Santa Claws (BBW Paranormal Shifter Romance) Read online

  “I can imagine. Speaking of community spirit, I hear there’s a pretty good town Santa here at the little department store.”

  “Who told you that?” he asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

  “Oh, I don’t remember. Dot, maybe,” she said with an air of nonchalance.

  He made a thoughtful noise but didn’t say anything else. They drove past all of the businesses and quaint houses. Out past the edge of town, manicured lawns with a sprinkling of white snowflakes gave way to lush green forests, mixed deciduous and coniferous trees that hung heavily with moss. Erik slowed, turning left onto a private drive he'd never really paid attention to.

  The victim’s house was unremarkable in almost every way, Erik noticed as he eased the cruiser to a stop out the front. It was a decent-sized place, built with plain red brick and finished by a dark tin roof and a neat but fairly bare garden. There was a push-bike on the porch, a little battered but obviously well-loved. There were no Christmas decorations hanging anywhere, like there were all over the rest of the town. He could very nearly smell the grief hanging like dark, heavy rainclouds over the house. Even Elise seemed a little reluctant to approach the door and Erik wondered how bad it had to be to affect even someone without supernatural senses.

  A worn-looking woman with dark circles under her bloodshot eyes and a gaunt edge to her face, like she hadn’t eaten properly in days, answered the door after Erik rang the bell. A man in much the same state wasn’t far behind her and watched them intently. Erik felt his stomach clench, a deep and empathizing sorrow filling his heart. Meeting the family made it a lot harder to look at the remains as some anonymous entity.

  “I’m Sheriff Erik Grey,” Erik introduced himself, deliberately keeping his voice low and even and his body language as soft and unthreatening as he could. This was a delicate situation. “Mrs. Barnes, this is Elise Jackson, she’s a law enforcement consultant. We have some questions for you, if that’s okay?”

  “Of course,” the woman said. “Donna, please. This is my husband Ralph.” She stood back to let them through and into the house. “Come in. The kitchen is to the left around the corner there. Can I get you something to drink?”

  “Some water would be wonderful if it’s not a bother,” Elise said as they found their way into the kitchen.

  Donna motioned them toward the breakfast bar while Ralph followed them silently, still staring intently. Erik struggled to hold his composure, spotting photos on the wall of smiling faces; a happy boy adorned in a baseball uniform; a family photo from years ago with Christmas sweaters and a fat cat with mistletoe around its neck; a proudly grinning teen holding a school award.

  Donna handed Elise and Erik both a glass of water when they were seated. Erik cleared his throat.

  “First and foremost, we would like to express our deepest condolences. We understand this is a difficult time for you both, and we appreciate any information you have to offer that would help with the case.”

  “You want to know about Dylan?” Donna asked. Her voice wavered. “We already spoke to a deputy.”

  “We’re mostly concerned with why he was out at the saw mill that night,” Erik said. “We know that lots of teenagers like to go out there in groups but Dylan was on his own.” He glanced toward Ralph. “Can you give us any insight there?”

  Donna’s eyes welled up. “He thought we didn’t know he smoked,” she said and her voice was suddenly tight. “He used to go out there to smoke because he thought we wouldn’t notice. Everyone knows the kids go out there so he didn’t have to hide any of the evidence.”

  “I think lots of kids do the same,” Elise said gently. “Take the easiest route.”

  “He was usually home by midnight,” Ralph said from by the door, breaking his silence. He rubbed a hand over his face, and Erik’s nose was itching with the sour scent of grief that had permeated the entire house. “We waited until about one before we drove out there. We found…we found him like that.” He took a deep breath. “It was a shifter,” he said, voice suddenly venomous. “I’ve had it with them thinking they’ve got the right to live like we do when they’re nothing but-but animals who destroy families like this.”

  “Ralph,” Donna said but he ignored her and barreled on.

  “I spoke to the mayor and he feels the same,” Ralph said. Erik fought against the bristling anger in his chest and stayed silent. Elise looked stricken. “He’s given me permission to round up all the animals we know of around these parts and question them. One of them… one of them murdered my son and I’m going to make sure they pay.”

