LA Shifters: Shifter Romance

by Sky Winters

  “How are you feeling?” Randy asked her later on when he came to bring her soup, just as promised by Ian.

  “Not very well,” she replied. “I hate to be such a downer.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about that. It happens to the best of us.”

  “I’m headed home Friday morning anyway. Hopefully, I will feel better for the trip.”

  “Well, if you don’t, you feel free to extend your stay. If not, maybe you will feel well enough tomorrow night for us to take you out on your last night here.”

  “That would be nice. I will try to make it.”

  “It is what it is. Enjoy your soup and just yell if you need anything else. I’ll come back and get your dishes in a bit.”

  “Thanks, Randy. You’ve both been very good to me.”

  “We’ve enjoyed having you. I only wish we hadn’t had to work most of the time and could have shown you around more.”

  “You’ve done more than enough.”

  By the following morning, Goldie found that she did feel quite a bit better, at least physically. Mentally, she felt incredibly out of sorts with the entire situation. Rather than dwell on it too much right now, she decided to enjoy her last night at Bear Lake with her friends. She would worry about how she as going to deal with this when she got back home. They made plans to go to a local restaurant and have a nice dinner out, along with some other acquaintances.

  “This is the best seafood place in Westfall,” Ian told her of the sprawling upscale restaurant situated in the next town, just on the outskirts of Bear Lake.

  “It might just be the best seafood anywhere,” Goldie replied enthusiastically as she took another bite of the fish cakes she had ordered.

  “Good point. Certainly among the top ones in the world, I’d guess. A pity that not more people know about places like this in small towns,” Randy said.

  “No, it’s not. If more people knew, we’d never get a table!” Ian told him.

  “Another good point,” Randy laughed.

  They finished their meal and were headed toward the door when Goldie spotted Joshua in a nearby corner talking to a group of guys. She tried to slip out without him seeing her, but failed.

  “Goldie!” he said, crossing the room toward her. “You haven’t returned my messages. What’s up?”

  “Oh, nothing. I just have been a bit under the weather is all,” she told him, it was at least half the truth.

  “Are you feeling better now?” he asked, nodding his head toward Ian and Randy in recognition.

  “A bit. The guys were nice enough to take me out for dinner once I made it past the rough part,” she said, antsy to get out of here. He looked just as delicious as ever and she didn’t want to end up in his bed again on her last night here.

  “That is nice of them. You should come by the house for a drink later,” he offered.

  “I appreciate it, but I’m still not one hundred percent. I think it best that I just call it a day.”

  “Well, the offer stands if you change your mind. You know the way to my doorstep,” he said with a wink, excusing himself with a polite goodbye. Goldie watched him walk away for a moment before turning to head out the door again.

  “Only a foolish woman wouldn’t get in a last night with that man,” Randy joked as he opened the door to exit the building.

  “I agree, but here I am, foolish as can be.”

  “Perhaps you will wise up before bedtime!” Ian added as he stepped outside.

  Goldie laughed and followed them out, not really paying attention to her surroundings as she considered her options and then tried to dismiss them again. If she had been watching where she was going, she might not have run into someone without seeing them first. Looking up, she found herself looking into the eyes of John.

  “Fuck!” she thought to herself.

  Was there no getting away from them? She blushed and apologized, noting that he was alone and not with another woman. It seemed that Joshua had been too, with a group of guys rather than a date. Then it hit her. They were meeting here, meeting with the group of guys she had seen Joshua talking to. If there had been any doubt as to whether they knew one another, it was certainly put to rest now.

  “Well, hello there. I was beginning to think you were avoiding me. Crashing into me isn’t exactly helping you hide from me, you know.”

  “I wasn’t hiding from you. I’ve just been under the weather.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. You look well now. Was it a virus?” he asked, scrutinizing her closely.

  “I suppose. Just a stomach bug. It seems to have passed.”

  “That is good to hear,” he told her before turning toward Randy and Ian, who stood talking to one another at the bottom of the steps she had been headed for when she had run into him. “I’m sorry, guys. I didn’t mean to be rude. I didn’t even say hello.”

  “Hello,” they both said, almost in unison, returning to their own conversation as another friend came by and joined them.

  Goldie marveled at the small town meetings that seemed to take place all around here. You really couldn’t go anywhere in a place like this and not run into people you knew. Even knowing the limited number of people she had met since being here, she thought back on how often she had just run into them here and there. It was nice, but how long would it take to get bored in a place like this?

  “Well, I guess I best get going,” she told him, trying to avoid making a situation that felt awkward even more so by lingering long enough for Joshua to wander out, as well.

  “Yeah, people are waiting for me inside. I guess I’ll get to it. I’ll message you when I get home, perhaps you can drop by.”

  “I’ve an early morning tomorrow, so I will probably be in bed fairly early.”

  “I see,” he said, his face falling.

  Goldie knew that he understood it was just an excuse and felt bad about that. It was odd having the shoe on the other foot, being the one who was doing the rejecting and it didn’t really give her a sense of power. It made her feel terrible. A part of her wondered if the men that had left her felt this way, even for a moment.

