by T. M. Cromer
Before she could brush past him, he hauled her into his arms. She struggled, but he held tight. “I know you could turn me into a cinder right now, but I’m hoping you’ll give me a second to process this. While I do, I need to hold you.”
She ceased her fight and dropped her arms to her sides.
He noted the balled fists and almost snorted.
This Autumn was far different than the girl of twenty-two he’d known and loved. That young woman had been open and caring. She had a smile for one and all. Every second of every day was a joy to be around her.
The woman who he held in his arms today was hard, cold, and bitter although she would claim otherwise. The outlook of the Autumn before him was jaded. Two months ago, he wouldn’t have spared her the time of day. But he hadn’t known what she’d been through. The loss she suffered.
“Does your family know about the baby?”
He guessed her response before she answered. “What was the point?” they said in unison.
“How could you go through that alone?” he whispered achingly.
She gave her standard careless shrug. “You know the saying. ‘We're born alone, we live alone, we die alone.’”
“But I believe the remainder of that quote is ‘Only through love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we're not alone’.”
“The key word is illusion, Keaton. Life, love, and friendship are only illusions. You and Diane taught me that.”
“I loved you, Autumn.”
She pulled away. “No, you were obsessed due to a spell, remember?”
He was sure he’d have come up with a clever denial, but she never gave him the chance. He blinked, and she was gone. To her Maine home was his assumption.
Christ, his chest ached. Today had been one contradicting moment after another with her.
She had defended his daughter at the diner then kissed him like there was no tomorrow. After delivering a kiss that damn near burned his socks off, she turned around and sailed out the door as if she didn’t have a care in the world.
When Alastair threatened him, she lost her temper and attacked. Yet in the next breath, she denied caring about him anymore.
Their second kiss in less than an hour had her clinging to him like ivy.
Ten minutes later, she’d practically shoved a box of old mementos in his arms in her effort to be rid of the memories and him.
Ten minutes after that, she was training him in a cold and calculated manner alongside his daughter and brother.
But he suspected the real Autumn lay in the middle of the contradictions. The woman whose once-brilliant eyes had lost their shine. The woman who, for years, kept the truth hidden about a pregnancy and miscarriage because she didn’t want the man she supposedly hated to have regrets or guilt for his dumbass actions.
Keaton sat down where he’d stood, too emotionally spent to move. One thing was true; he’d never gotten over her. The light citrus scent of her auburn hair, the smoothness of her silky skin, the taste of her wicked mouth—all still the same. All part of the formula that kept him awake nights. All part of the spectacular woman who’d been the ghost between him and Diane the four long years of their rocky marriage. The whole relationship had been a damned sham.
“Daddy?”
He answered automatically without opening his eyes. “Yeah, midget?”
“Where did Miss Autumn go?”
“I believe she might’ve gone home for the day.”
“I like her. She never yells at me.” The “like mommy” wasn’t said, but it was definitely implied. “I wish she were my mom.”
He opened his arms without a word, and she tumbled into his lap. How could he say he wished Autumn were her mom, too?
Chapter 6
When Keaton and Chloe entered the kitchen fifteen minutes later, he was surprised to see Autumn at the table. In front of her was the largest cinnamon roll he’d ever seen. The damned thing was as wide as the dinner plate it sat on.
Unexpected laughter escaped. She’d always had a healthy appetite and loved all things sweet. “You plan on eating that whole thing?”
“I’m going to give it the old college try,” she said as she ripped off another chunk and dipped it into a large bowl of icing.
“We were getting ready to head out. Thanks for everything today.”
She glanced up, and their eyes connected across the small space. With her chin, she nodded to the chairs across from her. “If you’re not in a hurry, you should have one of Winnie’s rolls.”
Keaton almost stuck his index finger in his ear and wiggled to make sure his hearing was intact. Had she invited him to stay and share food? His shock must’ve been apparent because she smirked.
