Lone Star Secret
Shifters in the Heart of Texas, Book 4
By Sloane Meyers
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Similarities to actual people or events are entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2016 by Sloane Meyers. All rights reserved.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
More Books by Sloane Meyers
Thank You For Reading!
About the Author
Chapter One
Drake Wilson frowned and glanced at his watch. His favorite local coffee shop was taking even longer than usual to make his order this morning. If he didn’t get going soon, he was going to be late for his first appointment. As the only dentist in the small town of Persimmon Springs, Texas, Drake kept busy, and the last few weeks had seemed even busier than usual.
Not that Drake was complaining. A busy life was a good life. There was nothing quite like getting home exhausted but satisfied after a hard day’s work, even if that work did involve sticking your hands in people’s mouths all day.
His brothers, Theo and Zane, loved to tease him about his “brainy” dentist job. Drake was the baby of the family, and had always been a little different from his brothers. Theo had been a star athlete in high school and college, and now worked as the head football coach for Persimmon Springs High School. Zane was an electrician, who had done his fair share of causing sparks. And Drake, well, Drake had always been the quieter, studious one. Sure, he could cut up and joke with his brothers and close friends. But overall he was more reserved than any of them. And he did love to go to the gym—Cross Fit and lifting weights were his latest obsessions. But he felt just as happy diving into a good book as he did pumping iron. Drake sighed. Maybe that’s why he still hadn’t met a girl he wanted to marry. That and the fact that he could never figure out the best way to tell a potential girlfriend that he happened to be a dragon shifter.
“Oof,” Drake said as he suddenly ran into someone. He didn’t realize he’d been mindlessly pacing while he waited, and he had walked right into a woman who was standing near the bar waiting for her coffee. When he collided with her, she stumbled and the book she’d been holding in her hand went tumbling to the floor.
“I’m so sorry,” Drake said in alarm as he quickly bent to pick up the book. “How clumsy of me to run into you like that! And now I’ve probably lost your place in your book. Are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” the woman said kindly. “No harm done. And I’ve read that book a thousand times, so it’s not a big deal if I don’t know the exact page I was on.”
Drake looked down at the title of the book in his hands. Philosophical Riddles of Our Time was written across its cover. He was surprised for a moment. That was one of his favorite books, but he had yet to meet another person in Persimmon Springs who liked it. The book was a rather deep philosophical tome, and whenever he mentioned it, he was teased for being a nerdy braniac. But when he looked up to finally meet the woman’s eyes, he was no longer surprised.
The woman he’d run into was Kaiya Wallace. She owned a small independent bookstore here in town. Of course she would be a reader. Drake had never met her in person—he did most of his book shopping online because by the time he was off work, the local stores were usually closed. But he had seen her behind the counter through her bookstore window on several occasions, and he recognized her bright smile and loosely woven French braid. He didn’t think he’d ever seen her with her honey brown hair styled any way other than a French braid, not that he’d seen her that much. This was the first time he could remember seeing her up close, and he hadn’t expected her to be quite so beautiful. Her eyes were a soft violet color, and the skin on her face looked like it was made of smooth porcelain. A few loose tendrils from her braid perfectly framed her glowing face, and her cheeks had just a hint of glowing pink to them.
“It’s Drake, right?” she asked, bringing him suddenly back to the present moment. His cheeks tinged a bit red as he realized he’d been staring.
“Yes, Drake. Drake Wilson,” he said. He reached out to shake her hand. When her fingers touched his, he felt a little thrill go through his body. He suddenly didn’t care if he was late for all his appointments today. He just wanted to stand here, holding her hand and staring into her eyes all day long.
“I’m Kaiya,” she said. “Nice to meet you. But, they just called your order, Drake.”
Drake’s focus quickly turned back to the bar, where the barista was holding out a white paper coffee cup for him and waiting expectantly.
“Oh, right. Thanks, Tammy,” he said to the barista. His cheeks were turning even redder now. Did Kaiya realize he’d missed his name being called because he’d been staring at her? From the amused look in her eyes, he would say she had. He took a long sip from his Americano to give himself a moment to recover from the awkward situation.
Kaiya’s order was called next, and Drake was still standing next to the bar, tightly gripping his coffee cup, as she picked up her latte. She walked by him holding her steaming coffee cup, with her copy of Philosophical Riddles now tucked firmly under her arm. She gave him a smile and a small wave.
“Well, nice to officially meet you, Drake,” she said. “Have a good day.”
Drake couldn’t move as he watched her walk out the front door of the coffee shop. Why was she affecting him like this? And why had he never noticed her beauty before? Suddenly, he realized he wanted to know more about her. He’d be a fool to let any woman who loved Philosophical Riddles get away—let alone a woman who loved Philosophical Riddles and was as beautiful as Kaiya. Drake quickly found his feet and bounded out the front door.
“Kaiya, wait!” he said as he ran down the sidewalk after her. She turned, her kind smile still lighting up her beautiful face.
