The Raconteur And The Waitress (The Wolves 0f Everett Hollow Book 2.5) Read online

  The Raconteur and the Waitress

  The Wolves of Everett Hollow Novella

  Book 2.5

  Amelia Parker

  For those who have found their soul mates later in life;

  For my mom who taught me love comes in all shapes, sizes, and colors;

  And for my own teddy bear who loved with his whole being. You are loved and missed Uncle Mikey.

  Copyright © 2019 Amelia Parker

  All rights reserved. No part may be reproduced or used without expressed consent by the author except for mentions in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Any relation to actual people, places, or things is purely coincidental and created from the author’s imagination.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Also By Amelia

  A Word from the Author

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  Lillian Jamison blew a tendril of grey hair out of her face as she bustled around Maybelle’s Diner. This place was her pride and joy. Her mom opened the place years before Lillian was even born. She grew up sitting in a booth watching her mom serve customers and creating delicious food in the kitchen. When Lillian was old enough to help, she essentially took over the front of the diner. Her mom would stay in the kitchen and she would interact with the customers. After her mom passed, Lillian took over all the operations. She hired fantastic help for the kitchen to make things just like her mom and carried on her mom’s dream. As a child, the diner became her dream as well and once her mom died, she vowed to continue the legacy she helped her mom build.

  A table of older ladies sank down into a booth along the large, front window. Their noses were red from the cold outside and flecks of snow clung to their heavy winter coats. Lillian grabbed a handful of menus before making her way over.

  “Hello ladies! How are we today?” Lillian greeted.

  “Fantastic Lillian!” Shirley Davis replied.

  “We just had our knitting group and thought we’d stop in for some of that fantastic pumpkin soup,” Monique Dell announced.

  “Yes, the cold is out in force today,” Elder Margaret agreed.

  Elder Margaret was a local wolf shifter. She sat on the Council that advised the current Alpha. Lillian had known Margaret since she was a child. When she was told the secret of shifters in Everett Hollow, Margaret was the one who answered her later questions.

  The other two women were human, like Lillian. Although they had no clue about the secret their friend kept, the three women were the best of friends. For years they had sat around in their knitting circle and plotted the lives of those around them.

  “So, three bowls of the pumpkin soup and three coffees?” Lillian inquired.

  “Yes Ma’am,” confirmed Shirley.

  Lillian turned from the booth and headed towards the kitchen. She ladled up the three bowls of soup before grabbing the coffees. Arranging everything on her tray, Lillian walked the order out to her table.

  After dropping everything off, Lillian walked around the room, checking on her other customers. There was Hale from the hardware store. A handful of teens pouring over homework. Several old timers sat on their stools at the counter. Seeing the lives of her people, her town, going through life, brought a huge smile to her face.

  She refilled Hale’s coffee and made her way over to check on the table of women.

  “How is everything ladies?”

  “Wonderful, Lillian. Just wonderful!” Monique complemented.

  “It was great Lillian,” Elder Margaret added.

  “What is that crazy man doing now?” Shirley asked.

  Looking out the window, the group of women saw Stanley Carmichael strutting down the street. Well, maybe not strutting. Dancing? There really was no word to describe what he was doing. His hands were thrown in the air and his dark head spotted with grey, was tossed back. It looked like he was chanting something too.

  “Is he having a seizure?” Monique asked in awe.

  “Can you have a seizure while standing?” came Elder Margaret.

  “What does he have on?!” Shirley squealed.

  Stanley wore a bright, reflective jumpsuit. It looked like someone made a space suit out of aluminum foil. To top it off, he wore neon orange snow boots with a fur cuff. In short, he looked ridiculous.

  “I swear he gives a bad name to all of us seniors in this town,” Shirley complained.

  “Oh, he’s not that bad,” Lillian defended.

  “He’s not bad, just obnoxious. And weird,” Monique added.

  “Weird maybe. But you can’t deny he’s entertaining,” Elder Margaret commented.

  “He’s a really nice man who uprooted his entire life to be closer to his only child who is expecting soon. So what if he’s a little different. There are a lot of people in this town that are a little different too. His idiosyncrasies make him loveable,” Lillian argued while looking at Elder Margaret.

  “You aren’t wrong Lillian. And with more wolf attacks, his personality distracts the town,” she conceded.

  “The attacks are still occurring?” Monique inquired.

  “Yes. So far, Gabriel and Logan have found a total of seven dead wolves and three have been seriously injured.”

  A chill ran through Lillian. She knew several of those ‘wolves.’ She watched them grow up. As did most of the town. They were all shifter wolves. It was a miracle that the few who were seriously injured had survived.

  “Hopefully they can find those hunters before any more of those beautiful creatures are killed,” Shirley prayed.

  “Gabriel and Logan are on it. They’re investigating as we speak,” Elder Margaret said pointedly at Lillian.

  Lillian knew that the Alpha and Beta of the town pack were doing whatever they could to find the hunters. After one of their friend’s fated mate was killed, and Logan was injured, Gabriel and Logan have upped the ante to discover who the hunters were. They’ve led groups into the surrounding woods, trying to find the hunters’ campsite. Investigators have traveled to nearby packs to ask questions. Gabe has called other Alphas looking for answers. All to no avail. No clues have unearthed. No hints. Nothing.

  The ladies began a conversation surrounding the town’s annual New Year’s Eve party in a few days. With their noise sounding in the background, Lillian focused on the older man traipsing down Main Street. Ever since he moved to town, Stanley Carmichael was a friend to Lillian. Sure, he was a little different. But he was authentic. He made her laugh. He listened. He made her heart flip in excitement. And it was that excitement that made her nervous.

  Chapter 2

  Stanley Carmichael sat next to his daughter on the sofa in the living room of her home in Everett Hollow, Washington. Nina was his pride and joy. He knew there were times after her mom passed where he wasn’t the best father. Loosing his other half to cancer tore him apart. If he didn’t have Nina, he wasn’t sure how he would have survived that time in his life. And now his little girl was all grown up with a husband and a baby on the way.

  A baby!

  He was going to be a grandfather!

  Soon!

  Nina was heavily pregnant with his first grandbaby and he couldn’t wait for the little one to be here in a few weeks. He or she would arrive just after the New Year.

  At the thought of his grandbaby, Stanley reached over and rubbed Nina’s stomach. He could feel the little one
rolling around and kicking.

  “He sure is moving today isn’t he Pinky?” Stanley remarked.

  “Dad, we don’t know if the baby is a boy. It could be a girl. And yes, he or she is really moving today.”

  “I told you about my dream! Venus handed me your baby and it was a boy!”

  “Dad.”

  “I know. I know. You don’t believe me. But Venus came to me as your mother. Or maybe it was your mom? Regardless, the heavens have told me you’re having a boy!”

  Nina grew silent when he mentioned her mom. He knew she didn’t believe his dreams were premonitions. But he did have a pretty decent track record with them. Like the time Nina fell and broke her arm as a kid. Or when she was planning to sneak out of the house at sixteen. Or her career choice. And let’s not talk about the dream he had about her husband. Mate. Whatever he was. Nina’s Gabe.

  But Stanley had a good track record. Sure, he had some dreams that never came true. But that was the name of the game when the heavens blessed you with the ability to see things about the future. And he could see things. No matter what his daughter thought.

  “Dad? Shouldn’t you get going?”

  “Going?”

  “I thought you were having story time with some of the pack’s young downstairs in the meeting room.”

  “I am! I’m so excited for it! To shape the minds of these young!”

  “Dad! Aren’t you supposed to be downstairs now?”

  “What? Oh yes! Lost track of time! Do you have everything you need before I head to the basement?” Stanley glanced at the clock before turning concerned, chocolate eyes on his daughter.

  “Yes, Dad. Go! I’ll be fine!”

  “OK. Then I am off to shape young minds!”

  He kissed the top of his daughter’s head before leaving the room. Walking down the hall, he passed into the kitchen and dining room. No matter how many times he came to his daughter’s home, he was always in awe at the beauty of it. From the wood details Gabe added, to the large windows letting in all the natural light. It was gorgeous.

  Stanley opened the door that led down to the basement. He could hear voices of children talking and laughing. The sound brought a warmth to his chest. There was nothing better than the sound of happy children.

  Down the stairs he went. At the bottom, he rounded the corner to find the children settled around in a circle. They had pulled out blankets, pillows, and bean bag chairs from a closet that the pack stored for these exact moments. A table in the back was being set up with snacks and drinks by none other than the town’s favorite waitress. Lillian was the first friend he made in this town. He knew that some thought him weird. But Lillian? Lillian seemed to like him for who he was. Weird beliefs and all.

  “Mr. Stanley!”

  “Is it time for the story?”

  “What story is tonight?”

  “Can you tell the one about the purple lion?”

  “Tonight’s the shifter origin story, right Mr. Stanley?”

  “Is that what we hear tonight?”

  “OK, OK. Settle down you crazy pups,” he began.

  Laughter rang out through the children. He could see a smirk on Lillian’s face as the excitement rolled off the young. He walked to the front of the circle and took the seat the children had picked out for him.

  “Tonight, is the story of shifter origins,” Stanley started.

  “Is it the real story or is it your story, Mr. Stanley?” a voice called out.

  “Why can’t my story be the real story? Y’all decide if you think I made any of this up at the end OK? So, where was I? Oh, yes! The shifter origin story.

  “So, hundreds of thousands of years ago, when man first began to roam the earth. One man was out hunting in the woods when he aimed his bow and missed! The arrow completely missed the animal he had aimed for. As the arrow whizzed past, the man lost his balance and fell down a steep cliff!

  “Which is why you want to always be careful when around cliff edges children!

  “Anyway, he fell to the bottom of the cliff and became unconscious. While he hovered in the space of darkness, he had a dream. The heavens opened up to him and a God dressed in all green–“

  “All green?” questioned one small voice.

