Heartland Shifters Box Set

by V. Vaughn

  As I drive to Griffin’s to pick up Daniel, my shoulders ache from carting around a heavy tray all day. And my feet. Ugh, I can’t wait to soak them later. I’m so tired tonight I’m going to order a pizza for dinner.

  I park in front of Griffin’s place and recall the many times I’ve been here. His parents were always welcoming, and they’d often invite me for dinner. I smile as I remember helping Alice in the kitchen. Griffin’s father Warren would tell all kinds stories about his days on a farm that would make us laugh.

  I sigh as I put my car in park and wish life were as simple as it was back then. Before Griffin became famous and everything changed. When I knock on the door, Griffin calls out for me to come on in, and when I do, I find he’s with Daniel in the kitchen making cookies.

  “What’s going on here?” I say with humor in my voice.

  “We’re making cookies, Mommy. Look.” Daniel points to the big bowl that he’s stirring.

  “Wow, that looks amazing.”

  “We made them from scratch, didn’t we, bud?” Griffin nods to the premade box of cookie mix on the counter.

  I laugh before I say, “You’re going to ruin your supper.”

  Daniel pouts. “Mommy, can’t I stay and have a cookie?” He whines a little. “We worked so hard on them.”

  “Okay, but I’m sure glad I didn’t call the pizza guy yet.”

  Griffin frowns. “Pizza for dinner?”

  “Hey, you can make your judgements as soon as you’re a single parent. I’m tired, and I’ve been on my feet all day.”

  He holds up a hand. “Sorry. I get it. Tell you what, why don’t you two stay and I’ll make you dinner.”

  “It’s really not—,”

  “Please, Mommy!” Daniels pleads. “Can we stay for dinner? Please?”

  I have to admit the fact that Daniel isn’t ready to go home makes me happy. It’s clear he had a good day. And I’m no fool. If Griffin wants to make me dinner, I’ll eat it. “Sure. I’m going to go sit on the couch if you don’t mind. My feet are killing me.”

  Daniel and Griffin share a look I don’t understand, and after a few minutes on the couch Daniel walks toward me holding a wine glass with both hands so he won’t spill. “Here, Mommy, Griffin says you need this.”

  I smile and take the wine. “Thank you.” I glance over Daniel’s head to see Griffin watching and say, “Tell him he’s a smart man.”

  I enjoy my wine as I listen to Griffin and Daniel making dinner. When Daniel tells Griffin he has to put salt in the pasta water to keep it from sticking, I chuckle. Often I’ll set my son on a stool and give him a small task like tearing lettuce for our salad while I explain what I’m doing. It’s good to know he listens.

  Griffin says, “You’re a lot like your mother. She used to like to tell me how to cook, too.”

  He glances over at me and winks. I flash back to high school and remember making cookies together for some bake sale. I have no doubt I ordered Griffin around in the kitchen then, even if that’s not the part I remember. No, I remember the way he kissed me with such passion all I could think about was if we had time to go to his bedroom before his mother got home.

  My insides heat up a little, and I quickly grab my wine to take a sip and tamp down my desire. “I heard that,” I call out. “I sure hope you’re not burning the sauce.”

  Griffin tugs on the fridge door and grabs the wine bottle before he comes over to me. “Let me top this off and mellow you out some more.”

  I smile at him as liquid gurgles into my glass. “Thank you, Griffin.”

  He looks at me for a moment and then slowly smiles his crooked smile. “You’re welcome.”

  The tension between us seems to have vanished, at least for now. It makes me wonder what things would have been like if Griffin had never left to find his fame and fortune in LA. Would we be married by now? Would Daniel be any different growing up with a father from birth? It’s impossible to say. I know he’s a great kid, and I’ve done a good job with him so far, no matter how hard it was some days. And I’m sure he still would be, but I wonder if his life would have been better. What things did I really cheat my son out of by not giving him a father the first five years of his life?

  When dinner is ready, we sit at Griffin’s kitchen table to eat. He made meatballs to go with our spaghetti, and I notice they are little bite sized ones. I stab one with my fork and he says, “I made them small because I figured that was easier for Daniel.”

