Shiftr: Swipe Left For Love (Nash) BBW Wolf Shifter Romance (Hope Valley BBW Dating App Romance Book 10)

by Ariana Hawkes

  They paid for their shopping, and then drove to a bar downtown, Kenzie following behind Connor and Lauren.

  “Have fun,” Connor said, kissing his wife on the lips. “If you’re not tipsy by the time I come to pick you up, I’m going to want to know why.” She laughed.

  “I’m not such a lightweight these days, you know.” Then he turned to Kenzie. “It was great to meet you, Kenzie. I hope to see you at our place for dinner soon.”

  “He’s a sweetheart,” Kenzie said as they entered the bar.

  “He’s the best,” Lauren agreed. “I must’ve done something very good in a past life to end up with a guy like him.”

  The bar was cute and cozy, with bare brick walls and strings of red lights draped here and there. Lauren led Kenzie over to a booth at the back of the room where a blonde woman with big blue eyes and a statuesque redhead were waiting for them. They leapt to their feet and hugged Lauren excitedly.

  “Ladies, I’d like to introduce you to a childhood friend of mine, Kenzie Austin,” she said. Kenzie flinched, thinking that she’d also have to explain her name change, but the women didn’t seem to notice, greeting her warmly, and introducing themselves as Melissa and Kristin. They started asking her all about herself right away.

  “Hold up. It’s not often I get a night out of the house. Let’s get some drinks first,” Lauren interrupted, and they all ordered daiquiris. “We’re all new moms and Kristin only just finished breastfeeding.”

  “Are you going to show me some photos?” Kenzie asked, and Kristin and Melissa’s eyes lit up as they took their phones out. They were both married to strikingly good-looking guys. Kristin’s husband was a conservationist named Roman, and Melissa’s husband was a doctor named Harley, and they had an adorable baby each.

  “How about you, Kenzie. Do you have a significant other?” Kenzie shook her head.

  “No. I’m single. Starting afresh in Hope Valley,” she said.

  “Hell, why didn’t you say so?” Melissa said, laying a hand on her arm. “We have to move! We always sit back here because it’s quiet, but now there’s a single lady in our group, we need to be on display.” Before Kenzie could protest, Melissa was on her feet and moving the whole group to a table right at the front of the bar, ensuring that Kenzie was in prime position for spotting all the guys who came in.

  Lauren was her old funny, sassy self, while Melissa was very sweet-natured and Kristin was whip-smart and kind with it, and Kenzie was soon having a lot of fun chatting to them, finding out about their lives.

  Two drinks down, Lauren asked her about what made her leave Fairfield, and she found herself telling them about her failed relationship with her cousin. She was embarrassed to admit that she’d let herself get manipulated into a loveless marriage, but they responded to her sympathetically.

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself. I didn’t grow up so far from Fairfield. I know what these towns are like, and how their small-minded attitudes can work on you,” Lauren said, squeezing her hand.

  “I’m just glad I got out in time,” Kenzie replied, flashing her a grateful smile.

  “You really drove off in your wedding dress, with no idea where you were going to end up?” Kristin asked, eyes sparkling.

  “Yup,” Kenzie said, and they all laughed. Suddenly she was laughing too, and all the stress and loneliness of the past three months came out, and she laughed until she cried. “It’s been a hard time. But I’m over it now and ready to move on with my life. All I need to know is, are all the guys in Hope Valley as gorgeous as your men?”

  “I think it’s fair to say that if you’re a curvy girl and you live in Hope Valley, you’ll be spoilt for choice,” Lauren said. Kenzie looked from one to the other. All three women were plus-size women, and beautiful with it, and their husbands all looked like models for an outdoor activity brand. She wasn’t used to curvy girls like herself being first in line. She’d always expected to have to ‘settle’ with a guy, because he’d be settling with her too.

  “Are you serious?”

  “Sure am,” Lauren replied, then she kind of looked sideways at Kristin and Melissa, who gave her a discreet nod. “Are you free on Saturday, Kenzie?” Kenzie raised her hands.

