Bridge Hollow Shifters: The Complete Collection

by Samantha Leal

  He finally let his shoulders relax, and something in him became calm. Heidi bounced around the store and was rabbiting away, chatting to Krystal, who was laughing and stepping forward, showing the little girl the different types of stone, from Tiger’s Eye to Onyx, to Rose Quartz and Aventurine.

  “I like this one,” Heidi said, breaking Anson’s daze.

  She was holding a blue colored crystal and she twirled it around in her fingers.

  “Well, I’m still learning,” Krystal said. “But I think that’s a Sodalite… it should help you with your creativity… So if you’re painting today or doing any drawing, then it will help you do your very best!” she smiled widely and Heidi’s eyes seemed to pop out of her head with adoration.

  “Really?” she said with a beaming smile. “I’ve just been telling my daddy about my poems. I’ve been writing them today!”

  Krystal’s gaze traveled up to Anson and he felt his heart click. This time, he felt a wave of calm, like she was settling the stormy sea inside him and being there with her and Heidi was bringing him a new level of peace.

  “Wow, really?” Krystal asked.

  Her gaze was on him and she was warmer with him too. As if the animosity that may have been there before, or, more likely, the awkwardness between them, had vanished. Heidi had cleared the path and brought them closer together just by being in the same room.

  “Well, you better take it, then,” Krystal said. “I mean, I owe your dad, anyway,” she winked, and Anson couldn’t help but smile.

  “Can I have it please Daddy?” Heidi asked.

  “Sure, of course you can,” Anson said as he stepped further into the shop and rested his big, rough mountain man’s hand down on the counter. “But let’s pay for it, deal?”

  He locked eyes with Krystal, and she smiled.

  “Really, I feel bad you were kept waiting, as does my aunt…” she tried to protest.

  Anson held up his hand and smiled warmly. He didn’t want her to think he was such a complete jerk.

  “Honestly, it’s no problem. Your aunt is one of my best tenants.”

  She smiled and nodded meekly and then she reached down for the envelope on the side and passed it to him.

  “Sorry again that it was late,” she said.

  Anson took it from her and smiled.

  “Like I said, it’s no problem,” he said. “How’s your aunt’s trip?”

  “All going well, from what I’ve heard,” Krystal replied. “She called me this morning and said she’ll check in again soon.”

  “And you’re doing okay here holding down the fort?” he asked with a grin.

  “Just about,” Krystal laughed.

  “Well, if you’ve got any trouble or need advice on anything regarding the building, don’t hesitate to let me know.”

  “Thank you,” she smiled.

  Anson held the envelope and reached into his wallet to pull out some money for the crystal Heidi was jumping around and holding in her hand tightly like it was the most precious thing on Earth.

  “Here,” he said. “And thanks again.”

  Krystal watched as he made his way toward the door, but Heidi seemed reluctant to leave.

  “Do you like ice cream?” she said suddenly to Krystal, who was already tidying away what looked like a recent delivery.

  “Me?” she asked as she stopped what she was doing. “Well, sure, I love ice cream.”

  “Me and my dad are going for some, why don’t you come with us?”

  Anson felt his eyes widen. He had no idea where this had come from, but Heidi was clearly already completely taken with the cool girl in the paranormal shop who had given her a crystal and been kind to her.

  Krystal smiled and he found that he was doing the same.

  “That is so kind,” Krystal said. “But I don’t finish work for at least another hour. But you have a wonderful time and make sure you come back to see me soon, okay?”

  “Okay,” Heidi beamed. “I’ll come back and show you all my drawings and poems I’ve done thanks to this new crystal!”

  “That would be fantastic,” Krystal smiled.

  Anson waved his hand and said goodbye, and then he stepped outside the shop with his daughter who seemed happier and more excited than he had seen her in a long time.

  “I love her,” Heidi declared as they wandered into the ice cream parlor. “Did you see her hair? It was beautiful, like Snow White’s, but loads longer.”

  Anson laughed.

  “And that shop is so cool, I want to go back,” Heidi said as she sat down in one of the candy pink booths that lined the walls. “I like her daddy. I think she and I will be friends.”

  He hadn’t seen her so enamored with someone after one brief meeting before in her entire life, and it certainly was giving him some food for thought.

  It appeared Krystal’s arrival in town wasn’t just having a strange effect on him. Now, his little girl was happy to have met her too… and he knew now that his world was about to be turned upside down.

  7.

  As the week drew to a close, Krystal was pleased with herself and all she had managed to accomplish within the store. She had dedicated her entire time while she had been there to unpacking and getting herself familiar with the place. She wanted to do the best job she could, and she wanted to invest herself in it fully so Beau could see her dedication when she came back from her travels.

  She had wondered several times how her aunt was doing while she was away, and if she had managed to track down her mysterious friend and explain to him what had been happening back in Bridge Hollow, but she had yet to receive more than a few texts since the phone call about the safe. At least she knew she was okay, but she did wonder what she was up to, and if they had come up with any theories about the strange phenomena of the town.

