are about to go on your date.”

  “No, it’s okay. Truth is, I’m not sure how I feel,” she admitted. Sitting down at the kitchen table, she rested her elbows on the table and sipped her tea. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel.”

  “Closure?” O’Malley asked as he pulled out a chair and sat down across the table from her. “The man who killed your father is going to rot in jail.”

  “It doesn’t bring my dad back, though, does it?” she asked. “That part of it hasn’t changed. I had hoped that seeing the man responsible behind bars might ease the pain. But it doesn’t. He’ll always be gone, and I’ll always miss him.”

  “Point taken.” He glanced around the kitchen and then looked back at Joanna. “Want me to help you pack your stuff?”

  “What?” she asked sharply, her tea sloshing around her cup.

  “You’re going to be moving to Cougar Ridge, aren’t you?” O’Malley broke into a grin. “I’m thinking of asking to come live with you as a renter. Those mountains are like heaven.”

  “I thought you loved it here.” O’Malley’s words had shaken her. If things worked out with Shawn…

  Of course they are going to work out with Shawn, her wolf snapped.

  Then they would be leaving behind their life here. No question that it would be Joanna who had to move. It wouldn’t be fair to uproot Jane when she was settled at school and had friends. Joanna had no intention of being a wicked stepmother.

  “I do love the city. And the bar.” His jaw clenched. O’Malley was unusually tense.

  “Is there something going on with you?” Joanna asked. Had she been so wrapped up in her own world and in her own problems that she had missed something going on with the bar owner?

  “Restless.” He gave a short hollow laugh. “I’ve been running the bar for years. I’m not getting any younger. I’m thinking of semi-retirement.”

  Joanna nearly choked on her tea, which was not having the usual effect of soothing her nerves. “You? Semi-retire?”

  “Yeah, I spoke to Shawn and he was telling me about Cougar Ridge and the freedom they have there to be who they really are.” He smoothed his hand through his hair. “Here I just feel as if I’m constantly hiding.”

  “I get that and I for one would love it if you moved to Cougar Ridge.” She looked up at the ceiling and sighed. “We can help each other pack.”

  “It’d be a new start. Perhaps a chance to put all of our past lives behind us.” His mouth tugged up at the corners, but he didn’t elaborate. O’Malley was ex-special forces. He’d likely seen and done things in his past that he’d rather forget. Things that might haunt him. Just as her father’s death haunted Joanna.

  “Let’s do it!” She reached across the table and took hold of his hand. “New life, new start. Maybe you can open a bar in Cougar Ridge.”

  He cracked a grin. “You know, that might be a great idea. Every town needs an O’Malley’s, right?”

  “Right. And even if it’s not in Cougar Ridge, there’s Bear Creek and Bear Bluff right on the doorstep.” She shrugged and lifted her teacup. “To new beginnings.”

  “To new beginnings.” He touched his cup to hers and then gulped down his coffee. Getting up from the chair, he grabbed his leather jacket and slid his arms into the sleeves. It fit him like a second skin. “I have to go.” He glanced at the kitchen clock on the wall. “And so do you.”

  “Wish me luck.” Joanna stood up and went to the sink with the cups.

  “You are not going to need luck.” O’Malley paused in the doorway. “Take an overnight bag.”

  “What?” She spun around to face him. “I can’t, it would look too…”

  “Too what?” O’Malley asked. “It’s a long drive and you don’t have to work early in the morning. And you two are mates. What happens between you is a foregone conclusion.” His eyes darkened. “Take an overnight bag.”

  Her breath shuddered through her body as she let out a long nervous breath. “I don’t think I can do this.” Nerves finally got the better of her and she reached for the counter as her knees went weak. “What do I know about being a mate, let alone the mother of a child?”

  O’Malley was by her side in an instant. He wrapped his arms around her and cradled her close. “You know everything you need to know.”

  “You always know the right thing to say.” Joanna rested her head on his chest, taking comfort from his presence.

  “We’ve been friends for a long time, Jo. I like to think I know you better than anyone. And I know you are the best thing that could ever happen to Shawn and Jane. They will love you.” He pulled away from her and hooked his fingers under her chin, tilting her head back. “In fact, I can guarantee that by the end of this evening, they will love you more than brownies.”

  She snorted. “Now I know you are just making it up. No one loves anything more than brownies.” She kissed his cheek. “Thanks.”

  “You are welcome.” He headed back out of the kitchen. “And just remember you owe me one.”

  “I do?” she raised an eyebrow.

  “Yeah, when I come to you a blubbering mess because of my mate, I am expecting the same kind of pep talk. Deal?” He grinned but there was a sadness lurking in his handsome features.

  “Deal.” She followed him to the front door. “And you will find her.”

  “I hope so.” He nodded and then strode down the streets, turning once to give her a brief wave before he disappeared from view.

  I truly hope he does find his mate and has the chance to start a family, her wolf said.

  So do I, Joanna answered. So do I.

&nbs
p; Swiveling on her heel, Joanna turned back toward the house she’d worked hard to buy. O’Malley’s words echoed in her head. She would need to sell. Or maybe she could hang on to it and rent it out. It would make a good investment.

  Or Shawn might see it was you hanging on to a part of your old life because you are worried it won’t work out. Her wolf always cut straight to the chase.

  It will work out. We’re both shifters. We’re fated mates. No one is walking away from this relationship, she said firmly.

  Her wolf chuckled. Yeah, make sure you tell Shawn that.

  Joanna groaned inwardly as the pressure of her relationship with Shawn pressed down on her. There were so many decisions they would have to make together. Since Shawn was a similar age to Joanna, both with forty behind them, he was probably used to making all his own decisions.

  Set in your ways, her wolf said with a grin.

  It’s going to be tough to be part of a couple, Joanna conceded.

  But fun. Her wolf was all for fun. Imagine running over the mountain with our mate. She wrinkled her snout a little. Even if Shawn is a cat.

  Joanna smiled as she shut the front door and paused at the bottom of the stairs. See, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows.

  I’d rather have a cat as a mate than no mate, her wolf announced. Go pack your overnight bag.

  Yes, sir, Joanna made a mock salute.

  That’s ma’am, her wolf panted at the thought of staying overnight with their mate.

  Now I’m having second thoughts, Joanna admitted as images of Shawn, naked in bed, crept into her head.

  Take a chance on love, her wolf said before slinking off into the corner of Joanna’s mind. Circling around and around, the wolf flopped down on her side and slept.

  Joanna ran up the stairs, grabbed a small backpack, and shoved a few things into it. At least if she took the backpack, it wouldn’t look as if she’d packed for an overnight stay. Shawn might think she carried so much clutter around that she’d outgrown a purse. Or she could simply leave it in the car and grab it if the need arose.

  Her wolf chuckled in her sleep.

  With a sigh, Joanna zipped the backpack shut and slung it over one shoulder. Checking her reflection in the mirror one more time, she then headed back downstairs. A brief tour of the house confirmed everything was secure. There was nothing else to do, no more stalling, she needed to get in the car and drive.