JMS Books is celebrating a lucky 13 years in business. To join in the festivities, I’ve written another addition to the Landry’s Fall tales!
Some of you may recognize Kyle Swansie, the fun and flirtatious server at Swansie’s Diner. Here he finally gets his own love story. You can pre-order it now directly from the publisher (with a discount!) It releases on July 1st, when it will be available at other e-tailers.
Kyle Swansie loves his hometown of Landry’s Fall. An extrovert who loves talking with people, managing and serving at his family’s diner is the highlight of his day. Even when he has to deal with the occasional cranky patron. When a stranger cops an attitude, Kyle doesn’t hesitate to put the beautiful man in his place. But Xavier Ormsby is so much more than Kyle’s first impression and it doesn’t take long for the two men to find common ground. Neither Kyle nor Xavier expected to find a connection.
Xavier might be in Landry’s Fall on a forced vacation of sorts, their time together quickly moves from friends to more. Xavier is everything Kyle never realized he wanted. Kyle provides a light Xavier didn’t know he needed. Though their worlds are very different, there’s no denying the depth of their attraction. With each day that passes, both Kyle and Xavier start looking to a future.
Things that should be obstacles — their age gap, Xavier’s diabetes, the financial disparity — simply aren’t. But it’s still not easy to find a way to fit their lives together. With their love on the line, can they find a way to have their happily ever after?
I adored writing this book. Kyle is such a joy. Xavier was a blast too, as I delved into the world of Type 1 diabetes and the way that affects this character. This book might be the very definition of sweet with heat, as these two men were in the right place at the right time to find their HEA. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I didn’t writing it!
After 5 and a half years (or thereabouts), I’ve quit my day job.
Now, sadly, I didn’t do this to write full time. That’s the dream, right? But that’s not feasible. I do have another job lined up. And after a couple of weeks notice, and a couple of weeks off, I’ll start there. I’m looking forward to it as much as I can for any day job.
The job has been…stressful to say the least. For quite a while now. And I’ve been doing the best I could but it’s been taking it’s toll. The result is that I haven’t had many spoons for anything else. The writing, in particular, has suffered. It’s hard, for me at least, to fall into a created world when I’m so burnt out that all I want to do is potato.
On the upside, between ending this job and starting the new one, I do have two weeks off. I need to decompress badly and I’m so looking forward to that. My hope is that this will translate to some words being written. Among other things to just relax.
And I’m hoping that with a less stressful job, I won’t be as tapped out at the end of the day and at the weekend, so that I can write more words then too.
But most of all, I’m just happy to be leaving a job that takes all that I have so that I can devote more of me to things that I love.
**Another Saturday edition! Because there was….stuff this week. I’ll talk about it soon! In the meantime, let’s check in with Jace and Ian and see what’s going on with the goats. And what Mack found out. Enjoy!**
“Stoat.” Mack was shoveling pancakes in as fast as he could chew and swallow. I indeed didn’t have any fish or berries, but I figured that the carb load of pancakes, plus sugar from the maple syrup, would go a long way to restoring Mack’s calories. He seemed appreciative at least.
“Stoat?” Ian’s tone was all confusion, his brow creasing.
“Stoat?” On the other hand, I broke out in a cold sweat. To hide my reaction, I turned back to the griddle and ladled out more batter. I was pretty sure Mack could eat more, and even if he couldn’t, perhaps Ian would want some. I’d been intending to eat some as well but I’d suddenly lost my appetite.
Mack slurped some coffee and gave a single nod. “Stoat. Definitely. But not near the fence, which was weird. All around the house though.”
I cleared my throat. “But that could have probably been there for a while, right? If it wasn’t by the fence and just—”
“Nope.” Mack didn’t seem to think anything of his casual dismissal as he swiped his last bite of pancake through the dregs of syrup on his plate. “Scent trail was less than a day old.”
My knees buckled. I would have sagged right to the floor if Ian hadn’t moved as quickly as he did, catching me around the waist and holding me up. He gently took the spatula from my hand and set it on the counter, then got a better grip on me and helped me to stand. Once I had my feet under me, he didn’t let go though. Instead he tilted my chin with a gentle hand and peered into my eyes.
“Jace?” It was a question, but at the same time not. Something in his tone spoke of command, and there was no denying that he wanted me to tell him exactly what was going on. The question was should I?
I’d only met the man this morning, but we’d been thrown together because of the goats. And there was no denying there was something between us already, though I wouldn’t even begin to label it. He was attractive, sure. And he’d definitely been flirting. There’d been a vague promise of talking about things. But would that really go anywhere?
“Did you, uh, I mean, was there any scent by the fence?”
Mack squinted at me, then glanced at Ian. When Ian gave a nod, Mack answered. “No. But it was strange because it was almost as if there was an absence of scent. I can’t even explain it but when I was sniffing around, it was like something was missing.”
