The Shifter Romances The Writer (Nocturne Falls Book 6)

by Kristen Painter

  She exhaled slowly. “I’m fine. Just didn’t anticipate that sort of reception, I guess. I knew Delaney wasn’t keeping my move a secret or anything, but…I don’t know. That was so unexpected.”

  “You must be used to some of that, right? Fans, I mean.”

  “Sure. But usually it’s at a reader convention or a signing. Some kind of event where I expect it. Not in the town I live in. And really, authors are hardly ever recognized unless they’re super famous like Anne Rice or JK Rowling.”

  “So you didn’t even get that sort of reaction where you lived in New Jersey?”

  She snorted. “No. My ex thought my career choice was ridiculous. I may have had fans among our crowd up there, but mostly my books were the punchline to every other joke.”

  “Sounds like your ex was intimidated by you and your success.”

  She looked up at Alex. “You think so?”

  He nodded. “I do. You look really nice, by the way.”

  She smiled. “Thank you.” He looked outstanding. The uniform suited him, especially the way it hugged his biceps and left no questions about how trim and fit the rest of him was. But before her mind went too far down that rabbit hole, she changed the subject. “Where are we going for lunch?”

  Alex pointed up ahead. “One of my favorite places. Howler’s.”

  Alex had already reminded himself three times that lunch with Roxy was just his way of repaying her for the speeding ticket. But she looked so pretty and smelled so good, forgetting that this wasn’t a date became way too easy.

  It would have helped if she wasn’t his type, but the petite, curvy brunette was exactly the sort of woman that wound him up. Well, petite, curvy, brunette supernatural women. Too bad Roxy was human. He would have been all over her, otherwise.

  In a respectful manner, of course.

  “Howler’s?” Roxy scrunched up her face. “I’ve seen that place. Isn’t that a biker bar?”

  “No.” He snorted. “It’s a little divey, but that’s part of its charm.”

  “Dive bars have charm?”

  “This one does. And pretty great food, too.”

  Her mouth curved in a cute little semi-smile. “It better be, or this will not count as making up for that ticket.”

  He laughed. “Noted. Hey, how are your fish?”

  “No fish yet. Just the tank. But it’s going to be awesome. You’ll have to come over and see it when it’s done.”

  “Yeah, that would be great. I love fish.” What feline shifter didn’t? “Do you have any other pets?”

  “Nope. I was thinking about getting a dog, though. It would give me a good reason to get outside more.”

  He frowned. Dogs were not his thing.

  She made a face. “You don’t like dogs?”

  “They’re okay.”

  “Don’t you have a K-9 unit?”

  “Not in Nocturne Falls.” Between the vampires, werewolves and other supernaturals on staff, dogs were unnecessary. “Here we are. Howler’s.”

  They got a table, a booth along the far wall, actually, and settled in.

  Roxy looked around. “Okay, it’s not as bad as I thought it would be.”

  “What were you expecting? Harley-Davidson signs and female servers in hot pants and halter tops?”

  She shrugged. “Something like that.” She pointed towards the bar. “And I do see one Harley-Davidson sign.”

  Their server, in khaki shorts and a black polo shirt with the Howler’s logo on the chest, arrived with menus. “Afternoon. Hey, Officer Cruz.”

  “Hi, Shanna.” Maybe he came here too often for lunch. Might be time to hit Mummy’s up a little more.

  Shanna smiled at them. “What can I get y’all to drink?”

  “Do you have any sparkling water?” Roxy asked.

  “We have the local Nocturne Falls spring water, but that’s not sparkling.” Shanna thought for a moment. “I’ll check at the bar, but we might have Pellegrino, too.”

  “That would be perfect, thanks.” Roxy smiled. “With lemon.”

  “Got it.” Shanna looked at Alex. “You want your usual sweet tea?”

  He nodded, and she left to get their drinks.

  Roxy leaned in. “You obviously eat here a lot.”

  He lifted one shoulder. “Yeah, maybe too much.”