“I’m not that much of a bi… uh, wench,” she corrected with a soft smile for Chloe.
He helped Chloe into her seat and selected one for himself directly opposite Autumn. “I don’t think you’re that much of a bi… wench at all.” He was deliberate with his words and offered up a smile.
A little of the haunted look left her eyes. Or maybe it was his imagination, and he only wanted her to be happier.
She shoved the food to the center of the table and handed them each a fork from the pile there. “Dig in. Don’t let me be the only glutton.”
When the first bite of cinnamon goodness hit his tongue, Keaton’s eyes rolled back in his head. “Dear gawd! This is fantastic,” he said around the mouthful.
“Right?! That’s what I’m sayin’.” Autumn turned her warm gaze on Chloe. “What do you think, kid? Good?”
Chloe’s wide grin triggered Keaton’s.
“You know what’s even better?” Autumn’s smile was full of deviltry. “Ice cream!”
“For breakfast?” Chloe asked, awestruck.
“What better time?” Autumn asked, as she stood and brushed by Keaton to get to the freezer. “We have vanilla and triple chocolate chunk. Oh, and moose tracks. What is your guilty pleasure, Chloe, my dear?”
“Vanilla, please, Miss Autumn.”
“Keaton? Are you still into vanilla after all this time?”
“Yep. Make mine a double scoop.”
“Daddy!”
“It’s Autumn’s idea,” he defended. “I’m only getting behind it.”
“Then let’s be real rebels and eat from the carton,” Autumn laughed and plunked the container next to the roll. “Last one to the bottom is an elephant turd.”
“An Eddie elephant turd!” Chloe piped up, referring to the resident rescue in Summer’s Sanctuary.
As Autumn interacted with his daughter, Keaton experienced a sense of what family life would’ve been like for them had he not lost his mind in the glen. A deep longing, along with “what if”, tormented him. All he’d ever wanted was a loving family like he had growing up. He’d never had exceptional goals and was content to live life as it came. Keaton hadn’t grown up with dreams of being anything but normal and staid.
“Miss Autumn, you should marry my dad and be my mom.”
Both Keaton and Autumn froze with their spoons halfway to their mouths.
She cast him a helpless glance, and because he wanted to hear her field the underlying question, he remained silent.
Without breaking eye contact with him, she said, “That’s not possible.” A couple of heartbeats passed before she faced his daughter and gentled her voice. “Two people should only marry if they love each other.”
“But you kissed my dad two times. Doesn’t that mean you love him?”
The shade of Autumn’s face turned the color of a ripe tomato.
He could feel the warmth building under his skin too. The little sneak! Apparently, she had witnessed the second kiss. Keaton had to remember to engage the eyes in the back of his head from here on out.
Autumn recovered her speech. With her spoon, she gestured toward the treats on the table. “Eat your ice cream.”
“Smooth,” he murmured.
When she shot him the stink eye, he la
ughed.
Although they weren’t together, Keaton found himself experiencing a deep happiness. As if, in this moment with these two people, he was where he was supposed to be. He took a heaping spoonful of ice cream and closed his eyes to savor the moment.
When he opened them, Autumn’s solemn gaze was focused on him again. He was unable to blink, unable to break their spontaneous connection.
What did she see when she looked at him now? A Class-A idiot? Because that’s what he felt like to have let go of someone as magnificent as Autumn.
Laughter echoed in the foyer, and Autumn turned toward the sound. Coop and Summer arrived hand-in-hand, practically glowing with joy. Their blissfulness soured Keaton’s stomach. He didn’t begrudge them their love, but he was over-the-top envious and had yet to find a way to come to grips with it.
“Ice cream? For breakfast?” Coop inquired with a raised brow.
“It was Miss Autumn’s idea,” Chloe volunteered.
Autumn compressed her lips, but the dimple in her cheek was a clear testament to her amusement. “Thanks for throwing me under the bus, kid. Besides, it’s now considered brunch since we’ve been up for hours, right?”
