Not exactly a Sheriff type, but he's still lookin' cowboy-tasty...
Howls and yowls, shapeshifter lovers.
I couldn't get my flash scene fully written yesterday. Wow, way too much going on. It's absolutely crazy.
Okay then, this flash scene *might* be the beginning of a short story I have in mind.
Sheriff Roy Lawrence Ramroth, a new character from a previous flash scene, is the star. Seems like this tall-in-the-saddle hero is about to meet his match... but we'll see...
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Sheriff Roy and the Bobcat Beauty
Comfortable with the blizzard blowing around him, Sheriff Roy, ram shapeshifter, crossed Main street in the small town of Moonrise Lake, Montana. His long stride ate up the distance fast, and with the street mostly clear of snow...well dang, in minutes, he was reaching for the door of the diner, the Wildcat Moon.
"Mornin', Ms. Jess." Roy tipped his trademark Stetson, and gave her a friendly grin.
Jess, a bobcat shifter and one helluva good cook, invitingly held up the coffee pot. "Got your joe ready, Sheriff, and your table all set up. Flapjacks, bacon, eggs, waffles, hash browns, steak...anything you want, we're fixin' it for you and your guests."
"I sure do have an appetite for your brand of cookin', Ms. Jess. I'm hopin' for a big basket of your biscuits to start. Any of that Huckleberry jam still left?"
"On the way, Sheriff. My oldest, Janice is bakin' biscuits now. She's best at it." Jess turned feline-gracefully, moving toward the large table at the back of the diner, which was covered by a red gingham tablecloth.
"By the way," Jess paused in her steps, then winked knowingly at him over her shoulder. "Xanya will be here shortly. I'll make certain she's your waitress."
Dammit, Roy cursed himself as he pulled out one of the sturdy chairs...if he wasn't blushing on the inside. Yup, a downright fiery heat there was no quenchin'.
Hellfire, he was too darn old and smart for this—chasing after a younger woman. His cock disagreed, giving a mighty jerk.
Every morning his shaving mirror let him know he'd become gray at the temples.
Gawd above, Roy derisively asked himself, why would Xanya, a lovely, Brigitte Bardot-curvy woman, be interested in his courtin'?
Yep, even with his centuries-old life span.
Besides, their pedigrees didn't match worth a running headbutt into a mountainside. Seating himself, Roy watched Jess pour the good-smellin' coffee into the large porcelain mug nearest him.
Before he could say something about not sending Xanya his way, Jess whipped around. "I'll go round up those biscuits. Farm fresh butter too," she called back.
"You know how to spoil a man." Roy cradled his mug, took several moments to savor the aroma, then took an appreciative swallow. Yep, the more time he spent in Moonrise Lake, the better he liked it.
Dante, the werewolf alpha of Wolf Peak Territory, sure knew how to set up a working town in a dang short time. But then, the teams he'd brought together from those who were loyal to him, and those who just wanted the hell outta Talbot Peak, were topnotch in their abilities and smarts.
Already, opportunities abounded for a better life here. Jess being a prime example.
She, her mate, her two daughters and son, wanted their own family business. Jess, having managed a restaurant at a truckstop for years, had jumped at the chance to set up and run her own dream diner. Given the bobcat clan liked slinging hash, as they jokingly referred to it, they'd all settled into a regular work routine.
Praise for their organic hashbrowns, and their mid-western farm cooking, had spread like wildfire, causing their clientele to grow rapidly.
Roy focused on enjoyin' the breakfast aromas, and his coffee. Until Xanya sashayed inside the diner. She wore a full-length, faux-fur coat that resembled a bobcat's coloring. The large glamorous hood framed her beautiful, cat-like face, and Roy nearly jumped in his seat along with the aroused jump of his cock.
To confuse the situation further, he'd never been attracted to a predator shapeshifter before. Over the years, his pleasure companions—and there'd been many who shared his bed, since the loss of his wife—they'd all been herbivores like himself.
Although, in his human form, his appetite was that of an omnivore. A good steak fit the bill often. Roy figured it was because his ancestors were mountain men, cowboys, who'd made the West their home since the early 1800s.
