by Sennah Tate
Sunset Glade Panthers
The Original Trilogy + Bonus Epilogue
By Sennah Tate
Copyright 2016 Sennah Tate
Copyright Sennah Tate 2016
Cover design by Sennah Tate
This book is a work of fiction. All the characters in this book are fictitious and any similarity to any person, living or dead, is purely coincidence.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Table of Contents
Author’s Note
Dedication
BOOK ONE: Spark
BOOK TWO: Ember
BOOK THREE: Blaze
EPILOGUE: Sunset Glade Holiday
About the Author
More From Sennah Tate
Author’s Note
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Dedication
To my wonderful family and friends that never cease to support me.
Sunset Glade Panthers
Spark
Chapter One
Gabi
Of all the millions of miles of sun-bleached highways that crisscrossed the country, Alligator Alley was the last road Gabrielle Fairway wanted to find herself on. She’d rather be on any other road to nowhere than the dusty two-lane highway that carried her further away from civilization and back to a land that time forgot. With Miami a hundred miles back in her rearview mirror, she knew the sudden urge to turn around was foolish. She’d give anything to bust a U-turn and be back in Dade County before last call. To breathe in a fresh salty breeze from the coast rather than the still sticky air of the Everglades.
Sunset Glade may have been the town Gabi grew up in, but it was not home. Miami wasn’t much better — she had a long list of failures to her name there, too — but Gabi much preferred big city anonymity to being the butt of small town jokes.
It seemed nothing had changed in the last decade. Elle’s Diner still stood sentinel over the center of town, rickety and weather-worn as ever, the neon OPEN sign flickering through grimy windows. Renton’s Market occupied the opposite corner, and nestled between them the ancient playground that served as the site of so much of Gabi’s childhood torment.
She lifted her foot from the accelerator, letting the car slow to a crawl. She rolled the window down as she cruised by the desolate swing set, a damp wind rattling rusty chains. She heard the jeering, the taunts, and the comments behind her back, all too vividly. As a child, she hadn’t understood why everyone hated her family. As an adult… well, she still didn’t really understand it.
A deep breath filled her lungs with warm moist air, unlike what was found anywhere else. South Florida was notorious for its oppressive heat and humidity, but even Miami’s clime couldn’t hold a candle to the leaden air of the Glades.
She muttered a curse under her breath and shook off the sudden wash of apprehension, leaving the town behind for her father’s house. Now wasn’t the time to get sentimental.
A cloud of dust billowed behind her vehicle as she turned down the dirt driveway to the home of the not-so-esteemed Dr. Richard Fairway.
Through the dense cover of cypress and pine trees, the familiar Southern style home came into view. As much as she despised the reaction, her heart swelled at the sight. It had been too long since she’d last seen her father.
Her tentative smile slipped away as her eyes settled on the note taped to the front door, scribbled in her father’s shaky hand.
Gabs —
Gone to look-out. Back around 7.
She crumpled the paper before she realized it and a frown creased her brow as she glanced at her cell phone: 7:33.
“Dammit, Dad,” Gabi muttered, fishing the spare key from under the Welcome mat to let herself in — home security in the Glades typically came in the form of firearms rather than locks.
With a deep breath, she unloaded the two suitcases she’d brought with her and carried her things up the narrow staircase to her old bedroom.
By 8:18, Gabi’s things were all put away and she’d made at least three trips down the driveway to the road, anxiously waiting to see her dad’s dusty Dakota round the bend.
This was exactly what Lily was worried about. Gabi’s elder sister thought their father was growing senile in his old age — not that Dr. Fairway had ever been known for his mental stability. Gabi didn’t want to believe it; her dad was a little eccentric, but he could still take care of himself.
Couldn’t he?
Maybe a seventy-something year-old man didn’t have any place living by himself in the swamp. Maybe Lily was right.
But the thought of robbing their father of his independence tugged at her heart. She was probably over-reacting.
Still…
It couldn’t hurt to call someone, right?
She nibbled her fingernails with one last furtive glance down the desolate driveway.
“I’ll call Carl,” she said to herself. Carl had long been a friend of her father’s and considered Sunset Glade his personal sanctuary to protect. He’d be able to check up on her dad without making him feel foolish.
Perched on the very tips of her toes, Gabi reached for the dusty old rolodex stashed on top of the fridge. She thumbed through the cards, her heartbeat increasing.
There was nothing to worry about. She was being ridiculous. Any second now she’d see his headlights coming up the road.
She plucked Carl’s card from the rest.
Any second now…
She glanced out the front window again.
“Dammit, Dad,” she cursed again with a sigh as she punched the number into her phone.
