What the Flock

by Savage, Vivienne

  Ellie bowed. “Of course you do.”

  Armed with pen and notepad, they viewed one dress after the next, taking notes and marking down preferred features. By the end, they were tipsy, had settled on a design for the invitations, and Maddie had sketched out a vague idea representing the traits she wanted in a wedding dress. Strapless, backless, with a long and bouncy train. They were torn between colors but decided the dressmaker could weigh in to help them choose.

  The venue was an easier decision. Swan Lake’s gorgeous recreation center would be magnificent in the summer.

  “So…now that the wedding is only a few months away, have you given any thought to your date?” Maddie asked.

  And there she went throwing ice water on Ellie’s mood. She sighed. “No, I haven’t. Did my mother put you up to asking me that? Because she asked me the same thing last week.”

  Her friend’s mouth twisted into a frown. “She didn’t, but if I’d known, I would have kept my fat mouth shut. Sorry. I’m not trying to badger you.”

  Ellie said nothing.

  “I just want you to be as happy as I am,” Madeleine was saying, babbling as she often did whenever guilt overtook her. “I’m only asking, because one of my best customers wanted to know if he had a shot at inviting you as his date. And he’s a good guy. Really upstanding. Kinda handsome and—”

  “Kinda?”

  “He has a unique look.”

  “Who?” Butterflies took flight in Ellie’s stomach as Madeleine painted a picture of her ideal man.

  “I promised I wouldn’t give his name if you weren’t interested. He didn’t want things to get weird between you since he kinda, uh, buys from you a few times a week.”

  Ellie’s pulse thundered in her veins. “He buys from me?” Could it be the object of her affection? Immediately, her thoughts went to handsome and muscular Griffin Montgomery and the tantalizing way his biceps flexed, even in his officer’s uniform. She thought of the chief’s crooked smile, and the way his unusual, pale golden eyes crinkled whenever he laughed. That man was a work of art, and it was fitting that he had taken an interest in creating beautiful things.

  “He does. Many times a week.” Maddie bounced her eyebrows suggestively.

  “Goddammit, Mads, this isn’t the time to be a brat. I swear if you don’t give me the man’s name, I will break this glass and cut you.”

  “Damn. No need to be violent.”

  They both laughed. Threats were typical for them. They’d been friends since they were little girls barely learning to fly, but they’d never make good on them. “Okay. So. Spill the name.”

  “Chad Brunswick.”

  “Oh.” Her hopes died. The guy had tried to outbid her and swoop in to purchase the strip of shops on Main Street months ago, but the owner had loved Ellie’s plans and her proposal too much to be swayed by money alone.

  Maddie’s fair brows scrunched together. “What’s wrong?” Then her eyes lit up. “You thought I was going to name someone else, didn’t you?”

  “I—”

  “You did! Your face says it.”

  Ellie hid her face behind her hands. “My face doesn’t say anything but annoyance that you’re poking into my personal life the way—”

  “You’ve often poked into mine?”

  No matter how much Ellie tried to hold a scowl on her face, it was short-lived. She sighed. “Okay. Fair enough. Look, Chad is…he’s a very nice guy now that we’re not at each other’s throats over the plaza, and he does visit often, but I just don’t know if I see him that way. He does nothing for me.” He didn’t make her heart palpitate like she’d drunk a gallon of espresso when he entered the shop. His smiles didn’t turn her hands clammy. And the sound of his voice didn’t make her core clench like she was holding on to eight inches of hard cock—something which she hadn’t enjoyed in about three years.

  Dammit.

  “But someone else does.” When Ellie didn’t answer right away, Maddie added, “I’m not trying to be pushy or pry into your business if you really don’t want to talk. God, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have even brought up Chad. It’s just, he came into the shop just to ask about you, and I couldn’t help but—”

  Ellie cocked a brow. “He came into the store asking about me?”

  “Yeah. I mean, he stayed to work on a project, at least, but he seems genuinely interested in you. Wanted to know if you were single, if you might be interested in changing that, you know, the small stuff. Don’t worry, I told him to go to you if he wanted to know anything. I swear, I wouldn’t answer anything private even if he had asked.”

