Axel: Single Daddy Shifters #1

by Black, Tasha

“Darnedest thing,” he said. “Pennsylvania plates, but it’s owned by some corporation out in Glacier City. Can’t make heads nor tails of it.”

  “Really?” Axel asked.

  Delilah tried to hide her surprise. She’d been expecting the name of a little old man, certainly not an out-of-state corporate owner.

  “Maybe it’s a rental company?” Axel asked.

  “Doesn’t sound like it,” Dale said doubtfully. “Glacier City Ship and Transfer Concern, Inc.?”

  “Huh,” Axel said.

  “Why don’t you just check your security footage?” Dale suggested.

  “Oh shoot, I forgot I even had that,” Axel said, shaking his head.

  Dale laughed a big belly laugh.

  “Well, I don’t exactly remember how to check that thing, and I’m a little messy right now,” Axel said, indicating his hands and coverall. “But I’ll check it out tonight after I get cleaned up and put the baby to bed.”

  “Let me know who it was,” Dale said. “Now I’m curious too.”

  “I sure will,” Axel replied. “Thank you again for coming by so quick. Do you want a soda or anything for the road? The fridge is stocked.”

  “No can do,” Dale said sadly. “Lana’s got me on a strict diet.”

  “She loves you,” Axel said. “She wants to keep you around as long as possible.”

  “I guess so,” Dale said, brightening. “See you all later.”

  Delilah watched him go, her face frozen in a polite expression as her world dropped out from under her.

  Security footage?

  She was caught.

  She glanced around and spotted the camera. A small black dome under the outside floodlights. How had she missed that?

  Her mind raced through ways to escape without endangering Noah by leaving him alone in the cottage. She would have to wait until tonight.

  Somehow, the idea of leaving him at all felt like something ripping inside her chest.

  13

  Axel

  After work, Axel took a walk. He peeled off his clothes as soon as he was out of sight of the path that had led him deep into the college woods.

  One good thing about having a live-in nanny was that he had been able to duck out right after he finished work.

  Now he was finally going to be able to shift and run in the woods as he had burned to do in the months since Noah’s birth.

  The cool air felt good against his heated skin and the scent of the pine trees called to him.

  It would be good to shift, good to escape the questions swirling in his mind.

  Why would she lie to me?

  He thought back to the hurt expression in her eyes when he’d told her he wanted to go for a jog instead of eating dinner with her.

  She lied, he reminded himself.

  The bear felt his anger and called to him, a song of comfort.

  She cares for the cub.

  It was true.

  Even though she had lied to him, Axel trusted her implicitly with Noah. Her bond with the baby was clear, he knew he didn’t need to worry.

  It was his own heart he had to look out for.

  Let me carry you, the bear offered hopefully.

  Well, the bear was going to get his wish.

  Axel tucked his bundle of clothing into a hollow tree and sank to the forest floor.

  He shifted fast and landed hard with the satisfying bulk of the bear upon him.

  The scents and sounds of the forest flew at him, filling his senses and transporting him from his daily worries.

  When the bear took over, there was only the immediate moment: joy, sorrow, hunger or thirst - each was enough to fill his mind completely.

  Right now, the bear was alight with the joy of his sudden freedom.

  His muscles gathered and he leapt into the woods, enjoying the compression and release of his limbs and the pleasant scratch of the underbrush against his shaggy coat.

  He thundered along a familiar route, pausing to snuffle for berries in all the usual spots, though summer was long gone.

  The sweet scent of flowing water drew him closer to the creek. When he reached it, he plunged his snout into the stream and drank his fill.

  Axel had always loved being outside. He’d been close with Chance Harkness growing up, and the two of them would spend half their summers at Harkness Farms, wandering in the fruit patches and playing hide and seek in the cut-your-own Christmas tree forest.

  After he shifted for the first time, being outside became almost a religious experience.

  The air he’d always thought was clear was actually a tapestry of all the places he loved - the woods, the creek, the metallic tang of the railroad tracks leading to Philadelphia, the scent of a hundred meals being cooked in town.

  He still heard the rush of the breeze and the song of the cicadas. But now he also heard the footsteps of birds and toads, the hush of the highway, and even the notes of Harry Dross’s piano floating out the window to him from way over on Elm Avenue.

  The world whispered its secrets to Axel. All he had to do was listen.

  From across the woods and college fields he felt the pull of his mate bond, stretched thin and taut by the distance between them.

  He smacked his lips for the last taste of crystalline water and then turned back toward the path.

  He had been gone from the woman and child longer than he could bear. It was time to return.

  He loped back into the trees, moving quickly and quietly for one so large.

  The tension inside him began to subside as he drew closer to home.

  Somewhere in the background of his own consciousness, Axel recognized that the bear was staking claims, whether he was ready for them or not.

  They had reached an outcropping of rock from which he could look down and see half the town spread out before him. From this ridge he could even see his own cottage.

  A light was on in the shop.

  14

  Delilah

  Delilah cradled sleepy Noah in one arm as she frantically searched the hard drive of the shop’s computer.

