Dream Breakers, Oath Takers

by Jacqueline Jayne

  With an expression so solemn he might as well have been arriving at a funeral, she noticed the contrast between father and son even more. Though they looked a great deal alike, Rush was creased with a lifetime of laugh lines, evidence of a jovial disposition or someone that worked hard at faking it.

  His son, on the other hand, exuded maturity and the weight of responsibility. And a smolderingly sexy gaze that was hard to resist. Probably never faked a day in his life.

  “Thought we could kick back for a day or so.” He inclined his head to one side and lowered his chin to meet her gaze. “Maybe go riding?”

  “Great idea,” Rush said. “You should show her your place at the lake. I know you said not to, but I did a little finishing work over there.”

  “Your place? You’re not staying here?”

  “No. I mean yes. I am staying here.” He lifted his chin in the direction of the big house. “With you. I hope you’re up for some hiking. Physical activity is a great stress reliever, especially after travel.”

  “Will it help? With the dream rake?”

  “Being surrounded by nature always stirs up my spirit animal, grounds me in peace. We can meditate while we’re out. Pin down your spirit animal.”

  The SUV rocked to a stop in front of the massive house. “George’s quiz didn’t work?” Rush asked.

  “It can’t work until Delphine is calm and centered.”

  “The spirit animal is important. Did you try?”

  “Three times,” she answered. “And after each quiz, I got a different animal.”

  “Which ones?”

  “Deer, wolf, and rabbit.”

  “Maybe that’s still the right answer.” Rush opened his door. “You might switch from one to the next. Probably in that order. It’s not the usual way, but not impossible.”

  She nodded to be polite. If Rush was correct, Delphine stood out as different again. She was getting damn tired of it when all she needed was one solid, correct direction.

  “I’d take the quiz again.” Rush swung open his door. “Four more times to see if you came up with the same pattern.” He jumped out of the car and walked around back.

  Zane reached for the door handle, and she grabbed him lightly above the elbow. “Before we go inside, I want to make one more thing perfectly clear.”

  His hard muscles corded beneath her fingers and he looked back at her, braced for what she might say. “Yeah?.” His face tensed.

  “I may be afraid of this supernatural thing, but you,” she let a small smile spread over her face, “don’t scare me one bit.”

  It was enough to set his cheeks glowing.

  The back hatch flung open and with it, heat and dust.

  He crooked his arm on top of the seat and leaned in, his tempting lips close enough to kiss if she weren’t dead set against a relationship. “Don’t be so sure, Cutoffs. You haven’t seen my wall of diplomas.”

  »»•««

  Not scared? Did Delphine even realize she’d flirted with him, tempted him with a challenge? He steeled against the tingle that pinballed inside of him. Zane knew her comfort with him wouldn’t last, once she realized he wasn’t much different than Savard.

  Mom surprised him even more by not greeting them on the porch, but as soon as he opened the door, he smelled why.

  He inhaled deeply, the familiar dishes easily distinguishable. Bacon dominated—the savory sweet aroma doused heavily with molasses lingered thick as fog in the air. More subtly, notes of melted cheese browning over tender potatoes hit him next. That could mean only one thing—bison burgers on the grill for the main course.

  Hot damn. His stomach groaned in anticipation.

  “You were the smart one,” he said to Delphine as he dropped his computer bag on the bench by the door. “By eating only once on the plane, you saved your appetite. It’s suppertime in Big Sky, and you’re in for a treat.”

  Though he wanted to take her by the hand, Zane resisted and simply led her from the front door area down the two wooden steps into the grand family room.

  “I’ve never seen a home this big. Or this much wood.”

  “Dad loves nature. Brought as much of the outdoors inside as possible.”

  And that was the truth. Natural shiplap on all the first floor walls and cathedral ceiling. Hardwood floors throughout with hook rugs scattered sporadically for warmth. A single flaming log glowed from the massive stone fireplace against the back wall. Unnecessary in August, but inviting and friendly when new company arrived.