  “No, no. I think it’s a good sign. You must really like the food.” Her brows quirked up in amusement. “And clearly the server really likes you.”

  “Shanna? She’s just a kid.” What was she…twenty? Twenty-two, tops.

  “A kid with a crush.”

  “No way.” Alex glanced over at Shanna, who was at the server station getting their drinks. She caught his eye and grinned. Oh, crap.

  “She welcomed you by name, with a big smile, and she remembers your usual drink. Yeah, she likes you.” Roxy held her hands out. “I know what the signs of attraction are. It’s my business to know. It comes with the romance-writing territory.”

  “Maybe she does have a crush. But that’s as far as I’m willing to go. I’ve certainly never encouraged it.”

  “Hey, I’m not judging. Although she is a little young.”

  “Because I’m such an old man.”

  “You said it, not me.”

  He liked the teasing. Most people treated him with a certain deference because of his job, acting like they had to be serious around him all the time, but not Roxy. She was a refreshing change.

  Still smiling, Roxy opened up her menu. “So what’s good here?”

  “Pretty much everything.” He looked at his menu, although he didn’t really need to. There were no specials on Saturdays, so he usually got the ribeye sandwich with fries and coleslaw. And sometimes the brownie sundae.

  “What are you getting?”

  “The steak sandwich with fries.”

  She looked up. “You always get that, don’t you?”

  He hesitated. “I get it a lot. Why?”

  Her smile bordered on knowing, like she’d just figured him out. “Just a guess. But you strike me as a creature of habit. You always give tourists tickets, but not locals. You drink the same thing at lunch every time you’re in here. You go for a run every day after work.”

  He sat back and shot her a look. “How do you know I go for a run every day after work?”

  She suddenly became very interested in her menu. “You go right by my house. That’s all.”

  Had she been watching him? A little thrill zipped through him at the thought that Foxy Roxy had been checking him out. “And you don’t like routine?”

  That brought her head up. “I live for routine.”

  Shanna came back with their drinks. “Sweet tea for you, Officer Cruz.” Then she put a bottle and a glass of ice in front of Roxy. “And Pellegrino for you. Y’all ready to order?”

  Alex looked at Roxy. She nodded. “I’ll have the Caesar salad with grilled chicken. Dressing on the side, hold the croutons. Thanks.”

  Alex ordered the steak sandwich. Roxy might be carb-averse, but he wasn’t. He also wasn’t going to give her grief about her order. Her figure was amazing. Whatever she wanted to do to keep it that way was up to her.

  As Shanna went to put their orders in, Roxy twisted the top off her bottle of sparkling water. “As I was saying, routine is my thing. Lately, I haven’t had much of one because of the move, but I hope to get back to it soon.”

  He crossed his arms on the table top. “What’s your normal day like?”

  She twisted the edge of her paper napkin. “Get up, have coffee, do some yoga, shower, eat breakfast while I watch some news, then I’m pretty much in my office all day. Now that I live in a town like this, I might start adding an evening walk.”

  Might be nice to walk with her sometimes. “You spend all day in your office writing?”

  She nodded. “Writing and also handling all the other stuff it takes to put my books out. Talking to my team about ongoing and upcoming work, scheduling promos, checking in on social media, answeri
ng fan mail, proofing audiobooks…there’s so much to do.”

  “Your team?” He hadn’t realized being a writer involved so much.

  “My team is basically my assistant, Emily, my—”

  “You have an assistant? Very impressive.”

  “I’ve had a few actually. My last one was excellent, but Marissa quit on me a few months ago without much reason. Anyway, Emily has been a great replacement.”

  “So who else is on your team?”

  She ticked them off on her fingers. “My editor, my cover designer, my formatter, my foreign rights agent, all those people. Then Em handles my street team, giveaways, keeping the social media active when I can’t, travel arrangements when I have a conference or a book tour coming up, all sorts of stuff.”

  “Wow. Your job sounds more complicated than mine. I had no idea.”

  She laughed. “You see why I don’t leave the house? I don’t have time.”