  I look at him in surprise, although I’m not sure why, because I see the man who I fell in love with back in high school. The one who thought about the people he loved in his life and how he could make their day easier.

  I have no delusions about the two of us getting back together as a couple, but as I stab a little meatball and pop it into my mouth, I think we’re going to be able to come together for Daniel’s sake. I believe Griffin and I can put aside the bad feelings from our past and work in unison to give Daniel a great life in the future.

  I glance around the table and hope that we’ll continue to be able do things like eat as a family and keep Daniel wrapped in that kind of love.

  Chapter 20

  GRIFFIN

  Water rushes as Mandy rinses a pan, and I take it from her to dry. Daniel’s in the living room watching his hour of TV I didn’t use while Mandy and I do dishes. It’s nice to be with her like this. Dinner was relaxed and fun. I didn’t worry about every little thing I said, and Daniel chatted on about things as if we were a real family.

  I grab the pasta pot and move behind Mandy to put it in the right cabinet. She steps back just as I do and bumps into me. I slip an arm around her waist to steady her as she stumbles. She inhales sharply, and I hold on a little longer than I should, pleased I still have an effect on her.

  When I let go, she blows out a breath of air and reaches up to comb her fingers through her bangs. Her cheeks are flushed pink as she looks at me. “Sorry.”

  I can’t help it; I give her a flirty smile. “Don’t be.”

  She turns back to the sink and pulls the plug out, and I say, “I’m glad you stayed for dinner tonight. It was really nice to spend time with you.”

  She turns to look at me, and I take a step closer. I know I shouldn’t. I’m still not happy with this woman for keeping me from my son, but my attraction to her is too strong to ignore.

  I recognize the desire in Mandy’s eyes, and when she swallows, I’m tempted to kiss her. I lean in a little, testing her reaction. But when she leans back, I get the message loud and clear. I take a step back, too. She’s right. Our relationship is still too rocky to start something physical and confuse everything.

  I say, “I know we’re not in an ideal situation, but I want to work things out.”

  Her eyebrows go up in surprise, and I wonder if she thinks I meant that I want to work out our relationship and not caring for Daniel. My panther seems to think so because he claws me in the ribs. Make things right with our mate!

  It’s not the right time.

  It IS the right time! Do it! Or else I’ll make your life miserable! He claws me again and it makes me flinch.

  “What are you thinking?” she asks, her brow furrowed.

  I wipe my mouth, which has suddenly gone dry. “I want to take you out.”

  She tilts her head. “What?”

  “I want to know if we might be able to rekindle our old relationship.”

  She presses her lips together. “I don’t know if that would be a good idea. What if it doesn’t work out? What if someone gets hurt?”

  “If it doesn’t work out between us, then, we’re really not any worse off than we are now. We can still arrange a custody agreement and move on with our lives.”

  She studies my face, and I think she wants to try.

  “I think we owe it to Daniel to at least give it a go,” I say. “If there’s no spark left between us, then I’ll let it go. But I can feel something humming in the air around us. It’s—"

  “Electr
ic,” she says, and I’m reminded of how she used to be able to finish my sentences for me. Back when things were really good between us.

  She glances over toward the living room where Daniel’s still enthralled with his TV program then back to me. She lets out a sigh, “Okay, I’ll go out on a date with you.”

  I grin and put my hand up for a high five. I know it’s stupid, but it makes her laugh when she slaps it, so I figure that’s a win. I’m thrilled that she agreed to give it a go. But an uneasiness makes my stomach churn. Am I being a fool listening to my animal, who is driven by his ID and only cares about being with his mate?

  I shake my head at myself and my mixed emotions. Tradition does dictate that as mates we attempt to make things work, and I’m going with that. If we can’t, Daniel will be stuck moving between households every other weekend, and that can be traumatic for a child, especially at his age. I had friends in school who had divorced parents, and I saw the turmoil it could bring to their lives. I’d prefer my son not have to have to go through any of that.