It rang twice and she imagined what Carl would say. He’d give her a raspy laugh that would turn into a cough. He’d tell her she’d have a better chance of finding the critters her dad was chasing than him. Then he’d assure her that everything was peachy keen and he’d have Richie back home in no time.
The phone rang again.
“Parks and Wildlife.”
Gabi’s heart jumped into her throat. That wasn’t Carl.
She stammered for a moment, considering just hanging up. But she wasn’t a timid teenager that couldn’t speak up, anymore.
“Uh, yes, I’m trying to reach Carl? Carl…” she hesitated, “okay, I’m embarrassed to say this, but I can’t remember his last name. Do you know Carl?”
A warm chuckle tumbled through the phone and tickled Gabi’s ear. Despite her growing worry, she felt a small smile turn her lips.
“Do I know Carl? Sweetheart, do you know how many Carls there are in the world?”
“I… Well…” she sighed, “sorry for wasting your time.”
“Well now, hold on a second, I didn’t answer your question.”
Gabi huffed and glared at the phone. Who did this guy think he was?
“Look, I’m not really in t
he mood for games right now. My elderly father went to the look-out and was supposed to be home nearly two hours ago. He doesn’t have a cell phone. Can you help me find him or not?”
Dead air hung between them for a moment and Gabi wondered if the man was going to deny her plea for help.
“Give me a description of him and a number I can reach you,” he finally said. His newfound tone of authority settled her nerves a fraction.
“Um… do you know Dr. Fairway?” she asked tentatively. Most people in the area knew each other and it didn’t help that her father was somewhat infamous.
“Gabi?” he murmured.
But… that couldn’t have been.
“I’m sorry?” she must have misheard him.
He cleared his throat before responding.
“Grey hair, built like a giraffe?”
Gabi’s teeth pulled at her fingernails, but she had to smile at the description.
“Yeah. I’m sure he’s fine. I’m sure I’m over-reacting…” she rambled.
“I’d be worried if it was my dad, too,” he reassured her.
A sigh she didn’t know she was holding escaped her lungs. This wasn’t exactly the welcome home she expected, but it was nice to have a friendly stranger in her corner.
“Thanks…”
A shaft of light shimmered through the trees lining the driveway and Gabi perked up.
“Hold on…” she muttered, hurrying out of the front door.
Nearly-bald tires slapped against the dirt as her father’s trusty Dakota squeaked and bounced toward the house.
Gabi let out another sigh, “He just pulled up, thanks anyway,” she said, hanging up the call before her momentary ally had a chance to answer.
Her heart hammered a fierce rhythm as worry and panic gave way to untold fury.
“Is that my Gabi Bear?” her father’s rich tenor called as the truck door creaked open. One long slender denim-clad leg dropped to the ground, soon followed by its brother. Even in his old age, her father towered over the world around him with limbs that were a hair too long. His carefree stride was both graceful and unhurried as he crossed the porch to wrap her in a tight embrace.
Gabi stiffened and pushed him away, purposefully ignoring the look of hurt that crossed his silvery eyes.
“Don’t Gabi Bear me,” she practically hissed. “Where were you? Do you know how worried I was? You were supposed to be back nearly two hours ago! I called the rangers to look for you!” Her voice trembled with barely contained rage and tears clouded her vision. Didn’t he understand how hard this was for her? How guilty she already felt?
Lily’s ‘I told you so’ rang in her ears. She wanted to prove her sister wrong. To say that dear old dad wasn’t losing his marbles after all. But he wasn’t going to make it easy from the looks of it.
His smile slid from his face and Gabi wondered at how much he’d aged in a handful of years.
“You didn’t have to do that. I’m all right,” he grumbled.
“No you’re not all right, Dad,” Gabi protested with a final sigh. She didn’t want to get into this with him right now. Not tonight. Not when she was still trying to convince herself to stay when every fiber of her being told her to leave this god-forsaken swamp that time forgot.
“Come on,” she said, slipping an arm around her father’s slender waist. Lilian had gotten their father’s figure, of course. Tall and willowy, Lily was the epitome of ethereal beauty. Gabi wasn’t so lucky. She’d inherited their mother’s ample curves, dark hair and short stature. “Let’s get you some dinner.”
“You don’t need to fuss over me, I can take care of myself.”
Gabi gave him a stern look but said nothing as she wandered into the little galley kitchen.
Opening the fridge, she scowled. There was nothing in it but milk and mayonnaise.
She turned to the cabinet and found it stuffed to the brim with canned goods — mostly pork ‘n’ beans.
“You don’t have any food here,” she griped.
The elderly man gave her a sly smile, “What do you call all that, then? I’ve got my food groups.”
“Salt and mystery meat aren’t food groups. I’m going to Renton’s first thing in the morning.” She pinched the bridge of her nose and ignored the rumble of protest her stomach gave her. Maybe she’d been giving her dear old dad too much credit.
