“Thank God,” she sighed.
“Hey, you know, it’s good to see you Maisy,” Luisa spoke to her with a warm smile on her face before returning to the issue at hand.
“Thanks, you too. What is next for my dad?”
“Why don’t we sit here and review the file?” she gestured to a small, clean seating area.
“Is he okay? I mean I don’t understand how this could happen. Dad’s always been in top health,” she blabbered.
“Let’s go over his file,” she nodded and began to read off his chart, “Steven Daniels, fifty-nine years old, a hundred and ninety-eight pounds. Cholesterol is good. He eat healthy?”
She nodded and Dr. Cordoza went back to the file.
“I know running the farm is a lot physically, and yes, he appears in good health, but Maisy your father has extremely high blood pressure. His recent heart attack suggests-”
“Heart attack? They said he had a coronary artery bypass graft. I thought that was a common thing?”
“It is, Maisy, for people with high blood pressure prone to heart disease. He is still at risk. I’m afraid I can’t recommend he go back to work anytime soon. He needs rest.”
“Rest? You don’t know my father.”
“Is there any way you could come home for a while to help him?”
“Me? Oh, um, I don’t know. I mean, yes, of course,” she shook her head, “can I see him?”
Maisy wiped nervous tears from her eyes. Being asked to come home wasn’t exactly what she wanted, then again maybe it was? It didn’t matter. She would do anything for her father. A tragedy had already robbed her of one parent, and she’d be damned if she was going to lose another. He would never hire outside help, she knew that already. There was only one way he would accept it. The question was, could she?
“Sure, come on,” Dr. Cordoza led the way down the hall of the new surgical wing.
“There have been a lot of good changes in the hospital and in the town, Maisy,” she said as if she could somehow know how Maisy was feeling, “Barvale is not like how you remember it. Ah, here is my handsome patient,” Luisa smiled at Maisy’s father, and from the look on his face he was happy, but still, so very exhausted, “How are you Mr. Daniels?”
“Hello there, Doc. Couldn’t stay away from me, I see?”
“Now, Mr. Daniels my husband won’t approve of all this flirting. You know I have a weakness for that silver threaded hair of yours,” she teased.
“I know a girl with a crush when I see one, but darling, you are simply too young for me, Doc. And young women need young men to boss around. Speaking of young women, hey there, Maisy girl,” he smiled at his daughter, then turned back to the doctor, “I told you not to call her.”
“Hi Daddy, how are you feeling?”
“Just fine, now, if you let me out of this bed, I have a Hayride and Halloween party to get ready for,” he complained, but Maisy could see he needed to rest.
“Daddy, I’m here to help with all that, you just do as the doctor says,” she chided.
“Jitterbug, I know you are way too busy with your life in the big city to worry about me. I can do this, you go back to that apartment of yours and,” he groaned as he tried to sit up and both Luisa and Maisy rushed to his side.
“Mr. Daniels if you try to get out of that bed I am going to tranquilize you,” the tiny woman threatened and Maisy liked her even more.
“Alright, alright,” he sighed and sunk back into the pillows.
A sheen of sweat dotted his brow, and he looked older and more worn than he had on the fourth of July, which was the last time she’d seen him. Almost four months ago, she thought with no little bit of shame. That was too long for a man to go without seeing his only living relative. Guilt welled up inside of her and Maisy leaned down and kissed his cheek.
“Now, Daddy, you listen to the doctor. I am going to sort out the farm,” she nodded.
“But honey, tomorrow night is the Hayride-” he began.
“Daddy, I’ve driven the tractor a million times,” she rolled her eyes and he looked down at her tight skirt and boots with an eyebrow raised.
“Not in that outfit,” he said.
“I’ll get changed,” she laughed and tucked a strand of her shorter, blonder hair behind her ear, “now, you rest up and I’ll head home. I will call you later with an update.”
“That was very well done, Maisy,” Dr. Cordoza walked her out and smiled approvingly.
“Thanks. He can be stubborn, but he is all I have.”
