The Baby Shift: Missouri
Shifter Babies of America 7
Becca Fanning
Copyright © 2019 by Becca Fanning
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Epilogue
Also by Becca Fanning
Chapter 1
She offered her best smile in return and went to check his monitor. “I’ll have food services bring something in for you.”
He grunted and stared intently at her. “You have kids?”
She raised an eyebrow. “I have a son. Jacob.”
The old man muttered something about modern mothers. She hid her eye roll when she turned her back. “Food will be in soon,” she promised in a cheery voice and left the patient.
Everyone in the hospital knew she had a son, the half-Shifter child of her late sister. The adoption process was complicated, but worth it. Her sister, Beth, had a brief affair with a Shifter from a nearby bear Shifter clan. It was all their parents could yell about when Beth decided to keep the pregnancy and move out of their home in the Missouri countryside. Cheryl remembered the loud fighting. That was when Beth decided to move in with their grandmother, Lucy, closer to the Ozark Mountains.
That was all before the accident, before the tragedy. Now, Grandma Lucy and Cheryl were raising baby Jacob together. Her pocket buzzed again and her stomach sunk. It was never a good sign to get a lot of messages at work.
It was Grandma Lucy.
Lucy, 7:30 AM: Hi honey! :) Hope work is going well. Playing with Jacob today! I had a surprise visitor yesterday. Will talk to you about it when I drop off Jacob this afternoon.
Lucy, 7:45 AM: Sure you are working hard. Wanted to say don’t worry. Has to do with Jacob’s father.
Cheryl gripped the metal shelves stocked with bandages. Don’t worry?! Her mind surged forward. A mysterious visitor? Was it Jacob’s father? The Shifter that couldn’t be bothered to try to make it work with his son, even after Beth’s funeral eight months ago? He never showed up after that, never even sent so much as a message.
Her fear turned into white-hot hatred. Was he showing up trying to claim Jacob now? She bit her lip. The hospital was bustling outside the closet door. She didn’t have time to worry about Grandma Lucy’s mysterious messages. An oncoming headache was on the horizon. She rubbed her temples and took a deep breath before emerging back into the hospital.
After an hour, she spotted one of her colleagues, Brenda, fixing a new pot of coffee in the break room.
“Want some?” Brenda offered and Cheryl nodded gratefully. The other woman poured two paper cups full of the fresh brew. The women leaned against the kitchenette countertop, taking a rare reprieve from the chaos.
“I’ve sworn off dating doctors,” Brenda announced with a sigh. She looked out of the window with a longing stare.
“Were you dating someone here?” Cheryl asked. It wasn’t unusual. She, herself, had once tried dating a young doctor here...
“Nope, St. Mary’s across the bridge.” Brenda shrugged. “You know how it is, as soon as a guy figures out you’ve got a kid, they freak.”
Cheryl nodded. “My last relationship went like that. Do you remember Dr. Stark?”
Brenda’s mouth opened in a little “o” as she turned to Cheryl. “You guys dated? He only left a few months ago…”
Cheryl snorted. “Yes, that was my last real date. He was nice, but it wasn’t a match for Jacob.” The baby was always going to come first and none of the suitors in their small city had caught her eye. Brenda sipped her drink and hummed in agreement. Cheryl’s thoughts went back to her grandmother’s messages. She chewed the inside of her cheek, considering the phone in her pocket.
“I’ve got to make a call,” she muttered and excused herself outside. She went to the outside stairs away from most of the work activity. Grandma Lucy picked up on the second ring.
“Hi, darling,” she greeted.
Cheryl couldn’t help herself. “What’s this about a stranger and Jacob?”
She held the phone tightly in her hand. The drone of a million machines could be heard through the crack in the door.
“A friend of Jacob’s father!” Lucy said cheerfully, as if was the most normal thing in the world. “He’s looking for Jacob.”
“He knew about Jacob?” She asked. There was no way anybody knew about him...nobody but her grandmother, parents, and long-departed sister. Her grandmother made a humming sound.
“Not sure, darling. He was a real handsome fella. He came by when the girls and I were playing bridge last night. You know how Susanne gets when a handsome guy walks in. She won’t shut up. Anyways, I told him that he’d have to make a proper visit to your place if he wanted to speak with Jacob since you’re his guardian.”
Cheryl’s mind reeled. “Who is this guy?”
“Like I said, he said he was a friend of Jacob’s father. Apparently, he’s come down with some Shifter disease so this fella wants to talk to Jacob about it.”
“Oh, now they care,” Cheryl muttered with a bitter edge in her voice. Lucy chided her in a motherly tone.
“Now, now, you know Shifters are quite different. It’s not our fault that Beth ran off with one a year ago. We have to do our best. Maybe this will be good for Jacob,” Lucy said. A sour taste entered Cheryl’s mouth. Good for Jacob? As far as she was concerned, all of the bear Shifters in Missouri could stay far away from Jacob and Cheryl would be happy.
“Finish your shift today and rest up. I’ll drop off Jacob today after school.”
“Okay,” Cheryl said. “Thank you. Should I be expecting a visit from this mystery handsome man soon?”
