Finding Home (Silver Creek Shifters Book 2) Read online

  Finding Home

  Silver Creek

  Shifters

  Book 2

  Jules Tyler

  Copyright © 2018 Jules Tyler

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical review and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  Dedication

  For Elizabeth-

  You’ve been my longest friend

  and cheerleader. May this

  book help you realize

  how strong you truly are.

  Chapter One

  Liz tied her curly brown hair up into a messy bun and plunked down into her computer chair with a steaming cup of coffee. She had finally had enough of her boss Shawn's sexual harassment last night at work and quit. She'd been telling herself for months that she needed to quit that soul sucking job and she'd finally done it! While her heart was celebrating and dancing around like a teenage girl drunk for the first time on Boone's Farm, her head was screaming her impending doom at her. Such was the life of a woman who had dreams and ambitions but also struggled with her anxiety.

  Dammit, Elizabeth, get a grip on yourself. You can't keep using your anxiety as an excuse to not live your life anymore. Where's your sense of adventure? Get your shit together.

  Heaving a sigh, she logged into the online job boards to look for chef jobs. She was hoping maybe she could find someone that needed a private chef to travel with them and she could finally see the world, but who knew if that was even a real thing? If the girl from Young and Hungry could land a boss like Josh, why couldn't she? She had the experience working in several fast paced, high end restaurants and could improvise better than any of the best chefs on Chopped or Iron Chef. There was no reason why she couldn't at least apply for jobs like that.

  Scrolling through job after job flipping burgers somewhere, she finally found something promising. Clicking on the listing that read Woodland Escape Seeks Luxury Chef, Liz read over the requirements with excitement. She met every single one of these and then some. At the bottom of the listing, she found the email where she could forward her resume and several original recipes she had whipped up on a late-night binge of Hell's Kitchen. A few minutes after sending the email, there was an alert on Liz's inbox letting her know someone had responded.

  It was a response from her resume she had just sent out. Wow, that was… Fast. They must be desperate. Opening the email, Liz read over the response once, twice, then a third time for good measure before squealing with glee.

  Hi Elizabeth,

  Thank you for reaching out to Silver Creek Resort and Hot Springs in regard to our recent opening for a Luxury Chef.

  Upon reviewing your resume, we have to say we are quite impressed with your experience. The owner's mother wants you to know that she is very interested in learning how to cook your personal recipes, as well. We would like to invite you up to do a working interview with us next Monday, June 27th, for two weeks. If, at the end of that two weeks, either party decides to go their separate ways, we will still compensate you for your time.

  If you are still interested in the job, please reply to this email with two character references and their details so that we can confirm your experience. Once these are confirmed, we will respond with a recommended packing list for you for your time with us.

  Wishing you well,

  Stella Eastern

  Not wanting to give her anxiety a chance to talk her out of the opportunity, Liz quickly provided her references and clicked send. Everything was going to work out for the best after all.

  Chapter Two

  Jesse paced the length of the cabin he was staying in. He had been struggling to make a decision on whether he should go back to Seattle to start another bar tour or if he should stay to help run Silver Creek with his friend Brady. Ever since Jesse, Tyson, and Landon had helped Brady rescue his mate from that crazy grizzly shifter a few months ago, Brady had been trying to persuade them all into staying to help him. Landon and Tyson were sold. They loved it up here, and so did Jesse, but his bear was a wanderer, a nomad.

  It didn’t help that his bear had gotten more restless since they had come back to Silver Creek. He had to shift almost nightly to maintain control and keep his bear content. Sleep was hard to come by these days, and that wasn’t helping with his need to roam at all. That alone was enough reason for him to want to go back to Seattle for a few weeks. Hell, he’d take just going down to Boise or up to McCall for the week if he thought it would sate the hunger for a while and let him get some sleep. Roam all night, work all day with the guys; these were routines that most would find relaxing, but not Jesse’s bear. No, that would be too easy.

  “Damn it!” Jesse growled, slamming a fist against the wall by the front door as Landon opened the door, a bewildered look plastered on his face.

  “Whatever it is, I didn’t do it this time, I swear,” Tyson said, holding his hands up in surrender as a few strands of black hair fell down in front of his face.

  Jesse could feel his bear pacing beneath the surface as his eyes locked with his friends, “No, it’s not you, T, I swear. It’s my bear. He’s been so damn temperamental lately, and I don’t know what to do to get him under control.”

  “I wondered why you had been shifting so much more lately. I always see you plodding around while I’m out with my wolf for my run every night. I just figured you liked the extra space since you can’t shift as much when we’re in Seattle or on the road,” Tyson shrugged, crossing to the green colored couch in the living room and plopping down onto the cushions.

