Bridge Hollow Shifters: The Complete Collection

by Samantha Leal

  “Lilith is lovely,” she said. “You must be very proud.”

  “I am,” he smiled. “She’s wonderful. A great daughter.”

  Amanda found herself looking down at his left hand, checking for a wedding ring, and then immediately regretting it.

  He had caught her doing it, and even though the whole glance only happened in a split second, when she looked back up at his eyes he was smirking, knowingly.

  She blinked and turned to the side, hoping she wasn’t blushing all over again.

  “What can I do for you?” he asked her as he leaned back against the wall. He put his hands in his pockets and crossed his foot over his ankle. He seemed to confident and sure of himself, but he also had an air of mystery about him. Something Amanda just couldn’t place.

  “My friend,” Amanda said again.

  “Of course,” Dean teased. “The accomplice.”

  Amanda laughed and nodded.

  “Well, all jokes aside, again I am very sorry about the car… But last night after the bar we went back to the hotel, and whilst I decided to rest and get some sleep, Gwen was far too excited and headed back out.”

  He raised his eyebrows and widened his eyes to signal she had his full attention.

  “She sent me a text message not long before 4am, but she still hasn’t come back, and I haven’t heard from her since.”

  As Amanda said the words out loud, she realized how serious this could be. Her and Gwen were in a strange town all alone, and there were clearly odd things going on around them.

  “Okay,” Dean said as he stood up straight. “Did she tell you where she went or who she was with?” he suddenly sounded as if he was all business.

  Amanda shook her head.

  “Is this out of character for her?” he asked.

  She thought on it for a moment, and she had to admit, it actually wasn’t. Gwen had always been free spirited and had been known to disappear for a day if she’d found a great party.

  “Not really,” Amanda said. “But I’m still worried. We don’t know this place or the people in it. Anything could have happened to her.”

  Dean nodded and reached over his desk to a drawer. He opened it and pulled out a big, jangling set of keys.

  “Well,” he said. “We should go looking, and I will radio the sheriff so he can send some people out too. Do you have a picture of her?”

  Amanda pulled her cellphone out of her purse and nodded. She opened her photographs and scrolled to one they had taken just the day before. It was Gwen standing by the side of Amanda’s car when they had stopped for coffee on the highway. She was smiling and holding out her arms to show the amazing view behind her.

  “That’s great,” Dean said. “Can you forward it to me?”

  Amanda nodded and waited for him to key his number into her contacts. As she watched his huge, thick fingers working quickly she had to look away before she let her mind run away with her.

  What he could do with those hands… she mused.

  When he passed her back the phone, she sent him the photograph, and felt herself go all a flutter when she saw that he had entered his name as Dean – Bridge Hollow Ranger.

  She smiled and slipped the phone back into her purse, and then she waited whilst he grabbed his radio and opened the door to the back and called for Lilith.

  “Lil,” he shouted. “Come on out, I need you to go and wait with Mrs. Brown next door.”

  Lilith emerged slowly, still sipping her juice, but obviously ready to be whisked away.

  “Okay Daddy,” she said happily as she skipped to the front of the office and started to gather up her things.

  “I don’t know how long we’ll be out so my friend next door can watch Lilith for a while,” he said.

  Amanda’s heart and mind were racing. Not only because of the worry for Gwen, but also because now there was not much doubt in her mind that Dean was single.

  Dean was asking a lady next door to watch his daughter. She had been in work with him instead of at home… and now she could glance down at his hand again and look properly, she could see that he wasn’t wearing a ring.

  Dean was raising Lilith alone…

  Amanda swallowed and felt a twist of longing in her gut.

  This man was becoming more and more irresistible by the second. And now she was afraid that she was getting hooked.

  8.

  Amanda sat in the passenger seat of Dean’s truck and waited whilst he dropped Lilith next door with Mrs. Brown. She was a middle-aged lady with kind eyes who owned the art gallery and gift shop. She stood with her hand on Lilith’s shoulder and they both waved to Dean as he strode back towards the truck and called to them goodbye.

  When he opened the driver’s door and hauled himself inside, Amanda found herself feeling nervous again, not knowing what to do with her body. She couldn’t just sink back into the chair, she felt the need to perch on the edge and fidget with the strap of her purse.

  “I’ve sent a call out to the sheriff,” Dean said. “He has the photograph of Gwen and he and some of his men will look around town and Main Street, see if anybody has seen her.”

  Amanda nodded.

  “My jurisdiction is the mountains and forests, so I’ll drop you back at your hotel and I’ll head up there.”

  Amanda felt a sag of disappointment. She shook her head and dug in her heels.

  “No way,” she said. “I’m coming with you.”

  Dean looked across at her and furrowed his brow. She could sense that he was the sort of man who spent a lot of time alone. He was someone who was used to doing everything his own way, and that from his expression he didn’t appreciate her meddling in his work. But she didn’t care. Gwen was her friend, and he was the one she had found to help her. Fate seemed to be pulling them back together and she wanted to go along with him and see the forest.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Dean said as he started the engine. “It could slow us down.”

  “Slow us down!?” Amanda exclaimed. “She’s my best friend, I want to make sure she’s okay!”

