by T. S. Ryder
Stop it. I am not going to get romantically or sexually entangled with this woman. She's here to look after Jamie, that's it.
Devon headed into work, his muscles relaxing even further when the familiar smell of cats, dogs, birds and reptiles hit his nose. The receptionist, Cheri, looked up and grinned at him. Several of the doggy clients that he'd been working with for years strained against their leashes, their whole bodies shaking with the force of their wagging tails.
"Hey, buddy," Devon greeted one of them, dropping to one knee to fondle his head. He smiled and nodded at his owner in greeting.
He had missed this, working with animals. Living in the city, he didn't have many chances to shift and be free in a form that was as much who he was as his human form. Being a vet like this helped him feel more connected to nature, and it was good to be back.
Cheri called his name, and he went to the desk. The plump brunette handed him a sheet. "Once you're ready, you have a patient waiting in room five with an abscessed tooth."
"Thanks. I'll be there in five minutes."
Devon grinned as he went to his office to drop off his things and change into his scrubs. It seemed like his boss wasn't interested in easing him back into work, and that was just the way he liked it. Many people thought cats were lazy, but the truth was they just needed stimulation. And having a fast-paced job was exactly what a Panther like him needed.
The hours flew by as he worked, although he made sure he took the time to call Rose between patients to make sure everything was okay with Jamie. The nanny sounded a little more stressed every time he talked to her, and when it was time for his lunch break, he checked the cam. They were rocking in a chair, with Rose reading again. Both she and Jaime looked utterly relaxed. Devon called her again.
"Everything is fine here, just like the last time you called," Rose said as soon as she answered. She sounded exasperated. "And you could have warned me that you were going to call every half hour."
Devon's brow furrowed. "I've been calling because you sound stressed."
"I'm stressed because you keep calling. Look, I get that you're worried about Jamie and it's the first time you've left her with somebody else, but please. You have got to stop checking in so often. You have the nanny cam. If you're worried, check it."
"I have been."
"Then you know that everything is fine. Jamie is fine. But I can't work with you needing to constantly know where I am and what I'm doing. I've had enough of that for a lifetime!"
What did she mean by that? It had only been for one morning... Devon rubbed his temples. Maybe Rose hadn't been the best choice for this. Maybe she didn't have the temperament he needed.
"I was calling to say that I'm taking a short day today," he lied. "We're not that busy."
He hung up and quickly went to his boss, telling him that there was an emergency with the baby and left. Traffic was thankfully light, and he made it through the city in only half an hour.
When he got back home, he found Rose sitting on the couch with Jamie in her arms. His daughter's little eyes were sinking as she drank from her bottle. He sighed in relief at seeing her. Rose greeted him with a cool, stony look. He wanted to return it with a similar look, but now seeing how peaceful the house and his little girl both were, he realized he had made a terrible mistake in his paranoia. He scuffed his toes against the floor.
"I don't think I'm ready to get back to work," Devon sighed, sinking into a chair. "Look, I'm sorry for calling so often. It's not that I don't trust you. It's just… she's my baby girl. I never thought I'd be in this situation, and I don't know what to do. All I know is that I would do anything for her."
Rose's expression softened a little. "And I suppose I could be a little more understanding. But I grew up with a father who excused his controlling behavior as trying to protect me. And I haven't had the best romantic relationships. The constant checking in, always having to account for every single thing that I do… it raises some pretty big red flags for me."
Devon nodded, his gaze on his now-sleeping daughter. Could he tell Rose why he was so paranoid? No. They hardly knew each other, he couldn't trust her with that yet. Which was ironic, seeing as he trusted her with the most precious thing in his life right now. His massive shoulders slumped and he leaned back in the chair.
"I don't want to be a controlling father or employer for that matter. I just don't know what I'm doing and I don't want to mess it up."
"A little advice? Relax."
"Yeah." Devon held his arms out for Jamie and Rose passed her to him. The baby fit snugly in the crook of one arm, she was so small. "Maybe it will help if we get to know each other a little better. I know I was overbearing today, but maybe I could make you dinner?"
To his surprise, Rose's golden tones paled at his words. Her hands clenched into fists and she shook her head decisively. "No. I already told you, I'm not looking for—"
"I didn't mean anything by it," Devon was quick to add. Her reaction surprised and confused him, but he still wanted her to understand that he hadn't changed his mind about the 'strictly professional' rule. "I was only thinking that if I knew you better, maybe I'd be able to relax more at work with Jamie. I told you, I'm not looking for a relationship."
"If you don't need me anymore today, I think I should go," Rose said, turning her back on him. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Devon's brow furrowed as she hurried out the door. He patted Jamie's back gently. "What was that all about, hmm? What is she hiding?"
He looked down at his daughter. She was so relaxed and sleeping so soundly. Devon sighed. He was going to have to try to be less overbearing. He didn't know what it was like to have a controlling parent, but it was clear that Rose had issues. And she was so good with Jamie… He needed her. It was that simple. And he could adjust to make her more comfortable around him.
It wasn't like it was hard not to pry into her personal life.
Chapter Three – Rose
Do I go in or do I quit?