  Jesse, Tyson, and Landon all made up the members of the band, Blacktop Beasts. They weren’t a real MC, but they rode together, covered for each other, and played shows together. They’d been riding as a group for a little over a decade, all three lost souls meant to wander the earth as a makeshift crew. Together they had kept each other’s secrets, moved from gig to gig across the country and back more times than Jesse could count, and they always had a good time. They were always there for each other, no matter what.

  Shaking his head at Tyson, Jesse frowned and said, “Wish that was it. At least then I’d be getting some sleep.”

  “Shit, man, that’s no good. No wonder your bear is wigging out. You need to catch some shut eye. Take tomorrow off. I’m sure that Brady wouldn’t mind,” Tyson suggested.

  “As great as that sounds, I don’t think that will do me any good. I really need to ride,” Jesse sighed, plunking down in the oversized armchair across from Tyson.

  Tyson sat up and looked at Jesse, frowning to show his disapproval of the idea. “You can’t just ditch us, Jess. We all need you up here, especially with that new chef coming up here that Stella just hired. We’re family, and you don’t skip out on family.”

  “You’re right, but I just don’t know what else to do, T. I need to sate this need before my bear gets worse. He’s searching for something, and I’m just not quite sure what it is,” Jesse grumbled, leaning forward on his elbow to rest his head in his hands.

  “Maybe you need to get laid,” Tyson shrugged, wagging his eyebrows playfully at him.

  “That has bad idea written all over it, and you know it,” Jesse chuckled as he rolled his eyes at his friend.

  “Eh, I’m just saying, it could help relieve some of the stress,” Tyson laughed, pushing himself up off the couch. “Oh, by the way, I was sent out here by Mama Ally. Dinner’s almost ready, and she said you�
�d better be there or she’d hike out here and shove the food down your throat herself.”

  “I don’t doubt that she would,” Jesse said, shoving off of the armchair to follow his friend.

  Maybe getting laid wouldn’t be the worst idea. I’d try anything at this point if it meant I could get my bear back under control. Looks like a trip to Boise might be in order.

  Chapter Three

  Liz bumped along the dirt road in the direction the guide at the ranger station in Garden Valley had pointed on the map he had given her. She had relied on her GPS to get her to where she needed to be, but somehow instead of taking the road through Garden Valley towards Silver Creek, she had ended up taking the road towards Lowman. Normally she wouldn’t mind a little extra scenery, but the GPS had tried to take her up the side of the mountain where there wasn’t a trail to get her to Silver Creek and now she was getting to the resort much later than she had expected to get there.

  “Stupid fucking technology,” Liz muttered under her breath as she glanced at the clock. It was almost three o’clock in the afternoon, and she had wanted to be there almost two hours ago.

  Pulling up in front of an engraved wooden sign that read, Silver Creek Resort and Campground, Liz smiled. She had finally made it. Easing her little Camry forward, she glanced around the grounds, taking in her surroundings. There were ten nicely built log cabins checkering the far side of the grounds by the creek and then the rest of the property was decorated with RV and tent rental lots. In front of her was the beautiful lodge she had seen in pictures when she had searched the location on the internet. It was breathtaking in person for sure.

  Nerves shot through Liz as she put the car into park in front of the lodge. What if they don’t like me? What if they taste my food and change their minds? What if I was catfished and this job was a hoax to get me out in the middle of nowhere to rape me? Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I so did not think this through.

  Right as she was getting ready to back out of her space, a kind looking woman with long silver hair appeared at the doors she was parked in front of. The woman smiled and waved to Liz. Well she seems nice.

  “Are you gonna keep me waiting, darlin’, or are you gonna tell me how I can help you?” the woman called out to Liz.

  Well, there’s no going back now that I’ve been spotted, I guess. Please, please, please let this be okay.

  Getting out of the car, Liz plastered on her best smile and strode towards the woman. Stretching out her hand to her, she said, “Hi, my name is Elizabeth Haskins. Stella Eastern invited me up here to do a working interview for the open chef position?”

  The woman grinned mischievously up at Liz, “Well darn, girl, I don’t shake hands, but my name is Ally Eastern. I’m Stella’s mother-in-law. But to you, and everyone else around here, I’m Mama Ally. Is that understood?”

  “Erm, okay?” Liz hesitated, glancing around for any other sign of life as a man walked around the corner of the lodge as the woman pulled her into a big bear hug.

  The newcomer took pity on Liz and shook his head as he spoke, “Mama, what has Brady told you about forcing your love on people?”

  Mama Ally released Liz as she faced the man, placing her hands on her hips as she looked up at him with every ounce of sass mustered in her voice, “I do what I want. You live on this Earth as long as I have, Jesse Matthews, and you earn the right to do so. Now, why don’t you make friends with our guest and show her to Cabin D while I go find Stella?”