  “Yes! All green. From head to toe! This God came to him and said that if he wanted to go out and kill animals, kill all of this God’s creatures, then He would teach this man a lesson. The God waved his hands in the air and the spirit form of a wolf materialized. It came together in a swirl of colors until a beautiful white wolf remained. The wolf stalked toward the man and entered his body. The God told the man that he and the wolf were then one. They had to learn to coexist as a single being. From that day forward, the man and all of his ancestors would share themselves with an animal so that they would never forget the respect due to all of the God’s creatures. The balance one must have with nature to live peacefully together.

  “When the man awoke, he found that he could then shift into the same white wolf the God showed him. For the next several years, the two separate beings learned how to become one. They lived on in harmony and peace. The man’s ancestors would also be able to shift into wolves.

  “Over the years, the heavens have opened and the God in green has gifted other humans’ other animals. There were rabbits. Bears. Lions. Tigers. Foxes. Panthers. Camels. And so many more. Today, most of the shifter animals that remain, are the predators. But occasionally you can find a prey animal. They say that the God in green will still visit a shifter and gift them with a rare animal. Or send the spirit of a new one.

  “And that, my dears, is how shifters came about!” Stanley finished.

  The children stared at him wide-eyed during his story. Some had their jaws on the floor. Others leaned so far forward they were laying on their stomachs. Stanley sat back in his chair and smiled at the little minds he just educated.

  “The heavens opened up?”

  “Sent a God? There are more than one?”

  “Different animals?”

  “I want a different animal!”

  “Me too!”

  “Did the man have a dream like you have, Mr. Stanley?”

  Comments and questions bombarded Stanley. The kids were enthralled by his story. Although he may have embellished some, the basics of the story were true. When he moved to Everett Hollow and was told about who his son-in-law was, Stanley vowed to learn everything about Gabe’s kind that he could. Gabriel let him read the stories of the pack. He learned origin stories and stories about famous shifters. After a conversation with Gabe, the two men agreed that Stanley could share the stories of the pack with their young. He could bring an entertaining aspect to otherwise dull stories to draw the kids in. Something to make learning about their history more engaging.

  “Yes, the heavens opened up. Of course, there is more than one God. Many, many different animals! No, you cannot have a different animal. And yes, very similar to my dreams, except I am not a shifter so, mine are a little different. OK kids! That’s the end of story time today!”

  A giant ‘aw’ rang out through the group of young.

  “Ms. Lillian has provided drinks and snacks for y’all at the back of the room! Help yourselves!” he dismissed the children.

  “Thank you, Ms. Lillian!” a chorus of little voices thanked as they rushed the snack table.

  “That was a very interesting story tonight, Stanley,” Lillian complemented as she came up to his side.

  “Did you enjoy it?” he asked.

  “Of course! I haven’t been told some of these stories so it’s a great opportunity. Plus, you make them so much fun and interesting!”

  “Why thank you milady!” Stanley replied with an exaggerated bow.

  A blush coated her cheeks as she let out a giggle. Stanley loved being able to garner that response from her. Lillian’s giggle was probably his favorite sound in the world.

  “Well, I better start rounding up all these kids; their parents should be here for
them soon. Shall I see you at the diner?” he asked.

  “Of course! I’ll see you there! Tell Gabriel that I’ll pick up the platters and things tomorrow. Have a good night!” Lillian told him with a smile.

  Stanley watched her leave the room with a giant smile on his face. That woman made his heart jump with the simplest things. His trips into town for lunch at the diner, were the highlight of his days. He always made it a point to stop in a few times a week. Taking those few minutes to sit down and talk to her, even if she was constantly on the move, brought a warmth to his gut.

  He turned towards the pack young, ready to send them home, right as the first set of parents appeared. As the kids came up to him with hugs of goodbye, his mind kept returning to Lillian. To the woman that continuously made him think that love could come at all points of life.

  Chapter 3

  Lillian stood outside the space that would soon become the site of Jessica St. Amoux’s new restaurant. Her husband bought her the space not long after they were mated at the end of summer. It used to be an old restaurant a man from the big city came and tried to start. It was too pricey and held items that people in this town couldn’t pronounce let alone want. He was gone in a matter of months. For years the space sat empty until Logan St. Amoux bought it for his fated mate to accomplish her dream of being a chef.

  Jessica approached her a few weeks ago, asking for advice on running the business aspect. Lillian was all to happy to advise the young woman. It warmed her heart seeing the child who struggled to find her place in the world, find her footing.

  Banging and drilling came from the inside, drawing her attention to the man behind the ruckus. Ben Carr was a talented builder and one of the pack’s top investigators. Although he wasn’t doing much of the latter recently. His newly bonded fated mate was one of the first wolves to be killed in the hunters’ attacks. Since her death, Ben had been a walking shell of the man he once was. Always a little bit of a mountain man, he had really let himself go. His blonde hair was way too long and looked like it hadn’t been washed in who knew how long. His beard was an unruly strawberry blonde. And his eyes held a dark pain covered by detached coldness. The man had completely stopped caring about himself.