Author Kathi S Barton

Toby Deaver had been searching for George Manning for quite some time. The teapot had spoken to her and made it quite clear that she needed to find George. Loading up her family, her grannie, and her son, Shawn, into the car, they headed to the small town in Ohio.

George had already discovered the gem beneath the clay, but he and Imp weren’t quite sure what Toby’s involvement might be and were taken aback when Toby announced that she knew they weren’t human. Imp sensed that the boy, Shawn, wasn’t human either.

Although welcomed by the family, Toby felt she had worn out their welcome and wanted to return home to find a much-needed job. But when Shawn sensed a cloaked assassin, Toby reached out to the Mannings for help. Dover, a Manning she had yet to meet, responded to her plea for help. And when an older woman at the market wrapped her arms around Dover’s neck for an affectionate hug, Toby had never felt such a violent, jealous rage consume her.

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Finn Manning had so much on his plate, he wasn’t sure which end was up. He’d been there six months, and the pile of work on his desk hadn’t diminished by one sheet of paper. None of the construction projects the family had lent the money for had even been started. The foreman was a bully, and Finn had had enough.

Rachel Merkel had literally felt the earth move from beneath her feet. The plates she had been stacking at the restaurant crashed around her when she hit the floor. Her sister-in-law Sandra, instead of being concerned, threatened to fire her. Rachel was wondering how that worked, considering she owned the majority share in the restaurant, but instead of arguing with her, she clocked out and went home.

After a heated argument with her brother, Chad, about Sandra, Rachel quit to keep the peace. Then, Rachel felt the earth move again. This time she was sick with it.

Finn had felt it too through an unseen connection and came to Rachel’s rescue. He didn’t know the woman, but he had an overwhelming need to help her. As soon as he caught her scent, he knew what she was to him.

Rachel, not entirely human herself, could sense Finn was a dragon, and she felt the connection when he did. What she wasn’t sure about was what all came with it—the Mannings—all the parents, brothers, aunts, and uncles—it was overwhelming….

Pembroke Black had always had a lot on her plate. As a child, she could not tolerate her father, and Pem had moved in with her grandparents when her mother died. When she was old enough to move out, she joined the Army and served the front lines as a doctor. Stitching people up was what she did best. Coping with her own emotions was another story—Pem found little joy in this world.

When Pem’s grandda passed away, Theo Manning was there to help Pem’s grandma any way he could. That included keeping grandma safe. He had no idea until he met Pem that she was his mate. Theo wanted to protect her, too, from what was to come. Pem only had to touch his hand to receive the magic coming to her, but neither had any idea how much magic would flow between them.

Pem had always had her emotions take her under at times, but this was nothing like that. She was happy. She felt better than she had in years. Pem only hoped that Theo would not rush her. There was just too much going on for her to deal with a pushy man.

Imp had been alone in this world for so long she had forgotten what she was. It only took a little nudge from Winnie for her memory to come flooding back. She was a powerful earth fae and one of only three of her kind. She missed her siblings terribly, but it was too dangerous for the world for them to be in the same place. Imp was tired of being alone.

As soon as Hudson Manning realized who Imp was, the rest of the Mannings knew as well. Imp had created the first dragons. Cooper, the king of dragons, wanted to do something, anything, to repay her. Imp, however, didn’t want to hear any more about it and was getting pissy when he wouldn’t let the subject drop.

George knew almost immediately that Imp was his mate, but convincing the stubborn woman would take a little work. When the two come together, their combined magic will be more powerful than any of them could ever imagine…

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Prologue

Long ago, at a time when all creatures roamed the earth as only their true self. Working with and helping humans in whatever way they could. Where magic was celebrated. And dragons darkened the skies every day. It was then man figured out there was magic in the dragons and hunted them to almost extinction. “I’m afraid there is no hope for us.” No one made a sound as their leader continued. “Once the humans found out about us and what we can do for them dead, we have been doomed. I’m so terribly sorry.” Coop looked around the room. There were so few of them now he could easily count them. When he had been younger, thousands of years ago, there would not be enough room for all of them to share this room.

Now they were down to having a quarter of them share the space because so many, his own wife included, had been murdered so needlessly. Coop was saddened by it all. Turning to leave the large cave, he was stopped by his brother, Xavier. “The boys, they are well?” He nodded and smiled. Coop felt it all the way to his heart. A place had been dead for so long, it seemed. “You have the spell? You are going to use it on them? I should so wish I had thought of this before my own family was taken from me, Coop. You are a brave man and a good father.” “Thank you. And I shall use it tonight. It is the only way to save them.

” Xavier nodded his own heart heavy with the losses they had suffered. “You know I would have shared should I have had it sooner. I am so sorry, brother. All of my heart, it’s sorry for you.” “I know that. I do. But they are all gone now. My other half, my children. Killed for things are not fair to our kind.” Coop knew all too well. “Aria was a good woman, Coop. A good woman and mother to your sons. She will be missed forever.” “Aye, in my heart and of my sons.” Xavier stood there for several seconds, and Coop told him he must go. “They’re waiting for word on what is to happen with us all.” “One more thing, if you please. It will not take but a second. I have left them all I have. It is where you keep them hidden away, the boys. Deep within the cave, it’s all there.” Coop asked him what he meant.

“I cannot go on, brother. I cannot. There is too much grief in my heart for me to live. I have left my things for them there. They might survive this; with the magic, you have to give to them. And if so, they’ll need more than you have to help them.” “Xavier, please, you mustn’t do this. They’ll miss you as much as I.” Xavier nodded and said it had begun. “You can come and stay with us. You’ll live with us in the caves.” “Nay. I cannot. I must go. Just tell them I love them. With all of my heart.” There would be no stopping him once his heart was made up, Coop knew this, but it made his heart no less full for it. “Goodbye, my brother. Take care you are not caught by the humans.”

Coop made his way back to his hidden cave and sat before the fire. The boys, he knew, were resting, their bodies getting stronger daily with their age. Soon they would be as big as him, a dragon of worth and size. When his eldest son came to him, his eyes full of fear, Coop knew it was well past time he did what he had been practicing. The magic would keep them safe. Gathering his sons, six of them of varying shades of blues and greens, he asked them to have a seat. He had a story to tell them. It was not a story, not truly, but a tale that would hopefully keep them safe. “A witch told me once of great magic only few can do. It takes a loving heart and a strong dragon to make it work.

I have asked her, and she has told me how to make it so. In this magic, it will keep you all safe from the humans.” They nodded, each of them knowing it was a human blade that took the life of their dear mother. “I will perform this upon you, each of you, at the same time and give you some magic you will use when you need it. This magic, strong and powerful magic, will let you roam with the humans, and they’ll not know your true self is just below your flesh.” “You mean we’ll be humans as well?” He nodded, then shook his head at Cooper, his oldest. “I don’t understand, father. Will you explain?” “Yes. The magic I will give you will let you change into your true self when you are alone.

But when you are out in the world, you will need to be a human. A man.” Cooper looked at his brothers and then back at him as he continued. “With this magic, I will also give you a gift. Something you will need to keep yourself safe should they find out. A stronger armor than any other dragon before you as well as the same immortality you have now, as man or dragon.” Hudson stared at him for long moments. He was the thinker, and if he could think of a reason for this not to work, he would voice it loudly. He was much like his mother in that. She would be the first to say when she did or did not like something. And the first to say the plan was perfect. He only hoped she would have approved of this. “I think you are very smart, father. To try and keep us safe. But I can only think this will not work for you. Or is your plan?” The boy was much too smart, Coop thought. “If you change us, who will change you?”

“There will be no one to change me, son. I will… It is my wish to join your mother in this earth.” He watched them, seeing if they understood the love he had lost when she had been murdered. “Giving you this magic, it will be something I can tell her I’ve done for her sons. You know as well as I that she loved you more than anything on this earth, including herself.” “She died saving us.” Coop nodded at Lincoln. “I’m not happy you’re going to die, father, but I understand wanting to be with mother. I miss her more every day.” “As do I.” He looked at his sons, all of them growing into dragons of worth. “I must have an agreement from you all. Even if one of you does not want this, then it will not work. I would say you should think on this hard. For once, I have given this to you, there will be no going back.”

“I wish to have it.” He knew Cooper would be the first. Not that he did not love his father, but Cooper would see things in a way most would not. To not have this done would mean a certain death for them all. Dragons were too valuable dead not to be hunted for all time. “I will do whatever it takes to make sure you are proud of me as well.” “I am already, Cooper. Forever.” The others nodded too. They were ready for this as much as he was dreading it. Because once he started the process of changing his sons into men, then he would begin to die. It would take all he was to change them. Standing up, spreading his wings out behind him, Coop told them about the things their uncle had left them. They knew where the family jewels were, the things their mother had left them as well. Once they were standing, their bodies strong and healthy, he felt his heart swell and break for what he was about to do.

“I, Cooper Manning, of the Manning Dragons of the earth, give to my sons, Cooper, Hudson, Lincoln, Lucas, Tristan, and Xavier, all I am. Each of you will take a part of the earth with you when you are converted. The part of you that is unique in all ways will be strengthened and enhanced. You will be immortal, forever, and those you take to your heart will be as well.” His sons bowed before him when he told them to. He said the words over them that would change them into men. Coop could feel his body shutting down, his heart beating a little less. But he had one more thing he wished to bless them with and held himself upright to give it from his own dying heart. “One day, true love will come to you. And you will have more than you have ever known. It will fill you in ways you cannot ever imagine. Love will be yours for all times. For only then will you become a true dragon, a Manning Dragon.”

~*~ Cooper sat with his brothers while their father lay dying. His heart was weak from what he had done, and it was tearing him apart. Father was weak, yes, but he continued to tell them tales of their mother, of their adventures when they were only small dragons. They were going to be alone soon; their father was so close to joining their mother that it hurt Cooper in ways he had not expected. “What shall we do with his body?” Cooper looked at Tristan and asked him what he meant. “He will not be able to lie here. If the humans were to find him, they will surely cut him up into pieces. I do not want that for him. We were never able to bury mother in the proper way after what they did to her.” “We could burn his body.”

Cooper wondered how it would work when Hudson continued. “His scales will be worthless to them should they come upon his body. The magic he held within him also will be useless to them. He will be nothing more than a carcass. They’ll leave alone.” Burn his body. It was something to think about. But he did not want to, not while he was still breathing, his body still alive. When he laid his head upon his father’s chest, hearing his heart beating slower and slower, Cooper wondered what his father would think if he knew the magic he had given them had not worked. They were all still as dragons.

“He gave his life to keep us safe. But it did not work.” No one said anything to him as they each watched their father. “Dragons such as we are, we’ll be hunted and killed by the humans. There is nothing we can do but wait for them.” “We will survive if we stay here.” Cooper told Xavier they would have to leave here eventually. “To feed and to fly, yes. But perhaps we could do it only at night. To keep to the skies and not let them see us.” “They know we are about and will have spies out looking for our lairs. We will have to kill any man should he come for us, and still, we will not be safe. We are, after all, dragons who have a great deal of magic.” Cooper stopped breathing. Cooper did not hear his father’s heart and knew it was at an end. He was quiet for a bit longer, waiting, hoping for just one more beat.

One more sound would mean he was still alive. But there was nothing. Their father was dead. Sitting up, he told them he had passed this world into the next. None of them had ever seen a dragon die before. Their mother had been dead when they found her. Each dragon they had come upon when they were out had been dead long before they found them. Their bodies were stripped of every part, so they resembled less of a dragon than just a pile of bones. Their scales were used for roofs for their homes and for shields. The very meat of them was roasted and stored away so it could be used for medicines and potions. Hearts were cut up and dried, then ground into a powder to use for other things the humans would use to keep them from sickness, as well as magic to have a grand garden and trees heavy with fruit.

The only part that would be left was the bones, and sometimes even those were carried off and used for something. Cooper hated all humans. “We will do as suggested by Hudson. It is the only assured way we can—” Before he could finish, he felt the stirring of the earth. It shook so hard it knocked each of them off their feet. As they lay there, terrified someone was coming for them, their father appeared before them. His body was still aground. But instead of dark in death, he was brilliant in light. Faeries, thousands upon thousands of faeries, seemed to be covering him. Before Cooper could tell them to stop, to leave him alone, father spoke. “I love you, my sons.” Each of them nodded. Fear was almost something he could touch. “I will now and forever join my true love, your mother. I must warn you when you find your other half, and you will, you will have to be careful of the slayers.

They will know what you have found by the magic you both will share. My sons, you will leave this place and take your place among men. Becoming someone I will be proud of.” “Father, the magic didn’t work. We’re still a dragon.” Cooper felt shameful to say a thing to his father. To tell him his sacrifice had not worked. “We will be hunted and killed.” “Nay, you only need to think of being your other half. Becoming a man is simple. The same when you wish to be your true self.” Cooper was not sure what he meant, but his father continued before he could ask. “Go, now before men come here. The magic to

hide me will draw them here. Be safe, my sons, and know I love you more than I do any other creature on this place.” Cooper stood then. The faerie was still working, taking the body of his father apart. But as he watched, he could see they were not doing anything but preserving his body. Faerie ropes were all around him, and strings of magic were wrapped around him like a cocoon. It made him invisible to all. As Cooper stood there, his brothers beside him, he knew, like him, they mourned the loss of yet another parent. “You are the eldest?” He nodded to the faerie when she asked. “We have a gift for you. For all of you, but you will receive the most. Your father was a great man, your mother a queen among her people. We wish to bestow upon you all your father had.” “My brothers, they will need it as well. I should like to share.” She smiled at him and bowed. “What have you done with his body?”

“He is being prepared to be moved. We will make a grand garden upon him. Flowers will be there for all to see, but only few will know a dragon is there with his other half, his love.” He nodded. It was as it should be. “You will take this gift? You will share, but as I said, you will get more than the others.” “I don’t care. Please, just do what you must so we can hide.” She nodded again and touched her fingers, small, tiny ones, to his forehead. Then she did the same to the others before coming back to him. “It is done? You have shared it with us?” “I have, Lord Cooper. But you must leave here now. There are humans coming. The magic we used to do this thing has given them cause to come here.” He nodded and looked at the ground where their father had been. “He is safe. Just as your mother is now. Go before they find you here and murder you as well.” He thanked her for her help and left. The exit from this part of the cave was hidden so well that only they knew about it.

As they made their way into the night, he thought of the human inside of him, and the pain of it took his breath away. In seconds, he was down on his knees. Whatever was happening, he was surely going to die. “You’re a man.” He looked up at his brothers as they began to transfer to one themselves. “We’ll be safe now, all of us. We’ll be humans for them until we can find a place where we can be ourselves.” “I don’t think that’s ever going to happen again.” Hudson nodded and held his head tightly as he did so. “We will need to train ourselves in their ways.

Become what they are. But never monsters.” “No, never.” They made their way to a building; any would do for now. Hudson, like him, was staggering a little, but they were getting stronger as they moved. He turned to look at him as they were settling into the empty shell of a house. “We will need to buy things, houses, and such.” “Yes. But tomorrow. I am too tired to think beyond how much we have lost.” Hudson and the others agreed. “When the humans are gone from our cave, we’ll go and find what father was telling us about earlier, about the wealth will keep us safe.” “I only hope there is a great deal of it. I don’t know how to work nor drive.” Cooper told Xavier, the youngest brother, they would soon learn. “I hope so. I hope so.”

He did as well. It was going to be hard enough for them to learn to eat and dress like them, much less get around. Cooper hoped this worked. For he was as afraid as he had ever been in his life. ~*~ After a time, thousands of years, each of the dragons turned into men and forged their way into a world that was so different than the one they had been born into. It seemed a different planet. But survive, they did. Having their mates come to them, children born to all of them, gave them hope. A small and fragile thing after such hardships they were born to. Cooper became, as his father had been before him, the king of dragons. His mate, Carson, is their queen. It had been and still is a time for celebration.

To this day, they commemorate often and hard at each new birth of the dragons turned men and women. The others, his brothers, prospered too. Finding their other half, making their magic stronger for having their love. They worked hard to keep everyone safe and well-fed. Humans or other dragons. No one, not anyone in need, would have ever been turned away from their help. The Manning Dragons, true to their father and mother, became the most powerful dragons ever born. Of the six sons, Xavier’s sons, four hatchlings, and two humans moved far away to be the next generation of Manning dragons who would open their hearts and doors for all creatures. Even the sons of their hearts, the two human-born men carried a powerful magic. They used it with their brothers to help as many people as possible, humans and dragons alike, to live in the ever-changing world. To help them not only succeed but to perhaps help someone else when they needed it. These boys, now men, have stories to tell.

Gracie Jefferies had just about enough of men in general. Starting with her lazy and demanding general manager and ending with Caleb Anderson taking over and treating her like she can’t fend for herself. She was a grown assed woman, for Christ’s sake. As far as she was concerned, that man was off his rocker.

Martin Hamilton was staying with his half-brother, Caleb. Everything going on in the house all the time was just too much chaos. Martin liked it, calm and quiet, so he decided to get out of the house for a bit to calm his thoughts.

The woman charging his way was anything but calm, but for some reason, Martin loved her spark and fire. This was one woman he wanted to get to know better….

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Yasmine Dennis was doing her best to make it on her own. She’d been blind since she was seven and had done rather well for herself despite her disability. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time resulted in a hospital stay, and a childhood friend, Caleb Anderson, came to her rescue.

Joey Phillips was just trying to help the beautiful woman avoid a fall when he met her. Despite her surly disposition, he was intrigued. She might think she was handicapped, but all Joey saw was a beautiful woman that he desperately needed to get

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Prologue

Martin put his hands under his legs. Trying to maintain a distance wasn’t going to work, he realized when the kids came and stood in front of him. He’d been just about ready to go out on the deck—a little at a time, his therapist told him—but they started coming in. The little girl, he didn’t know their names, just then got up on the couch with him and leaned close and laid her head on his shoulder. Martin was ready to leap up and run when she spoke to the other children. “You remember that kid that was jumpy all the time?” They nodded, though he doubted the youngest had any idea what she was talking about. “You remember that they had to take him away one night? On account’a him screaming all night?” “Yeah, he wasn’t right in the head.” The little girl told the speaker to hush and to behave. “I didn’t mean it in a bad way, Carol, but he was messed up in the head on account’a the drugs that his mom and dad gave him. Did someone give this man drugs?” “No, they didn’t. I’m not good around people.” The little boy told him they were kids, not people. “Why would you think that makes any difference? I mean, you’re still a person, right?” “I guess so. But we won’t ever hurt you none.” Martin said he wasn’t worried about them hurting him rather than the other way around. “You won’t hurt us either, Mr. Hamilton.

You’re hurting in a place that needs to be fixed. Am I right?” “Something like that. I was working one day and had a nervous breakdown. I couldn’t take it any longer and decided to end my life.” He’d not even told Caleb that when he’d asked him about his health. When the little girl pulled his hand out from under his leg, Martin let them see the scars there. She ran her little finger over the fresh scar, and Martin could feel some kind of kid magic coming from her. “I let my job nearly kill me. I should have paid attention to my mind and body, but I thought I was above all that. I thought it would just go away. But all it did was make me sicker and sicker.” The kids sat on the floor except for the little girl. Martin didn’t know why he was able to talk to these children. He’d already told them more than he had anyone before. By degrees, he felt his body begin to relax, his mind clear of the need to take flight.

“My mom did that. Cut up herself in the bathtub one day while I was at school.” Martin told the little boy he was sorry for his loss. “My name is Shawn. I was seeing a doctor after my mom died, and I found her lying there. Until my dad thought I was too much of a burden for him. He got himself a new wife, too, who didn’t want me around. But my mom, she was good to me. Made me a nice cake for my birthday. My doctor told my dad I was way more depressed than he was and that I needed to keep seeing someone about it. These kids here, they helped me.” “My mom is gone too. Cancer.” The kids all told him they were sorry. “Thank you for that. I’m wondering if that had a little to do with my breakdown.”

“Yeah, everything does.” The little girl next to him told him her name was Maddy. “Mine and Mikey’s mom sold us off to the home we was at. Yasmine and Joey are going to adopt us all if there isn’t anyone looking for the others. But Yasmine is my aunt on account’a her being our mom’s sister. She’s dead too, our mom, though I don’t know nothing about her.” He’d known that too, of course, but hearing the accounting of it was…Martin didn’t know, but he thought it was charming in a way. Less harsh than thinking about what he’d been told about Jasmine Dennis. It wasn’t long before they had him adjusting his seating, so he had two kids on either side of him. George was in his lap snoozing, and the other four were talking around him. Martin thought this was the best he’d felt in a good long time. Just them talking around him and not screaming and yelling at people. He looked up when he heard someone whisper his name. It was Yasmine. Apparently, at some point, the kids had wandered off, and he’d been snoozing himself. “Are you all right?” He told her he’d only just been thinking. “I’ve been feeling the same sort of special magic they can give off. Even George has his own type of magic.”

He watched her move to the other couch. She sat in the middle, directly across from him. Laughing just a little, she smiled and asked him if she’d done something stupid again. “I doubt anyone would think anything you did was stupid, Yasmine. You’re much too beautiful for that. I was just admiring how you get around in the house. And when you sat across from me, I thought for sure that I’d been fibbed to about your blindness.” She thanked him for not calling her a cripple or handicapped. “I’m assuming from what I heard about your sister, that’s who called you that.” “Yes, it was her. A lot of other people too, but my sister knew better. I only told her several times a day.” She didn’t elaborate, so he didn’t pry. “You seem really relaxed right now. So I don’t want to tense you up by asking the wrong questions.

I’m assuming you believe that you’re related to my husband and Caleb now. What are your plans if you have thought them through?” “I’ve not. Not really. I have a home back in Tennessee. There are a great many memories there. While here, believe it or not, I’ve realized that they weren’t all good ones either. My mom was a great person, but she was bitter too. Not just for having to raise me without help, but about everything. She was unhappy a great deal of the time. But I loved her.” Yasmine told him that, of course, he did. “Not that she made it easy for me. Mom showed me how to live on my own. How to deal with overdue collection calls and mail. Just trash them until it was going to be shut off or taken away. Food from the kitchen was hit or miss. Mostly the missing part. But she did love me too. And told me that every day.” “I plan to do that with the others too. Tell them how much I love them. How proud I am about something they’ve done. I’ve never been a mom before and have very little to go by as a role model. I’m going to wing it, as I’ve heard Ed say on occasion.” He laughed, another thing he’d missed doing since he’d been stressed. “What is it you want to do with your life now that you’re here?

The world is open for you. I’ve only just discovered, now that there is no pressure on me to work, I enjoy my job a good deal more.” “I used to be a stockbroker. I never really liked it, not even at the beginning. It paid well, and I was good at it. If push came to shove, I’d rather live on the streets than to have to go back to something like that.” He thought about her question and what she’d said about her own job. “I’d like something like that. Something I could do and just be able to enjoy. One of the things I used to do was grow plants. Just little things like tomatoes and lettuce. It supplemented our food at home, and I could spend hours out in the sunshine. I even got to where I was growing little things in the house.” “I have plants in my office. When I’m needing something to bring me out of my thoughts, I just need to reach over and touch them. Joey got me a couple of herbs, too, that I can smell. It’s lovely. Why don’t you do that for a living?” He asked her what she meant. “I’m fairly certain there is a need for a greenhouse around here. I know there used to be one. If I were to ask, I’m betting Caleb might even own the building.” “I don’t know that I’m ready to embark on something like that.” She stood up, and he did as well. “I didn’t mean to offend you if I did.” “You didn’t. I just need to see to dinner.” She started for the doorway, again looking like a person with sight, and turned back to him at the last moment. “Four days ago, I didn’t know I had a niece and a nephew. Four days ago, I didn’t have any children to speak of. Four days ago, I made a decision that would change the course of my life and those of the five kids that I now have. I had no experience with children. I knew nothing of how to make sure they were fed well. Being blind didn’t even come into the picture until we were all here. Was it a great deal? Hell yeah. Was I overwhelmed? Yes, right up until one of them took my hand into theirs. Would I do it again? Without hesitation. You should think more along the lines of how things will affect you in the long run rather than thinking about how they’re going to make you feel right at this moment. Dinner will be in about ten minutes, Martin.” After she left him, Martin thought about what she had said and burst out laughing. She had just scolded him in a way that he was sure she didn’t realize. Standing up, he decided he was going to find the children and hang out with the rest of the family. And as of the moment, Yasmine left him, he thought he was a part of a wonderful family. ~*~ “I’m not sure what you want from me, Mr. Billows, but I’m not even in the state right now. I asked for and got approved to have this weekend off. I have to settle my brother’s estate.” Mr. Billows told her she had one hour before she was to report to work. “Not possible. As I have said to you numerous times now, I’m not going to be able to come in. For a great many reasons, but not being in the state should be enough to tell you I’m not going to make it.” “Gracie, I’m sick of dealing with your shit all the time. You had better be in here at the beginning of this shift, or you should start looking for another job. Employees like

you are a dime a dozen.” She let out a long breath. He couldn’t just replace her, and she knew it. “What do you have to say to that?” “What do you think?” He told her she was a smart girl for doing what he demanded. “No, you got it wrong. I’m not going to be coming in tonight or any other night. I’ll be contacting the owner tomorrow as well. If you’re really that short-staffed, Mr. Billows, you should wait tables yourself. I’m finished.” It felt good to hang up on the man in mid-sentence. Before she could allow her doubts to settle in with her, she called the owner. Since she knew he’d be home today, it didn’t bother her to call him at home. He had given her the number. “Mr. Anderson, my name is Gracie Jefferies. I work at your restaurant called Devonshire. Mr. Billows just made it, so I’ve had to quit the restaurant, and I wanted to give you my side before he painted me as a bad person. I might need a reference from you or something. I doubt he’ll do anything but slander my name four ways from Sunday.” Mr. Anderson laughed, and she had to smile. He laughed like he didn’t care one bit. “Yes, well, on my side, it’s not all that funny. I explained to him that I had to settle my brother’s estate for the bloodsucking attorneys. I haven’t any idea why it has to be settled right this minute. As far as I can see, he didn’t have a pot to piss in, much less the fancy name they’re calling the estate. And I had asked for and was approved for the next four days off. I should be getting paid for it, as I’ve never had a day off in over sixteen months. I had to work the day we buried my brother.

” Gracie realized she was babbling and told the man what had happened. “Gracie, did he ever allow you to train him on the closing procedures of the place? Or, for that matter, how to make out a schedule? Work that he should have been doing and wasn’t?” “I couldn’t even try and show him how to rotate stock in the big fridge. He said whatever came out of the storage place would be used before its date, and I was to just leave it alone.” He asked her if she’d done that. “No. Of course not. I know better than that. But I did ask for the time off, sir. I have the approval slip he signed the day I turned it in.” “I have no doubt that you have. And please accept my condolences on your brother’s passing. I didn’t know.”

She said he’d been sick for a long time. “Still, it is tragic. Let me know what attorney’s office you’re working with, and I’ll find out what all the rush is about. That way, you can focus on what you’re there to do. Where are you, anyway?” “Ohio. A little town that no one has heard much about called Trinway.” He laughed again. Gracie was beginning to think the man was off his rocker or something. Finding everything funny wasn’t sane. “Anyway, you don’t have to do that. I’ll go there and take care of whatever they need, then clean out his house. I have to put it on the market as well right away, as he had built up medical bills more than the fund he was drawing on could cover. I have no idea why I’m telling you this.” “It sounds to me like you needed to vent, and I was the perfect person to do it to. But I know Trinway, Gracie. It’s not far from Dresden, where I’m currently living. With my wife and brothers. I can get things taken care of for you right now.” Again, she told him he didn’t have to do that.