  “I’d have to warn against vigilante justice, if that’s what you’re implying, Ralph. Our investigation is still underway and we don’t know for sure what happened out there. We don’t know if a shifter is really responsible.”

  Ralph’s eyes darkened. “I know you’re soft on the shifter folk for some reason, Grey, but I’ve had it with ‘em.”

  Erik gave him a brief nod and a tight smile, not wanting to give away how angry he was at his words. It wasn’t entirely his fault, anyway. The condescension towards shifters was borne of ignorance and fear. If they simply learned and understood more about shifters, then there’d be less of this awful attitude and more acceptance. Unfortunately, it would probably take a long time before shifters were just as accepted in society as regular humans, and there’d always be some bigoted people who’d never approve of their existence under any circumstances.

  They hadn’t really had any more questions after that, hoping that more information would give them a better idea of what to ask, but after Ralph’s outburst Erik felt like a retreat was the smartest option and Elise seemed very uncomfortable.

  “I get that he’s upset about his son,” she said when they got back into the cruiser. Her voice shook a little and Erik wasn’t entirely sure with what emotion. “But that was just hatred, pure and simple. Humans kill too, just because he thinks a shifter might have murdered his son doesn’t make it okay to treat them all like that. Even if he’s right, all but one of them is going to be innocent.”

  Erik suddenly felt bone-tired. “Grief can twist people,” he said simply. “Until we prove him wrong, and maybe not even then, I don’t think anything will change his mind.”

  Elise nodded but she didn’t look like she particularly wanted to agree with him.

  “I’ll drop you back at your room,” he offered, turning the key in the ignition. “I’ve got a few things I can do around the station but I don’t think there’s much for you to do until we get something to go on.”

  “Thanks,” she said quietly and didn’t speak again until he pulled up out the front of the hotel.

  “Have a good afternoon, Erik,” she said with half a smile and a slight wave.

  “You too, Elise,” he said and waved his own hand before merging back onto the road and heading for the station.

  The entire trip, he replayed Ralph Barnes’ words. I’ve had it with them thinking they’ve got the right to live like we do when they’re nothing but animals who destroy families like this.

  Animals.

  The word seemed to echo between his ears, bouncing around his skull until it was an infinite chorus that didn’t even sound like a word anymore.

  He sat at his desk, in his office, and filed reports and typed out a statement of what had occurred at the Barnes’ home for the case file. He didn’t feel much of anything, really, just a strange sort of disconnection.

  He thought about signing onto PurrfectMates and seeing whether he had any messages from his mystery woman before their meeting that night but he knew better than to log onto dating sites at work. Suddenly overwhelmed with the need to distract himself from the events of the day and the weight of the murder case, he closed the files and switched his computer off.

  None of the deputies asked where he was off to in the middle of the day, used to each other coming and going as their duties required. The parking lot was quiet when he got in his cruiser and headed in the direction of home.
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  When he settled at his computer with a hastily thrown-together sandwich, he signed on to PurrfectMates and was disappointed to find that there were no new messages and she wasn’t online either. He signed off almost immediately, disheartened, and flicked the television on.

  Daytime television was a dangerous thing for someone like Erik who tended to get sucked in quite easily if he actually sat down and watched something.

  The over-dramatized and poorly-written made for TV Christmas movie was probably the only thing that would have passed the afternoon without him shifting and tearing up one of the rugs he kept in the garage for days like that. If only Christmas were actually like it was in the movie, though—filled with love and joy, rather than the mayhem and murder which was haunting Sawmill Grove at the moment.

  Nevertheless, when the movie finished he felt slightly less keyed up. When he glanced at his cell he saw that it was already ten past five. He took a leisurely shower and spritzed one spray of cologne onto his throat. He scrunched his nose, fending off the sneeze that threatened to burst forth. His heightened sense of smell was easily irritated by colognes and perfumes, and he'd been thankful these last few days that Elise didn't seem to be a perfume wearer—otherwise being stuck in the cruiser and close proximity would have been hell on his sinuses.