“Philosophical Riddles is actually one of my favorite books,” Drake said. “And I never find other people who love it. Would you be interested in meeting for lunch one day? I’d love to have a discussion about the book with a fellow nerd.”
Kaiya’s smile widened. “I’d love that,” she said “How about tomorrow at Persimmon Springs Café? It’s right down the street from your dental office.”
Drake whipped out his phone to quickly check his calendar. He was somewhat flattered that she knew where his office was, although he shouldn’t have been that surprised since he was the only dentist in Persimmon Springs. He also realized as he scrolled through his appointments for the next day that Kaiya had never been to his office. She must be one of those townspeople who preferred to make the long drive to Dallas for a big city dentist. That was a strike against her, although it wasn’t a deal breaker since she was impossibly beautiful and she did share his love for Philosophical Riddles. Drake smiled as he looked at his calendar. His one o’clock appointment for tomorrow had cancelled, so he could take an extra long lunch if he wanted to.
“Tomorrow is perfect,” he said. “I’ll see you at Persimmon Springs Café at noon?”
“See you then,” Kaiya replied, and then turned to continue walking down the street. Drake watched her go, knowing he was definit
ely running late for his first appointment now, but not caring. He could hardly believe that he had just secured a date with a beautiful girl who loved one of his favorite books as much as he did. Okay, so it was a low-key lunch appointment, but still. He felt like there was a lot of potential there, and he hadn’t felt that way about a girl in a long time. Drake was kicking himself for not thinking of Kaiya as a potential lifemate before now. She might just be perfect for him.
Drake’s phone buzzed in his hand, and he tore his eyes away from Kaiya’s silhouette to look down at the text message that had just come in. It was from his oldest brother, Theo.
Hey, braniac. Want to come pump iron with me and Zane tonight? Or are you busy with your nerdy book marathons again?
Drake rolled his eyes, but smiled. Even Theo’s annoying teasing couldn’t get to him right now. He was walking on air after his chance meet-up with Kaiya. Drake quickly typed out a reply text to Theo.
Sure, I’ll come pump iron tonight. But prepare to be schooled. My brain isn’t the only part of me stronger than you. My biceps can out-lift yours any day of the week.
Drake slipped his phone into his pocket and took another quick sip of his Americano as he turned to hurry toward his office. Theo was sure to reply with a mocking text of his own. The three dragon shifter brothers were notorious for dishing out good-natured insults at each other all day long. But Drake was in too good of a mood to get his feathers ruffled right now.
He was hoping against hope that he might have finally found a girl who would understand his nerdy side.
Chapter Two
The next day at noon, Drake sat nervously fingering his napkin at his table at the Persimmon Springs Café. He’d arrived early and requested a table by the window, partially because he thought Kaiya would appreciate the nice view and partially because he wanted to be able to see her coming.
He couldn’t remember the last time lunch with a girl had made him nervous. Usually, Drake didn’t worry too much about what women thought of him. After all, he was highly educated, good-looking, pretty well off financially, and friendly. He didn’t mean to be cocky, but he knew he had a lot to offer a woman. The problem wasn’t impressing a woman—it was finding a woman who could impress him.
Drake couldn’t stand high-maintenance women who were only after his money. And he also couldn’t deal with women who never read anything and couldn’t have an intelligent conversation. He liked a little bit of brains behind a beautiful face, thank you very much. Call him picky, or even snobby, but at least he knew what he liked. And he had a feeling he was going to like Kaiya Wallace. He just wasn’t sure whether she was going to like him, and that was an unusual thing for him to be worrying about on a date.
He could already tell that Kaiya wasn’t the kind of women who would be impressed by looks, career, or money. Kaiya was the kind of women who would fall for a man’s intellect before falling for any of his other assets. Would she think Drake measured up?
“Would you like some iced tea while you wait?” a kind voice asked. “And maybe a new napkin?”
Drake looked up to see Missy, his favorite waitress at this café, smiling at him with amusement. Then he looked down at the table and realized that he had completely torn his napkin to shreds.
“Uh, yeah. Yes to both. I’ll take an iced tea and a new napkin,” Drake said sheepishly.
Missy’s smile widened. She was an older woman, one of those people who everyone liked to think of as their grandma. Her presence had a calming effect on Drake, and he was grateful beyond words for that right now. Missy disappeared for a minute, then returned with the iced tea and napkin.
“Who is she?” Missy asked.
Drake sighed. “Am I being that obvious?”
Missy chuckled. “I’ve been around a few years, son,” she said in her lazy southern drawl. “I know what someone looks like when they’re nervous about meeting someone special. I’ve seen you bring a few girls in here, but I’ve never seen you tear up a napkin like that.”
Drake looked around nervously, then lowered his voice. “It’s Kaiya,” he said. He immediately felt a rush of relief. Somehow, confessing to Missy that he was nervous about Kaiya made him feel better. Missy raised an eyebrow at him.
“Kaiya Wallace? The gal who owns the bookstore?” Missy asked.
Drake nodded.