“I don’t. But I think you’ve done me a large favor by quitting your job today and finding out what Mr. Billows can do without you there running things for him. He’s going to be in deep shit when the doors open, I think. Can you stay at your brother’s place? Or do you need accommodations? I can do that for you if you wish.” “No, I can stay at my—what the hell is wrong with you?” He laughed again, and she felt her temper fall over her mouth. “You’ve done nothing but be nice to me since you went to the restaurant where I worked. Now you’re being nice about my brother dying, getting me an attorney, and finding me digs to stay in. No one in their right mind is that nice.” “My wife would agree with you. But my mom taught me to help those that needed a hand up. She made it her life’s work to do that. As for helping you in particular, you’ve been very nice to me in calling me and telling me the restaurant might be closed down tonight.

Because as much as I’d like for the man to fail, he’ll take my place with him. But only for tonight.” She asked him if he could afford that. “I can. Even if I couldn’t, it’s a better way of him getting terminated than me calling him and doing it on— Ah. There he is now. Calling, no doubt, to tell me what a horrid person you are and that I should be grateful he’s fired you.” “He didn’t fire me. I’m sure it would have come to that, but Mr. Billows gave me an ultimatum that I couldn’t work with. So I quit.” He asked her to hold on if she could. Telling him she could, Gracie watched the people playing in their yards while she waited. Charlie had been ill since he was a child. He had fallen out of a tree at the daycare center where the two of them had been taken while their parents worked. Charlie had been about four, not that she ever believed he’d been climbing a tree in the first place, but he had hit his head. Hard enough, her parents had been told that it cracked his skull. Since they’d had no insurance that would cover something like that kind of major surgery for a clumsy kid—they’d not even offered it to them—they’d not been able to afford for him to have whatever would be necessary for him to live. To this day, she believed that one of the adults working at the daycare center had hurt him. The government not only provided her family with a food card, but they had paid for daycare so they’d not be a total burden on society.

The insurance was all right—it covered a lot—but not nearly what they needed at that time. Charlie could live alone only with someone coming in once a day to check on him. He could function well enough to work at a menial job, so long as it was repetitive and wasn’t something that had to be done in a timeframe. He could do it; Charlie would work at a job all day and night, but once he was off the task for more than a few minutes, he’d have to be trained all over. When Mr. Anderson came back on the phone, he asked her if he could message her something to her phone. Telling him that was fine, she wasn’t sure what he’d have to say to her in a message that he couldn’t say while they were speaking. Then he explained.

“That’s the name of the attorney that is going to meet you at Bickerton and Bickerton in the morning. Arthur is a good attorney and a good friend. He said you were to dress casually, not dressed up. I’m not entirely sure why, but that’s what he told me to tell you. Also, would you mind letting him make a copy of your permission slip from Billows? He’s claiming you are fabricating all of this.” She said she wasn’t a liar. “I know that. All right. He’s going to pick you up in the morning. I’ve already given him the address where you’re staying.” “And just how did you come by that information?” His laughter again made her want to smack him. “Look, Mr. Anderson, I no longer work for you, so why the hell are you doing this? For a sense of enjoyment on my part? I won’t think it’s funny if I have to find my own way to the office in the morning and find out that being late or some shit is forfeiting whatever little bit my brother had to them. I think they’re crooks, but I don’t know a great deal about bloodsuckers.” “I have the best bloodsuckers in the world working for me. If I didn’t, I’d not be as wealthy as I am.” She told him to fuck off. “Thank you for that. It’s refreshing to hear someone that isn’t the least bit impressed by me or my money.

I’ll see you in the morning, Gracie. Good luck tomorrow.” After ringing off with him, she sat there long enough to look Mr. Anderson up. Whistling about what the news articles said about his money, she put her phone away. Not that she felt any better about him helping her, but she knew now that he could well afford it. Starting her rental up, she made her way to her brother’s home. When their parents had died, there had been a little money put away. They’d also been able to afford to purchase them a little house that just happened to be in a place that was developing into a nice neighborhood. She’d been able to sell it for about ten times more than her parents had paid for it and buy the house that Charlie was living in.

Having it outfitted for his needs took all the rest of the money. Going into the house, it occurred to her that this would be the last time she was here before selling it off. That her brother, her hero, wasn’t going to come around the corner and tell her to wipe her feet. Wiping at her tears, she turned her phone off when Mr. Billows’s name came up. There wasn’t much in the place that she’d have to deal with. Clothing, of course. His books too. Charlie loved to read when he needed to unwind. She did as well. The furniture had to be taken care of. Mostly she thought she’d give it away or donate it. Gracie thought someone could use it. Getting her things out of the car, she pulled out the large trash bags she’d had at home and started in his bedroom. It took her nearly two hours to bag up items that still smelled like Charlie. At about six, someone knocked on the door. While she wasn’t sure if the neighbors knew her brother all that well, she went to check to see who was there. Opening the door, knowing that small towns weren’t as safe as everyone assumed they were, she left the chain on the door.

“Ms. Jefferies, my name is Arthur Fowler. Mr. Anderson, Caleb, sent me here to bring you some dinner, and I’d like to go over any information you might be able to help me with concerning your brother’s health and his estate.” She opened the door wider and asked to see his identification. “Yes, of course. I should have thought of that.” After checking it out, she allowed him in the house. Before she could close the door behind him, he waved for the people she’d not seen to come into the house as well. They were delivery people. The smells coming from the many bags they had made her realize she had not just skipped breakfast but lunch too. The food was spread out before them. As Arthur set his laptop to the side, he asked her about Charlie. Stuffing her face while answering him, she realized the man was a good attorney. He seemed to know his shit. After telling him about the accident, as well as the names of the people that had worked there, she got up to find the file she’d left here with her brother in the event she could ever get him an attorney.

“This will be very helpful. I have it here, too, that your parents had filed for a wrongful act, naming the daycare as negligent. Do you know if anything became of that?” She told him that they were turned away from every attorney they asked for help. “This isn’t the way I do things, Ms. Jefferies. I get to the bottom of things regardless of what someone might want me to do.” “My parents did try.” He told her he wasn’t saying they hadn’t but that the attorney should have done it regardless of if there was money or not. “Yeah, there isn’t any of that either. I know Mr. Anderson said he’d pay you, but I’d like it if you were to send me the bill. I don’t have a job right now, but I can work anywhere and do a good job.” “I’m sure you give every task all you can when assigned.” Even after all the food was eaten and leftovers put away, they talked. It was nearly nine at night when Arthur stood up to leave. “You’ve given me more than I think I could have found in files for this. I’ll be by in the morning to pick you up. I’m staying at Caleb’s tonight, so I’ll be close if you think of something.”

“I don’t know what else it would be. I think we’ve covered about anything and everything.” She smiled when he laughed. “I’ll see you in the morning.” After he left her, she found her old bedroom that she used when she came to stay with Charlie. There was very little in the room. An empty dresser. A closet with hangers that looked like a row of flowers. They were so colorful. Finding one of Charlie’s large shirts, she pulled it over her head and laid down on the bed. Tomorrow was either going to break her or let her start over. She wasn’t sure she’d get either, but it was a hope. Gracie thought of her family. Her parents had tried so hard to make their lives better. They were making some headway into having money put away for a few things, like a vacation, when Charlie had been hurt. They’d not been able to take any vacations, of course, but they had always made time for their children.

In the summer months, they’d have picnics at the local parks. Go fishing at the dam. A great many free things that seemed like the world to them. A large basket of treats, Mom’s jams, a ham sandwich or two, and a bottle of water was their meal when out like that. Mom made quilts for their beds. Dad could repair anything and everything. That was where most of the extra money had come from was Dad knowing how to fix something. Everyone in the neighborhood knew to take it to Dad to be repaired, while Mom knew how to take something in and let it out when it came to clothing. What they didn’t have in material things, they certainly had more than enough love to go around. Twice that she could remember, they’d taken in a child or two. Just until their parents could find a job. Mom babysat, too, and helped with tutoring. Everyone that came in contact with them respected them and liked them.

They were the best. Now she was the only one left, and it made her sad to think that when she died, that would be the end of the Jefferies that she was related to. Turning over on the bed, she looked out the window that was at eye level. Even for as late as it was, children were playing outside. She rarely saw a kid where she’d been working without a phone attached to their ear or looking down at it. The kids were catching firebugs. They weren’t keeping them but catching and then releasing them. Gracie had done the same thing when she’d been little. Remembering to set her alarm so she’d get up in the morning, she turned her phone back on. Always surprised that it would come on, she set it for seven. Not bothering with the messages she had on it, she watched the children more. They were much more entertaining than anything that Billows had to say to her. Charlie had been gone for a month now. The woman who came in to check on him had called her one morning, sobbing about how he’d fallen asleep and not woken. Even as she tried to calm the woman down, Gracie felt her heart shatter.

It was the hardest call she’d ever taken. In that month, she’d been working herself to death to be able to afford a ticket to come here to do this last thing for him. Affording the ticket to come here for his funeral had nearly bankrupted her. But she’d made do with eating her free meal at work and taking any leftovers home that the cook had saved for her. Then Billows found out about the free meals. The next afternoon there was a sign put up that there would be no more freebies for anyone. She’d been the only one that qualified for the meal, as she was the only full-time waitress there. Not because she was scheduled to be full-time, but covering both Billows’ and the day manager’s schedules when they decided to just not show up was the only perk she got. He’d also taken her overtime away from her. Gracie had almost stopped doing the job of three people when she realized that if the place shut down, which she was sure would happen, there would be a lot of people out of work. There were seven waitstaff as well as kitchen help, cooks, and the busboys that depended on the place having their doors open. She couldn’t have done that to anyone.

Every week she’d get paid for thirty hours, what she’d been scheduled for, and all the other seventy-plus hours would be free. Not that she didn’t keep track of the hours she wasn’t being paid for. She wrote every shift down, and even the extra time she had to do at home by making schedules, ordering food for the place, having carpets replaced when needed, and repairs done, as well as a lot of other jobs the manager should have been taking care of. Gracie had been working there for ten years. She knew the place better than the people who had built it, she’d bet. Gracie was upset about the things she’d been doing and how she’d been treated. Pulling her mom’s quilt up to her nose, she inhaled deeply of the scent that was still there. Sunshine. It calmed her more than anything else. It was nearing midnight when she felt she might be able to close her eyes for a few hours. She really hadn’t slept well since she’d gotten the call about Charlie being gone. Crying herself to sleep, she let the tears fall while she willed herself to sleep.

Marley Golden and his five brothers were the first of their kind. Born leopards, they were blessed with the magic of being the first leopard shifters. Morgan, their mother by proxy, raised them to blend in with humans and to be good men. Blessed with immortality, they all lived together on Morgan’s Leap, a sanctuary for all nature.

Sin had come into town to rescue her little brother, Cody, from her deadbeat mom. She was ever so grateful to Morgan for helping them out. When a man she’d never met, Marley, entered the room, Sin had the insane need to let him hold her.

When Sin and her little brother, Cody, came into his life, it was at a time when Sin was at her lowest. Marley promised that he’d move mountains to make sure that no harm came to either of them again.

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Carroll Golden and his five brothers were the first of their kind. Born leopards, they were blessed with the magic of being the first leopard shifters. Morgan, their mother by proxy, raised them to blend in with humans and to be good men. Blessed with immortality, they all lived together on Morgan’s Leap, a sanctuary for all nature.

Hanna March worked for the FDA. She had always wanted to visit Morgan’s Leap, but it was closed to the public, so when she was given the opportunity to inspect their orchard on some bogus complaint, she jumped at the chance. The place was beyond anything she ever expected, and Morgan was the perfect host. But when someone took a potshot at Morgan from the field, a huge leopard came out of nowhere and took them both down. Hanna, hitting her head on the way to the ground, was down for the count.

Carroll shifted back to human as soon as the women were out of danger, but finding out the pretty FDA agent was his mate took Carroll by surprise, and boy was she going to be mad when she woke up.

Leslie Golden and his five brothers were the first of their kind. Born leopards, they were blessed with the magic of being the first leopard shifters. Morgan, their mother by proxy, raised them to blend in with humans and to be good men. Blessed with immortality, they all lived together on Morgan’s Leap, a sanctuary for all nature.

Venetia had been thrown from a vehicle and left for dead at the edge of the Golden’s property. When found by the Goldens, she couldn’t remember what had happened to her.

It didn’t take long for Leslie to realize who Venita was to him. Everything was happening so fast to him and all his brothers. Now, a car crash at the edge of their property left them with three kids to raise. Then it hit him all at once. He had a mate, and he was a father… What else would be in store for his new family?

Bailey Golden and his five brothers were the first of their kind. Born leopards, they were blessed with the magic of being the first leopard shifters. Morgan, their mother by proxy, raised them to blend in with humans and to be good men. Blessed with immortality, they all lived together on Morgan’s Leap, a sanctuary for all nature.

Zippy and her sister, Venita, were born witches. Veni, Leslie’s mate, was the grand witch, but Zippy was no slouch when it came to magic. Zippy and their parents came to Morgan’s Leap because they had discovered that Veni was alive, not dead as they’d been led to believe, and they wanted her back in their lives. Although Zippy was thankful to have her sister back in her life, discovering she had a mate was both a shock and a blessing.

Bailey was surprised but not at all unhappy when Zippy appeared in his life. Everything around him was changing so fast. And when Zippy didn’t hesitate to take in the three abandoned infants from the hospital, his heart couldn’t have been fuller….

Carroll https://www.amazon.com/Carroll-Morgans-Leopards-Shapeshifter-Romance-ebook/dp/B08Y7VVLJL/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=carroll+by+kathi+s+barton&qid=1633184717&sr=8-1

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Prologue

Morgan made herself into a tight ball as she hid herself in the tall grasses in the field. She knew that the men chasing her would find her soon enough. But for now, she was going to make them work for it. Closing her eyes, trying her best to calm her breathing, she did the only thing she knew to do to not think about what was going on around her. Morgan counted to fifty in all the languages that she knew. She had awakened out here. All she remembered was having dinner in the kitchen with the staff and then waking out in the middle of the moonless night. She’d not remembered going to bed.

Not putting on her nightgown she had on now. Nor did she remember waking when brought out here in the cool night. Soon after waking, she heard the voices of the men, six she thought she’d counted, saying that the first one that found her could have her. At fourteen, Morgan knew exactly what that meant. They were going to rape her. Then more than likely, kill her. Her parents would be looking for her. She would admit, only to herself, that they’d not be too upset about her being gone. Morgan had a habit of getting up in the middle of the night. To see to one creature or another.

So it might be days before anyone— The hot breath of air on her forehead had her whimper just a little. Lifting her head without opening her eyes, she felt it once again. It was hot but not sour smelling. Opening her eyes, she looked right into the golden eyes of a leopard. Their noses touched. That was how close she was to her. The lick to her face scared her. While she’d seen the wild animals around the compound where she lived, she’d never been this close to one so dangerous. The farmers would kill them when they would take down a cow or something that they raised, but no one could have prepared her for the beauty of them this close.

The big cat put her paw on her head and pushed it back down so that it rested on the dirt. When she started to lift it again, the cat pushed her down again. Understanding that she was to stay where she was, Morgan closed her eyes. If she was going to be eaten, she was glad that the cat was sparing her from knowing when it was coming. The sound, soft as a coin dropping onto the dusty ground, was all she heard before the large cat screamed. There was gunfire too.

Something frighteningly close stirred up some of the dirt she was hiding by. The screaming of men was next. It wasn’t long before it was all cut off, and she knew on some level that the cat had killed the men. The paw to her head again had her lifting it up to see if she was next. The cat had been hurt. Blood was pouring from her shoulder at an alarming rate. Sitting up, unmindful of whether it was safe to do so, Morgan tore at her nightgown to stanch the blood as she spoke to the leopard. “I think you saved me.” The cat just let her poke around at her wound, soon lying down when she asked her to do so. “The bullet needs to come out. If it doesn’t, I’m afraid that you’ll get sick and die from it. I wish I had my knife here. But I think I can see it enough to get it out with my fingers.

I won’t do any more than I have to. All right?” Morgan worked for fifteen minutes on getting the bullet out. The cat never hurt her. Never tried to get away from her as she worked either. Sweat poured off her forehead as she finally got it free. When she was finished, she showed it to the cat. “See? Someone got a shot in. I promise you; I’ll make sure that you’re all right. Do you have a lair? Someplace that you can rest?” The cat stood up, and that was when she noticed that she’d had kittens recently. “Oh no. Where are they? You left your den to come to save me? Come on. I’ll help you back.” It wasn’t far.

About a hundred yards from where the cat had come to her. It occurred to her that the cat was more than likely saving her kittens from being found when she killed the men, but Morgan was ever so grateful that she’d spared her as well. Helping the cat into the den, she saw that she had three of the puggiest little kittens she’d ever seen. “They’re beautiful. Oh, look at them. You are a good momma, Golden Eyes. They’re very fat. I’ll stay with you until you need to eat again. Then I’ll hunt for you.” The cat didn’t seem to mind when she picked one of them up, so she touched each of them in turn.

“You’re very lucky those men didn’t find you too. But I guess you knew that.” She stayed with the family overnight. There wasn’t any way she’d be able to make her way back home in the darkness, so it was fine with her to be in the cave for the night. The kittens woke hungry a couple of times in the night. Instead of having Golden go to them, Morgan carried them back and forth to their mother. She seemed to be all right with her helping that way as well. When the sun was coming up, Morgan made sure that not only did the family have water, but she also scavenged as much as she could from the horses that the men had come out here in.

There was hard tack that was in abundance, but she was also able to get herself some much-needed flint as well as some blankets. Taking it to the cave, she put the kittens on one of the blankets and then sat down to watch them fall over each other until they had their spot picked out. It was calming to watch them, she thought. They were just too little to do much more than be rolly Polly little kittens. Giving the hardtack to Golden, she made her way to her home. It was further than she’d thought it might have been, and she didn’t arrive there until the sun was nearly down. Going into the house by way of climbing up the back stairs, she heard her parents speaking out their balcony from her own window. Sliding out onto her own, she stood deeply in the shadows to listen to what they might be saying.

Her mother was standing at the railing, her father deeper in the room. “I cannot believe that she’s gone.” Morgan started forward, wanting to assure her mother that she hadn’t been hurt at all. “This was a brilliant idea that you had, Malcomb. To have it look as if she’d been kidnapped and then killed. I have never wanted anything more than that child dead.”

Her heart hurt. Her mind didn’t know how this was really what her mother was saying. They weren’t close, but she never thought she’d want her dead. But even as her dad came out to the balcony, too, she watched the two of them as they stood there in an embrace. “Well, it wasn’t nearly as hard as I thought it would be to get some men gathered up to take her. As you said, it’s a good thing now that she’s gone. When they find her body, it will be blamed on anything but me.” Mother said that it wouldn’t be her fault either.

“No. No one will bother with blaming you, my dear. For all they know, you’ve committed suicide because your daughter is gone.” It took her less time than it apparently did her mother for what her father was saying. As soon as he pushed her mother nearly over the railing, intending she was sure to make it look as if she had fallen to her death by her own hand, mother grabbed her father’s coat. The two of them hung there for what seemed like forever. Would they both fall? Would they be able to save one another? She didn’t care.

So when her mother’s weight took them both over the edge, Morgan stood there for several minutes thinking about what had just befallen her family. Looking over the edge of her own balcony, she saw them there, tightly embarrassed as if in a lover’s hug and dead. Blood spread out beneath their heads as if a bucket of it had been poured over the two of them. Making her way to the kitchen area, she staggered twice in her grief. Not that they were dead, no, it was that they had planned her demise in such a cold way. Lincoln was there, the butler of the house when she entered. He took one look at her and sat her in the chair she’d spent more time in than the ones in the formal dining room. Lincoln, she knew, would be her family from now on. “Child, what is it?” She must have been a mess. Or looked on edge.

The slap to her cheek stung enough that she was brought out of whatever thoughts she’d been having. “What’s happened? Your parents, they told the household that you’d been kidnapped. Are you hurt?” She told him everything. Not leaving out anything, including the cat that had saved her. Also, leaving no doubt to the older man that her parents had planned for her to be killed this night. Lincoln sat down across from her after making her a cup of tea that was mostly bourbon. “You are mistress of the house now. Tomorrow we will find their bodies whilst you are still abed. You will say that you were out with the creatures of the field.

They will believe that well enough. That is where you are most of the time.” She asked him about the cats. “‘Tis your decision. However, if you were to bring them here, none of the rest of the staff will mind. It is you we stayed for all these years and not your parents.” “I’ll need help bringing them here.” He said that he’d go with her. “They’re far. Much further than I had thought. But I wish them to be safe, Lincoln. She saved my life, and I will do the same for her and her family.” “You have a good heart, child. A very good one. We shall leave now and take lanterns with us. A basket, too, so that we might carry the little beasts.” She asked him if he didn’t want them here.

“Nay, I want what you want. We all do. Tomorrow after your parents are found, we’ll be as we should have been. A good home and a safe one. Mark my words on that. I will talk to you as we go about now that you are mistress of the house what men will do to get to you. They’ll want you, but you’re too stubborn to be a good wife to anyone seeking your hand. It might be well that there are cats here to protect you. You have become a very wealthy woman.”

As they were making their way to the cave, she wondered if he knew how safe the house would be with leopards in it once. Once the kittens grew up, they’d be as big as she was now. Smiling, she thought perhaps she wasn’t all that upset about her parents being dead. They’d been treating her as if she had for as long as she could remember. Golden seemed happy to see her. She licked her face and brushed her with her large paws. As Lincoln gathered up the kittens, she helped Golden outside to do her business.

It took a great deal out of her, and Morgan had to carry her back into the cave. Once they were all loaded up in the buggy, she sat down with Golden to tell her what had happened. “So I’m motherless except for you. I know that you’re a cat and I’m only a human, but I think we can get along. When the men start to come, and according to Lincoln, they will, I’ll need you to protect me too. I shant ever marry. Not only that, but I’m also going to make it my life’s work to make sure that animals such as yourself are as safe as I can make them.”

Arriving home well after the sun had settled in the sky again, she made sure that the mother and kittens were safe in her parent’s big bed. There was a fire in the fireplace for them should the night turn too cold. Morgan also made sure too that the mother had plenty to eat, having given her one of the steaks that her father would treat himself to daily while she had whatever else he had with his meal. Sleep didn’t take its time capturing her, luring her to a night’s rest. It hit her right between the eyes and had her nearly sick with exhaustion.

As she closed her eyes, sleeping in her own bed as if nothing had happened, she knew that she’d keep her promises to not just Lincoln and the other staff but to herself as well. The animals here would need her, and she was going to make sure they were as safe as they could be while she was still living.

~*~ Four years later Morgan watched the man as he ran out of her home. How he’d gotten in was beyond her, but now that he was gone with a little less of his fancy clothing, she sat down on the front veranda and waited for the cats to come to her. Over the last month or so, men had been showing up at the oddest times to tell her that she must marry them.

They would all come around sooner rather than later. All of her leopards, as well as a plethora of other such creatures, would come to make sure that she’d not been harmed or taken away from them. None of them would be harmed here, and daily another one or two would come limping into the compound and be welcomed. Golden came to sit at her feet, and she smiled at her when she looked at her. “He had it coming.

We both know that. The pompous ass thought that if he could tear at my clothing, I’d allow him to marry me so that I’d be happy. He said that I’d need someone like him to watch over my money and keep me from dying an old spinster. Apparently, women aren’t meant to think beyond having a man around. I’m much happier without him, I think. What did he think I’d been doing here all alone since my parents were dead? Waiting on someone to recuse me? Not likely.” Morgan slid to the floor and put Goldens head on her lap. Running her hand down the length of the cat, she could feel her newest litter wiggling around.

“I am worried about you, mistress cat. You’re heavier this time with your brood. Not to mention, I know that the wound you suffered for me so long ago bothers you more daily. The babes that you brought here that night, they have gone on to have their own children. I cannot believe that so much time has passed since that night.” She thought of something and put her forehead to Goldens. “I just realized that you’re a grandmother. Congratulations.” “That would make you an Aunt in her eyes.” Morgan reached for her gun, something she’d been carrying since that night, and found it gone. “You cannot kill me, mistress, but I would prefer that you not harm me either. I have come to speak with you about the good work you are doing here.

The one you call Golden; she has asked me to come to speak to you about a great many things. In addition, I have some things I need to ask of you too.” “Who are you?” The beautiful woman asked if she could tell her in a moment. “So long as you know that whatever it is you’re hawking, I want no part of. We’re doing very well here on our own.” “You are doing better than well, I think. The ground is fertile here, thanks to your way of doing things. Not all humans would leave an animal to rot on their land without doing something with it.” Morgan told her that other animals took care of it.

“They have indeed. Even the things that the larger breeds cannot eat or use, the smaller creatures come to salvage what they can use. You have a good system here. A system that will not be something popular for a great many years.” “I don’t want to have to go into town.” The woman nodded her smile something that she thought was more than beautiful. “You said that you came here because of Golden. She is a cat. How is that possible that she would call to you?”

“Let me start at the beginning, please. The night that your parents died, the night that you came to help Golden, it was thought that you should have died along with them. Sometimes, with humans, the apple does not fall far from the tree. But you are nothing like them, are you, sweet child. You were not only different than them, but a kinder, gentler person than any of us have ever seen before. We have all been watching you these last years.” Morgan asked her who they were. “Ah, that brings me to your first question. I am Tellus, the terrestrial being that cares for and is wholly a part of the earth. The earth and the land that you have here. Not for my doing but your own. This land is rich beyond anything man has ever seen before.”

Morgan didn’t speak, letting all that the woman told her to settle into her mind. She’d been alone for most of her life now and had learned not to prattle on when there was no one to talk back to her. Petting Golden, she was glad to hear her purring. The rumbling of her throat was soothing to her for some reason. “Mother earth. I’ve read about you. You’re Roman.” She said that was correct. “All right. So you’re here because I have good land. However, I still don’t know why you took time out of your what I’m sure is a busy day to tell me that.” “You are a jewel among all the stars in the sky, Morgan.”

Confused at the words and their meaning, Morgan continued to pet her cat. “We, the other earth creatures, have been watching what you were doing here since that night. We’ve not had to once intervene in helping you care for the animals, all that you protect here. You have lifted a great burden from all of us. Even creatures that you may not be yet aware of have found a home here among the others and have been safe from harm. One such creature sits there on your leg. His name is Button.” Morgan looked down at her leg and saw the tiny creature standing there. She put out her free hand, and when he hopped upon it, she brought him closer to her face.

Yes, he was a little man, just like the men that had been coming around but for his size. Then while she was watching him closely, he spread out his wings and fluttered above her palm for several seconds before settling down again. “Faerie.” He bowed before her. “I have read of such creatures as this one. They are thought to be a myth. Such as you are, Lady Earth. I have either hit my head, or I’m being visited by creatures that are as magical as the sun coming up and then resting in the other sky.” “You are seeing magic, my child.” Nodding, she laid her hand back on her leg. Button didn’t sit on her leg again but stayed on her palm. “He wishes to be with you.

To help you in the coming years. For as much as I’d like to say your life will be filled with only riches, we both know it is never that way.” “Nay, it is not. The banker says I owe him great funds for a loan that my parents took out before they died. Also, I have a man who is trying his best to catch me unawares so that he might rape me to take my lands. I don’t think he means to keep me around much longer than it is for me to say, ‘I do.’ They only want what I have.” Tellus said that she could help her with those things. “Thank you, my lady. But I’m sure you have enough to do now with the earth as large as it is.” “I do. But helping you is not something that I take lightly, my child. We all, all the creatures in charge of the parts of the earth you now own, are happy to help you. And in doing so, they will get the help they need as well.” Morgan asked her what they wanted her to do.

