Chase: Single Daddy Shifters #3, page 1
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Chase
Single Daddy Shifters #3
Tasha Black
13th Story Press
Contents
Tasha Black Starter Library
About Chase
Chase
1. Izzy
2. Chase
3. Izzy
4. Chase
5. Izzy
6. Izzy
7. Chase
8. Izzy
9. Chase
10. Izzy
11. Chase
12. Izzy
13. Chase
14. Izzy
15. Chase
16. Izzy
17. Chase
18. Izzy
19. Chase
20. Izzy
21. Chase
22. Chase
23. Izzy
24. Izzy
Dax - SAMPLE
1. Dax
2. Ava
3. Ava
Tasha Black Starter Library
About the Author
One Percent Club
Tasha Black Starter Library
Packed with steamy shifters, mischievous magic, billionaire superheroes, and plenty of HEAT, the Tasha Black Starter Library is the perfect way to dive into Tasha's unique brand of Romance with Bite!
Get your FREE books now at tashablack.com!
About Chase
Chase is crazy about the girl next door, but his best friend’s little sister is supposed to be completely off limits…
Izzy Pearson is back in her old hometown after a string of bad luck. With her relationship and her business both in ruins, she doesn’t have a lot to get excited about, until her childhood crush walks in the door… with a baby.
Chase Bowman is the All-American boy next door, except for the part where he turns into a giant wolf every time the moon is full. He works at the local college and takes care of his adorable nephew a few days a week. And he’s head over heels for his neighbor, the brave, beautiful woman he’s been in love with since they were kids. There’s only one problem - she just happens to be his best friend’s little sister, and he’s made a promise to never get involved with her.
With Izzy back in town, and Chase helping her get a new business venture up and running, the two of them end up spending a whole lot of time together and sparks inevitably start to fly. But after her recent breakup, Izzy is worried about letting someone get too close. And Chase has no idea how she’ll react when she learns his secret, or how her brother will react if he finds out about the two of them. Can Chase keep his promise about staying away from Izzy, or will the primal pull be too much for him to overcome?
If you like strong women, sexy shifter men and unbelievably adorable babies, you will love the Single Daddy Shifters series, set in the steamy shifter world of Tarker’s Hollow!
Single Daddy Shifters:
-Axel
-Bane
-Chase
-Dax
Chase
1
Izzy
Izzy Pearson strode quickly down the tree-lined street, willing herself not to get caught up in memories of her childhood.
Being back in her hometown among all the familiar sights and sounds was almost mesmerizing.
But she was about to be late for work, and it was only her second day.
All around her, parents were walking their kids to school bus stops, bundling one last bright scarf around a neck or retrieving a tiny mitten, and pressing lips to small heads.
A few of these moms were girls Izzy had known back in high school.
She put her head down and hoped none of them would recognize her.
The fact that these women were settled down in homes of their own, with husbands and children, diamond rings and hundred-dollar haircuts, made her consider some of her own life choices.
Izzy had moved to Philadelphia right out of school and blown the savings she had accumulated all through her teenage years. It went out a lot faster than it had come in. As a high school student, she had probably poured a million lattes at Edible Complex in Tarker’s Hollow just to save enough to throw in with two roommates for the security deposit and first month’s rent on an apartment in the city.
Which might not have been so bad - except once she got there, she had immediately fallen for the guy literally everyone in her life told her was trouble.
Brad had been handsome in a rumpled way, and while he never quite had a good job or an organized life, his wild confidence gave the endless impression that things were about to fall into place for him any minute.
Izzy had wasted ten years on his pipe dreams, and ultimately her own.
Her parents begged her not to quit her job as an admin and borrow money to open a restaurant.
But Brad had thought it was a great idea.
The Fig & Folk had been her pride and joy. But unfortunately, it wasn’t a success.
Customers loved her homemade ice cream, but not enough to buy lunch or dinner. The lease payments on the downtown building were staggering.
Meanwhile, she turned a blind eye to Brad’s odd behavior and furtive text messaging.
He left her for another woman the day she hung the Out of Business sign on the restaurant.
Now she was twenty-nine years old and staying in her parents’ basement.
She felt like a living I-told-you-so, though her parents were far too kind to ever say the words.
Taking a job as a barista back at Edible Complex was the final nail in the coffin of her self-esteem. But there hadn’t been any other jobs immediately available, and Izzy had debts to pay.
At least it was a bright, beautiful, fall day.