  He tried to go slowly, knowing getting there half an hour early would do nothing to ease his anxiety. Finally, he did a double check, running his fingers through his close-cropped hair for good measure before heading out.

  The bar was slightly busy that night, filled with the usual patrons nursing sweating brown bottles and watching the football game on the big screen in the front corner of the main floor. Erik seated himself on a stool at the bar, ordering a blonde ale with lime as he started on the bowl of in-shell peanuts the bartender placed in front of him. His lips were salty and he kept running his tongue across his teeth to make sure he wasn't getting any peels stuck there. He found himself glancing hopefully up at the door each time it swung open.

  Erik almost choked on his beer when Elise walked into the bar in a festively red and white polka dot dress. Her hair was loose and tumbling down around her shoulders. He could see the tell-tale shine of a lip gloss in the harsh bar lights and her eyelids were dusted with a faint gleam as well. She looked stunning. The dress was a flattering cut that showed plenty of leg and just enough cleavage for Erik to be sure it was no accident that she’d ended up in the bar dressed for a date. It took exactly three seconds for her to spot him and one second more for Erik to wipe the gaping-mouthed look of shock off his face.

  She was there to meet him.

  Elise waved, a nervous smile making Erik's heart patter in a funny way, and she looked around hopefully, searching, as she made her way over to the bar.

  “Officer Grey, fancy seeing you here.”

  Erik could just hear her over the din of the music. She stood near him, making another scan around the bar, searching for some look of recognition, some indication from any strange face to draw her in. Her scent hit him like a freight train, the scent of lotion, soap, and deodorant overlaid with the sharp scent of nervousness. They were all appealing but it was the soft, cloying hints of excitement, bordering on arousal that drew him in. He breathed deeply, suppressing an inaudible growl.

  “What a surprise, Ms. Jackson. What brings you here tonight?”

  Erik watched her cheeks go pink as he tried to choke down another drink of his beer. What the hell was he going to do now? What could he do? He had never suspected the mystery woman had been Elise—though now that it was blatantly obvious. It definitely made sense, and even though people tended to sound a bit different on the phone, he still should’ve put two and two together and realized it was her during that phone call the previous night.

  But he couldn’t let her know who he was. He couldn't compromise the case. Then again, he pointed out to himself, she was the one who had messaged him, who had wanted them to meet.

  “Oh, I...” She looked like a deer in the headlights, eyes wide as she scrambled for an excuse. “I just felt like getting out for a bit. Get some fresh air and a few drinks, you know. As lovely as it is and as welcoming as Dot has been, that hotel room gets a bit stifling after so long.”

  Erik didn't push it. Things were too crazy for him to press on, and he motioned for her to sit down next to him. He briefly entertained the thought of offering to buy her something, but he was so damn worried she'd suddenly realize what was going on that he just kept his mouth shut for a few minutes.

  The bartender noticed her and hurried over. “Can I get a glass of red?” she asked nervously. “With one ice cube, please, and um, a small bowl of maraschino cherries?”

  The bartender nodded and hurried to grab what she'd asked for, delivering a frosty wine glass, one ice cube floating in the blood-red cabernet, and a small bowl of stem-on, bright red cherries. She went for the cherries first, fidgeting nervously.

  Finally he felt it impolite not to ask. “You, uh...” He cleared his throat. “Are you waiting for someone?”

  “Oh. Well, yes. I'm actually supposed to meet someone I've been talking to online. The town Santa, if you could believe that. He must be running a little late,” she offered with a smile.

  Erik felt guilty beyond words. He sat with her for about half an hour, passively watching the football game as he nursed another beer. Part of him wanted to get drunk, to slam a few more beers down and just tell her.

  He knew he couldn't. Even the growing look of disappointment on her face couldn't persuade him to confess, not with all the risks it posed to their casework.

