Axel: Single Daddy Shifters #1

by Black, Tasha

  And it made a certain kind of sense.

  The gigantic windows of the yoga studio had a direct view into the café. Kelly figured her customers must feel guilty for luxuriating in good old-fashioned carbs and literature in front of their fitness-minded friends.

  Kelly had nothing against good exercise, she enjoyed a nice long walk every evening herself. But she couldn’t deny that this particular studio in this particular location was making things harder for her.

  Fall was typically Kelly’s busy season. Off-routine moms getting their kids off to school would stop in for a store-bought pick-me-up, and if they enjoyed the experience, pick up a new habit that involved books and baked goods. Deeper into the season, shoppers would stop in for a quick bite and a gift card.

  Her slowest time was normally January when so many people were still trying to stick to their New Year’s resolutions.

  But if things kept up like this, she might not make it until January.

  At least she still had one regular customer she could count on. Well, two…

  She smiled to herself as she headed back to the kitchen, thinking of Bane Wilson and his son Ollie.

  When Kelly bought the building, she’d been excited about the two apartments above the shop. She would have one for herself and the other would make an amazing guest suite for visiting authors one day.

  But the last six months after the yoga studio opened had been lean, and she’d decided to rent out the other apartment to help her business stay afloat.

  Dulcie Blanco of Tarker’s Hollow Realty Group found her a perfect tenant at a rent so high Kelly worried it might be unethical.

  “There aren’t too many rentals in Tarker’s Hollow, so it’s simple supply and demand,” Dulcie explained. “And Bane has plenty of money. He just needs a place for himself and Oliver while they wait for the big house to sell.”

  Bane Wilson was kind of a legend in Tarker’s Hollow - at least among book nerds like Kelly and her friends. Popular and athletic in high school, but always polite and friendly, Bane had gone on to a high-profile career as a literary agent out in Glacier City.

  But when his sister and her husband died in a car accident, Bane gave it all up to move back to Tarker’s Hollow and raise his nephew, Oliver, in his home community.

  Bane wasn’t even keeping the house - an exquisitely renovated and gargantuan stone center hall colonial up on Elm Avenue. Rumor had it that his plan was to find a nice little cottage in the center of town and put the proceeds from the sale of the big old house into a college account for Ollie.

  Kelly McDermott had been anything but popular in high school. The curves she had grudgingly learned to love in adulthood had just cropped up back then. Her petite height made her seem even rounder. And the flashy grill of metal braces made her hide her shy smile.

  She knew Bane Wilson was supposed to be a nice guy, but she hadn’t exactly run in his circles.

  Now that she saw him every day though she had to admit that everyone was right about him - he really was perfect.

  But not as perfect as Ollie.

  Three years old and full of wonder, Oliver Wilson was the embodiment of Kelly’s own spirit. He loved baking, he loved books, and he wore his big heart on his little sleeve.

  She adored him and dreaded the day when the two of them would inevitably move on to slightly bigger and much better things.

  But until then, she was determined to make life as cheerful for Ollie as possible.

  She grabbed the box that had arrived yesterday afternoon out of her little office and headed back into the café to set up. If she was quick, she could get it all done before Ollie got downstairs.

  2

  Bane

  Bane Wilson tried not to smile as he faced off with his adversary.

  “No,” Ollie said, the word somewhat muffled by his favorite dinosaur mask.

  “Now, Ollie,” Bane said reasonably. “We’ve talked about this before. You can’t wear a costume to pre-school.”

  “Why not?” the small dinosaur demanded, stomping its mighty foot.

  “Well, for one thing your teacher might get confused,” Bane said. “Where is Ollie? Is he lost?” His imitation of Teacher Helen was pretty good - he’d had plenty of practice. He pretended to look all over the room. “Oh dear, oh dear, dear, dear…” He sniffed a little for effect. Ollie loved Teacher Helen.

  “I’m here!” Ollie cried, ripping off the mask.

  “Oh, thank heavens,” Bane said in Teacher Helen’s voice.

  Ollie wrapped his arms around Bane’s waist.

  Bane felt the familiar pang of pride and loss.

  Ollie was the spitting image of his mother, and Bane’s sister, Risa, in moments like this. He missed her exuberance so much, and was very grateful he had this small person to remind him of her.

  “That won’t really happen,” Ollie said, sounding a little uncertain. “I can still wear my costume.”

  “How about a compromise?” Bane suggested.

  “Okay,” Ollie agreed, amazing Bane.

  “Do you remember what a compromise is?” Bane asked.