  Axel had said he was going for a run, but she had no idea how long he would be gone. She knew he was in good shape, so she guessed she had some time.

  She had given him a ten-minute head start in case he forgot something and came back in. Then she’d taken the baby and headed for the shop.

  Picking the lock had been far too easy. His insurance company was going to give him hell about his security when the Mustang went missing, that was for sure.

  But if she’d thought she was going to have an easy time after that, she was wrong.

  The shop computer was a mess. She was beginning to wonder if she would ever find the security system software.

  The desktop was covered in files, as if Axel had never heard of a folder.

  There were about a thousand pictures of Noah at various ages, and it was impossible not to be distracted by them.

  Hundreds of photos of a familiar-looking Noah smiling were layered over pictures of him on Axel’s chest in a sling. Below those Noah’s tiny pink face was wrinkly and his little body was wrapped in a hospital blanket.

  She forced herself to keep looking for the security footage - though all she wanted was to pore over Axel’s memories of Noah.

  Beneath those were one or two pictures of a blonde woman, who she figured must be Noah’s mom.

  She studied the pretty face, wondering again how she could have left. As far as Delilah could see, a life with Axel and Noah would have been an uncomplicated heaven for this lucky woman.

  None of my business, she told herself and tried to concentrate on looking for the security footage.

  She had just uncovered the icon of a camera when she got the feeling that someone was watching her.

  She scanned the windows of the shop, but it was dark out there and she’d needed to turn on a light inside to get to the computer.

  Noah whimpered in his sleep and she nuzzled his warm head.

  “Sl
eep, sleep, baby,” she murmured, turning back to the monitor.

  A few quick keystrokes were all she needed…

  The back door opened, and heavy footsteps headed her way.

  “Hello,” Axel called from the darkness.

  “Uh, hey,” she called back, praying the monitor would go back to sleep before he reached her.

  It went blessedly dark just as he stepped into the lobby.

  Delilah’s mouth dropped open as she took him in.

  Axel’s t-shirt clung to his body, and he was damp, almost as if he had been swimming. His sweats were slightly askew.

  But it was the heated expression in his icy blue eyes that threw her the most.

  “I c-couldn’t find Noah’s giraffe,” she managed to stammer. “And I remembered he had it in here earlier.”

  He stared at her without speaking.

  “And here it is,” she said brightly, bending to pick it up.

  Years of practice at sleight of hand allowed her to slide the rubber toy out of her jacket and make it look like it had been on the floor all along.

  “I guess it’s time for bed,” she prattled in pretend happiness, wandering back to the door to head to the cottage.

  After a moment she heard his footsteps behind her and breathed a sigh of relief.

  She’d had just enough time to slide a bunch of the pictures back on top of the icon. If he was as much of a slob with that computer as she thought he was, he wouldn’t suspect a thing.

  “Get some sleep,” he said, his voice rough. “You guys have play group tomorrow.”

  “Okay,” she said, trying not to be too disappointed that they weren’t going to have a repeat of last night.

  He had seen her phone earlier - he must have.

  She knew she could make up something - anything - to explain why she had lied about not having a phone before.

  But somehow she just couldn’t bring herself to lie to him again.

  When they reached the cottage, he opened the door for her.

  “Do you want me to put him to bed?” he offered.

  “No, no, go eat your dinner,” she told him. “I left you a plate in the microwave.”

  “Thanks,” he told her and headed to the kitchen.

  She carried Noah upstairs and opened the door to his little room.

  He fussed a little when she placed him gently in the crib, but she rubbed his little belly just like she’s seen Axel do last night and the baby sighed and drifted back into a deep sleep.

  She watched over him for a moment, loving everything about him: the tiny chest rising and falling, fists clenched, almost-invisible eyelashes kissing those chubby cheeks.

  Then she forced herself to go back to her own room.

  She changed into the pajamas they’d picked up on the way home from the doctor’s office, and brushed her teeth, then climbed in between the sheets.

  She could just see the twinkling stars through the branches of the big maple.

  She thought about Axel’s eyes - twinkling warmly at her last night, flashing angrily tonight.

  And his clothes had been half-drenched and askew.

  Oh, Delilah, you idiot.

  Of course. He hadn’t been going for a jog. He’d probably gone off for a quickie with whoever he was actually dating.

  The idea stung, even though she had no claim over him.

  Tears prickled her eyelids.

  Go to sleep, she told herself firmly.

  But she tossed and turned for a long time before sleep took her.

  15

  Delilah

  Delilah climbed the stairs of the Tarker’s Hollow Community Center the next morning with Noah on her hip.

  He was crowing with delight and banging her shoulder with his little fists, like he knew exactly where they were headed and couldn’t wait to get there.

  Delilah enjoyed his enthusiasm, but she was feeling a little less confident herself.

  It was one thing to trick the person who already thought you were a nanny into believing you.

  It was another to put yourself out there with the other parents and caregivers. She worried that they would know right away that she wasn’t one of them.

