Pleasant Valley Bears: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Pleasant Valley Shifters)

by Marlie Monroe

  “Of course we don’t mind spending time with our only grandchild. What are you doing up so early anyway? You usually sleep in on your days off.”

  “Couldn’t sleep.” Lila shoved the old pots into the back of the cabinet and stacked the newer ones up front. She shut the cabinet and stood. “I made breakfast. It’s warming in the oven.”

  “Thank you, dear. That was very thoughtful.”

  “It’s no problem.” It seemed like the least she could do was help out around the house since her parents had been generous enough to allow her and Quinn to move back home. They wouldn’t even take the money she’d offered to contribute toward the bills. “I was already up and looking for something to do anyway.”

  “Sounds like you have some nervous energy.” Mom pulled three plates out of the upper cabinets and set them on the table.

  Lila grabbed glasses and carried them over for her mom. She waved at the extra place settings. “Are the guys awake or is this just wishful thinking?”

  “Your dad’s up. He said he was going to wake up Quinn on his way downstairs.”

  “He must be feeling brave. Quinn’s vicious in the mornings.”

  “I think your dad can handle a cranky teenager. We survived your adolescence, didn’t we?”

  Lila grabbed her chest. “Ouch.”

  “The truth hurts, kid.” Mom smiled at her. “You were a handful, but I like to think you turned out all right. Quinn will too.”

  “Yeah. I hope so.” Lila returned to the kitchen and took the food out of the oven. She carried the platters over and set them on the center of the table. “He’s just so angry all the time.”

  “Fourteen’s a hard age for kids.” Mom leaned forward and helped herself to the pancakes and bacon, loading up her plate. “It’s worse for shifters like Quinn because he’s right on the cusp of shifting. All those raging hormones are a lot for a kid to handle. He’ll calm down as soon as he’s gotten through his first shift.”

  “I just wish I could be the one to help him through this. I hate that I have to rely so heavily on you and Dad. If only I was a shifter too...”

  “You can’t think like that. You’re a wonderful mother and you’re doing everything you can for him. Moving home was the right decision. Your dad can walk Quinn through his shift safely and teach him everything he needs to know.”

  “I know. We’re lucky to have you both.” Lila pulled up a chair and sat down by her mom.

  Mom sliced into the pancakes. “Have you eaten yet?”

  “Yeah. I ate my fill earlier.”

  “Figured as much.” Mom cut a hunk of pancake, popped it into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. “So, what do you and Stuart have planned for this afternoon?”

  Lila shrugged. “I don’t know. He didn’t say.”

  “Surprises can be fun.”

  “I guess.” In all honesty, she didn’t care for surprises. That kind of thing never went well for her. “Stuart seems like an upstanding guy. I’m sure whatever he has planned will be fine.”

  “Stuart is a nice boy. I’m sure he’ll be a perfect gentleman.”

  Lila wouldn’t classify Stuart as nice or a boy. He was all man, from the wavy dark hair on his head to the tips of his work boots, and an intense one at that. While part of her expected Stuart to be respectful of her need to take things slow, the wicked side of her personality hoped he’d seduce her into letting loose and having a little fun. It had been a very long time since a man had tempted her to sin. Physically, Stuart was just her type. Tall, dark, and handsome fit him to a T. The chemistry sparking between them every time they got within feet of each other didn’t hurt either. It was all too easy to imagine rolling around between the sheets with him.

  A throat cleared, dragging Lila out of her musings. She glanced at her mom, her face heating. “I’m sorry. Did you say something?”

  “Yes. I asked if you would fetch the milk out of the fridge. I forgot it.”

  “Sure.” She got up and walked to the fridge. On her way back to the table, she spotted her dad coming down the stairs, followed by her scowling son. “Good morning.”

  “Morning,” Dad said. “Is that bacon I smell?”

  “Sure is,” Mom said. “Lila cooked.”

  “That was nice.” Dad walked by her into the kitchen. “Is there coffee?”

