ROMANCE: SHIFTER: Shifter to the Max Collection (Dragon, Bear, Wolf and Panther Shifter Romances) (Paranormal Fantasy Romance Collection) Read Free

tea tray rattled again behind them, and they turned. Jade had plastered a large smile across her face. She gracefully set the tray down on the counter-table, and captivated their attention with her routine of pouring the tea into the fragile cups.
    “Chamomile is soothing and calming. One of my favorite teas at the end of the day. Ryder, Amber will be staying with me and Iris for a little while.” With a quelling glance, Jade stifled Amber’s protests. “We have the little garage apartment we never use. It’s full of mice and dust, I’m sure. I know she’d rather be out there in her own space than upstairs in our hippie love nest.” Jade smiled beatifically and shook the bangles on one wrist. “Right now, however, she needs gasoline and a ride back out to her car. Iris has the van on an appointment. Can you take her?”
    Amber mumbled displeasure at her sister.
    Ryder leapt at his chance to get Amber alone. “I have a gas can in the truck bed. My pleasure, I assure you.”
    The look in his eye didn’t assure Amber of anything. It did, however make her insides flip one more time – but this time it was a bit lower than her stomach doing the flipping.
     

CHAPTER 2
     
    Ryder’s truck practically roared a challenge of masculinity to any passersby. When Amber followed Ryder down the street to where he’d parked in front of the feed store, she’d pointedly rolled her eyes and made soft gorilla noises under her breath. Instead of irritating Ryder, her open mockery seemed to delight him. He grinned broadly as he opened her door and held her hand to give her extra leverage to step up into the truck cab.
    They drove the hundred yards or so it took to get to one of the two gas stations in town. While Ryder filled up the little red gas can he stored in the bed of his truck, Amber smoothed her hair back into a ponytail, and quickly checked her appearance in the visor mirror. Yep. She looked wretched. She breathed a quick, silent prayer for deliverance, and looked over as Ryder pulled himself into the driver’s seat.
    “Ready?” He asked. Amber replied with a brisk nod. He reached his arm over and handed her a cold bottle of water. “You look tired and thirsty. I always keep the cooler stocked.”
    “Thank you.” Amber mumbled, feeling just a bit ungracious at the less than kind thoughts that had been running through her mind for the last twenty minutes.
    The silence in the truck cab grew overbearing and a bit deafening. At the same moment, they both decided to break it.
    “So, what have you been doing?
    “Where did you go?”
    Silence again.
    Ryder rolled his eyes and heaved a put-upon sigh. “I took over the ranch. Took business classes at nights; days if I had to. Mom and Dad moved to The Cottage, which she’s always liked better than the main house anyway. Rachel, married – two kids, is going to find out you’re in town soon. You might get in front of that by calling her yourself. And, believe it or not, the twins are in college. There… All caught up on the Barretts.” Then his voice became serious. “Your turn. Where did you go?”
    Amber tried for nonchalant. “Here and there. I did a lot of traveling. Never really stayed too long in any one place.”
    “Try again.”
    Okay. So nonchalant wasn’t going to cut it. “I travelled. All over – from relative’s house to relative’s house. Met cousins I never even knew I had. Then I went for the wacky tourist attractions in each state. Like the Airstream Ranch in Florida and Ralphie Parker’s house in Cleveland and the Neon Museum in Nevada. Oh! And the Great Stalacpipe Organ in Virginia was the very meaning of the word awe-some.”
    Ryder looked at Amber askance.
    “No, I never intended to be a wandering tourist. I contacted Jade every week or so. She always knew where I was and where I was headed next. My most regular income comes from the occasional travel article I write that gets picked up by travel mags. Otherwise, I’m homeless.” Her