My Plan B (Middlemarch Shifters Book 11)

by Shelley Munro

  Every sense thrilled to the moment. She cataloged the rich tapestry of scents and gloried to his hoarse breathing, the thud, thud, thud of Jacey’s pulse. Her eyes, which she didn’t remember closing, flicked open to see Jacey grinning down at her.

  “How you doing, sweet pea?”

  “I feel great. Different,” she decided.

  “You’re my mate.”

  “I know. I feel the ties you mentioned. I didn’t understand, but I do now.” She reached up to cup his cheek. “You know, my sister told me I was silly to concentrate on a career after Charlie died. She said I’d regret it and end up alone. She didn’t know I had a Plan B and was waiting for you.”

  “Hate to say it but your sister sounds like a bitch,” Jacey said in a mild tone.

  Megan laughed. “She can be, but my brother-in-law keeps her in check. She doesn’t approve of me being pregnant at my age.”

  “Ah, but you have wolf genes. We age much slower than humans.”

  “You do? I will?”

  “I think so,” Jacey said. “We’ll keep up our research to learn more about your background, and I can put out feelers to the pack in Perth. We’ll learn more, but it will take time.”

  “It’s okay,” she said and kissed the tip of his nose. “It—I was scared at first, but knowing I’m not alone makes it easier.”

  “Henry and I will help you as much as you want, help you learn about your wolf. You can talk to Gerard or any of the Mitchell family. Gavin Finley. You can trust them to help if you feel out of control.”

  The caring in his tone tightened her chest with emotion. She had been so lucky to find Jacey. Plan B had some interesting repercussions when all the time she’d thought moving on had been a disaster.

  “I love you, Jacey Anderson. Thank you.”

  “I knew where you were.”

  She grinned. “I figured that, but you still gave me space and I appreciate your patience.” She drew his head down for another kiss, happier than she could ever remember. When she’d thought her life was over because she’d lost the job she coveted, all she’d needed was to follow her heart with plan B. She laughed and it was full of joy. Nothing wrong with plan B at all.

  Bonus Chapter

  Mitchell Farm, Middlemarch, New Zealand

  Feline Shapeshifter Council Meeting.

  Present: Sid Blackburn, Agnes Paisley, Valerie McClintock, Benjamin Urquart, Saber Mitchell

  Saber Mitchell studied the chair where Kenneth Nesbitt usually sat and hesitated. Should he take it away before the council members arrived for the meeting, or should he leave the empty chair there in memory of the man who had recently died?

  Emily would know what to do, but she’d taken herself off to the café since she was feeling better this week, the morning sickness having taken a break. He grinned as he pictured his mate’s curvy body with her swollen belly. She had never looked so beautiful. He glanced at his wristwatch. Maybe he had time to ring—

  The doorbell interrupted that thought. Too late to move the chair now. It stayed in place. He flicked on the coffeemaker as he strode past to greet his visitors.

  Sid Blackburn stood on the other side of the door, his thin white hair shifting in the blast of the wind. “Nasty weather today, lad. Some snow on the way, I think.”

  “It’s cold enough,” Saber said. “Come in. The coffee is on.”

  “Agnes rang to say they’re on their way. She’s picking up Ben and Valerie.”

  “Ah, lad.” Sid came to an abrupt halt in the kitchen, his sight in line with the table in the dining room where they held their meetings. “You left Kenneth’s chair in place.”

  “Should…should I move it? I wasn’t sure.”

  Tears swamped Sid’s eyes as he turned to Saber. “No, it’s perfect as it is. We kept a chair for Herbert for a long time.”

  Saber gave a clipped nod and placed a plate of blueberry-and-white-chocolate muffins on the table. He still missed his uncle. “Uncle Herbert would have liked the way things are going in Middlemarch.”

  “Aye, lad, you have the right of it.”

  They both cocked their heads on hearing a car.

  “That will be the others,” Sid said. “I’ll let them in.”

  Saber watched Sid amble from the kitchen. He’d noticed Sid, and the others looked their age at present. Kenneth’s sudden death had shocked them, left them aware of their own vulnerability.