  Dean sighed and nodded. He was clearly admitting defeat.

  “The sheriff will have a good handle on things down here, and I understand that you’re worried….” He trailed off and put the car into drive.

  He tapped the edge of the wheel with irritation and then he sighed again.

  “You can come along but I don’t want any messing around.”

  He said it so sternly Amanda felt like she was being told off, but it made her smile. He looked across at her with a smirk as he pulled the truck out onto the street and they began to drive towards the mountains.

  “Don’t worry,” she told him. “I’ll be as good as gold.”

  The drive up to the forests was so stunning Amanda sat and stared in awe. She was so used to living amongst industry, it was amazing seeing so much greenery and beauty in one place. She felt a deep connection to Bridge Hollow, as if it was a part of her soul.

  She looked across at Dean as they began to climb high up towards the mountain range, and she felt a small pressure in her ears that took her by surprise, as if she were taking off in a plane.

  He sat in silence and kept his eyes on the road. He was clearly incredibly focused when it came to his job, and when he began to slow down and turned off into a parking lot on the edge of the mountain side, Amanda felt a sense of relief.

  “This is one of the National Park Trails,” he said as he turned off the engine. “Kids sometimes come up here at night to drink and smoke,” he rolled his eyes. “It’s not much of a tourist spot after dark as you can imagine, but if your friend ended up at a party with some of the kids in town, she may have ended up here.”

  “Kids?” Amanda asked with a raised brow. “I doubt she’d be hanging around with any kids.”

  “College kids I mean,” he said. “You guys must be in college, right?”

  Amanda shook her head.

  “No,” she half-laughed. “I’m twenty-six an
d I work as a teacher. Those carefree, wild days are long behind me.”

  His eyes met hers and he smiled. He looked surprised but also impressed. He lingered on her for a moment before he reached for the handle and opened the door.

  Amanda opened hers and jumped down onto the earthy ground. Her boots had a small heel and made them totally impractical for this kind of expedition, but she wasn’t going to mention it, and she hoped that he wouldn’t notice.

  She looked around and called, “Gwen!”

  The forest was silent around them apart from the sounds of the wind blowing through the trees and the birds.

  Dean lifted his finger to his lips to signal her to be quiet and she nodded and mouthed sorry.

  He listened intently and she was sure she saw him sniff the air, but he quickly turned away when he realized that she was looking.

  Amanda wandered in another direction, kicking at the ground and hoping to unearth some sign of life. The trail looked completely clear, and there were no tracks from cars apart from Dean’s truck. She couldn’t see any signs of a leftover bonfire, or empty bottles or food wrappers. This place looked like it hadn’t been disturbed in some time.

  She felt the nerves drum up inside of her and tears pricked her eyes.

  “Come on Gwen,” she whispered to herself. “Where the hell are you…?” she ran her hand through her hair and turned back to Dean who was crouched down and staring into the forest.

  “She’s not here,” he said as he stood up from his crouching position and turned back to face Amanda. “No one has been here for a while.”

  Amanda nodded and tried not to cry.

  “I was thinking the same thing, no tracks…” she trailed off and looked back to Dean’s truck.

  “Nope, and no disturbance around the woodland,” he said. “I’m going to go into the forest and check a little further in, see if anything has been moved or touched there, it’s usually pretty easy for me to tell. I know this place like the back of my hand.”

  Amanda took a step forward to join him, but he smiled and shook his head.

  “Wait in the car this time,” he said as he reached up and touched her shoulder.

  His fingers connected with the same place he had touched her the night before and it jolted her. Her heart reacted, thumping hard, and her skin burned beneath his fingers. She gasped and looked up into his eyes and he quickly took his hand away, looking back at her with wide eyes and an expression of disbelief.

  They were entranced with each other for a moment. Neither of them able to move or speak a word. But when an eagle soared overhead, cawing so loud it was impossible to ignore, they both looked away and Amanda finally felt like she could breathe.

  “Dean…” she whispered.

  He shook his head and kept looking towards the woods.

  “Wait in the car,” he told her again as he strode off and left her there alone.

  She climbed back into the passenger seat and opened the sun visor, flipped down the cover on the mirror and looked at herself. Her skin looked rosy and alive, her eyes were bright and sparkling, and she was sure on her shoulder where he had touched her, she could almost see his handprint outlined in gold.

  She rubbed at it nervously and then she rubbed her eyes.

  Was she going mad?

  Was she imaging all of it?

  She sat back in the seat and breathed in and out deeply. She was nervous but at the same time she felt a complete sense of calm. She was worried about Gwen, but when Dean had touched her again, her mind had seemed to ease off and allow a moment to regroup.

  She reached up and pulled the mirror into view again and turned so she could see her shoulder. There was nothing there and she rolled her eyes at herself and slammed it shut.

  “You’re so stupid sometimes,” she whispered. “You look for things that aren’t there…”

  She turned to stare out towards the forest and she was surprised to see Dean walking back towards her, holding the radio in his hand. He smiled when he caught sight of her and waved, holding the radio up and motioning to it.

  Gwen felt her stomach drop and she quickly snapped open the car door and jumped back down onto the ground outside.