“You will do it, will you not. Even not knowing what it is that we ask of you.” “I will help the earth for as much as it gives back to us here. And that, as you know, is a great deal. We are self-sufficient here. Water is ours to use as we see fit. There is a roof over our heads when necessary. The fields, as you have pointed out, are rich and give us back so much more than we can eat. I share what I cannot have put up or preserved.” Tellus told her that she knew that as well.

“If you need for me to do more, I will do it to the best of my ability.” “Thank you.” Tellus looked at her, then at Golden as she continued. “Golden will stay with you until the kittens are born. Her children will be the first of many creatures that will take on this new magic that we wish you to help with.” “She’s going to die.” Tellus nodded but didn’t look at her. “I thought when I’ve seen her around this time, she wouldn’t make it for long after. You do know that she’s the only friend that I have besides the people that work here? I’ve spent long hours thinking about how I will make it without her counsel.

Without her snuggling up to me when I need it. I don’t know that I want to. But I must, for the others.” “Yes, you will,” Tellus told her of the magic that would be given to her. About the babes that Golden would have and how they would go on to be great men. To help her in ways that Tellus and the others hadn’t thought of yet. “The magic they will get will help them to be a part of the world of men. To breach such places that, even now, frightens us a little. We will need you to help them blend into such places. To walk, talk, and to act like real men. The abilities that we will give to them will make them a prize should anyone find out. So it is important that they do not give themselves away while men. Do you understand?”

“Yes. I’m to be their teacher.” Tellus told her, too, that she would be their mother. “I have questions now, but I know that I will have so many more when the time comes. I will teach them everything that I can. Give them whatever step up they’ll need so long as I live. I promise you they will be the best of men too. Not like the ones that come here sniffing out an easy way to my home.” “You will not die either, Morgan. You will be around for their children to come into the world, as well as all the shifters that are to be born.” Morgan asked her about the men coming around. “They will not come around again should you wish it. Button will have for himself to use an army of faeries that will come to your aid in that and anything else you might need them for.

Do not be fearful of using them either. Rightly so, they are excited to serve one such as yourself. You have been titled with the name Queen of Shifters.” “You don’t have to do that, my lady. I said that I would help you.” Tellus laughed, and it made Morgan smile. “I will do as asked. The rest, I will accept it as part of my duties, but I don’t see myself using it overly much.” “I foresee you using the magic given to you much more than you think you will.” Tellus laughed again, bringing yet another smile to her face. “I will also give you a list of things that you will need to invest in. They will fund you better than a bank will, and you will remain self-reliant at the same time.

Also, the bank has been taken care of. He will no longer bother you about funds he thinks you owe him.” “Thank you for that.” Morgan looked down at her friend and ally in all this. “What will become of me when you no longer have a use for me, my lady?” “There will always be a use for you, child. A creature such as you will forever bond with the earth and make everything around you a better place. I have such faith in you.” Morgan told her that she could only do her best. “And that, my child, is all that I could ask for.”

The two of them talked throughout the morning and into the evening. Ending up in the living room where there was a fire roaring in the hearth, they were served their tea there as well as juice too. She was told, too, that she’d need to be drinking a great deal more of the elixir. And that the fresher it was, the better it would be for her after using magic. At some point, Tellus took her hand into hers and gave her the magic she’d need. The power of it washed over her in waves. So much so that for several minutes she had to sit still in her seat and wait for it to settle out. Not only did she receive the magic, but the knowledge of how to use it. Also, things, as she’d been told that she must invest in. Things that Tellus told her that would be worth a great deal in the future. After Tellus left her to rest, she was told, Morgan sat in the yard at the back of her house.

Lincoln came to sit with her a spell, telling her that there were faeries in the kitchen now that would make sure that the household was safe. Also, he said, he’d been given magic as well. “It is to keep the house in order. To build out when you need it, my lady.” She said that she’d been told she’d need to have a larger house. “I find that hard to believe, but I will do what it takes to have you safe.” “I now have more land as well. Tellus told me that there are now five thousand acres here that will be used for the animals in need. No one will be able to enter the land if they wish to harm anything that calls this place home. What am I to do with all this knowledge and wealth, Lincoln?

I know I’m to teach the next generation of cats born to Golden, but how much do you think they’ll need from me? What am I to do when they go out and have their own leap? I shall be an old woman with only you to keep me company.” He asked her if he was immortal as well. “You are. But I was told that at any time you wished to die, I could take it from you. No harm will come to you with it either.” “I think I shall stay with you, my lady. I think we will need each other in the coming years, don’t you think?” She said that she needed him every day. “You are so kind to me, Morgan, that I wonder at times why your parents wanted you dead.” “They were in love with themselves.” She knew that to be true as soon as she said it. Looking at the older man, she smiled at him. “You and I will do the best we can and hope that it’s right. Someday, I think we’ll look back on this and wonder what all the fuss was about. Don’t you?”

“I think I will hold my thoughts on that until such time as it comes to an end.” He laughed a little. “Do you believe it will come to an end, my lady?” “No. I don’t. I don’t have any idea why but I think we’re going to be having something new and something strange happening as a daily routine.” She stood up when he did. “Let us begin this new phase of our life, Lincoln, and hope that we make it work better than the thoughts in my head are making it. All right?” “Whatever you wish, my lady. We will do well together, I believe.” She hoped so. It seemed like a great deal was depending on her doing just that. Making it work for the safety of all involved.

She only hoped that she knew enough and was strong enough to make it work for all of them. ~*~ Many, many centuries later Sin fell in love with the little town again. She’d loved it here as a child, growing up in a place that hadn’t been updated since before her mother had been born. The place looked the same, but it was also different, she realized. There were more people walking around than she remembered ever seeing before and a group of kids playing on the swing set in the middle of town. Sin had wanted a swing in the worst sort of way when she’d been a child.

The place where she’d been told to meet Morgan was just outside of town. The large shop was doing a good business, and it looked like everyone was coming out of the place as happy as she’d ever seen them. Once she had pulled into a parking spot in the back of the shop, Sin made her way to the front door, stopping to look at the well maintained gardens and flowers around it. “You must be Sin.” She nodded at the man standing there with the door open. “My wife is Zippy. I’m Bailey. We spoke on the phone.”

She couldn’t help herself. Sin hugged Bailey. She’d been thinking about how these people, without thought to themselves, had saved her from driving into a truck and keeping her little brother out of harm’s way. When he invited her into the place, she was introduced to the women behind the counter. “Hello, Morgan. I’m so happy to see that you’re doing well.” Sin hugged Morgan, too, knowing this woman was the sole reason she was still alive. “I’ve thought of nothing else for the last few hours except how you would keep me fed and warm when I was a child. I don’t have any idea how you knew I needed you, but you were always there. For me.” “Yes. And you’ve turned out all right yourself, haven’t you? Good for you.

Your brother, Cody, reminds me a great deal of you when you were his age. While he’s not as outspoken as you could be, he certainly makes his point well enough. How are you really, Sin?” Nodding, she followed her to the back of the store and sat at the table there. “I’ve been in contact, so to speak, with your mother. There are a couple of things you need to know before Cody gets here. She’s not going to be coming back here to get him. She had managed to get herself in some deep trouble yesterday, and she’s in jail. They found several playing cards on her when they arrested her. She’d been cheating.” “That sounds like something she’d do. How much is she down in gambling? I’m sure it’s not a paltry sum.” Morgan told her.

“How the hell did she manage to talk someone into letting her bid that much on a game?” “I might have had something to do with that. Melody has harmed you and Cody enough, and I don’t want her around anymore. This way was better than what Bailey wanted to do with her. He wanted to hang her out to dry.” Sin told her she’d tried that once before, getting dry. “Yes, I heard about that. But this way, you can say you tried, and no one will think any less of you. Not that I believe you care what people think about you and your relationship with her, but you never know about people.”

“That’s very true. What else is there? You said a couple of things.” She told her about the house and how it had been condemned. “That should have happened when I was living there. I’m sure it’s not improved with age.” “No, it hadn’t. Also, you should be aware that Cody has a little magic. I would imagine you do as well since you’ve arrived. He can and is glad to be able to have any kind of clothing he wants to wear. He’s been playing around with it and has discovered he doesn’t want to go back to wearing anything that isn’t his in the first place.” They both laughed. “He has missed you.

Cody has been telling us about how you would call him every day after he’d gone to bed to make sure he was all right. That was, I think, the only thing that kept him going while living with your mom.” “I wanted to bring him with me when I left the last time. I was even going to just take him. But she said I’d never make it out of town with him before I was arrested. Then she told me she’d make it, so I never saw him again. In a permanent way. I was afraid for Cody, but I left him.” Morgan told her that was probably the best she could have done. “I don’t know. Even now, I hate that I had to leave him behind.” Sin heard a man’s voice in the shop and had to laugh when he was taken to task by one of the other women out there.

“Your son, I’m guessing?” “Yes, Marley. He’s just closed up his practice today, and he’s feeling a little wild. You should meet him.” Everything in her froze. “Sin? What is it?” “I don’t know. I mean, until you suggested meeting him, I had no desire at all to meet anyone new. Now I have this insane need to go out there and let him hold me.” Marley came to the doorway where they were sitting. “Hello?” “Hello to you too. Mom, Cody is with me. I didn’t tell him that his sister was here until I made sure she was. He’s been hanging out with me while the kittens were being born.” Marley kept looking at her, then at his mom.

“Why do I feel like I’ve just interrupted something?” “You didn’t. Come here, Marley. Tell me if Sin is your mate.” Before he could move to do that, even if that had been his plan, Cody came rushing into the room and grabbed her. Morgan left her there with her brother when Marley sat where his mom had been sitting. “Sin, I’m so glad you’re here.” Cody went on about how he’d watched kittens being born. How he could change his clothing and now had his own bed in the big house. Sin didn’t pay any attention to him and was shocked when he snapped his fingers in front of her face. “You’re zoned out. Are you all right?” “Yes. I’m just fine. And I heard you. Sort of.”

She hugged him again, tickling him until he called for mercy. When he left them to go help out front, she looked at Marley. “You’re him. My mate, aren’t you?” “I am yours, yes.” She asked him what that meant. “It means that I belong to you forever. You’re very beautiful, aren’t you?” “I don’t know about that, but I don’t look like a hag.” He laughed, and Sin joined him. “I’m not sure why I feel all right with this. I’ve been keeping men at a distance my entire life. However, with you here, I feel as if I’m settled. That my life has a purpose again. Or something like that. Am I making any sense?”

“Yes. I feel that way as well. Like I’ve been waiting for this moment all my life, and now that you’ve found me, I can rest easy.” He took her hand into his, and she felt a strange and powerful connection. “You’ve got magic now. And you’re an immortal. So is Cody. He’s a wonderful little boy. I’m sure you had a great deal to do with that.” “He’s going to need me.” Marley nodded and said he’d do whatever was necessary to keep them both safe. “It’s more than that.

I don’t want him to be pushed aside ever again. I need to make sure he’s better off than I ever was.” “Of course you do. And I’ll help you with that. The two of you are my priority from now on. I will bend mountains to make sure no harm comes to either of you again.” It was too easy, this thing between them. But she really couldn’t find any fault with it. Like she wanted to be mad at him for being so nice about this, but she was happy. “You’re thinking very hard. Is there anything I can help you with?” “I have so many thoughts in my head right now that I’m not sure how to make any sense of it all.” Marley didn’t tell her he understood but continued to hold her hand.

“Are you always going to be this…I don’t know, giving of yourself? While I can use it on occasion, I might need for you to get a little upset at me sometimes.” He laughed, and it brought a smile to her face. As they sat there, not really talking about much of anything, Sin realized that just that quickly, she’d fallen in love with the big man. She couldn’t find anything wrong with falling so quickly, but it did frighten her just a little. When the shop closed up, they all walked to the house. She was able to leave her car in the parking lot behind the place and enjoyed the freedom of walking in the cool crisp evening. Once they were at the house, she was shown around. The place was much larger than it looked like from the outside.

“Magic.” Sin asked Hanna if they all had magic. “We do. I’ve been able to get a great deal from a family of unicorns. Veni and Zippy are witches, Veni being the grand witch. Morgan, as you know, has been gifted more than anyone with her magic. Just so she could help the creatures she cares for.” “What about the others? Allison?” She told her what had transpired recently. “A phoenix? I don’t know that I ever thought they were real. I’m assuming there are a great many things that people think aren’t real that are living here.”

“You’d be right on that.” They were called to dinner then, and she followed the others into the largest dining room she’d ever seen. “You’ll need a faerie too. Cody has one already, but you’ll need one to help you out with the magic. After you get it, you’ll be able to hang out with him and have him do errands for you.” “A faerie.” They all laughed, and she wasn’t sure if they were telling her the truth or not.

Then, just as she was picking up her fork to have a bite of her dinner, a little person, no bigger than a lighter, sat on the end of her fork. “You’re real.” “I am, mistress. My goodness, but you’re glowing with happiness.” She thanked him and then looked around. “You’re going to be very happy here, I’m thinking. You and Marley are a good pairing. I’m glad to see that he’s going to be all right after what the other women did to him.”

As he explained what had happened with Piper and her mother, Sin was beginning to see that this family was one to be with. They cared for each other, and they loved with all their hearts. Marley asked her if she was all right. “Yes. I do think I am. I’m actually better than all right, to be honest with you.” He took her hand into his and kissed the back of it. “You’re a nice man, aren’t you, Marley? All of you are nice.” “Thank you. We had a good role model in our mom. She’s worked hard all her life to make us the men we have become.

And any one of us would die for her if it ever came to that.” Sin told him she could see that. “Thank you again. I’m thinking we’re going to get along just fine, aren’t you?” “I am. I might even manage to not make you pissy with me just to see your temper.” He said he didn’t have one. He was the most laid-back person in the family. “Good to know. You’ve just challenged me to see what I can do to get your self-control out of whack.”

It was perhaps the easiest evening she’d ever spent with strangers. Not that they were that for long, but it was nice to be able to sit around and talk about anything under the sun and not have to worry about impressing anyone. Not that she did that all that much. Sin liked to think she was her own woman. But this, being with this family, was something she’d never had as a child nor as an adult. She must have dozed off because when she woke up, she was in a large bed. The room was huge, with a large fireplace across the room. Getting up, not even sure what time it was, she headed to the bathroom en suite.

Taking a long and warm shower, she felt as if she could face the day a good deal better. Going to the kitchen, Sin realized she had slept past her normal time, and it was coming up on lunchtime. Morgan was playing with one of the kids while she made pies. “My name is Sammy. You must be Sin.” She said she was. “Cody is in my room getting a couple of books he wants to read. I’m going to help him with his homework when we get him to school. You want him to go to the school we go to, don’t you?”

“I don’t know anything about that school. Nor do I know what I’m doing right now.” He said he’d help her figure it out. While she was drinking a glass of juice, a gnome, an honest-to-goodness gnome, peeked his head out of Sammy’s pocket. “Is that for real?” “Yes. His name is Thad. He’s the king of all gnomes. He’s my best friend in the whole world.” Sammy took the little man out of his pocket and put him on the table beside her. “He’s going to retire, and he wants me to take over his job. I’m not sure how good I’ll be at it, but I’m going to give it my best shot.”

“I see.” She looked at Morgan, wondering if she was still asleep and dreaming this. Sammy took her hand and put a crystal on her palm. “Oh my, that’s beautiful. Where did you get it?” “These are all over the place around here. I got that one when I had my birthday last week. It’s for college if I want to go. Grandma Morgan said I could buy a college if I wanted to with that. I don’t know that I’d want an entire college, but it’s good to know I have options.” She laughed, then covered it with a cough when Sammy looked at her oddly.

“You’re overwhelmed, aren’t you?” “Yes. By a great deal, as a matter of fact. I don’t suppose I could ask you to tell me things like that a little at a time, could you?” He said he could do that. Cody joined them with several books that looked like first editions of ones she’d read as a child. “I used to love these stories when the teacher read them to us in school. I’ve not thought of the Stinky Cheeseman in years.” As Cody read the story to her, she enjoyed her lunch. Morgan had made nine pies by the time the boys were ready to go out of doors, and she helped her pack them up to give away. She asked her about that. “Oh, we have fruit here year-round.

So when I have a little extra, I try to make sure I give them to people who might enjoy them as much as I do making them. You should take a walk around to see what you can get into. I’m going to be going over to the seedlings here when these are finished. If you’d like, you can hang out with me.” “I’d love that.” And Sin knew she would, too. Marley had been called away, she’d been told, to see to a patient that fell at their home. While hanging out with Morgan, she learned a great deal more about where she would be living. Sin had no illusions that she’d not be living here with the rest of the family. It was the way it was meant to be, she thought.

Elizabeth Monroe moved from Chicago to a small town in Ohio to live with her grandda, Bingo. He owned the construction company updating Peter’s house. Elizabeth was helping out until she could take her medical boards to transfer her license to Ohio.

Robert Archer was bored with being an attorney and wanted to try his hand at construction. He had an eye for detail and wanted to help his brother, Peter, out. Robert was focusing so hard on the tile job that when Elizabeth suddenly spoke out of seemingly nowhere, he was startled and fell, hitting his head hard on the tub.

Elizabeth went immediately into doctor mode to save Robert. With his head bandaged and his eyes covered, Robert only knew her by the sound of her voice and her surly attitude. Surly or not, Robert was intrigued and falling quickly for the new doctor.

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Merce was a go-getter. She ran a contracting company with her father, and when she saw something that needed to be done, she did it. Archer’s company had a new product that needed to be produced, and Merce knew her company was in a perfect position to fulfill that order. She just didn’t understand why they weren’t on the list for consideration. She’d see about that.

Del was exhausted. The banging on his front door in the middle of the night was beyond infuriating. He didn’t bother getting dressed to answer it. If whoever was at the door didn’t like it, then so be it. That’s what they get for being so rude.

In all his naked glory, Del threw open the front door. Merce didn’t skip a beat in getting right to the point of her visit. The sparks fly as two stubborn souls clash for the first time….

When Heather Grey received the phone call from Merce Archer that her brother was dead, she wasn’t surprised, but when her sister-in-law, Judy Grey, claimed to be pregnant with her brother’s child, Heather knew better than that. There was no way in hell that child was his. Heather decided right then and there that she’d go to the small town and set things straight.

Peter Archer was acting as the Archer family’s attorney. He was looking into the possibility that an employee of theirs, Judy Grey, had embezzled money from one of the business owner’s personal accounts.

When Heather stormed into their lives, bringing her mentally challenged aunt with her, demanding Judy be investigated for her brother’s death, Peter was captivated with her. And when Heather said they came as a package deal, Peter didn’t hesitate because from the moment he kissed her, his life had changed forever.

Archer’s Dynasty

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Prologue

Robert watched the men as they worked on the house he knew Heather and Peter were going to live in. He was hoping he could convince them to let him purchase the other house from them when it was finished. The workers were doing all sorts of things he’d never thought of before that were needed to bring a house back to life, like hanging drywall. The way they put a strip of some kind of paper tape over the seams to what he assumed was to hide them. He was just about to move to another part of the house to watch more work going on when Mr. Taylor, the foreman, sat down beside him. “You’re here to make sure we’re doing a good job?”

Robert was shocked by the question. “You’re making my people nervous, Mr. Archer. If you’re going to be spying on us, the least you could do was to inform me that you’re doing that.” “Oh. No. That’s not it at all. I didn’t think that it would— You see, I’m an attorney. Not that it has anything to do with me being here. But I don’t want to do that anymore. Not at all.” Mr. Taylor nodded. “I’ll start from the beginning. I don’t like being an attorney. I don’t know that I ever did. So I’m looking for, I don’t know, something to occupy my mind and body. I was watching your workers because I’ve been thinking I’d like to give something like this a shot. You know, it’s physical. Mentally challenging. I mean, to watch how your people can hang the boards there and not have to second guess if it’s going to stay there or even fit. I was trying to decide if this was something I’d like to try.”

Mr. Taylor took the notebook that he’d offered to him. As he read over the pages he’d been taking notes on from different jobs on the site, he handed it back to him and sat there for several minutes. It was all he could do not to beg him not to turn him away. “Come with me.” As he walked up the stairs to the third floor, he introduced him to the elderly man working there. “This is Bingo. Don’t ask how he got the name. Bingo, this is Robert. He’s going to be working with you today. He’s a greenhorn, so don’t be making him do all your work while you supervise. He’s got it in his head that he wants to work in renovations like this house.” Bingo took his hand when he offered it. “He thinks on account of me being old, that I don’t know a thing or two.

You’re an Archer. I noticed he didn’t give a last name, but I’ve been around the block a time or two, so I know what’s what more than he does. You’re a lawyer, ain’t you?” “Yes. I was, I guess you could say. I’ll still work if I’m needed, but I’m bored with it. At least for now. I need something to keep me out of trouble.” Bingo laughed. “My mom said that if I didn’t find something to do soon, she was going to murder me. I doubt it would come to that, but she doesn’t have anything around the house for me to move or to help her clean.” Bingo laughed again. It was like listening to a braying jackass, as his grandda would say. But it was also a good sound like he really meant the humor of it. When he told him to come with him, he once again found himself following someone. But this time, he was handed a diagram of what the floor was to look like when it was finished.

“That there is called tile rejuvenation. Not thinking you’re stupid or nothing, but that’s what I call it. The design there, it’s what was on the floor before some fool covered it with carpet, it looked like. What I’ve been doing, and you’re going to do now, is take that there scraper thing and peel back all that stuck crap over it and bring out the tile. Not hard, not if you’re a young man such as yourself, but it’s hard on an old man like me. Just be careful, because some of them tiles is broken, and it’ll cut you faster than a sharp blade will. And it’s nasty. Being in a bathroom all this time, it’s bound to have some nasty turd stuff on it.” Robert started to laugh but could see the man was serious. “Now the tricky part of this is going to be when you get there by the terlit. We’ll take it out of here if you’d not mind helping me.

We’re going to be real careful like with it on account of it being old, and it’s a good flusher.” It took Robert a second or two to realize he was talking about the toilet. Terlit? It was a word he’d never heard before, but he got it. Watching Bingo as he showed him around the other things he was going to be working on, Robert realized how excited he was to be doing this. He also had a feeling that tomorrow he was going to be sore. He’d not done real physical work in a long time. And going to the gym three times a week wasn’t going to even be close to the work he was going to be doing today. Removing the toilet, or terlit as Bingo kept calling it, wasn’t as difficult as he thought it would be. It was heavy as hell, weighing about a hundred pounds. But it was slippery and awkward to maneuver out of the room.

Robert was proud of himself when he got it into the bedroom that this room was attached to. After removing the pedestal sink and the leg of it, the entire bathroom looked a good deal larger. However, he wasn’t sure what they were going to do with the claw-footed bathtub. He wondered how they were going to get it out because it was cast iron, Bingo said. “Waiting on word about that from your brother. Don’t suppose you could call him or his missus for me? Sure would be nice to know if we gotta bust out a wall or two to get that sucker out of here. The thing must weigh upwards to four hundred pounds or so.” He said he’d call him now.

“Tell him it can be redone with new enamel coating for about what it’ll cost for a new tub.” He was asked to call Heather, as Peter hadn’t any idea what she wanted to do. Robert did know that Peter and Heather were going to be living in this house and was a little jealous that they were having so much fun. Robert wondered briefly if he had someone out there that he could love. When Heather answered the phone, he told her what he was doing and why he was calling her. “Is this the bathroom on the third floor?

The one with the wraparound shower curtain that’s blue?” He told her it was. “Mr. Taylor told me it had tile under the carpet. Please tell me that’s what you’re— Wait, what are you doing there?” “I’ve decided I need something to do. While I don’t need to work for financial gain, I do need to work to keep me from being arrested for sitting outside the different shops around town to browse around more. I’ve seen about everything there is to see in the shops, just so you’re aware.”

She asked him if he was the go-between. “No. I’m working on the job site if they allow it. Bingo is showing me how to clean the tile under the carpet in there, but the tub is the issue. If it were me, I’d save the tub and the tile. From what I can see of it now, it’s beautiful. And the design that was laid here is magnificent. The tile is hexagon-shaped and about an inch and a half across. They alternate between white and blue, with the blue making a kind of hexagon circle around the white. Bingo said there might be a few broken tiles, but I’m betting they can be replaced if necessary.” “You convinced me. Keep them both. I do love the claw-footed tub, so that was going to stay regardless. So I’ll find someone to go in and fix it up so it will be all right for us to use.

I’m so excited. You go ahead and figure out what it will cost to replace tiles if I need to. Thank you, Robert. I think having you there will help me in being able to settle things like that. Mr. Taylor would give me details but not tell me how lovely it’d look or give me the design you described so well. Thank you bunches.” He asked her about the other house. “You want it? I would love to see it go to someone else in the family. It’s a big house. Are you looking to fill it anytime soon?”

“Someday.” He looked at Bingo and told him she wanted the tub. He laughed when the man did a little gig. It was the perfect word for the dance the man did around the room. “I have to go, Heather. I’ll talk to you when I get off work.” Robert had the floor done before lunch. Well, not finished, but he had all the sticky carpet material taken off. While it had been enjoyable work—being entertained by Bingo fun—it was hard, and the muscles across his shoulders and neck were about as strained as he’d ever felt before. However, he was satisfied about the work he’d done and couldn’t wait to get more of the work finished up. Setting to work to clean the tile with a scrub brush and detergent, he reached as far beneath the tub as he could reach. Bingo was going to help him move it a little when he got done with this part of the floor so it would be evenly matched in cleanliness.

Robert was so engrossed in what he was doing that he jerked away from someone touching his back and slammed his head against the tub. When he woke up, he thought he’d fallen asleep on his couch. Trying to sit up, he was shoved back to something hard beneath him and realized he was still in the bathroom, on the floor. It occurred to him that someone was talking about him. “How the hell am I supposed to know, Grandda? All I did was try and get his attention like you told me to. Christ, you should have seen all that blood.” A mumbling sound, then laughter, made him realize that Bingo was who the woman was talking to. He reached up to pull whatever she had on his face down. The woman turned to him. “Look.

You take this cloth off your face again, and I’m going to make you hurt worse than you are now. Do I make myself clear? I’m waiting on one of the drywall jockeys to bring me my bag. How would you rate your pain on a scale of one to ten?” “It’s building up to about a fifty right now. Who are you? And for that matter, what sort of bag are you looking for? You planning on staying the night here?” He was addled, he knew that, but the look she gave him made him think she wasn’t amused by him. “I don’t know who you are or why you were to get in touch with me. I’ve got a headache to end all— Is that my blood?”

“Gee, is it? I don’t know. Let me wipe at your forehead that is going to more than likely need about thirty stitches from you slamming your fool head up against a tub that more than likely weighs more than the two of us together. You moron. Why didn’t you just turn like a normal person?” He told her she’d startled him. “Next time I go into a bathroom that someone is working in with twenty other people around, I’ll try my best to make a great deal of noise so as not to startle you. Leave. The. Fucking. Rag. On. Your. Face.” If he wasn’t in so much pain at the moment, he would have laughed. However, he might have been in worse shape if he had. The woman wasn’t in the best of humor, so he laid there, thinking of all the things he could be doing right now instead of being— “My brother, Darrel, is a doctor. Not that you have to call him or anything, but…we might want to call my brother Peter.

This is his house.” He started to reach for the cloth but decided he didn’t want to rile her again. “If you could please call my brother, his name is Peter, and it’s in my phone.” He felt his phone being taken from his pocket. Telling her the passcode to open it up, he waited while she made the call. The pain was making him sick right now, and he wasn’t sure how close he was to begging, literally begging, for something for pain. “Hey. My name is Doctor Elizabeth Monroe. I’d like to speak to Peter. I didn’t catch his last name, so I hope—” He told her what his last name was. “Peter Archer. I’m here with his brother Robert.” Robert wanted to peek at her. She most certainly was nicer than she’d been to him. And he was hurt. He heard her also say thanks to someone else in the room with them. Then the sound of a zipper being used.

“You allergic to anything?” He took a second to realize she was talking to him, and that earned him a poke in the ribs. “Are you allergic to anything?” “No. And if that is something for pain, I will gladly take as much as you can give me. I’m cross-eyed with pain right now.” His T-shirt was pulled up over his arm, and he felt the coolness of something wiping over his skin. As soon as she told him he was going to feel a pinch, the needle entered him, along with some nice drugs. “Thank goodness.” The next time he was aware, Robert could hear people talking around him—his mom, then his sister-in-law. He didn’t know which one it was right now, but he knew it was one of them. Reaching up slowly to pull away whatever was on his face this time, someone touched their hand to his.

“Don’t do that. If you do, that doctor is going to come back in here and rip you a new ass. Again.” He asked Peter where he was. “Emergency room. You’ve been here about an hour. Darrel is talking to Elizabeth now on what happened and how they’re going to treat you. When you hit your head on that tub, you did some serious damage to your pretty face. Like you have an eruption on your forehead that is going to need some serious stitches in it. Let me describe it for you. It’s like you hit the hard surface in the middle. But then the wound split off in about four or five directions from there. Also, you have a concussion, which anyone would figure out. You can have something more for pain should you want it.”

“Seriously? Just, I don’t know. Don’t describe things to me so graphically. I’m all right with the pain right now, but I can feel it building up again. Peter, I’m so sorry about this.” He asked him why he was sorry. “I think I might have gotten blood all over your tile. I don’t know enough about it to tell you if there is a lot or not, but I’m reasonably sure it’s going to stain it.” “I’m just happy you’re awake and seem to know what’s going on, little brother. And that you’re going to heal. You could have really hurt yourself.” He thought he had but let it go. “The doctor is coming in again. Just behave and don’t piss her off again. She is delightful to watch trying to deal with her anger, but I don’t want her to kill you. She’s intense.” That was an understatement if he’d ever heard one. While he tried not to sob like a little baby with the pain, he realized he was going into surgery.

After asking a couple of questions about it, he asked for pain meds. “You’ll be out in about ten minutes. Will you be able to wait that long?” He told Elizabeth he wasn’t sure he could. “I can give you a little of what I’m going to have you put under with, and that won’t hurt you during surgery. Just hang on a moment while I get it for you. Robert, I’m really sorry I hurt you.” He said her name to tell her it hadn’t been her fault when Peter told him she’d gone. Then seconds later, he felt the pain being dulled, and he let himself ride on that. Christ, he was going to be a mess when he woke up. He knew it. ~*~ Elizabeth was used to stitching people up. She’d been an ER doctor for the last five years. However, she’d caused this wound to this man, and his family had been nothing but nice to her. She, however, felt like shit about it. Darrel, who was assisting her so that he could vouch for her abilities to work in the hospital, asked her if she was all right to begin. “I’m responsible for this. He was working, and I startled him to the point where he jumped. I feel just horrible.”

Darrel told her Robert wouldn’t feel that way. “No. Then after he woke up, I was nasty to him again. I’m not sure I can see him again after this.” “You mean after the surgery or just in general?” She wasn’t sure what he meant, so she asked him. “I mean, would you like to see him on a personal level, or just as follow up after this? He’s a great man, if you mean personally. As for the follow-up? Well, I can do that, but I think you’re going to regret it. Robert will as well. I mean, it could go nowhere, but if you were to ask me, I think you’ll miss someone great in your life as a friend if you forgo seeing him in either capacity.” “He’ll make me feel bad about hurting him.” Darrel just laughed. “I don’t think this is the least bit funny. Even if there was to be something romantic—I’m not saying that’s what I want—but even if there was, I’m sure he’d hold what I did to him over my head for decades to come.”

“Nor do I think this is funny. As for him holding it over your head, you’d never allow that. You’d be all over his ass, or you’d leave. You strike me as a woman who doesn’t take shit from anyone. However, I can almost bet that not only will Robert never blame you for anything that happened to him at work, but you can bet he’ll take you to task if you were to tell him you hurt him.” She asked him how he could be so sure. “He’s my brother, for one thing. I’m as sure about his reaction to you and your ideas as I am about you being a good doctor.

Secondly, my mom would beat his ass if he even thought about hurting you. Now, how about we get this show on the road and get him fixed up?” The surgery went well. The reason they had opted to go into the surgical room was so they could make sure nothing had gotten into the wound. The tub, while hard as stone, was old and hadn’t been cleaned in some time. After cleaning the wound several times, finding a small piece of enamel in the wound, Elizabeth put tape over it to help with the probable scarring. They’d have to wait a couple of more days to stitch him up, as the swelling was more than it had been before they’d brought him in here. Checking on him in recovery, Elizabeth was shocked to hear him call out to anyone that was in the room with him.

Answering his question about who she was and why she was there, he grabbed her hand like a lifeline. Holding him too, she told him what had happened in the operating room. “Thank you for taking such good care of me. I know Darrel would have done the same, but he might well have left some kind of carving in my head. Just to make fun of me later.” She told him then that she was sorry. “For what? I haven’t any idea why you’d think what I did to myself is in any way connected to you, but get that thought out of your head right now. I did this by being so engrossed in cleaning tile that I simply shut out the world around me.” “But if I’d not—” He told her that no one was at fault.

“I did startle you. If I’d not, then you wouldn’t be here now.” “Elizabeth—can I call you that?” She nodded, then told him he could. His head was bandaged up, so his eyes were covered up as well. “You want to make this up to me? Then you can have dinner with me. I’ve not had a date in a long time, so I’m not even sure if it’s all right for a man to ask a woman. I’ve been leading a very sheltered life up until now.” “You’re a good-looking attorney working with a construction company that my grandda owns, and you’ve been sheltered? Tug on the other leg, why don’t you? That one is long enough.” They both laughed, then he moaned in pain. “Don’t let the pain get ahead of you, Robert. If you need something for pain, then ask for it.”

“I’m enjoying talking to you. But the pain is getting bad again. Will you stay with me until the meds kick in? You more than likely have a lot of things to do, but just for a little while. Please?” She said she would and used the call light to order his medication. As soon as the nurse brought it in, he released her hand. It was the most bereft feeling she’d ever had. “Yes. That’s it. I can feel it working.” She stayed with him until she had to go to the bathroom, long after he’d fallen into a deep sleep. Even then, she didn’t want to leave. Elizabeth came back in the room for a few more minutes and did something she hadn’t ever done to a patient in her life. Kissing him on the mouth, she left the room before someone could tell her she was a fool.

Going back to her grandda’s house, she was surprised to see he’d been prepared for her coming in late. Sitting at the kitchen table with him, he handed her a plate of cold sandwiches and carrots. She didn’t care for chips, and Elizabeth loved that he had remembered that about her. “You get him all fixed up?” That was all it took for her to burst into tears. She was so upset her grandda came around the table to hold her. “Honey, I don’t know what’s upset you about him, but I will have him fired tomorrow morn—” “No. No, it’s not that at all. Grandda, he was super nice to me even though I caused him to be hurt.

He was a gentleman and so kind to me about it not being my fault. Robert told me it was entirely his fault for being so— Grandda, I really like this man. I know I’ve known him for less than a day, and most of that was him being unconscious, but he was nice to me and kind. It’s been a long time since anyone has been kind to me that wasn’t related to me.” Grandda said he liked him as well. “I don’t know what I’m to do about this.” “About what? You mean liking him? What’s the problem with liking a nice man? Nothing. Are you wondering if he’d like you? He’d be a darn fool not to like you. Even perhaps fall in love with you someday. As for anything else going on in that pretty little head of yours, you can forget that right now. All those Archers are good people, from the elderly man to the youngest one.

Why, I’d be as happy as a lark in the summer if you were to attach yourself to someone like that. I’m not saying you have to, but you couldn’t do any worse.” She said he was putting the cart before the horse. “Perhaps. But I’ve known you all your life, little bit. And there hasn’t ever been a time when you’d been this upset about— You remember that boy in third grade that you put on the straight and narrow? What was his name?” “Danny Thomas. He pulled on my braids one too many times. When I had enough, I punched him in the face and knocked him on his ass.” Grandda laughed and asked her if she remembered getting into trouble.

“I was supposed to be suspended for a week, but Grandma went up there with a willow stick and met up with the principal with it in her hand. He started to tell her it was school policy, but she wasn’t having it. If I was never afraid of Grandma, that would have been the day I changed my mind. She smacked that stick down on his hands and told him to think about his next words. My goodness, Grandda, I have never in all my life had more respect for her than I did at that moment. She will always be my hero, even though she’s been gone for a while.” “I miss that woman every minute of every day.

She was the best part of me.” Elizabeth said she was for her too. “She could boil you with a look and hug you like you’ve been gone for years instead of just the day before. I loved her so much. Had it not been for you, honey, I would have gone on with her. She made me a man that I could be proud of.” “When she asked me what I wanted to do with my life, the first thing that popped into my head was nothing. I just wanted to do charity work like she did. But then I thought of her helping that little boy across the street when he fell from the tree.

She was so calm and barking orders to his parents. I swear to you, that is the reason I became a doctor. I wanted to be able to help other people when they were at their worst.” Grandda used a napkin to blow his nose. “Grandda, we need to do this more often, I think. Talk about Grandma and the things that made her so special to us both. I know I’d love some of the memories you have of her before I came along and messed up your retirement years.”

“We were sitting around and being old before you came along. All the money in the world can’t do crap for you if you’ve no one to enjoy it with. And that is exactly what you did when you were brought to us after your parents died. I believe this with all my heart, had you not come along when you did, we’d have been found a month or so after we’d died from boredom, and no one would have given two fiddles about it. No, don’t you ever think you messed up our lives, Elizabeth. You gave us a life. Always believe that.”

She wiped at her own tears then. Reaching across the table to his hand, she took it into her own. His hands were callused and strong. Nothing like some of the elderly she had taken care of at the hospital that she’d worked at until recently. “I love you so much, Grandda. Thank you for being just the man you are and making me feel like I was someone very special.” He said she’d made that easy. “Well, I love you. And I’m exhausted. I’m going to head up to bed and get going early in the morning. I need to find me a job before I get into any more trouble.” “You’ll make trouble, Elizabeth. You’re good at that.” She laughed with him, not sure what he meant by that. But he loved her, and she couldn’t have asked for anyone better in her life.

Then she thought of Robert. He was a nice man. Also, he was smart, savvy, and just the sort of person she thought could shake up her life. Getting into bed, she scolded herself for acting like a lovesick puppy and willed herself to sleep. Of course, it didn’t work, and she tossed and turned for what felt like hours before she finally gave up and went to her computer to try and read the latest medical journal magazine. Even that didn’t work “Now, what am I supposed to do when a man I barely know is keeping me up at nights, wondering if he is a good kisser or not? Also, what was I thinking in kissing him like that?

I wasn’t. That was it.” Finally giving up on everything she’d planned for herself, Elizabeth got into the shower and decided to start her day. “Stupid man. What the hell was I thinking when I went and kissed him? My life is really screwed up if I’m resorting to kissing strangers when they’re sleeping.” Going to the kitchen again, she opened her laptop and began looking for job postings. When her grandda showed up, Elizabeth realized she’d not applied for a single job and couldn’t have told anyone what she’d been looking at either. Even her computer got tired of waiting on her and had gone to sleep. Everything was sleeping better than she was. ~*~

Peter pulled out his cell phone when it vibrated. Having a message from Robert was always a good thing. I went to the doctor today. Christ, she’s beautiful, isn’t she? This was the first time I saw her clearly. Anyway, they took the bandages off, and the wounds are healing nicely. He messaged him back, asking him if he’d asked Elizabeth out yet. I did. We’re working up to that. Peter told him good. Then he saw that he was typing again. Dinner tonight? With my new girl? Sure. Steaks on the grill all right with you? I’ll have a nice pork chop for my meal, so it’ll be a nice meal for me as well. Robert sent back an emoji of happy faces dancing all over the screen. Good.

Pick up dessert and well have a nice evening. Putting his phone on the floor beside him, he held Heather in his arms. Nothing could be better than this, he thought. They were all safe, and he was going to be a father. It was then that it hit him. He was going to be a father. Peter had always dreamed of having a couple of kids. The right woman hadn’t come along until he met Heather. Now not only was he getting his life in order, thankfully, but he was going to have a little one running around. He thought his grandda would be the happiest. He’d been having a good time playing with the kids at Delmar’s home. “He’s never treated them any different than he did if they’d been born of his blood.” He was startled when Heather spoke.

“You talk when you’re thinking hard. Did you know that?” “I used to do it as a kid, but I thought I’d outgrown that. Robert and Elizabeth are coming over for dinner tonight. They’re bringing dessert. Are steaks all right with you?” Heather kissed him on the mouth before getting up. Then she helped him up from the floor. “Christ, but that isn’t as painful as it was the first time. I think I’m on the mend. What do you think?” “I think I miss you in the bed with me. I miss having you hold me around your naked body.” He kissed her again. “And that. Quick kisses aren’t as satisfying as one might think.” Peter was still laughing as he made his way to the kitchen. The cane was helping him not go too fast, but it was also annoying to remember he needed it. As soon as he entered the kitchen, he felt like he had always felt at his mom’s home.

The place of gathering. That was what he thought the definition of a kitchen should be. ~*~ Elizabeth didn’t mind going to Peter’s home. Since she’d been hanging around with Robert, she’d met and come to like all the family. Grandda was enjoying it as well, as he was getting around town more. “Did you know he didn’t file for worker’s comp? I expected him to. He was hurt on the job. But he told me that since he’d been foolish enough to get himself hurt, he should pay for it.” She said she’d talk to him. “Don’t, honey. Let him do this. He’s a right proud man, and don’t embarrass him for a couple of hundred dollars.”

Elizabeth was sure it was a good deal more than that, but she let it go. Darrel had told her just that morning that she was approved to work at the hospital. She’d only need to take her boards in Ohio, and that would be it. In the meantime, he was going to shadow her, so she didn’t do anything upsetting to the hospital. Today had been a good day for her. “Do you think they’d mind if I was to invite myself to this dinner thing?” She told her grandda she didn’t think anyone would mind. “You ask them. I won’t if it’s a family thing, but I’d like to talk to Peter a bit. He’s a good man, that one. So is Robert.”

“Grandda, I’m not family.” She didn’t like that he waved her off as if it were a done deal that she was a family member. “I’m not. I’m just going there with Robert to have steaks with his family. There isn’t anything going on between the two of us.” “If you say so. However, let me ask you something. When was the last time you lit up when you talked about a man? Never that I can remember. Also, he’s a good-looking man. A good head on his shoulders and money of his own. Couldn’t do any worse than that, I’d not think.” She told her grandda not to get the wrong idea. “I don’t know that I have the wrong idea, child.

Even with his eyes covered, that man follows your voice like you’re a nice shiny penny, and he’s needing it. My goodness, the heat just about comes off him when the two of you are together.” “He’s only just seen me today for the first time.” He asked her how that had gone. “I had to beg him to stop talking about how beautiful I was so I could have a look at his wounds. You’d think he’d never seen a woman before.” “I’d say he’d not seen a woman as beautiful as you.” She felt her cheeks heat up. “Now then, you ask them if I can join their little get-together, and I’ll go get gussied up.” Grandda was still laughing when she pulled out her cell phone. The damned man was driving her insane with his speculations. Just last night, he’d been going on about leaving the company he’d owned forever to Robert.

Like he’d just take it because of her. It was Heather that answered the phone. Before she could ask about her grandda coming, she told her what was going on at the house. She was still smiling as Heather went on about the list of things that were driving her crazy at the moment at their new home. “Living here isn’t so bad. I mean, Robert has asked for it, and I don’t mind him taking it. Are you going to be all right living here?” She asked her what it would have to do with her. “I don’t know, Elizabeth, maybe because you love him? He certainly does look like he’s in love with you.” “I don’t know how to remark on that. We’re just good friends right now.” Heather snorted.

“Before we get into a heated debate about this, I was talking to my grandda, and he wants to know if it’d be all right for him to join us tonight. He wants to talk to Peter about something. I don’t know if this has anything to do with his attorney passing away a few months ago, but it might.” “Sure, the more, the merrier. We’re having steaks and baked potatoes. Also, some kind of salad that Peter loves. And Robert is going to be picking up dessert. I

haven’t any idea what that might entail for him, but I know he is a huge pie lover. I like it too, but Peter told me that Robert will rate a restaurant poorly if they don’t have at least one pie choice on their menu.” She told her she’d have to remember that. “All right then, we’ll be eating around five, I guess. You guys can show up whenever you want. Robert is going to tour the house a little and then make a decision on whether or not he’ll take it off our hands.” “Grandda told me a few days ago that he and my dad had done some of the original work on that house. You’ll have to talk to him about that too.” She said she would. “The house you and Peter are moving into, he said he thought it was built by the first owners.

I’m guessing that would be Peter’s great-grandparents or something.” “Yes. That would be…this is awesome. I do hope you’re going to be coming around a great deal. I’d love to talk to you about all kinds of things.” She said she would on the condition that she was allowed to see the things in the barn. “Oh yes. Oh, my goodness, it is the most spectacular place to be when the sun is shining, or not. I was out there yesterday when it started to rain, and the soft breeze made all the smaller pieces chime with the wind. I’m excited to see all the pieces out in the light. We’re going to see if any of the rest of the family wants a couple of the pieces to put into their homes. Katie has already asked for a few of them.” “How generous of you and Peter. I don’t know what Robert will want, but I’d like to see them. She was quite famous, his grandmother.” They talked a bit more about the things in the barn and then decided they’d see if Merce wanted to join them for lunch sometime soon.

“I’m working at the hospital until I get to take my tests for Ohio. They’re letting me work some to take the pressure off the doctors, so I’ll be covering for vacations and such. I love the ER to work in. I think I’d never leave that area if I didn’t have to. But covering for doctors means I have to have rounds too. But I’m happy so long as I can stay around here with my grandda. He’s all I have left of family.” “Even if you and Robert don’t go any further than you are now, we’ll still be here for you. And your grandda. However, like I said, he looks at you, and even before he had his bandages removed, he would listen for you to come near him. I’m not pushing, but I don’t think you could do any better than having an Archer in your life.”

Elizabeth admitted to her that she did like him. “Good. That’s all I need for now. If you want more, then I’d say go for it.” When they disconnected the call, she felt better for talking to her. Not that she’d been in a bad place, but to talk to someone, another woman, was refreshing. Merce and Heather were a great deal alike in that they’d tell you how it was before you had to ask. Even if you didn’t want to know or hear about whatever it was, they’d tell you. She loved that about all the family. When Robert showed up to get them, he gave her a bouquet of flowers.

She couldn’t ever in her life remember anyone giving her flowers before that hadn’t been related to her. Having them put into a vase that had been her grandma’s made them seem more special. Elizabeth handed him a small box as well. “It’s the book we were talking about. I dug out my grandma’s copy. It’s signed too.” He opened it up to the first page and read the inscription. “There are a lot of first editions around here.

Some of them aren’t of famous people, but Grandma loved to read. She would write reviews for the books too.” “May I kiss you?” Nodding before she knew what kind of kissing he was going to be giving her, she felt herself being drawn to his body like she’d been begging for it all day. When he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her flush with his body, Elizabeth looked up at him. “You’re beautiful. I know you must get tired of me saying that to you, but I can’t help myself. You are far and away the most lovely creature I’ve ever laid my eyes on.” The kiss was more than she had expected.

So much more. His tongue moved along her lips until she allowed him entrance. While his tongue dueled with hers, she felt him press his cock into her soft flesh and moaned. It was as if the nudge of his cock set all kinds of things in motion for them both. Pulling away from her, Robert held her while they both were breathing hard. It was all she could do not to grab him up and take him right there on the living room floor. “If you touch me right now, I’m going to be in trouble with my family. There won’t be any way I can tear myself from you long enough to allow you to undress, much less make it to my family’s home. Christ, I was so wrong about you. You’re more than any man could have ever dreamed for when he fell in love with a woman.”

She asked him if he loved her. “I think I have since the first time I woke up in the hospital, and you held my hand. My brothers would have, but I would never have lived it down. You being there was perfect. Like you are. The most magnificently perfect being that has ever been born to this earth.” “You two ready?” Grandda’s timing was either a godsend or terrible timing. However, she was glad he’d called them both back to earth. When taking her hand into his, Robert kissed her again, and they were out the door. Grandda talked nonstop on the way over, and she wouldn’t have been able to tell anyone a single thing he’d said. This must be love, she told herself. Nothing else could feel this good. Nothing.

Jade Anderson would miss the restaurant where she had worked her way through school. The closing was bittersweet, but she was happy that Ms. B was getting to retire. It wasn’t the money. She had more lucrative endeavors than waiting on the tables. It was the regulars that came in she’d miss the most. Especially the elderly Strong couple that used to come in all the time before they passed away.

Jenson Strong was told to invite the pretty waitress to a get-together for his deceased grandmother, but instead, he insulted her for being a waitress and said that she better dress appropriately for the event too.

When Jade tried to politely decline the invitation, Jenson wouldn’t take no for an answer and pushed her back down in her chair. Jade didn’t just punch him in the face but knocked him back on his ass. There was going to be hell to pay.

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Happy Reading,

Jade sat down at one of the empty booths and looked at the album that had been given to her just this morning when she’d shown up to work. It was her last day here at the restaurant that she’d spent more than half her life working at. She looked up when someone sat across from her. It was Ms. Bruce, Ms. B for short, the restaurant owner—up until last month and a better mother to her than her own.
“You’re going to miss this old place,” Jade said that she would. “Don’t you be looking for another job waiting tables, young lady. You get out there and see the world, then you go on and find yourself a job that is more suited to that education that you got.”

Ms. B was the nicest person in the world. She’d not only taken good care of her, but she’d also been there when she needed her. Her husband of sixty-three years had passed away ten years ago, and it had hurt her as much as it had Ms. B. He was sorely missed by both.
“Mom called me yesterday, well, yesterday morning, but I didn’t call her back until later. She said that she was going to come here to see me about something. I told her that I wasn’t going to be around after today. That upset her. She said that I was ungrateful.” Ms. B. looked thoughtful and then asked her if she thought that she was going to want some money. “More than likely. I don’t give her anything anymore. While she’s not been as horrible of a mother to me as she might have been had I stuck around, she’s just not anyone that I want in my life anymore.”

“No, you’d not need that around you anymore.” Ms. B opened the album to the first page, to the day that she’d started working for her place. “I wish – I’d have known about how she was with you back then. I might well have taken you to my home.” She clasped Jade’s hand for a gentle squeeze. “But you were, as you are now, very closed mouth about your personal life.”
“I don’t have a personal life that you don’t know about.” They both laughed. “I can’t believe I’ve worked here for the last twelve years. I mean, it doesn’t seem possible. I’ve met so many people in all these years. And now you’re going to be moving away, and I’ll only see you once in a while instead of all the time now. I will miss this place and you.”

As they were looking through the photo album, they talked about the pictures that were in it. The Strong family, a huge part of the community, were in a lot of them. Jade had waited on the elderly couple every Sunday for the last ten or so years. She thought they were a nice couple.
“The couple had been coming into my place since my mom first opened. Bringing in their child to eat with them, then as he grew older, they’d bring in a couple of his friends. After he married his wife, years later, they would begin to bring in their child to eat with their grandparents. They were the nicest family I’ve ever known. Then Bar got married himself, and they never came around anymore. Just Mr. and Mrs. Strong.”

“When her husband passed away, I thought for sure that she’d not come in anymore. They were such a wonderful couple. I’m sure that there wasn’t another couple that loved each other as much as the two of them did.” Mrs. Strong, the elder, had passed away not long after Jade had graduated from high school at fourteen. Jade smiled as she remembered the woman. “She gave me a thousand dollars for my graduation gift. I tried to tell her that it was too much, but she wouldn’t hear of it. Then a few days later, she had a stroke that took her life. I miss them.”

“I do as well.” When one of the Strong men came into the diner, Jade just watched him as Ms. B. got up to wait on him.
Jade didn’t know them by name; however, she knew the names that they’d been given. Just not who was who. There were six of them, all men of worth. They would come in once a week, on Sundays, to have a piece of pie like their grandmother did to commemorate her passing. She often wondered how they had any idea what she had liked to eat as they had only started coming around after she had passed away.
Jenson was the oldest son. He was a big man, and she thought that he was some sort of politician. It wasn’t in her to keep track of who was who in the political world, so she didn’t know for sure what it was he did.

Clay was the next oldest. She knew that he was a teacher of something but was not sure what he taught. Ms. B told her once that he was head of a science department that landed rovers on other planets. Again, it wasn’t something that she had had time to look at because of her education, as well as working full time.
The next two, she didn’t know all that well. Only that Barkley and Barton were twins who didn’t look the least bit alike. At least to her. And that women fawned all over them, hoping for a piece of the action that would eventually end up with them knocked up with one of their kids to be a part of the very wealthy Strong family. Christ, women like those gold-diggers gave other women bad names.

Maverick was next. He was a financial advisor that kept the Strong family in money. She wasn’t sure, but she had heard that they had all the money in the world, so his job seemed, to her anyway, kind of stupid. But then, people thought that hers was as well.
Trevor, someone that she had known a little, had gone to college when she had. At fourteen, it had been difficult for her to get around campus. She couldn’t drive yet and couldn’t afford a new bike at the time, but he had been nice to her when she’d been stranded in the snow with Mr. B’s old bike that had been broken and taken her to her building. Even after her class, he’d been outside waiting in his wonderfully warm car to take her home. She’d only seen him since then in here at the restaurant having pie with his brothers. He had never really acknowledged her again. She didn’t have a clue what it was that he did but didn’t care either. They were all so far out of her league that she was sure they were on a different planet.

Jade had managed to graduate first in her class with her bachelor’s degree as well as second in her class with a doctorate as a medical engineer. Being only seventeen, when she finished her doctorate, Jade finished up her medical degree to be in the hospital to get more education as a physician. She’d had to work from the diner the first
year of her job because they couldn’t allow her in the building until she was eighteen. Even then, they had been accommodating to her, setting up a good computer as well as a laptop so that she could do the work she was very good at, as it turned out. She worked in a lab environment most of the time, developing medical solutions and was involved in research as well as developing and testing medical devices. While she could be counted on to fix such testing machines, she rarely did that anymore as she was good at her other job.

“Are you Miss Anderson?” Looking up at Jenson, she said that she was. Right off the bat, she didn’t care for him or his tone in asking her who she was. “I know you know who my grandmother is. And I’m sure you know she passed away a few years ago. My family and I are having a get-together to remember her by. Grandma asked if you could be there too. It won’t be a big celebration but just a couple of hundred people.” As he straightened his tie, Jade inwardly seethed. “We’ll expect you there on time and with a nice dress on. I’m not kidding you when I tell you not to embarrass the family with whatever you think you might be wearing. So be respectable and nice looking.” She decided to ignore his comment about her clothing and smiled instead.

“I thought you said it wouldn’t be a big celebration. That’s a lot of people.” He looked pissed for a second time, and she asked him when it was. After he told her, she shook her head. “I have to work that day. But I do thank you for so politely asking me to attend.”
“You’re not coming?” He looked as if he couldn’t believe she’d rejected his invitation. She said no, not even if she didn’t have to work. She took some satisfaction at the anger that flashed in his eyes. “Why not? Are you too good for us? My grandmother wanted you there, and you’ll have to make other arrangements for someone else to wait on your tables before I allow you to turn her only request down.”