  “Sorry,” Lila said, pouring a glass of milk for her mom. “Forgot to make any.”

  Quinn slid into the seat beside his grandma. “I’ll take milk.”

  “What’s the magic word?” Lila asked, moving the gallon over his glass.

  Quinn grimaced. “Please.”

  “Good boy.” Lila filled his glass.

  Quinn rolled his eyes and chugged down half the milk. “Can I have some more please?”

  Lila nodded and refilled it. “There you go, kiddo. Fill your plate up and eat.”

  “Thanks.” Quinn reached for the bacon.

  Lila smiled and ruffled Quinn’s unruly blue hair. “You’re welcome.”

  “Mom...” Quinn groaned.

  She leaned over behind him and kissed the top of his head. “I love you, kiddo.”

  He shoved a slice of meat into his mouth and mumbled something incoherent. She’d take that as an “I love you, too, Mom.”

  Lila sat with her family while they ate and then excused herself to get ready for her date with Stuart. She took a long, hot bath, did her hair and makeup, and fussed over what to wear. Nothing she owned felt right since she wasn’t sure what they would be doing. Since there wasn’t time to get anything new, she settled on a pair of fitted black slacks that straddled the border between casual and dressy, and a bright pink blouse loose enough to hide her stomach but low cut to show off a little cleavage. She slipped on a pair of comfortable black flats and called it a done deal. A supermodel she wasn’t, but she thought she looked pretty good. After all, Stuart had seen her before. If he didn’t like the way she looked, he wouldn’t have asked her out.

  She double-checked her pocketbook to make sure she had everything she needed and glanced at her phone to see if it had a full charge. Everything was ready and Stuart was due to arrive in less than twenty minutes. She slung her pocketbook over her shoulder and walked into the living room to join her family. Dad was stretched out in his recliner and watching some kind of car show, while Mom worked on her latest knitting project on one end of the couch. Quinn sat in the chair in the corner, his nose buried in a graphic novel. Lila sat on the couch by her mom and fidgeted.

  Mom looked up from her knitting. “Are you all right, dear? You’re vibrating the couch.”

  “I’m fine.” She glanced at the clock on the all. Ten minutes until twelve o’clock. She looked over at her son. “Quinn.”

  Quinn looked up. “Yeah?”

  “Mind your grandparents while I’m out this afternoon, okay? And don’t forget you’re still grounded. Your cell phone and laptop are off-limits unless it’s for schoolwork.”

  “I’m not likely to forget dying of boredom, Mom.”

  “Something tells me you’ll live.” She glanced at the clock again. Eight minutes until twelve o’clock.

  The doorbell rang, startling her. She glanced toward the foyer and then back at her family. “Well, that’s for me. I guess I’ll be back later.”

  “Have a good time,” Mom and Dad both said at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed. “Great minds think alike,” Dad said.

  Lila smiled at them. Her parents were so cute. One day she hoped to find someone who would complete her like her parents seemed to fulfill each other. For all she knew, Stuart could be that person. There was only one way to find out.

  “All right. Have a good day and I’ll see you guys later.” Lila strode toward the door and pulled it open. The butterflies in her stomach went wild the moment her gaze landed on Stuart standing on the porch, his dark hair combed away from his face in soft waves. He was dressed casually, in faded blue jeans that clung to his long, muscular legs and a nice white pullover s
hirt that showed off his broad shoulders. He had the long sleeves pushed up, allowing her a glimpse of his strong, tanned forearms.

  “Hey,” he said with a smile. “You look great.”

  “You’re not so bad yourself.” She stepped out and closed the door behind her. “Thanks for picking me up.”

  “It’s my pleasure.” He stayed by her side as they descended the steps and headed down the front walk toward the big black truck parked at the curb.

  “No police cruiser this afternoon?” she asked. “I was looking forward to riding around in the back and giving the nosy townspeople something to gossip about.”

  “I can see you doing that.” He grinned over at her. “I hope you’re not too disappointed to have your dastardly plans foiled.”

