Heartland Shifters Box Set

by V. Vaughn

  Chapter 7

  MANDY

  Another yawn escapes me as I pile more dirty dishes next to the sink in the diner kitchen. It’s been a long day, and I’m exhausted. For most of my shift I’ve been running around non-stop. The mayor was schmoozing with some business owners, trying to get them to donate to her campaign and support her continued run for office. Hillary and I have been on our feet for the entire eight-hour shift.

  Besides working hard today, I didn’t sleep much last night. I had too many thoughts about Griffin spinning around in my head. I hate that he’s keeping me up at night, again. I thought I had flushed him out of my system, but now that he’s back in town, he’s on my mind along with the truth I need to tell him.

  I can’t wait to finish my shift so I can track him down and talk to him. I need to find out if he’s the jerk I fear he is, or if he’s like the wonderful loving man that I first fell for all those years ago. Honestly, I’m not sure what to hope for. I may find my decision to keep Daniel a secret was a wise one, but then have to deal with the fallout of whatever horrible thing Griffin does. But I could also learn that I’m the bad guy who kept a man from the first five years of his son’s life.

  When I clear the last plates from my tray and deposit them at the dish sink, I finally breathe a sigh of relief. It’s brief, though, because once I clock out, I need to go find Griffin and deal with my fate.

  Hillary comes bouncing into the kitchen, like the bunny shifter she is, to dump dirty dishes off at the sink. I don’t know how she does it. She has two babies at home and is pregnant with her third. But she says her bunny gives her too much energy not to work.

  It must be nice to have the choice. Her husband Alec, a former football star, has plenty of money and wouldn’t mind one bit if she wanted to stay home with the kids.

  She bumps her hip into me. “Heading home?”

  “Yes, thank God. I’m beat.”

  “Give Daniel a kiss for me.”

  “I will.” I smile at her. “When do I get to snuggle those babies of yours again?”

  “Any time you want. They both miss their Aunty Mandy.” She blows a kiss at me before she bounces out the kitchen door back to the dining room.

  And for a moment, her happiness has rubbed off on me. But when I untie my apron, my reality makes the smile on my face disappear. I’m frowning when Rita Mae, the owner of the diner, comes into the kitchen from her back office. “Mandy. Glad I caught you. I need a favor.”

  I sigh. I have a good idea what she’s going to ask me. My feet cry out in protest.

  “Jeanine is sick. I don’t need you to cover the whole shift for her, but could you help us get through the dinner rush?”

  As much as I’d like to say no, I need the money. “Let me call Maria to see if she can keep Daniel longer.”

  Rita Mae nods. “Thanks, I appreciate it,” she says before returning to her office.

  I go to the alley for quiet before I call Maria, who happily agrees to keep Daniel longer. I guess I’ll have to track down Griffin tomorrow.

  I return to work, and after taking the order for a family of four celebrating the daughter’s acceptance to Yale University, I go back into the kitchen to grab the burgers and fries for the table of high school football players. When I return to the dining room to deliver the food, there’s a noticeable difference in the energy. People’s voices are more hushed, as if something happened. When I glance around, I find out why. Griffin is sitting in a booth in the back of my section, and just about everyone in the diner is looking at him. His gaze meets mine. It’s not a playful one. Or a sexy one. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he’s hurt or sad. My heart stops for a brief second when I fear it’s because he knows about Daniel. But he can’t. Nobody in this town knows except for Hillary, whom I just told.

  I gulp as I pull myself together, and I hand out burgers to the high school boys before retreating to the kitchen. My hands are shaking, and I’m not sure why I’m so afraid of talking to Griffin. Maybe it’s because all I can think about is the fact that I need to tell him about Daniel before he sees the truth for himself.

  I consider for a brief moment asking Hillary to swap tables with me, but I decide that waiting on Griffin might be a good way to get to know more about him, to gauge the best approach to telling him he’s a father. Knocking on his door out of the blue probably wouldn’t be the best way to do it.