“Who knows? He left me his name and number though. Lance Harrington. Isn’t that such a handsome name?” Lucy asked. Cheryl rolled her eyes and heard a distant page come over the speakers.
“I’ve got to get back to work, Grams. Text me the info, okay?” Cheryl said her goodbyes and tilted her head back to look at the early morning sun. Another night shift almost finished. Lucy would drop Jacob off to school and pick him up so Cheryl had enough time to run by the grocery store and clean the house. She rubbed her head. She’d pour herself a strong cup of coffee, take a nap, and clean along to some Christmas music.
She chanted her plans to herself over in her mind as the cranky patient called her name loudly from down the hall. Lance Harrington slowly slipped from her mind. One more hour to go.
Chapter 2
Lance could smell the rising smoke off the houses in the neighborhood. As the sun began to peak over the horizon, an oncoming swarm of gray clouds promised more snow. Early risers were beginning to start their heating routines. He inhaled the smell of burning wood. It reminded him of the forests, of mountains, of hunting and fighting among his Shifter kin. He cracked a smile, recalling the way that Eddie had been before his sickness came on. Lance and Eddie had always been friends since they were children, running and getting into messes that left their respective mothers tearing hair and fur out in frustration.
Eddie, who had been stupid enough to knock up a human girl, was left to pieces when she passed away in a car accident. Eddie, who couldn’t bear to see the sight of that human girl in his son’s infant face. He let the human folk run off with their own Shifter kind.
&n
bsp; And now, Eddie, with his goofy smile, was reduced to a quiet room in the medicine lodge of their clan’s village. He would heal. It was a Shifter illness, one that left him unable to turn into his bear form at will. He would get worse as the years went on. Lance had watched his own uncle succumb to this strange disease over his life. It wasn’t deadly...but it reduced a powerful Shifter to the weakness below a man and weaker than the average human for a handful of weeks out of the year.
Jacob needed to meet and know his father now. Lance swallowed hard. Before it was too late. Before Eddie had to stay in the hospital for weeks at a time instead of days. How long would it be before that happened? Lance’s stomach clenched. He sighed and rolled his broad shoulders, feeling his muscles tug at the confines of his winter shirt.
It was cold in this town. He was unused to the odd chill that this neighborhood gave off. A woman darted out of her house and scurried into her car, shivering all along the way. He continued down the sidewalk. The mailboxes were all painted a cranberry red and trimmed with green tinsel down the street. Several houses were decked with ornate systems of Christmas lights. He rubbed his chin. Thanksgiving had only just ended.
Of course, Shifters rarely celebrated regular human holidays. There was little point. They celebrated the winter solstice and astronomical phenomenon. Their holidays were planned around magnificent feasts, but there were no presents exchanged or singing. The men often engaged in drinking and shifting contests, the women in concocting delicious meals and giving the men a run for their money with tests of strength.
The house he was looking for was at the end of the block on the corner. It was a cheerful splash of burgundy red and white shutters. The tops of the home were covered in string lights. He shifted the present in his hand. The elders said humans enjoyed gifts when you visited their home. It helped to win their trust. He steeled himself and walked up the steps to the door. He pressed the doorbell and heard it ring out.
He frowned after a few moments went by. He checked the driveway but the garage was closed. There was no way to tell if she was home or not. He sat down on the front steps. He propped the small bouquet of flowers against the basket of treats, filled with a variety of chocolates and a bottle of wine. A foolproof gift for a human, he’d been assured by the ladies of the village.
The minutes ticked by. As a Shifter, he had no need for the fancy cellphones of human. Now, he was regretting it as the seconds trickled by. He debated going back to his truck down the road to grab a worn paperback under the seat, an old mystery novel. But, if she showed up and saw him approaching...he was afraid his sheer size would scare her.
Was it worse that he was waiting on the steps? He clicked his tongue. The grandmother, who hadn’t let him see Jacob yesterday, warned that her granddaughter was skittish. Thirty minutes later, he debated abandoning his plan all together. He’d come too early, but the grandmother had mentioned that she’d be getting off work around this time.
It wasn’t until he saw a small black SUV coming down the block that he finally sighed in relief. There was a faint smell of Eddie, of his boy, on the car. That had to be her returning from work. He saw the woman drive up and he waved from the porch, aware that his hulking figure was nearly brushing the top of her porch overhang. He saw the woman’s eyes go wide, revealing the whites of her eyes. She slammed the brakes halfway into her driveway. He went to rush down the stairs. Was she hurt?
She’d cracked the window. “Listen you, bastard,” she cried from the open window. “If you wanted to rob me, you should’ve hidden yourself better.” He furrowed his brow and opened his mouth to protest, but the pretty brunette was waving around a cellphone wildly in the safety of her car.
“I’m calling the police!”
He shook his head profusely and waved his arms around. “No, no! Please, my name is Lance. Your grandmother-“
The woman stopped in mid-scream as she heard this. Realization dawned on her face and she clapped a hand over her mouth. He heard a small, strangled, “Oh no!”