  “Have a good night,” she said politely, moving quickly away from him toward Randy and Ian.

  “You too,’ he called after her as she urged Randy and Ian down the walkway toward the lake house.

  “You are a naughty girl!” Randy laughed.

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “I mean, you giving both of those gorgeous specimen the brush off like you are the Queen of the Universe.”

  “Aren’t I?” she quipped, though she felt nothing at all like that.

  The trio laughed as they made their way back home, where Goldie excused herself to pack for her return home tomorrow. She had thought this little vacation might help her catch her breath, find her bearings. Instead, she felt almost panic stricken as she anticipated her return. She would still have a couple of weeks of down time from work to sort things out, but she knew that wasn’t a lot of time under the circumstances.

  Chapter Ten

  “What was that?” Goldie said, wide eyed, as she made her way from her bedroom to the living room, where Ian and Randy were gathered in front of the news.

  “Storm. I’m afraid you aren’t going anywhere today. None of us are. The bridges are already washed out from the rain and it’s not going to stop for quite a while according to the weather report,” Ian told her.

  “Will it flood, like into the house?” she asked, fearing the worst.

  “No, the house is high enough and the barriers around the lake will push it toward the overflow on the opposite side where there is no housing.”

  “Well, at least there is that,” she said, relieved.

  “Agreed. There is coffee and crumb cake in the kitchen if you want. Help yourself,” Randy told her, tapping away on his computer beside Ian, who was doing the same.

  Goldie guessed that is what people out here did when they were stranded, work from home. A part of her was envious
, as much of her job required she be present on set. It must be nice to have options like that. She had considered, at one point during her career, to just consult on design rather than embrace full creation. It would afford her the same luxury a large part of the time as consultation via webcam and emails would become the norm.

  “Sounds good, but I’m not much up for coffee this morning. Do you have any green tea?” she asked.

  “Green tea?” Ian laughed. “Are you starting a new healthy lifestyle? I’ve never known you to drink green tea in your life.”

  “Just trying to steer clear of the caffeine a bit,” she told him.

  The fact was that she knew nothing about being pregnant, but was already appalled that she had been drinking alcohol before finding out she was expecting. Surely, caffeine wasn’t good for the baby either. If she was stuck here today, she was going to have to at least do some research on what she should be eating and drinking. The doctor had given her some pamphlets and some instructions, but she had been in such a state of shock, she had left the papers behind and his words had not even begun to register at the time.

  “Well, there is probably some in there somewhere. Check the cabinet to the left of the stove. If not, I think there is a jar of instant decaf that my mother bought last time she visited. It probably takes like pig swill, but you are more than welcome to try it,” Randy told her.

  “Thanks,” she replied, heading to the kitchen to look for it. She was pleased to find a small box of green peppermint tea that would work just fine, though she wasn’t sure how it would pair with crumb cake. She opted for an apple and the tea, sitting down at the table and opening her phone to see what she could learn about her first trimester. Instead, she found a message from John that he had sent late last night.

  “I’m not sure what I did or said wrong, but I felt really bad that you were in such a hurry to get away from me tonight. I really enjoyed our time together and would like to see you again.”

  Below that was another, sent this morning, just saying he hoped she wasn’t out in the storm. Goldie sighed as she considered how much she really did like him. Then again, she also really liked Joshua. There were far too many reasons to stay clear of both of them. Choosing between the two of them was an impossibility. Each of them brought something to the table that really appealed to her. Both were gorgeous, successful and fantastic in bed, but Joshua was more serious in nature and primal in his sexual urges. John was fun, outgoing and more sensual.

  Of course, the biggest problem is that she was expecting a child from one of them and had no idea which one. How do you start any relationship off like that? It wasn’t as if you could say, “Yes, I’d really like to be with you, but I also fucked your friend and one of you got me pregnant. I’ve no idea which one. Oops!”

  Her thoughts were interrupted by loud groans from Ian and Randy in the living room, followed by a string of expletives from the former.

  “That’s just fucking great! What the hell do we pay that lazy ass council for if not to make sure everything is working properly. What a bunch of fucking twats!”

  “What’s going on?” Goldie asked, stepping back into the room and looking at the two of them.

  “The overflow is backed up. Water is going to begin spilling over the lake barriers and there is a good chance we will flood, after all.”

  “You’re kidding me!” she replied.

  “Afraid not, dear,” he said.

  “What will we do if that happens?” she asked.

  “Oh, honey. We aren’t waiting for it to happen. I just booked us two rooms in the old hotel in town while the getting was still good. It’s out of the flood zone and we can hole up there until this passes. It’s a good thing you are already packed. Let us throw a few things in bags and then we will drive into town while we still can.”

  “I thought the bridges were out,” she said.

  “Only the ones leaving town. The one between here and there is still fine according to our neighbor that called to tell us that his place is already getting a little leakage. He’s on his way over to go into town with us.”

  “Okay. I’ll get my things,” she said woefully. What a downturn this vacation was suddenly taking.