  I blow out a long breath and paste a smile on my face before walking out of the kitchen and straight toward Griffin’s table. He smiles cordially this time, and my belly flips. It seems even fear can’t squash my physical attraction to the man.

  I return his smile. “What can I get for you?”

  He doesn’t open the menu. He just keeps looking at me, and whatever sadness I saw before seems to be gone. The playful version of Griffin is back. “You know what I’ve been thinking about for months?”

  My insides warm up as a fantasy of his tongue… I clear my throat before I get carried away and say something embarrassing. “What?”

  “Chicken-fried steak and gravy. Does Roberto still make that?”

  “Roberto retired.”

  “Oh, is he still in town? I’d love to see him.”

  I shake my head. “He went down to that shifter town in Florida where everyone from here seems to go when they retire.”

  “I should ask my parents if they’ve seen him.”

  I smile thinking about Griffin’s parents. They’re nice people, and it was hard to avoid them when Daniel was first born out of fear they’d recognize him as their grandson.

  “How are your parents? Do they like Florida?”

  “Love it.” Griffin chuckles. “Dad plays golf every day, and my mother got a part time job staging houses for a realtor.”

  “Sounds like they’re in heaven.” I tap my pen on my order pad. “Roberto’s son Tony cooks here now. I’m sure we can still make that.”

  “I’ll have that with a side of mashed potatoes then and a cup of coffee.”

  “Okay.”

  As I begin to walk away Griffin says, “Mandy?”

  I turn back. “Yes?”

  “Tell Tony thanks for making it for me.”

  “Sure.” I walk away with a big grin on my face. It’s silly, I know. But I saw the kind version of Griffin who I used to know, and it gives me hope he’s still that good guy.

  When his food is ready, I have a few extra moments and decide to see if I can find out more about who Griffin is these days.

  His plate thumps when I set it before him. “How long are you back in town?”

  “Not sure.” He shrugs. “After seven years of non-stop touring, I’m tired. I need a break, so it could be a while.”

  “Is that why you came home? For a break?”

  “Partly.” His eyes twinkle with mischief, but I don’t dare hope that has to do with me. Oh, who am I kidding? I do hope it’s because of me, but I don’t want to set myself up for another harsh rejection. He says, “I’m not scheduled for anything anytime soon. It could be a month. More if I have my way.”

  I try not to sound too eager when I ask, “What are you going to do while you’re here? Heartland’s not exactly a mecca of exciting nightlife and tourist attractions.”

  “I want to work on some new songs. My label is on me about making a new album, but I’ve been totally burnt out and uninspired.” He shakes his head. “I know I need to slow down, or this business will end up killing me.”

  “You need a trip out to the falls,” I say before I can stop myself. “Remember how inspirational they were for you?”

  His smile is quick. And while it’s the crooked one he’s known for, this time it’s completely genuine… and lethal to my heart, because it just stopped beating. He says, “That’s because my muse was with me then.”

  I want to believe he means me. Warmth fills my heart before I manage to think about the fact that he could be talking about how the beauty of the falls sparked his creativity. I nod before I quickly
walk away as if I forgot to do something, afraid I’ll say something stupid and embarrass myself.

  After Griffin finishes his meal, he orders pie and more coffee. He takes his time eating it, and every time I look over at him, I discover he’s watching me. I think he’s waiting for me to finish my shift, and his attention begins to unnerve me. I can’t help the feeling of dread that has settled over me. I’m sure it’s because I know the clock is ticking on telling him about Daniel.

  Hillary sidles up to me at the coffee station. “That man can’t stop staring at you.”

  “I know. It’s freaking me out.”

  “Whatever for? He’s so into you I might need to bring some extra napkins over for the drool.”

  I laugh picturing it. But she wouldn’t think this was so funny if she knew the turmoil I was in. When it’s time for me to leave, I go over to his table to drop the bill. “I’m done for the night, but I can hand you off to Hillary if you’d like to stay.”

  He shakes his head as he pulls out his wallet. “I’m waiting for you. Can I drive you home? We could catch up some more.”