  “I know. I trust you. Ugh, it’s just…” She pursed her lips. “He looks a little like a rat, don’t you think? With those beady brown eyes. And those huge-ass teeth.”

  “That’s so mean!”

  “But it’s true. I can’t help it if something about him just reminds me of a rodent. Anyway, all that just to say he isn’t my type. He’s a nice guy and all, but he just isn’t my type even if you ignored the lack of attraction. I’m not trying to be shallow.”

  “Nobody can be your type if you don’t get to know them and see who they are.”

  “Easy for you to say. Your man is, like, perfect. Dudes like Dean only exist in romcoms and romance novels.”

  Maddie rolled her eyes. “Dudes like him exist when you give men the chance to show you they’re worthwhile and sweet and wonderful. I don’t mean to bug you, El, I just…really want you to be as happy as I am.”

  “I am happy. I have a flourishing business, wonderful friends, and an amazing daughter. Anything else is just icing on the cake.”

  “A relationship may be icing on the cake, but is a cake ever its best without buttercream?”

  “Yes,” Ellie deadpanned. “A baker who can’t make a cake delicious without frosting just isn’t a good baker.”

  3

  Griffin had a rule when it came to traffic stops. He didn’t pull anyone over unless they were going more than five miles over the limit, and even then, he usually sent them off with only a warning if they weren’t assholes about it.

  He made it his goal to never pull anyone over without just cause.

  He went out of his way not to use his badge for personal gain.

  And since Crisis was, for the most part, a quiet town with a minimal amount of crime, that meant boring shifts.

  Sitting in the cruiser, he watched a flame-patterned motorcycle blow into town. A couple minutes later, Griffin pulled behind the motorcyclist into a roadside gas station. He had spent the past nine months making up his mind about Crisis’s newcomer, a fox shifter, if word traveling around the older folk could be trusted.

  And hell, it usually could. The older members of the community knew their shifters at a glance, right down to the species with perfect accuracy. They’d pegged Griffin for an eagle the moment he settled into town with his fading dye job. After that, he didn’t let his white roots show anymore. Not like his sister. His twin was all about flaunting her white old-lady hair, as she playfully called it with pride.

  Dean filled his tank, appearing oblivious to Griff’s approach while idly texting on his phone. Whoever it was, it had his full attention.

  “You got a moment, Callahan?”

  The other shifter stiffened, tension in his spine. Griff knew the look and posture, felt the anxiety of a man who was desperately wondering what the hell law he’d broken, if any.

  “You didn’t do anything wrong. I saw you ride into town without Madeleine and knew if I came by later to speak with you in Swan Lake, half the neighborhood would notice.”

  The tension evaporated. Dean straightened and turned to face him, laughing. “Got that right. Damn swans don’t know how to keep their bills out of other people’s business. What can I do for you, Chief?”

  Griffin’s brows raised. “What made you think I knew she was a swan?”

  “Old Man McCormack. Never keeps his mouth shut. Blind as a fucking mole though, so he can’t work under his own hood
anymore. Wants to give his Ford Ranger to his nephew. Anyway, he gave me the lowdown on everyone in Crisis.”

  Griffin groaned. He kneaded his temples with one hand. “Is that right?” Maybe he should have paid a visit to McCormack if he wanted intel on Ellie’s relationship status.

  “Oh yeah. Everybody. I’ll forget half of them before the week is out, but man, eagle?” Dean nodded slowly. “Impressive. I won’t forget that.”

  “I wish you would.”

  A wide grin spread across Dean’s face. “Nah. That won’t be happening. Um. Anyway, man? I don’t mind chatting with you, but if you’re not going to ticket me, and I’m not being detained or anything, could we move this to like…the cafe or something?” The fox glanced around. Customers walked at the speed of dribbling molasses to their vehicles, rubbernecking to see why the chief of police was chatting with him.

  “Shit. Sure. Sure. I appreciate it. Coffee on me at Lottie’s? I was heading that way for dinner.”

