“You could say that,” Janet said with a grin.
Lisa leaned in with a conspiratorial smirk. “You should see them when we have movie night here at the library. They actually show some excitement. It’s like they’re different people.”
“I would imagine so. Do you have many activities for the children here at the library?”
“We try to, yes. Movie nights, crafts and activities for the younger ones. We do our best. Kids get restless though. Do you have any? Kids I mean?”
“Oh, no. Not personally. I am a nanny though. I work with children often.”
“Ah. Interesting. Well, welcome. I hope you find the town to your liking.”
“I’m sure I will.”
“Let me know if you need anything,” Lisa said, making her way to the cart full of returned books.
“Thank you. I think I’ll just browse around for now. I’ve got some time to kill.”
They parted ways and Janet made her way down the fiction aisle. It felt good to make a friend, or at least a friendly acquaintance. Sometimes she felt so buried in the shifter world that she forgot how it felt to speak with another regular human. Not that shifters were not human, they were just special. Perhaps a bit super-human.
She plucked her phone out of her pocket and double checked the address with a map search, finding it only a few blocks away. Perhaps she would walk, she decided. The weather was warm outside, and she wanted to take in the sights as much as possible.
Grassy medians filled the middle of the street, dotted with cheery daffodils at the base of the trees. Now and then she saw a person walking a dog or jogging. This place was so different from the city. Everyone moved at a more relaxed pace, smiled easily. She received a number of smiles and nods from everyone she passed by.
She did not see the man approaching from around the corner ahead of her. Her gaze was up, entranced by the lush trees and picturesque clouds. His must have been down, occupied with some business on his phone. She walked at a steady pace, oblivious to his presence until they collided, knocking her bag and his briefcase out of their hands and scattering belongings across the sidewalk.
“Oh my god,” she muttered, scrambling to gather the fallen items. “I am so sorry.”
“Are you alright?” he asked, steadying her by the elbow. She glanced up and fell silent. She had never before seen that color of eyes before, light hazel green imbued with lively flecks of gold and framed with thick, dark lashes. He smiled, returning her gaze. She felt her knees go week. “Are you alright?” he asked again.
“Um… Yes,” she stammered. The strength of his arms steadying her made her want to sink into him. They stood up and she saw how tall he was. She would have fit perfectly under his muscular arm. She glanced down at his phone which landed in the nearby grass. “I didn’t break anything, did I?”
He took a step back, letting her go. “No,” he replied. “I’ve got one of those cases around it. You could drive over it in a car and it wouldn’t break.”
“I wouldn’t want to try it,” she said still feeling rather sheepish.
“No, of course not. Take care then.”
Janet glanced back down at her own phone, glancing at the street name. She knew she was close to the address. “Do you think…” she blurted, “you could help me find this address?”
“Of course.” The man glanced down, cradling his hand around hers as he steadied the screen to take a look. His touch felt warm and strangely familiar. As he took in the information his face broke into an amused grin. He lifted his gaze from the screen to her face.
“What?” Janet asked. “What is it?”
“This is my address,” he said. “Right here.” He turned toward the house right next to them, a green two-level with white trim.
“Oh,” she replied. “Right.”
“Austin Bradford,” he said, extending his hand. “You must be Janet. Why don’t you come inside?”
Janet wanted to drop right into the ground in embarrassment. If a sinkhole had appeared underneath her, she would have sunk into it with a smile on her face. But no sinkhole arrived, and she was forced to follow him onto his porch and stand there as he unlocked the door. He gestured her to enter before him.
At least he is a gentleman, Janet thought as she stepped through the door. That’s something at least.
“Well, I’m Janet Noble, obviously,” she said extending her hand. He shook her hand, glancing her over with the crooked grin still etched across his face.
“I suppose you’d like to meet the children?” he suggested.
“Of course.”
“They’ll be here in about half an hour from day care. Can I offer you some coffee?”
“Sure. Yes. Thank you.” They made their way down the hall and stepped into a dining room. The sideboard along the length of the wall had a hot water brewer along with a coffee pot. Before she knew it, he had the coffee brewing and pulled a seat out at the table for her. He placed a tray containing sugar and a pitcher of cream in the center of the table.
“I suppose we should go through the usual checklist,” he said as he poured the coffee into two mugs, handing one to her as he took a seat across from her. As soon as he said this, Janet realized she probably should have offered to make the coffee herself. This would be one of the duties she might have if she were hired.
“Yes,” she said pouring three heaping spoons of sugar into her cup followed by a generous dose of cream. Now she wanted to get through this process and get out of there before she embarrassed herself anymore than she already had.
He took his coffee black, sipping the hot beverage and glancing her over once more. She felt grateful for the coffee mug as she otherwise would not know what to do with her hands.
“How long have you been a nanny with Shift the Future?” he asked.
“About three years. There is something you should know, and I’d like to clarify this from the beginning.”
“Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“I’m a non-shifting human,” she said trying to keep her voice steady. “I’m not a shifter.”
