early and get breakfast. If you’re up for it.”
She couldn’t help but read a challenge in his words, but didn’t know exactly what he hinted at. Going out with him? Going out with him, in public? Going out with him, in public, surrounded by a town full of shifters? Each held its own worry.
Lilah chewed on her lower lip. “Is that wise?”
“Kyla’s already there for her shift, and you’ll be safe in town. We take care of our own around here.”
“Okay,” she said slowly, trying not to let her nerves get the better of her. Shifter town, full of shifters. Not her idea of a party. Then again, the Crowleys had been nothing but respectful during her brief stay and she was antsy to do something.
She never understood how so many people in fiction and real life violated house arrest or witness protection orders until she faced the monotony of it herself. She’d stayed mostly in his room in the barn, only venturing out to chat with the others or stretch her legs. Looking at the same walls for hours on end really made her appreciate random strolls through the park near her apartment or running out for groceries when she realized she’d forgotten a key ingredient.
“You’re the security expert,” she added.
Besides, the trip would give her time to probe a little more into the mystery that surrounded Seth Foster.
Chapter 11
The trees thinned out as they neared the town and more houses filled the gaps. Then those clustered tighter until they gave way to the streets and buildings like the small town where she’d grown up. A strange note of nostalgia took hold in Lilah’s heart when Seth turned them onto Main Street and she got her first look at the enormous town square.
People wandered through, or simply lounged on benches or blankets for a chat. A handful of children and their dogs raced up and down the steps of a gazebo at one end of the square, having the time of their lives while their parents watched from nearby.
Seth waved a group across the road, then crawled forward toward the firehouse. Lips twitching to hold back a grin, he jerked his chin back at the gazebo.
Lilah gasped when she realized the dogs were, in fact, tiny bears cubs.
She turned back to him with eyes as wide as saucers. “Out in the open, just like that? That’s allowed?”
“Welcome to Bearden.” He didn’t hide his amusement as he drove on.
Brick buildings lined both sides of the street. Trees decorated the sidewalks, and manicured flowers decorated the base of the thick trunks. The majority of the shops were open at that hour, and people bustled in and out the doors, all up and down the street. The scene could have replaced any small town if not for the furry individuals dotting the crowd.
Lilah could hardly peel her eyes from the window. Her heart pounded against her breastbone and panic ticked away at the back of her head. Flashes of the past tried to wedge their way to the front of her mind, but none of those memories lined up with the calm peace of the midmorning street. “Are they all shifters?”
“This time of the year? No. There are a good number of tourists in town. Not all the residents are shifters, either. A few humans live here with their mates.” He idled for a second, then swerved to grab a parking spot right on the side of the road. “We’re here.”
‘Here’ turned out to be Tommy’s Diner. The smells of the place made Lilah’s stomach rumble even before she stepped inside, Seth’s hand on the small of her back.
Kyla greeted them with a wave, which brought a scowl to the face of the man moving past her with a tray of food in his arms. He set the plates on a packed table with hard clinks before spinning around and pointing to an empty spot in the corner.
“There,” he grunted. “We’ll be with you when we can.”
Lilah shot Seth a questioning look, but he shrugged. "That's Tommy," he said as an explanation. "You get used to it. The food helps soothe any hurt feelings."
That definitely seemed to be the case. For all his gruffness, the tables stayed full. Kyla barely had a chance to say hello between taking their order and scurrying on to the next group squeezing into seats along the counter.
Lilah turned to watch the bustle along the sidewalk. She tried guessing which of the groups of friends, couples, and