“Well, you must have really impressed her. I’ve never seen her on a date. She’s a picky one, that Kaiya.”
Drake felt his stomach flip-flop again. “That doesn’t make me feel better,” he said.
Missy smiled encouragingly and winked at Drake. “Don’t worry. If anyone deserves a great girl like Kaiya, it’s you.”
Missy had to walk off to attend to another one of her tables, leaving Drake alone once again with his worried thoughts. Maybe he was expecting too much from this little lunch date. Maybe Kaiya wasn’t even really viewing it as a date. She might not have realized that Drake’s motivation for inviting her to lunch wasn’t really about Philosophical Riddles. Sure, that had tipped him off that Kaiya shared his love for philosophy and possibly other nerdy pursuits. But he wasn’t looking for just a book club buddy. He was looking for so much more than that. He had been lonely for such a long time now, but he had never been willing to settle for just anyone. The thought of finally finding someone to ease his loneliness filled him with hope and anxiety all at once.
Drake didn’t have much longer to mull over his confused thoughts, though. A few moments later, the bell above the café door jingled as Kaiya opened it and walked into the room. Drake had been so lost in his worries that he hadn’t even noticed her, despite his good vantage point in his window seat.
Kaiya’s eyes quickly scanned the room, and her face lit up with a smile of recognition when they landed on Drake. She waved and then rushed over to his table.
“I’m so sorry I’m late,” she said breathlessly as she sat down. “My part-timer was running a little late today, and I was the only one covering the shop this morning.”
“No worries,” Drake said, flashing her his best smile. “I’m not in a hurry. My one o’clock appointment cancelled today, so I have plenty of time.”
Kaiya nodded. “Still, I hate being late. Let me look at the menu for a second so we can order right away when our server gets back.”
Drake nodded and let her look, although he wasn’t worried about hurrying. He didn’t mind that she’d been late, either. He was actually glad that he’d had a few extra moments to collect his thoughts. He studied her as she browsed the menu with furrowed eyes. She’d worn her signature French braid again today, but she was definitely wearing makeup today, unlike when he’d seen her at the coffee shop yesterday. She was also wearing jewelry, which she hadn’t been wearing yesterday, either. She had two simple diamond studs in her ears, and a delicate gold necklace shimmering against the deep purple of her blouse. She was wearing skinny black jeans, so her outfit was still fairly casual. But she had definitely put a little more effort into her appearance today than she had yesterday. Drake smiled.
She was trying. That meant that she knew Drake was interested in her—and that she was interested, too. He suddenly felt much more at ease, and he took a long, satisfying sip from his iced tea. He’d had no reason to be so worried. Kaiya wasn’t a dumb person, after all. She’d known exactly what his motivations were when he asked her to grab lunch with him.
A few moments later, Missy returned with a warm smile and greeting for Kaiya. After Drake and Kaiya had both given Missy their food orders, Kaiya settled back into her chair and flashed Drake a huge smile.
“So, you’re a fan of Philosophical Riddles, huh? I daresay there aren’t too many of us in this town who enjoy discussing philosophy, so it’s nice to discover a fellow nerd.”
Drake laughed. Kaiya’s tone had a casual familiarity to it, and he felt instantly at ease. “Yeah, my brothers tease me endlessly. I’ve always been the reader in the family. They read, too, don’t get me wrong. They certainly aren’t dumb. Bu
t they’ve never been as into the ‘deep’ stuff as I have. They’re happier reading something light and fun and then heading to the gym to see who can bench press the most weight. I’m not sure I’ve ever met two more competitive guys.”
Kaiya rolled her eyes. “Boys and their egos,” she said. “Although, you look like you spend a fair amount of time in the gym yourself.”
Drake blushed as Kaiya eyed his biceps.
“What can I say? I’ve got brains and brawn,” he told her with a shrug.
She threw her head back and laughed, and he felt relieved that she seemed ready to move on from the topic of working out. Drake didn’t want to have to defend himself for spending too much time in the gym. The truth was, he spent a lot less time there than most guys who had biceps even close to the size of his. But Drake’s dragon genes enabled him to build muscles quickly and easily. It didn’t take an excessive amount of gym time for Drake to look the way he did. Drake definitely didn’t want to start this date off by explaining what a dragon shifter was, though. So he happily jumped at the chance to answer Kaiya’s next question, a simple query about how he had become interested in philosophy.
“I took a philosophy class during my undergrad years of college,” Drake said. “It was a required elective for my degree, and I only took it because I had to. It ended up being one of my favorite classes ever, though. The professor was one of those guys who knows how to make you excited about any subject matter, and he got me totally hooked on philosophy.”
“And yet you became a dentist,” Kaiya pointed out.
“Yeah, well, dentists tend to make better livings than philosophers,” Drake said. He wanted to add that he was hoping to one day have a family to support, but he bit his tongue. He didn’t want to scare Kaiya off with anything that might seem like a desperate need for a mate or a family. In his experience, girls tended to run the other way if they sensed anything even close to desperation.
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