  The long oak dining table with the raw edges had already been set for dinner with the only dishes Mom owned, casual stoneware. Most of the first floor lacked walls to separate the rooms. Open concept as they say, except for the kitchen. Mom prided herself on her exceptional culinary skills but liked to clean up only after the meal had been devoured. A total open concept meant staring at a sink and counter overflowing with dirty pots and pans with company milling about.

  By the time they reached the center of the living room with its many overstuffed sofas and chairs, his mother emerged from the kitchen, wiping her hands on the tail of her apron.

  “You finally made it. For a while, I thought I was going to have to freeze all this food.”

  “Be serious.” He laughed. “When have you ever had to freeze food? If we weren’t here, the neighbors would line up down the lane. And no one’s ever not cleaned their plate.”

  “Because she’d kick their ass,” his dad yelled from behind him.

  “Well, they’ll be no ass kicking tonight.” Zane rubbed his middle. “I smell your famous baked beans.”

  “More like baked bacon with a hint of beans.” His mother yanked the apron cord tied at her waist. “I should have never let your father help.”

  “I made them better.” Dad paused with the luggage at the foot of the stairs.

  “You made them chewy.” She slid the apron off and tossed it over the back of an upholstered plaid chair. “What I have to put up with now that he’s retired.”

  “I’m a big-ass angel,” his father hollered from the stairway’s top landing.

  Mom rolled her eyes and then flung her arms wide. “Now, come here.”

  Almost as tall as Delphine, she stood on tiptoe, grabbed his face with both hands, and smooched him hard on his cheek. The tips of her spiky blonde hair crushed against his face.

  “We miss you so much. I hate my empty aerie.” She caught him in her arms before he drew back and squeezed him in a mama-bear hug. “Not so fast, young man. It’s been too long.”

  “I was just here in the spring,” he said but gave into her rocking him to and fro.

  After another quick kiss on the cheek, she let go and moved past him, with Delphine in her sights and a grin as wide as the front yard vista. Zane wasn’t worried. Dad had already warmed her up, and his mother could turn an iceberg into boiling water in a matter of seconds.

  “Thank you for letting me stay, Mrs. Gideon.”

  “We’re not formal around here. I’m Maria.” She wrapped her arms around Delphine’s shoulders and squeezed without holding back one bit. “We’re glad to have you.”

  Tentatively, Delphine pressed her hands into his mother’s back and closed her eyes. She seemed to drink in the moment, and he wondered when was the last time she’d shared a simple hug with her own mother.

  “If anyone understands what you’re going through, it’s us.” Mom eased back, but anchored her gentle hands on each of Delphine’s shoulders. “Every. Single. One of us. Including Zane’s godfather. I know Zane asked us not talk about it yet, and I won’t do it again unless you ask, but you need to know our home is a sanctuary filled with understanding and support.”

  “And guns,” his dad added, sauntering down the wide staircase. “We protect family and extended family alike.”

  “Rush,” his mother admonished. “You’ll make her think we’ve actually shot someone.” She shook her head. “This isn’t the old west.”

  “Not saying we did. Just say
ing we could.” He grinned and sent Zane a wink. “If we wanted.”

  Delphine busted out a laugh, but then her sweet mouth twisted and the hint of her chin dimple trembled.

  Right on cue, his mom sidled up to her, arm snaking around her waist. “I’m sorry. He doesn’t know when he’s gone too far.” She shot Dad a hard glare.

  “No, it’s fine.” Delphine swallowed hard and pressed her fingertips into her tear ducts. “I’m sorry to say that I’m not myself. But you know that already. It’s why I’m here.”

  “It was a very long flight, and a whole lot of tension is ready to release.” Mom chucked a crooked finger under Delphine’s chin. “It’s okay if you want to let it out.”

  “No,” she said, her whisper raspy with emotion. “I’m better now.”

  “Rush. Get the grill started.” His mom guided her toward the central staircase. “We’ll go up to your room so you can relax and freshen up a bit. When you’re ready, come on down, and I’ll slap on the burgers. A good meal and a decent night’s sleep will get you back on track.”

