Page 273 of Secret Shifters Next Door

I stayed and hung out with them for a while, but finally said my goodbyes and headed home. The first thing I did when I pulled onto my street was check if Blayne’s car was in the driveway across the road.

It wasn’t there. Was he okay? I hadn’t seen him at all since the night I’d rejected him.

I spent the rest of the afternoon sporadically peering out the window to see if his car was there, but he must have been doing something important. By the time my stomach started to rumble for dinner, he still wasn’t home.

Though my fridge was stocked, I wasn’t in the mood to cook. A little deli had opened down the road since I’d been home last, so I decided to drive the three miles and see what they had to offer.

The scent of freshly baked bread hit my nose as soon as I stepped out of my car. I smiled. A sandwich shop that baked their own bread? Lilly Valley sure was moving up in the world.

The smell inside was even better than outside. Not only could you smell the bread, but the meat and cheeses, too. Only three people were in the queue ahead of me, and I stepped up behind a massive guy who looked like an NFL linebacker.

The menu had about a dozen different selections or a build-your-own sandwich option. I was trying to decide between a club, a Rueben, and something called the Grandpappy that seemed to have everything and the kitchen sink on it when the big guy in front of me turned around. Recognition and surprise registered in his eyes when he saw me.

I remembered I’d met him the other day at the coffee shop with Blayne. He’d been with Blayne’s friend Tate.

I blinked in surprise and smiled. “Oh, hey. Umm, Jared, right?” I said, holding out my hand.

He looked down at it, then back at me before shaking my hand. “Sorry. Yeah. I’m Jared. Good to see you again.”

“You too. Is this place any good?”

He frowned and looked around. “What? Like, Lilly Valley? Yeah, it’s cool. I like it.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “No. I meant the deli.”

Two bright spots of red appeared on his cheeks, and he smiled sheepishly. “Right. Stupid. Yeah, it’s great. I come at least once a week. What are you getting?”

I gestured toward the menu as we moved closer to the counter. “You’ll think it’s silly, but I was thinking about the thing called the Grandpappy Sandwich.”

Jared’s eyes bulged. “I’ve had it, and it ended up being enough for two meals for me.” He looked me up and down. “You’ll probably eat that thing for a week.”

“Perfect,” I said with a grin. “I won’t have to cook or buy lunch for a few days.”

He chuckled and tilted his head. “That’s one way to look at it. Hey, sorry about being weird the other day. I was trying not to step on Blayne’s toes.”

I narrowed my eyes. “What’s that mean?”

“Oh, about you guys being mates. I didn’t want to interrupt the whole process. It’s part of why Tate and I left so quickly.”

I waved a hand like I was shooing a fly. “Well, that’s done. I rejected him, so it should all be over now.”

Jared’s head jerked back a little. “Seriously? So, the spell’s broken?”

We moved up. Jared ordered for both of us and paid for all our food, though I tried to refuse. We moved over to a small table to wait for our order.

“You were asking about the spell?” I said. “I suppose it is broken. You’d probably know more about that than I do.”

“Well, Blayne took a few days off and only came back to the office yesterday. He’s in rough shape. To be honest, I haven’t been in town long. I’ve been wondering if the curse might snagme, too. The witch who cast it died before the guys could get more info. No way of knowing if it was a one-time thing or if it will affect any shifter who ends up living here.”

Hearing that Blayne was in rough shape sent a sliver of guilt through me. I’d done that to him. He’d asked for it, literally and figuratively, but it didn’t make me feel any better. Unable to give a good response, I nodded absently.

They called our number a few seconds later, and Jared leaped up to grab the food. “Were you going to eat here or take it back to your place?” he asked with a hopeful expression.

“Back home.” I stood and took the brown paper bag from him. “It was nice talking to you. Oh, and thanks for paying for my sandwich. You didn’t have to do that.”

He blushed again, struggling to meet my eyes. “Yeah, sure, no problem. Maybe I’ll see you around some time?”

“Probably. I’ll be in town for a few months.”

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