Rose sat in her car, hands clenched in her lap. If she only knew what Devon's intentions were, then the choice would be easy. If he was telling the truth and wanted things to be platonic-professional, then it was fine. But unfortunately, she wasn't a mind-reader. If she was, she never would have gotten involved with Percy for five years.
Devon didn't seem to be the same kind of guy as Percy was. He was just paranoid about leaving his daughter for the first time. And his invitation to dinner could be much more benign than she had taken it as. Making food wasn't necessarily a prepayment expecting sex in return. Was it?
Closing her eyes, Rose sucked in a deep breath. Hadn't she made excuses for Percy, too? Hadn't she ignored her own feelings on the matter and continued to give him everything that she was while receiving nothing back?
It's not the same situation, she told herself and took another deep breath.
It had been a long time since she had the confidence to trust her own instinct, but in this case, they weren't going crazy like they had with Percy.
Devon's actions gave her a knee-jerk reaction, but when she really considered how she felt, there wasn't any of the fear that she'd deliberately ignored with Percy; if she had believed that fear rather than giving him a chance, the last five years wouldn't have happened. But she didn't feel the same wariness around Devon.
Well, in any case, she hadn't gotten any more job offers. She needed the work. But if she did start getting more red flags or gut warnings, she'd quit. As much as she hated the thought of leaving Jamie, having already bonded with the infant, she wasn't going back down that rabbit hole.
I wish I'd met Devon before Percy ruined my life.
The thought caught her by surprise. Rose physically jolted, her face heating. Where had that come from? Yes, Devon was a protecting, worrying father, but that didn't mean he'd be good boyfriend material. And he was hot, and he was well-off, but there were far more important things to know about… and knowing a man more than one day was also quite necessary
before deciding that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him!
Rose reached for her bag. She'd at least keep going until the end of the week. By then she would have more information to make a decision with.
Her cell phone rang. Distractedly she pulled it from her pocket and glanced at the number. It was Marta, one of her old friends. Odd. She hadn't heard from Marta in nearly four months, not since she moved to Toronto.
Rose answered the phone. "Hey girl, how are you?"
"Rose."
Cold dread flooded her. Rose froze, every muscle in her body freezing. Her heart lurched and her mouth went dry. It was a voice she never wanted to hear again. Percy. "Why do you have Marta's cell phone?"
"She let me borrow her phone so I could talk to you. She's just in the other room, making some tea."
"I want to talk to her."
"Look, I know what happened between us was bad, but I'm sorry. I miss you. I didn't realize how much I actually do love you until I lost you, Rose. I love you, even though you drive me crazy. But I can be better, I can put up with your—"
Rose hung up. Her hands clenched around her phone as she stared at it. Sure enough, moments later 'Marta' was phoning again. Why would she give Percy her phone? He could be a real charmer, she knew that… He'd probably spun the line about being broken hearted and how much he loved Rose that had made her roommate back in New York tell him where she had moved to in Chicago. That was why she had come out all the way to Seattle.
Her hands shaking, Rose pulled the battery out of her phone and dropped it onto the seat. She'd have to get her number changed. And maybe cut off whatever contact she had with a few friends she still had back east…
She combed her fingers through her hair and rushed to the house. A nice, calm day with Jamie was exactly what she needed right now. The door opened before she got to it, revealing a sleepy-eyed Devon. He held Jamie in his arms. The baby grizzled, squirming.
"I'm so sorry," he said. "I forgot to call you. I'm going in late today, I didn't need you to come until noon. Jamie was fussy all night."
"My cell phone's broken anyway," she said quickly. "But while I'm here, do you need groceries or something? Or I could watch Jamie while you take a nap. You look like you need it."
Should she be going out of her way to be friendly when she wasn't sure about him? But he did make her feel relaxed… and when he smiled, her heart actually fluttered. Rose quickly looked away. She was not going to let her heart get the best of her! It was probably only acting this way because she was still rattled by Percy's call and Devon was so big and strong and protective…
"I am getting low on groceries. I was actually just going to go shopping. It would be great if you could come and help with Jamie."
Rose felt the tension slip from her body as she nodded. She hadn't made any friends in the city yet, and why not start with Devon? She hadn't thought about it before, but when it came to relationships, he must have just broken up with Jamie's mother. Or maybe she had been his mate and she died. Didn't shifters just have the one major love in their lives? He couldn't be looking for anything.
As they headed out into the city, Devon driving, Rose gazed out the window, feeling more relaxed being alone with a man than she had in a long time. "So you're a vet, right?"
"Yep."
"How did you get into that line of work? I was under the impression that shifters scared animals. Like, dogs attack werewolves and stuff." Devon's lips thinned, and Rose knew she had said something wrong. Her hands twisted as she tensed again. "I'm sorry, I didn’t mean—"
"You haven't had much contact with shifters, have you?"
Rose shook her head.
Devon was silent for a moment before he shrugged. "There is a lot of misinformation out there about us. There is also this insidious insistence that we're nothing more than animals with human bodies. That's where the whole 'animals hate shifters' myth comes from. The truth is that I can read animal's body language much better than most humans can. They love me, and I love them."
