My Neighbor's Shapeshifter

By Julie Glover

Caroline Jo Baker's family has a trailer in the boondocks and pinches pennies to make ends meet. So she can't help but be a little envious of her new neighbors with their huge home, fancy cars, and luxury pool. But when her distracted gawking lands her in a ditch, the cute guy across the street comes to her rescue.

At least she thinks he's a guy. Until he turns out to be something more—something with a beak, claws, and wings. Forget the riches—is she ready to have a shapeshifter for a neighbor?

 

Short story, 9k words.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Julie Glover
• Release date: Mar 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201566623

Julie Glover

Julie Glover is an award-winning author of young adult and mystery fiction. Her debut Sharing Hunter placed in several contests, including the much-touted RWA® Golden Heart® YA. Her follow-up, Daring Charlotte, also a repeat contest finalist, releases later this year. She has also co-authored four supernatural suspense novels and two short stories in the Muse Island series under her pen name Jules Lynn. Julie lives in Texas with her hottie husband, her loquacious cat, and her large collection of cowgirl boots.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Fly, Birdie, Fly

Istepped off the school bus just as the red BMW pulled into the drive across the street. My chest tightened. Dang. While I’d love to own a sports car, I was mostly jealous of the air conditioning my new neighbor enjoyed on her ride home from high school. August in South Texas rivaled a bonfire, and the bus’s vents blew tepid air at best.

The bus pulled away, leaving me on the shoulder of my rural highway, right in front of the drainage ditch, watching the new girl in my grade—Jasmine, I think—step out of her shiny, cool car onto their cobblestone driveway.

It was only a few weeks ago that her family had moved into the estate property across the road. They’d spruced the place up some, but what had really caught my eye was a cage-like structure they’d added to house a single hawk. Apparently, rich people could do whatever they wanted, including having a pet bird of prey on the same ranch with their swank mansion.

With one last look at her Beamer, I shouldered my book bag, sighed, and turned toward home. We might have rich neighbors, but our patch of land included a dirt road with wild bushes lining both sides and a generous stretch of dead grass and overgrown weeds that manicured our seen-better-decades trailer.

Before I could take a single step, my phone buzzed. I pulled it from my pocket. Hey, Mom, hope you have lemonade waiting. I’m sweating bullets, and—

Sorry, Caroline. Mom’s voice was low and quiet.

My shoulders fell. Extra shift?

I wish I could say no, but...

I was disappointed, but not upset. Mom had too much on her plate already, trying to care for me and my little brother on a small-town waitress salary.

It’s fine, I chirped back. I make amazing lemonade too, you know.

Thanks, sweetheart. Leftovers are in the fridge. Make sure Rhett does his homework. And—

A screech drowned her out. Hang on, Mom. I can’t hear.

I looked to the sky where a winged something flew overhead. It curled and dipped in circles above our rural highway, then flew back to its home next door.

I cupped my hand over the phone. Our new neighbors are weird.

What happened? Mom asked.

Their hawk. It’s loud.

She chuckled. Yeah, but their son is nice. He came into the diner the other day and tipped really well.

Oh well, in that case, fly, birdie, fly.

Her short-lived laughter on the other end of the line lightened not just her mood, but mine.

Gotta go, honey, she said. Can’t be late.

I’ll take care of everything at home. Don’t worry. As soon as we hung up, I realized what a pointless ask that was—my mother’s middle name was worry.

Some days, it was her first name too.

I’d offered to get a job