  His mother squeezed Delphine’s arm and started them up the stairs. “It’ll be nice having another woman around. I can’t wear enough perfume to compensate for the testosterone around here.”

  He watched until they disappeared into the second level. He wasn’t sure who looked happier, Delphine to be sheltered by his mom’s protective hug or his mom holding a temporary daughter.

  “I know it’s not under ideal circumstances, but your mother’s been looking forward to company.”

  “That a shot? You know I can’t come home more than a few times a year.”

  “Don’t be so defensive. I stated a simple fact. And she won’t take extra time away from you and your new sweetie. She’s put her in Boone’s room so you can, ya know…be close. When you want…without flaunting it.”

  “There’s not going to be anything to flaunt. A relationship is off the table.” He glanced up at the staircase where he’d last caught a glimpse of her. “One of her many rules.” He swung his gaze back to his old man. “You know, Boone’s a complete pig. I think she’d be better off in the guest house.”

  “Oh, stop.” Dad moseyed into the living room. “I took down all the nudie posters.” He dropped into his recliner and groaned. “Not that it should matter. She’s an artist and would hardly be offended—”

  “Those posters aren’t art.”

  “Depends on your point of view.” He bent over the arm of the chair and picked up the newspaper folded on the floor. “Come over here and sit on the couch.”

  Arguing the finer points of composition and shade with his dad would be useless. And tiring. Worn out from traveling, Zane flopped onto the couch and laid down, sights on the fan whirring at the peak of the pointed ceiling.

  Out of the blue, Dad let him have it. “You can’t waste time treating that woman to a vacation. Even if for one day.”

  So, he’d talked extensively to his twin. “It’s not a vacation. It’s a process,” he said while staring at the turning blades.

  “It’s been nineteen hours since she set that clock running with Savard and at least five since he figured out she duped him. I guess Jack and Boone can hold the Frenchies off for now—two or three days at best. But she needs to soul tap ASAP.”

  Apparently, his dad wasn’t going to let him get any rest. He propped up on his elbows and laid down the law. “I think George can convince her to take the next step quickly, but she can’t skip the dream rake.” He pointed up the stairs. “The soul tap will scare the shit out of her even if she’s good at raking.”

  “If she wasn’t capable of handling oracle visions, she wouldn’t have them. That’s the way blessings work. Her only problem is she’s been sheltered.”

  “I think she feels more lied to than sheltered, and I’m not adding to that by manipulating her into jumping head first into Hell.” He swung his feet to the floor and leaned forward. “Her grandmother could have told her years ago. Her mother’s a nut case. She’s had no one to lean on, even as a kid. She’s extremely independent and suspicious. For good reason.”

  “But she can lean on you and does. I noticed the way she gravitates to your side. Little Miss Independence wants your support and guidance. It’s okay to lead her and show her by example, but you’ve got to do it faster.”

  “Faster? Can’t force someone to trust. It’s earned over time.”

  “Boone gave you good advice. Get past those defenses. Seduce her.”

  “I can’t believe you’d condone manipulating a woman’s feelings.”

  “And I can’t believe you’d sacrifice Swift and the future of Hell Runners over some arcane sense of morality. She’s no shrinking flower. You like her. A lot. And she hardly takes her eyes off of you. If it wasn’t for the wide sky and mountains to distract her, she’d fall over her own feet ogling your ass. She wants you just as much even if she laid down the law. Go for it.”

  Much as he longed to taste Delphine’s mouth again, to palm her ass without those wicked-sexy cutoffs, to tease the nipples of her pert breasts, he shook his head hard. “I made a promise.”

  “Some promises are begging to be broken. You’re a Gideon. You can make her beg.” His dad’s grin matched Boone’s.

  Zane bristled. “There’s no guarantee a night of sex would win her over. Casual intimacy doesn’t suit her personality either.”

  “You don’t know that. I’m telling you boy, the by-product of satisfying sex is a sense of confidence that opens the mind. Open her mind, Zane. She may very well be the next great Hell Runner and doesn’t know it. We need that. There are good souls, buried and waiting for rescue.”