“That’s good information,” Ian murmured, not taking his gaze off me. “And we’ll puzzle out what that means in a moment. Thank you, Mack.”
“Sure. But what’s all this?” Mack gestured with is fork, and a stray bit of syrup flew off and landed on the floor. Mack huffed and rolled his eyes, grabbing a napkin to wipe it off.
My laugh was a little unhinged. Ian narrowed his eyes.
“Tell me.”
“It’s n-nothing.” I stopped and took a breath, in and out. “Just…an ex-boyfriend. Or one of his caravan. No big deal.”
I didn’t know what it was about Ian, what exactly changed, but suddenly it did. He straightened and pulled his shoulders back, maybe. A light changed in his eyes or his micro expression changed. I couldn’t put my finger on it but from one moment to the next he changed from concerned to protective.
“You have a stalker?”
I gently pulled away and turned back to the griddle. I flipped the pancakes just in time—they were a little too dark but they hadn’t burned—and gave them all a pat just so I would have something to do.
“No, of course not.”
Ian crowded my space, getting almost too close. “That’s what it sounds like. Looks like. You panicked when you heard it, like you didn’t even know it was going on. And if someone is skulking around and hiding themselves, that’s stalker behavior.”
I tried for a smile, pretty sure it didn’t work, and patted his chest with the hand not holding a spatula. “You don’t have to worry about it.”
I scooped the pancakes into a stack then balanced them on the spatula to carry them the three feet to the table and deposited them on Mack’s plate. He gave me a quick smile of thanks and then focused completely on his breakfast, very studiously ignoring Ian and me.
Ian caught my arm when I turned back around, drawing me to the other side of the room. It wasn’t far enough for Mack not to hear, but I didn’t think that’s what Ian intended. He clearly trusted Mack completely. It was just a semblance of privacy.
“I’m a protection dog. That’s what I do. And now I have to worry about this. So tell me what’s going on.”
I studied him for a long moment, weighing my options. The thing was, I really did want to have that promised conversation with him. See if there was anything more to the attraction than a little flirting. I might never have expected this—because who expected goats and their handsome as sin owner who also happened to shift into a Great Pyrenees—but I wasn’t one to ignore who fate put in my path.
“It didn’t end well. Davy, that’s my ex, he just didn’t want to let things go. We weren’t compatible and I ended things before it got serious. He kept trying to ‘win’ me back. But I thought he got over it. I haven’t heard from him in months.”
Ian’s gaze went dark. “Because he’s been slithering his weaselly little body around your house instead.”
“I’m sure that’s not—”
“Let me help you.”
I looked up into those deep brown eyes, saw the sincerity and the concern and the protectiveness. It was all the things I wanted, rolled into a pretty package. Could I trust him? I felt like I could. And unless the whole thing with the fence, goats, and Mack was an elaborate ruse, he’d been honest from the start. My gut was telling me he didn’t have that in him.
I blew out a breath. “Okay. Thanks.”
Ian’s brilliant smile was almost worth the inner turmoil.
**Here’s another episode with Jace and Ian. Because why not? I’m not entirely sure where this is going. But enjoy!**
The goats had been herded back to the other property, and then didn’t seem inclined to come back on my land. Probably because Ian and I were standing exactly where the fend had come down. He was dressed again, which was a shame really, and examining the fencing as we waited for Mack to return. Mack was who he had called from my house, and though we’d been introduced, I didn’t really know who he was. I surmised he must work with Ian on his goat rental business.
Goat rental. Really. He had a whole huge ass herd of goats he rented out to clear brush from overgrown properties. I had never heard of such a thing, but it certainly was an environmentally friendly way to get the job done. The polo Ian was now wearing had logo on the breast, and while he fidgeted with the fencing, I searched the company. The “about” section was sparse but it contained enough information to let me know it was a family business that had been around for decades. Considering he was a dog shifter—which reminded me I needed to look up what kind of dog he turned into and a quick second later I was confident he was a Great Pyrenees—that made sense. Between his ability and the pack of actual dogs he cared for, the goats would be well protected.
“Jace?”
“Hmm?” I quickly locked my phone and tried not to look guilty. Though to be fair, I didn’t have anything to feel guilty over. I was accessing publicly available information after all.
“You got any enemies?”
“What?” I sputtered. “No! Of course not.”
Ian shrugged, and glanced up. I followed his eyeline to see Mack loping back to us, carrying a large back. He was still some distance away though. When Ian turned his attention back to me, he squinted as though he was assessing me.
“I don’t,” I said, and didn’t even care that I sounded defensive.
Ian held his hands up. “I’m trying to figure out motive. Were they trying to cause trouble for me? Considering this is the only occupied land that borders where we were working, having my goats come in here could make you mad, right? You could sue. Or you could shift and eat the goats.”