  It was Friday night and from up in the apartment Krystal could hear the town coming alive. She had been so worn out and tired once she had finished work every day that she had yet to venture out on an evening and see what Bridge Hollow was about. She didn’t remember that side of things from when she was younger; in fact, she didn’t even really remember Main Street, but as she had been walking around during the day she had seen a couple of places that looked like they showed promise where a social scene was concerned and as she looked across at the television she sighed and turned it off.

  “I’m not staying in on a Friday night,” she said to herself as she rose to her feet.

  She stretched and wandered through to her bedroom, flicking through her closet and humming and harring over which outfit to wear. For her first night out in a small mountain town, she didn’t want to go too overboard, but at the same time, she didn’t want to be a wallflower, that had never been her style.

  She pinned her long hair into big, round curlers on top of her head and left them there while she danced around her bedroom, lifting out skirts and jeans from the closet and holding them up against herself in the mirror. She chose a pair of black skinny jeans and a red camisole. To match, she slicked a deep red over her lips and winged her eyeliner, and when she was finished and let the rollers out of her hair, she grinned at herself in the mirror. She looked a million dollars, and for the first time in what could have been a year, she felt really happy with how she looked.

  Back in the city she had always felt as if she were being judged, and it really seemed to bother her, but here, she simply didn’t care. She didn’t know anyone, and she didn’t care what anyone thought of her. She was glad to be there and to mixing in the scene with the mountain folk for a change rather than the pretentious city boys who only wanted to talk about money and cars.

  She grabbed her purse and her shearling jacket, pulled it on over her shoulders and let her hair tumble down her back, in thick, shiny waves. As she headed out the door, she smiled to herself and felt empowered. She had confidence in Bridge Hollow, she had sass and she wasn’t afraid to be herself… and he felt really fucking good! She couldn’t wait to get out on Main Street an
d have herself a fun time.

  She wandered down and checked out the bars on either side of the street. Some of them looked a lot more subdued than the others, and some were clearly more bistros and wine bars, serving tapas and mainly catering to quiet diners and couples. It had been a long while since Krystal had hit a bar, and she fancied seeing what kind of wild side Bridge Hollow had to offer, even though she couldn’t imagine it was anything too out there.

  Her eyes flitted over the big statue of the man turning into the bear in the center of town and she couldn’t help but smirk. There was so much power in the eyes, the bear looked as if it were bursting free of the man’s skin and it made her own skin tingle. Her mind immediately traveled to Anson and she wondered if that was what happened to him… she still hadn’t had it confirmed, but she was pretty sure he had to a be a shifter. But she had seen such a different side to him when he had entered the store to collect the rent money a few days earlier. He had brought an adorable little girl with him, with which Krystal had felt an immediate connection. Heidi had been like a light shining through all the darkness that seemed to be plaguing Bridge Hollow lately, and it was a good feeling to see a man like him being such an amazing father.

  Krystal had never had a father of her own, and it always warmed her heart when she saw a man stepping up the challenge and being the best dad he could be. Anson clearly was doing just that, and it had made her like him even more, even if she was still trying to convince herself she didn’t like him at all.

  She continued walking and it wasn’t long before she saw a bustling place with a crowd of people outside on the street. She noticed some of them were bikers, all clad in leather with big silver rings on their knuckles and sat astride Harley’s. She was so used to hanging around in cocktail bars and attending corporate events, that being in this kind of environment was thrilling, and she felt herself drawn to it in an intense way. She was so busy keeping her eyes fixed on the door of the bar and the thumping music coming from inside, that she didn’t notice the sign above her on the way in. She didn’t notice the fact that she was walking right into a place called SHIFTERS BLISS.

  Her eyes lit up as she stepped into the hot and steamy atmosphere of the bar. It was wilder in there than she had expected it to be, and it was clear that Bridge Hollow certainly knew how to handle Friday nights. The place was packed, the scent of booze and smoke was heavy in the air and it was hot and sweaty, making her pull her jacket off her shoulders straight away. She moved through the crowd and headed for the long wooden bar in the center of the room, where plenty of people were waiting to get served, but she saw the perfect spot right at the end with a free stool waiting for her to slip into. At the back of the room a huge stage was set, and a band was playing. The music was loud and heavy, but it seemed to work and there were plenty of people dancing in front of them and throwing themselves into the mix.

  Krystal reached the bar and she climbed onto the stool and got herself comfortable. She was lucky to have found it, the place was so rammed she couldn’t believe that one was even available. She looked at all the people who were in the bar with her and she could tell some of them had to be residents of Bridge Hollow, but some of them could have easily been tourists too. She wondered if that was how she appeared, she had hidden herself away on an evening so well she didn’t think anyone in town would know who she was and they would probably think she was some kind of paranormal nut coming to geek up on the weird happenings.

  She was aware of some of the bikers heading into the bar and the way they got served straight away. They downed bottles of beer with whiskey chasers, and then they all took a booth on the outside of the room.

  “Hey there,” a girl’s voice cut in over the loud thump of the music and it made Krystal draw her eyes back to the bar.

  It was one of the servers, a cherubic looking blonde girl who was smiling from ear to ear.

  “Can I get you something to drink?” she asked as she wiped down the countertop with one of her bar mops.