She took in a lungful of crisp air and let it out slowly, reminding herself of all she had to be grateful for - generous parents, a place to call home in spite of her mistakes, and most of all, the chance to turn things around.
She’d always loved the smell of the coffee and breakfast at Edible Complex. That had been half the reason she had wanted a job there back in high school.
And her big brother, Adam, was coming home for Thanksgiving.
The last few years, she’d gone with Brad on his wellness pilgrimage in the woods of New York State every Thanksgiving and missed her brother’s visits. This time, she would be able to soak in time with her favorite person in the world.
Izzy had hero-worshipped Adam through childhood, when he had grudgingly allowed her to tag along on most of his adventures.
Even as they got older and he spent most of his time with Chase, the boy next door, Izzy was included when she wanted to be.
Chase was even kind enough to benevolently ignore the not-so-subtle crush Izzy developed on him in high school.
Chase Bowman…
His very name still gave her a pleasant shiver, even though she was nearly thirty and should have been long over her unrequited crush.
But it was hard not to idealize the handsome boy with the tragic backstory. He still lived next door, and one of these days Izzy was bound to bump into him…
Enough, Izzy, she told herself.
It was bad enough that she had ruined her life. There was no reason to further humiliate herself by mooning over her high school crush.
Adam was coming home for Thanksgiving, and that was enough to look forward to. Was it a little awkward that she was crashing in his old room? Sure. But she knew he wouldn’t let her feel bad about it.
Adam was the only one who had openly expressed glee when she told him Brad was out of her life. Her brother thought it was awesome that she was coming home to start over again. He wasn’t a bit disappointed in her about the failed restaurant.
“You’re going to start over again with so much more experience, Iz,” he had said. “Failure is the best teacher. Think of Steve Jobs.”
It was easy for Adam to say. He wasn’t wealthy, but he was a great teacher and loved his work. He only had to think about failure in abstract terms.
But Izzy loved him for saying it, and more than that for clearly believing it.
It was going to be amazing to spend time with him. She couldn’t wait to stay up late, drinking hot chocolate and hearing funny stories about his young students. Nothing could ever be more grounding than time spent with Adam.
Izzy slowed as she reached the tiny downtown section of Tarker’s Hollow.
A group of volunteer firefighters was hanging snowflake decorations from the streetlights.
She resisted the urge to stop and look for a moment. Those snowflake lights had been up around the holidays every year for as long as she could remember.
A pang of happiness made her almost breathless. No matter the reasons, it was good to be home.
She was still glancing over her shoulder at the decorations as she headed into Edible Complex.
“Whoa,” a deep and familiar voice said.
She turned, already knowing it was him, already melting inside.
“Hi,
Even though she had just been pondering running into him, his sudden appearance caught her off guard.
Chase Bowman smiled down at her, his dark eyes crinkling at the corners. He was still so handsome, still radiating warmth she wanted to soak herself in.
“I heard you were home,” he said.
“Yes,” she agreed, grinning at him stupidly and unable to think of a single follow up.
“I’m headed to the office, but I can’t do it without my morning coffee,” he said, raising his paper cup, as if toasting her.
“Me too,” she agreed, shoving her apron behind her back instinctively.
“Well, enjoy your coffee. Hopefully we can catch up soon,” Chase said.
“Thanks,” she replied. “Sounds good.”
She watched him go.
His tall form strode across the street with the same quiet confidence he’d had in high school. His long, dark hair brushed the collar of his sport coat with every step.
Izzy felt her hand tighten around her apron and she brought it out from behind her back.
Stupid, stupid, stupid…
Why had she done that? There was no way in a town as small as Tarker’s Hollow that Chase wouldn’t find out she worked here. She would probably be on shift tomorrow morning when he came for his coffee, if she actually managed to get here on time. It was going to be mortifying.
Like pretty much everything else in her life these days.
She ran a hand through her hair and let out a sigh of exasperation.
“There you are,” her co-worker squawked at just that moment. “Get in here. You’re late.”
“Sorry, Lia,” Izzy said, pulling on her apron as she strode in the door.
Back in her senior year, when Izzy was an assistant manager at Edible Complex, she had trained Lia Crow.
Now the tables had turned. The owner insisted Izzy needed to be retrained, and of course she found herself as Lia’s trainee.
Back then, Lia had been a typical teen - lazy and more interested in hanging out with her friends who came in trying to score free drinks than in working. It had taken Izzy almost as much energy to get her to do her work as it would have taken to just do it for her.
