Johnny's North Star Read online

  

  Brac Pack 35

  Johnny's North Star

  [The Lynn Hagen ManLove Collection: Contemporary, Alternative, Paranormal, Werewolves, Shape-shifters, MM, HEA]

  Johnny Stone is the new art teacher at the local rec center. He might not know a dang thing about art, but he loves hanging out with the little kiddos. One particular child has stolen Johnny’s heart, and he’s determined to break through her little shell and become friends. When a snowstorm threatens Brac Village and he can’t get ahold of North’s parents, Johnny decides to give her a ride home. What he doesn’t know is that Santa has other plans, and once again the mates are in trouble.

  Meanwhile, Brady Tryniski has returned home for the holidays. He’s also there to find a job. He doesn’t want to tell his parents that he was a failure in Tampa because they’re so proud of him following his dreams. To make matters worse, Brady is attracted to his dad’s new friend. When his dad blows a gasket and demands Brady stop seeing Harmon, the holidays turn sticky. But Brady refuses to give up his mate, even if that means his parents turning their backs on him.

  Length: 33,700 words

  JOHNNY'S NORTH STAR

  Brac Pack 35

  Lynn Hagen

  

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  Johnny's North Star

  Copyright © 2019 by Lynn Hagen

  ISBN: 978-1-64637-057-3

  First Publication: December 2019

  Cover design by Emma Nicole

  All art and logo copyright © 2019 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  If you find a Siren-BookStrand e-book or print book being sold or shared illegally, please let us know at [email protected]

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Lynn Hagen loves writing about the somewhat flawed, but lovable. She also loves a hero who can see past all the rough edges to find the shining diamond of a beautiful heart.

  You can find her on any given day curled up with her laptop and a cup of hot java, letting the next set of characters tell their story.

  For all titles by Lynn Hagen, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/lynn-hagen

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  JOHNNY'S NORTH STAR

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  JOHNNY'S NORTH STAR

  Brac Pack 35

  LYNN HAGEN

  Copyright © 2019

  Chapter One

  Johnny wrapped his coat tighter around his body as he hurried to the front door of the local rec center, giving his mate a quick wave before Hawk drove off. December was turning out to be a bitter cold month, he noted as his sparkly pink boots sloshed through the wet snow. Dang it. Now he would have to spend at least an hour cleaning them when he got home, but Johnny loved his boots and would do whatever it took to keep them clean and pretty.

  Hawk had given them to him when Johnny had performed a very naughty favor for him. He snickered as he remembered what that favor was, and now he wanted to run back to the truck to do it all over again.

  But he became all business when he grabbed the handle of the door. He’d just gotten off work at The Café and was now heading to his volunteer job.

  He liked this job much better than handing out coffee all day and gossiping with his best friend, Spencer. Though Johnny did love their talks. But he liked hanging out with the kids in the art room much better. The little ones didn’t judge his curly blond hair or ask why he wore orange and pink or how come he liked sparkly stuff so much. Some customers at the coffee shop were just plain nosy.

  And rude.

  He stepped inside to the sound of a basketball hitting the court, shoes streaking across the floor, and boys shouting—some using profanity—as he moved down the hallway to the art room. When he stepped inside, a few kids were already there, drawing their little hearts out as Johnny hung up his coat and joined them.

  “That’s so pretty,” he said to little Bobby. “I love how you made your robot pink.”

  Little Bobby beamed up at him, brushing aside strands of brown hair that had gotten in the way. “They match your boots.”

  “They sure do,” Johnny said as he twisted his foot from side to side. “The exact same color, too.”

  “I’m gonna make him sparkly when I’m done.”

  And that was why he loved the kiddos so much. They didn’t have a mean bone in their compact bodies. He ruffled Bobby’s hair and moved to Amy Beth’s table, where she was making a mess with the finger paints. She even had bits of red and yellow in her auburn pigtails.

  “Do you like my picture?” she asked when Johnny approached. “It’s my house.”

  It looked like a blob to Johnny, but he smiled at her and nodded. “The best dang house I’ve ever seen.”

  The art room was lined with drawings from other children who’d visited his class. Johnny wasn’t even sure why he was asked to teach art. His artistic talent consisted of stick figures, but he guessed he didn’t need to be an art expert to babysit the kids.

  And that was what he was. A glorified babysitter. But Johnny didn’t mind. He loved spending time with kids who came there because their parents needed to work or the older kids who could escape a broken home. But not all of them were there for that reason. Some came just because they liked his class.

  They’d told him so, and that had made Johnny’s heart swell. Some days his mate, Hawk, helped him out, and sometimes Cecil, Blair, and Oliver came in to show off their drawing skills.

  Which none of them had. He suspected they just liked messing with the finger paints because they always made a mess by the time they left, and then Johnny would spend the next hour cleaning up behind them.