  “You got it.”

  * * *

  Gossip was bound to get around anyway but in hindsight, Griffin realized there were a dozen reasons to chat up the town’s most popular handyman. Dean Callahan had established a successful business as an affordable contractor after taking on the remodel for Ellie’s bakery. Now he worked on the rest of the shops in the strip she’d purchased.

  What an amazing woman. Everything about her impressed and enchanted him. She worked hard, busted her ass to raise her child, and thanks to her, the ancient strip of shops off Main Street actually drew in customers from outside the city. For too long, residents of Crisis had traveled to the surrounding cities to spend their money.

  When Griff strode into the Chugga Chugga Cafe, Lottie waved from behind the counter. The older woman kept her white hair short and feathered around her face like goose down, and she donned the same swan and stork-themed apron each evening, worn every day since Griff came into town ten years ago. Now that he was a bachelor who didn’t cook for himself, single for the past year since coming home to discover his wife packing her bags, Lottie got a lot of his money.

  “Evening, Chief!” she chirped to him. “The usual?”

  “The usual,” Griffin replied. “Whatever Callahan ordered, add to my tab.” Feeling silly, he slid into a seat opposite the fox shifter. Dean had a tall glass of sweet tea and a pile of Lottie’s famous cornbread muffins. “Thanks for meeting me.”

  “No problem. So what’s up? This has nothing to do with our respective jobs, I’m guessing.”

  “You’re right. Look, I… I am definitely crossing a professional line here, so ignore the uniform and feel free to tell me to go fuck myself. It’s just that I—”

  “You’re sweet on Ellie.”

  Griffin blinked at him. “Is it that obvious?”

  “Nah, man, it isn’t. I just took a shot in the dark.” But mischief sparkled in Dean’s eyes and told Griffin there was more to it than that. “So let me guess. You also want tips on how to get with her. You want an inside peek at what makes our favorite baker tick?”

  “Tips? Uh, no. I don’t need tips and secrets. I just want to know if she’s opening the bakery tomorrow.” Then something clicked in his mind. Also? Had someone else asked.

  Dean laughed. “That’s all? Shit, you could have asked me that at the gas station man. Yeah, she should be heading into the bakery around two in the morning.”

  “Great. Second question. Is she—” He stopped when Lottie arrived with dinner. She slid a plate of chicken fried steak, string beans, and mashed potatoes in front of Griffin. Once she was beyond ear shot, he leaned forward and dropped his voice. “Am I going to be ruining her day if I drop by to ask her to dinner? A previously overheard conversation leads me to believe she’s sworn off men.”

  “No, she hasn’t sworn off men. She’s sworn off stupid men who don’t realize Emma comes first.”

  “Ah.”

  “You know, cop or not, you do anything to hurt her—”

  Griffin tensed. “You don’t have to threat—”

  “Maddie will fuck you up.”

  That wasn’t exactly what Griff expected. But Dean grinned at him from across the table. “What?”

  “Hey. I don’t need to make threats on Ellie’s behalf. My wife-to-be is a force of nature and far more terrifying than I could ever be. One more thing though.”

  “Yeah?”

  “You got some competition, dude.”

  4

  The sweet smell of vanilla and flour filled the bakery, contrasting the savory aroma of smoked bacon Ellie had already scooped off the grill. Multitasking was a must, and she had her morning routine down to a fine science, leaving no room for mistakes.

  At a quarter to four in the morning, she was cutting it close but still on time to open for the early morning crowd.

  Music blasted over the Amazon Echo device from her favorite hard-working playlist. Catchy tunes from Taylor Swift made the morning breeze by. She really started dancing while drizzling a layer of vanilla glaze over cooled scones. They were a new addition to the bakery’s breakfast menu, and they often sold out fast.

  Most of the breakfast menu sold out, in fact, and now that she was supplying pastries to Chugga Chugga Cafe, she needed an extra hand in the kitchen to assist her and Luke if she wanted to be able to meet the growing demand.