  Except the by-product would surely get him booted from her life when she figures out she’s been used.

  But he had a duty. Duty meant putting your own needs last.

  “Rush, what time is George getting here?” His mom’s voice floated down the stairs.

  “George is coming tonight?” Zane shot to his feet and glared at his father.

  “Forgot to mention that.” Grinning sheepishly, Dad flicked open the pages of the local rag to hide behind.

  His mom paused at the bottom stair. “Yes, and he’s bringing Seth with him.”

  The news kept getting worse. Boone was tight with Seth, so it wasn’t outlandish to think his brother set up a plan for his best friend to seduce Delphine if Zane failed to take his crass advice.

  “Just for a meet and greet, boy.” Dad peeked at him around the sports page. “No soul tapping. No reminiscing about us running spirits out of Hell. No pushing the issue.” He lowered his voice. “That’s your job.”

  “Thanks.” Zane rolled his eyes and strode toward his computer bag.

  “Unless you need Seth to step in. He’s very popular with the young ladies around town, and from what I understand, he’s finally ready to leave.”

  A bolt of unease froze his feet in place. He turned his head toward his dad. “Leave? As in join Hell Runners?” If a rookie managed to sway the new oracle, his career would be nothing less than legendary.

  “Those are the rumors, but you know I don’t hold much stock in scuttlebutt.”

  “You’re one sneaky cuss, you know that?” He took the last two steps to the door in one leap and then hefted his computer bag to his shoulder.

  “Have to be. I raised my kids too damn smart.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Eyes closed, Delphine brushed at the tickle under her nose with a lazy hand and rolled to her side. Woozy, she nestled her head deep into the pillow and slipped back into a light doze.

  The tickle irritated her again, this time at the ridge of her ear. She wiped at it with the side of her hand and then felt the bed give deeply to one side.

  Alarm had her eyes snapping open and sitting upright before she could remember where she was and how she got there. She gasped hard and braced her elbows.

  “Whoa there, Cutoffs. It’s just me.” A light chuckle, warm and subtly familiar, grounded her
in the present.

  Zane. It’s Zane. In Montana.

  “Hadn’t realized you fell into such a deep sleep.”

  “Me, either.” She scooted up in the bed until she could slump against the heavy wooden headboard.

  Relieved to see his reassuring smile and not some demon, she relaxed more than was smart around the man who wanted to turn her life upside down. But she couldn’t help it. The taste of his kisses never left her tongue. The impression of his lips molded to hers lingered. The press of his muscled chest against her breasts while supported in his solid embrace, forever indelible.

  Best as she could, Delphine raised her defenses against his masculine allure. “Fully intended to take your mother’s advice and not lay down, but the bed looked so inviting. I wanted to rest my head for a minute after washing up.”

  “I figured as much.” He stroked a long amber feather between his fingers. No doubt the instrument of tickling. “Jet lag will do that to you. You’ve been out about ten minutes, tops.”

  A soft whiffing noise, like a single leaf flapping, drew her attention to his hands. The tip of his middle finger flicked the end barbs of the feather in one-second intervals.

  He yawned. “I could hit the rack myself, but sleeping now will keep us up all night. Then it’ll take days to recover.”

  “And we don’t have days. Right?”

  “Right.” With a gentle stroke, he smoothed his palm from the downy base over the full length of the vane to the feather’s tapered end and then pinched it between his thumb and index finger. In slow, methodical circles, he inspected the texture as if searching for an imperfection.

  Delphine found the unconscious gesture intensely erotic, her mind envisioning the wondrous ways he could use both his fingers and that feather on her body.

  A soft swipe caressed just under the end of her nose, once more, and roused her.

  “You closed your eyes again.”

  Caught fantasizing, heat rose up her neck. “Zoned out is all.”

  He pressed the hand holding the feather on the bed between her knees and leaned forward. The delicate blade stroked her along her thigh just below the hem of her shorts, too close to where she’d like him to use it. She spread her legs before realizing how it might be construed as an invitation to get closer.