  “Yes,” Ollie said seriously. “I get what I want - but only kind of.”

  “Wow, bud, very good,” Bane said, nodding. “How about this compromise? What if you don’t wear your dinosaur costume, but you do wear your light-up dinosaur sneakers and your dinosaur backpack?”

  Ollie considered for a moment.

  “Yeah, okay,” he said at last, peeling his costume off and leaving it on the floor in a pile.

  Bane figured they could focus on cleaning up later. For now the calm negotiation was a victory.

  “Great,” Bane said. “And look, I even packed you this dinosaur cheese stick for your snack.”

  He showed Ollie the cheese stick.

  “That’s not a dinosaur cheese stick,” Ollie said. “That’s just a regular cheese stick.”

  “Not if you eat it like this,” Bane said. “Rawwwrrrrrr.”

  He pretended to gobble up the cheese stick while holding it with tiny T-Rex hands.

  Ollie’s laughter was like a waterfall.

  “Are you ready to walk to pre-school?” Bane asked.

  “Yes,” Ollie said.

  “Are your shoes on?”

  “Yes.”

  “Backpack on?”

  “Yes.”

  “Yes,” Bane said. “Let’s do it.”

  They headed out of the apartment together and down the narrow staircase.

  Ollie walked ahead, obligingly holding the handrail even though it was high for him. Another compromise, because he didn’t want to have to hold Bane’s hand every time.

  “Good morning, Ollie,” Kelly’s voice sang out when they reached the café below.

  She was bent over something in the corner near the glass case, but she stood and waved to Ollie.

  “Hi, Kelly, I’m hungry,” Ollie said, unsubtly angling for a treat from their friendly landlady.

  “I was hoping you might say that,” Kelly said. “I made something new this morning and I need someone to try it out.”

  “Me,” Ollie cried, delighted. “I will try it!”

  “Thank you, Ollie,” Kelly said.

  Bane watched as she scurried off behind the counter.

  Kelly McDermott had been the quiet type in high school. Bane remembered her as forever awkward, hiding behind that silky cascade of hair.

  The soft hair was back in a ponytail today, so he could see her heart-shaped face. She had blossomed into a beautiful woman who was right at home in her own skin.

  And she was especially beautiful when she was talking with Ollie.

  “Okay,” she said, carrying a small bag. “You know how sometimes you want to try a muffin, but it’s too big?”

  Ollie knew about that. He nodded enthusiastically.

  “These are mini-muffins,” Kelly said. “This way you can try three different muffins and they are the right size.”

  “Oh,” Ollie said, his eyes sparkl
ing as he examined the bag of small muffins.

  “Give them a try, and tell me if you like them when you get home from school okay?” Kelly asked. “I put them in a bag in case you wanted to have some for your snack.”

  “I swear I feed him,” Bane told her quietly.

  She smiled up at him, eyes sparkling, and he felt something shift in his chest, a whisper of excitement.

  The wolf inside him pricked up his ears and tasted her scent. She was exquisite.

  Mine.

  “You’re a great dad,” she told him, blissfully unaware of the effect she was having on his wolf. “I just like giving him a little treat. I hope it’s okay.”

  “It’s more than okay,” Bane said, forcing himself to look away from her.

  He glanced down at Ollie, who was already sampling a mini muffin and making happy humming sounds as he chewed, cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk.

  “You’d better go,” Kelly said. “I don’t want to make you guys late.”

  “Sure,” he said reluctantly. “See you later.”

  They waved good-bye to her and then headed out.

  Bane took a deep breath of the cool fall air to center himself.

  It was overcast, the damp air saturating the colors of the small town: slate gray sidewalk festooned with fiery fallen leaves, bright shop signs, and the glistening yellows and scarlet leaves still whispers on the tree branches in the wind.

  The scent of rain was on the air and Bane could practically feel the sizzle of lightning.

  Or maybe it was just the aftereffects of his interaction with Kelly.

  “I think it’s going to rain today, bud,” Bane told Ollie, putting himself back into dad-mode. “You still have your jacket in your backpack, right?”

  “Right,” Ollie said through a mouthful of muffin.

  “Good work,” Bane told him. “How’s the muffin.”

  “Great,” Ollie squeaked.

  “Kelly’s a good baker,” Bane said.

  “Mm,” Ollie agreed around his next bite.

  They walked on, crossing Yale and passing the community center.

  “Playgroup,” Ollie said, casually pointing at the building on his way past.

  “Yup,” Bane agreed.

  The pre-school was just on the other side of the parking lot.

  Normally there was a tangle of cars at the drop-off and the shouts of children on tricycles and playing in the sandbox.