  “I should get home,” Erik said when he could stand it anymore, punctuating his words with a glance at the clock over the bar. “I’m sorry, Elise, but I’ve got some things to sort out before tomorrow and it’s been a long day. I only meant to come out for one beer.”

  He smiled apologetically and Elise waved a hand flippantly.

  “Don’t apologize,” she insisted and flashed him a smile of her own, much more genuine than his which made him feel even more painfully guilty. “Thanks for keeping me company. I’ll see you in the morning?”

  “Yes ma'am,” he said, dipping his chin in a nod. “Bright and early. I gotta say I've been looking forward to our morning coffee runs. Espresso keeps me running a bit longer than anything I can make from home.”

  They bid each other goodbye, and he tried not to feel like a complete jerk as he walked away and out the door.

  Chapter 7

  Elise hadn’t ever been quite so nervous or excited for a date. She remembered being almost sick with nerves back in high school when her crush had asked her to prom, but she hadn’t ever felt this fierce, intense anticipation before. She told herself to calm down, taking a few deep breaths as she stretched out the tension that seemed to be ever-building in her neck and shoulders.

  She took her time getting ready, teasing out the natural curl in her hair and indulging in a long bubble bath. You wouldn’t get a hotel room with a bathtub without paying through the nose in the city. I kind of love this place, she texted Susan. It was completely true. As much as she was nervous about the job, everyone had been so nice and accommodating to her. The locals were passive and ambivalent for the most part, casting curious looks her way whenever she was out with Erik but seldom offering more than a wave and a smile. Dot was a total doll, and the quirky, enthusiastic Callahan had been pleasant and welcoming.

  Erik was nice. More than nice, he was a gentleman, and Elise struggled to keep herself from looking at him as more than a colleague. He was attractive, yes. He was kind and sweet, empathetic and serious when he needed to be. He was a natural at his job, and she could tell he was well-respected in the town.

  Susan texted back a series of unhappy emojis and several wine bottles.

  You should go to that Mexican place tonight, that waiter is sure sweet on you and you don't have to worry about keeping things quiet at home, Elise suggested, knowing Susan was probably already in h
er sweatpants, watching a rom-com while eating the last of the gelato from the tub. She tended to get a little melodramatic and weepy when Elise wasn't around. The thought made her giggle a little.

  Can't, I've got a date with the couch tonight.

  Elise rolled her eyes, her suspicions confirmed. She reached for the soap and her razor, touching up the shave job she'd done at home, before leaning back to relax. She reflected over the past few days, trying to distract her mind from the growing ball of nerves in her stomach.

  Her mind swirled, flitting over the case piece-by-piece, trying to think of every angle in case she missed something. In spite of her best intentions, her mind kept drifting back to the mystery shifter, back to PurrfectMates, back to the butterflies in her tummy, and she gave up before long.

  Done soaking, she got up from the bath, toweling herself off before wrapping the luxurious, white almost literal cloud of a towel around her and heading out to dig through her suitcase. She'd already hung her dress up on the towel rack in the bathroom, hoping the steam from her bath would help straighten out the creases from being folded in her suitcase.

  She found her red bra, sheer with a lacy trim, and the matching panties tucked into a side pocket of her suitcase and she pulled them out. She grabbed one of the tiny bottles of lotion from the corner table, slathering it on her legs, her arms, her breasts and stomach. After she was thoroughly moisturized, she slid into her undergarments. She admired herself in the full-length mirror on the back of the bathroom door, smoothing her hands over her tummy.

  She'd never been too bothered by her physical appearance, genetics and a mostly sedentary nature meaning she’d always been relatively careful about what she ate to maintain a healthy weight. Looking at herself now, she was forced to acknowledge that being in a relationship and working full time had meant a little extra weight landed around her hips and she felt overall softer.

  For the first time in a long time, Elise actively fretted over her body. She made a mental note to try to convince Susan to start using the workout room at their apartment complex and then snorted back a laugh. If there was anything Susan would say no to, it was that.