  Thirty minutes later, the three of them, along with a neighbor named Hank, were on their way to the hotel. The roads were incredibly wet and, though not completely flooded, standing water was already visible in places. She found herself wondering if Joshua and John were okay where they were and if they were at home on the lake or had already left for work before it got too bad. She suspected that John would have the store open to those in need, but she wasn’t sure about Joshua.

  “Get settled in however you like,” Randy told her after they had checked in and were headed to their rooms. “We are going to do some more work for a while and then we’ll come gather you back up for a nice lunch in the hotel. They have some amazing food here.”

  “Yes. I ate here with John once. It was quite good.”

  “Of course. He eats here quite often since it is close to the store and his friend owns it.”

  “Yeah. I met him. It was odd, because I thought that he said the guy was a friend from school, so I assumed a classmate, but he seemed quite a bit older than John,” she replied.

  Ian and Randy exchanged an odd look before changing the subject to announce that they were at her room. Goldie thought it odd, but turned toward the door Ian was pointing at to let herself in. She laughed a little as she realized it was the same room she and John had been in while they were here.

  “What’s funny?” Ian asked.

  “Nothing. Just a random thought. I’ll see you guys at lunch.”

  “Yes, you will. We are just down the hall if you need us in the meantime.”

  “Thanks. What a crazy day, huh?”

  “Yeah. I’m not looking forward to going back to a house that is flooded. Let’s hope it stops before it gets to that point.”

  “One can only hope.”

  Once inside her room, Goldie opened her tablet and began doing some research on pregnancy, making notes about things she would need to do as hers progressed. It was her nature to plan everything out, especially with her career being affected by all this. Hopefully, the birth would fall around the next wrap of the TV show so that she would have the down time after the birth without it interfering with work too much. As sad as it was that she had to put work above the baby, it was a simple fact that she would have to support herself and the child alone.

  For a moment, she considered ending the pregnancy. She had always been against that sort of thing, but things change a bit when you are the one with your feet squarely in those shoes. It was something she had to at least consider, though she was immediately certain she couldn’t go through with it. This baby might have an ambiguous father, but it was also a part of her and she was quickly finding herself in love with the tiny creature she carried.

  “Are you moving around?” she asked it, aware of a stirring that seemed to be taking place inside of her. “Of course not,” she answered herself. “You aren’t big enough for me to feel you move just yet.”

  Time seemed to fly as she jumped from site to site reading tips about pregnancy and parenting written by everyone from pediatricians to first time mothers. It seemed that everyone had a different opinion on absolutely everything and she wondered how women ever even sorted it all out. She suspected that, in the end, you just did the best you could and hoped you didn’t fuck your kid up too much.

  She jumped at the sound of someone knocking on the door, having been completely lost in thought. Glancing at her phone, she noted that it was already lunchtime. No doubt that would be the guys coming to fetch her. Turning off her tablet, she set it aside and answered the door.

  “Ready for a bit of lunch, girlie?” Randy said cheerfully. Ian was all smiles beside them and it was her guess that they had made better use of their room than just for work.

  “I am,” she told him picking up her purse and key to the roo
m from the table inside the door and walking down with the two of them.

  The hotel restaurant was packed with people. Outside it was positively dreary, the rain poured down in buckets and the sky was an angry black streak, spouting lightning bolts and obnoxious claps of thunder. If would have been a beautiful storm under different circumstances, but it was getting ugly with the flooding and influx of people trying to escape it. They had to wait almost forty-five minutes just to be seated. They had barely finished ordering their lunch when a familiar voice spoke up from behind her.

  “What are the odds that you three would take pity on me and let me sit in your extra chair rather than waiting an hour to eat?” Joshua asked.

  Ian and Randy looked a bit awkwardly at Goldie. She feigned a smile despite feeling a bit trapped. Perhaps it was just an excuse for him to talk to her, but then again, there were a lot of people here so he probably did just need a place to sit. Of course, it could be that both were the case.

  “Of course you can sit with us,” she told him, nodding toward the empty chair on her side of the table.

  “Thank you so much! I am starving to death! I drove like a bat out of hell to try to get back and check on the house from work before it got too bad, but I was too late. The roads in are already flooded and the hotel is full. I’ll most likely be begging friends for a dry sofa before the night is out.”

  Goldie supposed this would be an opportunity to invite him to stay with her, but she was really trying to avoid intimacy with anyone else before leaving this place, especially since she already was feeling like a beached whale. The way her stomach had already started to protrude was insane. She’d had to put on a dress that was a bit loose around the waist and toss a tissue thin jacket over it to hide the bulge. Obviously, she was going to be one of those that showed quickly, despite her larger size.

  “Already? I was hoping it would subside rather than getting worse!” Ian shrieked. “Our poor house is going to be destroyed. All our houses are going to be soggy, musty messes!”

  Goldie was almost grateful for the outburst, as it salvaged what might have otherwise been an awkward moment. The three men commiserated about their homes while the waiter began placing drinks and salads on the table, noting that someone extra had turned up and taking his order before leaving.