  My primary motivation is to try and make things work for Daniel’s sake. He deserves to have both of his parents working hard for him. Even if he doesn’t know it. A piece of me isn’t sure I’m ever going to be able to forgive Mandy, but I want to try. Our son is worth it.

  Daniel’s laughter carries to us from the living room. It’s infectious, and when I realize Mandy is laughing softly too, we go join our son on the sofa to watch his favorite show with him. We sit on either side of him, and he nestles in on the sofa cushion between us. I wonder if he senses what’s going on between his mother and me.

  I look at Mandy over his head and think, yes, I could use get use to this.

  My panther snorts. It’s about time!

  Chapter 21

  MANDY

  A tray of dinner plates is heavy in my hands as I hoist it up to my shoulder and carry it out into the dining room. While busy means more money, and I never thought I’d want it, I pray for a lull in customers. I need a minute or two to get my head straight over things with Griffin. After all we’ve been through, I’m going out with the man, for god’s sake! And it’s been slammed here at the diner for days now.

  The thing is, I can tell Griffin hasn’t forgiven me yet. And I find I really do want his forgiveness. I made a mistake—a huge mistake—and I’m hoping he can find it in his heart to forgive me. I think the fact that he asked me out means he wants to try.

  “Miss!” calls out a blonde from a table of young women I’ve seen around town but hardly ever see in the diner. I nod to her, and after I finish handing out the food I was carrying, I walk over to find she needs more ketchup because the one on the table ran dry. Definitely proof we’re busier than usual. We fill them every night.

  I scurry back to the kitchen for an order I’m sure is up and probably has Tony muttering under his breath because I’m taking too long to get to it. As good as the money has been, this is too much day after day. I’m tempted to tell Rita Mae to hire another server. Even Hillary, the energizer bunny, can’t keep up.

  I rush out again into the dining room and find the table I just cleared is full of teenage girls. They’re giggling and glancing around. And they’re talking about Griffin. They stop to order fries and chocolate milkshakes.

  One of the girls says, “We heard Griffin Talbot comes here a lot.”

  “God knows why,” another one says and then looks up at me sheepishly. “No offense.”

  I shrug. “No offense taken. I don’t know why he comes here either.” I leave to put in their order, convinced I’ve solved the mystery of why it’s so busy here. People must be coming in hoping to get a glimpse of Griffin.

  I chuckle. He’ll probably get a kick out of it when I tell him. That man does love attention. When I find Hillary in the coffee station filling pots of hot water for a table full of tea drinkers, I take a moment to ask, “Hey, could you babysit for me Friday night?”

  Her eyes light up. “Who are you going out with?”

  “Griffin.”

  She grabs my hand. “Oh my god! That’s great. Of course I will watch Daniel.” She pauses and her expression gets serious. “Right? How are you feeling about him? Is this a good thing?”

  I nod. “It is. I’m excited.” My smile fades. “And nervous about it. I don’t know if we can get back what we lost all those years ago. I mean, am I being an idiot? Because technically he’s left me twice.” I lean against the counter and sigh, ignoring the fact people are waiting for things. “Sometimes I regret letting him leave me so easily when he first went to LA.”

  She rubs my arm. “Real love is about letting someone go to follow their dreams.”

  “I know. It still hurts, though.”

  She gives me a sympathetic smile. “I know that first-hand.”

  I recall she went through something similar with Alec. He left her to go be a football star.

  She says, “I have a good feeling about this, Mandy.” Metal tea pots rattle as she lifts her tray. “I think it’s worth the risk. Keep your heart open,” she calls out as she walks away.

  I know she’s right. But opening up and being vulnerable to that is scary, and I’ve put a huge wall around my heart after that night in Vegas. I never want to be hurt like that again. I still don’t, but I know if I don’t try, I’ll never find out if Griffin and I can have something wonderful together.

  Besides, all I have to do is look at how happy Hillary is with Alec. He was worth the risk she took. As I make my way to the kitchen to grab an order, I let myself daydream about my date with Griffin. And of course, my wolf jumps in to help. The next thing I know I’m thinking about shower sex, and my cheeks are heated when I grab my tray full of food to deliver.

  As I set down salads in front of a group of regulars, one of the women, Lorna, frowns at me. “You okay, love? You look like you’re coming down with something.”

  I press my lips together to stop from laughing. “Nope, I’m feeling pretty good. Thanks for asking though. I appreciate it.”

  I’ve got it bad, because when Dora asks for more dressing, images of Griffin undressing flash through my mind. My wolf takes that moment to voice her opinion about my fantasies. Hot! Hot! Hot! I want to mate!

  I chuckle at us. Me too, sister. Me too.

  Chapter 22

  GRIFFIN

  A cue ball cracks loudly as the guy at the pool table next to us breaks to start a game. I’m glad Alec was able to get out to have a couple of beers and play some pool, just the guys. When he suggested the dive shifter bar on the outskirts of town, I jumped at the chance. It’s the type of place nobody will be impressed with me. And judging by the Kenny Chesney song playing in the background, there’s little chance one of my songs will come on.

  During my years in LA and other big cities, I didn’t have any true friends. Everyone I knew fit into three categories: those who loved me because I made them money, those who liked me because they wanted my money, and those who wanted to use me to elevate their social status. I had a lot of those fake friends, and since I’ve stepped out of the spotlight, they’ve scattered like rats fleeing a sinking ship.

  I set up my shot and sink the four ball in the corner pocket with a satisfying thud. I’m on a roll and sink another two balls before I miss on the fourth shot and it’s Alec’s turn.

  He sets up his shot. “You’re quiet tonight, Talbot. I could’ve come here alone and lost to a regular,” he jokes. “Want to talk about it?”

  I swallow my mouthful of beer and notice the metallic flavor of a cheap draft. The microbrew craze will be dead and gone before it ever comes to a place like this. I offer a bit of conversation. “I’m going out with Mandy Friday night.”

  Alec manages to sink a ball and chalk rasps against the tip of his stick as he surveys his next shot. “And that’s a bad thing? I thought you liked her.”

  “I do. I still have feelings for her for sure, it’s just I don’t know if going out with her is a good idea.” I down the rest of my gl
ass before I say, “I’m still furious that she didn’t tell me about Daniel.”

  “Fair.” Alec nods. He finishes off his beer, too.

  “But for Daniel’s sake, I want to see if we can make things work.”

  Alec snorts out a laugh and then shakes his head.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “That’s a horrible reason to go out with her. You should be trying to make things work between the two of you because she’s your mate, not for Daniel’s sake.” He grabs my glass along with his and goes to the bar to get us two more drinks.

  I think about what I just said and realize I’m being as fake as my LA friends. Sure, Daniel’s well-being matters, but I’m lying when I say he’s the reason I want to get back together with Mandy.

  I wait to take my turn to shoot until after Alec returns. As I lean down to make my shot I say, “I’d be all-in if Mandy hadn’t kept our son a secret for the past five years.”

  “Dude, everyone makes mistakes. I’ve made tons, and Hillary forgave me. Yes, Mandy should have told you about Daniel, but I can see her side too. I mean, you did leave her without a backward glance. Twice.” He winces. “That had to have been a big part of why she didn’t tell you.”

  I walk over to the other side of the table. “Yeah. I know that, but it makes it hard to trust her. What else might she keep from me later on?”

  “I bet it’s hard for her to trust you, too. But she said yes to going out with you. Sounds to me like she’s willing to try.”

  All that’s left for me to hit is the eight ball, and I line up my final shot. “Left corner,” I say before I slam the cue ball into my target with a satisfying smack to win the game. He’s right that Mandy’s willing to try to trust me again.

  Maybe I’m so jaded from the way people have treated me the past few years that I’ve forgotten what it’s like to interact with genuine people.

  Alec and I play another game before he’s ready to call it a night. He wants to be home before Hillary goes to bed so they can spend some time together. It’s great that the man is so in love with his wife, his kids… his life. I want that. And it’s not impossible to believe I can have that with Daniel and Mandy. I know it’s worth fighting for.