Xanya sensually removed her winter coat. That is, after a subtly flirtatious look in his direction.
Roy could do nothin' but watch her hips sway as she walked into the kitchen. He shook his head briefly, wondering how a waitress uniform could look so dang invitin' on a woman.
Not like the woman was wearin' heels and baby-doll lingerie. Nope, the getup was modest, service oriented for a family place.
Roy gulped down the rest of his coffee, thanking the Good Lord it had cooled enough not to burn his throat. But hell, no doubt about it, he had to get over this absurd infatuation.
He poured another cup of joe from the coffee pot Jess had left on the table. So what if the sexy cat gal had eyes for him. Maybe she routinely flirted with several male customers.
Relieved by the distraction, Roy gave Janice a teasing grin as she placed a basket of linen-covered biscuits, the butter, and a wire tray of syrups and jellies in front of him.
"Huckleberry jam," she announced. With a smile, she pointed to the jar. "Anything else before your guests arrive, handsome?"
"No thank you. They should be arrivin' soon. Then we'll put on the full feed bag."
"Right. If I may ask, are these candidates for being sheriff in Moonrise Lake?"
"Yep." Roy gave a nod. "That and being deputies for Wolf Peak Territory. Once I explain what the duties are, Dante is going to hold an election, and you all can decide who you want as sheriff."
"Sure thing, we do need a good sheriff. Keep the peace and all that." With another smile Janice departed.
Roy wasted not a darn second. He parted the linen napkin, reached for one of the freshly baked biscuits, then slathered on the butter. On top of the melty butter, he spooned on the Huckleberry jam, and popped it in his mouth.
Mm-mm. Nothin' better in the world...except for Xanya moving toward a family, who had just entered. Unable to remove his gaze, Roy watched the beauty take the order from the corner of one eye.
As he understood it from Jess's 'seemingly' offhand comments, Xanya's mother was Jess's cousin, and a full bobcat shifter. However, her father was human. Yet, he was an esoteric shaman type, able to shift into various animal forms using magick. Not the dark sorcery of the skin walkers—according to Jess—but the ancient-tone rituals of Atlantis, then ancient Egypt.
Roy knew of those rituals. During one of his Indian Jones' adventures in Egypt, back in his youth, he'd observed several such tone-inspired ceremonies. Deep inside an underground pyramid chamber, he'd watched the secret cult members morph for a short time to lions, to an Anubis like dog, then to camels.
His presence had never been discovered. Roy figured it was because he'd shifted to ram, and remained in the shadows barely breathing. Yep, they'd been on the psychic lookout for human intruders alright, but weren't obviously sensitive to intruding animals.
To his eventual relief that particular secret cult turned out to be on the good side, only wanting to preserve the most ancient knowledge. Roy smiled at the memory, and reached for another biscuit.
"Sheriff, good to see you again." Xanya's silky voice vibrated through every dang inch of him. "I sure would like to paint you."
"Paint me?" he nearly choked out, but managed to keep his voice even enough.
"I'm a portrait painter. This waitressing gig is only for earning enough money to set up my studio."
So, that was her interest in him. Good. The heavens be praised.
Roy eased his gaze toward her. Xanya's smile could have lit up the entire Montana sky. And her eyes, her gorgeous eyes were like crystals with blue and gold specks.
"Sure thing," he drawled. "We'll talk details sometime down the road. What's your goin' rate?"
"Oh, I'm certain we can come up with a suitable arrangement...Sheriff." The corners of her luscious lips flipped up into a sassy smile. Then Xanya was spinning around, and sashaying from him.
Damn, and wham his hard-headed ram noggin against a concrete barrier—as he'd done charging after a bad guy—yep, the woman knew how to mightily upend his day without breaking a sweat. Then again, she was feline, half of her, anyway.
Like the cavalry arriving to save his ass, Roy caught sight of his sheriff and deputy candidates pouring through the diner's glass door. He stood and waved them over.
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Wishing you love and passion on the wild side ~
Savanna
Savanna Kougar ~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance
