by Jane Jamison
“Mom!”
She jerked back to a standing position and clutched the order pad and pencil to her chest.
Jazz stood beside her, her arms crossed, her gray eyes that were so much like her father’s glaring. “Mom, what are you doing?”
Stormy had enough embarrassment for one day. From what she’d seen of the youth of Forever, talking to a parent with that tone of voice wasn’t allowed. “I’m working. And so should you. Have you done your homework?”
Jazz’s pretty face scrunched together. “Mom, what’s wrong with you? It’s summer.”
Shit!
She recovered as fast as she could. “Excuse me, guys. I’ll get your order as soon as I take care of a little problem.”
Pushing Jazz ahead of her, she stalked toward the back room. The rest of the customers didn’t bother hiding their laughter. “Milly, please take care of them, okay? Please.”
Milly threw a rag over her shoulder and shook her head. “Fine. But this is the last time.”
Stormy nodded her head. She would’ve agreed to anything if it meant getting out of the room along with Jazz. Once inside the back room that served as a combination break room and storage room, she closed the door behind her and confronted her child.
“Jazz, really. Do you have to act that way? Especially in front of my boss? In front of the customers?”
Her daughter was anything but stupid. “Your boss? Seriously? That’s who you’re worried about? Or is it the special customers?” She added air quotes for emphasis.
Stormy averted her eyes. “All my customers are special and I treat them all the same. I need those tips.”
“Then why were you going to sit down with those men? I’ve never seen you sit down with any other customer.”
Stormy couldn’t find the words to explain. How could she when she didn’t know herself? “I felt a little dizzy is all.”
Jazz had her face and slight frame, but everything else was from her father. Stormy’s own long hair was a dark brown, but Jazz’s was black like her father’s. Although she thought of herself as a strong woman, her daughter had inherited C.J.’s tendency to want someone else, anyone else, to take charge. Unless they didn’t do what he wanted them to do. Then he’d try to steamroll over them.
Like father, like son.
Worse yet, even though her child hardly knew her father, she’d somehow adopted his way of hanging blame on Stormy. Or was it simply that she was too willing to take the blame?
“Uh-huh. Dizzy from drooling over the Malone brothers.”
“I’m not drooling over them.” The shock she showed had nothing to do with the accusation. After all, she couldn’t deny that. But to hear her daughter say it out loud was bad. Real bad. If Jazz had noticed, then everyone else must have, too. She’d assumed they’d pointed her toward them as kind of an initiation of the new girl and maybe that they’d heard Milly say the Malone brothers were interested in her. But she’d hoped that she’d hidden her attraction to them better.
“Right. Hell, Mom, it’s not like it’s not right there on your face.”
Was she that transparent? She had to assume she was. After all, whenever the Malone brothers were around, she found it difficult to think straight.
“Look, Jazz, that’s not why we’re back here. You know as well as I do that I don’t date.”
Not only had she had no time while trying to raise a child on her own and working two jobs, but she’d vowed that she’d never let any man take advantage of her the way C.J. had. And the best way to keep that vow was to keep away from men. She hadn’t had a date since she’d gotten pregnant with Jazz.
“It’s really strange the way you look at them.” Jazz did a dramatic shudder. “And the way they look at you? It’s like they want to eat you up.” Jazz narrowed her eyes. “Do you want them to eat you up?”
Hell, yeah.
She wasn’t surprised at the thrill that whipped through her. Did they really look at her that way? But she did her best to hide her elation from her daughter. What did it matter, anyway? She couldn’t date anyone, much less one of the too-hot-to-be-real Malone brothers. She’d have to watch herself from now on and hide her emotions better. Not just from Jazz but from everyone.
“You’re letting your imagination run wild.” She went into primo mom mode and changed the subject. “Now, about the homework thing. Yes, I know it’s summer, but you still have math work to do. How are you coming along with that?”
Jazz groaned and plopped onto the lumpy old couch that rested against the wall. A beat-up refrigerator sat next to it, but it had never been plugged in since Milly let her workers eat free. A small wooden table sat in the middle of the room while the other walls were stacked with restaurant supplies like napkins and straws.
Jazz had gotten into trouble at her last school and she’d failed her math class. In an agreement and, to Stormy’s thinking, a way to wash their hands of another problem child, the teacher had agreed to change the failing grade to a passing one if Jazz would take summer school in whatever town they moved to, providing they found a home in time. Stormy had agreed, and, deciding to take her daughter’s education into her own hands, she’d purchased mathematic workbooks. She’d kept on Jazz as they’d traveled, making her do several pages a day.
“Mom, give me a break. No one else in this hellhole is doing schoolwork.”
She sat next to her petulant daughter. “And you know this how? Have you made some friends?” Please let them be good kids.
“Yeah, I guess.”
Don’t get excited or she’ll clam up.
“Oh? That’s nice.” She fingered the thread sticking out on the arm of the couch. “Is that where you’ve been since this morning?”
Jazz gave her one of her patented why are you bugging me? looks. Or was that in every teen’s manual on how to treat their parent?