She really didn’t want Lily to be right.
Her father didn’t know the real reason for her visit. She’d graduated college a couple of semesters ago and had been saving up money ever since for nursing school. Dad just thought that she wanted free rent for a few months. Having ulterior motives made Gabi feel guilty, but she certainly couldn’t tell her father about their fears. He would never go along with it.
She wrestled with a rusty can opener in an attempt to make ‘dinner’. After a lot of grunting and cursing, her father stepped in, whipping out his trusty pocket knife, making short work of the difficult can.
Gabi sighed.
“I’m going to head to bed, it’s been a long day,” she yawned.
Dr. Fairway frowned, the boyish twinkle in his eyes fading, “Already? But you just got here…”
Gabi’s eyebrows rose of their own accord, “No, I was here a few hours ago. You just got here. What took you so long, anyway?” She should have known better than to ask. The way her father’s face lit up told Gabi that she wouldn’t like his answer.
“Oh! I forgot to tell you,” he said excitedly, stabbing a fork into the can of beans without even heating them up. “I’ve been hearing knocks near look-out—”
“Dad…” Gabi warned, not wanting to go into another argument about her father’s obsession with mythical creatures.
He ignored her admonishment, “And a few days ago, there was a whole group of saplings snapped in half… these things had to be at least six inches around, sturdy and healthy.”
“A million things could have broken those trees, Dad,” she argued.
He grinned, shoveling another forkful of canned beans into his mouth, “A million things could, but only one thing did. Gabs, I think I found its nest. It got dark, tonight, but I’m going back tomorrow.”
Gabi’s head fell into her hands — she should never have asked.
“I wish you wouldn’t. It’s not safe out there for a man of your—”
A scowl crossed the older man’s face. He’d never had much of a temper, but Gabi could tell she’d struck a nerve.
“If you try to tell me I’m too old to do what I’ve done my whole life, you’re wasting your breath, Gabrielle. You’re starting to sound like your sister.”
She sighed, shaking her head. Gabi knew a lost battle when she saw one.
“We just worry about you out there alone with no phone or anything, Dad. That’s all,” she lied. Well, it wasn’t a complete lie. They did worry about those things, but his age played more of a factor than she implied.
Without the energy to carry on the argument any more, Gabi ended the discussion with a tight hug around her father’s shoulders.
“I love you, Dad. Please consider not going out there by yourself?”
He nodded without saying anything. She knew he was most likely humoring her, but she gave him a kiss on the cheek anyway before heading up the stairs.
She collapsed on the creaky twin bed, her mind reeling with everything that had happened in the last couple of hours. Could her father be trusted to take care of himself? He was still obsessed with his monsters, it seemed.
It didn’t take long for the song of the cicadas to lull her into relaxation and before she knew it, Gabi drifted off to sleep.
Early morning light filtered through the sun-bleached curtains on Gabi’s childhood bedroom window. Sunbeams reached through the blinds, long fingers stretching across the room to tickle Gabi’s nose. She groaned and rolled over, trying to hide her face from the light.
A gurgle from her stomach reminded her that she never ate the previous night and the constant empty ac
he kept her from going back to sleep.
“Ugh, fine,” she groaned to no one in particular. Bare feet met with age-roughened wood floors and a shiver traveled up Gabi’s spine.
What she wouldn’t give for a coffee. But she knew her father wouldn’t have any — he’d never had trouble waking up in the morning. It was superhuman.
Making peace with her lack of caffeine, Gabi shuffled to the bathroom, determined to wake herself up.
After an extended shower, she got dressed and headed downstairs. Her father sat at the kitchen table with a glass of milk, a plain piece of white bread and the previous day’s newspaper.
Grabbing her keys, she gave her dad a pat on the shoulder, “I’m going to get you some real food, do you have any requests other than a current paper?” she teased.
He grunted and turned the page.
“You don’t need to fuss over me,” he said with a grumble.
Gabi rolled her eyes and headed out, letting the screen door slam shut behind her, “I’ll be back,” she called over her shoulder.
Renton’s Market had long been the go-to for residents of the Glades and surrounding areas. It was the most well-stocked grocery store for twenty miles in any direction and boasted a wide variety of exotic proteins local to the area. There wasn’t much demand for alligator or wild hog amongst the mainstream population. Things were different out here.
Gabi wondered if Elle’s ever had turtle soup on the menu any more. Some animals were harder to come by than others, whether it be because of government regulations, like with turtles, or just their elusiveness.
As she wandered the narrow aisles piled to the ceiling, Gabi remembered making the same trek with her older sister at the helm. Their mother had disappeared when they were younger — whether on purpose or against her will was never determined — Gabi hardly remembered the woman. When she thought of a mother figure, she thought of Lily.