  “I like your boots, too.” Amy Beth looked down at them. She said that every time she saw him. What she didn’t know was that Johnny had asked Hawk to take him to the mall so he could buy a pair in her size. Johnny was waiting for the day before Christmas to give them to her. He’d also bought Bobby a toy robot and a few other gifts for his regulars.

  He went all gooey when he thought about the looks that would be on their faces when he gave them their presents. But Christmas was still a week away, and Johnny was brimming with excitement to give them their gifts early.

  Too bad Hawk had hidden them from him, saying that Johnny would spoil the surprise. And he would’ve if Hawk hadn’t made the presents disappear. Johnny had searched for them, but the Den was too big, and he’d still had no luck finding them.

  “She’s here,” Amy Beth whispered as she pointed a painted finger toward the classroom door.

  Johnny turned to see North standing just inside the room. “Should I try again?” he whispered to her.

  Amy Beth’s head bobbed up and down, her pigta
ils swinging. “She should be our friend.”

  Johnny agreed, but as hard as he’d tried to befriend North, the little girl always shied away. She reminded Johnny of the time he’d spent at the center so long ago, trying his best to escape his home life where he’d lived with his abusive brother.

  It had been Cecil who’d befriended him and made Johnny light up every time he saw the guy. Cecil visiting the rec center had been the highlight of Johnny’s day back then.

  He still got excited when he saw Cecil but had learned a long time ago that Cecil was devilish and his kind eyes sometimes fooled people. But Johnny loved Cecil with all his heart, even if he had gotten the mates into so much trouble over the years.

  The fun had been worth it.

  Instead of approaching North, Johnny went to the supply closet and grabbed a container of beads. If the trick had worked on Johnny, he was hoping making necklaces would help North open up to him.

  He used to think girls were icky, but since volunteering here, he’d become fast friends with Amy Beth. She was the apple of his eye, and he delighted in spending time with her every time she showed up. Bobby was sweet, too.

  Johnny set the container on an empty table and opened the lid. He took out lettered beads that spelled North’s name. At first he thought it odd that her parents would name her North Star. But he’d grown to adore it.

  He tapped his chin and turned his head toward her. “Does your name have an E in it?”

  North pressed her hands behind her as she stood by the wall next to the door. She shook her head. Johnny placed her age at around five and always thought it odd that he never saw her parents dropping her off. Even stranger was the fact that by the time his classroom emptied at the end of the day, North was already gone.

  He puckered his lips. “Well, dang it. I need your help if I’m gonna make a necklace with your name on it.”

  “I can help.” Amy Beth got up and wandered over. “She spells her name A…C…A…T.”

  Johnny giggled. Amy Beth was too adorable. “I think her name has an R in there somewhere, but I could be mistaken.”

  He went to his lunch bag and pulled out the batch of cookies George had made for him. They weren’t as good as Lucinda’s cookies, but…Johnny shoved the thought of Lucinda aside as he took a seat and pulled the peanut butter cookies from his bag.

  “For every letter you give me, I’ll give you a cookie," he said to North. “I even have milk in my tiny fridge.”

  The art room was well stocked. Maverick Brac, the alpha of Brac Village, made sure the rec center was always supplied with new equipment whenever anything became old. The part of the center for the older kids had air hockey tables, ping pong tables, and new basketballs. The art room was a dream for the kiddos, and the nursery with the little ones had everything needed to make sure they were well taken care of.

  North scooted down the wall until she reached the board where all the macaroni pictures hung. At least she’d moved. The day before she’d just sat in a corner munching on a cookie as she watched everyone else discover their inner artist. Johnny wanted desperately for her to be a part of their group.

  He took a bite of one of the cookies from his bag. “Oh my goodness. These are so good.”

  “Can I have one?” Amy Beth asked as she bounced in place. “I spelled her name for her.”

  “You spelled a cat,” Johnny said. “But you get one for trying.”

  “I made a pink robot,” Bobby argued. “Can I have one?”

  Johnny had only six cookies. “Sure, but you have to make sure your robot is sparkly.”

  “I promise!” Bobby held out his small hand and then wiggled his fingers. With a giggle, Johnny handed him a cookie.

  “Eat it slowly,” he warned. Bobby tended to scarf his snacks down, and Johnny didn’t want to call an ambulance if the kid started choking. He’d never forgive himself if something happened to one of his little friends.

  North eyed the cookies still sitting on the table.

  Johnny tapped the beads. “What is the first letter?”

  “N,” North whispered.

  Johnny beamed that he’d gotten her to talk to him. “Do you want your cookie?”

  Just then one of the other volunteers came into the room. North backed away and looked down at the floor, and judging by the way she shrank back, she was trying to become a part of the wall. Johnny hated that she was so frightened. And especially of Velius. The guy was short, skinnier than Johnny, and spoke just as softly as North did, but he was outgoing, too. And easily excitable.