  Delilah was exceptionally good at fitting in when it came to a con. But somehow she couldn’t stop pretending she really was Noah’s nanny, wanting to make a good impression on the other moms.

  Up until now, it had always felt like playing a part. But this part was starting to feel way too real.

  “Welcome to Playgroup,” a woman’s voice chimed with false cheerfulness just as Delilah reached the top of the steps.

  Delilah braced herself. But before she had even replied, help appeared on the scene.

  “Hey there,” a man said kindly. “You must be Noah’s new nanny.”

  “Thank you,” she said to the small blonde woman who had welcomed her, then turned to the man.

  He was tall with dark hair. A little boy trotted up behind him to lean on his leg and peek out at her.

  “Yes, I’m Delilah,” she told the man.

  “I’m Bane,” he said. “And this is my son, Oliver. Say hi, Ollie.”

  Oliver’s eyes grew large and he darted off to play with a pretend stove.

  Delilah laughed and Bane grinned down at her.

  “Axel and Noah normally hang out with us,” he said. “Or at least so I’m told. Wednesday was my first day.”

  He led her to a sunny corner of the enormous room, where two other guys had three babies between them.

  “Guys, this is Delilah,” Bane told them. “Delilah, this is Chase and Dax.”

  She nodded at them, hoping she would remember the guy with the long dark hair was Chase and that the blond was Dax.

  “So how’s the new gig?” Chase asked her. “Do you like hanging out with Noah?”

  His tone was playful enough that it felt like they’d known each other forever.

  Delilah felt her shoulders go down a little as some of the tension left her.

  “It’s amazing, are you kidding?” she asked. “Axel and Noah are the best.”

  “Axel?” Dax echoed, sounding surprised.

  “Yeah,” Delilah said. “He’s a great dad and he’s been really great showing me the ropes.”

  “Wow,” Dax replied.

  “We’re only surprised because we figured with you around, he’d be spending all his free time with Sally,” Chase explained.

  “Sally?” she echoed stupidly.

  “Yeah,” Dax said. “I’m surprised you’ve seen him at all. Sally is his obsession.”

  The others all laughed.

  It hit her at once. Of course. Sally must be the woman he was dating.

  She must have been who he’d run off to see last night.

  Delilah immediately felt guilty for kissing him the other night. No wonder he hadn’t wanted anything in return.

  If she’d known he was dating someone, she would never have let any of it happen.

  “So what do you think of Tarker’s Hollow?” Dax asked kindly.

  “Oh, it’s such a sweet place,” Delilah said automatically. “I can’t believe how safe it is, and how nice everyone is.”

  “Can you please write that down for Bane?” Chase asked her. “I think he needs a reminder of why this place is special.”

  “I have nothing against Tarker’s Hollow,” Bane said. “I just wasn’t planning to come home quite yet.”

  “Why did you?” Delilah asked.

  Bane’s brow furrowed slightly. “My sister died recently,” he said. “Ollie is her son. If he can’t have her in his life, I figure the next best thing is to grow up in a place where everyone knew how special she was.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Delilah said. “I had no idea.”

  “How would you?” he asked, giving her a gentle smile. “Anyway, Tarker’s Hollow is a magical place, especially for children. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now.”

  Delilah smiled back at him and then turned to watch the other thr
ee babies rummaging around in the pile of toys at the center of the blanket.

  Noah sat on her knee, waving his arms and cackling at them.

  “He wants to play too,” Dax said.

  “Soon enough, buddy,” Chase told him.

  “Bah,” Noah replied throatily.

  They all laughed.

  “Yeah, he’s ready to play,” Bane said, nodding.

  “Listen guys, if you’ll watch Jacob for a minute I’ll run to my car,” Chase said. “I grabbed us all coffees, but I have to bring them up. I hope you drink coffee, Delilah.”

  “Yeah, thank you,” she said, gratified to be treated like one of the gang.

  “Come on, bud,” Bane said, putting his arms out for Jacob.

  Jacob chuckled and let himself be handed off.

  She watched Chase head for the stairs.

  “Off the record, we’re really glad you’re here,” Dax told her.

  “Yeah?” she said.

  “The moms and other caregivers usually give us the cold shoulder,” he said. “It’s nice to have a woman over here to make us seem more legit.”

  Bane laughed.

  “You don’t know, Bane,” Dax said. “You haven’t been here.”

  “It’s probably just because you guys are hot,” Delilah said. “They don’t want to be accused of flirting with you.”

  “We’re hot?” Bane asked, grinning.

  Dax gave him a friendly shove.

  Delilah laughed.

  “Whatever their reasons, they kind of pretend like we’re not here,” Dax said. “But maybe with you around, they’ll see we’re not so bad.”

  “Coffee time,” Chase announced, bounding up the stairs with a flat of paper coffee cups.

  Axel’s friends were so nice. She had never felt so instantly accepted before.

  The sun came out from behind a cloud and the blanket was bathed in rainbow patterned sunlight from the big windows.

  Noah squealed with delight.

  Suddenly Delilah had a lump in her throat, sentimental for a beautiful slice of life that was completely out of her reach.

  16