“Allow? I’ve got news for you, mister. Last time I checked, you didn’t sign my paycheck, nor are you my daddy. I guess it sucks to be you. I’m not going. I have to work. Some of us have to make a living as we’re not handed everything on a silver platter.” He looked at the others that had been sitting with him before glaring back at her. She knew she’d pissed him off, but she didn’t care. Good. It served him right, but she still needed to keep her own temper in check. “I’ve been a waitress for the last twelve years, Mr. Strong. You don’t frighten me in the least little bit. I’m busy. I’m not going.”

She stood up, and he pushed her back in the seat. So much for keeping her temper in check. The sound of scraping chairs had her up and hitting the man square in the face before she could think that the others might be coming to his rescue. If the others were going to come and hurt her, she was going to take care of this asshole first and foremost.

Jade didn’t just punch him in the face but knocked him back on his ass, where he broke one of the few tables in the middle of the diner when one of the spindly legs shattered. The splintered table leg had not only broken off but entered his leg from the back of his thigh and came out through the top. She immediately went into physician mode.
“Call an ambulance. Also, the police.” Ms. B was right there with his brothers, and she had her get everything she’d need to make sure that the man didn’t bleed out. Jenson shoved her away from his bleeding leg, and she’d had about enough of his shit. “Listen, you mother fucker. You either let me help you, or you die right here. Then your brothers can live a stress-free life without you, and I have no doubt that you stress everyone out by your ordering them around. Lay back. Shut the fuck up and let me do my job.”

While waiting on the ambulance to come for the dumbass, she had tied off his leg wound and wrapped the wound with the wood still inside of it. Explaining, mostly for her calmness, she said everything she was doing and why. By the time the ambulance was pulling up out in front of the diner, she was ready to call it a day. Instead, she was asked to go in the ambulance with him to the hospital so that she could tell them what was going on.
“I can’t.” One of the medics, Peter, told her that she’d done a great job at keeping him calm and she snorted. “He’s a prick.”
One of the brothers laughed and agreed with her. She didn’t want to engage in talking to him, so when they were going to follow his brother into the hospital, Trevor stayed behind to talk to her. He asked her if she was all right.

“I am. Thank you for asking. You should go see what he needs.” Trevor said that he’d let him know if he needed anything. “Of that, I have no doubt. He touched me first. Not to mention he was very rude to me. Ordering me around like I’m a simpleton. He even told me that I was going to his grandmother’s memorial and that I was to clean up and wear nice clothing.”
“I’d like to say that this is unusual for him, but it’s not. Lately, we all avoid him. Are you going to come to the memorial?” She said that she did have to work. “It was my understanding that this place and the acres around it have been sold, and this place is closing up.”
“It is. This isn’t what I do for a living. Although it did put me through college, I have other resources that I depend on. Besides, I don’t think that even after what your brother said to me, I’d have all that much in common with anyone there. I do have to work, however.”

He nodded, and she began cleaning up the mess that she’d made. Trevor helped. “I can do this, Mr. Strong. Just, well, I don’t want to be rude, but you should get to the hospital to see your brother. If you could perhaps give me a heads up if he plans on suing me, I’d like that very much.”

“He won’t sue you.” He sounded so firm on the idea that she almost believed him. Almost. She didn’t think that Jenson would have any trouble suing her for him being a jackass to her. “May I call you Jade? I remember you in college. I gave you a ride once, if I remember. You were a kid back then.”

“I was.” He just nodded when she didn’t have anything else to say to him. “Mr. Strong—” He told her to call him Trevor. “Since I doubt that we’ll see each other after this, Mr. Strong, I’d like to thank your family for the invitation to your grandmother’s celebration. I did love her and her husband, but I do have to work, so if you’d tell whoever is in charge that I thank them for the invite, I’ll be going home now.”
Picking up her photo album, she left the diner. Jade could still hear him laughing as she got through the door and out into the cold. The Strong men were nuts, was all she could think about as she waited for her car to warm up enough that it wouldn’t die when put into gear. Stupid men. They were all nuts.

~*~
Jenson startled awake and sat up. This caused him to cry out in pain, and he had a few seconds of wondering what the fuck had happened. Then he looked at his leg, and his temper, not all that maintained lately, flared up when he remembered the waitress hitting him.
“You should be ashamed of yourself.” He looked over at his mom, who was knitting. The way that her needles were clacking together made him realize that she was as pissed off as he was. Without looking up, she continued. “What made you think that you could talk to anyone like you did that young woman? To tell her to make sure that she was dressed nicely? Then on top of that, you shoved her into the seat like she was nothing but an errant child.”

She finally looked up at him. “She said that she wasn’t coming to grandmother’s celebration and that she had to work. I told her to find someone else to wait at her table. That’s all.” His mother clicked her tongue at him. “Why are you mad at me? I’m the one that’s in the hospital. Not her.”
“You’re only alive because she, a mere waitress, according to you, was there to save your butt. Did you know that when she knocked you back—justifiably too, from what I’ve heard—that the splintered table leg nicked your artery? That had she not been the one to tie off your leg so that you’d not bleed out, that you’d be dead now?” He asked her what she was getting at. “What do you mean, what am I getting at? I thought I was being clear on what I’m telling you. And you should have read the report on the employees that work at the diner before behaving like an idiot when you were told to ask, not tell her to come to the celebration. What is wrong with you of late? You’ve been snipping and snapping at everyone, including me, for the last several months.”

“I have a lot on my mind.” She asked him what that might be. “It’s stuff with work. I’ve been working on things that aren’t coming to fruition as quickly as I wanted them to. Not to mention this thing with dad.”
“Your father? What’s he done that has you so upset? This might well have slipped your mind, Jenson, but we’re both old enough that we don’t need a sitter anymore. Not to mention needing our son to babysit us.” He said that he knew that. “Do you? I’m not so sure about a great many things with you of late. Why is it that Trevor refuses to talk to you? Or, for that matter, Barkley and Clay? What about Maverick? You’ve pissed off a great many people. As I’m sure was your plan.”
“I didn’t want to bother you and dad with what I have going on.” She just glared at him. His leg was aching right now, and he didn’t want to say the wrong thing to his mother. “Did you know that the money that we set aside for the new school programs is missing? Also, the high school was supposed to have received their football uniforms for this season, and they’ve not been delivered.”

“And?” He asked her if she didn’t think that was wrong. “Wrong? Not really. The school board received an email from the company making the uniforms that the material that they used to put the uniforms together wasn’t being delivered in a reasonable timeframe. So they made a deal with the school to not only make their basketball jerseys and shorts for half price, but they were also going to give them a huge discount next time the school orders for their mistake.”
“No one told me that.” She asked him if he’d asked anyone about it. “I was going to, then other things started popping up too.”
“The before and after school program, I’m assuming.” He was hurting now, so he only nodded at his mother. “Call the nurse, Jenson. We can have this conversation at any time. However, I will try to ease your mind by telling you that they’ve not set up the programs because they don’t have enough volunteers to work the time slots they were planning to run them with. The money isn’t missing but being put to good use on other projects that were also on the list that—call the flipping nurse, Jenson.”

He did. And when someone at the desk finally answered his call, he was nearly ready to beg them for something for pain. Jenson felt like his leg had been torn off and slapped back on. As soon as the nurse gave him an IV injection of pain meds, Jenson felt his entire body simply shut down. The pain wasn’t gone, but it certainly was a good deal easier to deal with.
At some point, he must have dozed off. His mother was gone, but his dad was sitting there working on a crossword puzzle. When he asked him where mom was, dad told him that she’d gone home to get a shower.

“I don’t need you guys to sit around with me while I’m here. I’m sure you have better things to do than to watch me sleep.” Dad just looked at him, confusion written all over his face. “Dad, I’m not being rude, but I’m perfectly capable of being in the hospital by myself.”
“I’m sure you are. But you almost lost your life, and I began to realize that I needed to hang out with my sons more often than I had been. Watching you sleep, to me anyway, is better than planning your funeral.” Jenson felt his face heat up. “That young woman that put you in your place, I’ve been doing some research on her. You’re an idiot compared to this young woman. I’m not going to go into details with you because, frankly, I don’t think you deserve it. However, I will tell you that you need to get your head out of your ass and stop judging people for what you think and see them for what they are.”

“You do understand that I’m the victim here? I’m the one in the hospital with my leg hurting.” His dad asked him if he thought he was justified in treating Jade the way he had. “I was told to make sure she was invited to the gathering with grandma. I did that, and she hit me. Then on top of that, she put me in the hospital with a messed up leg.”
Dad stood up and looked at him. At that moment, for the first time in his life, Jenson saw disappointment on his face. All of it was directed solely at him. When he left his room, not even bothering to tell him goodbye or even to say that he loved him, Jenson was left alone in the room to think.

Usually, Jenson was never one to second guess what he did or said to someone. But right now, he was thinking of how he had treated Jade. He hadn’t been going to admit to anyone, including himself, that he’d been in the wrong. But from all accounts, she had saved his life even after he’d been a total jerk to her. However, he tried to think of it being her fault for hitting him and telling him no—a word that he simply hated to be told—he’d done her wrong. More than that, he’d been a total ass to her and thought that perhaps he had deserved how his family was treating him.

Picking up his cell phone, sitting on the little table by his bed, he called his attorney. Jenson wanted to get a full background check on this woman and berated himself for not doing it sooner. As soon as Holly answered the phone, he told her what he needed.
“You mean Jade Anderson?” He said that was her. “Yes, well, I can tell you anything you want to know about her. She and I are cousins. However, I don’t think that you’re going to be overly impressed. Jade told me what you did to her in the diner the day before yesterday.”
Jenson hadn’t even realized that he’d been in the hospital for two days. Asking her what she’d heard, she told him what his parents had told him. That not only had he deserved being knocked on his ass, but he should have been nicer.

She said she’d get back to him on what she could find for him on a non-personal level. While he liked Holly a great deal, and she was an amazing attorney, he wasn’t thrilled that she was talking to him as if he was stupid. And she had. Telling him that he needed to curb his temper before someone took him to the task. Again. Also that he needed to stop looking at people like they were out to get something from him.
“Not all people are the same, you know.” He didn’t get a chance to answer her when she started again. “Leave Jade alone. She doesn’t need any more bitterness in her life, and for someone who has it all, you’re about as bitter as anyone I’ve ever met.” When she hung up, he just laid there.

What was wrong with people lately? He’d just been warned off by a woman that he didn’t particularly care for right now. Instead of waiting to find out what little Holly might be giving him, he searched for Jade Anderson. In seconds there were so many hits on his search than he could have imagined.
She’d graduated from high school at thirteen. Not unusual, he supposed as he might have thought. He had graduated at the same age. He was sure that all his family had. However, where they differed was that she’d gone straight into college while he’d waited until he was eighteen to go back to higher education.

Not only did Jade have a doctorate in her chosen field as a medical engineer, but she also had a bachelor’s in math and science. She was a certified doctor that volunteered at the homeless shelter and had been at ground zero at a few disasters around the world. As he read over her accomplishments, one thing occurred to him. There were never any pictures of the young woman in any of the articles, and—he found this one to be strange—there were never any quotes from her about anything she’d done. Not even to say that she had done this all on her own.

There were some articles about a Hilda Anderson he found as well. Jenson couldn’t know for sure, but he thought the woman was Jade’s mother. There were several places when she’d been interviewed about Jade where she didn’t have anything good to say about the younger woman. One quote that he thought was very telling was when Hilda complained that her little girl had abandoned her at the age of thirteen. He couldn’t figure out how that had come to pass. Children didn’t normally abandon their parents. Usually, it was the other way around.

The more he read about Hilda, the more impressed he was with Jade. To have had a mother like she had, while not abusive but surely toxic, and accomplish the things that she had was a miracle. Not only had she gotten herself educated, but she had worked hard at not having to have loans that would have come due after she had graduated.
When his dinner was brought to him that night, he had also been given a file from Holly. She didn’t stay, telling him that she had a date with her husband, but she told him that if he wanted more, she could get it for him first thing on Monday morning. He’d been so wrapped up in what he’d been reading that he’d not even realized that it was time for her to be off work.

Dinner didn’t look that bad, but it wasn’t what he might have ordered from a nice restaurant. As he was eating the soup and sandwich, he realized that he’d been wrong. The food was much better than he might have gotten, even at a five-star restaurant. With his belly full and his medications kicking in, he was ready to relax with the file he’d been given before sleeping. It was nearly midnight when he got through the first part of the file folder.

Hilda is the mother of Jade. Hilda also had a brother, Jacob, Holly’s father, that was a good deal better at everything than his older sister had been. Everything that Jacob touched seemed to turn to gold. While Hilda went from one disaster to the next with only the clothing on her back. She’d had Jade when she’d been barely sixteen, and while everyone around her wanted to put her up for adoption, Hilda had kept the baby. The notes that were in Holly’s handwriting told him that her aunt had held onto the child because everyone was telling her that she was too immature to raise her. ‘Of course, it looked like they were right, but that was when the story started to make me think that Jade had been the mature one in their little dynamics.’

Jade, at the age of two, had learned how to read. Once she had that under her belt, she began making sure that the bills had been paid and on time also that she and her mother had food on the table nightly. Since they were living in government-subsidized housing, the only real thing that they should have been paying for was their food. But Hilda had gotten cable, a cell phone, as well as a plethora of other items that, with no income coming in, soon were turned off. That was when Jade had gotten a job for herself.

By the time Jade was six, she had two jobs working around the neighborhood that earned her enough cash to pay for her supplies for school as well as anything extra—like a coat Holly had told him to walk to school in.
Cleaning houses at her age couldn’t have been easy on the child, but she did it until she turned thirteen. Then she’d gone to apply for a job at the diner where he’d seen her a few days ago.
She was now, twelve years later, twenty-four years old with a better education than he had. Not only that, she was one of the few people in the world that could break down just about any machine that had ever been made and repair it. Even if she’d never seen the machine while it had been working. Along with having a medical degree. Jade was well respected at any hospital or field operation that she worked at by all her peers and clients as well. He couldn’t have been more impressed with her than if he’d been with anyone else in his life. Christ, he’d been a real shit, he realized.

Picking up his cell again, he called the diner. While it wasn’t difficult to find the number, calling it made him feel horrible for the way that he’d treated someone that was much nicer than he might have been in that Jade had saved his life. When the phone was answered, he thought about hanging up but plunged forward.
“My name is Jenson Strong. I was wondering if there was some way that I could get in touch with Jade Anderson.” There was a long pause. He decided he had better continue before they hung up on him. “I know that I treated her badly, and I wanted to make it up to her. At the very least, to tell her that I’m sorry and that I was a shithead.”
“She’s upstairs. Let me go and see if she’ll come down to talk to you. But don’t hold your breath on it. She’s working right now and gets upset when she is interrupted. All right?” He said he’d hold on. After what seemed an eternity but only about five minutes, the woman came back on the phone. “Jade told me to tell you that she’ll be at the hospital in the morning for an install and that she’ll talk to you after that. Also, she said to tell you that if you want to know anything about her, you don’t need to go through the hoops that you are. Just ask her.”
“Yes, you’re right. She’s right. I’ll do that.” She asked him if he needed anything else. After telling her no, he thought of something. “Does Jade like coffee?”

“Nope. Just water. Nothing but water. The colder, the better.” He heard someone else speaking and then spoke to him in a hurried voice. “Mr. Strong, we’re kind of busy here. If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up now.”
The phone went dead when he told her that he didn’t need anything else. Putting his cell phone down, his nurse came into the room. Everyone here had been so good to him that he wondered if they’d heard how he’d treated one of their own. While wondering, that didn’t mean he was stupid enough to ask her about it. Instead, he took his meds for the evening and settled on the bed. Jensen, if he was honest with himself, was embarrassed at how terrible of a person he’d been.

Sunny Meadows wasn’t a people person. She had anger management issues, and most of the time, she didn’t even like herself. Working as a government agent, Sunny found herself in the Smoky Mountains tracking down a serial killer. A run-in with a park guest landed Sunny in the hospital and off the killer’s trail.

Dexter Cross and his family were black bears and lived in the Smoky Mountains, where he worked as a ranger for the park where they lived. He was to deliver a gun and a badge to the injured agent. He’d been told she was caustic, but he wasn’t prepared for her being his mate too.

When the killer discovered that Sunny was injured. She was making a move to end Sunny’s life, and anyone else’s that got in her way. Will Dexter and his family be able to protect her?

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Jamie Kemp was good at her job. Working for the FBI in search and rescue as a dog trainer and handler was fulfilling work. Never laying down many roots, Jamie was ready to head out on assignment with her dogs at a moment’s notice.

Mark Cross and his family had lived in the Smoky Mountains for ten generations, and he loved the land, but of late, he was feeling rather lonely. Mark and his entire family were bears, black bears that blended into the wooded areas better than any wild ones in the park.

Jamie and her dogs were called in to find a missing woman. Instead, Jamie found herself in the crosshairs of a serial killer. Mark showed her pictures of the women this maniac had killed, and she could be their twin. And to complicate things more, Mark was her mate….

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Prologue

Sunny didn’t mind people—just not in clumps. She supposed that calling them clumps was better than calling them herds. But they sort of did remind her of cattle the way they mooed when they were upset—well, whined. And they complained all the time. She’d not met a single person on this trip who hadn’t complained about something, even the weather being too hot. Damn it all to hell, people. It’s summer! It’s supposed to be hot. She’d bet those same people were surprised when it turned cold during the winter months. A clump of people was just ahead of her, and she had to pause in her walk to get around them. Why did people stop in the middle of places, like an aisle at the grocery or a narrow path on the way to the falls, like now, to have a whole clump reunion? She didn’t understand anything about clumps. “Excuse me.”

The woman that was taking up most of the left side of the path just stared at her as she continued talking to the other female clump—there were children with her, so Sunny decided to call them clump-its. “I’d like to go through. Please?” The Crusty Clump huffed at her. “Don’t you see that we’re having a private conversation here? You’ll just have to figure out a different way to get around us. It’s considered rude to interrupt someone when they’re speaking. I’m surprised no one has told you that before.” Sunny assured her they had, but she was just like that to not listen. “It figures. Just wait in line like the rest of the people here.” “No. You’re the rude one. You have like fifty people in the line behind the clump you’ve created waiting to either come down or go up. Your clump is blocking a narrow path.

I’d like to suggest—and right now, since I’ve finally graduated from anger management classes, I’m only suggesting this—that you get your flabby fat ass out of the way and have your ‘private’ conversations elsewhere. Though how you figure that with hundreds of people clambering around you to get through, you could have a private shit right now is beyond me. Everyone can hear every word you moo. But that’s just me.” Sunny looked away to reign in her temper before it got the better of her. She didn’t mind people around her hearing her talk to the women. Nor did she lie to her about the anger management classes. She knew she had temper and anger issues. But— Sunny felt the pain in her shoulder just before she fell backward and hit her head on one of the large stones that made up the Smokie Mountains. Christ, that had fucking hurt. “You hit me.”

Crusty Clump nodded and used her cane like a sword like she was parlaying or something. The warmth of what she thought might be blood slid down her back and into her eyes, so she couldn’t see well. “You fucking hit me with that cane? Are you out of your ever-loving mind?” “You’re a rude young woman, and it doesn’t surprise me at all that you’ve been to anger classes.” Sunny tried to stand but was suddenly weak, her head spinning. “You stay right where you are, or so help me, I’ll toss you over this mountainside, and they’ll never find your body. Now. I’m going to finish my—” Sunny tried to get up and failed, hitting her head again.

“Did I not just tell you to stay there? I’ll hit you again, harder this time if you don’t—” Sunny didn’t hear anymore over the roaring in her head. Her belly, usually all right with anything she shoved into her pie hole, was rebelling as well. Holding onto what she hoped was a tree, she nearly went over the side of the mountain when she heard a voice. Well, several of them, but the one that was closest to her was making the most sense. “I’m going to put you down on the ground, all right?” Nodding was out of the question, and she wasn’t sure any longer that she could make her mouth work. But the man seemed to understand. “My brother and I are going to carry you down the path, miss. Are you alone?” “Crusty Clump hit me with her sword. My head hurts.” He smiled, but she couldn’t understand why her demise was funny to him. “No, I’m alone. No one likes to hang out with me. I’m sort of caustic. I’m a lot caustic.” She grabbed her stomach.

“I think I’m going to be sick.” She was too. Throwing up three times, the man held her hair out of the way. While she didn’t know a great many things at the moment, she knew she’d had her hair in a ponytail when she left her hotel room that morning. Then Sunny tried to think why that was important. Laying her head back on the cooler rock, she closed her eyes. “I’m going to need you to stay awake, miss. You more than likely have a concussion.” She told him her first name. “All right, Sunshine—did your parents name you that because of your sunny disposition?” “I’m sure they thought that was going to work, but I rebelled.” Her eyes wouldn’t focus. She saw three, or was it four of him right now? “Do you think you can stop fucking moving right now?” He told her they were going to pick her up.

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea. I’m seriously only just barely hanging on right—what the hell did you say again? Oh yes. Pain medication. Yes, that helps. I need to finish my walk today. Have the clumps of people moved yet?” If he answered her again, she didn’t know. The sudden feeling of being airborne hit her, and she was sick again. However, there was nothing left on her belly. Being picked up was too much. She begged them to toss her over the side and let gravity take her down. Sunny was sure it would have been a great deal less painful once she hit her head again.

Sunny was in and out of consciousness. Each time they had to stop, she was gagging. Not sure if she was telling them to stop or if they were that good, she was at the bottom of the hill before she could think where her bike was. If she could even find it, she told herself. “I’ll have someone look for it for you and make sure it’s safe. Can you tell me what kind it is? Or the license plate number?” After telling him it was a Harley and that it was an Ohio plate, she slipped away. Another pinch to her arm told her she was getting more meds.

The ambulance ride was a series of questions shot at her, and to her, for the most part, her not answering them. She would have, but her mouth wasn’t working again. The man who had brought her down the hill, she’d been told, was going to find her bike for her and put it away. The medic even told her how he’d gotten her down the hill. “He and his brother carried you. The two of them are park rangers. Someone called the visitors center, and Gibb and Barron were the closest. They’re good men—all the Cross men are.” All clumps weren’t that good. The man laughed, and she wondered again if she was talking aloud or if this man could read her mind. Before she could figure that one out, he started talking again. This time not to her.

Sunny was in the hospital, in a very bright room, when she opened her eyes. They were sorely mistaken if they had expected her to fight the meds they were giving her and stay awake. The man standing over her in a white lab coat asked her if she had any allergies. Sunny pointed to the band around her arm. Everything was listed there. Waking again, she thought this was just getting stupid—she was able to talk. However, the feet, all she could see from her position, asked her to please lie still. He was stitching her up. “I hit my head. That clump—person hit me with a cane or something.” He said he’d been told that, but he was only there to make sure her head was stitched up. “I have a body cam. I’m required to wear it when I’m out because I have issues with clumps—uh, people.” “What do you call them? People?” She told him. “Clumps is a good name. Especially when they’re clumped together like they do at times.

Crazy Clump, the one that hit you, is a braying jackass if you ask me. She’s telling everyone at the station house that you hit her first. I’m telling you that because we saw the body cam when you came in. The rangers are having a look at it.” She asked him why. “Like I said, she’s saying you hurt her first, and she had to defend herself. You have a wound on your shoulder, Miss Meadow. They’ve decided not to stitch it just yet until the X-rays come back. Your collarbone is broken, and you have a concussion to the back of your head. When I’m finished here, they’ll take you back to X-ray to get a few more pictures of your head. All right?” She had so many people she needed to contact right now that she couldn’t think where to start.

When asked, she was given a little bit for the pain, and it took the edge off enough that when she looked down, the feet there had her remembering that a ranger had brought her down the hill. The boots, army issue, were dirty and used. Just the way she’d expect them to be. “My name is Ranger Mark Cross. I’m not going to take your statement right now, Miss Meadow, but I would ask that if you think of something important, you relay it to me at once. Mrs. Hardgrave has been—” She asked him who that was. “Gibb said you called her Crusty Clump. She’s in jail for assault. I’m assuming you will want to press charges.”

“Yes. Please.” She thought about the people she had to contact. “I’m going to need a cell phone soon. I’m not just here for pleasure, though I’d stay if I could. This place is beautiful. I’m working, and I can’t not check-in.” “Officer Anderson was notified as soon as your name was put into the system as a search for next of kin.” She thanked him. “No need for that. You must be pretty important if they contacted him not ten seconds after he spelled your name in the search line.” “No, not so much.” She didn’t tell him more but thought he’d never pass it on if she did. Sunny had no idea how she knew that, but she did. “I’m not human. I mean, mostly I am, but I’m not really.” “Elite shifter. I got that when they asked us to go to your aid. I suppose shifting would have taken care of your wounds, but we need it for court since you said you were pressing charges. I could smell it on you.”

She said that while she was an elite shifter, she didn’t heal like others did. “I’m sorry for that. It’s come in handy a few times over my life. Is there anything I can do for you?” “Just my bike, which I was told is being taken care of.” He told her that his brother Gibb was taking it to his house. “Okay. Then when can I get out of here? The sooner, the better.” “I can give you a cell phone to use. Yours, unfortunately, was broken when you were knocked back on your bottom. But as for leaving, since you can’t heal, they’ll need to keep you a few days. As I said, you can use a cell for your calls, but you have about two hundred stitches in your head alone.” She asked him if he’d said two hundred. “Yes, I did. You hit your head once the first time, but when you tried to get up, you fell back twice more, and from what we can ascertain from your body cam, you hit your head three more times. There was a sharp protrusion there, and you managed to hit it each time you fell back.” “Christ.” He chuckled a little and told her that was the way he reacted. “I’m going to take you up on your offer of the phone, Ranger. I do have to check in once a day with my boss, or I’m toast.”

“I’ve spoken to him.” When his feet disappeared, she heard the door close to wherever they were. “I was told to make sure you had all the help you needed, including a gun, should you not have one on you at all times. I was also told to make sure you knew he has watched the recording of your morning and isn’t concerned with that at the moment. He did tell me you’re not just caustic, as you told my brother, but you’re a pain in the ass as well. Mr. Rugby told me you were here to find an escaped prisoner. And that if anyone could bring her in, it would be you. You’re related to her.” “She’s my sister-in-law. So I guess I’m technically related to her, but thank goodness I’m not blood-related. She killed four men in Ohio and has killed one more on the way here that I know of. The reason I’m telling you this is nothing I can figure out. I keep my mouth shut like a virgin at a Friday night football game keeps her legs closed.” Mark laughed, and she smiled. “The only thing I ask of you, Mark, is to stay the hell out of my way. She’s fucking dangerous and won’t hesitate to kill whatever or whoever gets in her way.”

“Your brother and sister.” She didn’t answer but was surprised David had told him so much. “I’ll help you in any way I can. My entire family works here in this park, so we can keep our ears and noses open for you. We’re all bears, black bears, who live on the mountain. Also, I was told to tell you that if you get hurt again, David was going to kick your ass and bury you in the backyard of his home. He said he knows you’ll believe him too.” “You know, he only uses that tone with me. I don’t know what it is that I’ve ever done to him to warrant such threats, but he does it time and time again.” The man laughed again. “I’ve been on disciplinary leave for a month now. I’m, as you said, caustic to work with. However, once the big shits got their heads out of their asses and looked at the tape, I was released from it. I liked the class, however, so I finished the course. It’s all in the way you think rather than the way you react. I usually react first, feel really good about it, then get into trouble. And if you ask me if I ever feel any remorse for what I do, I’ll tell you what I told the shrink.

No fucking way.” Mark was still laughing when she heard the door open again. “Miss Meadow, we’re going to take you to surgery in a few moments. The doctor will be in to see you soon.” Panic took her breath away. She didn’t want to be put under. Didn’t want to feel like she wasn’t going to be able to handle herself when she was out. The meds she’d taken earlier had been just for the pain, and her lack of sleep had put her under. But with surgery, she’d be deep under and— “Sunny, take a breath.” She heard the voice of Mark but couldn’t focus well on it. “Sunny, I’m going to hit you to make you breathe if you don’t do it soon. You’re scaring the nice nurse here, and she is going to be sick. Breathe right now.” The compulsion of his order had her breathing again. His face, a nice handsome one, appeared in front of her. He was laying his head on the floor and looking up at her. His smile and charm had her thinking this man thought he was all that and a bag of chips, but she knew handsome men like him. All bark and no talk. “Breathe in and out. All right. I’m talking to you this way because you can’t be rolled to your back just yet. Are you still with me?”

She said she was. “All right. When you were hit with the cane, not a sword, Cranky Clump broke your collar bone, and there are several chips of bone in your muscle. They’re going to repair your shoulder without using any kind of screws or such and take out the small pieces. The small pieces are going to be put back on the broken bone with some kind of stitching, so you’ll be able to shift when you need to. So far, so good, right?” “Yes. Are you making fun of me?” He said his wife would have his head if he tried that shit. “You’re very charming. I didn’t want to be caught up in your bullshit, but it sounds like someone has your ass. Too bad, I was thinking about how handsome you are.” “Maybe we’ll be related in some way. I have five brothers. You’ve only met three of them so far, so our chances of—” “Nope, and no fucking way, no. I don’t want a mate or a husband, or even a wife if that’s the way things go. I got enough shit going on in my corner to last about fifty lifetimes. No thanks.

Keep them away, and we’ll call it even on you having my back.” He said he didn’t think that was going to be possible. “Make it possible, or I’ll hurt you. Believe me when I tell you, neither you nor your bear will come out on top if you try something.” “I believe you.” He didn’t move while they put an IV in her arm for the surgery. “They’re going to take you up to the second floor right now, and you’ll be in a room with others until your surgery is finished. After you’re okay to leave recovery, they’ll send you on to your room. I’ll be there waiting for you. I’ll have you a gun for when you’re able to take it as well.” “Thank you. I’m better now.” He still didn’t move, and she felt bad that he had to lay on the floor. “Get up, you moron, before I spit on you, and it lands in your mouth. Go on. I have shit to do, and you’re not going to get any brownie points for laying around.” She was moved into an elevator while he was still laughing. He did ride up to the third floor with her and even told her good luck when she was taken beyond where he could go. Christ, what a waste of a nice man.

She certainly hoped his wife knew the kind of man she was married to. Ten minutes after arriving on the surgical floor, she was wheeled into a bright white room and put under. Her panic didn’t seem to be as bad this time. ~*~ Mark was still in the waiting room when Jamie contacted him. She’d been working on her last job for the agency, and he was thrilled for her. She told him she was going home, having a nice nap in the sunshine. Be careful, honey. It’s supposed to thunderstorm soon, and I’d hate for you to be caught up in it. She told him that he was a party pooper. I am at that. I have to tell you about this woman I’m babysitting right now. She’s the kind of woman you only read about and wish you could just simply say the things that she does at a moment’s notice. He told her everything that had happened since she’d been picked up.

Nothing about her being here to find her sister-in-law, but everything else. When she laughed with him about her calling people clumps, he told her he loved her. And I love you. I’d like to meet her. Or do you think she’s only talking this way because of the pain? Mark assured her she was the real deal. Good. I hope she’s one of your brother’s mates. Not that any one of them could handle a—what did you call her? Caustic. And I was thinking the same thing. She needs to have someone strong enough to put up with her daily. Jamie agreed with him. I have to stay with her.

Not only is she here on business, but she is a little higher on the food chain than I am. I don’t know what she does for a living, nor what branch, if any, she might work with, but I’ve been assigned to make sure she has what she needs when she needs it. Gibb said she was not one to hold back when she had something to say. At least you’ll be able to have a little fun with her. Not too much, but just enough. Oh, before I forget, Bobby’s family arrived today. They’re a nice couple of people. I think they’re a little shocked by him and his sisters being around. They’d not even been told there had been a marriage or kids from it. I’m glad someone is going to be taking care of them. He said he was too. Also, I heard from the prison where Williams is.

He’s in solitary confinement and still causing trouble. The thing is, he’s bragging that it took anyone so long to find him. Some people are just nuts, I guess. We should have him locked in a cell with Sunny. I’m betting she can take care of his ass for us. I’m betting she’d come out on top even if he was armed. They talked for a little while longer, and she told him she really needed a nap. He didn’t blame her for that. Mark had been keeping her up most nights making love, and she’d gotten up early this morning and gone out to California to do a hunt for a cadaver. Then on top of all that, Molly, her oldest dog, had died in her sleep. She’d been about fourteen years old. It had broken her heart bad enough that he’d had to hold her all night.

Not that it was a hardship for him to hold her, but he had hurt for her. The other two took it hard as well. Sidekick, the youngest, hadn’t left Jamie’s side the entire night. He didn’t know what she’d found when she was called out. Rarely did she tell him anything about the bodies she was looking for. But he did know she was looking for a missing person from about six years ago. The family wanted to cash in the insurance policy that had been on hold, and the company wanted to make sure the woman was indeed dead. He’d have to find out from her what she’d found out. Stretching out his legs, he was happy when Dexter joined him with not just a few bottles of water but some dinner as well. They said the surgery would be about four hours—to him, that seemed a long time—but that recovery would be about the same time. Eating his sandwich, Dexter told him what he’d been able to find out about the owl he’d been sent to see.

“He was hurt, just like the camper said. However, I have a feeling he wasn’t hurt until the camper saw him. Poor thing looked like he’d gone from sitting up in a nice perch to being tossed around in the dryer for a load or two. I’ve sent him on to the vet, but I don’t hold out much hope of him getting better.” That sucked, too, Mark told him. “Yes, I think so too. But without proof, whoever hurt him is going to get away with it. Tomorrow morning I’m going to see if I can find his home. I don’t know if he might have a mate around, but if he and his mate are sitting on some chicks, she’s going to need some help with them. At least until another mate comes along.”

“If you need some help, ask Jamie’s dad to go with you. He’s becoming quite the outdoorsman. Last night I saw that he was looking through some of my old books and reading up on the park. He would enjoy that, I believe.” Dexter said he’d give him a call. “Grannie told me he’s doing well at work. She thinks he’s a funny man by the way he doesn’t raise his voice when he’s making a point. I like hanging around with him too.” “Yeah, and his daughter isn’t so bad either. Right?” He laughed and said he loved her. “Well, duh, you moron. Of course, you do. I have to get going. I have about fifty things to do before I can get to bed. Laundry, for one thing, and packing me something to eat on the trail tomorrow. I hate taking just a bunch of those nature bars. Yuck.”

After he left him, Mark pulled out his phone and played a few games of solitaire. He’d rather play the real thing, but the phone kept him entertained in a pinch. When the nurse came to tell him that Sunny was in recovery, he thanked her and called her boss. He had a feeling this was the man’s personal cell phone number, as he only answered it with “Hello.” He told him what he knew, which wasn’t much. “She’ll be in recovery for four hours or so, they told me. Once she’s finished there, she’ll be moved to a room.” He said he was sending guards to decorate—not to guard, but to decorate—her door. “I don’t know what she does for you. Or what you do, for that matter.

Should I be concerned?” “Not so long as you keep your head about you and don’t piss her off.” He said he had a feeling she was easily pissed off. “She is at that. However, when she’s pissy, and you don’t deserve it, she’ll apologize to you. But that doesn’t happen often. Just keep her safe while she’s there alone. I’m sending you a picture of her sister-in-law so you can know who to look for. Show it to whoever you trust. The woman is dangerous. Armed or not, she can kill without hesitation.” “Which one? I’m thinking you’re talking about the sister-in-law, but I also think that could pertain to Sunny too.” The man laughed and said that was right. “I’m going to remain in the dark until something happens, aren’t I?” “Yes. It’ll be safer for you if you are until such time as I get something back on you and your family that tells me otherwise.” Mark figured as much but didn’t say anything.

“I will tell you this one thing, and you’re to take it to your grave—Sunny isn’t a typical anything. Not woman, shifter, or someone that works for me. She’s more than just a little special, and I want you to treat her like she’s a national treasure. Don’t coddle her or try to change her mind. If she tells you something, you can consider it gospel. You’ll die if you don’t. And that is from me.” Even after talking to her boss, Mark didn’t know what was going on. But as the man had indicated, it was really none of his business unless she got hurt. He was really glad he’d not blamed him for her being hurt this time. However, now that he thought about it, he wondered what was going to happen to the clumps that had hurt her. Only time would tell, he supposed.

Kerri Terrell nearly didn’t make it. With her house burned, her accounts frozen, being fired from her job, and her daughter taken, Kerri had nearly given up.

Keegan was happy to discover he had a new mate and a daughter now too. Protecting them from their supposed family would be his top priority.

Although both lions, when Keegan and Kerri came together, Kerri was more than Keegan anticipated. A lot more. As the magic flowed through them, neither was sure if they’d survive it.

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Brook Garrett had learned to live by her wits. When she was very young, she lost her father to a car crash. When her mother remarried, her nightmare really began. A few years later, her mother died the same way. She was next.​Ronan Foster was an officer out on medical leave. He was a lion and wasn’t hurt in the least, but the guy responsible for shooting him would go free if he didn’t take the sabbatical. The guy was for much more than shooting him, and justice needed to be served. Trust was hard for Brook. Her stepparents had seen to that. Now the big lion was telling her that they were mates and she wasn’t sure how she felt about that. She had been doing just fine without a man in her life….

Parker Carter spent eight years in prison for a crime she didn’t commit—murdering her father. Now that the justice system had finally admitted their mistake, Parker was set free. Parker could have left anytime she wanted, she was a powerful witch, but for reasons of her own, she had remained locked up and didn’t use any of her magic.
Donahue Foster, a teacher at the local school, was having a hard time resting. Taking a run and stretching his legs as his lion was something he hadn’t done in a while. He hadn’t gotten far when he noticed two things, he smelled fresh blood, and he felt a presence. Don was dumbfounded when the woman used a mind link to communicate with him. She told him her name was Parker Carter, she didn’t like people, and she was his mate.
Don was so stunned with that news that he was nearly run over by the night hunters Parker chased off.
Now that Parker was back, her past needed to be settled. Half-truths and well-kept secrets needed to be exposed. And the possession of her mother, Meggie, was the most mind-boggling of all. What kind of screwed-up magic was this?

Sometimes, Rogue didn’t much care for her job, but it paid well, and she was damn good at it. As a forensic photographer, Rogue’s job was sometimes a bit more than she could handle. Especially when there were kids involved. But she could always vent to her college buds, Loman and Cass Foster.

Quin had heard all about Rogue from his brothers, and he was anxious to meet her. Loman and Cass said they owed their lives to Rogue, but they wouldn’t give Quin any of the details.

As soon as Rogue arrived, Quin realized she was his mate, but as soon as she met Don’s mate Parker, it was chaos, leaving Parker heartbroken and Rogue hurt. Rogue was steaming mad, and Quin’s lion wanted to protect her, but Parker was family too. Quin was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Sarah had been on the run her entire adult life. As soon as she found out she was pregnant, she faked her death to keep her children safe from the prick who’d fathered them. Now, nine years later, her twin boys were her entire world, and she was petrified he would find her. When she received the voicemail from Cass, she thought the end had finally come for both her and her boys.

Cassidy Foster was only helping a client find his long-lost grandchildren when he contacted Sarah, but when a distress call came in from one of her boys, Cass told the boys to hide before Cass’s lion took him. It only took that split second for him to know the woman inside screaming was his mate. Would he be too late to save her?

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Prologue

Keegan closed up the books he’d been working on and put them in the safe behind him. Tomorrow he was going to be moving everything into his new domain, and he’d feel better about the bigger safe as well as the good locks on the doors. Just as he was coming out of the building he’d been using as a temporary place, he was knocked on his ass. He ended up falling backwards and hitting his head on the cornerstone. He must have been out for only a few seconds when someone was jerking him up from the ground. Still dizzy, Keegan couldn’t focus on the man holding him, but he could smell that he was a bear. The hard shake to his body had him lashing out with his fist, and for the second time, he was down. This time, however, so was the man.

“I asked you a fucking question. Where the fuck is he?” Keegan said he didn’t know what he was talking about. “Oh, you don’t, do you? Well, who the hell knocked you back with tiny little feet like that?” The snow was covered in little footprints. However, there were a great many of them that weren’t so tiny. Looking up at the man when he stood up, Keegan let a little of his lion go so he’d be healed a little. Standing up, not feeling so bad now that he had done that, he asked the man what the hell he was going on about. “The kid. Where is he?

You have to have seen him. Or are you one of those evangelistic people?” Keegan asked him what the hell that was supposed to mean. “You know, those religious shits that would rather die than to give up on someone.” “That’s not what that word means. And what the hell would I have to give up on someone? Unless it’s you. Then I’d gladly let the police handle this.” He reached for his brother, knowing that Cass had been on his way to meet him here today. Keegan told him what was going on and that he might need the police. “I don’t know anything about a kid. However, I do know you’re going to be in trouble for knocking me down and making my head hurt if you don’t get out of my face.” “Sure. Like I’m worried about you.”

The man released his bear enough that Keegan could see he was a brown bear, and wasn’t in good shape. When a shifter didn’t allow their other half out once in a while, things could get nasty. “So you see, you’re going to tell me what happened to the kid. He stole some fruit from my store.” “He must be desperate then. I’ve been by your store, Hank, and there isn’t usually anything I’d eat there.” He drew back his fist, and Keegan braced himself for the blow. But when nothing happened, he opened one eye to peer at the man. “Ronan? I didn’t know you were in town.” “Cass and I were going to surprise you by having dinner with you. Our wives are out shopping. This man bothering you, little brother?” He didn’t normally care for being referred to as little anything, but he thought Ronan was making it clear to Hank that he was the brother of the king of lions. “I can dispatch him now if you wish. I know his sleuth is looking for him too. Seems he’s been taking money from the coffers at the bruin.”

“Sounds like something he’d be doing. He said he was looking for a kid. I haven’t any idea because as soon as I came out of the building here, I was thrown to the ground. He said the kid did it, but I think Hank did it for shits and giggles.” Hank said it was the kid. “I’ve not seen one. He pointed out that there are footprints, but I’m thinking these could have been made at any time by anyone.” That was when he saw the kid across the street from them watching things going on. However, Keegan didn’t think it was a kid but a girl.

And she looked beaten to shit too. Telling his brother, Ronan told him that Cass was on the case. Since he didn’t have the head right now for figuring out what that meant, he sat down in the snow again and pulled a ball of the fluffy white stuff to his aching head. In less time than it would have taken him to walk home, six blocks from there, not only was the sleuth with them but Hank was being arrested for assault and battery. Cass had been with the girl for the last ten minutes, and it looked as if they were getting along fine. When the ambulance pulled up, Cass pushed him out of the way and put the girl in it. With a wink, Cass told him he could heal himself. Standing now, the snow coming down once again, he let it fall over his face.

There were things going on around him, but he really did have a headache from hell. Almost as soon as he decided he couldn’t stand much longer, he found himself in bed, at his home, with a compress on his head. Parker and his mom were standing over him. “I’m going to be sick.” As soon as he said it, Parker touched his head. Not only was he no longer ill, but his pain was gone as well. “What happened that I ended up here?” “Ronan said you looked like you needed some assistance. So I popped in and popped you here. Hank is in serious trouble, and the woman is being treated for her wounds.” Keegan asked her what lady. “The woman that Hank beat up that was going through his trash. Not a kid, as Hank thought, but a full-grown undernourished woman. She’s going to be fine.”

“Why do I feel like I’ve fallen through the rabbit hole here?” His mom laughed and handed him a glass of juice. “Mom, please tell me what’s going on. I’m a sick boy.” “You’re no more sick than I am. A woman was going through Hank’s trash to get herself something to eat. He caught her, thinking she was a boy and beat her up for what she’d been doing. Once she was able to escape, she zoomed by you and knocked you on your bottom. She’s the one that called Ronan to come to help you.” He asked if she was a lion too. “Honey, she’s a lioness. And yes, she is. Very nice girl too, if you ask me.” He didn’t but kept that to himself. As he laid there, thinking how much better he was feeling, he closed his eyes. Whatever came from this, Keegan had a feeling he was going to be having a mate, as well as someone gunning for him. Christ, why couldn’t things just be normal? He supposed that was a question for the fates. Closing his eyes, he let himself go to sleep. It was going to be a long day tomorrow, what with moving and getting himself set up.

Someone wanted Caiti dead. Her body had been so riddled with poison that when the fairies removed it, it would take the help of CJ and Ramon to save her. Ramon was instructed to convert her to a vampire, or she would die.

Unsure how his new mate would react when she recovered, Ramon enlisted the help of the kiss to protect her. Both their survival depended on it.

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Kelly Roman was good at her job. As a forensic anthropologist, she could help the dead and help the families find closure. The one thing she hated about her job was her boss, Shamus Van. That man was out to sabotage everything she did. And when he brought in the new chief of police, Bancroft Dalton, to make her look bad, that was the last straw. She’d quit before they had a chance to fire her.

When Bancroft showed up at her front door, he asked to be invited in, and when he told her he couldn’t lie to her, it set off all kinds of bells and whistles in Kelly’s suspicions. It wasn’t the fact that he was a vampire that bothered her, it was the part about him not being able to lie to her. She knew shifters couldn’t lie to their mates. There was no way in hell she was letting a man barge into her life and take over….

Elizabeth Strickland, Lizzy, to her friends, found herself in a predicament. The last thing she remembered was attending her own bachelorette party, then waking up in a cave with six other women. They all had wounds, just like hers, only they were dead. Lizzy had awakened as a newborn vampire. She had no idea why they died, and she had lived, but she had wished every day that she had died with them.

Stanley Remy, better known as just Remy, was an old vampire and close friends with Bancroft, their leader. He had his own issues. He was being falsely charged with making baby vamps and leaving them to fend for themselves.

Lizzy just wanted the bodies of the other women found. Once they were, she had every intention of meeting the sun. What she didn’t need were two overbearing old vampires dictating to her what she could and couldn’t do. She had killed her maker, she wouldn’t hesitate to take them out if they didn’t let her be.

But then Remy gifted her with something she never thought she’d have again. To feel the sun without burning. She could have her life back. Maybe this mate thing wouldn’t be so bad after all.

If only it were that simple….

Donald had been in the room with the women for a while. He knew one of them was his mate, but their scents were so similar he couldn’t tell which one it was. He took the women home one at a time. CJ and Rachel were the last to leave. It was then that Donald knew which one was his mate. He didn’t know which one of them was taking it harder, either.

Gracie had just lost the one person that meant the most to her. Craig, the ancient vampire that had raised her. He wasn’t just a father figure. He was her best friend. Now, she had been shot too, but she would honor his final wishes, find Bancroft, the king of the vampires and go to him. She wasn’t a vampire. She was so much more. The problem was that Gracie trusted no one.

As soon as she was around him, Gracie knew that Clyde, an ancient vampire, was her mate, but she was in no hurry to tell him. She had to deal with Bancroft first. The one responsible for Craig’s death was plotting to kill them all.

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Prologue

Ramon wasn’t sure how it had happened, but he knew that Caiti, what she had never been called before, was going to make a difference in his life like none other. Reaching for her hand, he was glad when she allowed it. “I read about your trauma some years ago. I’ve never been one to read the newspaper, but I did that day. And the weeks following.” Caiti laid down, never looking at him, nor did she release his hand. “I still to this day believe there was more to that day than was ever reported. I don’t believe, not even knowing you now, that you lived a better life than you did at home with your family, as the papers speculated some months later.” “She didn’t want me.” He nodded, waiting for her to say more.

“Grandma wasn’t mean to me. She never demanded anything of me, nor did she question me about things that had been going on in the house. The police did, as did the doctors. But no one ever got anything more than she wanted them to have. Which was nothing.” “Did you have a good life living with your parents?” She said it had been a life. She’d had rules to follow, such as making sure that when her other grandmother came over, she kept to her room and out of sight. “Who was it that told you to do that?” “My mother. She didn’t like Grandmother. Nor did she like my dad, but she said it was the life she’d chosen, and it was all she had.” Ramon nodded but didn’t say anything. She dozed off and on throughout the night. Twice she woke up and said nothing, but he could tell that whatever had awakened her so violently was something she had dreamed about before. Ramon never let go of her hand, nor did he leave even after Clyde did. Caiti had told Clyde she was safe now, whatever that had meant between the two of them. He did contact him, telling him about the child as well as her parents.

Ramon was glad for the two of them. However, he was a little nervous about why Caiti had felt his good friend would be a better father to a human than the parents would have. Ramon didn’t stand when the doctor that had seen Caiti in the emergency room came into her room after a short knock. He told him she would be going home tomorrow, as he wanted to observe her and make sure she was all right. Ramon told him he was a doctor and could care for her needs, but the doctor still wouldn’t sign the paperwork for her to leave. Something occurred to him at that moment, and he reached out to Kelly for help. The doctor that is here, can you tell me what he looks like? Then compare him to anything you can find online about him. She said she could do that easily. Kelly had been in charge of the FBI for some time now, and he’d never been so happy for her help. When she got back to him, he had a feeling she was just as surprised as he was about what she’d found. So he’s dead. Been dead for some time now. So who do you think this man is that is treating her? I have no idea why, but I think we’re sitting ducks here.

I’m sending you some agents. He told her that he’d rather have the kiss there with him. All right. I’ll tell Banny. He’ll be there before anyone else can be, anyway. Also, I’ll contact CJ, as well as Gracie and the other women. Good. The doctor was going on about how she was going to have to go down for some tests. Ramon asked him what sort of tests they were going to be running on her. Something else occurred to him. Caiti was drugged. Not just dozing but fighting whatever was in her IV. I’m going to leave here with her as soon as the others arrive. This doctor, or whoever he is, said he was going to have someone run her down to get some blood tests and won’t tell me what they are. He’s also, knowing that we’re not married, going to have me escorted out. Please tell them to— Gwyneth is here now. Gwyneth had been around for a very long time, and she didn’t suffer fools at all. “There you are, my…why is she so drugged up?” She turned to the doctor. “She was only supposed to be treated in the ER, then released. Why is she still feeling the effects of the little bit of pain medication she was given down there?”

“The two of you need to leave here. Neither of you are related to this young woman, and she needs to have the best of care.” The others showed up just as the doctor was calling security on them. “You all need to leave here. This is a private room, and Caitlynne needs her rest.” “Leave.” It was Banny that got the man to leave them alone. As soon as he was gone, Banny turned to him. “Take her to your home, Ramon. Once there, I need for you to get her to wake. There will be a number of faeries there with you that will do your bidding. I’m not entirely sure what’s going on, but she needs to get out of here now.” Taking her home via his magic, he laid her gently on the bed. A faerie named Peanut stood on the pillow with her. Ramon told him what was going on. “She’s been drugged. The others and I, we can take that out of her system, but she will need you to give her your blood. I’m not sure how that will affect her, my lord, but she is going to die if we don’t work now.”

Telling him to do what he needed, Ramon called for Clyde. After telling him what Peanut had said, he said he’d help. Even CJ showed up to begin the process of removing the poison from her blood. “They want her dead. We can save her, my lord, but you must be ready to help her.” Not having any idea what that might mean, he stood by as CJ put her hands on Caiti’s chest. When she pulled back, he could see that her hands were covered in what he could only assume was the poison. She turned back to her task as she spoke to him. “This isn’t a poison like anything I’ve ever felt before. It was to shut down her organs. Also, it’s manmade. If not for your quick thinking, I’m afraid it would have been too late. As it is now, Ramon, you’re going to have to convert her.” He told her he’d never done that before. “Well, find someone that has and talk to them. But you’re going to have to act fast. Even with the poison out of her, she’s still got a great deal of damage happening right now.” It was Gwyneth that joined him in the room. Once CJ had done as much as she could by removing most of her blood from her body, Gwyneth told him to give Caiti as much as he could. Then she would give her some of herself. With the powerful blood they both had, she would convert quickly or die.

Ramon hoped to Christ this was going to work. Just meeting his mate only to have her die after all this time of waiting for her, he didn’t know what he’d do. He did know that he’d have to be put down at some point if she didn’t make it. After nearly two hours of giving her his and Gwyneth’s blood off and on, he could see the changes finally happening to Caiti. Twice while they’d been working on converting her, she’d stopped responding. Not just not breathing, but her heart had stopped, and there had been no brain activity. Normal things, he’d been told. However, he was terrified out of his mind for her. “There is a cave not far from here that you two need to go to. Not only will it keep her safe, but it will be a good place for you to train her how to be a vampire. She’ll need that, Ramon. The only thing that worries me now is if she will have your traits or those of a baby vamp.” He nodded at Banny as he watched color come back to Caiti’s lips. “I’ll come to you in a couple of days.

All of us will. The place has been set up for you, so you’ll not have to give up any of the comforts she might be used to, but you have to stay out of sight. Also, you should know that Gracie found a tracker in her wound when she was being converted. There seem to be no steps these people won’t take to have her.” “Why?” Banny said that for now, he really didn’t know. “All right. But don’t expect me to be a nice guy if anyone shows up without me knowing them. I will kill anyone that comes sniffing around us while hiding.” “Good.” Ramon wasn’t sure what he had expected from his friend, but he was glad for it. “Also, there will be a lot of faeries there. Not only is Aurora sending help, but so are CJ and Melisandre. You should be about as safe as you can be.” As soon as he entered the large cave, he had to laugh. Having the comforts of home was not what he had. Ramon thought this could well be his home for the way it looked. He laid Caiti on the large bed and went to inspect the rest of the area. There was a kitchen of sorts, with a large refrigerator that seemed to be running on magic.

A table that would seat a couple of people in a dining area he loved. The table was made of a long piece of stone that was as polished as anything he’d ever seen before. There were chairs around it, but for the most part, the room looked like something he’d seen during medieval times. A very large stone fireplace was burning against the cold of the stone rooms. He thought it would easily roast an entire cow, if not a herd. Even as he warmed himself by it, he felt the earth shake a little under his feet and went to see if his Caiti was all right. There were several little people in the room with her as she still lay quietly on the bed. “We’ve adjusted the room for her, my lord. The fire will run as long as she is recovering. After that, it will only take a thought for her to have it turn back to warmth for her.” He thanked the little person. “We have also adjusted the bed for the two of you. It will grow with the need you have for it. While she is resting, it will accommodate her. If you should wish to rest with her, it will widen for you both. Also, the bed is made with the finest of magic. Neither she nor you will ever have a bad night’s sleep upon it.”

“Thank you again.” He was glad there were no windows, but he did worry about her being without them. “She was forever staring out the window while in the care of the hospital. I don’t know if she was watching for someone to come or enjoyed the view. I should like it if she were to have one. One that changed with her needs. She is my mate, as you are aware, and I only want the best for her.” “Of course you do, my lord. She will have it too. Several places in this mountain have been carved out for the two of you should you wish it. A very private hot bath is just beyond that wall there. Also, there is a place where she can be hidden should someone come around. I do not foresee that happening, as we are all keeping her safe, but should it happen, you are only to take her to the wall there, and it will cover you both for as long as you need.” He was shown the area and was glad for it. “I’m to tell you that the doctor that treated the young woman so horribly has not been killed. Lady Kelly is using him to find out who he is working for if she can. She thinks him too dumb to be working alone.