  “Sorry,” Velius said when he looked at North. “I didn’t mean to scare her, but I was sent in here to tell you a big snowstorm is heading our way and the kids have to go home.”

  Dang it. Johnny had been that close to getting her to his table. He got up and approached North, trying to make himself as little as possible so he wouldn’t seem so big to her. He held out the cookie, and North reluctantly took it, shoving it behind her back.

  Johnny gently tugged on her black strands before facing Velius. “Can you call everyone’s parents?”

  “I did.” Velius’s gaze flashed to North again. “But no one answered at her house.”

  “I don’t wanna go home,” Bobby complained. “I haven’t finished my robot.”

  Amy Beth held out her hands. “I haven’t finished my house.”

  Johnny led Amy Beth to the kid-sized sink and helped her wash the paint off. “The picture will still be here when you get back.”

  “You promise?” She looked up at him with her big doe eyes.

  “Cross my heart,” Johnny replied.

  “But my picture was for my dad,” Bobby cried. “I wanna give it to him for Christmas.”

  Johnny knew a little bit about Bobby and didn’t have the heart to tell him his dad was locked up. Bobby kept saying his dad was on a business trip, which was clearly a lie his mother had told him. Bobby would figure it out sooner or later, though. No one went on a five-year business trip. Less if his dad was on good behavior. Or so Johnny had heard.

  Amy Beth’s parents had died in a car accident, and her grandmother was raising her. Most of his students had sad stories, and that was why Johnny got along with them so well because he’d had his own sad story until he’d met Hawk.

  “What do you want me to do about North?” Velius asked from behind him.

  Johnny dried Amy Beth’s hands. “Me and Hawk can take her home. Can you get me her address?”

  Velius bobbed his head. “I’ll be right back.”

  The guy reminded Johnny a lot of himself when he’d been in his early twenties. Only Velius was outgoing, whereas Johnny had been extremely shy.

  Johnny was now in his forties but didn’t look a day past twenty-two because he was mated to a shifter and that made him age very slowly. The rec center had changed hands a few times, so every knew director simply thought he was some young guy who liked to volunteer.

  He still wasn’t sure why the townsfolk hadn’t reacted to his youthful looks, but he suspected they knew more than they let on, and that made Johnny happy because he didn’t want to move away from Brac Village.

  Velius returned with a Post-it note and handed it over. Johnny looked at the address and noticed she lived two miles from town.

  When Bobby and Amy Beth were escorted from the room by Velius, Johnny gave North the remaining cookies. She ate them like she was starving. He went to the fridge and grabbed a milk container before handing it over. She took it and drank it down.

  If he didn’t know better, he’d say she didn’t get very many meals at home. Johnny grabbed a few more snacks from the cupboard and gave them to her. “Sorry, crackers and gummy bears are all I have here.”

  She wiped her mouth and dipped her head, her veil of inky-black hair hiding her face.

  Johnny hunched down so he could look her in the eyes. “You can trust me, North. I promise I’m your friend. I’m a really nice guy, and I’m even a godfather. I just don’t whack people.” He tapp
ed his chin in thought. “Although once I threatened that Cecil would sleep with the fishes if he didn’t leave me alone.”

  She rolled her bottom lip in and glanced away.

  Johnny sighed. She was a hard nut to crack, but he was determined to make friends with her. There was just something about North that touched his heart. Maybe she reminded Johnny of himself when he’d first started coming here. Maybe that was why he was so determined to win her over.

  But he wouldn’t push because he was afraid she’d never come back.

  Velius stuck his head into the room. “Hawk’s out here.”

  Johnny took a chance and held out his hand. North waited a few beats and then slid her tiny hand into his. He led her from the room and smiled when he spotted his mate. Hawk was in the gym, tossing around the ball with the older boys.

  They were always fascinated with Hawk. Johnny’s mate was six feet four and built like the warrior that he was. Johnny suspected one or two of the boys had a man-crush on him. Not in a sexual way. More like they worshipped the ground he walked on. If they only knew Hawk was well over three hundred and forty years old.

  Johnny snickered when he thought about how his old-timer was beating the pants off those teenagers. Even at his age, Hawk was running circles around them. But it was when Hawk and a few of the other warriors got together that the gym became a jungle. The large warriors pounded the court as if winning the game meant everything to them, especially when Maverick got in on the fun. The alpha towered over everyone and usually didn’t miss a shot.

  Johnny watched and then grinned when Hawk ran across the court, leapt into the air, and slammed the ball through the hoop.

  “No fair,” some of the boys groaned. “You got him on your team.”

  “Next time I’ll bring Kota,” Hawk promised.

  That got smiles and nods of agreement from them. Kota was their alpha’s second-in-command, and he was built just as big as Hawk was. “Now you guys get your things and head home. No hanging outside. It’s cold, and a storm is coming.”