Tropical Leopard's Longing (Shifting Sands Resort 8)

Darla wished she were the sort of person who could put her foot down. “No,” she imagined saying. “I’m not trying on those ridiculous dresses again, and I’m only wearing one necklace, and I’m canceling the vigil, and we’re doing a simple, short wedding, or else I’ll throw a fit and you won’t get any wedding at all.”

But that was not her. That was someone braver than her, someone more clever and self-assured.

Instead, she timidly said, “I’m very tired from traveling, Mother, and I haven’t caught up to this timezone. Do you think we could do that this afternoon instead? I thought I might lie out by the pool before the sun got too hot.”

“Lie out in the sun?!”

She might as well have suggested yodeling or dancing naked in the restaurant.

“Lie out in the sun?” Jubilee repeated incredulously. “Darla, sweetheart, think of your skin! You know how you freckle. You don’t want to look common for the most important days of your life!”

The bolder her might have pointed out that no one would be able to see through the glitter of the ugly jewels to even notice a few freckles. The real her knew that she’d look common no matter how un-freckled her cheeks were kept.

“I was thinking I’d do it as a leopard,” she said swiftly, knowing that a sunhat or skin protectant would not reassure her mother. “It’s a resort for shifters, after all, so it’s completely normal here.”

Jubilee looked unconvinced and Darla would have conceded defeat if the earth hadn’t given a rattling little hiccup under their feet just then.

The earthquake was brief, doing no more than rattling the paintings on the walls. They fled the bedroom, but by the time they came out into the living area, the earth was quiet again.

Jubilee’s eyes were wide. “It’s a sign!” she gasped. “An earthquake before a wedding, it must mean something.”

“It’s a sign that we’re in the ring of fire where earthquakes happen all the time,” Darla said smartly before she could stop herself. Adrenaline made her feel brave.

Jubilee ignored her, pressing a hand to her chest. “Oh, my heart is hammering. This is dreadful. Maybe this resort was a mistake. We could have done this in the English countryside, or in Italy, perhaps. There might still be time for the rest of the guests to get their tickets changed.”

Darla patted her arm awkwardly. “Come and sit down, Mother. It’s just a little earthquake, it’s not a portent of doom.”

Jubilee was shaking her head as she reluctantly took the plush wicker chair that Darla offered. “I should consult with my psychic,” she said. “Maybe we’re doing the wrong thing.” She dug into her designer purse for her phone. “I wish I’d insisted that she come with me. But she doesn’t like to travel. Oh, maybe she knew something!”

Darla left her mother dialing her phone and muttering about foreshadows and bad signs and returned to her own bedroom. The jewelry on the bedspread hadn’t even gotten tangled in the quake. Darla frowned at it, then perked up. Her mother would be occupied for a long while with her psychic, and she hadn’t explicitly told Darla she couldn’t go sun herself in leopard form.

That was a close as Darla was going to get to actual permission, and she wasn’t going to squander the chance. As quickly as she could, Darla stripped out of her clothing, leaving it folded neatly on the bedside table. The engagement bracelet could not come off, but it was dragon-magic, and would shift with her.

Quick as a thought, she was a snow leopard, plush and graceful in ways she never was as a human. The silver bracelet shone on one wrist. Darla shook that paw, not liking the weight of it, then scampered out the private back door of her bedroom to visit the quiet pool and enjoy the sun and fleeting peace.

Chapter 6

The bar deck was quiet when Breck came down following the breakfast service.

Though it didn’t tend to get truly rowdy until evening, there was usually a steady stream of shifters through the space. Even if the guests weren’t drinking alcohol, the fruit drinks and snacks were popular, and there were games and books, and the fitness center was nearby. There were more shaded tables than were available on the pool deck below, and it was rare that there weren’t a few people sitting at them.

“It feels weird, doesn’t it?” Tex, bear shifter and bartender, was restocking a cooler with bottles. He passed Breck a ginger ale.

“Reminds me of a couple of years ago, before business picked up,” Breck agreed, unscrewing the lid and taking a long swallow. “We used to get lulls like this a lot.”

“I suppose it’s good that business is brisker now,” Tex said. “Job security, and all.”

“Not to mention bonuses,” Breck chuckled. “Though it would help if you didn’t get resort property blown up this year.”

“I had nothing to do with the boat blowing up!” Tex protested. He considered. “Well, very little, anyway. How’d it go with your hot date last night? You were certainly back late.”

Breck shrugged. “I don’t kiss and tell,” he said with a wink.

“Oh?” Tex said skeptically. “When did that start?”

“I am the epitome of discretion,” Breck protested with mock innocence. Another time, he might have simply fabricated something. He had an active imagination and a wealth of experience to draw on, and it was always entertaining to make Tex flush and regret asking questions.

But he still felt the restless displacement of the night before, and needling Tex held no distraction.