The Baby Shift- Delaware

by Becca Fanning

  The Baby Shift: Delaware

  Shifter Babies Of America 37

  Becca Fanning

  Contents

  1. Charlotte

  2. Luke

  3. Charlotte

  4. Luke

  5. Charlotte

  6. Luke

  7. Charlotte

  8. Luke

  9. Charlotte

  10. Luke

  Also by Becca Fanning

  Charlotte

  Wilmington, Delaware was, by all accounts, a charming city for young professionals. Charlotte Evergreen couldn’t agree more with this sentiment.

  Maybe that’s why she sat blank-faced as the lawyer across the table handed her the keys.

  “It was decreed in his will,” the lawyer explained flatly. “The cabin near White Clay Creek park will go to you.”

  She frowned and debated telling the lawyer in no uncertain terms that while her grandfather may have enjoyed the great outdoors—and loved her enough to leave her something—she didn’t feel the same.

  “I understand you were looking to buy a home,” the lawyer said with a small smile, oblivious to her feelings. “Perhaps this is the starter one for you.”

  She left feeling misunderstood and ungrateful. She loved her gramps, and his death from cancer was expected. The cabin was not. She knew that her parents would be overjoyed. After all, Charlotte was the freelancer, the work-from-home programmer. She could work anywhere.

  But she adored the city. She bit her lip, hovering outside of her car with the cabin keys in her hand. Her bank account came to mind. How expensive rent was. Why she wanted a house. How she’d never be able to afford it on her own even with, well, paying contracts. She sighed. Did they even have internet out there?

  Well, she’d have to find out now.

  The cabin was cute. Undeniably, no matter how much she tried to talk herself out of it. Cute as a button just like her gramps had been. She slid out of her car and grabbed her bags, a computer bag, and a small suitcase. It was happenstance that her lease was ending that week. A coincidence that Gramps left her this. She’d already cried twice today thinking about his kind face. And then she cried thinking about what a jerk she was for being ungrateful for a country house.

  “I’m a city girl,” she told the wood-carved bear statue at the entrance. It, of course, didn’t reply. She scowled at it and went inside. It was stuffy, but the place had all the same trappings she remembered: polished wood, plaid decorations, cozy nooks. Grandma had helped him decorate the cabin before her death twenty years before. He never married after. Charlotte smiled to herself. That was the kind of love she wanted. The kind of love that she expected one might find in a city.

  A small note was taped on the fridge, stopping her in her tracks.

  “Charlotte. Hope you like it. I promise I have my reasons. ☺

  -Love, Gramps

  P.S. If Luke comes around, tell him that I passed. Hope his new baby is doing well. There’s a gift for her on the table.”

  Her breath caught in her throat as her vision blurred. How long had her gramps known that he was going to give this place to her? She wiped away her tears and shook her head. Shit. She would grow to love this place. What reasons was he talking about? Her eyes reread the note.

  Who was Luke? Probably an old fishing buddy who came up here.

  A knock sounded on the door and sent her afoot into the air. She gasped and reeled around. “Hello?” she called.

  “Ya’ in there, doc?” a loud voice asked. Rugged, gravely. The exact opposite of all her ex-boyfriends. She shivered. Her Gramps had been a doctor.

  She opened the door with straightened shoulders and threw her black hair back. “Are you looking for my grandfather?” She was thankful that the question managed to get out of her mouth before she actually saw the man.

  Handsome. The exact kind of broad-faced beauty you’d expect to match with a voice like that. He was tall, over six feet, and built like a stout wooden ship. She marveled at his size and the fact that he’d managed to find a black V-neck big enough to accommodate his powerful muscles. He cracked a grin when he saw her.

  Without a prompt, she squeaked, “I’m Charlotte. Are you Luke?” All her coolness left her.

  “Yes,” he said slowly. She liked how slow he said it. As if they had nothing better to do than exchange words in a doorway in the middle of the woods. “And you must be Doc’s granddaughter.”

  She nodded. Her common sense and social cues were slowly coming back to her. “Sure am.”

  “Are you the hotshot computer whiz or the teacher?” he asked with a playful glance.

  Her cheeks went red. Nobody under the age of forty would’ve said hotshot computer whiz, but he couldn’t have been older than thirty. Probably only a few years older than her!

  “Computer whiz,” she said proudly. After all, she did work hard. He stuck out a large hand.

  “Nice to meet you.”

  It was at that moment that the sun came through to the doorway. It hit his eyes just right. Gold. Shining, undeniable gold. She gasped. His grin deepened.

  “Doc might’ve not told you, but he was pretty familiar with us Shifters next door,” he explained with a shrug.

  “Shifter?” she echoed. She knew what it meant. She knew that they existed. But here? In Delaware?

  “Bear Shifter,” he said. There was a boyish glint of pride to it. He jerked a thumb towards the statue that lurked behind him at the entrance of the garden. “I made that for your grandfather.”

  Her heart fell. “I’m sorry to tell you that he’s passed.” She waited a beat. “He gave me the cabin. Actually, he left a note.” She scrambled back to snatch it from the table, barely remembering now what it said. “He said to ask about your daughter.” Under one arm, she’d tucked the small wrapped box that Gramps had left behind. She presented it to him.

  “I would’ve loved for him to have met her,” Luke said with a sad smile, looking down at the box. He took it from her with a nod.

  “He was great with kids.”

  “Yeah,” Luke said and looked back up at her. “Thanks, Charlotte. I’ll see you around.”

  She watched as he got back into a beaten-up pickup truck. It was red and old, the kind her grandfather would’ve loved. She watched him leave and then shut the door, sinking against it with a deep exhale.

  This was certainly not what she’d been expecting.

  Luke

  Luke Adler could be counted on for two things: his love of fresh apple-infused beer from the Clan reserves and his stubbornness.

  His stubbornness, the Chief assured him, was by far his most annoying trait.

  “Let the midwives help you more,” the Chief said in a gruff voice. They were in the Hall, a stretched cabin built to accommodate meetings with the Clan. It mostly served as the Chief’s office, where he called in members for various things.

  And now, Luke thought with a wry smile, was his turn to be talked to.

  “I see those dark circles under your eyes,” the Chief said and pushed a cup of coffee towards Luke. The Chief liked his coffee black and strong. Luke took the cup slowly, his pride unwilling to show his desperation for caffeine. “We male Shifters do not have the strength of women. You must let the midwives help you more. I know you’re grieving—”

  “Sam made her decision,” Luke said sharply, his chest still stinging. It’d been five months. The thought of his ex-mate did nothing for him anymore. The anger had dulled. The betrayal had faded. “I’m only concerned for Natalie’s health.” Nat, his baby girl, who he was determined to protect from the cruel fates of this world. She would never know the woman that abandoned her. She would never be hurt like Luke had been hurt. He was determined.

/>   The Chief sighed. “You make me weary, Luke. Just like your father did. Even now, I can hear his voice ringing in my head before he passed: Take care of that boy.”

  “You’ve done a great job taking care of me and my mother, Chief.”

  “Yes, and now, Natalie is part of our Clan and your family. We must take care of her too.” The Chief’s grave eyes met Luke’s gaze. The old man didn’t flinch. He never had in the entire time that Luke had known him. “And we must take care of you, Luke. I’m suspending you from work.”

  Luke’s mouth dropped open. “You can’t.”

  The Chief sniffed. “I can and I will.” His larger shoulders shrugged easily. Deep within those muscles were a strength unparalleled by the strongest young man in their Clan. Even Luke would lose in a fight with the Chief. Being in charge gave your powers a charge. A super supernatural being. “You are to finish your projects this week and take the summer off to look after Natalie.”

  Luke rose, a cloud of anger surrounding him. The Chief glanced up at him coolly.

  “I haven’t finished,” the old man said. “You will also be our ambassador to the new human woman, the daughter of Doc. The midwives will take over three times a week for childrearing. I suggest you use that time to improve your relationships with humans.” His eyes flashed a tiny spark of deviance behind the wisdom. “It’s no secret that many want you to take over my position one day. Consider this training for your future career in politics.”

  Luke stormed out of the building and tried to ignore the amused chuckle of the Chief that followed him. Of course, Luke knew he was being a child. He was throwing a tantrum. He was tired. His heart and his body. He swore and kicked a nearby tree, listening to the soft splinter and groan from the bark beneath his mighty power. A nearby child saw him and scurried on. He sighed and leaned his forehead against the tree.

  Was this any way for him to act? To set an example for his Clan’s children, including his own baby girl?

  He walked back to his lodge, located further inside the territory, but closest to the neighboring edge to human territory. They had given him a larger lodge, a three-bedroom cabin, upon his mating with Sam and the upcoming arrival of their child as an unspoken promise. They’d waited three years to start trying. He sighed as he walked inside the empty house. Baby Natalie would be with the midwives today. It was useless to argue with the Chief.

  The cabin felt utterly depressing alone. Get to know humans? Take time off? He buried his head in his hands. Woodworking was about the only thing that he could do not to think about his current predicament.

  On the coffee table, he’d placed the gift that Charlotte had given him from the Doc. Luke had always liked Doc. The old man was hard-working and peaceful with nature. They never had issues with him overfishing or destroying the natural habitat around them. If he ever burned a fire, he put it out properly. Luke liked him more than most humans.

  Doc had even come by a few times to visit the Clan, to visit the children and to offer to bring by vaccines if they were wary of outside doctors. Luckily, the Clan had its own physician, but the gesture was nice. Doc cared.

  Luke opened the gift finally. A small card sat inside the box.

  Good luck, kid. Be kind to yourself. I hope the baby is happy and healthy.

  It was signed Doc. Luke could’ve cried if he let himself linger on the card too long. He gently unwrapped the paper inside the box and found a polished golden necklace inside. It was a pendant of a bear paw, and on the back, Natalie’s name was engraved into the gold. He held the necklace close to him.

  In the blink of an eye, his daughter would be old enough to wear this.

  He placed the necklace back in the box and carefully rewrapped it. When Nat was old enough, he’d give her the gift and tell her that a special man had given her this present.

  Perhaps he could give something to Charlotte in return.

  With nothing else to think about, he began scheming.

  Charlotte

  “He has a kid,” Charlotte said into the phone. It was pinched between her ear and her shoulder as she fought with the ancient washer in the garage.

  “Sorry, but are you fighting an actual bear?” Ellen asked. Ellen was perhaps the best thing that Charlotte had gotten out of her bachelor’s degree in computer science, besides the degree itself. A friendship forged by often being the only two women in the room.

  “The washer isn’t draining,” Charlotte muttered. “Figures. Gramps always loved to keep old things around.”

  “Never mind about the washer,” Ellen cackled on the other side. “Tell me about the irresistible hunk again. I can’t believe your grandfather was friends with bear Shifters!”

  “I know. I guess we all have our random secrets.” Charlotte paused. “Gramps said he had his reasons for leaving me that place.”

  “Cryptic.”

  “I know!” Water began leaking from the washer. She swore beneath her breath. “Let me call you back. The washer is imploding on itself.”

  “Good luck and bring a towel!”

  Charlotte shoved the phone onto the shelf above the washer. Quickly, she snatched a few cleaning rags while she grabbed a bucket. She searched for the machine’s manual online and tried to decode the issue. Computers were great because at least they never started leaking water!

  She needed to drain it. With another foul word, she grabbed the bucket and glanced at the bottom of the machine. A stopper was plugged into the bottom of the drain trap. As she was bending to undo it, a knock sounded on the door. Who was visiting at 10 AM on a Saturday? She blew her bangs, slightly disheveled from the sweat, out of her face. Jean shorts and an old t-shirt would have to do for the mystery guest.

  She hauled the garage door open and was immediately met with a surprising sound.

  “Hey there.” A delicious, deep voice. Luke. She opened her mouth and silently prayed that he hadn’t been lurking around while she’d been blabbering about him to Ellen.

  “Hey,” she said, trying to ruffle her hair into place. “What’s up?” Her eyes went to a box in his hands. A wooden box that was minimal, but incredibly elegant in construction.

  “It’s a gift,” he explained with a smile. “A welcome present from the neighborhood.” She glanced at the trees around them and took the box from his hands. Her fingertips slid over the polished wood.

  “Our neighborhood?” she echoed. There was a bear pawprint skillfully carved into the wood’s surface on the box’s top. She brushed her fingertips across it, admiring the skillful marks. When she lifted the box, she realized it was a jewelry box. Perfect since she’d been debating buying once herself. “It’s lovely, Luke, thank you.”

  “Well, the Shifter neighbors you have is technically a neighborhood. I think there are some other homes around here, but mostly it’s tourists or retired men going fishing. The occasional drunken teenagers.” He rolled his large shoulders. “My Chief wants to make sure you’re comfortable.” He glanced at the box and smiled. “And you’re welcome. That’s my craftmanship.”

  Her eyebrows shot all the way up this time. “Your Chief?” It all sounded so wild to her! She tried not to gape at him, but his crooked grin said it all. She wondered if she was being a typical human with this. Oops. “And you did this?” She marveled at the box.

  “Yes, he’s the leader of our Clan. He’s a wise man,” he said with a punch of amusement in his voice. “A bit stubborn and, yes, I did do that.” He laughed, and she realized that she enjoyed the sound of his laugh immensely. It was musical.

  Somehow, she imagined that Luke might be a bit stubborn too. Hadn’t her grandfather used to tell Charlotte herself that she was stubborn as a bear when she was younger? She glanced up at Luke and then remembered her leaking washer.

  “Do you think you could help me with something?” she asked. “It would only take a minute.”

  He grinned. “Of course.”

  She led him inside the garage and instantly thanked her grandfather for being so tidy and
organized with his shelves. A few of her moving boxes were strewn about in here, not having made their way to the living room. The washer had leaked more water out, and Luke let out a knowing sigh.

  “Don’t worry,” he said with a laugh. “I’ve seen this before. Can you put the bucket underneath while I lift the washer up?”

  “Yes,” she said and grabbed the yellow bucket near the washer. “Be careful. The washer is old, so it’s pretty heavy—” The words died in her mouth as he effortlessly lifted the washer into the air, tilting it. She undid the stopper on the drain, and a gush of ugly gray water came out. She wrinkled her nose. At least it smelled like lavender. Mostly.

  He gave the washer a little shake at the end. Again, effortlessly. It was as if he’d picked up a washer made of Styrofoam. She marveled when he set it back down, and he returned her look with a wave of his hands. He said, “Shifter strength. It’s not fair, I know.”

  “That’s incredible.”

  “Don’t tell me that,” he said with a barking laugh. “I’ll get an ego.” He glanced down at the machine. “Do you want me to clean it out for you? Speaking from experience, our machines usually get tangled up with a lot of fur...it stops the washer from draining. Not that your gramps had fur, but...”

  She laughed. “If you’re brave enough. Can I get you a glass of water? Some gloves?” She glanced down at the bucket and grimaced.

  “Just a flashlight,” he said. She hopped to the other side of the garage and came back with a headlamp.

  “Does that work?”

  “Perfect.”

  He stooped down on the ground and began examining the washer. She walked into the garage with her bucket and poured the offending water down the sink. Her arms were covered in goosebumps. Not from the gross water but by the whole situation. An excited thrill ran through her.