  “Yup. My diary’s wide open right now.”

  “I’d like to invite you over to dinner at my place, because I’ve got something very interesting that I want to share with you.” Kenzie’s forehead furrowed.

  “That sounds intriguing.” Lauren inclined her head.

  “It is.”

  “Okay, great, thank you,” Kenzie said, wondering why all three of them had such big grins on their faces.

  “Where are you working, Kenzie?” Kristin asked.

  “At Jackson’s garden center. I love it there, and Jackson is a really great guy. Although, my colleague, Nash, drives me crazy,” she said, and told them all about her job, and about how the business was struggling.

  “I know Jackson’s,” Lauren said. “I sure hope it doesn’t close down. It’s been around for a long time. We can help you to find work if need be though. People in Hope Valley are always around to help each other out.”

  The evening passed quickly, with lots of laughter and fun, and before Kenzie knew it, Connor had arrived to collect Lauren. She hugged her old friend and her new friends goodbye, saying how much she was looking forward to seeing them on Saturday.

  Kenzie’s heart was light as she drove back home. She hadn’t had so much fun in she didn’t know how long. She’d thought of Lauren from time to time over the years, but had never dreamed she’d see her childhood friend again, and her best friends were awesome. And she was very curious about what they had planned on Saturday. Something which seemed to involve some hot men.

  5

  The first thing Kenzie saw as she opened her front door was her laptop. She gave a little jolt of surprise. She hadn’t thought about MisunderstoodGuy all night. It had actually been really nice being out in the real world, instead of mooning over a guy that she really knew nothing about. But now she was home, there was a prickle of guilt. She grabbed a glass of water and a packet of tortilla chips from her shopping bags and sat down on the couch with her laptop.

  “So much for healthy eating, Kenzie-meister,” she muttered to herself, then startled. Since when have I started calling myself by Nash’s annoying nickname for me?

  She opened the chips and dove right in, opening the homepage of Hope Valley Friends at the same time, her tummy prickling with that familiar feeling. She scanned the list of users online. He wasn’t there. Of course he wasn’t. It was late. She looked at the top right of the screen. Her message alert wasn’t flashing either. She opened her inbox just to be sure, but there was nothing. She leaned back on the couch and blew out a long breath. Have I offended him? Only a day ago he was saying how much he liked speaking to me. He didn’t have to say that, and tonight I wasn’t there to speak to him, like his words meant nothing to me. She clicked on his profile and hit “send member private message”.

  Sorry I wasn’t online tonight. I ran into an old friend unexpectedly, and we had drinks. I missed talking to you today.

  Before she could reread her message, she hit “send”. Then she closed the site, and zoned out watching some funny videos while she finished the rest of the chips.

  Fifteen minutes later, she’d gotten ready for bed, and she was just climbing between her sheets, when a little voice piped up in her head: go check your laptop one more time. Before she could stop herself, she ran into the living room and opened her laptop. Still nothing.

  “Because he has a life, doofus. He doesn’t spend his entire night on the forum waiting for you.”

  She got back into bed, feeling like she’d broken something. I hope this isn’t the end of our nightly chats, was her thought before she fell into a heavy sleep.

  What a sucky night, Nash thought as he drove to work the next morning. Women on the Shiftr app weren’t biting. He’d been trying out all his best lines all night, but no one
had agreed to go on a date with him, and he’d been called an idiot two times and a creep three times. One girl even told him that it was a shame he was so full of himself, because “you’re actually kind of cute.” It didn’t happen like that in the movies. Women were supposed to love self-confident guys with a good sense of humor. His wolf had been prowling around inside him, howling in frustration all night. The sight of so many luscious, curvy human females were driving it insane with desire, and it couldn’t figure out why he was doing such a poor job of making them want him. And what was worse was that AdventureGirl hadn’t been online tonight at all. He knew that for sure because he’d checked at least every ten minutes. He knew he shouldn’t be so disappointed. She had her own life, and who the hell was he to her anyway? But still, there was a heaviness in the pit of his stomach. The truth was, he’d been dying to speak to her today. He’d had a hell of a day, with that nitwit of a coworker, Kenzie, bringing up one of the things he least wanted to think about, and not letting it drop, until he felt like busting out of his skin and scaring the hell out of her.

