“Thanks so much for your help,” she said as she looked around and realized that the desk was nowhere in sight.
“Well… about that…,” Dash said as he clamped his teeth together and looked a little apologetic.
Jannie smiled and put her hand on her hip.
“I kind of fucked up,” he said. “I was getting it down from the attic and managed to knock one of the legs off the damn thing. I need a day or two to fix it and it’ll be good as new. But I wanted to come across and let you know, so you didn’t think I’d just disappeared and not made good on my promise.”
“Oh,” she said, hoping she wasn’t blushing. “No, that’s… well…”
“I mean, you can still have it, but it might be toward the end of the weekend? If that’s too long for you, I’ll gladly point you in the right direction to the antique shops I mentioned earlier. But, like I say, I don’t know what you’ll end up finding in there.”
Jannie watched him as he paused and took a swig of his beer. It was clear he was apologetic for the mess up, but he wasn’t, in any way, nervous, which made her feel more at ease too.
“Sure,” she said. “I mean, that would be great, as long as you don’t mind… if it’s too much trouble then…”
“It’s no trouble,” he said as his eyes traveled to the step ladder that was running up and out of sight onto the mezzanine floor above. “Is that where it’s going?” he asked as he nodded in the same direction.
“Yes,” she said. “It’s a good space up there. Perfect to use as an office.”
“And how long are you staying?” he said, his eyes fixing on her again.
“I’ve leased for six weeks,” she said between sips of her wine. “But I have the option to stay longer… if I need to.”
He nodded and took another swig of his beer. His eyes were fixed on her and she found herself wanting to step closer. He was so handsome, and his presence in the room was dominating. The cabin was small, and he seemed to take up half of the living area. He was so tall and muscular, his shoulders were so broad, and he had an air of such great confidence about him that it was endearing.
His energy was overpowering, and it made her heart thump harder.
“Okay,” he said. “It shouldn’t be a problem getting it up there. Even if I have to tie something around it and hoist it up from above.”
Jannie watched him stride to the ladder and begin to climb. He did it so fluidly and with such ease that it was as if he had some kind of extreme power. At the top rung, he stopped and looked around at the space.
“It’ll be fine,” he said, before he turned and climbed down, two steps at a time. “Nice space, you’re right.”
Jannie chuckled and shrugged her shoulders.
“I don’t know a whole lot about interiors, but that space was one of the things that sold this place for me.”
“I can imagine,” he said. “Where you from?”
“Closer to the west coast,” she said. “Small town, not too different to this, just a more pacific setting.”
He smiled at her and they were locking eyes again. Her butterflies were flapping their wings and churning her belly into a nervous wreck. But it felt good. It was certainly a surprise to have been distracted like that.
“Well,” he sighed as he looked at Jet who was waiting patiently for him by the doorway. “It’s that time of night where I take Jet for a wander into town and sink a few beers.”
She smiled and scratched the side of her neck.
“Have you been into town?” he asked her.
She shook her head. “Only this morning on my way through, but I didn’t really stop.”
“Do you know all the good places to go?”
“I don’t know anywhere to go,” she admitted.
Dash chewed his bottom lip and looked at her as if he were sizing her up.
“Well, you can tag along if you like,” he said teasingly. “As long as you promise not to cause any trouble.”
Jannie’s optimism bubbled radiantly inside her chest, and she knew her eyes would be glistening. Hell, she couldn’t think of anything she would rather do than head off into town with this guy. But it was her first night in town, and she didn’t want to cling to one person so soon. There was plenty she could be doing back at the cabin… sorting through her things, checking over her research… staying the hell away from bad boys! But… the offer was tempting.
He raised his eyebrows and his shoulders as if he were waiting for her reply.
“I mean, I shouldn’t, but…” she said.
He raised the bottle to his lips and drained the rest of his beer. Jannie sensed he was about to turn and walk to the door, so she knew she had to make a quick decision. Her head was screaming at her, telling her to stay put for the night, but the devil on her shoulder was telling her to embrace the new experience and go out and have fun. She may not get an offer like this again, and who knew who she may meet once she was in town. Plus, it’s not like she was complaining about having to spend time with Dash. He was all kinds of sexy.
“Okay,” she said, “I’d love to.”
She reached to the stool at the kitchen island and grabbed her purse, and as they headed to the front door, she drained the rest of her glass and grabbed her jacket from the hook in the hallway.
“Come on then, Jannie,” Dash said as he stepped out into the crisp early evening air. “Let me show you the real Bridge Hollow.”
5.
As they walked through Main Street, Dash clamped a cigarette between his teeth and lit it with a flick of a lighter. There was something about him that was effortlessly cool, and although it made him all the more attractive, it also scared the hell out of Jannie.
She had known his type before. Dangerous men only ever led to heartache, and not only that; they were usually only after one thing and they never truly cared about the women they were messing with. Dylan had been like that. He had been a total smooth criminal when it had come to wooing her, but the second he had her where he wanted her, he had done his best to tear her apart.