Now, Lia lorded her trainer status over Izzy with great enjoyment, though as far as Izzy could tell, Lia was no more serious about her work now than she had been back then.
“Isabella Pearson, is that you?” a woman at one of the tables asked.
Izzy turned to see her grandmother’s friend, Minna Randolf, sitting with another older lady at one of the tables by the front window.
Minna was wearing one of her signature loud sweaters - this one had a huge snowflake emblazoned across the front. Her friend was as tall and thin as Minna was short and stout.
“Hi Mrs. Randolf,” Izzy said politely.
“I was at your restaurant,” Minna announced. “The Pig & Poke?”
“Actually, it was The Fig & Folk,” Izzy said, wishing she could disappear.
“Well, I don’t remember the name, or the rest of the meal, but the ice cream was heavenly,” Minna said firmly. “I’ve never had anything like it.”
“Thank you,” Izzy said, ready to take any compliment she could get.
“Can I get a refill on this coffee, dear?” Minna asked. “I’d get it myself, but my ankles are swollen.”
“Sure thing, Mrs. Randolf,” Izzy said, taking her cup.
Coffee at Edible Complex was self-serve, but there was no point arguing.
“When you’re done fooling around with your friends, make sure you refill the sugar packets, trainee,” Lia called to her from the counter with a smirk.
It was going to be a long day.
2
Chase
Chase Bowman felt the pull the moment he turned away from Izzy Pearson.
His inner wolf rose to the surface of his consciousness, snuffling for control, scenting the college woods and the call of the wild things there.
His muscles ached for the shift, and he had to concentrate not to let it happen, holding firm to the steady pattern of his flesh and bone, the path of his blood through human vessels.
The wolf keened in frustration, separating the sounds and smells of the small town, lifting out the cool shiver of the wind through the pines and holding it up against the lush spice of Isabella Pearson.
Izzy…
Chase allowed himself to picture her for one perfect instant. Her silken hair framed a face with large, worried eyes - always at odds with her easy smile.
Promise me, Chase.
He stopped himself short and tried to picture something else, anything else - spreadsheets, the pile of laundry on his bedroom floor, his sister’s face when he brought his nephew home late.
Chase was a free man. He had a good job, family, friends and everything he could want.
The only thing he could not allow himself to want, was Izzy Pearson.
“Hello, Chase,” a familiar quavery voice said.
“Hi, Carol,” he said, pausing to wait for Carol Lotus, a long-time Russian Lit faculty member. “Are we headed to the same place?”
“Planning committee for the Thanksgiving fundraiser?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said. “Thanks for volunteering.”
“I figured you could use a little help,” Carol said politely.
Yeah, that tracked.
“Were you at the Homecoming fundraiser?” he asked, bracing himself.
“No,” she said, “but…” She broke off, her eyes twinkling.
She had seen the video. It seemed like everyone on campus had. It was their own little viral sensation.
“In my defense, I took this job because I like writing grants,” Chase said. “I’m not exactly an expert party planner, and I told them so.”
“Oh, I think they believe you now,” Carol quavered. Her eyes still sparkled like she wanted badly to laugh.
He focused on the curve of the path past the Inn and the roundabout, willing himself to keep his mouth shut.
She wasn’t wrong. The Homecoming fundraiser had been a disaster several times over.
“Well, I guess I set the bar low for the Thanksgiving event,” he said lightly.
“You can say that again,” Carol laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m a crackerjack party planner.”
“Thanks for helping me, Carol,” he said, smiling down at her.
“The strength of the wolf,” she recited, smiling back at him.
But it wasn’t just a Rudyard Kipling quote to her. Carol was more than a colleague - she was a pack mate. He knew she would always help him if he needed it, just as he would do for her.
They reached the place where the path snaked between the trees. Carol glanced toward the stone pillars that signified the entrance to the wooded amphitheater.
Chase followed her glance and the wolf tried to dive out of his body again, desire slamming against his ribcage and lifting every hair on his body.
“Full moon is coming,” Carol remarked.
She could scent it on him, the desire to shift. There was no point making nice when you were among other wolves. It was a relief in a way.
“Can’t come soon enough for me,” he replied.
She smiled but didn’t press.
Carol was a good egg.
They walked on in friendly silence, waving to students here and there.
At last, they reached the mossy patio that led into Elder Hall. The old stone edifice had originally been a residence for the college president, but was now a home to several admin groups, including Development and Giving, where Chase worked.