I believe I must agree with her on this.” “I have some things in the home I have in England that I would like brought here. It was my plan at some point to return there to bring them back, but I would like them here now. I have fallen in love with this arrangement we’re using now. It’s quiet and just what I’d like should I need a place to go to unwind.” The faerie told him his name was Blue and said he had taken the information from his mind when he made this area for them. “I thank you again for that. Should Caiti need anything or wish to make changes, you are to do it. She is the only reason I breathe now, and I wish only for her to be as happy as I can make her.” It took them working for several hours side by side to make a few adjustments to the living arrangements where they were staying. Blue and several other faeries would be living in the cave with them for the time being, but after Caiti was awake and feeling better, there would be more. When he went to check on Caiti at around midnight, she was sitting on the side of the bed.

Saying her name, she looked up at him and frowned. He asked her what she remembered. It took her several moments before she answered him. “I was ill, I think,” Ramon told her everything that had happened while she’d been in the hospital. He also told her where they were and why. She listened, asking questions when she wasn’t sure of things, and he answered them honestly. “This person, you believe, is after me. Have you any information on him?” “Only in that Kelly thinks he’s not working alone.” She nodded, and he helped her stand. “You need anything, you only need to call out, and everyone here will be there for you.” “I’d like a shower if you’d not mind. Is that possible?” Apparently, no one had thought of a bathroom, and he had to laugh. “I guess it won’t be possible since we’re living in a cave.” “It is ready, my lady.” Blue told her he was sorry for being so short-sighted. “I never thought you’d be up and about so soon, or your needs might have occurred to me before you needed to have them. I am profoundly sorry.”

He started to tell the faerie it was all right when Caiti smiled at Blue. “It’s all right. I don’t know what is going on right now, but the simple fact that I’ve been resting on a very wonderful bed and have been treated so nicely makes any minor adjustments seem so small. You’ve done us a great service, Blue, in making this place safe and comfy.” The shower was perfect, she told him. If she had told him to let her alone in the large room, he would have, but since she didn’t mind that he was in the room with her when she stripped down, he said nothing. However, he was glad he was there when she became a little too weak to stand on her own toward the end. She rested in a chair that hadn’t been in the room before. When Caiti asked him what had happened after the doctor had tried to take her to have tests, he told her that in order to save her life, he’d had to convert her. Otherwise, her organs would have shut down completely, and she would have died. “I guess you’re aware that I didn’t have much in the way of a reason to live before today.” He asked her if she still felt that way. “I’m not sure. I do feel like I’ve been given a better outlook on life, but as for not wanting to perish? I’m not sure just yet. Things are certainly different.”

“Yes, they are.” Ramon told her about himself. What he thought his age was. “I’ve no idea. After a time, it became meaningless for me, much like it has for the others I know. My parents are both alive, though I rarely see them. I have a grandma as well that I don’t care for, but I see her sometimes too.” “Your parents must be very old.” They both laughed. “Mine are all dead. I’ve no one left. I don’t even own a dog, though I must admit that is something that I have wished for my entire life.” The little puppy appeared on her lap seconds later. He didn’t move, not sure what he was supposed to think of a dog. Most creatures, human pets, didn’t like his kind. Not that he blamed them. In his time, he had, in emergency situations, taken what he needed from the little creatures. “Oh, how beautiful.” She held the little dog, a beagle if he didn’t miss his bet, to her cheek. “She’s so soft, Ramon. Come and pet her.”

He couldn’t have turned her down if she’d asked him to pet an alligator. As soon as his hand was near the little dog’s head, it licked him as if he knew he’d kill anyone that tried to harm his mistress. Ramon looked at Blue when he cleared his throat. “The earth did this for her, my lord. We’ve no idea of animals enough to have brought her one. This little creature will not harm any of us or you. I have spoken to the earth, and they have said that it is so.” Thanking the man again, he nodded before speaking again. “There is food for the dog in the pantry, as well as a bowl for food and water. While we have not much in the way of encounters with the puppy, I have read his mind in things he wished. One of the faeries will walk him when necessary to keep the two of you safe for this time.” “Make it so that when he leaves here with one of the others, he isn’t seen. Nor you. I don’t wish anyone of you to be harmed with him either.” Blue said he’d take care of it.

“You’re doing so much for us, sir, that I feel as if telling you thank you is very little in comparison.” “You have given us a great honor in being able to help you and your mate through all this.” Ramon looked at Caiti when she said his name. “My lady?” “Don’t put yourself in harm’s way for me, Blue. None of you. I would never be able to live with myself if anything should happen to such wonderful creatures.” He looked at him, then back at Caiti when she spoke again. “You’ll do this for me, won’t you?” “I cannot, my lady. Above my own life, as it would be for Lord Ramon here, I will die to make you and this little puppy safe. It is my duty to do so and an honor for us to have been chosen to serve you.” He looked so proud of himself that Ramon was sure that his shirt buttons would pop off. “We have, above all other faeries of the world, been picked to come here and ensure your every need is met. That above all else, you are as safe as our own children would be in their beds. Nay, to not serve you the way you deserve would be a blemish on our kind. Not just all faeries but all creatures of the earth. Queen CJ, she’s a good and wonderful queen to us all, but should we, as she said, fuck this up, she will be a wrath like we’ve never seen before.

I believe her. While we can make mistakes—she said that is the only way we can improve on ourselves—we are not to just simply let things go when we see a need. Why I do believe she’d hurt us for decades to come and those behind us, should we simply allow you to be harmed. She is a wonderful queen, but she is also someone we are afeared of.” When Blue left them to see to the puppy, Ramon burst out laughing. Caiti looked at him as his laughter got the better of him several times in just a few moments. She had to ask him several times to tell her what he had found so funny. “They’re afraid of CJ. She’s more than likely…well, you’ve met her. Does she strike you as someone they should be afeared of, as he put it?” Caiti told him she didn’t know her that well, but she did seem to be very soft-hearted. “She is anything but that. However, thinking along those lines is what will get you killed by her too.

CJ is funny, hard, and full of life. She is also the first person I would call upon if I were in trouble. I’d never tell Banny that, but I think he might know it. She isn’t one to mess with. None of the women in this kiss are.” “Am I a part of this kiss now?” He said she was as long as she wanted to be. “Don’t treat me like this, Ramon. I want you to have opinions too. I also want you to give them to me when I ask you for them.” “All right.” She laughed when the puppy came running back into the room with them. “I think someone missed me. How about you show me around our new home, and then we talk about this conversion I’ve had done to me. That way, I won’t be surprised too much about changes.” Roman was as happy as he’d ever been. Several times he had to reach out to one of the others around the kiss and let them know things that Caiti would say to him casually. He was positive she was giving him information she’d not thought of as helpful too. Like the fact that she’d been thinking she’d been followed for some time.

Also, she’d not been working for several places that tried to find her for the last three weeks. The list she gave him he turned over to Kelly. “This place is large, isn’t it?” He said he thought it was growing with her needs. “Oh, I guess I never thought of that. All right. Well, I’m ready for bed. Not with you right now, but I do find myself very tired. Is it the poison?” “I would imagine it’s a great many things.” He took her to the bedroom he’d brought her to first. “You only need to call out for me, and I’ll be here. There is some work I can do while you’re resting that will keep me busy.” Caiti was nearly asleep when he left the room. The roaring fire lit up the room and her face, so he was sure she’d be all right. Finding a computer room set up for himself, he and Boop, the dog’s name, went to the room to work. There was a bed set up for the pup and a fire for him as well. Ramon thought he could really get used to this.

Cody Martin was a good attorney. Never appreciated at her job, she still never wavered in her loyalty. And when she was suddenly fired for no reason, she found it would be the perfect opportunity to start a business with her brother Matt.

Layton Tate was also an attorney, but he and his brother Loren were bogged down with cases and needed to hire a new firm to help with their caseload. Cody would make a good candidate as her stellar reputation proceeded her. He reached out to shake Cody’s hand. The blast sent them both reeling to opposite sides of the room and shocking the family. Layton and his wolf both knew what that meant.

Cody wasn’t stupid, she knew what Layton was to her too, but she had to make sure the ground rules were straight before she’d have anything to do with him. No one would be pushing her around, mate or no mate….

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Caitlynne’s job was difficult. Doing what she did for the government not only put herself at risk but any friends or family she had could become a target. When her sister was hurt, she blamed herself even though it had nothing to do with her directly. It didn’t matter. It was time for her to quit before someone she cared about ended up dead.

Joel Tate had been in the building to meet with Becca Jacobson when she was attacked. To save her, Joel had to change her into what he was, a wolf. More or less guarding her in the hospital, Joel met her sister, Caitlynne, when she was brought to the hospital to see her sister. As soon as Caitlynne was close enough to him to get her scent, he knew she was his mate.

Caitlynne’s disappearing act from her job started things rolling. Her boss wasn’t taking I quit as an answer. When they tried to kill her by setting her apartment on fire, Joel thought it was time to take the situation into his own hands….

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Prologue

“Dad, we can make this work for us.” Cody was getting frustrated with her father. He was just too wishy-washy for her today. Well, most days of late. When he walked around the store they were thinking of buying for them to change into an apartment for the two of them, she sat down on the wire wheel that had been brought in by a construction company just this morning. She had three messages and several emails. Cody wouldn’t answer the emails or the messages unless it was either from her sister or brother. She was on her own personal time, and she didn’t do work when she was enjoying her time off. But her family should be here with them.

The two of them had set this up for Dad. Answering the one from Paige, she asked her what she wanted. All the message said was, Get back to me. Instead of messaging her back, she simply called her. “Yes? What is it now, Paige?” Her sister huffed at her. As her older sister by only ten months, Paige was acting more like their grandma all the time. “I’m at the mall thing with Dad. Do you have something to add to this? Other than you can’t tear yourself away for an hour to come here?” “Why are you so snotty with me all the time?” She didn’t bother answering her.

“Grandma was just here. She’s pissed off because she wasn’t told about any of this.” “That’s funny. You told me that you told her and even marked it on her calendar for her.” Paige huffed again. “Did you or did you not tell her? Because as sure as shit, I’m betting she’s on her way here now.” “She is, and no, I didn’t tell her. Grandma will have opinions that don’t matter, and then she’ll insist that she help with the remodeling. I don’t want her to be involved. Her tastes don’t run along the same line as mine do.” Cody told her that her opinion didn’t matter either since she wasn’t living there.

“And I suppose you would decorate it the way you like. You have an odd taste in everything, Cody. Why would anyone want to live in a bohemian apartment like you must have?” She didn’t bother correcting her sister. Paige only heard what she wanted to hear. Not that she was nasty or anything—not that she couldn’t be—but Paige was way old before her time. Paige asked if she was still on the line. “I am. I was just thinking that you’ve never been to my apartment, and I’ve no idea what you think a bohemian place would even look like. What is wrong with you today? You’re acting like someone shit in your oatmeal or something. Is Brian giving you a hard time about your spending? I wouldn’t blame him if he cut you off.”

Now that was something that Paige did well. However, it was rarely for herself. She’d buy up pallets of diapers and bottled water to have set aside for some huge catastrophe. Not just that, but she’d also have hundreds of dollars worth of gift certificates to hand out to the people hurting from one tragedy or another. She had a good heart, even if it was her sister. “Grandma is on her way there. She left here in a huff after leaving the kids, so wound up, it’s going to take me hours to get them calmed down. She didn’t even have to give them candy or anything.

She just has a way about her.” Cody remembered that well about her grandma. And Cody also knew that Grandma had slipped the kids candy too. A great deal of it, if she had to bet on it. “I have three meetings today. The first one is with the school board at the private school the kids go to. Then there is the meeting I have with Kelly’s teacher. She said she’s falling behind. I want to figure out what is going on with her.” “Is she behind or bored?” Paige told her what she thought was going on. “Could be that. But didn’t they tell you she didn’t need a tutor? I mean, that was a huge meeting, if I remember correctly.”

“It was that ended in me giving in. I also think she needs glasses. She said there isn’t anyone else in the class that wears glasses, and Kelly refuses to get them. I swear, she acts more like you daily.” She thanked her sister. “That was not meant as a compliment, Cody, and you well know it.” “I will take it where I can get it.” She looked at the front door of the place she and her dad were in. “I can see Grandma now. I’ll let you go so I can tell her you’re a snob.” “Cody Martin, I swear, you’re such a bitch.” Laughing, she hung up on her sister and went to hug her grandma. “Paige said you riled up her kids.

Good for you.” “They’re stuck in that house today because it’s raining. When you were little, you’d strip down to your panties and run right out in it. Where is my son? I think I might just have to talk him into buying a bigger place so I can come to visit the two of you a lot. Or buy one for me too. What do you think?” Dad came out of the backroom then and said he’d feel better if he knew someone here. Cody told him that he’d know her. “Oh, Peashaw, Herby. You’re a grown assed man. I’m sure you remember how to make friends.” “As pleasant as ever to see you, Mom.” He kissed her on the cheek when it was offered to him. “I think I’ll take this one.

It’s not too large, and I am liking the back room of it. There is already a nice sized bathroom back there. It’ll need some decorating to make it look less like an industrial one and to add in a shower, but it’s nice.” “They said we can have walls put in as soon as you sign the contract.” Cody looked at her grandma. “Let’s go and find you a place. Unless you’d like to live here until you decide. Dad and I were just talking about how he was going to put in three bedrooms so you could.” “Do that, Mom. I’d love to have you staying here with us. Or me when Cody is away.” He made it sound like she was gone for days at a time when she only worked at the law firm in town.

“We could have fun like we did when my Beth was alive. Say you’ll live here with me.” “I don’t know, son. What will you do when I have a gentleman friend over for a night of wild, loud sex?” Dad said he’d listen at her door for input when he had someone over. “Oh, go on with you. Herby, a mother couldn’t have asked for a better son. Trust me, I’ve asked. All right. If you’re serious, I’ll do it. And if you cramp my style, well, I’ll just bury you in the parking lot and be done with you. Now, out to dinner after we sign the contracts, and it’s my treat.”

The contract was straightforward and what she had expected. There were several loopholes in it, mostly in her dad’s favor, but he was all right with that, he told her. Once he wrote out the check for the entire asking amount, they were on their way to dinner. Her dad had money to spare. She did too, but not a great deal. Being an attorney for a small law firm had gotten her some good money, but she’d been paying off her student loans since she’d gotten out of college, and that was taking a great deal out of her checks. Paige’s husband was an attorney as well, but for a very large firm. His name was on the door, Peter Brown, while Cody barely made a blip on the radar for the people she worked with.

Paige had been a housewife, a title Paige detested since they’d been married. Matthew, their brother, was an architect. He didn’t design houses like most of the people in the firm where he worked but worked on things like solar panels for houses. Water in the home that could be used for other things once it was used in the shower or such. Matt, in his spare time, designed furniture for kids’ rooms. Like her, Matt was single and didn’t date all that much. But for different reasons. Paige had his entire line of children’s things. Cody would, too, if she ever found a man to stick around long enough for her to want to marry him. Cody knew she was hard on men. They’d try and bullshit themselves into something more than they were. Little did they know that Cody ran a background check on anyone she dated.

Dad said she was smart for doing that. Paige told her she took all the fun out of getting to know someone. So far, she’d been nearly on a date with a pedophile, a drug dealer, as well as a man that had very scary tastes in sex—painful and violent sex. There were other men she had dated, but they were either too boring, lazy or thought since she was an attorney, she could represent them for free. Nope, not going to happen. Matt was able to join them for dinner. Paige arrived late but did have dessert with them. Peter, she told them, had had to work late, and that was why she’d been late. Cody didn’t say anything, as she doubted very much that her sister would hear what she had to say. That her husband was having an affair with his secretary. And it had been going on since before he’d married Paige.

“The board is going to look into some things that could improve the kind of teachers that we’re getting to apply. I was hoping for some that were new out of college, but they want older, more stable teachers. I don’t even know what that means.” Grandma said they wanted women that didn’t have children in the middle of the term. “Well, that’s not fair. We have a good school there that pays well. The students that come out of there go on to college and succeed too.” “Be that as it may, they have how many teachers out now on maternity leave? One of them is a spouse to a woman that is out, correct?” Matt looked at Cody when Paige answered his question. “How about you? You ready to settle down and have a houseful of kids so I can spoil them and be the world’s greatest uncle to them?”

“When you have a baby, I’ll think about it.” It was an ongoing joke for the two of them. Everyone at the table knew Matt was gay. No one cared. In fact, Grandma was the one that had had a talk about it with Matt when he’d been about fourteen. Turned out she was right, and he no longer went around with a long look on his face. “Oh, there is a toy company expanding in town. I know you’ve talked to the owner before, but I think his daughter is now running the place. I don’t know a great deal about the woman that runs it, but she is recently married and has a baby on the way.

They’re also good friends with the people who own Tate’s Crossing.” “I remember them.” Grandma had to think a moment. “Yes, the father is Joseph, and his wife…let me think…was Lorraine. She died some time ago, I think.” “That’s right. She was hit by a car as her wolf. Back then, there was another pack master, or they both would have been immortal.

Joseph took over when most of the others left and only had to govern himself and his boys. Sad state of affairs that.” Matt laughed as he continued. “I’m sorry to bring this up now, but they’re the biggest men I’ve ever seen. Each of them played sports in high school. No one would beat them. Also, if I remember correctly, the youngest one isn’t with the firm but is a kindergarten teacher. A good one, too, from all accounts. Paige, you might want to recruit him. He might be a good fit for the school.” “He’s been a teacher since he got out of college. The oldest son, Joel, is recently married as well. They’re all well respected, as a whole and personally. They bought the old church in their town and are changing it into a venue to hold weddings and receptions.”

Grandma asked Cody if she’d done a background check on them. “Yes. They also own the mall development project that Dad is going to be staying at. I needed to know it wasn’t a fly-by-night group that was going to take his money and run.” “Good for you, honey. I feel much better just knowing you’re taking care of me.” Paige said she was as well, and Dad patted her on the hand. “I know you do, baby. I know that. Oh, before I forget to tell you, there will be a playground put in, as well as a garden area that, as residents, we can use.

I’m very excited about getting into gardening some.” “You’ll have to teach them how to grow things in your garden, Dad. The kids will love working in the dirt with you. Maybe you can wear them down a lot before you bring them home.” The rest of their meal, dessert anyway, was spent bantering back and forth about everything. Cody did notice that Matt was very quiet. He’d speak and answer questions, but he wasn’t his usual self. After they were gathering up their things to go, she stopped him. At first, she wasn’t sure he was going to tell her what was wrong, but when everyone left them there, he finally spilled the beans. “Don’t do anything about it.

You have to promise me you’ll stay out of this.” She didn’t even blink at him. “I knew you’d do that. I’ve been found out at work. They’re ‘looking into things,’ I was told this morning. I’ve been thinking about it all day, and I’m about ready to join you in the law firm we’ve talked about for years.”

“I’ll find us a building tomorrow.” Matt laughed. “Hey, I’m not going to give you time to change your mind. We’ll work well together. Like we always do.” “I’m worried someone is going to come forward and say something about me that will get me fired.” She asked if he thought they’d pay someone to say something. “Forever my hero, aren’t you? You didn’t even think I might have done something wrong, did you?” “I didn’t. Matt, you’re too nice of a guy for that sort of shit. Don’t shit where you eat is something you’ve told me all my life. I know you well enough to know you’d practice what you preach. Can I at least look into things for you? Not publicly, but enough that I can give you a heads up if they’re making shit up?”

“Yes. I’d like that. So long as you don’t make more waves than I have right now.” She said she’d not do that to him. He was her favorite brother. “I’m also your only brother. Speaking of which, do you know what’s going on with Peter? I’m sure no one works that late when they have their name on the firm’s stationery.” “He’s fucking Shelby.” He nodded, and she knew he’d figured that out as well. “I’ve not told Paige, but I will if he keeps this up. If she finds out I knew and didn’t tell her, she’ll be pissy with me.

But it’s not something you can just say without making her feel bad. Like it’s her fault or something.” “She would think that too.” They both made their way out to their cars. “Just be on the lookout for my job, and I’ll look into Peter’s life. I don’t mind telling her, either. Like you said, she’s going to have to know. I’m just really glad you had him sign that prenup when they married. You never told me how you got him to sign it.” “I told him I knew what he was doing, and if he didn’t sign it, I’d make sure the wedding didn’t happen.

He only wanted to marry her because she was pregnant with Kelly at the time. There is no love between the two of them.” Matt said he didn’t think so, either. “She’s going to take it hard no matter who tells her. I was thinking I’d let it slip to Grandma and have her tell her. She’d not hold back, but at least she’d know.” “Yes, she would.” Matt kissed her on the cheek and then hugged her tightly. “I love you, little sister. More than I think I love anyone else. Just be yourself, and I know you’re going to go far.” “I’m going to find us a building, Matt. All right?” He nodded and got into his car, and drove off. There was more she’d bet on it, but she’d wait to find out. Matt was her big brother and her biggest supporter. She wasn’t going to allow anyone to harm him.

Pete Tolliver was doing just fine, and when a man came into the tavern she owned asking for a Pete Tolliver, all sorts of warning bells went off in her head. She went by Pete for a reason, to keep her identity a secret. She didn’t like people and didn’t want to be bothered. She was Petunia, a well-known romance author, but she didn’t like the attention her fame brought her, so she simply went by Pete.

When Watts asked Shawn to check on a bed and breakfast his mother had left him in Europe, and while he was there to find a person in the same town by the name of Pete Tolliver, Shawn jumped at the chance. He could use a vacation, plus helping the old man in the hospital find his relative was a boost to his soul. He liked the old man.

When he met “Pete,” he liked her instantly. She was full of just enough spunk and sass that he wanted to get to know her better. And he was doing just that when the truck came from out of nowhere and put him in the hospital….

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When Marsden Wilkerson received the phone call that his mother had been in a car accident, he wasn’t letting anything get in his way to get to her. Not a pushy boss, and especially not his Aunt Eita. Then his world crumbled when the doctors told him that his mother, Holly, didn’t make it.
Gabriella Farley, Abby, could hold her own, and she wasn’t about to take any flack from a rich bitch like Penelope Wilkerson.

All the Wilkerson women, with the exception of Holly, could fit that description. Abby stood up for Mars at the funeral home even though she really didn’t know him. What she did know was his mother, Holly, was a fine woman, and the family had given them both the shaft Mars’s entire life.

Mars wanted to apologize for his Aunt’s actions, but there was something about Abby that sparked a flame in his heart. From the first kiss, they knew they had something special, but going against the Wilkerson family could be very dangerous. Will this new love be doomed from the start?

Amy Hamilton never had much of a home life growing up. Her sister Phoenix and her mother demanded all the attention, so much so that she and her father didn’t have a relationship at all. Now that her father was filing for a divorce, he felt guilty for not being a part of her life and wanted to make up for it, but Amy wasn’t sure she was ready for that.

North Wilkerson had a similar upbringing. Although his mother was dead now, before her death, she was an awful person and an even worse mother. After having sworn off family ties to his parents, he was just now allowing his father back into his life.

Amy and Booker Wilkerson were close friends in college. Amy was only supposed to be in town for a few days, and when Booker called inviting her to dinner, she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to catch up on old times. When Booker’s cousin North and his uncle joined them for dinner, they all had a blast.

But when North just showed up at her father’s house and took over, Amy wasn’t sure what to think of him. What did he think he was doing? She barely knew him. Amy needed to nip this in the bud before it went much further. She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She didn’t need a man now, or would she ever need a man, any man….

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Charlie had been gone from the small town for several years, attending medical school with Rayne. She only returned when she got the news that her mother, the sitting judge, had been murdered. Rayne convinced her to come back home. The town needed good doctors.

Booker had just bought a huge, empty house. His cousins were going to a huge estate auction, and he figured he’d go to find some deals. His cousins were meeting their wives there. It would be fun.

Booker was having a wonderful time when he met Charlie. A spirited young woman who captured his heart from the moment they met. He couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Booker was caught up in Charlie’s enthusiasm as a first-time bidder until she got into an argument with another bidder, a bully who would win the bid even if he had to take it by force. Booker didn’t like bullies, especially a man who bullied women. Booker jumped to Charlie’s defense. That’s when things got dicey….

The Wilkerson Dynasty

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SECOND CHANCE DRAWING FOR A MYSTERY PRIZE !!!!!!!

Prologue

Pete loved it at this place. Dywyll. Welsh for Drink Darkly. Whoever named the place had done so with the décor in mind. It was dark, and there was only strong drink to be had. And that was what was going on with the five or so patrons when someone, a stranger, walked through the big double doors. Pete knew immediately that something had happened. Careful to keep an eye on him through the dirty mirror over the bar, Pete knew he was an American.

Not only that, but from the way he was dressed, she’d bet he was a man who had money to burn and didn’t give a flying fuck who knew it. When he approached Sammy, the manager and bartender, she watched both men as the newcomer struggled with his question. “Don’t hurt yourself. He speaks English too.” Nodding his thanks to her, Pete paid for her drink. Her heart was pounding hard now, and she wanted to get out of there. The man looked too much like someone she knew from her past. Then she realized what he’d said.

“Can you please repeat that?” “I’m looking for a man by the name of Pete Tolliver. Pete could be short for something else, but his grandfather has been hurt.” She told him she was Pete. “I thought you were. He’s doing much better. I’d say you’re difficult to find, but I believe that’s the point. He’s been asking for you.” “Doubtful. If you came here looking for Pete, then he didn’t send you. He calls me by my first name. What’s happened to him? Ben been knocking him around? If so, you give me an hour, and I’ll take care of him.” The man sat at the bar with her and pulled off his hat. “You’re a Wilkerson, aren’t you?”

“Yes. Shawn Wilkerson.” She only nodded. “Is there a reason you knew that? Or did someone tell you I was coming for you?” “Had I known you were coming, you wouldn’t have found me.” He only nodded and asked for a beer. “You’re the son of…let me think of her name. The one I have in my head isn’t nice.” “I’m sure I’ve called her worse. If it’s any help to you, they’re all dead. My mother included. Penelope was her name. She was killed by a bunch of prison guards while trying to escape.” Shawn drank down his beer and asked for another. When it was set before him, he asked her if she wanted another. Nodding, he ordered her one as well. “I’m set to be here for a week.

I had other business in this area, so I told my family I’d come to look for you. How did the bitches hurt you?” “Just like that, you believe me.” He nodded, and another beer was set before her too. “What’s happened? At home, I mean.” “Stanley is in the hospital but recovering well. He’s a good sort, isn’t he? Yes, it was Ben. He was pissed off because your grandda had the nerve to cash his check to pay his bills with it. Bastard. How is he related to you?” She told him. “I didn’t know he had any other children alive.”

“Ben’s dad died right after Ben was born. I’m not sure how, but I’m sure it was tragic. My mom was born as a late-in-life kind of kid. There is nearly nineteen years difference in their ages.” Shawn didn’t say anything when a full Welsh breakfast was put in front of her. Asking for a second-place setting, the two of them went to one of the many empty tables and sat down. “Have some. Let me see, my mom, Olivia, passed away when I was a baby. My biological sperm donor, Harlow, spent ten or so months in prison for beating up Ma.

However, she died before Harlow was freed. She was raped and murdered. Then your family stepped in, and not only was he their hit man, but I do also believe he knocked some of you kids around. I’m sorry if he did. But I wasn’t there, nor would I have been old enough to do anything about it.” “I haven’t seen Benton yet. He was in jail when I left. However, I’ve no doubt he was one part of the hitmen our mothers utilized. Is that why you’re here?” She told him she was working here and hiding out. Pete noticed that both of them avoided the cockles. Cocos in Welsh, they were like mussels found on beaches all over the world.