  “Ah, good.” Agnes bustled inside and shed her green-tartan woolen coat. “You have the heater on. Think it will snow tonight.”

  “You left Kenneth’s chair.” Valerie’s glasses fogged up, and she whipped them off to wipe the lenses with brisk wipes of a clean hanky.

  “I…yes. Shall we start the meeting?”

  They settled around the table, chatted and devoured Emily’s muffins while Saber distributed mugs of coffee.

  “The Sevens tournament went well, and thanks to Megan Saxon, we made a good profit on the gate,” Agnes said with a glance at her notebook.

  “It was a good weekend,” Saber agreed. “Sly and Joe said all the players enjoyed the tournament. We mentioned making it an annual event. We should. It makes an excellent memorial for Kenneth.”

  “I agree.” Ben tapped his fingers on the white tablecloth. “I think everyone enjoyed the weekend. Rumor says that Megan Saxon is moving to Middlemarch.”

  “Rumor would be right,” Saber said. “She and Jacey Anderson are involved.” He paused and decided the council members should know the truth. “Jacey told me Megan is a werewolf, so that makes three in our community. He asked me to keep it quiet since Megan didn’t know she had werewolf blood and is still getting used to the fact.”

  “Interesting.” Agnes cocked her head. “Must have come as a shock. I like the woman. She didn’t give herself airs and worked hard during the tournament. I like Jacey too. The man is a gentleman.”

  High praise from Agnes, and the others must have agreed because they nodded like a row of clowns at the A & P sideshow. “What’s next on our agenda?” Saber asked.

  “There’s no point arranging anything until the spring,” Valerie said. “Why don’t we hold a spring picnic and have our contest for decorative bras.” She winked at Agnes. “T-shirts optional.” While Agnes cackled, Valerie continued, ticking off items on her fingers. “Egg and spoon races, sack races and a treasure hunt for the kids. Maybe a scavenger hunt for the adults. Lolly scramble. All traditional New Zealand favorites.”

  “How about the single ladies bring a lunch basket to be raffled off and the gentlemen can bid for the basket and the pleasure of the lady’s company for lunch?” Ben suggested. “We used to do that when we were younger, remember?”

  Agnes jotted down the ideas. “Gumboot throwing contest? For all ages.” At their nods, she added it to her list.

  Saber leaned back in his chair. “When should we hold the picnic? When does daylight saving start this year? Late September?”

  Valerie consulted the calendar in her diary. “Third Sunday in September. How about the first weekend in October? If the spring weather looks iffy, we’ll move the date to the following weekend. Everyone agreed? Okay. We can take our time with the arrangements. I’ll liaise with London to design posters to put up in the town.”

  “Maybe do a separate one for the lunch baskets,” Saber suggested. “We might need to nudge the single ladies. Let’s make the idea more modern. If any of the single men want to offer a basket, the ladies can bid for those.”

  “That should make things interesting.” Sid nodded his approval. “You can work on Joe and Sly. The young ladies would bid like crazy for their baskets.”

  “They’d be wise not to eat their cooking,” Saber said drily. “Emily despairs of those two.”

  Sid barked out a laugh. “A modern twist is a good idea, lad. Is that all? I’d like to get home before the weather turns for the worse.”

  “There is one more thing we need to discuss,” Agnes said, and Saber heard clear hesitation, which made him
pay attention. “I think we need to replace Kenneth on the council. I know it hasn’t been long, but we need the help now that we’re organizing more projects. Any suggestions about whom to appoint?”

  Ben scratched his head. “We could put it to the vote at the next general feline shapeshifter meeting.”

  “Bah!” Valerie slashed her hand through the air. “Remember the kafuffle when Herbert died? Everyone wanted to be on the council, and when they found out they had to work, they changed their tune.”

  Saber remained silent since he was the youngest on the council. Best to let them slug it out regarding Kenneth’s replacement.

  Agnes shut her notebook with a snap. “I have a suggestion.” She glanced at all their faces, waiting for comments.

  “Who?” Saber spoke for all of them.