“I see,” he replied. His expression remained steady, serious and drawn. He set down his coffee mug and leaned in. “They did not tell me that when I called the agency.”
“Oh, I can assure you,” Janet began. “I am fully qualified to handle shifter children. My experience is more than enough to do an excellent job with your children.”
“But human?” he said keeping his expression. “How did you come to work with this kind of agency? It’s not often a non-shape shifter works for a shifter agency.”
“I um…” Janet searched her mind for a reason to give him for her placement. She crossed her fingers on the edge of the table. “I’ve always had a very open mind about the unexplained. I have never felt more at home than when I am surrounded by people like you.”
“People like me?” he arched an eyebrow.
“Oh, I didn’t mean--” Janet covered her mouth with her fingers. “I’m not doing so well. Am I?”
His eyebrows tightened, his gaze glowered. “I suppose this makes a difference, you being human. I guess there’s only one thing left to say.” Janet felt her stomach drop out from under her. He leaned in, gesturing her to come closer. “I already knew that,” he whispered before breaking into a grin.
“What?” Janet echoed his grin, laughing out of relief and annoyance all at once.
“Yeah, I’m just messing with you,” he said. “How’s the coffee?”
“It’s good. It’s quite good, actually.”
“Now, I told the agency I wanted someone for a two-year commitment after a six month trial period.”
“Yes, I’ll agree to that.”
“Okay, great. Would you like to see the carriage house? It’s where you’ll stay if this works out.”
“Yes, that sounds good.” They walked out the back into a spacious back yard covered by overhanging oak trees creating natural fence at the edge of the property between the other houses.
“This is beautiful,” Janet said.
“We got this house before the kids were born, my wife and I,” he replied. “The plan had been to fill the back yard with children. We always wanted a bunch of kids. Both of us. When Bonnie was born things were happy for us. Everything was working out the way we’d hoped. We were young, in love, having babies. And then not too long after, we found out we were expecting again.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful,” Janet said with a smile.
“It would have been.” He glanced away. “I’ve said too much. You don’t want to hear about it. But the short version is that now I’m stuck here with a house full of empty rooms and two kids who deserve better.”
“I’m sure you are doing the best you can.”
He paused when she said this, glancing her way. They arrived at the front door of the carriage house, a squat four-sided brick structure. Austin shuffled through his keys until he found the one he needed, and after fiddling with the lock, swung open the door gesturing her inside.
The place appeared cozy, a one room apartment with a full-sized bed in one corner and a kitchenette in the other. Someone had decorated it, she assumed. She could not imagine that this single father would have thought to put a decorative wicker gift basket on the corner of the bed along with the bouquet of yellow daisies on the end table.
“Take a look around. If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to take this call.” He stepped outside, his attention diverted to the phone against his ear.
Janet immediately loved the tiny little space. If she did get this appointment, and by now she truly hoped she would get it. So far it all seemed too good to be true. Within seconds, he popped his head back into the door. “Can you start right away?” he asked appearing a bit harried.
“Yes, I think so,” she sputtered.
“Good, because the kids will be here in ten minutes and I’ve got to run off. I’ll call the agency as soon as I can to finalize.”
“Yeah, that’s fine. Is everything alright?”
“There’s been a break in at the library.”
Chapter Three
Austin bolted from the carriage house, squealing out of the driveway in his compact car. Lisa had called in a frantic state. When she said the library, he and the rest of the pack knew she did not mean the public front part of the library. He hated to leave the new nanny high and dry, but he knew that Alex would be there soon with the kids. They would have a chance to get to know each other a little bit.
The others pulled into the parking lot right around the same time he did, Chase, Derek, and Jackson in each of their vehicles. Lisa greeted them at the door, a tight-lipped smile on her face. Austin guessed her remarkable calm came from the need to keep up appearances to the citizens scattered about the library going about their day.
“This way,” she said. “It must have happened sometime last night because I had not been back there yet today.”
“What kind of damage is there?” Chase asked careful to keep his voice low.
“Let me show you,” Lisa replied.
They rounded the corner making their way to the back wall. Within the recessed wall, the wooden door stood ajar. Austin hung back allowing the others to enter the room first. This part of the library could only be accessed by invitation, and usually only to those who knew the secrets of the town at least in some capacity.
Lisa had long been an ally to the pack. They all knew her, and trusted her. He suspected also that a few of them might have had more intentions towards her once upon a time than any of them cared to admit. But as time passed, she had proven herself as a loyal friend and invaluable part of the team. She made her way to the back of the room, heading straight for the glass front cabinet.
“They were going for the scrolls,” she said.
“Did they get anything?” Chase asked shadowing her on the other side of the cabinet.
“I don’t think so. The glass is broken though. That’s what tipped me off. Plus, they left their aura all over this place. It’s shameful, really.”
Austin stepped forward next to Jackson. “Why didn’t they take anything? They came this far and busted the glass. Why stop there?”
Lisa turned and gave him a playful glance. “I put a spell on it, just to be on the safe side. No one is getting anything out of this cabinet.”