Jannie wouldn’t go down that road again. And it didn’t matter how handsome Dash was, or any other man she met for that matter, she knew she had to put her sanity first. She wasn’t prepared to be walked all over again. If she was ever going to date, she wanted it to be someone who cared for her and protected her. Not exploited her in any way they could.
They wandered past a small park that seemed to be right in the center of town, and Jannie noticed the statue that she had seen countless times on the internet and on television documentaries. The Bridge Hollow Bear.
She stopped and stared at it, and when Dash realized she was falling behind, he turned and looked at her.
Jannie had wondered about this statue for so long, and now that it was right there in front of her, it was an amazing sight to see. It was bigger than she had thought it would be. Much, much bigger. The bear was ripping out of a man’s skin and the look of anguish on its face was raw. It was violent and the energy from it was evident even from a hundred feet away.
“Oh, that…” Dash said as he exhaled a plume of smoke into the air with a smirk. “That thing needs ripped down.”
“Ripped down?” she asked, almost breathless. “But why?”
“It just gets the tourists all juiced up,” he rolled his eyes. “Makes them far too excited about things that shouldn’t concern them.”
She felt her interest peak when he said this. She knew there was something different about Dash, but the way he was so strong and big, it was almost as if he were from another planet. Could it be that he was part of the magic that had been the stuff of legends around this town?
She narrowed her eyes and looked at him. She always thought, if she ever saw a shifter, she would know it the second she had. But she didn’t get that feeling with Dash. She must be going mad.
She shook her head and rolled out her shoulders as if she were trying to physically banish the thought.
“Come on,” Dash said.
“That statue and the people who worship it are barking up the wrong tree.”
He winked and then continued walking.
She followed behind him until she caught back up, and she watched as Jet trotted across the street and navigated his way through traffic effortlessly.
“Jet is really good at that,” she said. “It’s like he could predict the next car.”
“I trained him well,” Dash shrugged. “If you spend time with animals, you can really get to know them. Most people get pets and only scratch the surface. They don’t really connect to their full potential. It’s sad really.”
Jannie nodded, although she didn’t really know what he meant. She had never had a dog, or any pet, of her own. But she could see the bond they shared; it was deep and heartwarming to watch. Jet stopped in front of a wooden building, and Jannie felt her gut tighten as she saw the row of motorcycles lined up outside. It was the kind of sight you would see on a dirty city street, not in the middle of a postcard picturesque town.
“What’s that about?” she asked. “Do you have lots of bikers around here?”
Dash smirked.
“Not really,” he said. “But there’s a group that come here from another town. They’re a gang called The Forsaken Riders, and they have an affiliation with some of the folks around here.”
“The Forsaken Riders?” Jannie asked with a raised brow. “And are they actually bikers? Like outlaws?”
Dash looked at her and nodded his head with a cheeky smile. This was all clearly very amusing to him.
“Jeez,” she said as she reached up and gripped the strap on her purse. “I didn’t expect this town to be so… so…”
“So what?” Dash asked with flirtatious menace.
“I don’t know… just so… dangerous ,I guess.”
Dash laughed as he wrapped a friendly arm around her shoulder.
“Girl, seriously, you have no idea.”
The bar Jet was waiting in front of had a sign above the door that read, SHIFTER’S BLISS. As they walked over the threshold, Jannie’s excitement level began to heighten, and she looked at Dash in an even closer way as they moved through the crowd.
He was different than anyone she had met before. And now that she was looking at him properly, she was sure she could sense something animalistic about him. He had such a strong connection to Jet too… it was as if they had their own secret method of communication. What if Dash had told her all of that as a cover up, and really, he could understand Jet in a way that she never could. Maybe they spoke a similar language…
Her thoughts started to run away with her, and she had to internally scold herself, telling herself to stop. She didn’t even know if any of the rumors about this town were true, and there was certainly no evidence in the wider world. But she liked to think of herself as open minded, and the stories her grandmother had told her had come directly from her grandfather, who had been to Bridge Hollow decades before and had come home with tales of magic.
The bar was dark and packed, as it was a Friday night. Dash moved through the throngs of people and headed to the main area, where servers were taking turns, behind the bar, serving up beers and spirits. They moved quickly and efficiently, and Jannie noticed when one of the guys who was serving nodded at Dash and Dash nodded back.
He stopped when he reached the counter and leaned over it, and Jannie slipped in beside him and tried not to look too nervous. It was a strange mix of people. There appeared to be plenty of tourists milling around, but there was also a sense of locals and tight groups that had formed in various parts of the room.
“Hey, Dash,” the guy behind the bar said as he stepped up to them and looked over at Jannie.
She gave a weak smile and Dash took another drag on his cigarette.
“Ryder, this is Jannie, she’s new to town. Leasing a place up on my lake.”
“Well, hello, Jannie,” Ryder smiled and held out his hand.