Autumn licked the remaining ice cream from her spoon. Desire hit Keaton where it counted. The sight of her tongue twisting around the curve of the metal utensil brought back sensual memories of the two of them that were best forgotten. He could easily recall the things she could do with her agile tongue. Sweat broke out on his forehead.
“Daddy, are you okay? Why do you look sick?”
All eyes turned to him. A knowing light flared to life in Autumn’s gaze, and for a brief second, mischief lightened her irises to a shade closer to the warm amber he remembered.
“I think it was too much sugar, midget.” Coop’s save was well-timed and appreciated. “You know how your dad gets when he has too many sweets.”
Autumn rose to clear the table. “Thanks for sharing my breakfast. But I need to discuss important adult things with my sisters.” She laid a free hand on Chloe’s dark head. “Think about what you might want to try for tomorrow’s lesson. Maybe, if it’s not outrageous, we can give it a whirl. What do you say?”
“You’re the best, Miss Autumn.”
“Since we have bonded over ice cream, you can drop the Miss and just call me Autumn. That’s a mouthful as it is.”
Chloe beamed and blossomed under the attention.
“I’d like Coop and Keaton to stay for the discussion,” Summer said.
Autumn froze with the freezer door open. “Summer.” She said her sister’s name in warning.
“I’m not keeping secrets from Coop,” Summer said stubbornly. “And I think Keaton might have something to contribute.”
A concerned frown creased Autumn’s brow. She cut a side glance Chloe’s way and then toward Keaton before she nodded to her sister. “Fine.”
“I’ll text Knox to see if he can help Chloe with her studies today,” Keaton said.
“I already did,” Coop said. “Summer also messaged Spring to join us.”
The sound of multiple cars on the drive caught Keaton’s attention.
“Right on schedule. That should be Knox and Spring,” Coop predicted.
Raised voices streamed through the open window.
“You drive like a maniac!” Knox charged and slammed his truck door.
“It’s better than driving like a ninety-year-old grandma,” Spring retorted.
The four adults in the kitchen rushed to the window for a better view of the unfolding drama.
“I’ve never heard Spring raise her voice,” Keaton murmured in Autumn’s ear.
She scooted closer to him as Chloe wiggled into the mass of adults. “That’s because my sister doesn’t lose her temper. It makes this an interesting development.”
He laughed and rested a hand on her waist to balance them both as he leaned forward.
Spring gasped and then screeched. “You’re a jackass!”
“Better than a—” Knox choked and gagged, cutting off the remainder of his words.
“What do you suppose she did to him?” Coop whispered.
“If I had to guess, a mouthful of dirt,” Autumn responded, careful to keep her voice down. “She did that to me once when I yelled at her. Spring doesn’t like anyone to disrupt her Zen.”
“If he didn’t know what we were before this morning. He does now,” Summer predicted.
“We had a conversation yesterday when he returned,” Keaton told her. “He’s known all along.”
“What?” both sisters cried in unison, forgetting to keep their voices down.
“He’s always known he’s a warlock and that you’re witches. He’s been practicing magic from birth.” Keaton shrugged. “How we never picked up on it is beyond me.”
Autumn grunted and faced the window, but the duo outside had moved inside and were glaring from the kitchen door.
“Oh, hey.” Summer offered up a sickly smile and a wave. “We didn’t know you guys had arrived.”
Spring scoffed her disbelief, sat down, and peeled off a chunk of cinnamon roll.
“Uh, Spring, you’re dripping wet,” Autumn pointed out. “Should I get you a towel?”
As if just noticing her wrecked appearance, Spring glanced down. With a glare in Knox’s direction, she waved her hands and restored herself to the dry, pristine state she’d been in when she left that morning. “Someone thought it would be funny to dump one of my flower arrangements over my head.”
“Someone thought it would be funny to fill my mouth with dirt,” Knox countered with a return scowl.
“You were being ugly,” Spring yelled.