“Never mind. I’m not getting off work for several hours yet. Why don’t you head over to Mrs. Calimer’s house? I’ll pick you up when I get off around dinnertime. Maybe we could drive into Shatland for a pizza. Would that be good?”
Ease up. You’re pushing.
But it was so hard not to. She missed the days when Jazz thought she was the greatest mom in the world and would’ve shouted for joy at the prospect of eating pizza for dinner.
“No way. She’s too old and she smells funny. Plus, she’s got these really big teeth.”
“First of all, don’t talk about your elders that way. She’s a very nice lady and we owe her a lot for offering to watch you for free while I’m at work.” She hated sliding back into the criticizing mom zone. “Besides, what do you mean she has really big teeth? Most people her age have dentures. Is that what you’re talking about?”
“No.” For the first time since she’d shown up, Jazz got excited. “One time I accidentally—”
Stormy didn’t miss the emphasis on the word accidentally but decided to let it go.
“I accidentally knocked over a lamp and broke it.”
“Oh, shit.”
“Words, Mom.”
She closed her eyes. Another curse came to her lips, but she shoved it down. She couldn’t expect Jazz not to curse if she did. “Go on.”
“Anyway, she heard it and came running into the room. It was freaky, since it usually takes her ten minutes to go from her kitchen to the living room. But when she came rushing in, I thought she had big teeth like fangs coming over her lips.”
“Baby, come on.” Why did she feel the necessity to embellish everything? Did all teens do that or just her kid?
“Mom, don’t call me baby. I’m not a little kid anymore.”
“But fangs? Don’t you think you’re exaggerating a little?”
“Hey.” Jazz threw her arms up. “I calls them like I sees them.”
Stormy hated that phrase. C.J. had used the phrase a lot. Had Jazz picked it up from him? Hopefully, she hadn’t picked up any other habits from her jerk of a father.
“I guess we owe Mrs. Calimer
a new lamp.” She slumped against the back of the couch. That was all she needed. Another bill to pay.
“Sorry.”
Just when she thought she’d lost the daughter she’d known, she showed back up. “It’s okay. Accidents”—she paused to put stress on the word—“happen. I’ll take care of it. Just try to be more careful, okay?”
“I will.”
She pushed herself out of the sunken cushion and onto her feet. “Now you get your math work done. Either here or at Mrs. Calimer’s place.”
Her finger came out to shake at Jazz just like her mother used to do to her. She fisted her hand and shoved it into her pocket. “I’ve got to get back to work.”
Jazz was up and moving ahead of her. “Sure thing. Right after I meet the guys you’re hot and bothered for.”
“No! Get back here!”
Chapter Two
“Hi, guys.”
Stormy stalled at the counter as she watched Jazz hurry to take Beckett Malone’s hand. The three brothers were halfway out the front door but stopped when Jazz came up.
“Hi yourself.” Beckett’s cordial smile widened as his gaze lifted to her.
“I thought you were going to order breakfast.” Jazz leaned to the side to stare out the window. “Is that your bike?”
Stormy slid to a stop several feet behind her child and considered spinning around and running away. I’m going to kill my child right in front of all these witnesses.
“Yeah. That’s my Harley. Have you ever ridden a motorcycle?”
“No, but I’d really like to.”
Stormy was beside Jazz in a flash. She plastered on a blank expression. “But she’s not ever going to. I’m sorry. My daughter doesn’t mean to hold you all up.”
Ty, his blue eyes piercing into her, leaned closer. “She’s not holding us up at all. Have you ever ridden a bike?”
Was he teasing her? The slight upturn of the corners of his mouth reminded her of a smirk. “Actually, I have.”
“You have?” Jazz’s mouth dropped open. “When?”
“It was a long time ago when I was young and stupid.” Oh, crap. Did I just say that? “Not that I’m implying that you’re young and stupid, Beckett. You’re not, of course.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Especially since it happens to be true,” quipped Rent.
Beckett ignored his brother’s jab. “Take a minute and hop on, then tell me what you think.”
“Oh, no thanks. I need to get back to work. Milly—”
“Milly won’t mind, Mom. Come on.”
Jazz almost had her hand when Rent took it instead. He tugged her along with him, and she let him while Jazz hurried behind them. What else should she have done? Yanked her hand away and caused an even bigger scene? The sizzle that leapt from him into her had her forgetting that she’d walked out of the diner.
“Ty and I came in his Jeep.” Rent tilted his head toward the Harley motorcycle that Beckett stood next to. “Like I said, Beckett’s the young and stupid one of our group.”
Beckett shook his head then held out his hand to Jazz. “I know your mom won’t let you ride, but you can sit on it. Right, Mom?”
Stormy started to protest, but how could she say no to simply sitting on the bike? Especially when his sultry voice made her grow hot between the legs? Even calling her Mom hadn’t taken any of that away. “I guess so.”
Rent pulled her to the side of the Jeep as Beckett helped Jazz get on the bike and started pointing out the different parts of the vehicle. “Now that Jazz is preoccupied, I wanted to ask you a question.”