"But you don't have any pets yourself," Rose continued cautiously. "Are you against humans owning animals?"
Devon pulled into the parking lot and smiled at her. "You just called me human. I'm not."
"Oh." Rose twisted her seatbelt in her hands. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"
"It's okay. And you don't have to apologize for everything."
Rose opened her mouth to apologize for apologizing too much before she caught herself and just nodded silently. Internally, she was kicking herself. Why was it that every time she opened her mouth she put her foot in it?
No. Don't think like that. That's Percy's voice in your head. I can do a lot of great things, and I don't always put my foot in my mouth. I might be socially awkward, but I'm great with kids.
"I'm not against owning animals, as long as they're treated right. I don't think that most dogs should be owned in the city, though. Dogs need space to run and have freedom. Cats are a little different. But they need space, and they need to be played with and socialized. Too often cats are treated like throwaway pets, and that needs to change." He shot her a quick glance. "And I'm not saying that just because I can turn into a Panther."
"I always wanted pets," Rose sighed. "But my dad hated animals. He would never even let me have fish."
"Well, maybe now that I have Jamie and a nanny, I can get a dog or a cat… I've wanted to for a while, but it's not fair to animals to leave them alone at home all day with nobody to play with them. Well… I suppose I could have gotten fish. They're more interactive than people give them credit for. But I guess—"
"If you didn't have time for a pet, why did you have a child?" Rose blurted. She instantly slapped both hands over her mouth as Devon tensed. "I am so sorry! That's none of my business. I don’t know what's wrong with me, I never think before I speak—"
She sucked in a deep breath as Devon parked the car. She watched him anxiously for any signs of anger. His hands clenched on the wheels. She couldn't imagine what he was going to say in response to this. No, she did know. He was going to fire her. Asking something so personal?
I'm a stupid—NO! Rose closed her eyes, forcing the words that Percy would have told her aside. I am not stupid. I am very smart, I just don't always pick up on social cues before I speak.
She let out a shuddering breath. "I didn't mean to upset you. Obviously, you don't have to answer."
Devon turned towards her. "Jamie was the result of a one-night stand. I didn't even know her mother's name. She gave me a fake one. I didn't know she was pregnant, either, until I got a phone call saying that she had died in childbirth and I had a daughter."
Rose gasped. "That's awful." She didn't know what else to say. "So… she came completely out of the blue?"
"Yeah. She turned my life upside down. But I wouldn't have it any other way. I was happy with my life before, but now that I have Jaime… Well, I think it must be like if somebody from the twenties suddenly got an HD TV. I wouldn't trade it for anything. But it is a lot to get used to." Devon patted her shoulder. "So that's why you can be assured that I'm not looking for anything other than a friend and someone to look after my daughter when I'm at work. I need to provide a stable situation for my little girl, and dating can get really messy."
"Of course." Rose smiled at him, squeezing his hand. "If it helps… you're a good father. You overcompensate a little, but you're a good father."
"Thanks." Devon glanced in the back. "Looks like Jamie is sleeping. Do you mind staying out here with her while I go in?"
"Of course not." Rose pulled a book from her bag. "I'll keep myself entertained."
He slipped out of the van, and she stared after him. Her heart ached for his story, but there was also a deep warmth in her chest. Many men wouldn't have stepped up and taken on the responsibility to look after an unexpected daughter like he did. He was a good man. A good, very attractive man…
Rose looked down at her book, shaking her head. A good man not lo
oking for anything. Just like she wasn't looking for anything. That was all there was to it.
Chapter Four – Devon
Devon pulled onto his street, grinning proudly. It was the first day since he had hired Rose a week ago that he hadn't called her once during the day. It helped that it had been such a busy day, but it was also because he was finally starting to be able to relax about leaving Jamie. And that was a good thing.
The fact that Rose was perfect for her was no small part of how it was working out. The more he got to know her, the more he found that under that awkward, beautiful exterior was a heart of gold. She loved Jamie. They might have only known each other for a little while, but he already knew that Rose would do whatever it took to protect the child in her charge.
His smile turned to a frown when he got closer to his house. The front door was open. Rose never left the door open. He parked the car in the street and dashed to the house. As he got closer, he heard a man's voice from inside.
"What is going on here?" he boomed as he strode in.
The first thing he saw was Rose. She jumped at his voice, but as their eyes met, he saw only relief. She rushed to him, clutching Jamie in her arms. That was when Devon saw the man. He was tall for a human, with that good-looking, clean-cut image that the shifter assumed moms wanted for their daughters. He backed away from Devon, jaw dropping.
For some reason, Devon didn't mind the instant fear that many people got when he walked into the room, when it was this guy feeling the intimidation. He glared at the man, instantly disliking him.
"There you are, darling," Rose said. She looped a free arm around his neck and pulled herself up to his mouth.
Devon blinked in surprise, but still kissed her back, wrapping an arm around her waist. Rose wasn't the kind of girl to just start randomly kissing people. She must have a good reason. Her lips were soft and succulent, and he found himself being drawn in, forgetting all about the stranger in his living room…