After a tense minute of silence, she motioned for him to wait and she parked in the garage. He heard footsteps in the house and the woman padding around inside. With a frustrated look, she threw the door open to him.
“You can’t wait on porches like that,” she informed him loudly and then peeked around him at the neighbors. “Come in.”
He obeyed her demand, trotting in with his hands clutching the gift basket. Of all the things that Eddie had mentioned about the Dolan family, he’d failed to mention that Beth’s surviving sister was pretty...and happy enough to start screaming as a first response.
Her eyes and defensive scent softened when she saw the gift in his arms. “Thank you,” she said softly, but he could see that her walls were still up. A pain throbbed dully at the base of his head. This was going to be a battle.
“Lance,” he said, offering his hand. She shook it. Her small warm hand in his felt like heaven. Odd. He’d shaken the hands of many human women, but none had ever felt quite like that.
“Cheryl. My grandmother said you’d be coming,” she said as she placed the gift basket on the kitchen counter. “I didn’t think it would be this morning. I just got done grocery shopping after my shift.” She gestured to the tote bags full of groceries on the counter. “I wasn’t expecting anyone.”
He pressed his lips together and nodded. “Yeah, I’m sorry...I don’t hang around humans often. In my culture, meetings are held at sunrise. Your grandmother mentioned that you got off work early in the morning. I didn’t mean to scare you.” He caught sight of himself in a mirror that she’d hung in the kitchen area. Admittedly, his tanned face and golden eyes seemed tired. His rugged features could certainly seem menacing from afar.
They paused in awkward silence. She glanced at the coffee maker. “Would you like a cup?” He nodded, grateful for a break from their tense conversation. She went about making it and he glanced to the connecting living room, accessible through an open doorway.
There was a portrait photo of Cheryl holding Jacob, both of them dressed in a cozy sweaters in front of an outdoor Christmas tree in a big city. He admired the tiny hook of Jacob’s nose, a tell-tale sign that he was Eddie’s son. As if sensing his thoughts, Cheryl spoke up. Perhaps she’d spied him looking at the photo.
“He has my sister’s eyes,” she said. The coffee machine stirred to life, filling the kitchen with a delicious aroma. “My sister never told me Jacob’s father’s name...” The last part was said with some bitterness.
“Eddie,” he said and cleared his throat. “Eddie Silverleaf. He was a strong Shifter.”
“Was?”
“He’s come down with a disease...something akin to an autoimmune disorder like in humans. He’ll grow weaker with each year.”
He turned to see her face, two warring emotions of concern and anger playing over her gorgeous features. She swallowed hard.
“Is that why you’ve come?” she asked. “To take Jacob back to see his father?” He hovered in the doorway between the living room and the kitchen. If he’d attempted to lie, he could almost see her green eyes cutting through him.
“I would like Jacob to try living with his clan among his own kind.”
Chapter 3
Grandma Lucy sat at the counter with Jacob. She was reading a stack of brightly colored children’s book to Jacob who was sitting in her lap. His bright blue eyes, Beth’s eyes, stared at Cheryl expectantly.
“You want a snack?” she asked. He shook his head.
“So smart!” Lucy said with a clap of her hands. He chirped and then glanced around the kitchen. “So tell me about Mr. Harrington, darling. How was he?” Her tone had something sneaky in it.
Cheryl felt her cheeks burn. “He came over and we discussed things. He said that he wants to take Jacob back to live with his Shifter clan…”
She grabbed two things of string cheese from the fridge drawer and handed one over to Lucy. In the kitchen, they munched on cheese together. The baby babbled happ
ily. At one point, he reached out his hand to grab Lucy’s finger.
“So strong for his age,” she muttered with an impressive whistle. His eyes seemed to grow golder by the day. “Maybe it wouldn’t be better to work out something with Lance. We have no idea how Jacob will grow up.”
“I’ll talk with him some more,” Cheryl replied firmly.
* * *
While Lucy continued reading a book to Jacob, Cheryl moved to her small office and reading room. She hesitated with her cellphone in her hand. Lance’s contact information was programmed into her phone after their discussion.
Once he told her that he wanted Jacob to go back to the Bear Clan, she was...torn. Yes, maybe he had a point. Jacob was going to be stronger than all his classmates. Their neighbors could already tell his eyes had a different shimmer. She bit her lip and pressed call.
“Lance?”
“Hey,” his voice replied. It’d been hours since he left. She wondered what he was doing, where he was.
“I’d like to meet up at a coffee shop if you’re available to talk tomorrow...There’s a place called the Java Spot on Main Street. Could you meet there around nine in the morning? I’m off work tomorrow.”
“Definitely,” his strong voice responded. A shiver ran down her arm.
“Okay, I’ll see you then.” She ended the call and felt a strange thrill throughout her. Jacob was busy playing with Grandma Lucy when she walked back into the living room. They spent an uneventful dinner together. Lucy left before nine o’clock and she laid Jacob down to sleep before retreating back to her own bedroom next door. Yet, as much as she wanted to continue reading the mystery novel she’d picked up...the thrall of thinking about Lance was intoxicating.
The Baby Shift- Missouri Page 1