She reached out to take it, but Dash put his arm across the bar in front of her and intercepted their fingertips touching. Ryder looked at Dash sternly and the two seemed to pass a glance between them that said more than words ever could. The tension between them began to rise, and Ryder took a breath.
“Sorry dude,” Ryder said genuinely, and then quickly straightened out and reached behind himself to the rows of refrigerators behind the counter. “Your usual?”
“Please.” Dash smiled. “And what about you?” He looked at her with irritation, as if, suddenly, she was someone who had become a problem to him.
“Oh, I… umm…,” she began as she tried to see what was on offer.
“She’ll take a glass of red wine,” he said with a shrug.
Jannie had to stop herself from laughing. He was so odd. He had gone from being completely normal to shutting her down in a matter of seconds. She hoped he wasn’t trying to play the big man in front of his friends. And what was that weirdness over Ryder trying to shake her hand?
She felt her brow crease with confusion, but she realized she didn’t have the energy. This night was turning out strange, and she decided she would finish her drink and then get herself home.
“Thanks,” she said as Dash passed the large glass to her, smiling before nodding to the other side of the room.
“Come on,” he said as he wandered over to a table in the corner and waited for her to sit down.
When she had made herself comfortable, she looked him in the eyes and shook her head.
“You didn’t have to invite me here,” she said. “And anyway, don’t worry about babysitting me. I’m fine on my own, thanks for showing me the good place to go.”
She turned herself slightly, so she was no longer looking in his direction, and started to move slightly to the beat of the music. She could see that a stage had been set up toward the back of the room and she wondered what kind of band would be coming on later.
“I’m not babysitting you,” he half laughed. “Come on, no need to get all defensive.”
Jannie looked back at him over her shoulder and shrugged.
“It’s cool,” she said, determined to let him off the hook and put an end to his weirdness. “I’m totally fine. I came to this town by myself and I don’t need a chaperone. But thanks for showing me how to get here and for the drink.”
She raised her glass and smiled warmly at him, and then turned her back to him fully and stared at the stage, waiting patiently for something to happen over there so she didn’t feel so awkward.
Dash stayed sitting behind her and she could feel him moving around on the seat as if he were looking for something. When she felt his hand on her shoulder, she looked back at him and he was holding out a small, ratty piece of paper with a number scrawled on it.
“Look,” he said, “things can sometimes get weird around here… if you need anything… just call me, okay?”
His look was sincere, and she reached out slowly to take it.
As she did, their fingertips brushed against each other’s and she felt a rush of electricity fire down her fingers, hands, wrists and right up her arms, directly into her heart. She gasped and felt completely stunned, and when she looked up and they locked eyes, she saw it for real this time… an intense green swirling around his pupil. It was electric and almost neon. It was something otherworldly.
“D… D… Dash…,” she stammered, but he pulled his hand away, and the force between them seemed to disappear.
She took a deep breath and looked at her hand before she looked to him again, but he was gone. The space at the table where he had been sitting was completely empty and the crowd had surged even more in front of her; she couldn’t see any way out, or any place he might be.
“What the hell…,” she whispered as she looked down at the piece of paper he had given her and at the digits scrawled across it.
She didn’t know what had just happened, but he had done something to her when their fingers had touched, and then he had run. Now, she was all alone in Shifter’s Bliss, and she ha
d never craved someone so much before. He was all she could think about, and all she knew she had to stay away from… or it could very well be her undoing.
6.
The sun rose over the forest and shone into the windows of her bedroom. Jannie lay on her back, still half asleep, and she stretched her arms up until she felt them click. It had been one of the best night’s sleep she had ever had, and she was wanting to prolong it for as long as possible.
She had come home from the bar the previous evening and double locked the front door. Then, she had found herself sitting in the darkness, staring out the double doors and across the lake toward Dash’s cabin. There had only been one light on in one of the top rooms, and there had been no sign of him or Jet, but she still couldn’t help but watch the house. It made her feel almost safe to think of him over there.
She rolled onto her side and bunched the covers up around her. It had been a crazy first day in town, and she didn’t really know what to make of it all. Firstly, she had met Dash and there had clearly been a spark between them. Then, he had acted strange the moment they had arrived at Shifter’s Bliss. Her mind settled on the moment Ryder had gone to shake her hand. He had acted so bizarre, and the tension between them had been thick. But why was it such a big deal for her to shake another man’s hand?
She sighed and finally forced herself to her feet. She scraped her hair back into a messy topknot and then she grabbed her robe and pulled it on, tying it around her waist. She walked slowly down the hallway to the kitchen and living area, and she instantly looked up at the windows and to Dash’s house across the lake.
The water was completely still, but Jannie could see another family, out on their terrace to the right of her, and even though they were in the distance, it looked like they may have had two young boys with them.
“What a nice place to come with a family,” she smiled.
Bridge Hollow Shifters: The Complete Collection Page 24