“Fuck this.” The words were barely out of Parker’s mouth when he shifted into his panther.
His clothes and body exploded all at once, and his smooth, muscular form was soon replaced by a sleek and shiny black coat. The panther’s entire body and all of his instincts were screaming at him that something was definitely wrong.
NINETEEN
JADE
Jade was typing away at the computer. The quarterly report she was working on was fairly important, but really, her head was elsewhere.
She kept thinking about Parker.
Her boyfriend.
Her super sexy, super sweet boyfriend. He was a magnificent lover and so attentive that sometimes, Jade thought he could read her thoughts. She sighed happily, making sure to hit the save button.
Working on the computer in Half Moon Key meant that she always had to hit the save button in case the electricity and internet went down … as it so often did.
“You’re sighing again,” Pippa called out from the other side of the small bank. “It’s annoying. I mean, please don’t get me wrong. I am super thrilled that you’re happy and in a committed relationship with a man who treats you well, but if I gotta stare at your smile for one more hour, I am going to lose my mind.”
Jade grinned at her. “Sorry, Pippa. You know I’m not doing it on purpose. I can’t help myself.”
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever. You just keep your happy vibes on that side of the bank. I don’t want to get your positive vibes all over me. Who knows what I’ll catch.”
Jade giggled. “You’re fine, Pippa. And you are going to be fine too. I’m sure that there are good things up ahead for you.”
The other woman pursed her lips. “If you say so, but let the record show that I don’t believe that for five fucking seconds.”
“Noted,” Jade called out, hitting the save button again.
She continued to type away with such fervor and focus … at least, she was pretending to be engrossed in her work to benefit Pippa. A little while later, when the door to the bank swung open, Mrs. Francis walked in.
Jade was always very surprised by how healthy and spry Mrs. Francis was for a woman over a hundred years old. No one in town really knew how old she was, and no one was stupid enough to ask the single most important elder such an impertinent question.
“Hey, Mrs. Francis,” Jade called out. “What can I help you with today?”
“Just need my usual. Checkbook balanced, and of course, I need some cash to pay for those shredded carrots I love so much.”
“You got it,” Jade smiled warmly at her and began the process of logging into Mrs. Francis’s account. The old woman was just settling in the chair in front of Jade when it happened.
Her computer screen went dark just as the lights up above her shut off. “Oh, Mrs. Francis, you have the worst luck! Why does it feel like the power goes out every time you’re here?”
Mrs. Francis chuckled. “It’s not bad luck, dear. It’s just the way of Half Moon Key.”
“One day, you and I are gonna sit over a cup of tea, and you’re gonna tell me when this whole glitch started.”
Mrs. Francis gave a coy smile. “Maybe I will. One day …”
“Well, you hang tight,” Jade said. “I’m not sure how long this one will last.”
“We never do know, do we?” Pippa mumbled. “I just hope the kids are behaving.”
“They’re gonna be fine,” Mrs. Francis assured her. “You’ve got wonderful children, and you know the town will look out for them if needed.”
Pippa gave her a grateful smirk that didn’t quite reach her eyes. There was always tension when Pippa talked about her kids because it reminded her of the man who had left them all behind.
The three women chatted away for a few minutes, each hoping the power would return, but Jade knew that all of them had different reasons. For her, it was Parker that she thought of. She wanted to call him and comfort him about her work. The bank was still safe, but one thing was for sure, the second she had a free day, he would drive them into town again, and this time, he would actually get what he needed to secure the bank from these power surges.
If she knew him at all … and she was starting to know him pretty well … he would be going out of his mind with worry until the power came back on. Actually, if he turned up here to ask her if she was okay and check on her, she wouldn’t even be surprised. He was just that conscientious.