  But the place was empty - no cars, no kids, no barricades out.

  “Not again,” Bane groaned, pulling out his phone.

  The pre-school was the best in the area, but they were closed for every conceivable holiday known to man.

  “Nobody’s here,” Ollie said sadly.

  “It must be Talk-Like-a-Pirate Day or something,” Bane said, scrolling through his phone to see if he had an email about it.

  “It is?” Ollie asked excitedly.

  “Oh, I was only kidding, bud,” Bane said. “But you can talk like a pirate if you want.”

  “I’ll talk like a dinosaur,” Ollie decided. “Rawrrrr!”

  Bane smiled and roared back.

  Yup, there was the email. The pre-school was closed today for staff reinvigoration - whatever that was. It was even in his calendar.

  Bane sighed.

  Though he knew he was doing his best in his new role as a dad, and trying to accustom himself to his new lifestyle, this was a proof positive that he was still overwhelmed and having a hard time staying organized.

  “Let’s go home,” he told Ollie. “I think it’s going to start raining soon.”

  “Can we go to the library?” Ollie asked.

  “Sure,” Bane told him. “But let’s do that after I have my coffee.”

  “That’s a good compromise,” Ollie announced and stomped off toward the shop, looking down at his little feet every few steps to admire the lights on his sneakers.

  Bane thought about his plan for the day. BuzzLine was looking for top ten lists and he’d had one in mind to throw together today while Ollie was at school. He wondered if he could get it done during the nap.

  Freelance writing had been his first gig out of college - it put food on his table while he did an unpaid internship at Glacier City Press that led to getting on the acquisitions team. From there he’d made the connections that lead to him acting as a literary agent to one rising star and then another.

  It was a little odd to be back to writing blog posts. But the beauty of it was that anyone could do it for quick money.

  He wrote them under a pen name so no one had to know that Bane Wilson was completely out of the publishing game.

  Though he knew that as long as he was living in Tarker’s Hollow, it was unlikely he’d be working in publishing again.

  He had plenty of savings - his own, and Risa’s, which she had left to him.

  But it didn’t feel right to spend it. As far as he was concerned, that money really belonged to Ollie.

  Spending money on the apartment rental while they waited for the house to sell was one thing. The child psychologist had told him it would be ideal if Ollie could have a fresh start and didn’t have to think about new people coming into his house. The apartment would be a great place for them to transition into their new lives together.

  But beyond that, Bane liked working and wanted to add to their fortunes, not subtract from them.

  “You’re back,” Kelly exclaimed as Ollie threw open the door to the café, sending the bells above jangling.

  “Pre-school is closed,” Ollie said. “It’s Talk-Like-a-Dinosaur Day! Rawwrrr!”

  “That’s really awesome,” Kelly said. “Because I have a surprise for you.”

  “You do?” Ollie looked like he had won the lottery.

  “Well, it’s not just for you, it’s for any kids who come into the café with their grown-ups,” Kelly amended.

  Bane was grateful for the easy way she had said “with their grown-ups” not “with their parents.” Ollie was Bane’s son now by adoption, but he still remembered his daddy, and Bane never wanted that to change.

  Ollie followed Kelly over to the corner where a small wooden table with three chairs was set up.

  On the table was a deluxe set of crayons in a massive box, and beside it, a stack of coloring and activity books.

  The one on top had a picture of a roaring T-rex.

  “Wow,” Ollie cried, pulling out a chair and getting right down to business.

  Kelly smiled down at him fondly and Bane felt the flames licking at his heart.

  Mine, the wolf growled.

  “Thank you,” Bane said, ignoring the wolf. “That’s really nice of you.”

  “I figure this way maybe you can get a cup of coffee and relax for a minute,” Kelly said.

  “Coffee sounds great,” he said. “And maybe I can get a few minutes of work done.”

  “Go grab your laptop,” Kelly told him. “I’ll keep an eye on Ollie.”

  “Thank you,” he told her, heading for the stairs before they could make eye contact and send the wolf into a frenzy again.

  He didn’t know why his inner wolf had been so crazy around her lately, but if the beast had to lose its marbles, at least it was for someone nice like Kelly McDermott.

  ***

  Want to find out what happens when Bane and Kelly suddenly become a whole lot closer? Are you ready for some steamy connections, a heated rivalry, a late night mystery, and more adorable Ollie?

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  Bane: Single Daddy Shifters #2.

  https://www.tashablack.com/singledaddyshifters.html

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  Tasha Black lives in a big old Victorian in a tiny college
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