“I know the feeling,” she said and her eyes seemed to dart down the hall to where a big, dark-haired man was walking towards her with a tiny bundle in his arms.
“Hey sweetheart, hope this isn’t a bad time,” the tall, handsome man gave Maisy a friendly smile, and then his eyes found Luisa’s and they positively glowed with affection, “baby boy here wanted to visit his mama.”
The handsome man dipped down and kissed the doctor on her cheek before handing her the smiling infant. Maisy’s heart constricted. Luisa had been a serious minded student back in the day. Always studying and never dating, like Maisy, but it looked like she had found her happily ever after. If only Maisy could say the same. She nodded at the young family and turned to make her way home.
She still drove the same small Ford she’d left town with ten years ago. It had rust on the front bumper and squeaked whenever she tried to brake, but what could she do? Money was always tight, and she didn’t drive it enough to warrant paying for repairs. Still, if it was her brakes, she needed to do something about it. Later, she promised herself.
She’d driven past a place just a few minutes before she’d made it to the hospital, Lance Auto Repair. Could it be his place of business? She wondered but didn’t want to ask anyone. If there was even a small chance Arthur Lance owned the mechanic shop, Maisy would simply have to avoid it. She might have moved on from her “Crazy Maisy” days but that didn’t mean she was ready to face her old crush. Nope. She would just have to wait about the car.
Her stomach buzzed with nerves as she got closer to home. Daniels Farms wasn’t very big, but it was her family’s pride and joy. God, she missed this place, she thought as she drove past the enormous brick and wrought iron gates bearing the name. Maisy couldn’t help but smile at the tingles of familiarity that zinged through her body. The long driveway took her past a row of greenhouses and the large pumpkin patch. Then on past the Daniels Farm Store, and eventually, she arrived at the house she grew up in.
The sprawling old Victorian was in desperate need of paint but given the time of year it was kind of fitting. Halloween was right around the corner. She knew that the men and women who ran the day to day operation of the fields and greenhouses on the premises knew their stuff. She didn’t need to interfere with any of that. A simple phone call to the various managers like Mr. and Mrs. Ramirez, John Wilkes, and Tommy Bianco would handle all that.
Her first order of business was the Daniels Farm Annual Haunted Halloween Hay Ride & Spooky Soiree that took place every year on Mischief Night. When she was a kid she’d always had the pleasure of riding with her father on the tractor through the terrifyingly decorated, gruesomely gory, and always fun corn maze. Afterwards, folks would gather at the old barn, which had been cleaned out years ago, for a dance with a live band, free apple cider and snacks, as well as a booth with jellies, honey, and other foodie items, crafts, and seasonal gifts for people to buy.
She had grinned widely at the old Halloween decorations she’d passed along the way. Tommy and her father must’ve put everything up weeks ago, as they normally would have, and she missed being part of it. She loved the old wooden signs that had been brightly painted with typical images of the season like the witch on the broomstick, the black cat, the ghost, but her absolute favorite was the silhouette of a large black bear sitting next to a glowing jack-o-lantern. Go figure.
She sighed as she walked up to the front door where her father had placed her sign, as he had every year
since she’d been two and had demanded the Halloween bear stay right next to her. For some reason, the big creature made her feel safe when the spooks and scares of the season had been too much for the little girl she’d been. She kissed her fingertips and touched the sign with them before going inside. It had been a long time since she’d come to Barvale to stay, but here she was, and for the first time in a long time, she felt content.
Maisy Daniels was home.
Chapter 2
“Artie? Artie, are you even listening to me?” Lorna sipped loudly from her iced sweet tea and Arthur tried not to grimace at the obnoxious sound that echoed in his highly sensitive ears.
Every month it was the same thing. She brought in the sparkling new Cadillac her Daddy had given her, and she tormented his cashiers until he personally came out and saw to the maintenance of the vehicle and any repairs that might be necessary. Every month he had the same report to give her, which of course, she didn’t want to hear. The car was fine. In fact, it was a beauty and in top shape, much like Lorna herself, but as he had also told her on more than one occasion, Arthur simply was not interested. Not in her Cadillac and not in her.