  “I get it. But you have to have some kind of life outside of work.”

  “I suppose.” Her smile went a little dreamy. “But I love what I do. I love the stories I tell, the characters I create, the worlds I build…all of it. And I love making my readers happy. I guess sometimes that means I spend too much time doing it.”

  “They say if you love your work, you’ll never—”

  “Well, if it isn’t my big brother and Little Red Corvette.” Diego slid into the seat beside Alex. “Hello, Roxy.” He stuck his hand out. “We haven’t formally met. I’m Diego. You and I have a lot in common.”

  Alex bit back a snarl. “Diego—”

  “How do you figure that?” Roxy stared at him but didn’t extend her hand.

  He gestured suddenly to cover the fact that he’d been left hanging. “We’re both very good-looking, we both like fast rides on big engines, and have I mentioned we’re both very good-looking?”

  He grinned like he’d just delivered the smoothest line ever. Alex repressed a groan.

  Roxy’s eyes narrowed for a moment, then she shook her head. “That’s so sad. All of it, really. Just so sad.”

  Confusion filled Diego’s eyes. “What’s sad?”

  Alex had a feeling this was going to be interesting.

  Roxy took a drink of her fancy water before she spoke. “First of all, it’s sad that you think that kind of bro nonsense would appeal to any woman with a brain in her head. And secondly, it’s sad that you don’t respect your brother enough not to interrupt him while he’s on a date.”

  Diego gaped at her, silent.

  Her mouth pursed with disdain. “Is there some pressing news that brought you here?”

  “No, I just—”

  “Then if you’ll excuse us, we’re having lunch.”

  Alex snorted.

  Diego slid out of the booth and stood by the table, looking totally confused.

  Alex felt the tiniest bit sorry for him. His little brother had been seriously outclassed. “Why did you come by?”

  “I, uh…” Diego looked up. “I have a job interview to tend bar.”

  “Good for you. That explains why you’re wearing my shirt and tie. Is the interview with Bridget?”

  Diego nodded.

  Alex had never seen him this subdued. “Please don’t flake on her. Her brother is my boss. Got it?”

  “Got it. I better go.” Diego shuffled off.

  Alex raised his brows. “Wow.”

  “I’m sorry.” Roxy bit her lip. “I shouldn’t have said anything. It wasn’t my place. I don’t know what got into me.”

  “It wasn’t a what, it was a who. Diego. And I’m the one who should be apologizing for him. You were fine.” He laughed softly. “Pretty brilliant, actually.”

  “You’re not mad?”

  “No.” He lifted his sweet tea to her. “You have a real way with words, Miss St. James. But I guess that shouldn’t surprise me, considering what you do.”

  She smiled, a little self-consciously, but then picked up her water and clinked it against his glass. “Thanks.”

  Their food arrived and they ate. The conversation turned to Roxy asking him all kinds of questions about how things worked in the sheriff’s department. He figured she was using him for research, but at the same time, he’d never known someone so interested in what he did. It was really nice.

  Hell, everything about her was really nice.

  Except for the part where she was absolutely, positively human.

  Shanna came back to clear their plates. “How about some dessert for you two? The peach cobbler is plenty big enough for sharing.”

  Sharing a dessert was definitely date territory.

  Roxy shook her head. “Thank you, but I’d better not. Alex, go for it if you want. Don’t let me stop you.”

  “No, I’m good. Just the check, Shanna.” When she left, he looked at Roxy. “So? Did this make up for the ticket?”

  She smiled and started to nod slowly. “Yes.”

  “Really? Even with Diego’s interruption? You’re generous. I like that.”

  She laughed, then said, “Oh! I almost forgot. She dug into her big purse and pulled out a book and a pen. “For your mom. What’s her name?”

  “Carmen. Thanks.”

  “You bet.” She opened the book, scrawled something across the title page, then added her signature underneath. She closed it and slid it toward him. “There you go.”

  He picked it up. “You have no idea how happy this is going to make her. I might owe you another lunch.”