“I’m not telling you that you need to go home to see your grandda. Ben is going to be an issue, I’m sure. It’s up to you. However, as I said, I’m here for another week, so maybe we can hang out. You can show me the sights.” “I’m afraid you’re out of luck in this town for sights. Unless you’re into castles and lots of green grass and sheep. Which, thankfully, a lot of people are” He laughed, and she decided he had a good laugh. “Also, I have to work tomorrow. If I do go back, and that’s a big if, I’d need to go there and return here as soon as possible. I’m not much for living around a great many people, and I know your family is quite large. Also, you should understand something right now—I’m not easy. I’m not going to show you the sights by letting you into my bed.”

Shawn looked at her, shocked for all of three seconds before he threw back his head and laughed. Pete didn’t know why, but she had a feeling he didn’t do that often, let mirth take him so hard. Smiling at him, not really understanding what he might have found so funny, he kissed her on the cheek and stood up. “You’re leaving?” Shawn said he had to check into his hotel and tell his family he’d found her. “Don’t do that. Don’t tell them anything just yet. I don’t want to be pressured into going home. As much as I’d like to believe your family is nothing like your mother was, I’d just as soon not have to deal with them right now.” “I can understand that.

However, believe me, or not, we’re nothing like them. In fact, I’d say we’re more like my Aunt Holly. Did you know her?” She stood up so quickly the table jolted. “What is it?” “You said did I know her. She’s dead? Holly is dead?” Helping her to her seat, he sat too. Holding her hand, he told her the wives had had her killed a few months ago. She let the tears flow as he told her how she’d come to be gone. “She was…well, she was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I’m staying in one of her homes, as a matter of fact.” Pete looked at him. “That’s why you’re here. To check up on her home and tell me I have to get out.” “No. I am here to check on the house, yes, but not to toss anyone out. As Mars wasn’t able to find out much about the place, he asked me if I’d come here to have a look around.

To see what the house looked like, as well as the person running the place. I’m to understand it’s a bed and breakfast, correct?” She said it was. “You send all the money via an account, then you’re paid monthly. He couldn’t understand why as well as it was doing, you weren’t getting more money than what you were paid.” “I’m paying Holly back for a loan. And I do live there rent-free. It’s why I was able to send money to my grandda every month. I don’t have much in the way of expenses. She’s really gone?” He nodded. “Right after my ma died, Holly came to see me. I think she was on duty. The doctor had only just pronounced Ma’s death, so I was pretty raw.

When she sat down next to me, taking my hand into hers just as you just did, I launched myself at her, holding on to her while my heart broke.” “That sounds like her.” Pete nodded, thinking about that day. “Go on, tell me how she was a part of your life. I’d love to hear it.” “My da was already out of the picture, so it had only been my ma and I. I was only a child, you see, but Holly talked to me like I was her equal. She not only offered me a job when I was old enough but lent me the money to not just pay for my ma’s funeral but to go to college as well. She made sure I didn’t have to work while I was seeking higher education. Nor did she ever once try and take advantage of my owing her so much money. When I finished with school, I came here and began working off the money I owed her while running the B&B.

I’m so sorry she’s gone. You’ve no idea how many times over the years I called her just to hear her voice and to talk to someone. She was the only friend I think I’ve ever had.” Shawn told her how sorry he was for her loss too. “Mars. I know him. And…let me think which one. Booker. I wasn’t Pete them, but Petunia Jackson. I was adopted by my grandda when my ma died, so I’d not have to be put in the system.” “We didn’t know it was a woman we were looking for. And you were right, your grandda didn’t send me. I don’t think he even mentioned you until we asked if there was anyone to notify. He said your name was Pete then, but no last name. Stanley said he’d contact you when he was home again.” Pete told Shawn that she went by Pete, so she was harder to find. “It worked. If not for an entry made on some of the notes Aunt Holly kept, we wouldn’t have known you were even here in Wales.”

“Holly told me I’d be safe here. And I am. However, I was never sure who I was safe from, as Ben never bothered with me. Not even after he found out I had a good job while finishing up high school.” He asked her if he’d known about her. “I think so. However, now that you mention it, I have no idea. I’d see him around, of course. Know he was my cousin, I suppose. But as far as him acknowledging me, I’m not sure. That’s a good point.

Perhaps Holly kept me safer by just keeping me out of his line of sight.” “More than likely. Are you all right now?” She nodded, then shook her head. “I can understand that too. I’ve known for a while that Aunt Holly is gone, and I still have trouble coming to terms with it. She was one of the best there was.” “She was. To a great many people, I’m thinking.” When Shawn tried to pay the bill, Sammy asked her, in Welsh, if he understood that she owned the bar. Shaking her head, she told Sammy she’d talk to him later, and she left.

Pete was just too raw to try and explain to anyone that she had her own money now, and she was beholden only to Holly, who had died. Shawn followed her out of the bar. “He said something along the lines of owning. Or it could have been owing. You own the bar.” “Yes. I own the bar, as well as a coffee shop down the road. I didn’t take any of the money from the B&B. I promise you that. Nor did I use any of the money and then put it back. I’ve been—” He laughed again. “I’m a bit touchy on things if you didn’t notice it. Money and owing someone is hard on me.” “I guess I can understand that. However, it never occurred to me that you were doing that. Nor that I would ever think you would.” She nodded and looked away. “How about we start over? I’m Shawn Wilkerson, nephew to Holly Wilkerson.

I’m here looking for you to give you some information that your grandda—whom I like, by the way—has been hurt.” “Thank you.” They shook hands, and she told him she needed to get back to the B&B. Shawn followed. “Really, I can get there from here. I’ve been doing it for some time now.” “It just so happens I’m staying there too. In another room.” She shook her head. “How about later, you and I have a nice dinner and talk about my aunt. Or anything, for that matter. I’d like to get to know you.” “I don’t know. I’m very caustic.”

He laughed, and she smiled at him. “All right. But I cook for the patrons at the B&B. It’s easier than trying to make a breakfast with all the trimmings. I usually have it for lunch, and that’s it. But since we shared, I’ll be able to eat at dinner time.” Whatever was going on, she wasn’t sure about it. However, she was going to call Mars and let him know what was going on. While she knew the other man, she wasn’t sure how much he knew about her. But Booker, she did know and would also call him. ~*~ Booker was still working on a couple of projects at home when his cell rang.

He knew the ringtone. It was Shawn. Since he’d heard from Shawn when he’d arrived three days ago that he’d made it, he knew whatever was going on now was something funny. Thinking of something to bust his chops about, he answered the phone with a nasty quip about his sexuality. Charlie had gone to bed about an hour ago. Booker took into account that Shawn might not have realized the time difference. Or perhaps he did. When he realized that Shawn hadn’t said anything back, he sat up straighter in his seat. “Shawn?” He heard voices. They weren’t speaking English, so he was at a loss as to what might be going on. Waiting for whoever called him using Shawn’s phone, he concentrated on breathing in and out instead of what might be going on with the phone call. “Booker Wilkerson?” He said it was him. “My name is Pete. I’m using your cousin’s phone to—” “Is he all right? Do I need to come there—?”

“Just let me tell you, damn it. You’ve no idea how freaked the fuck out I am right now.” He could hear her speaking to someone else. While he didn’t know what was being said, he figured that since Shawn had gone to Wales, they were speaking Welsh. “I’m going to be calm here. I’m having difficulty translating what I’m being told in one language, figuring it out in English to tell you, then reversing the process so I can tell the people here. Just fucking bear with me. I’m stressed the fuck out.” “All right. Can you tell me if he’s dead?” She said he wasn’t, but it had been touch and go for a bit. Then she said something in Welsh again. “Take your time, Pete. Just breathe. That’s what I’m trying to do right now.” “He wanted to go on a run.

Early morning here. There are a lot of lorries out that early, making deliveries and such.” He nodded, then told her to go on. “Hang on.” His heart was hurting, but he knew if he were to scream at the woman to get her to get on with the story, he might well not learn a damned thing. Reaching for his house phone, he called Charlie’s cell phone. Telling her to hurry down here, he could hear her racing down the stairs. Booker put his cell on speaker phone after telling her the little he knew. He also cautioned her to not hurry the woman along. “The doctor here wants to know if he has any allergies to medications.” He said he didn’t. He was, however, allergic to caffeine. “Bear with me. I’m so upset here, and I’ve not spoken English for some time.” Booker looked at Charlie when she cleared her throat.

“I can speak to you in Welsh if you’d like. If that would help. It’s been a while for me too, so let’s start out slowly.” The two of them spoke in Welsh, another thing about his lovely wife he’d not known until now. Smiling at her, he asked for Charlie’s cell and called Uncle Hank. “Booker? What’s happened? Where are you?” He told him all he knew so far. “She didn’t tell you what happened? Who does that? Tell her I want—?” “She’ll hang up. I don’t know that she will, Uncle Hank, but she’s pretty upset. Charlie is helping her now. I’m not sure what’s going on, but I thought you’d like to come here. I’m making the calls now.” He said he was on his way. “All right. Do you think we should call the others in?” “Not yet. They’ll just want answers we don’t have. Call them when we have more. Oh, I wish I had gone with him as he wanted.

I’m on my way, son.” Booker put the phone down when his uncle just hung up. Charlie turned to him. “She’s speaking with the staff about his things. Shawn was out running this morning, and a truck hit him. They don’t think it was on purpose, as the roads are very narrow in places, and Shawn might not have been off the road far enough when another truck was passing the one that hit him.” He asked if she knew how he was hurt. “He hit his head. That’s all they told her when they called her. Everyone apparently knew he was staying at the B&B she is running for Mars. Oh, she knows Mars too. You know her as well, apparently. She’s Petunia Jackson.” It took him a few moments to put a face to the name. When he remembered her, he could only think of her as a child. He also knew that at some time in her life, she had moved away. More than likely, when she’d been that same young woman he remembered.

Calling Mars because he’d been asked to, he told him the information as well as the little bit more he knew about Shawn. He and Abby were on their way over too. “He’s in surgery. His leg was broken in four places, and they’re setting it. Since she doesn’t know what they’re doing in there, she can’t tell me what sort of setting they’re doing. She’s stressed to the max, Booker. I think she might be blaming herself for this.” Booker asked if Pete had been with him when he was running. “Not that I’ve been made aware of. She’s running the B&B and doesn’t get out much this time of year, I guess.” “We’ll all end up there sooner rather than later, I’m betting.” Charlie went back to the call while he let his uncle and cousin in.

Mars had apparently called in the others as well, as they were coming to the house one at a time. Going into the kitchen, he wasn’t the least bit surprised to see that Herman had started the coffee and was making pancakes. He’d been in the kitchen for the past couple of days whenever he wanted to talk to him. “I still have some pull, so I called to see what is going on over there. So far, I’m only waiting on a call. I wasn’t snooping, but I could hear the doorbell ringing and figured something—hang on, that’s my contact now.” Sitting at one of the chairs around the big table, Booker pulled a pancake to him and rolled it around a piece of sausage. While waiting, he also poured him some juice. “All right. A young man was hit by a truck at five their time this morning.

So there is a five-hour difference—they’re ahead of us—so I’m thinking it happened sometime around midnight our time. Someone must have been with him to have him in the hospital very quickly if that is the case. He wasn’t just left there to die. What I mean is that he wasn’t left on the side of the road. That didn’t come out right either.” “I understood. The woman we’re talking to over there, she runs my cousin’s B&B. I know nothing about her, but I’m guessing she and Shawn were friends.” Herman simply shrugged. He was talking to someone on the second phone call he’d gotten. When he continued to nod, Booker got up and started pulling glasses from the cabinet. When the call was finished, Herman said he had good news. “Good. I could use it about now.

I’m sure everyone will be happy for it too.” “Shawn’s leg is busted up pretty badly. They’ve had to reinforce two bones with some steel rods. He’s going to be a long time in healing. The head wound wasn’t as bad as they had thought. Of course, he’ll have a major headache for some time to come, but he’ll be all right. Two of his fingers are broken, as well as his wrist. All on the left side.” He asked what was going to happen now. “They’ll keep him sedated for a few days, just to let the swelling go down. The young woman, Pete, is the granddaughter of Mr. Tolliver. He adopted her when she was just a young child. Monthly she sends him nearly her entire pay to keep him afloat. Also, she’s done well with investments too. She not only owns the bar but a coffee shop as well as a bun store. I had to ask. It’s just sweets.”

“We all thought she was a man.” Herman nodded as he put another round of batter on the griddle. “I’ll call the others in to get some food. You can tell them what you know, and we’ll go from there.” As everyone stood around eating pancakes and sausages, they talked about going to Wales to see Shawn. When Charlie joined them in the kitchen, having been speaking to Pete, she told them what she’d been able to find out. “The B&B is full until the end of the week, so we can’t stay there. Also, there aren’t any hotels or other accommodations within four hours of the hospital.

Pete suggested we wait until Friday before we travel there, and the place will be all ours. This time of the year, they close up for a month to have the carpets cleaned, as well as any upgrades that are needed.” Mars said he’d read that in some of the notes on the place. “She’s much calmer now. The doctor told her that Shawn would need to rest for the next few days, so they’ve put him into a medically induced coma. I agree with her on the fact that we can’t do anything until he wakes. She said she’d call us whenever there was any news, and she’d be using his phone, as she has no cellphone of her own. You might be interested to know that she and Shawn have been seeing the sites. I haven’t any idea what that might entail, but they have been hanging out together.”

“You think she’s his future wife?” Charlie smacked him on the arm. “I was only asking. I mean, it’s a long way to go to find someone to love, but—you don’t think she’ll make him live there with her, do you? Mars, you have to fire her or something. We can’t lose Shawn to another country. How will our kids get to know one another?” “Cool your jets, dumbass. You’ve already got them married with children. How about we just figure out how to get there and when, and we’ll work from there. As far as we know, she’s a royal…well, she is a royal bitch, but that’s all right too. We’ll not rush into anything for now.” Booker smiled at Charlie. “I haven’t any idea what you might be thinking, but it’s not going to bode well for you if I have to smack you around a little in front of your family. Behave.” “But it’s so much more fun to not behave.” She smacked him again, harder this time, and he pulled her into his arms for a much-needed kiss.

“We will need to make arrangements to get there. Not only will we need to have passports, but time off from work for this. I can do my work anywhere, but I know a lot of us can’t.” The rest of the morning was spent talking about the trip, what they’d need to be taking, and calling bosses or whatever they had to take care of while they’d be gone. Wats told them with an injury like Shawn’s sounded, it might be a month before he’d be up from the bed. That was when Mars decided he’d charter a plane, take them there, and bring Shawn home when they could. It was a plan everyone agreed would work better. Then Herman cleared his throat.

“Two things you must remember. You’ll need to have cash, as credit cards might be all right, but this is a smallish town, and they might have poor Internet. The second thing is, not only will you need passports, but you might also need to have some proof of Shawn being related to any of you. Hank, I would suggest that you take everything you have concerning his birth records. As well as taking a death certificate of your wife. Just to make things go smoother. Also, I just remembered this, you’ll need an attorney in the States in the event you need something else.

An attorney can make things move faster. Having one ready to go, with knowledge of where and why you’re going, will save time as well.” North was making notes and asking questions about some things he had questions about. The rest of them, even for as many attorneys that were in the family, just waited to see if they needed to do anything too. “I just realized that you have three qualified physicians in the family. Medical certification should be handy if needed. Also, this is very important, don’t step on toes. I know you won’t mean to, but it’ll do better for young Shawn if he’s not the center of a national debate on US doctors versus any in Wales.”

“I agree on that one,” Wats told them how he’d been in another state and had offered his help at a very busy hospital following a traffic pile-up. “They were nasty, so much so that they called security on me. I learned a very valuable lesson in that.” By the time everyone was headed back to their homes, they’d made some real headway in getting things ready to go. Hank was going to leave this afternoon to be with his son while the rest of them waited until they could have accommodations. As it was now, there was very little they could do but watch Shawn sleep, and that would drive them all nuts, Booker thought. As he was headed up to bed to take a shower, Booker realized he’d been up for too long for him not to take a nap. Just lying on the bed, hoping for at least an hour of rest, he thought of Shawn being so far away.

Of all his cousins, he and Shawn were the closest to each other. He thought it had a lot to do with the order of their birth. They were only about two months apart, while the others were as much as six months. Almost as soon as his head touched the pillow, his body began to shut down. He knew, in that moment, that this wasn’t going to be a nap, but he’d sleep for at least several hours. ~*~ Pete was exhausted. She also thought if she had to eat one more plate of hospital food, she’d just give up eating altogether.

When Mr. Wilkerson came in with what smelled to her like heaven, it was all she could do not to knock him to the floor and eat whatever was in the bags he’d brought in. “I thought you’d enjoy a treat. I know I would.” He started laying out the covered plates of food. “Sammy, the man at the bar you frequent, said you usually only eat at the place once a day, but when you can eat there more often, it’s his famous fish and chips.” “It’s the best there is. How much do I owe you, Mr. Wilkerson?” When he didn’t move, his hand about halfway to her, she looked up at him. “What have I done?

Whatever it is, I’m sorry. I’d do anything for the food.” “Then call me Hank.” She said she couldn’t do that. “Sure you can. It’s a one-syllable word. Try it. Hank. It’s a completely common name. Something that my wife, when she was around, tried to get me to change often enough. Anyway, I’d very much like for you to call me Hank. Please?” “Mr.— Hank, you’re only here for the short time it’s going to take to get your son home. I know that. You don’t really have to be nice to me. I like Shawn, but again, he was only here to tell me about my grandda, then he was leaving.”

Hank asked her how sure she was about that. “What do you mean?” “Honey, I’ve seen the way you look at him. I hear you crying when you think no one is around. You’re in love with him. It’s as plain as the nose on your face.” She said that wasn’t possible, as she’d only known him a few days before he’d gotten hurt. “With my nephews, that’s all it took for them to fall in love with their wives. My goodness, Mars and Abby knew each other less than any of them before Mars asked her to marry him. Now there is a good young man. I sometimes think how much I missed of his life too.” He’d told her about his sister being murdered. How the wives of him and his brothers had conspired to not just have her raped, then murdered, but they had pitted them all, including their father, against her. She thought they were about the most fucked up family she’d ever encountered. But she did like Hank.

When he’d arrived two days ago, she had picked him up at the airport to take him to the hospital. The first thing he asked her was if she was all right. Nodding, as her emotions had gotten the better of her, he hugged her tightly and cried with her. Since then, he’d been staying in her room while she bunked in the apartment over the bar. She liked it there better anyway, as there were not that many people around. The doctor came into the room with them then and told them he was grateful for the extra food for the staff too. She’d not known he’d done that, but he included her in saying they’d both decided they worked too hard and deserved a treat as well. Translating for Hank was getting easier all the time. But she did appreciate it when the doctor spoke English for him. “Shawn is mending well. The pins in his leg to keep it stable aren’t causing any damage to his skin.

At times we do run into a little bit of trouble with infection getting into the wounds, but that isn’t a problem thus far.” Hank asked about his other wounds. “We did an X-ray of his head again last night. There isn’t any swelling, nor do we foresee any future trouble with that. He’ll have a headache when he wakes, but nothing more that a couple of ibuprofen won’t take care of.” “Will he be able to walk again? It looks frightening with all this going on with his leg.” Pete was embarrassed for asking such a cruel question, but Hank said he’d like to know that as well. The staff had long since given up on getting her out of the room when they talked about Shawn with Hank. He had insisted, and she stayed. “I mean, I don’t know him all that well, but he seems to be a very active person.”

“He is. Shawn has been a runner for a long time. I say that because I’ve noticed he goes out several times a day. He told me it was to clear his mind. I can see that.” She smiled at Hank. “I’m sorry. What else do we need to know about my son?” “I’m going to start lowering his medication to have him waking soon. He’ll be in and out of consciousness, but that’s to be expected. Also, you shouldn’t expect him to remember what happened right away. Don’t force his memories. Just let them come to him a little at a time.” Hank said they’d do that and reached for her hand to hold. “Once he’s awake fully, in a few more days, we’ll do more tests on him and see where we stand about his walking.

I know he will be able to, but I don’t want to make any promises right now on how active he’ll be once we remove the pins.” After the doctor left, Hank left her to call the family. There wasn’t much in the way of service for cell phones in Shawn’s room, so she just stared at the man she’d come to love. Not that she’d admit that to anyone but herself, but she wanted so desperately for him to wake up. Like she did whenever they were alone, she spoke to him. “Your father is very nice. He’s trying very hard not to be too worried about you, but I think he’ll be all right.” She took his hand into hers and was glad to feel warmth in it. “You do know I’m going to beat you senseless when you wake up.

I might wait a couple of days to do it, but I did tell you, several times, to be extra careful at crossings. You shouldn’t have been on that stupid bridge.” Standing up, she went to the window and looked out over the beautiful landscaping. It would be easier to talk to him this way. Even though she knew he couldn’t hear her, she still wanted to tell him things she wasn’t sure would make him happy with her. “I don’t just run the B&B for your cousin. Nor do I only own the bar and coffee shop. There are several pieces of property I own that I rent to farmers. I can do this because I have a job. One that I work at from wherever I’m putting my hat at any given moment.”

She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “You see, I write. Books. Of course. That was stupid. I write books that are racy. Well, I think they’re more than racy, but that’s just me. Anyway, I have been writing since I was in high school. Just playing around. Then I submitted one of my stories to one of the smaller publishing houses for fun. It wasn’t two days later that I was called by the person in charge, the owner, and she asked me if I had any more stories. I never call them books. To me, it sounds like I’m being pretentious. She and I hit it off really well, and I’ve been doing it since then. I don’t want you to think badly of me—” “Why do you think he’d think badly of you?” She turned so quickly that she nearly fell over. “Be careful there, child. You don’t want to be laid up too, now do you? But answer my question.

Why do you think Shawn, or anyone for that matter, would think badly of you for using a talent to make money?” “They’re dirty books.” Hank laughed. “I don’t think it’s funny. What do you think his friends or his family is going to say when they find out I’m nothing more than an author that writes books for a living?” “I think they’ll tell you they want a copy of them. Are there a great many of them?” Pete told him how many she had published at last count. “Oh my. Yes, oh my indeed. That’s quite a few of them, honey. Good for you. They’ll be so happy to know that. Especially the women of the family. I know for a fact that Abby reads—I believe she calls them bodice rippers. I’m assuming you don’t write under Pete Tolliver.” “No. Just my first name. No last. It makes things easier for me.” He laughed and went to his phone. When he found whatever it was he was looking for, he handed it to her. “Which one of your—? She has my book.”

The woman in the picture was asleep on a couch. On her lap was one of Pete’s earlier books. Right there on the cover was her name in script, Petunia. Handing him back his phone, she didn’t know what to say to him now. “I’d say they’re going to be— Pete, look at Shawn.” She did. He was staring at her with wide eyes. Not moving, she was glad when Hank went to his son, saying his name. As soon as Shawn turned to his dad, Pete felt as if she’d run a marathon. Twice over. There were monitors all over his body. Also, a feeding tube in his nose. Since he’d been out for so long, they wanted to make sure he was getting enough nutrients. Going out into the hallway to tell the nurses, it took her several deep breaths for her to get her shit together. Pete went in behind the nurses. The doctor had been called in as well, they told them. When she moved back out of the way, Shawn put out his hand, and she took it.

The connection, or whatever it was, made her feel like she’d been given a new outlook on life. A steady stream of tears blurred her vision, but she was so very happy to see him awake. They worked with him for about twenty minutes before they left him again. The nurses did tell Shawn not to fight the rest he needed. When he closed his eyes, she started to pull her hand free, and he tightened his grip. She sat that way with him while Hank went out to call his family again. “You scared us.” Opening his eyes again, he winked at her. “Go to sleep before I have to knock you out. But know this—if you ever come to visit again, you’re not going to go running in the middle of the night.” “Daytime.” She pointed out that it was still dark when he’d gone out. “Am I all right now?” “I’m not a doctor, dummy.” He smiled with his eyes closed again. “You’re going to be just fine. Your leg is busted up pretty good, but I can’t see you letting that get you down much. You’re supposed to be sleeping, not having me tell you stuff you can find out from your dad.” “He’d lie to me.” She figured she should have, too, instead of telling him she was going to knock him around. “Thought of you when the truck hit me. Thought of you being pissy.”

When she was sure he was asleep, she laid her head on his hand holding hers. She’d been so stressed for the last couple of days she’d not really been sleeping all that well. Just thinking she’d close her eyes for a moment, Pete yawned once more and let her body relax enough to take her under. Waking up when someone touched her, she had to take a couple of moments to remember where she was. Hank asked her if she felt better, and with a glance at Shawn, who was still sleeping, she told him she was all right. “You’ve been asleep for nearly five hours like that. I was sure you’d be hurt when you woke up. Must be your youth that keeps you from cramping up like I think I would.” She asked him if she’d really been asleep for that long. “Yes. The only reason I woke you now was because they’re going to take Shawn down for a couple of more X-rays of his arm and hand. I can only think you needed it.” “I guess I did.”

Standing up, she was stretching when the orderly came to get Shawn. “Do you know how long this will take?” “No, ma’am. There are a couple of people ahead of your husband, but it won’t be that long.” She started to explain she wasn’t Shawn’s wife, but after a glance at Hank and him shaking his head, she let it go. “If you’ve got a cell phone, I could give you a call if you’d like to go out. It’s a lovely night tonight. Might get some of the cobwebs out of your head for a bit.” After agreeing that would be wonderful, Hank gave the young man his cell number. Going down in the elevator, she did feel better, she realized, and was so happy to be outside on the really nice night. Taking in a deep breath, she closed her eyes and let all her stress just wash off her. “The family will be here tomorrow. I noticed that the patrons at the B&B have left today too. Will you move back to the house?” She told him that with his family coming, they’d be packed up. “I suppose. But I hate that we’re putting you out of your home.

You have more right to it than we do.” “It’s not my home. It’s Mars’s, and I guess now Abby’s. But I’m all right over the bar. Sammy feeds me and makes sure I’m not bothered. There isn’t a phone up there, but I’m all right with that as well. It’s very quiet.” She smiled at him. “I’ll be by to make dinner for everyone if they want. I’ve become quite the Welsh cook over the years.” Pete wasn’t keen on seeing the rest of the family. Not that she was going to have much choice in the matter, but she really wished they’d just allow Hank to take care of getting his son home. He was, like his son, a very nice person. She wished they’d met under entirely different circumstances. But then, without Shawn being hurt, they might well have never met at all. “There’s our signal.” She was happy to be going back in.

They’d have a little more information from someone, and that was good. As they were seated, Shawn came into the room, bed and all, and she could tell he was in a great deal of pain. “He’s a bit on the stubborn side, mistress.” She asked what had happened. “He thought he could lift himself up and onto the table when he’s not strong enough just yet. I’ve asked the nurse for something for his pain.” She told Hank what the young orderly had told her. He’d been so nervous, she supposed, that he had slipped into speaking his own language. Pete glared at Shawn while the drugs from the nurse hit his system, and he began to relax. “What do I have to do? Go with you everywhere, so you behave? Didn’t I tell you to be careful?” He smiled, but she was on a roll. “I’m not going to stand for you making your father upset again, do you understand me?” He looked at his dad, then back at her. “I have no idea what you just said but for a couple of words. You’re upset. I get that. However, if it’s about me moving myself, you should have seen the little bitty thing that was trying to lift me up to put me near the machine. And she was several months pregnant.” She told him that was what she was upset about.

“I’m sorry I upset you too. That’s the last thing I wanted to do. But I can’t allow someone smaller and very pregnant to lift me when I can move myself.” “And how did that work out for you? You hurt yourself by being all macho.” He threw back his head and laughed. She had to join him. It was just too infectious for her not to. Even Hank joined the two of them.