I pulled into the parking lot and switched off the headlamps. “If Austin wants two wolves guarding the house all the time, then there’s no way we’ll be able to keep the bakery open every day. There’s too much work to do and not enough of us to do it. At least you have the girls at the candy store. I can’t hire humans in the bakery; you remember what happened when Britt ran the store a few months back.”
When Maizy first introduced her wolf to the pack, we’d celebrated at the house. I’d foolishly thought it wouldn’t hurt to have one of the part-timers fill in at the bakery for just the day, but later that evening, my employee called me in hysterics after witnessing a customer shift into a hawk. Ned was an elderly Shifter who visited the shop infrequently. Sometimes he got overexcited while waiting in line, and he’d shift. Usually we’d put him outside and he’d eventually fly back to gather his clothes and finish placing his order. We’d had to hire a Vampire to scrub Britt’s memory.
“It’s not easy to find part-timers,” I continued. “Not to mention all the baking we have to do. That’s going to change with Atticus around.”
“You don’t think he’ll drive sales away?”
“He can wear sunglasses if he’s uncomfortable, but I’m considering putting a No Jerk sign on the door. I want him to work alongside Izzy for a few days so he can learn how to run the register in case we ever need him. Otherwise, he’ll be the baker.”
“What if he can’t bake?”
I laughed, unbuckling my seat belt. “I have exact recipes, so it’s not rocket science. Whether he likes to bake or not will be another thing.”
April shivered and stared at the dark building in front of us. “Has Charlie showed up or called?”
“No. Austin spoke to him, but I don’t know what about. He hasn’t brought him up out of respect for your feelings.”
She tugged at a strand of her hair. “If he’d told me back then in my twenties, I probably would have hated him forever. But… accidents happen. I still think what he did to cover it up was deplorable, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to forgive him for that.” She twisted the strap of her purse between two fingers, clearly disenchanted by the truth.
“Did you tell Maddox? Charlie still owes him money.”
“Heck no. Maddox would hunt him down and skin him alive. This whole thing is so screwed up. Maybe I should be furious at Maddox for covering up the accident… I don’t know.”
I had a feeling April was having a change of heart. Once the emotions settled like dust, she recognized how much Charlie had meant to her. She had always looked up to him like a father in a time when she had personal struggles and no parental figure. Personally, I was nonplussed about the whole situation. But given I was a Shifter, pregnant with an alpha’s baby, hiring a Vampire to knead my dough, preparing to go to war while living with a pack of wolves and wildcats… stranger things have happened.
“There he is,” I said.
April focused on a shadowy corner and then clutched her heart. “That could be anyone. That could be a serial killer.”
The man stepped forward in a long trench coat, but I recognized his bright hair when the lamplight hit it. Cold temperatures didn’t faze Vampires, but they dressed appropriately to blend in.
“That’s not a serial killer. That’s my new employee.”
“Might be one and the same,” she murmured with a small laugh.
We hopped out of the car, and I hustled up to the door. “Hi, Mr. Rain.”
“Atticus,” he said, still keeping his distance. “Brisk evening.”
My teeth chattered as I fumbled with the keys and opened the door. “What is it with this cold weather? This is supposed to be Texas.”
We moved inside and I turned on the dimmers.
Atticus shut the door behind us. “There’s an old wives’ tale that when we congregate in the same area in large numbers, it makes the temperatures extreme.”
April unwound a white scarf from her neck. “Pfft. If that were the case, then it would be snowing in Austin all the time. It’s like the Shifter capital of Texas.”
Atticus chuckled and approached the counter, watching her take a seat at one of the wooden tables on the right. “True, we have many Breeds here. But it takes a lot to make a difference. So I’ve heard. If you’ve ever been to Cognito in the Northeast, you just might believe it’s true. Sometimes they get a blanket of snow while surrounding cities are drowning in sunshine. It’s as if they’re living in their own snow globe where winters are fierce and summers are blazing.”
“I like snow globes. Maybe I’ll visit there someday. You’re a good storyteller—anyone ever tell you that?” Her purse tumbled to the floor before she could catch it.
Atticus swiftly picked it up and looped the strap over the back of her chair before stepping back and creating distance. He didn’t make direct eye contact with her, a show of submission among Vampires. “Actually, yes. You must be April. I’m Atticus Rain.”
“I run the Sweet Treats candy store,” she said, giving him a little more information.