  Lila laughed. “I don’t know. I am pretty disappointed. You’re going to have to work hard to make it up to me.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” He pulled open the passenger side door and held it for her. “I’ll do my best.”

  Lila climbed inside and put on her seatbelt. Stuart shut the door, walked around the front of the truck, and climbed in on his side.

  “So, where are we off to?” Lila asked.

  “If you’re up for it, I thought we could catch a movie and then take a nice long drive out to this beautiful spot I know and have a picnic since it’s so nice out today.”

  A picnic sounded interesting. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been on one of those. “Sounds good to me. What’s playing at the local theater?”

  “I’m not sure,” he said. “Most of the matinees start around twelve thirty or one, so we should have plenty of time to make our minds up about what we want to see.”

  They arrived at the small multiplex in good time and quickly agreed on a film. It wasn’t much of a choice. Out of the four films playing, two were animated and the third was a depressing drama. The fourth flick, an independent comedy, was the only good option for a first date. While Stuart stood in line to buy tickets, she swung by the concession stand and grabbed them two sodas and big tub of popcorn to share.

  Stuart waltzed in with the tickets just as the clerk finished ringing her up. She smiled up at him. “You have good timing. I was just trying to figure out how I was going to carry these by myself.”

  “You didn’t have to get all this.” Stuart handed her the tickets and then picked up the drinks.

  “It’s not a big deal.” She shrugged and started walking toward the theater. “Oh. I hope regular soda is okay. You didn’t strike me as a diet drinker.”

  Stuart walked along beside her. “Regular is fine. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Thank you for buying my ticket.” She glanced down at the two little slips of paper. “Looks like we’re in theater three.”

  They walked into the dimly lit room. Lila headed up the steps and stopped about halfway up. “This okay?”

  Stuart nodded. “Sure.”

  Lila turned sideways, walked to the center of the aisle, and took a seat. Stuart settled next to her and set her drink in the cup holder between them.

  She glanced at the screen, rolled her eyes at the dancing popcorn, and looked over at Stuart. “So, you come here often?”

  “Not really. I don’t have a lot of free time.”

  “Me neither. I can’t remember the last time I watched a movie in the theater.” She rocked her chair backward and forward. “This is nice. They’ve made a lot of improvements here. These seats used to be tiny and hard as a rock.”

  “I remember those well. I spent a lot of time here when I was a teenager.”

  “Me too. There wasn’t much else for kids to do around here back then. You know, it’s funny that I don’t remember you from back then.”

  “It’s no wonder. I was a huge geek back then.”

  “I have trouble believing that.” There was no way someone who looked like Stuart was unpopular in school.

  “Believe it. I was skinny and quiet. No one paid attention to me in school.” The lights dimmed and the first movie preview started. The chatter in the room quieted as everyone looked at the screen.

  Lila leaned in close and whispered. “You aren’t the only one who faded into the wallpaper in school.”

  She’d been an insecure human, surrounded by shifters both at school and at home, and fell prey to the first good-looking guy who threw her a bone. She’d been naïve enough to follow the loser to college and date him just long enough to get pregnant before he’d dumped her and moved on to greener pastures. She’d dropped out of school, had Quinn, and spent the last fourteen years working her ass off to make a life for them. Her only regret was not being able to provide a good father for her son.

  She wondered how fast Stuart would bolt if he could read her mind. Most of the guys she’d tried dating when Quinn was little had taken off the minute they’d discovered she had a kid. Eventually, she’d stopped trying.

  Stuart seemed different. He already knew about Quinn, had even caught a firsthand account of Quinn’s rebellious streak, and yet he was still interested in her. That had to be a good sign.

  The movie started and she focused on the screen. The film started with a practical joke between friends and only got funnier from there. Lila liked Stuart’s deep rumbling laughter.

  About halfway through the flick, Stuart yawned and stretched. When he lowered his arms, one of them slid behind her shoulders and pulled her as close as possible with the chair arm between them. Lila took care of that problem, lifting the arm and pushing it out of the way between the two seats. She cozied up to Stuart, breathing in the scent of man and cologne, and soaked up the heat pouring off his body like the sun.