  Her cheeks went the slightest bit pink. Was she blushing? “I might take you up on that. Hey, I totally forgot to ask you. Does someone in the neighborhood have a big black cat?”

  A warning bell started ringing in his head, then he realized she couldn’t possibly know what he really was. “Probably. Why?”

  But then Shanna came back with the check, and Roxy never answered. He paid the bill and looked for Shanna to hand the cash back to her. No sign of Diego. He must still be in Bridget’s office.

  “Worried about him?”

  Alex turned back around. “I’m always worried about him. For a former Marine, he’s so…”

  “Lackadaisical?”

  “Now you’re just showing off.”

  She laughed.

  He sighed, smiling. “He’s my brother, you know? I want the best for him. But he doesn’t seem to want the best for himself. He just floats through life.”

  “And that bothers you because you’re a routine guy. Everything is planned and by the book. You say you’re going to be there, you’re going to be there.”

  “Pretty boring, huh?”

  She winked at him, causing his body to tighten unexpectedly. “One woman’s boring is another one’s pleasure.” Then she sighed, and her gaze shifted to something behind him. “But I suppose the opposite must be true too.”

  He turned to look. Diego was talking to Shanna. Alex frowned, then glanced at Roxy. “I need to let him be, don’t I?”

  She lifted her shoulders, her expression placid. “He’s a grown man. And Shanna’s probably old enough to make her own decisions. Even if they are bad ones.”

  Alex grabbed the signed book she’d given him. “In that case, I really need to get back to work.”

  “Sounds good. I still have errands to run.”

  They walked out together and all the way back to the station, then stopped at the door. “Where are you off to?” he asked.

  “In no particular order, the post office, the Shop-n-Save and Delaney’s store.” She grinned. “Just because I didn’t eat dessert at lunch doesn’t mean I’m not going to want something sweet later.”

  He nodded. “I get it.” He hesitated, the feeling that he should kiss her battling with the reminder that this was not a date. “I guess I’ll see you around.”

  She smiled. “I’ll call you when the tank’s all done. You can come see the fish.”

  “Sounds like a date.” He paused. “I mean, not a date. A…” What did he mean?

  Her
grin widened. “I have your number. I’ll call you.”

  “All right. Good.” He went inside before he said anything else that made him look like a half-wit. The woman had a strange effect on him.

  Birdie waved. “How was lunch, Alex?”

  Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts. “It was…” He smiled, his mind returning to Roxy’s big, brown eyes and rosebud lips and warm sense of humor. “Good.” And it had been. Really, really good.

  Birdie grinned and started humming the Wedding March.

  Roxy felt lighter than air. It was the same feeling she got when she released a new book, or got a great, over-the-top review, or knew she’d nailed a scene.

  Thomas had never made her feel that way. But Alex sure did. In fact, he was the first man who had.

  And it scared the stuffing right out of her. It was an odd combination to be gloriously happy and also petrified of what that glorious happiness meant. What she did know was that she was not feeling anything remotely romantic for Alex. Not at all. He was just hot. (So hot.) And nearby. And nice.

  That was it.

  Please let that be it. She did not need, or want, a man in her life. She still hadn’t technically gotten rid of the one she had. Which reminded her that she needed to nudge her attorney on Monday about what was taking Thomas so long to sign the papers.

  She looked in the shop windows as she walked, not really seeing anything.

  Maybe she was feeling this way because Alex was the first guy in a long time who’d been so kind to her. He hadn’t wanted anything from her. Just to make up for the ticket and be a good neighbor.

  She squinted at that thought. That was all he wanted, right? Nothing he’d done had given her any indication of anything else. And he was such a standup guy. It was literally his job to uphold the law. There was no way he was playing some secret game of Let’s Be Friends Who Turn Into Lovers.

  No, this was just a guy being neighborly. Not a guy. A neighbor. That was a safer way to think of him.

  She checked the address of Delaney’s shop on her phone, then plugged it into her maps app. She’d thought she knew where she was going, but after walking several minutes with her head in the clouds, she wasn’t sure at all.