Free ROMANCE: SHIFTER: Shifter to the Max Collection (Dragon, Bear, Wolf and Panther Shifter Romances) (Paranormal Fantasy Romance Collection) by C.J. Ayers

mitt in one hand and amphibians on the brain.
    “He’ll be bigger than his daddy, and just as strong as his Uncle Ryder. He has to control that strength before it fully develops. Think of what Ryder would be capable of if he let himself go berserk.” Rachel stood up and caressed her son’s cheek. He opened his eyes, and hesitantly smiled up at her. “You did marvelous, son. Time to work off some excess energy, though. Go ride your bike up to the ranch house and tell Uncle Ryder everything. He has a little sister and two little brothers; he’ll understand.”
    Timber whooped and raced for the front door. Rachel watched him pedal madly up the drive for a moment, and turned to Amber. “His sister is a bit immature, though. She should start school in the fall, but I think we may hold her back a year. She’s an instigator, and prone to stirring things up just to see what happens. Someday I think she’ll be a great scientist, but I don’t think she’s quite ready to be enrolled in school. We’ll stick with play dates and organized sports for another year.” Rachel’s mouth was twisted in a rueful grimace. “If you’ll excuse me for a second, I need to speak with our sparkplug for a moment.”
    “Actually, Rach, I should go. I’m going to cook for Ryder tonight and need to see what Iris thinks I can make.” Amber hugged Rachel fiercely. “They’re beautiful children.”
    “Thanks, Am. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay? You can give me all your cooking details.” Rachel wagged her eyebrows up and down, and Amber laughed as she followed the path Timber had used a few minutes before.
    Just before Amber closed the front door behind her she heard Rachel saying, “Now, miss, what was that about? You deliberately tried to provoke your brother into a change.”
     

CHAPTER 8
     
    Seeing the van parked outside the shop, Amber passed through the main building in search of Iris.  She was in what she called her “happy place” – baking in the kitchen to her favorite Irish folk music on the stereo.
    “Perfect!” Amber cried, “You can advise me!”
    With her blonde hair pulled back into a French braid, Iris’s green eyes appeared even larger than usual. They turned to Amber.
    “Oh, good! I’d love to, dear. About what?”  She pivoted in time to the music and walked over, mixing bowl in hand, continuing a steady stirring rhythm.
    “All the foodstuffs we got for the apartment. What can I cook for a dinner tonight?” Amber hitched herself onto one of the barstools and waited for wisdom.
    Iris looked at her quizzically. “Anything you want to cook for a dinner, I suppose. Why?”
    “No, I mean. I’m not entirely sure what I have, and I certainly don’t have the expertise to just whip something up creatively. Will you help me with a menu for tonight? One that’s easy for me to follow? I’m cooking dinner for Ryder, and I’d like it to be nice. Well, nice-ish, my kitchen skills are just above rudimentary, which you know.”
    Iris smiled.  “Nice-ish. I think we can handle that. So, simple but elegant? Something you and Ryder might enjoy? Handy thing that I decided to bake today. When this is done, I’ll bring it up to the apartment. Let’s see.  How about roast sirloin, potatoes, green beans, and salad? It’ll look elegant on the plate, but each thing is simple to make. I have recipes that are easy to follow. And I know Ryder is a meat-and-veggie man.”
    Amber sighed in relief. She knew she’d come to the right place for advice.
     
     
     
    As she was putting the finishing touches on her table setting for two, a knock sounded at the door. Amber thought to herself, well, the man is better than punctual, he’s early.
    She walked over to the door, giving her clothes a quick twitch to make sure they were in place, and the apartment a quick scan for anything out of place. Everything was as good as she could make it.
    Ryder filled the doorway and then her senses. From behind his back he pulled a bouquet