“Children, children!” Autumn laughed. “Let’s set a better example for the actual child in the group, huh?”
Knox scraped his knuckles over his tongue and grimaced. “Yeah,” he agreed, but his look promised retribution for her sister. He addressed Coop with his next statement. “Zane is following in another few minutes. He said, since it’s Saturday, he doesn’t mind watching Chloe. I thought maybe another mind to help figure out a solution might be needed.”
“Should’ve given us the smart one. Zane would be a much better contributor than you,” Spring stated and primly dipped a small piece of cinnamon roll into the frosting.
Before she could consume it, the piece flew across the room and landed in Knox’s mouth. His grin was as obnoxious as his chewing.
Keaton crossed his arms and settled back against the sink where Autumn still stood. “I’ve never seen him like this. This is better than a TV drama.”
* * *
Autumn giggled. A large part of her knew she shouldn’t encourage Keaton’s playful side, but like she’d told him, she was tired of the fighting. If they maintained the cease-fire and shared a friendly moment on occasion, she’d consider the time with him well-spent.
Another vehicle entered the drive, and she twisted to see. “Looks like Zane has arrived.”
Chloe pouted. “I don’t want to go home.”
Before Keaton could speak, Autumn squatted in front of the child. “Afraid to miss all the fun, kid?”
Chloe nodded, pout still firmly in place.
“I’ll tell you what. If it’s all right with your father, I’ll swing by later today. We’ll get pedicures, and I’ll fill you in on any juicy details.”
The girl cast her father a pleading look. “Daddy?”
The pause dragged on so long, Autumn twisted her upper body to face him.
His eyes burned with unnamed emotion.
Her heart pinged in reaction, but she was quick to shut it down. That way lay more heartache. She wouldn’t go there.
Keaton nodded wordlessly.
“Thank you!” Chloe yelled her delight.
“If you don’t mind company, we can make it a girls’ day,” Spring directed to Chloe.
“Yes, it could be fun. Like a secret witches’ society,” Summer said with a laugh.
Chloe’s honey-colo
red eyes rounded in awe. “I can be part of your club?”
“Sweetie, you will be our honorary president,” Autumn told her.
She should’ve been better prepared for the impact of the little body against hers, but the enthusiastic hug knocked her on her ass and into Keaton’s legs.
“I’ve never had a pedicure before,” Chloe said in a wobbly voice.
“If you cry, I might start. We could flood this kitchen in no time,” Autumn warned with a last squeeze before climbing to her feet with an assist from Keaton and Chloe. “And I imagine it’s because you’ve lived with the guys. Boys are dumb and don’t realize what a woman needs. Pedicures and pampering being top of the list, of course.”
“Word!” Spring added. “I think Winnie has some new lotions she wants to try out. Maybe we can convince her to let us explore her shop before we go.”
Chloe’s excitement could scarcely be contained. Autumn could hear her chatting all the way to Zane’s sporty car.
“Should we have Holly pop over for the meeting?” Summer asked.
Since she’d found her long-lost twin, Summer had been quick to include their other sister in all things family related. None of the Thorne sisters minded because Holly was a breath of fresh air and a welcome addition to their family.
“Works for me.” Autumn put on water to boil for tea. “Now let’s get down to business. The Chintamani Stone and mother. I don’t trust Alastair as far as I can throw him. This morning, he threatened to hurt Keaton if I didn’t do what he wanted.”
“That’s his M.O. But I don’t believe he would really do it,” Summer demurred as she typed out a text.
“Believe it, sister. He will be ruthless to get what he wants,” Autumn assured her as she prepped her drink and brewed a carafe of coffee for the others. She pointed out the fact that Alastair had recently tried to take a chimpanzee from Summer’s care. “Didn’t he come for Morty not that long ago? I think the only reason he played nice is because he’s trying to impress you, Summer. The new father thing and all that. But don’t think for a minute he wouldn’t steamroll over the rest of us.”