I sucked in a breath. “I would never!”
“Really?” Ian’s mouth quirked, and damn if it didn’t look sexy. I wasn’t sure if it was the smirk or his stupidly handsome face. Either way, I bristled. Both at the insinuation and that he was so attractive.
“I don’t hunt domesticated animals. I’m not a monster. I’m just a wolf.”
Ian’s expression instantly softened and he took a step closer to me. He reached toward me, but then dropped his hand before he made contact. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply…” He huffed out a breath. “The other option is they were trying to cause trouble for you. And inconvenience at least. Destroying your property at worst.”
I frowned. “Are you sure it wasn’t just an ill conceived prank?”
“The fence was cut here.” Ian pointed as though I didn’t know exactly where the fence had come down. “Not at the road, or either of the other two borders. It was purposefully cut right at this spot, with easiest access to your property. I think it’s pretty clear this was a deliberate choice.”
I saw his logic. But still. “That doesn’t preclude the prank theory.”
“He’s right, boss.” Mack was long and lanky, with a bright smile and fire red hair. I liked him already. And not just because he was agreeing with me. “It’s unlikely, but it needs to be considered as well.”
Ian seemed to mull that over for a few moments, then he nodded once. “Okay, fine. We can’t rule it out. But it does seem like the least likely scenario. Mack, did you scent anything?”
So Mack was a shifter too. I shuffled closer, trying to make it look like I was just shifting position. I slowly and deliberately scented the air. He definitely wasn’t a Great Pyrenees shifter like Ian. But his scent wasn’t one I was familiar with, so it was hard to deduce Mack’s other half.
Mack set down his bag and started pulling out tools before he answered. “Goats, the dogs, and you. That’s it. I didn’t even smell any humans.”
“Wait. Before you get started, take a sniff around Jace’s yard,” Ian directed.
Mack froze for a moment, then set the zip ties and snips back in the bag. He looked directly at me. “That okay with you?”
“Sure.”
Ian did touch me then, grabbing hold of my arm and gently tugging me a few feet away. “Let’s give him some space.”
I turned my back for good measure, allowing Mack all the privacy he needed. Ian kept his gaze locked on mine.
“Mack’s got one of the best noses I’ve ever seen in action,” Ian said conversationally, raising his voice just a little to be heard over the snaps, groans, and pops of Mack’s shift. I winced at a particularly loud crack. I knew from experience that shifting didn’t hurt in the least since pain receptors were the first thing to turn off, but it did sound terrible from the outside. “I hope it won’t be too much to ask of you to feed him when he shifts back, though. A shift like his burns a lot of calories.”
I was about to open my mouth and ask why, but when I caught movement from the corner of my eye, it was all I could do not to jump back. Where once a lanky man had been now stood a ginormous brown bear. He swung his big head toward me, but then clicked his tongue and lumbered off, nose to the ground.
“Holy crap.”
“Yeah.” Ian chuckled. “He smells better than me. Better than a bloodhound. He’ll let us know if he finds anything. And we don’t have to worry about the goats coming back through here while Mack is in his bear skin. They don’t like him much when he’s this way, even though he doesn’t even eat goat. Can’t tell the goat that though.”
“He probably prefers fish and berries,” I said absently, watching the bear meander around my yard. Wolves were a more insular than other types of shifters, and I hadn’t spent much time around other shifters when they were in their animal form. It was fascinating to me, watching a thousand pound bear amble around.
“That he does.” The amusement was clear in Ian’s tone. “Got any of that in your house?”
I finally laughed too. “No, but I’m sure I can rustle up a fitting me. Come on inside.”
Ian followed me and then crowded up against me when we got to the back door. I went still when he dropped his face so he could tuck his nose against my neck. He inhaled sharply, and then let out a contented sigh.
“You smell so damn good.” A second later, he went tense and then immediately backed away. “Oh damn. I’m so sorry. That was inappropriate and I—”
“It’s okay. I get it.” I kept my tone gentle. “You’re fine. Come in.”
Ian closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. “I have to figure out what’s going on with the whole fence thing. But after that, maybe we can talk?”
I couldn’t help the playful tone when I asked, “Just talk?”
“Jesus,” Ian muttered, then scrubbed a hand down his face. “To start with, yes.”
*After taking last week off with the conclusion of the last serial, here we are with a new flash fic! It’s slightly NSFW though, so beware. What do you think? Want to see more of these guys? Lemme know! But in the meantime, enjoy!”
Goats.
Goats everywhere. Eating my grass and shrubs. Bleating and pooping and tussling and climbing all over each other. There had to be at least twenty. No wait, here came some more. Running in from the acreage behind my property to join their friends. More noise and more chomping.