  “Thanks Jim,” Dean said. “Over.”

  He clipped the radio back onto his belt and smiled at her.

  “Was that about Gwen?” Amanda asked with a falter in her voice.

  Dean nodded.

  “Yup, it would seem that your friend stayed out partying all night at Shifter’s Bliss and fell asleep underneath one of the tables. She’s fine, the cleaners went in this morning at around 10am and found her but her cell had run out of battery. She’s been trying to get you for the past half an hour apparently.”

  Amanda darted back inside the car and reached for her purse in the footwell. She grappled around for it and when she pulled it towards her she could see that she had five missed calls and six text messages.

  “Oh man,” she rolled her eyes. “Classic Gwen.”

  Dean scratched the back of his neck and smirked, before he leaned against the hood of the truck and looked out across the mountains. Amanda opened her messaged and began to read…

  G: Oh my god, I am so, so sorry! I can’t believe you’ve had rangers and the sheriff out looking for me!

  G: I’m back at the hotel! And of course, I’m absolutely fine!!!

  G: Call me when you get this Amanda, I feel terrible!

  G: Okay, I understand why you’re angry with me. I know I’m an idiot.

  G: I’m going to make it up to you tonight, I promise. Dinner on me and a nice relaxed evening.

  G: You’re so stubborn, girl! Love you. I’m going back to bed xx

  Amanda shook her head and laughed and quickly typed a reply.

  A: I’m not mad, I was just so worried! Glad you’re back safe, I’m still out with the ranger but will be heading back shortly. Get some sleep x

  She pressed send and turned to see Dean watching her over his shoulder. There was still a tension between them that they were having trouble shaking. And now, after he had touched her again and she had felt the same power she had the night before, she didn’t know what to do.

  She was sure he must have felt it too.

  He had looked shocked and concerned, and he had practically run into the forest and away from her.

  She dug the tip of her boot into the ground and looked down. Unsure of what to say.

  “Was that her?” he asked as he looked down at her cellphone.

  “Yes,” Amanda nodded. “She’s rang me a few times and bombarded me with texts. She’s okay, she’s back at the hotel and going back to bed.”

  Dean smirked.

  “She’s clearly the wild one out of the two of you then,” he put his hands on his hips.

  “You can say that again,” Amanda smiled. “I’m just glad she’s back and everything is okay. I can’t believe she fell asleep underneath a table in that bar.”

  She shook her head in disbelief and then she bit her lip, unsure of what to say next.

  She could feel him looking at her, and she wanted to ask him so many questions. She felt pulled to him, like she had a reason to be beside him. She ached and yearned for his heat, the touch and the tingle that came from him was becoming addictive, and she didn’t want to get back in the car and for him to take her into town.

  “Thank you,” she said finally. “Thank you for helping me today.”

  Dean nodded and smiled.

  “It’s my job, Amanda,” he said calmly. “It’s my absolute pleasure.”

  They caught each other’s eyes and they both smiled. They looked at each other, unable to break their gaze, and Amanda’s heart beginning to beat faster with each passing second. She was sure she could see Dean’s breathing becoming more rapid, and she took a step forward, but he quickly took a step away.

  He looked towards the road behind them and then she turned and moved towards the driver’s side.

  “We better get back,” he said, deliberate
ly avoiding her eye. “I need to go and pick up Lilith.”

  Amanda’s shoulders sagged and she silently agreed.

  As she sat back down in the passenger seat, she wanted to look across to him, but she knew there would be no point.

  Whatever there was between them, it was powerful, but it was something he was clearly not wanting to acknowledge. Every time they looked into each other’s eyes, their bond was becoming stronger and more intense. It was a feeling that Amanda had never experienced before, and it looked like it was shaking Dean up and pushing him away.

  He didn’t say a word the whole way back into town. He gripped the steering wheel so tight his knuckles began to turn white, and Amanda looked away from him and out of her window. There were a few times she felt like he may be about to speak and then changed his mind. And there were several times she almost did the same, but in the end her nerves won, and she stayed quiet.

  Dean pulled the truck up outside of the Ranger’s Office and he leapt out of the driver’s side and moved quickly around to open her door. She sat there looking forward, wondering what on earth she could say to get him to open up, but in the end, she grabbed her purse and shyly climbed out of the truck.

  “Amanda,” he said as he reached out again, but he stopped before his hand could connect with her skin and he slowly pulled it away.

  She looked up at him and his jaw sagged lightly open as their eyes connected. She saw a glint in them, something pure and powerful, and she so wanted to know more, but she didn’t know how to reach him.

  “I…” he whispered, but then he stopped and blinked.

  “Thank you, Dean,” she said. “For helping me today.”

  And then she smiled and began to walk away.

  She could feel him watching her as she moved towards the corner of Main Street, and she wanted with all her heart to look back, but she had to be strong.

  Dean was clearly a very complicated man. And not only that, but he was a father.

  Amanda sighed into the doorway of a closed-up shop as she rounded the corner and out of his line of sight and clutched her chest. Her heart was still racing and yearning for him, but for now she was going to have to try and push him out of her mind.