Filed To Story: Secret Shifters Next Door Series PDF Free
Mariah came down the stairs and called out, “He just texted me. He’ll be here in a minute or two.”
Harley grinned at her. “Okay, sweetie. He does like steak and potatoes, right? Potatoes are already in the oven, so I can’t really turn back now.”
“Oh yeah. Who doesn’t like grilled meat?” Mariah said, shrugging off the question.
“Vegans don’t,” Jordyn said.
I raised an eyebrow. “No offense, Mariah, but I don’t think I could stomach it if you brought home a vegan.”
Mariah rolled her eyes. “He’s not, trust me. He eats the school hamburgers and pepperoni pizza. We’re good.”
Jordyn leaned against the counter, her eyes bright with mischief, and said, “Kayden’s so pretty. I can’t wait for you to see him, Mom.”
“Just a hint,” I grumbled. “Boys prefer the words handsome or sexy over pretty.”
Jordyn tilted her head. “Pretty is pretty. Doesn’t matter what he prefers.”
I rolled my eyes right as the doorbell rang. I was the closest, so I stepped to the door, put my shoulders back, and placed a serious and intimidating look on my face before turning the knob. As I swept the door open, the young man with perfectly tousled hair grinned, then caught sight of me. I’d been going for an intimidating and overbearing
dad
vibe. This kid wasn’t falling for it. His grin widened and he put his hand out to shake. He was a good-looking kid, healthy and strong for his age, but I could have picked him up and broken him over my knee. It was
also a very small town, so the kid probably knew who I was and what I did for a living. Even with all that, he looked at ease and confident. I raised an eyebrow and shook his extended hand.
I stepped back and smiled, waving a hand inside. “Come on in, Kayden. Nice to meet you,” I said, with my best gracious host voice.
“Thanks, uh, Mr. Mills. I didn’t know you and Mariah’s… well, it’s nice to see you,” Kayden said.
I had never seen the kid before in my life, but I nodded. “Good to see you again, too.”
Jordyn chimed in, “I forgot to tell you guys. Everyone at school knows Tate and his three friends. The girls call them The Crew, and everybody thinks they’re super-hot. Hotties with bodies, they say.”
“Jordyn,” Harley hissed in a near-yell. She looked aghast, but I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing.
“What? I didn’t say it. I’m just telling you what everyone else says.”
Kayden cleared his throat. “Well, she’s right. Every kid knows who Mr. Mills is. Most people know what he does for a living and think he’s…” He paused and grinned a little. “…they think he’s a badass. Nothing to be ashamed of,” he said with a shrug.
I would love to say that having a fourteen and seventeen-year-old say all these things about me was silly, and that I didn’t care. But the awkward kid I had been when I was younger, the one who had wanted nothing more than to be cool, did perk up a bit. As silly as it was to say, my ego definitely took a boost.
Mariah looked like she wanted to crawl into a hole and die. She grabbed Kayden’s hand and walked toward the stairs. “We’re gonna go watch a movie until dinner is ready.”
“No funny business,” Harley said.
“Mom!” Mariah gasped, her face turning blood red.
I glanced over Mariah’s shoulder and gave Kayden a look that told him everything I wanted him to know. He saw my expression, and the smile that had been on his face slipped away. He gave me the faintest of nods in acknowledgment. He understood exactly what my look meant. If he even
thought about touching Mariah, he’d find out how much of a badass I really was.
Harley and I went to sit on the back porch with a couple of glasses of lemonade while the potatoes cooked, enjoying the early evening weather. It was warm but comfortable.
“How does Mariah feel about her little boyfriend?” I asked.
Harley rolled her eyes at me. “I don’t know that it’s a full relationship yet. She seems to like him though. I do too.”
I nodded. “Looks like a good kid. He wasn’t intimidated, but he was also respectful. I like him. Do you remember what it was like?”
Harley sipped her lemonade and frowned. “What
what was like?”
“Being that young and having that first real boyfriend or girlfriend. It was exciting and scary all at the same time.”
Harley nodded. “True. It was so long ago I have a hard time remembering all of it though.”
I chuckled. “Well, unfortunately I have a really good memory. I still remember the first time I tried to fumble a girl’s bra off. It was a disaster. I ended up snapping it on her back. Left a massive red welt. I definitely did