  “Yes, please,” Krystal called back to her. The girl couldn’t have been much older than her, maybe she was even younger. Krystal had never been very good at guessing people’s ages, but it was clear that they were both in their twenties and she could imagine becoming friends with someone like her. A girl who worked in the hottest bar in town would have to have a bit about them, and she could imagine her being the closest thing to a city girl that she would find around these parts.

  Krystal scanned the refrigerators along the back of the bar and up to the spirits held in place by optics. She wasn’t much of a drinker; in fact, she didn’t like the taste of alcohol that much at all, but she felt the need to take the edge off her nerves of being there alone, and she had the feeling there wouldn’t be any kind of cocktail menu she could browse.

  “You need a suggestion?” the girl asked with her head cocked to the side.

  “Yeah,” Krystal admitted with a half laugh. “Something that doesn’t taste like alcohol…”

  The girl laughed and turned around to grab a glass.

  “Vodka and lime,” she said with a wink as she cracked some ice into the glass, poured some vodka into it from one of the upturned bottles on the wall and then topped it up with soda water and a big squeeze of fresh lime.

  She handed it to Krystal, and she smiled, it looked just like lemonade so she may as well give it a shot. She took a sip and was pleasantly surprised.

  “Mmm,” she said. “That’s perfect. But don’t give me too many, okay?”

  The girl laughed and nodded.

  “I’m Wendy,” she said as she held out her hand. “Are you on vacation?”

  Krystal shook her head as she took another sip.

  “Nope, I just moved here,” she said with a grin.

  “You’ve moved here?” asked Wendy with a raised brow. “Like temporarily, for a project or something?”

  Krystal shook her head.

  “No one just moves to Bridge Hollow…” Wendy laughed. “This is the kind of place people visit, or they come to write the great novel they’ve always dreamed of, but end up leaving after a month… In fact, we had a girl who did just that a couple months ago and she never left. She’s still living here with her man and loving it.”

  “I’m here for good too… Hopefully,” Krystal said.

  Wendy nodded and smiled.

  “Interesting,” she said.

  “I’m Krystal,” Krystal held out her hand the two shook. “My aunt runs the paranormal store on Main Street and I’m helping her out while she’s away for a few weeks.”

  “Oh, so you’re Beau’s niece!” Wendy’s face cracked into a big welcoming smile of recognition.

  “The very same,” she laughed.

  “Oh, I’ve heard a lot about you,” Wendy grinned. “Your aunt is an absolute gem; we all love her around here.”

  Wendy had such a genuinely nice and welcoming vibe that Krystal was very glad to have met her. She could see herself sitting up at the bar and making friends with her, she seemed like the kind of girl she would have a lot in common with.

  A group of rowdy tourists started to holler at Wendy for drinks and she rolled her eyes with a smile at Krystal before she moved on down the bar and started to serve them. Krystal laughed, she was already having a great time and she couldn’t believe she had let herself sit in the apartment for the past week basically living like a hermit. She may have needed the rest, but she easily could have been missing out on so much fun!

  The band finished up their song, and the crowd whooped and cheered before the singer started to talk to the room. He started to amp them up for the next song, acting as if he was on stage in a huge stadium in front of thousands of screaming fans, rather than on a small stage in this small-town bar. Krystal couldn’t help but laugh.

  She felt an arm brush against hers and her skin instantly tingled. She glanced over and noticed a muscular physique next to her and it made her heart clatter in her chest. He looked down at her with his big, brown eye
s and a smirk flitted across his lips.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked her.

  He had clearly been watching her for a while and had seen her smiling at the band.

  Anson.

  Here he was, and this time, he was certainly much different than he had been the first time they had met.

  She sat up straight on the stool and cocked her head to the side.

  “I was just wondering if it’s this exciting for the band playing on a stage this small, imagine what it would be like in front of thousands.”

  Anson nodded and leaned in to let someone closer to the bar behind him.

  “Philosophical,” he grinned.

  She rolled her eyes with a smirk and shrugged.

  “So, you finally left the witch cave?” Anson teased. “How are things going over at the store?”

  “Witch cave?” she laughed. “Great, now I know what you really think!”

  He laughed.

  “Yeah, it’s all going well,” she continued. “I’d say I’m a pro already in all things mystical.”

  “You certainly made quite the impression on Heidi,” Anson said, and his eyes were looking down on her, glistening with warmth.

  “She’s wonderful,” Krystal admitted.

  It felt good to be close to him, and this time, she felt his energy so intensely it was as if she were drawn to him in an even more feverish way. He was so big and tall and so handsome, his stubble and beard only added to his ruggedness and it was turning her on.

  No clean-cut pretty city boys here.

  Anson was all man.

  She smiled coyly and sipped her drink. After the way they had met, they were certainly warming up to each other.

  She could feel he hadn’t taken his eyes off her.

  “Have you been waiting for me to come in here?” she asked with a raised brow.

  Anson threw his head back and laughed.

  “I don’t come in here myself,” he said. “But I did notice you haven’t been around town much…”

  “Well, if you don’t come in here, then why are you in here right now?” she grinned.