  “Thanks, but I’ve got a ride home.”

  I take his credit card, and when I return, he says, “At least let me walk you out. Or…”

  When he doesn’t say more, I ask, “Or what?”

  “Is someone picking you up?”

  “No. Let me get my things. I’ll be right back.” When we walk outside, I point to my junker of a car. “My chariot awaits.” I say it with pride, because while I could be embarrassed about not being able to afford anything better, there’s no point in hiding my situation. It gets the job done, which is all I need. Oh, and a battery, too, so that my vehicle will keep on doing that job.

  Looking at my car makes me realize how different Griffin and I are now. I’m a small-town waitress barely making ends meet and he’s a millionaire rock star.

  “Can I buy you a drink then?” He asks. “The night is young.”

  Something about his tone is a little cold. I say, “I can’t. I need to get home.”

  “To your kid?”

  I inhale sharply, and the blood rushes out of my head and down to my feet. It doesn’t stop my wolf hackles from raising up with protective instincts. I cross my arms and glare at him. “Yes. My son is waiting for me at home.”

  “Dad’s not around?”

  I let out an audible gasp.

  Griffin holds up a hand and lets out a small sigh. “I’m sorry. I’m not judging you. I swear. I came by your place and saw him in the window, and…”

  I raise my eyebrows at him.

  “I know. Kind of creepy of me. I wanted to see you. I—” He shakes his head. “Seeing you have a son took me by surprise.”

  He’s totally judging me. And he doesn’t even know the half of it. Or does he? “I need to go.”

  I don’t wait for his response, and when I turn my car on, I’m grateful it starts. I glance in the rearview mirror as I drive down the street, and I see Griffin still standing on the sidewalk in front of the diner watching me drive away. He saw Daniel. The urge to vomit is so strong I’m afraid I’ll have to pull over, because what Griffin didn’t tell me is if he knows Daniel is his son.

  Chapter 8

  GRIFFIN

  The aroma of garlic fills my nose as I turn the steaks I’m marinating. I’ve got two rib eyes over a pound a piece for the grill and a twelve pack of IPA beer chilling in the fridge. I invited Alec Thompson over for dinner. While we were not in high school at the same time since I’m older, we connected at a fundraiser in Los Angeles for a children’s charity. He introduced himself to me, and that’s when I discovered he’d grown up in Heartland too.

  I’d heard when he retired that he’d returned to Heartland, got married, and had kids. When I knew I was coming home too, I decided to reach out.

  I’ve just put the steaks back in the fridge when there’s a knock at the front door. I let Alec in. He looks good, relaxed, trim and healthy. Happy.

  “Hey brother.” We give each other a one-armed hug.

  “It’s good to see you, man.”

  “You too.” I lead him into the kitchen. “Want a beer?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Two metal caps pop when I remove them, and I take him out to the back deck. Alec glances around before he sits in a fold-up camp chair that has seen better days. He takes a sip of beer before he asks, “Is this where you grew up?”

  “It is.”

  “I would’ve thought you’d buy a huge place when you moved back. This is a bit small for you, isn’t it?” He chuckles. “I remember your place in LA.”

  My home in California was so big I think there were rooms I never entered. “Nah, I like this house. It’s my home. Anything bigger and I’d have to furnish it and clean it.” I don’t tell him a bigger place would make me feel too lonely.

  “Hillary and I just moved into a bigger place. Four thousand square feet, six bedrooms.” He laughs and shakes his head. “Probably going to need to expand that though, after we have the twelve or so kids we want.”

  “Thirteen and you’ll have a baker’s dozen,” I joke. “You’re nuts, man.”

  “Yeah, we both are. I’ve always wanted a huge family. We’ve got two now and one on the way. Hillary’s never been happier.”

  I tap his beer bottle with mine. “Cheers, Alec. I’m happy for you.”

  “Thanks,” he says before we both take a drink. “Maybe you should start dating, and then you could fill this house with some kids.”

