“Sure. Yeah. What is it?”
“I’m really just asking for my own information. I don’t want to say anything out of turn. What do the children know about the disappearance of your wife?”
He paused, taking a seat at the far end of the couch. “What makes you ask?” he said evenly.
“It’s the children, actually,” she replied. “I think they may need to know the truth, whatever that may be.”
“Janet, you don’t know anything about it. You know how much I appreciate you and your presence in my kids’ life. I’ve seen a huge difference in them since you’ve been here. That being said, you’re not a shifter, and you don’t know what it means to be one. What I do or don’t tell my children is none of your concern.”
“Forgive me for saying so, Austin,” Janet replied. “But you hired me to be the caregiver for your children. Now, regardless of what may or may not be going on between us, that is my primary purpose here. As long as those children are under my care I will do what needs to be done to ensure their safety. I think I proved that during our first outing.”
“That would have ended differently if I hadn’t been there,” he snapped.
“That may be true, so be there for them now.”
“How am I not there for them?” he scowled.
Janet took a deep breath before she continued. “Dillon is hurting. He thinks it is his fault that your wife left them.”
“Why would he think that? She left to protect them.” Janet sat back, lightly crossing her arms to hear him out. He averted his eyes, but continued. “She left because she was afraid for them. It’s been known to happen when a shifter can’t handle their transition. Sometimes it’s more traumatic. That’s how it was with Sarah.”
“Transition?”
“That’s what it’s called when a person discovers they have shifter abilities. Hers was… especially difficult. It happened around the same time Dillon was born. She’d had a difficult birth. The theory is, that’s what triggered her into shifting for the first time. Dillon was only three months old.”
“Did something happen?”
“No. Nothing, but she’s always been a bit mentally delicate. Just the idea spooked her. She couldn’t handle the thought that she might turn into an apex predator around her infant son. I tried to tell her about using the Kon-Mar, about learning how to control it and everything, but she couldn’t hear it. She wouldn’t hear it.”
“I’m so sorry, Austin,” Janet said softly. “I know it’s been hard, but your children need to know the truth.”
Austin shook his head. “I can’t do that. If I tell them, then they would be introduced to the shifter world. They’re too young for that. They couldn’t handle it.”
“They’ve already handled the loss of their mother,” Janet replied. “They’re strong kids. Give them a chance. They might surprise you.”
He rubbed his hand over his face, with an expression akin to annoyance and anger. “Fine,” he muttered. “Just let me be the one to do it, okay?”
“Yes, of course.” Janet stood. “I think I’ll excuse myself for the evening.”
She exited out the back door and made her way to the carriage house, her one safe haven from all the confusion. She closed the door behind her and breathed a sigh of relief. Her eyes landed on the paperback copy of Jane Eyre lying crookedly on her bedside table.
* * * *
Austin took a moment to peek in on his children before calling it a night. Janet had been right about one thing. Ever since Sarah left them, he had pretty much shut down his emotions. With everything that had happened, he had not taken much time to consider what his children were going through. They were growing up without a mother, and as much as he loved them, he could never fully fill the role of both Mother and Father.
He quietly opened the door to Bonnie’s room. She laid curled up under her blanket, clutching at her favorite stuffed giraffe even in her sleep. Her blonde hair fell across her pillow, framing her sleeping face like a halo. He gently touched the top of her head, feeling the steadiness of her breath as she slept.
She had been old enough to remember her mother. Though she rarely spoke of her, he sometimes caught her watching the other girls at school walking hand in hand with their mothers, sharing girlish secrets, braids, nail polish. Things outside of his own world, which he had not been able to give her.
Dillon laid sprawled out on his bed, his head tilted back at the same angle he used to sleep as a small baby. Physically, Dillon resembled Sarah more, and now and then some naive towns person would comment on it. He hated the look of defeat on Dillon’s face when he heard those words. Oh, he looks so much like his mother! As if he somehow bore the fault of her absence.
Austin stepped out into the hallway. In that silent, whispered moment he made a promise to his children. In his eagerness to ensure his children were cared for, he had considered having a nanny present for them would allow him to submerge himself into his work. Strangely, Janet’s presence seemed to be doing just the opposite, drawing him back into his children’s lives.
The next morning, after a quick breakfast of eggs and croissants, Austin stayed to see his children off to school. They seemed happy at his presence, though he knew they would need consistency from him going forward. Janet’s interactions remained professional and cordial, as they always had when the children were near, though she seemed pleased at his effort. After Janet and the kids headed off for the day, Austin decided to walk down to Bells and Whistles, as he had promised to speak with Eloise about replacing the supplements.
He arrived there to find the store busier than usual. A gaggle of tourists roamed around the store, marveling at the variety of incense, the gemstones, the beads. Even so, Eloise greeted him from the register when he entered. He smiled at her and approached.
“Wow, this place is hopping today,” he said.
“Of course.” She smiled appearing as fashionable as ever. “Bells and Whistles is popular for three counties over.”
“Is that so?” Austin replied lowering his voice. “I thought this was one of those places you could only see if you allowed it.”
She leaned in returning his conspiratorial tone. “It is. I lift the veil sometimes during peak tourist season. Even I’ve got to pay the bills, you know.”
“Fair point.” Austin leaned on the counter watching the patrons roam the store, carrying large tote bags full of souvenirs and wearing tee shirts reading ‘I [heart] NY’. They meandered their way out after purchasing a few books on palm reading and a small parcel of crystals.
“So,” Eloise said crossing her fingers beneath her chin. “What brings you in today?”
“A couple of things, actually,” Austin said. “You got a minute?”
“I always have time for my shifters,” she said with a smile.
“Have you heard about the lock box situation?” he began.
“Yes. Cindy came by this morning and told me about it. We’ll be coalescing the sisterhood to combine our knowledge. Someone is making a move for Burning Falls, and I for one, don’t like it.”
“Neither do I. So you probably know we’ll be needing more supplements for the lock boxes, right?”
“Of course. I’ve got some on order right now. They should be here within the week. I’ll contact Chase as soon as they arrive.”
“Do you have any that can tide us over until then?”
“Yes, of course. I’ve got three bottles I can spare. I’m wondering why they would wipe out the lock boxes. What could they want with sweatpants and flip flops I wonder?”
Austin chuckled. “It’s more than that. I think they’re trying to psyche us out. Throw us off our game. Besides, if we don’t have our supplements we’ll get weaker every time we shift. They don’t know we have a secret weapon.”
“What’s that?”
Austin grinned. “You, naturally.”
Eloise demurred, turning her attention to the new group of customers walking through the door, three older ladi
es with blown out hair and far too much lipstick. “Hello,” Eloise chirped. “Feel free to look around and please let me know if you need anything.” They returned her smile and wandered towards the bookshelves.
“What else?” Eloise said.
“What?” Austin replied.
“You said you had a couple of things to ask me. What else?”
“Right, um…” Now that Austin had some distance on the conversation with Janet, he did not quite know how to phrase the question to Eloise.
“It’s about the girl, isn’t it?”
“Oh, um… Why would you say that?”
“Oh come on, Austin. A person doesn’t even have to be clairvoyant to see the way you look at her. It’s so obvious.”
“Do you think so?”
“Yes. Yes, I do. The real question is, what are you going to do about it?”
“Do you think I should do something about it? She’s not a shifter. I don’t know if that’s a good idea or not. I have to think about the children after all.”
Eloise crossed her arms, casting him a look which could melt ice. “How long are you going to continue to use your children as an excuse to avoid things?”
He wanted to argue. He wanted desperately to snap back at her in anger at the accusation. He would never use his children for anything or for any reason! But as the words coiled up in his mind, the truth of her statement slowly seeped into him. He had come to Eloise for counsel for a reason, because she could see things that others could not. Perhaps this was one of those times, and maybe, just maybe he should listen to what she had to say.
Chapter Twelve
The house felt strangely quiet after Austin left. Janet had little to do as the house was clean, groceries fully stocked, and no errands to do until the children returned from school. She decided to head out for a walk and explore the town. As much time as she had spent in Burning Falls, she had not explored much outside of the time she spent with the children. She decided to head to the library, maybe pick up some books for the children, perhaps for herself as well.
“Well, hello,” Lisa greeted her from the front desk with a smile.
“Hi Lisa,” Janet replied. “Thought I’d gear up for some seasonal reading.”
“Let me know if you need anything.”
As Janet roamed the aisles, looking at the rows of titles and nothing at all, she noticed the librarian watching her with a strange curiosity. Now and then Janet glanced back at her, only to have her suddenly enthralled with the contents of the desk. Janet headed over to the children’s corner, picking up one of the provided baskets in which to collect books for the children.
When she returned to the front desk, she noticed once more the way Lisa watched her, glancing at her between scanning the books.
“Is there some kind of problem?” Janet asked carefully.
Lisa looked aghast. “Oh, no. I’m sorry. It’s just that… I’m curious about you.”
“Why is that?”
“Forgive me for being so blunt, but rumor is that you… know.”
Janet pressed her lips together. “That I know? Know what?”
Lisa leaned forward and lowered her voice. “That you know about the shifters. Is that true?”
Janet responded in a similar whisper. “If I didn’t before, I’m pretty sure you just told me.”
Lisa smiled. “Austin said you could be trusted. Would you like to go get a cup of coffee?”
They relocated to the cafe down the street. Janet dropped off the books to the car before they walked the block and a half to the coffee shop. It felt nice to have a girl’s outing. Janet had been so focused on work, she had not considered taking time for herself. Lisa’s curiosity amused her. She looked forward to talking shop with someone else who was in the loop.
“So how did you find out?” Lisa asked once they had settled in with their lattes.
“That’s usually the first question I get,” Janet chuckled.
“It’s just that there is a whole system in place to keep these secrets.”
“So you’re curious how I cracked the code?”
“I guess you could say that.”
Janet sipped her coffee, holding the oversized mug with both hands. “I guess I kind of stumbled upon it, quite literally. My friends and I were camping one weekend in college. We headed to this place out of the way. Lots of people went camping there, but this was the off season. My friends and I liked rock climbing, so we actually kind of preferred the off season.”
“That makes sense. You don’t have to worry about the crowds.”
“Exactly. So there were, I think, five of us, that weekend, and we got the fire going and everything. I had to excuse myself, nature’s call and all that. I couldn’t find our designated pee tree, and I ended up further away from the camp than I intended to. If I could hear them talking, I knew I was still too close.”
“I’m the same way. Most of the time if there’s someone in the other stall I can’t pee. I have to wait until everyone is gone.”
“Right? Why is that?”
“So what does peeing in the woods have to do with shifters?”
“So once I was done, I was trying to find my way back to the campsite. I spotted the fire, or so I thought. When I came into the clearing, I found an empty campsite. The fire was smoldering, so I jumped in and started tending to it.”
“Uh oh,” Lisa said with a smile. “Did you know it wasn’t the right campsite?”
“I did, but I didn’t want to leave an unattended flame in the forest. Plus, I wanted to stay put and get my bearings to find my way back to my own site.
“So after a few minutes I heard a sound coming from the woods. It never occurred to me that a wild animal would come that close to an active site. That is until the black bear walked out of the woods right into the clearing across from me.”
“What did you do?”
“I froze. I had no idea what I was supposed to do. I think with bears your supposed to try and be big or whatever, but I totally locked up. Luckily, she didn’t stay a bear for very long.”
“She shifted?”
“Yeah, right there in front of me. Obviously, she hadn’t seen me.”
“Oh my god,” Lisa sipped her coffee listening to the story. The smile on her face indicated both amusement and horror.
“So then, a few seconds later I found myself sitting across from my college mentor, buck naked in the middle of the woods. She looked at me. I looked at her. The gig was up.”
Lisa leaned back in her chair, placing her hands over her mouth.
Janet continued. “So obviously, she swore me to secrecy. I told her I had always felt as if there was more going on around us then the average person knows. In the following weeks she sort-of tutored me into the shifter world. She wasn’t going to, but I begged her to show me her world. I think she thought I was some kind of desperate fan girl or something. But after I graduated, she introduced me to the nanny agency, and here I am.”
“Here you are,” Lisa replied.
“What about you?” Janet said. “If you don’t mind me asking. I mean, you’re not a shifter, are you?”
“Not in the traditional sense, no,” Lisa said.
“But you do have your own kind of magic, right?”
Lisa grinned. “I think you have a bit of an instinct about these things.”
Their conversation was interrupted by the ringing of Lisa’s phone. “Oh, I should take this. It’s Eloise.” Lisa stepped away, slipping out the door of the cafe to take the call, returning a few minutes later.
“So, I hate to break our coffee short, but there’s a few people getting together at Eloise’s. Apparently something went down and there’s some information they need to go over with me.” Lisa paused, glancing at Janet. “You know what? Would you like to come with? You have a great instinct and you’re already in the know.”
“Are you sure?” Janet said, though secretly she wanted nothing more.
“There’s no reason you shoul
dn’t be there. We could use someone with your perspective. Come on. I’ll drive.”
“So who is Eloise?” Janet asked as they headed to the car.
“Oh, you haven’t met her yet? I thought you had. She’s got this little shop down next to Briggs’ Grocery. It’s a great place.”
They pulled up a few minutes later. Janet had passed by Briggs’ Grocery at least a dozen times since arriving in Burning Falls. She had never spotted the small shop next to it. The window front had the words ‘Bells and Whistles’ etched across the glass. Through the window she saw a colorful array of goods.
“How have I missed this place?” Janet asked.
“That’s one of the funny things about Bells and Whistles. Just like everything in Burning Falls, it’s a little bit magic.”
Janet was a bit surprised to find Austin there, standing across the counter from the woman behind the register. They spoke to each other with some familiarity, and she could not help but to feel a pang of jealousy.
Don’t be ridiculous, she chided herself. You have no real claim on him.
The woman looked like a movie star. Her hair sleek and styled into a high bun. Her makeup had been immaculately applied, gleaming nails, and stunningly dressed. She floated around the countertop extending her hand to Janet.
“Welcome,” she purred. “I’m Eloise. You must be Janet.”
“How do you do,” Janet replied. Before Eloise had approached, Janet would have guessed her to be in her mid to late twenties, but when she stepped forward, she passed through a shaft of sunlight. In that brief moment, Janet thought she looked as if she had lived far longer. Not that she looked old in any way, but somehow she carried some kind of wisdom within the energy surrounding her.
Austin stepped forward. Janet could not help but notice the way his face lit up when he looked at her. This soothed her jealousy just a little bit. She smiled back at him briefly.
Eloise spoke to everyone in the room. “Some of the others are on their way over as well. I think it’s important that we all speak to each other.”
Nanny to the Bear (Burning Falls Shifters Book 4) Page 8