  And although he and AdventureGirl had agreed not to reveal the details of their lives to each other, he was starting to feel like she was the only person who would be able to understand him, and what he’d been through. He wasn’t sure exactly what he was planning on saying, but he’d started to piece it together on his way home, forcing himself to confront things he’d never wanted to think about again. And then he logged onto the site, and she wasn’t there. Which is why you should never rely on anyone but yourself, he reminded himself. He could send her a message, check she’s okay. Yeah, a guy who knows nothing about you checking up on you like he’s your boyfriend or something. Smooth, Nash. Real smooth. Don’t be a creeper, Nash. Maybe it’s time I forgot this whole thing anyway. Talking to a random stranger online like a friendless loser. I’ll see if she’s online tonight, and if not, I’m done. I’ll delete my profile. That’s it.

  As he walked into the garden center, Kenzie was right in front of him, crouching down, discussing a bunch of herbaceous plants with some potential customers. She was wearing a red, V-neck shirt that displayed her ample cleavage to perfection. His wolf growled. Damn, she looks good enough to eat. Until she opens her mouth anyway. As he passed, she looked up and their eyes met, and for a moment, there was no sassiness or attitude in her expression. She looked almost pleased to see him. And then her eyebrows drew together and she glowered. She’s mad at me because I snapped at her yesterday. But she shouldn’t have been poking her nose in my business. He came over to the office to greet Jackson and ask what his tasks were for the day.

  “Well, I started early and got most of the necessaries done. So you and Kenzie can finish up, then get to work on the ice rink,” he said.

  “Awesome!” Nash said, his mood lifting a couple of notches. Kenzie came over, wiping her muddy hands on the back of her pants. She looked fresh and outdoorsy.

  “Did you make a sale?” Jackson asked her.

  “Yup. Wholesale. They want to set up a recurring order. $200 per month.”

  “Good work, girl,” Jackson replied, clapping her on the back. “Now, I was hoping you and Nash could finish up your tasks, then spend the rest of the day working on that ice rink idea of yours.”

  “Sure thing.” She grinned at Jackson, but as she turned toward Nash, her smile faded and her face took on its familiar closed expression.

  “I like the way you don’t mind getting your hands dirty,” he said, when Jackson had wandered off.

  “Huh?”

  “Oh you know, some girls are real prissy. Always obsessing over their appearance. Afraid to break a nail. But you’re not like that.”

  “Are you saying I look like crap?” she snapped, whirling around.

  “No. Not at all.” He sighed. “I was trying to give you a compliment.”

  “You were?” Her dark green eyes were full of suspicion.

  “Truly.”

  She shrugged and continued with what she was doing.

  “You’ve really got to work on your compliments, Nash,” she said suddenly. He let off a choked laugh.

  “You’re right, I’m sorry. Guess I don’t have a way with words.”

  “You think?”

  “I just like playing around, Kenzie. It passes the time.”

  “And pisses people off,” she shot, from over her shoulder.

  He was quiet for a few minutes, an uncomfortable, almost squirmy feeling sitting heavy in his guts.

  “Did you have another date last night, Kenzie?” He asked.

  “Why do you ask?” Her eyes were flashing with a hint of anger.

  “Sheesh, do you always have to be so prickly? I was just making conversation.”

  “Oh. No I didn’t. I was just out with an old friend actually. But I’m sure you’re dying to tell me about your hot date.”

  “I –” he broke off. He had been on the point of telling her the truth – that the woman he’d been looking forward to speaking to had stood him up. “I’m dating a few women at the moment actually,” he said. And he cringed inwardly at his boastful tone. Kenzie raised an eyebrow.

  “And I wonder how long it’s going to take them all to find out what a great guy you are.”

  “Ouch. You’ve got a sharp tongue Kenzie-meister.”