“Okay, boys,” Chase said. “She called us here for a reason. We need to get a track on whoever this is and see what they want. Lisa, what are you keeping in this cabinet?”
“These are some of my most priceless possessions, the Alexandria Scrolls. No one touches them. Not even me.”
“Wait,” Derek interrupted. “Alexandria, as in the burned down library, Alexandria?”
“The very same,” Lisa said. “It’s been part of this collection for a long time. A very long time.”
“I’d say,” Derek said. “That library burned down in 48 B.C!”
“That’s the story anyway,” Lisa smirked. “Do you think you guys can track whoever did this?”
“We’re going to try,” Chase said with a resolute set to his jaw. “It might be better if you wait outside.”
She planted one hand on her hip. “Now see here, Mister Martin. You may be the big bad bear keepers of this town, but this is my library, under my care. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Lisa, this could get dangerous for you. When we access our bears, we can’t always control their behavior.”
“I’m staying.”
Chase took a deep breath. Austin could feel his internal debate to keep arguing. “Fine,” Chase said at last. “Suit yourself. Gentlemen?”
Lisa took her cue and stepped over towards the corner. She was stubborn, but she was not stupid, not by a long shot. Austin stepped into the square, each corner made up by a member of his pack. They linked up, a technique they had all but mastered by their regular practice of the Kon-Mar.
He could sense immediately the lift in his senses. The dusty atmosphere of the hidden room became a hotbed of scents. He could pinpoint the fine sweat of his fellow pack mates, intermingled with Lisa’s flowery perfume. He cleared all of this out of his mind, focusing instead on the foreign scent.
An outsider had been in this room, and not long ago. He only sensed one scent, one individual, a blend of leather and smoke. They had been shocked by the presence of the spell over the glass front of the cabinet, sensed by the acrid scent of adrenaline around the edges. He felt the mind of the others stepping into his own. They had practiced this multiple times. He had still not gotten used to it yet. He would never say so out loud, but he felt relieved when Chase disconnected the link.
“What have we got, boys?” he asked.
Derek spoke first. “Male, working alone.”
“He’s a shifter of some kind,” Jackson said. “I got that right away.”
“He’s unskilled,” Austin said. “The magic surprised him. He didn’t know what he was walking into.”
Chase nodded. “That all matches up,” he said. “Max says that this kind of link allows for details to arise even after the link is broken. Don’t be surprised if you find out more as time passes.”
“So what happens now?” Lisa asked from the corner.
“Now,” Chase said resolutely. “We find this guy.”
* * * *
Janet left her bag in the carriage house. Having found the keys to the door on the end table, she returned to the main house to wait for the kids. Just as he said, about ten minutes later a car pulled up. A woman with bright blonde hair exited and opened the back car door. Two tiny children tumbled out.
She knew from their dossiers that the girl was the oldest, all blonde hair and smiling dimples. The boy followed after, a wide-eyed mop of dark hair, clutching his backpack like a security blanket. Janet stepped out the front door, stepping down the stairs into the yard.
“Hi, you must be Janet,” the blonde woman said.
“Yes, hi. I’m Janet.” She leaned down to greet the children. “You must be Bonnie and Dillon.
It’s nice to meet you.”
The little boy took his sister’s hand, ducking his eyes down and avoiding her greeting. The girl however met her gaze with a serious look.
“Are you the one Dad told us about?” she asked.
“I must be,” Janet answered. “I hope we can get to know each other a little bit.”
“Maybe.” The little girl spoke with a maturity which belied her age. “Come on, Dillon. Let’s go get snacks.” Her brother’s face lit up at the mention of food, and together they trotted off into the house.
“I’m Alex.” The blonde woman extended her hand to Janet. “I’ve been helping out with Austin’s kids for a few weeks since school started. He messaged me that you would be here just a little bit ago.”
“Hello,” Janet took her hand and smiled. “I hoped he did. I didn’t want to be just a random stranger showing up at his house.”
Alex laughed. “I suppose so. Did you find the place okay?”
Janet blushed a bit at the collision they had experience. “Yes, I did. Oh, I should invite you in. I’m sorry, I only just arrived here about half an hour ago, myself.”
“It’s alright,” Alex said. “I’ve got to go anyway. I’ve got my son back at home to get back to.”
“Of course.”
“Listen, the kids are great, but if you need anything just let me know.”
“Thanks so much. It’s a beautiful town here.”
“We think so too. See you around.” Alex returned to her car, and Janet headed back inside.
She found the kids sitting at the dining room table, each with an apple and a yogurt cup. They both gave her silent glares as she entered the room. I may have my work cut out for me, she thought. She pulled out the chair at the head of the table and sat down.
“So did everyone have a good day in school today?” she began.
Dillon immediately took a large bite of his apple, glaring at her as if to indicate his mouth was full and he could not respond. Bonnie took small delicate spoonfuls of her yogurt, glancing carefully towards Janet almost as if studying her. Otherwise, the girl did not respond.
Nanny to the Bear (Burning Falls Shifters Book 4) Page 2