I stood on my back porch just staring. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Last time I checked, the acreage was nothing but wilderness and was owned by an older gentleman who had no plans to develop it. Had that changed? Had he suddenly taken up goat farming?
The predator in me wanted to shift and chase. To run down one of those tasty morsels and gorge until I was full. Then maybe drag the carcass home to snack on later. But I was more than my wolfy instincts and though my fangs prickled at my gums, I didn’t change.
I still wanted to know how the goats appeared though. And what to do about them.
I set down my coffee on the railing, gave it a mournful look because I knew it would be cold by the time I got back, and set off toward the herd. The bleating got louder, panicked, most likely because they could sense I was more. Dangerous. The scramble they did to get away from me would be amusing if it didn’t create more chaos.
A thundering boom of a bark snagged my attention. It was quickly followed by two more, and before I realized it, three large white dogs came barreling through a fence—that hadn’t been there before—and took up a guard position between me and the herd. I froze, recognizing the livestock protection dogs for what they were even if I didn’t know the breed. I made a mental note to look later to see if I could figure it out, just to assuage my curiosity, and focused all my attention on the one who was clearly the leader.
I didn’t think the dogs would attack me as long as I didn’t go after their goats. Was that something I’d learned somewhere or just instinct? It didn’t matter. I just knew it was better to stay still, not make a move toward the goats that were still running around and screaming, and hope that a solution presented itself.
A fourth dog came tearing into my yard, expertly maneuvering around the goats without losing speed. It was bigger than the other three, taller and heavier, and they gave ground for the newcomer. The new dog skidded to a halt right in front of me. I probably should have stepped back. Probably should have gone inside and figured out who to call. But the wolf in me wouldn’t back down and so I stayed, staring down the dogs. Peripherally I was aware the goats were calming enough to go back to eating my foliage, but I couldn’t worry about that right now.
The new dog hunched and then shifted. I blinked. How had I not scent him? I chalked it up to the goats—because that was a distinctive and overpowering smell—and waited patiently for him to finish his shift. When he did, I sucked it a breath. He was huge, several inches over six feet and as broad as a barn, with defined muscles, a chiseled jaw, and hair so blond it was almost white. He cocked his head, looking far more like a dog than a human, and then narrowed his gaze.
“Wolf?”
I shrugged because there was no denying it. “I’m Jace. These your goats?”
“Yeah. Sorry. We’re clearing the land over there,” he gestured behind him, “because it’s so overgrown.”
“Okay. But this is my backyard?” I hadn’t meant for it to sound like a question, but he was utterly distracting. His voice was a deep rumble, like the barks from the dogs, and I wanted to push closer so that I could touch, and that was weird for me. It was not an impulse I usually had.
“Looks like the fence is down. Which is strange, because we build them to keep the goats in the acreage they’re supposed to stay in.” Without a word, he turned, pushing through the herd without care for his dangling bits. The dogs walked at his side and the goats moved out of his way. I followed along behind him because I didn’t know what else to do.
He crouched and examined the fence. My gaze zeroed in on his ass, which was literal perfection. I told myself to stop staring but my body didn’t cooperate. I wanted to bite it. To touch it. Hell, I just wanted to be up close and personal with it, I didn’t even care how.
He was speaking, but I was so focused on his skin I didn’t notice until he said my name. I jerked my gaze to his.
“Hmm?”
“Were you staring at my ass?” the quirk of his lips told me he wasn’t mad. Besides, it’s not like I could lie. I’d been caught.
“Yep. It’s great. What were you saying?”
“This is had been cut.” He motioned to the fence where, now that I was looking, I could see where it had been snipped through cleanly.
“Why?”
“I don’t know. But I’ll find out. Don’t suppose you have any cameras or anything back here?”
I shook my head. “We’re in the middle of nowhere and this is the backyard that butts up to acres of unused land. It didn’t seem necessary.”
He blew out a breath. “Okay. Well, first order of business is to get the goats back where they belong and to fix this fence. Then we’ll have to figure out why it happened. I’ll need to shift and run back to my truck where I left my phone and clothes. I’d only just arrived when I heard Boomer, Gracie, and Tornado bark.”
“You can, uh…” I coughed, feeling silly before reminding myself we were a dozen yards from my backdoor and I was just being hospitable to offer assistance. “You can use my phone, if you want.”
He studied me for a long moment, gaze narrowed and assessing. Eventually he nodded. He ordered the dogs to stay—and it was then that I got confirmation that while he was a shifter, the others were just dogs—and followed me into my house. I handed over my cell and got him a bottle of water while he made his call.
“It’s Ian. Yeah, we’ve got a problem.” Ian took the bottle from me with a thankful smile, and then his gaze raked from my head to my toes. The smile turned into a smirk. “Though maybe it’s only half a problem.”
Kris T. Bethke--Author of M/M Romance 