His eyes, the same blue color as his brother’s, sparkled. The stubble running along his jaw beckoned to her, but she resisted. His bottom lip was full and his straight nose drew her gaze back to his. His hair was cut short, which she usually didn’t like, but it gave him a sharpness to his oval face that made him seem intimidating. Yet she sensed she had nothing to fear from him. He was a man in control, a man who knew how to handle things the right way.
Like a woman?
She jerked herself back to reality. What kind of question did he want to ask? “Okay.”
“How about going on a date?”
She’d expected almost anything but that. “A date?”
He twisted his mouth to the side. Was he trying not to laugh? “Yeah. You know. That thing where you get together, have dinner, and maybe see a show? Of course, since we don’t have a movie theater around these parts, we’d have to rent a movie. You can pick whatever you want. Even a chick flick.”
She opened her mouth, ready to give the same answer she always gave, when she found herself doing the unexpected. Instead of turning him down, she accepted. “Sure. It sounds like fun.”
He blinked, and she had the impression that he hadn’t expected her to take him up on his offer. Did that mean he didn’t really want to date her?
“Hey, great. You’re staying in one of the Carrs’ rental houses, right?”
She hadn’t known there was more than one rental. “Yes. Are there others?”
“He and his brothers built a couple more that they rent out to other folks from time to time. Like family or newcomers to our town. But you’re in the one that’s near our ranch.”
“Is that the Half Moon Ranch? If so, then yes, that’s the house.” How had he known? But the answer was simple. Forever was a small town.
“Yep. Half Moon’s our place.” He touched her jaw then caught Jazz watching them and lowered his hand. “Is around eight this Saturday good for you?”
“Uh, okay, that’s fine.”
“Mom.”
She turned toward her daughter and saw her shocked expression. Jazz had never seen her mother accept a date. “Jazz, let’s get inside. I need to get back to work.”
Rent tugged on her arm. “See you Saturday.”
She nodded and hurried toward the door then held it open. Jazz reluctantly got off the bike and went inside.
The moment she stepped into the diner, she spun around, ready to tell him that she was calling off the date. But as she watched the men get into their Jeep and onto the motorcycle, she couldn’t force herself to open the door.
What the hell. Maybe Milly’s right. Jazz is getting older and I need to start thinking of a life for myself. I don’t want to be an old lady living all alone and babysitting other people’s kids like Mrs. Calimer.
She waved to them as they drove off. If anyone was worth breaking her long dry spell, it was the Malone brothers.
* * * *
Beckett ended the call from his manager, Clyde Griffin. Things were looking up for him. His band, the Beckett Malone Band, had drawn the attention of a major Dallas entertainment management group. Clyde was thrilled at the prospect of releasing their first single soon. Beckett, however, was keeping it all in perspective. Lots of artists released singles, and most of them flopped. Although his was a good song—after all, he’d written it—he was prepared for it to take a while for the song to catch on. And if it didn’t, then he had a ton more that he’d written. His music was a mix of country and rock with his own special twist to it. People either loved it or hated it. Thankfully, more people were loving it than were hating it.
Clyde had pushed him to back out of playing for Forever’s Summer Fun Dance. His manager thought it was a bad idea to play a small venue, and they didn’t get much smaller than Forever’s dance. But what Clyde didn’t understand was that was how Forever was. The people, most of them shifters or other supernaturals, supported each other. Playing the annual Summer Fun Dance was like playing for his friends. As long as his band was up for it, then he’d play it even if and when he became a big star.
“Hey, Mr. Music, are you ready to talk about Stormy?”
Rent always gave him a hard time about his career. Not that his older brother didn’t support him. He did. Both of his brothers bragged about their “country music star” brother. But what kind of older brother would Rent be if he didn’t razz him about it?
“Okay, shoot.”
“The woman is hotter than a Texas summer day.”
Rent had a way of summing things up in one quick sentence. He was right. From her dark-brown hair to her big brown eyes, she was an angel from heaven. Her nose was a bit large and long, but that just made her plump, full lips stand out even more. Luscious lips that he’d dreamed about wrapping around his cock more than once. Even now he could envision her big eyes gazing up at him as she slid his dick in and out while sliding her tongue around his length. His inner wolf howled and clawed to take over. As he’d done since he’d first laid eyes on her, he shoved the animal side of him back into submission.
“I just about came when she stared at me today.” Ty took a deep breath, obviously lost in thought about their future mate. “She has a sweet face, but I can easily imagine how devilishly sexy she’ll look once we have her on her back.”
“Or on her hands and knees,” added Rent. “My wolf wants to take her from behind.”
Beckett planned on having her every way and any way he could. With or without his brothers. That was the way of their kind. They’d share a mate, but they wanted time alone with her, too. The wolves living within them knew the way, too.
“She’s definitely one hot woman. She has perfect skin and she’s the perfect height and weight. She’s everything we ever wanted and then some.”
“Plus we know she’s going to make a good mom, because she’s already one to Jazz.”
Beckett agreed with Ty. Could he have raised a child on his own? Could he have had the nerve to move to a small town to keep the kid from messing up? Doing all that alone took guts. “She’s one amazing lady, all right.”
“I still can’t believe she said yes to the date.” Ty took a huge bite of his biscuit sandwich.