“Lorna, everything about the car looks fine. Just like last month.”
“I see, but are you sure you looked good enough,” she leaned forward, revealing plenty of her tanned bosom to his uninterested eyes, and Arthur didn’t even bother to look.
“Yep, checked everything. Here’s the bill for the oil change, and new filters you insisted I put in. You can take that out to Betty in the front. If you would excuse me, Lorna, I have another meeting this afternoon,” he smiled in a noncommitted way, and ushered her to the door.
“But I thought we could-”
“Bye, Miss Manning,” he smiled and closed the door.
This was getting ridiculous. The last time he gave Lorna Manning the time of day he’d been fourteen-years old. He couldn’t understand why she wouldn’t take the hint. All throughout high school he’d ignored her. He’d done the same at college and ever since. A businessman, he was polite, but he never let it get personal. He couldn’t. Certain parts of him were uncooperative in that department.
Okay fine. Truth was, his Black Bear didn’t want anyone except her. The silly creature hadn’t for years. Just thinking about the woman gave him a hard on. Sure, he’d spied her over the years at her family’s farm. Had even begun a friendship with her father in hopes of getting closer to her. Steve Daniels was a good man and Arthur was very fond of him, but his daughter intrigued Arthur like no other.
Maisy Daniels. She was the only human girl who’d ever seen him Shift. In fact, the night of that first homecoming game when his family had moved to Barvale to be closer to their Clan, he’d had the biggest slip up of his life. He’d been young and his Bear had been pushing hard with the influx of hormones that often accompanied puberty. Being on the football team, and a starter to boot, he was so damn excited for the game he knew he had to try and expel some energy otherwise he’d risk hurting some poor normal.
Unfortunately, he still wound up hurting someone. The girl who’d come to investigate noises she’d heard. How brave and curious she was to stay and watch his Shift. Those first years it was not an easy thing to witness. Painful and gory with cracking bones and muscles tearing and reknitting, the change from human to animal was difficult. Easier now with practice, he could only imagine what she’d felt. Of course, she’d run away once his Bear’s black eyes had zeroed in on her.
Hell, she’d probably expected him to eat her. Naturally, she’d been in a state of shock when she’d run into the one girl in school who was as two-faced as they came. Lorna again. She’d spread it all over the high school that Maisy was a nutjob looking for attention. Arthur had desperately wanted to come clean, but he was forbidden to do so. The Alpha at the time, Iggy Devlin had talked him down, but it wasn’t easy. It had hurt to see her suffer, even though he did what he could to make the kids stop their taunting.
Crazy Maisy. God, he fucking hated kids. They could be so cruel. But what could he do? He could not reveal the secret that most of the people in Barvale kept hidden. Shifters existed far and wide, but the world wasn’t ready to acknowledge them. Unfortunately, Maisy had to endure Lorna’s jealousy for the duration. She had had an ax to grind ever since Lorna had seen Arthur watching Maisy earlier that week in school. Even then his Bear knew she was special.
Petty teenage rivalry had caused Lorna to torture Maisy. Of course, he hadn’t known she was the one behind the stupid chanting and name calling until senior year. By then the damage had been done despite his attempts to stop the teasing. Still, he had to admire Maisy. She never reacted. Just kept her nose down and did her work.
Of course, he’d planned to tell her the truth after graduation. His Bear had been grumbling for days in anticipation. The night of their last senior bash he was going to confess that she had been right. That he was a Black Bear Shifter and she was his fated mate. But Maisy never went to the party, and when he went to her home the next day, her father had told him she’d left for school, and she wasn’t coming back for a while.
Arthur had been heartbroken and so was his Bear. Every now and then he swung by the farm and visited with Mr. Daniels, but the man was tight-lipped about his only child. Not that he blamed him. In the hopes of moving on, he’d gotten a degree at the local community college, but school just wasn’t for him.
“Hey, Artie, can you sign this?” Betty Wilson, one of his most valuable employees, came into his office with a purchase order and he signed it without looking.