  “I think we need someone younger. My vote is for London Allbright. She’s young, intelligent and is up on modern technology. She’s popular and everyone I’ve spoken to have nice things to say about her integrity.”

  Saber considered the suggestion, surprised by Agnes’s vote for London since she was human, but approving of the appointment. “She is a hard worker. I like her, and so does Emily. Now that there are more human mates, it would make sense to have them represented on the council.”

  “What about the anti-human sentiments we’ve been hearing whispers of lately?” Ben asked.

  “Huh!” Valerie lifted her nose in the air. “They’re all mouth and no trousers. I wouldn’t worry about them.”

  “All right,” Sid said. “Let’s vote. A show of hands. Who wants to appoint London to the Feline council?”

  Saber raised his hand, as did everyone else on the council.

  “Motion passed,” Sid said. “That was an excellent idea, Agnes. Who wants to approach London?”

  “Valerie and I will,” Agnes said. “I need to speak with London about the posters, anyway. Do you want to approve them or should I get them printed and put them up at the beginning of September?”

  “Go ahead with the printing,” Sid said. “You and Valerie know the type of thing we want. Any other business?”

  “No, that’s it for today,” Agnes said. “Saber, how is Emily? Is she still suffering from bad morning sickness?”

  “It’s been better this week. Dry toast and tea before she moves from bed seems to help.”

  “Boy or girl?” Valerie asked.

  “Neither of us mind which sex we have. We told Gavin we didn’t want to know.” Saber smiled. “Gavin says Emily and the baby are healthy. The baby should kick soon.”

  “Hmm,” Agnes said, standing. “I’m not sure whether I wish you a mischievous boy or a sweet little girl. It will be fun watching you with your child. I’m kind of hoping for a little payback. I know it was you who raided my apple tree the day before I wanted to bake apple pies for the show.”

  “You have no proof of that.” Saber met Agnes’s narrow-eyed gaze for a good length of time.

  “My apple tree was stripped bare.”

  Sid chuckled. “If I remember clearly, there were other suspects.”

  “Tell London that if she has any questions she can ask me,” Saber said.

  Ben nudged him in the ribs. “Good change of subject,” he whispered.

  “You know, I think we should mention at the next meeting that we’re considering who to appoint to the empty council seat. Ask anyone interested to send in a submission, but we’ll also lay out the expectations and duties of the new council member,” Ben said. “Make it sound like hard work. We should also make sure that human mates are present, so when we announce London’s appointment, everyone will think she made an application.”

  There was a lengthy silence. Saber started to grin, and he realized the other council members echoed his admiration and acceptance of Ben’s suggestion.

  “I am in awe of your sneakiness.” Agnes stood and bowed in Ben’s direction, making them all chortle.

  “Who do you think told Saber and his friends about your delicious apples?” Sid asked.

  “Traitor,” Ben said, but his lips quirked. “Actually, Kenneth was in cahoots.”

  Agnes shook her head and tsk-tsked. She turned a fraction to face Valerie, but Saber saw her quick wink. “They’re all small boys at heart.”

  Valerie made a tutting sound. “I don’t know why we put up with them. Ben, you and Sid can provide our refreshments for the next meeting. We’ll hold it at the café.”

  Valerie and Agnes headed for the door, leaving Sid and Ben gaping at each other with wide eyes, as if to say, How did that happen?

  “Sid, can you give me a lift home? I don’t know if I can bear riding home with those two she-cats. They’ll sharpen their claws on me all the way home.”

  Sid shuddered. “Don’t blame you one bit. Thank you, lad. I guess we’ll see you at the next meeting.”

  “At the café,” Saber said, managing to keep a straight face. Just. He walked the two men outside and waved goodbye to the women. Laughter exploded from him, and he realized the meeting he’d dreaded hadn’t turned out so bad. Kenneth remained with them in spirit as did Uncle Herbert. He couldn’t wait to tell Emily about the apple saga.

  It was true. Laughter was the very best medicine.

  Would you like to read more books set in the Middlemarch Shifters world? Sign up for my newsletter to learn about the upcoming additions to this series.

  Also, I want to ask a favor. Word-of-mouth is crucial for an author to succeed. If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review. Even if it’s only a few lines, it would be a big help.