  All too soon, the movie ended and the lights grew brighter. Lila stood and put her purse over her shoulder. Stuart rose to his feet and offered her his hand. Charmed, she twined her fingers through his and held his hand all the way out of the theater.

  They stepped out into the bright afternoon sunlight. Temporarily blinded, she tightened her grip on Stuart’s hand and blinked rapidly until her vision returned.

  Stuart turned to her, partially blocking the light. “You all right?”

  “Yeah. I’m good.” She gazed up at him, captivated by how good he looked with the sun shining down on his back. With his chiseled good looks, he could have easily stepped out of one of the movie posters behind them. If they were in a movie, this would be the moment he leaned in for a kiss and swept her off her feet. She dropped her gaze to his full mouth and licked her lips in anticipation. She leaned in, so beyond ready to be kissed, and...

  Four laughing kids raced by them, followed by the two adults minding them, effectively killing the moment. Lila sighed and looked away. She was definitely badly in need of a little lovin’ if all it took to get her motor running was some fresh air and a little hand holding. Good grief.

  She squeezed Stuart’s hand and stepped down off the curb. They walked across the lot toward the truck. “So where are we headed now? You mentioned something about a picnic earlier.”

  “Yeah.” Stuart swung their hands back and forth and smiled over at her. “If it’s all right with you, I thought we could take a drive out to a beautiful spot I know and have some lunch. It’ll be quiet and private. We can get to know each other a little better.”

  Lila’s mind swan dived right into the gutter. She was sure Stuart didn’t intend to jump her bones the minute they were alone, but the idea wasn’t unpleasant. “Okay. I’m game if you are.”

  “Good.” Stuart smiled. “There’s a great place out on my property that I’d really like to share with you.”

  They reached the truck and climbed inside. Lila put on her seatbelt and turned to Stuart. “One quick question. What exactly are we eating on this picnic? Because my stomach is gnawing on my backbone.”

  Stuart laughed. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to let you go hungry. I have everything packed up and waiting for us at my place. All I need to do is run in and get it, and we’ll be good to go.”

 
“Do you have yummy things packed away for us? Or should I look forward to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?”

  “I admit, I’m not much of a cook, but even I can do better than PB and J.”

  “Ham and cheese, then?” Lila teased.

  Stuart glanced over at her. “I guess you’re just going to have to wait and see.”

  Chapter Six

  Stuart lived just outside of town in a small brick ranch-style house. Lila waited in the truck and looked around while he ran inside. There was a small front yard with neatly trimmed grass and a detached two-car garage to the left of the house. Trees rose up like giants in backyard, shading the shingled roof. In less than five minutes, he came out carrying an adorable old-fashioned picnic basket and a red and white plaid blanket. He opened the driver-side door, slid the basket across the seat, and climbed behind the wheel.

  He smiled over at her as he put the truck in gear. “Ready for a bumpy ride?”

  “Bring it on.”

  Stuart drove around the back of the house and followed what looked like two deep ruts in the grass. The path between the trees was rutted, covered in potholes, and barely wide enough for the truck.

  Lila grabbed onto the “oh shit” handle and held on tight. “I take it you come out this way often?”

  Stuart nodded. “I do. I’m taking you to my favorite place on the property.”

  They’d only been driving for a few minutes when the trees began to thin and revealed a large swimming hole.

  Stuart stopped the truck and turned off the engine. “So, this is it.”

  “Oh wow. This is so cool.” Lila leaned forward and looked around. A clearing off to the left held a homemade fire pit surrounded by four tree stumps that had been fashioned to look like armless chairs. “You have your own little private oasis back here.”

  “I spend a lot of time back here, especially in the warmer months. It’s a great place to think and my bear loves the water.”

  That made Lila wonder what kind of bear he was and what he looked like in his fur. Although tempted to ask, she didn’t want to be rude. “I can see why you like it.”