  I laugh. “How did you go from me dating to having kids? Aren’t there some steps you’ve skipped over?” I drink more of my beer as I try to figure out how to get onto the topic of Mandy. Since Alec’s wife Hillary works with her at the diner, I figure he’ll know what’s going on in her life.

  “I ate at the diner the other day.”

  “Yeah, Hillary told me you were there. She said you caused quite a stir. Everyone was trying to take your picture and get your autograph.”

  “It wasn’t that bad.” I scoff. “I bet you dealt with the same when you came home.”

  He nods as he swallows a mouthful of beer, and I get up to start the grill. Mostly so he can’t see my face when I ask, “You must know Mandy then.”

  “Of course. She and Hillary are pretty close.”

  The propane whooshes when it catches fire, and I turn to look at Alec so I can gauge his reaction. “I went to school with her. We dated seriously back then.”

  Alec’s eyebrows go up. “Really? Thinking about starting things up again?”

  I shrug. “I don’t know. Everyone seems to think it’s easy to get into a relationship when you’re a rock star, but the truth is it’s hard to know when someone wants you for who you are and not your money.”

  “Don’t I know it,” Alec says. “When I was at the top of my game, I was everyone’s best friend.” He studies me for a moment. “Mandy’s not like that. You should ask her out.”

  “I tried that. She said no. Is she divorced? I know she’s got a kid.”

  “No, man, she’s never been married.”

  “What about the father?”

  “Not in the picture. In fact, I don’t even know who he is. Course, I never asked. Huh.” He finishes off his beer.

  That should be easy enough for me to find out if I really want to in this town. But knowing the guy isn’t in the picture makes me think I don’t want to. I’d only get pissed off that he left Mandy high and dry to take care of their son on her own.

  I head into the kitchen to grab the steaks and two more beers, and when I return to the deck, Alec says, “Hillary wouldn’t go out with me when I came back and first asked either. If Mandy still means something to you and you want her to fall for you again, you’re going to have to go after her with the intensity you used to become a rock star.”

  The camp chair creaks under him as he leans back. “That’s how I won Hillary back. She put me through my paces, but it was worth it.”

  I believ
e it. Alec is happy, and the stress I saw on his face when we first met is gone. Family life definitely agrees with him. He went from being a star quarterback of an NFL team to a high school football coach and father, and I can tell that he wouldn’t trade it for the world. I want that kind of happiness.

  Meat sizzles on the grill when I slap the steaks on it. We drink another beer and talk about life in the public eye. He asks about my last tour I was on in Europe, our shared love of Morocco, and then he moves on to his life as a dad.

  “So, Lucas just turned two, and he can already throw a ball.” Alec’s eyes light up. “I mean it’s not a football, but I can’t believe how far he can throw it. It’s amazing.”

  I smile when I hear the pride in his voice. “Have you already picked out the NFL team he’s going to play for?”

  Alec gives me a sheepish look, but it’s fleeting. “No, not yet. Got to see how fast he can run first.”

  “And your littlest one, Mia is it? What’s she like?”

  “She’s so quiet compared to Lucas. Hardly cries. Hillary says she’s an old soul. The kid stares at you as if she knows what you’re thinking and what you need to do to make things right.” He grins. “If she weren’t mine it would be a little creepy.”

  “And baby three is due…?”

  “In four more months. You’ll have to come by the house and meet them all. I know Hillary would love to have you over.”

  Hillary is a rabbit shifter, but I still marvel at how close in age their kids are. “I’d like that.”

  When the steaks are done, I take them to the kitchen where I get the two huge baked potatoes from the oven and all the fixings and a salad from the refrigerator. Alec follows me in, and we sit at the kitchen table to eat.

  He lets out a moan of appreciation after his first bite of steak, and the two of us don’t speak as we work on eating our meal. Savory beef flavor fills my mouth as I think about Alec’s advice to win Mandy back. I don’t know his and Hillary’s story, but I figure if he came back and tried to reconnect with his old flame who didn’t seem keen on the idea, then he knows what he’s talking about.