  “And you’ve got an arrogant mouth!” she yelled. “What makes you think people want to hear you showing off all the time? Do you think I give a fuck if you’re dating twenty women? You know what I’d like to hear, Nash? – That you’re dating one woman, and that you’re making her happy.” With that, she threw down her spade, and stalked off in the direction of the wash room. Nash watched her go, stung. How does she always manage to make me seem like such an asshole?

  When Kenzie returned a few minutes later, two pink spots glowing up high on her cheeks, he was already feeling bad.

  “I guess I can be too much of a guy sometimes.”

  “There’s another word I can think of that describes you, and it begins with jerk,” she snapped.

  “You hate me, don’t you?” he said.

  “No. I don’t hate you, Nash,” she muttered, concentrating on her work and not meeting his eye. She was quiet for so long that when she started to talk again, it startled him.

  “I just want you to act normal. Drop that stupid façade.”

  “Maybe I don’t have a façade. Maybe this is me.”

  “I hope for your sake that’s not true. You might be good looking, Nash, but you’re going to have a hard time finding a woman who’ll put up with that crap.”

  After that, the day improved. When they’d finished their regular tasks, they agreed to split up the work on the ice rink, so they wouldn’t have to work in each other’s company, and Kenzie sat in the office and worked on the marketing, while Nash called up the suppliers and arranged deliveries.

  “How did it go?” Nash asked her at the end of the day.

  “Pretty good. I got some ads designed and booked some slots in the local media. I’m also hoping to have a billboard right by the northern entrance to Hope Valley. It costs $500 per month though, and I don’t think Jackson will agree to the cost.”

  “I’ll put up half the money,” Nash said, surprising both of them. “He could pay me back when we start to turn a profit.”

  “And if we don’t?”

  “Hey, I believe in this rink! And if it doesn’t work out, it won’t be for lack of trying.”

  “Wow, thanks, Nash. That’s real nice of you.” He nodded.

  “I care about the old man a lot, you know. And I don’t want to see you out of a job either, Kenzie-meister.” Before he could stop himself, he leaned forward and scrubbed his knuckles on her head. She clicked her tongue and knocked his hand off, but she didn’t look as annoyed as usual.

  “And how did it go today?”

  “Good. Everything’s coming tomorrow morning, apart from the skates, which I’ve gotta go pick up.”

  “Nice. Goodnight, Nash.�
�

  “Night, Kenzie.”

  He stood and watched her leave, that hot ass of hers swaying so seductively in her khaki work pants. There weren’t many girls who could look sexy in those pants. But somehow she pulled it off. He was glad he’d offered to pay for the advertising. It felt good doing something nice for someone else, he thought as he drove home. He didn’t know how much Kenzie needed the job. He knew nothing about her at all, actually. She’d popped up from nowhere one day, saying she’d just moved from out of town, and she seemed real happy when Jackson gave her the position. The first woman, and first human he’d ever employed.

  As he pulled up in front of his cabin, and went inside, his thoughts were still on Kenzie. But when he closed his front door, the walls seemed to close in on him. He had no family, his co-worker thought he was a dick, and none of the women on the Shiftr dating app were interested in him. He grabbed a beer and slumped onto his couch. He wanted to talk to AdventureGirl; the only one who didn’t give him a hard time. Suddenly, he badly wanted to tell her about his past. To share it with another living being. He looked at his watch. It was the time they usually spoke everyday. But maybe she won’t be around. Maybe she’s gotten sick of talking to my sorry ass night after night, and yesterday was the end of it.

  “What’s wrong with you, Nash Ashton?” he muttered. “Moping around like a loser.” His annoyance welling up, he snatched up his laptop and typed in the name of the website, jabbing viciously at the keys. She wasn’t online.

  “There you go.” He usually stayed logged into the site and did some other stuff until she came online too. But he wasn’t going to be that loser, sitting and waiting for her, when she was probably out, dating some other guy. He logged out, stormed out of his cabin, and barely had time to strip off before his wolf burst out of him. The only thing that would make him feel better now was a fresh kill.