  Tigers are coming to country town Middlemarch! Turn the page for a glimpse of My Cat Nap, the next story in my Middlemarch Shifters series.

  Enjoy!

  Shelley

  Excerpt – My Cat Nap

  Middlemarch Shifters, book 12

  Copyright 2016 Shelley Munro

  “Rohan, you have to come right now!” Ambar skated to a halt in the doorway of their West Auckland grocery store and stared at his customer in consternation. “Um hello, Mrs. McPherson,” his sister said. “How are you?”

  “Was there anything else you needed today, Mrs. McPherson?” Rohan Patel asked, ignoring Ambar’s dramatic arrival. Their parents had believed in excellent customer service and enforced the principle with their children until it became second nature.

  “No, thank you, dear,” the elderly lady said. “How much do I owe you?”

  “Ten dollars and twenty cents,” Rohan answered, and waited for her to dig misshapen hands deep into her cloth bag to find her purse. Ever since he could remember, the elderly lady had shopped at his parents’ store. Both he and Ambar had practiced waiting on her until they’d perfected the standard of service his parents expected. In his peripheral vision, he noticed Ambar’s frantic gesturing and frowned, the training of years hard to shake.

  “I’ll miss you when you leave. Where did you say you were going?” Mrs. McPherson asked.

  “Ambar and I have purchased a business in the South Island, a place in Middlemarch.” Rohan couldn’t wait to move to the country with all the open land, the mountains and the freedom to run during their leisure time. It would be great to have the sign above their new store bearing their names instead of their parents, to know they worked for themselves.

  “It won’t be the same without you. Your parents were lovely. I suppose it must be difficult without them?”

  “Yes, it is hard, which is why we decided to start again in fresh surroundings. Ambar will help you carry your shopping out to your car,” Rohan said, frowning at Ambar in clear displeasure, his older-brother-knows-best face in place. This was still their parents’ store even if they owned it on paper now.

  Ambar’s eyes narrowed. “But—”

  “Ambar.” Rohan’s voice held a warning, and the faint tensing of her shoulders told him she’d received the threat. Customers came first. Always. Their parents’ philosophy drummed into them over the years was the reason the store remaine
d popular with the locals.

  Rohan watched Ambar tamp down her frustration. She nodded and picked up Mrs. McPherson’s two bags of purchases. Silently she held the door open and waited for the woman to lumber through, the tap of her walking stick on the floor and pavement outside marking her unsteady progress. The second the car door closed after the elderly woman, Ambar darted back into the store. She flipped the lock and put the Back in ten minutes sign in the window.

  “Rohan we have to hurry. I saw another shifter. He was hurt, and they put him into an ambulance.”

  Alarm shot through Rohan. “Hell, why didn’t you say so?” A shifter helpless in human hands, even if they meant well, could spell disaster. The last thing any feline wanted was a life of imprisonment and intrusive study.

  Ambar sniffed and rolled her golden-brown eyes. “You didn’t give me a chance.”

  “Do you know where they’re taking him?”

  “Auckland Hospital. What are we going to do?”

  Rohan grabbed his wallet. “I don’t know, but we can’t let them do tests on him. What sort of shifter?”

  “Tiger, I think, although I’m not one hundred percent sure. He was big enough. It all happened so quickly I didn’t have a chance to scent him properly. He looked out of it. Before they shut the ambulance doors, he opened his eyes. I don’t think anyone else saw his eyes shift except me.”

  Rohan hurried through the store, past the jams and breakfast cereals aisle, to the rear door. “We’re the only tigers around here. Most of them live over on the north shore. Are you sure?”

  “I’m not sure of anything. As I said, it was over in minutes. Maybe I’m mistaken because his skin was lighter than ours.” Ambar snatched her car keys from the top of the desk in their small office as she passed. “We can discuss this once we have him safe. You know what will happen when his test results come back from the lab.” She thrust the keys at her brother. “You drive. You’re faster than me.”

  They hurried out the rear exit, locking the door after them. Rohan yanked open the car door and jumped behind the wheel.