  Someone knocked on her door, way before she was scheduled to open. Irritated, she set down the ladle and pot of glaze then stepped outside.

  “Huh?” The town’s chief of police stood outside the glass door, looking fine as hell in his uniform. Ellie turned the key in the lock and opened the door. “Good morning, Chief Montgomery. We’re not quite ready to open yet.” But if he was hungry enough to tap on her window at almost four in the morning, she’d hand feed the man a couple bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits. Especially if he’d smile like he had the previous afternoon.

  “I didn’t come for the food, Miss Eleanor, though it would be more than fine to ease out of your way with a doughnut or two.”

  “Then what did you want?”

  When he smiled, Ellie’s ovaries threatened to burst. She didn’t even want another baby anytime soon but she entertained a brief fantasy that resulted in her ankles on the chief’s shoulders while he pounded her on a nearby table.

  “Well, your number would be a nice start. I can come back for the rest of what I want when you’re open.”

  A few seconds passed before her mouth cooperated. “My number?”

  Griffin nodded, grinning. “Yes, ma’am. Otherwise it’ll be difficult to give you a call.”

  Ellie didn’t dare to jump to conclusions. She held her breath. “Why would you be calling me?”

  “To take you out for a date for starters. Maybe dinner.”

  Ellie’s gaze drifted past him, over his shoulder, half-expecting to find the crew from some candid television show filming her. No one. Nothing but his cruiser. She jerked her attention up to Chief Montgomery’s expressive gold eyes again, staring. “You want to take me out on a date? Er.” She sounded like an idiot, questioning and repeating him stupidly. “I mean, uh, I didn’t expect…”

  “Well, I would have asked a couple days ago, but with your employee rubbernecking beside you, I figured maybe you’d like the privacy to shoot me down. If you were so inclined.”

  Confident, not arrogant. She liked that.

  In the seconds it took for Ellie to consider her options, Griffin’s expression turned contrite. He closed his eyes, and she watched him mouth, “Shit,” to himself. “I’m sorry, Miss Pryor, don’t feel obligated to say yes either. It was dumb—and unprofessional—of me to show up like this, asking you—”

  “No, no, no, it’s okay! Honestly, I’m not shooting you down. I needed a moment to think.” If the man only knew how often he occupied her thoughts.

  Ellie dashed to the register and yanked a card from the holder on the counter. She scribbled her number on the back. “This is to my cell.”

  Griffin took
it, exchanging one card for another. What she assumed was his personal mobile number had been pre-written on the back of it, along with the police department and his office extension.

  “I’ll be back when you’re open for my usual.”

  “I’m not going to make you wait until I’m open to eat your breakfast, Chi—”

  “Griffin. But Griff is what my friends call me.”

  Griff had a friendly, casual tone to it that she liked. Ellie prepared him a box of goodies, adding an extra doughnut if it meant he’d be jogging by again. Then she crossed from behind the counter and took an orange juice from the fridge.

  “I usually go for a—”

  “Vanilla latte, I know, but you get off duty in two hours, and you won’t get any sleep with caffeine in your belly.”

  “We haven’t even been on a real date yet, and you’re deciding when I get to have caffeine?”

  “Because I care.” Ellie flashed him a big smile and waved off his wallet. “No charge. Your money is no good here, Chief.”

  “Griff—”

  “I like the sound of chief.”

  Feeling bold and sassy, she leaned forward to kiss him on the cheek before herding him outside of the bakery and locking the door behind him.

  Then she returned to work.

  Ellie lasted for a full five minutes before she called Maddie.

  “Oh my God, it’s almost four in the morning. What do you want?”

  “Chief Montgomery came by the bakery. He asked for my phone number.”

  “I told you he was interested.”

  “I guess you were right.”

  “Girl, I’m always right.”

  * * *

  Ellie applied pink lipstick for a pop of color, suddenly doubting her decision to wear dove-gray dress and charcoal tights on a first date. She looked like a librarian.

  Maybe he’s into sexy librarians, Ellie thought, adjusting her cleavage in the mirror until the girls were at the optimal height.

  Maybe she should have stuffed.