CHAPTER ONE
“Ugh,” I grunted as I passed by a park bench, watching yet another couple smooching. It was a chilly December day but the pair seemed oblivious to the cold as they huddled close together. That was now four different couples I’d seen kissing during my short walk to and back from the bank to make a deposit for Courtland’s Gems, the jewelry store I worked at. Today, as on most days around the holidays, there had been several happy lovebirds that had come into the jewelry store to pick out that ‘special ring’. It seemed that everyone was in love—everyone except me, of course. And I had to admit, I was a little jealous.
Normally I tried not to let it bug me, but at this time of the year with Christmas around the corner, it bothered me a lot. It meant another year of trimming the tree alone, making eggnog for one, and driving along the streets to ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ at the Christmas lights by myself.
I knew I had to shake it off. I was finished with men. My past relationships had ended badly. When I’d caught Byron, the man I had thought of as the love of my life, cheating with Vanessa, the woman he rented an apartment from, it was the final straw. I found out later he’d been seeing Vanessa almost the entire time we had dated. It hurt so much. No way could I go through that again.
So, I’d decided on life without a partner. I wouldn’t have to wait on a man, put up with his bullshit, or worry about getting cheated on.
As I rounded the corner to get back to the store, a woman was passing by me, pushing a stroller. I couldn’t resist glancing in the carriage. A little baby wearing a small pink knitted hat was snuggled in a fluffy yellow bunny print blanket and blissfully sleeping inside.
“How old is your little one?”
The woman stopped walking and beamed at me. “She just turned eleven months.”
“She’s beautiful,” I let out a sigh. I wanted to pick that sweet child up and hold her so badly. I looked at the woman’s tummy. She had a skinny frame with a big stomach. It looked like…
“Her baby brother is coming soon,” the woman said, patting her belly.
“Congrats!” I exclaimed, trying to sound excited. It was hard. I had to admit I was envious.
“Do you have kids?” she asked, smiling.
“I wish I did. But no, I don’t…maybe one day.”
“Well, good luck to you.” She fussed with the baby’s blanket for a moment, making sure the child was tucked in just right. Then she waved a hand at me. “Take care.”
“Thanks,” I said, grimacing. I turned and continued my walk back to the jewelry store. Luck—I was going to need a lot of luck if I wanted a baby. That was my one big problem with giving up men. I dreamed of a precious, tiny little one to love and hold. But without a partner, there was little chance of that happening. I’d tried adopting but I hadn’t found an agency willing to work with a single person, and in-vitro fertilization was just too expensive.
Absorbed in my thoughts, I was startled by a manly voice as I reached for the door to the jewelry shop.
“Can I get that for you?”
I looked up to see a hulk of a man pushing open the door to the jewelry shop for me. As we stepped inside, I couldn’t help but admire him. Damn, he was hot in that bad boy, rough, sexy way. He sported a scruffy beard, thatch of chocolate brown hair, bedroom eyes that were so dark they were almost black, and his body—his build took my breath away. He was large, at least 6’5”, with a thick neck and rippling muscles. I’m a big woman, fairly tall at 5’8”with a lot of curves, but I was petite compared to him. With his size, I knew he had to be a shifter.
“I should have gotten the door for you,” I said, smiling at him. “I’m Anne Williamson.” I reached out my hand and shook his. “I work here. Can I help you with anything?”
He held my hand just a little too long before he let it go.
“Zane Harlan’s the name. Yeah, you can help me. I’m
“Ugh,” I grunted as I passed by a park bench, watching yet another couple smooching. It was a chilly December day but the pair seemed oblivious to the cold as they huddled close together. That was now four different couples I’d seen kissing during my short walk to and back from the bank to make a deposit for Courtland’s Gems, the jewelry store I worked at. Today, as on most days around the holidays, there had been several happy lovebirds that had come into the jewelry store to pick out that ‘special ring’. It seemed that everyone was in love—everyone except me, of course. And I had to admit, I was a little jealous.
Normally I tried not to let it bug me, but at this time of the year with Christmas around the corner, it bothered me a lot. It meant another year of trimming the tree alone, making eggnog for one, and driving along the streets to ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ at the Christmas lights by myself.
I knew I had to shake it off. I was finished with men. My past relationships had ended badly. When I’d caught Byron, the man I had thought of as the love of my life, cheating with Vanessa, the woman he rented an apartment from, it was the final straw. I found out later he’d been seeing Vanessa almost the entire time we had dated. It hurt so much. No way could I go through that again.
So, I’d decided on life without a partner. I wouldn’t have to wait on a man, put up with his bullshit, or worry about getting cheated on.
As I rounded the corner to get back to the store, a woman was passing by me, pushing a stroller. I couldn’t resist glancing in the carriage. A little baby wearing a small pink knitted hat was snuggled in a fluffy yellow bunny print blanket and blissfully sleeping inside.
“How old is your little one?”
The woman stopped walking and beamed at me. “She just turned eleven months.”
“She’s beautiful,” I let out a sigh. I wanted to pick that sweet child up and hold her so badly. I looked at the woman’s tummy. She had a skinny frame with a big stomach. It looked like…
“Her baby brother is coming soon,” the woman said, patting her belly.
“Congrats!” I exclaimed, trying to sound excited. It was hard. I had to admit I was envious.
“Do you have kids?” she asked, smiling.
“I wish I did. But no, I don’t…maybe one day.”
“Well, good luck to you.” She fussed with the baby’s blanket for a moment, making sure the child was tucked in just right. Then she waved a hand at me. “Take care.”
“Thanks,” I said, grimacing. I turned and continued my walk back to the jewelry store. Luck—I was going to need a lot of luck if I wanted a baby. That was my one big problem with giving up men. I dreamed of a precious, tiny little one to love and hold. But without a partner, there was little chance of that happening. I’d tried adopting but I hadn’t found an agency willing to work with a single person, and in-vitro fertilization was just too expensive.
Absorbed in my thoughts, I was startled by a manly voice as I reached for the door to the jewelry shop.
“Can I get that for you?”
I looked up to see a hulk of a man pushing open the door to the jewelry shop for me. As we stepped inside, I couldn’t help but admire him. Damn, he was hot in that bad boy, rough, sexy way. He sported a scruffy beard, thatch of chocolate brown hair, bedroom eyes that were so dark they were almost black, and his body—his build took my breath away. He was large, at least 6’5”, with a thick neck and rippling muscles. I’m a big woman, fairly tall at 5’8”with a lot of curves, but I was petite compared to him. With his size, I knew he had to be a shifter.
“I should have gotten the door for you,” I said, smiling at him. “I’m Anne Williamson.” I reached out my hand and shook his. “I work here. Can I help you with anything?”
He held my hand just a little too long before he let it go.
“Zane Harlan’s the name. Yeah, you can help me. I’m
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