  Liz watched dumbfounded as Mama Ally sauntered away from them. Turning to face the man, Liz gave him a good once over. He was easily six foot five, shoulders and biceps for days, dark brown beard and hair that were both kept short, and the brightest blue eyes Liz had ever seen. Licking her bottom lip, she felt a wave of attraction wash over her as she locked eyes with him.

  “You must be the chef Stella hired. My name’s Jesse,” Jesse said, sticking his hand out politely.

  Taking his outstretched hand, Liz felt a jolt of what felt like electricity rush through her. What the hell was that? Looking up at Jesse to see if he had felt it too, Liz was able to confirm he was just as confused as she was.

  Clearing her throat, she took her hand back and stuffed it in her pocket as she introduced herself, “My name is Elizabeth, but everyone calls me Liz.”

  “That’s a pretty name, Liz. How about I, uh, show you to your cabin? Is it okay if I drive you over there in your car? It’s a bit of a walk to have to haul all of your stuff,” Jesse suggested helpfully, obviously just as distracted by the weird handshake too.

  Why do I feel like shit is about to get weird before it gets good around here? This is the oddest adventure I’ve ever been on.

  Chapter Four

  Jesse sat in the driver’s seat as he guided Liz’s car down the little dirt path towards her cabin. He was struggling to maintain a decent poker face but wasn’t sure how long he would be able to keep the information he had just discovered secret. Casting a sideways glance at Liz in the passenger seat, fidgeting with the hem of her fitted green tank top, he didn’t know whether to feel excited or not. The Fates obviously had a funny sense of humor. This poor woman was his Intended… There was no way she could survive him.

  He had always thought that his mate would end up being another grizzly shifter, someone that could keep up with his needs, physically and mentally. To be honest, he had thought that his mate would never surface and that he was destined to be alone forever. It didn’t happen very often, but sometimes shifters never found their Intended. With how restless his bear had always been, Jesse just assumed he was destined to roam the world alone. The struggle to process all of this in the matter of a two-minute drive to her cabin was gutting him.

  It shouldn’t be this hard. She’s just a woman… A gorgeous, soft, curvy one at that. Just talk to her before she thinks you’re weird or something, Jesse thought to himself as he shifted into park.

  “So, um, thank you for showing me to my cabin. I think I can take care of this from here,” Liz said shyly from the passenger seat.

  It took a minute for Jesse to process what she was saying to him before he responded, “No, that’s okay. I can help you with your bags. I’m here, so there’s no reason to make you do all of the heavy lifting when I’m able-bodied and willing to help.”

  “Really, it’s okay. I’m used to doing these kinds of things on my own.”

  Getting out of the car, Jesse moved to the back door and opened it, pulling out her large purple suitcase. “It’s okay to accept help sometimes. You know that, right?”

  Liz gave a small smile as she opened the rear door on her side to pull out her giant fluffy pillows and quilt. “Alright, I’ll give it a try. Lead the way.”

  Jesse felt himself smiling at the small victory as he nudged the car door closed and crossed to the cabin. “I think I will. Thank you for the suggestion.”

  “Do you work up here then, or are you just friends with the owners?” Liz pried curiously as she followed Jesse into the cabin.

  Jesse set Liz’s suitcase down in the entryway and turned to watch Liz’s reaction to the newly renovated cabin. He and the guys had worked double time with Stella’s and Mama Ally’s supervision to get these cabins ready for guests to stay in them for the busy season. According to Stella, corporate people would come stay in rustic style cabins to escape the city life, but they had to still give the essence of luxury. To Jesse, that was all fine and dandy, and he hoped it helped draw in more business for the resort but he felt like the cabins had had charm before, and if no one wanted to accept them as they were, then they didn’t belong here.

  He watched as Liz spun around in a slow circle, taking in her surroundings. The cabin was decorated with different touches of bear decorations. The living room had handcrafted log furniture that Stella had ordered from a local craftsman in Cascade. Her face lit up and her blue eyes shined, Jesse was certain she had no idea how truly beautiful she was.

  “So what do you think? Is this place good enough to call
home for a city slicker like you?” Jesse teased gently as he leaned back against the newly replaced granite countertop in the kitchen.

  “It’s gorgeous! Way better than anything I could afford to live in back in Boise, that’s for sure,” Liz gushed, walking over to flop down on one of the couches and stretch out.

  “Stella will be glad to hear it. This whole project has been her baby. We just renovated the place after she moved into the lodge with Brady,” Jesse remarked.

  “What is she like, this Stella? Is she nice?” Liz inquired, sitting up to lock eyes with Jesse to see if he would tell her the truth.

  Jesse huffed a laugh, “She’s a spitfire, but I have a feeling you two will get along just fine. Maybe you can convince her that her junk food addiction isn’t healthy and she needs to try eating some real food.”

  “Hey, I might be a chef but I am a firm believer that junk food is a girl’s best friend,” Liz scoffed, feigning offense at his comment.