Page 49 of Starry with a Chance of Nightshade

Dana grunted. “There’s a raccoon? Since when?”

“That would be my fault,” admitted Donte. “Marcy came by the clinic with your father to check on Kellan four nights ago and saw the raccoon I’d been rehabilitating. It’s still a juvenile and someone had clearly abused it. Marcy and the raccoon struck up a rather one-sided conversation before she informed your father that it would be going home with them. He didn’t look thrilled, but Marcy mentioned extra bubble bath time if he was a good boy and the next I knew, he was grabbing the raccoon and running for the car.”

Dana touched her stomach. “I’m going to hurl.”

Jeffrey laughed loud and hard, drawing looks from the others at the café. “Face it, Legs. Your dad has got some serious game. And know it pains me to admit that about any Van Helsing male. They’re all so annoying.”

Dana paled.

“Come on, folks, I’m not asking you to find a way to clean all the damn plastic out of the ocean in a day or anything. I’m asking you to form a line and keep it moving,” said a stern-sounding feminine voice from the counter area. “Take your cup of coffee and move along.”

Donte snorted as he shook his head. “Ms. Peggy doesn’t suffer fools. She’s up there putting caffeineandthe fear of God into folks.”

“I like her,” said Dana. “She’s a no-nonsense kind of woman.”

“Gee, wonder why it isyouseem so fond of her,” said Jeffrey with a playful eyeroll. His expression became serious quickly as he glanced at the veterinarian. “Still no change on the wolf?”

By wolf, Stratton knew Jeffrey meant Kellan Harker. Kellan, like Jeffrey, was a wolf-shifter but he wasn’t part of the pack. None of the Harker wolves were. At least not yet, despite rumors saying that might be changing since Jeffrey and Dana were now mated.

The Harker wolves served the Van Helsing slayer line. They worked hand in hand with them and had for as long as they’d been around. Kellan had been gravely injured in a battle against an evil vampire and his ghoul minions shortly after Dana and her friends had come to town. He’d been trying to protect her when he’d been hurt.

Dana lowered her head and closed her eyes.

Jeffrey rocked her back and forth more. “He’ll get better, Legs. He just needs more time to heal. That’s all.”

Donte glanced past Jeffrey at Stratton. His expression said he wasn’t so sure Jeffrey was right.

“Next,” said another woman from the counter area.

Jeffrey, who was well over six feet, like Stratton and Donte, went to his tiptoes, looking over others’ heads. “Was that my mother’s voice?”

Dana lifted her head. “I think it was. When did she start working here?”

Jeffrey groaned. “She doesn’t work here.”

“White chocolate mocha,” said another woman. “Here you go. Enjoy and come again.”

“That was Brett’s mom,” said Jeffrey. He let out a long breath. “I’m not sure I want to know why they’re up there running things this morning. Those two tend to be wherever trouble is.”

“Kind of like your mate and her friends,” said Stratton, meaning every word of it.

Dana glanced at him. “You may have a sexy bottom, but that doesn’t mean I won’t kick it.”

Stratton grinned.

“I’ve got some house calls to make. Stay safe out there, something is brewing. The animals have been restless again. Last time that happened, this town was nearly overrun by ghouls,” said Donte before he headed out the door.

Dana put her hand over Jeffrey’s. “You should reach out to Bram tonight. Just to be sure everyone is on the same page.”

Stratton noticed Dana rarely called her father “Dad” or anything of the sort. She tended to refer to him by his name. Not a total shock, since for nearly all her life she’d believed he was dead. Technically, she wasn’t exactly wrong if you counted the fact that he was a creature of the night. Coming to Grimm Cove had turned her world upside down.

“Will do, Legs, if and only if you promise to stay out of whatever is brewing,” said Jeffrey. “Bram would want the same for you and Marcy. And I know Brett isn’t going to want Poppy anywhere near trouble.”

“I promise not to actively go seeking out danger,” said Dana. “Beyond that, I make no such oath.”

“Ever the litigator,” said Jeffrey with a sigh. “But I’ll take what I can get.”

ChapterEighteen

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