“Did you hear Steve Daniels had a heart attack last night?” she mentioned as he dated the document.
“What?” Arthur dropped the pen.
“He’s fine, but he will need to stay in the hospital for a few days. Anyway, Maisy is back in town to help out,” she sniffed and he almost forgot the time he’d confessed to the she-Bear the reason why he never dated.
“Is that so?” he grunted.
“Yep. Maybe you should stop by on the way home? You could pick up a pumpkin or something for your porch,” Betty suggested.
“Betty?”
“Yes, boss.”
“Mind your damn business, and get this faxed right away,” he grinned and handed her the sheet of paper.
Arthur’s heart was racing. Maisy Daniels was back home. Could it be true? Shit. He had to do something but what? What could he offer someone like her? She was smart, an accountant or something and he just liked working with his hands. Yes, he had opened his own garage six-years ago and just this month, he’d just cut the ribbon on his third location in New Jersey. Business was great, but he wasn’t made for living in the city. His Bear growled and thumped inside of his mind’s eye. The animal had mourned her loss for so long, he wasn’t about to give Arthur a chance to fuck this up again.
Mine, the Bear pushed the thought at him.
He had to wrestle the beast for control. Fuck, how long had it been since he’d seen her? At least two years and even then it was only a glimpse. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe she wasn’t his fated mate. He had never been close enough to tell since they’d reached adulthood. Maybe she was just an itch to scratch. The one who got away and all that.
“Fuck,” he growled as his Bear pressed harder against his skin, itching to be let out.
He should have had better control than this he grimaced as he gripped his desk, his fingertips morphing into claws as he did so. Sure, he’d dated. Sex was a necessary part of his life, but the few times he’d indulged had been empty and left him feeling terrible. It had been years since he’d had a woman. But no matter how much time went by, he still wanted her more than anything. Breathing in and out was the only way he could slow his pulse. That was how he had lasted so long without going nuts, he admitted to himself. Well, that and work. The phone rang and he flicked his attention to the thing as his claws receded.
“Hello, Arthur Lance here,” he answered the incoming call and put his head back in the game.
It was the only thing keeping his Bear from losing his grip on reality. It was a well-known fact in the Shifter community that once you met your fated mate, you claimed her, otherwise mating fever would drive you over the edge. The way he saw it, because they were just kids when they met, Arthur’s Bear hadn’t had a chance to really catch her scent otherwise, he’d have probably gone rogue by then. And a rogue Shifter, was usually a dead Shifter. Thank fuck for small favors.
He shook his head and focused on his call. This meeting was with a vendor he’d been trying to get to commit to a certain flat rate price on parts for months now. It was all tied into his company’s motto, “Lance’s Auto Repair: Affordable auto care you can’t bear to refuse!” and yes, he did hire his cousin, an artist, to come up with the cartoonish bear wearing coveralls for the logo. It was cute and the kids of customer’s with family’s loved it.
Arthur was committed to delivering quality automotive services at prices people could actually afford. Most of the vendors he used were all for it and as a result, business had increased and orders, so much so, he was looking at expanding into Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and New York.
He would never leave Barvale. It was his home and where his Clan was located. But more than that, it was where Maisy was from. He couldn’t go, couldn’t miss his shot again. And here she was. Back at last.
Arthur’s Bear was impatient, but he was finally ready to do something about it. Every year Daniels Farm had a big Halloween event and since he knew she was there he was going to attend this year after all.
He just had to know once and for all if he had a chance.
Chapter 3
“What do you mean?” Maisy blinked slowly as she wiped batter off her hands with a clean dish rag.
After a restful sleep on her old flannel sheets, Maisy had woken up before the sun. She’d been in the farm store kitchen all morning making cider donuts and mini pumpkin muffins for the Halloween Hayride and Soiree that was happening that night. After a brief visit with her father between batches, of course, she’d locked herself in for the long haul. They had reservations for over two hundred people, but twice as that always had a tendency to show up for the rides, bands, and goodies.
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