by T. M. Cromer
“So that is what this is? It’s about making him suffer more in order for his pain to be equal to yours?” GiGi asked coolly.
“I’m a grown-ass woman, Aunt GiGi. I don’t need your attempts to manipulate me,” Autumn said, warning evident in her tone.
In truth, she didn’t want to play any of this over again in her mind. She was tired of the back and forth. But it also seemed wrong to have GiGi stick up for Keaton. Who had ever stuck up for her in all this? Everyone’s subtle maneuvering to throw Autumn and Keaton together irritated her.
GiGi stepped in close and towered over her. “You are stuck in the past.”
“I am? That’s rich, coming from you.”
“Just what are you implying?”
“I know, better than most, that Thornes only love once. But did that have to stop you from moving on? From going after your husband to iron things out? And barring that, perhaps have a lover or two to while away the long nights?”
Before Autumn’s eyes, her aunt’s complexion paled, and she took on a devastated, haunted look.
Shit! Taking her hurt and anger out on her aunt wasn’t cool. “I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve my ugly.”
“I do love my husband, Autumn. It’s the reason I haven’t ‘moved on’. Not too different from you, I imagine.”
The frosty tone and the raised chin spoke of GiGi’s wounded pride. Autumn couldn’t blame her aunt for the bite in her words. Hitting below the belt was uncalled for.
“I really am sorry. I know you love Uncle Ryker.”
No one could really say what went down between GiGi and Ryker other than the fact their fights used to be epic battles. But Autumn supposed the fire between two such passionate individuals had to eventually die out.
“Yes, well, Ryker isn’t the issue here. You and Keaton are.”
“Just as you don’t care to discuss your relationship woes, I don’t want to discuss mine.” Autumn stood and dusted off the seat of her pajama bottoms. She took a sniff of the air. “Do I smell brownies?”
“You do, but I don’t know if ungrateful nieces should be allowed any of my award-winning delights.”
“You’re a cruel woman, Aunt GiGi.”
“And don’t you forget it.” A second or two passed before GiGi softened. “Now come. Let’s eat brownies and drown our sorrows.”
“I suspect you are trying to soften me up for one of your lectures.”
“That, too.”
As they took their seats around the kitchen table—the go-to discussion spot for all things family related—GiGi served up an extra-large square of the tasty treat.
As she sank her teeth into the chocolatey goodness, Autumn moaned her pleasure.
“Rumor has it you are going after the Chintamani Stone for Alastair,” GiGi said casually.
Autumn choked on the brownie. She and her sisters hadn’t purposely kept the information from GiGi, but neither had they gone out of their way to tell her. None of them wanted the argument that would ensue if their aunt knew they were helping Alastair.
When she could draw air into her lungs without coughing, she said, “I’m not going after the stone. I’m going on a recon mission.”
“For Alastair,” GiGi said darkly.
“For my mother,” Autumn countered.
“You should leave them both to their fate.” The sourness in her aunt’s tone couldn’t be missed.
“What did my mother ever do to you?”
“She left you kids to fend for yourselves.”
“We were young, but we weren’t babies, Aunt GiGi. You and Dad took care of us well enough.”
An unnamed emotion flashed in the other woman’s eyes before she could look away.
Autumn set the brownie in the center of her plate and took care in forming her next questions. “Were we that much of an obligation? Is that why Uncle Ryker left?”
“Ryker left for his own reasons, and you girls mean the world to me.”
GiGi’s evasiveness didn’t go unnoticed. Something deeper was at play here, but Autumn was damned if she could figure it out.
“If there is a chance to help my mother, I’m going to take it,” she said softly. “It’s not meant to hurt you. Please know that.”
With a clearing of her throat, GiGi stood and patted Autumn’s shoulder. “It’s getting late, dear. We’ll talk again soon. But in the meantime, don’t be so hard on Keaton. People change.”
After GiGi exited the kitchen, Autumn was left to wonder what the hell tonight’s visit was all about. It seemed her aunt’s mission was two-fold; find out what Autumn knew about Alastair’s plans for the stone and convince her to make up with Keaton.
Autumn sighed and rose to her feet. A muffled sound had her spinning around.
“Chloe! You startled me. Are you okay?”
The girl nodded her dark head.
“Was it scary to wake up in a strange house?” Autumn asked gently.
Again, Chloe nodded.
She opened her arms to the child. “Come here.”
Chloe ran to her and cuddled into her embrace. “I was scared,” the girl admitted.
“I can understand that. Do you want me to take you home?”
“Will you be mad at me for not staying?”
“Of course not, sweetie. This was your day. If you want to go home, then that’s what we’ll do.”
A minute passed before Chloe spoke. “Why did that woman say you were hard on my dad?”
Autumn searched her brain for an answer. How the hell was she supposed to explain her relationship to a kid?
“A long time ago, your dad and I dated. We had a misunderstanding, and I’m finding it difficult to separate then and now. Do you understand?”
“I think so,” Chloe said. “At school, Mary Beth pushed me down on the playground and laughed at me. Then she wanted to be my friend.”
“What did you tell her?”
“That I didn’t want her to be my friend because she was mean.”
“Is she still being mean to you?”
“Not really. I think she’s sad.”
“Sounds like you do understand. We seem to have the same problem.” Autumn touched a fingertip to Chloe’s cute, upturned nose. “Come on. You go gather your things, and I’ll wrap up a couple of brownies for you and your dad.”
The sunny smile rewarded her offer of sweets.
Within ten minutes, Autumn had pulled up to the Carlyle estate. The lights were on, indicating the occupants of the house were still awake.
“Ready?” she asked Chloe.
“Ready.”
Hand-in-hand, they approached the house. Keaton must’ve heard the car doors close because he met them on the porch.
“Hey! What’s this?”
Chloe ran into his outstretched arms, and Autumn had a moment of envy.
“She woke up in a strange place, and it scared her a bit,” she explained.
Keaton kissed the top of Chloe’s dark head and squatted in front of her. “That happened to me as a kid, too.”
“I’m sorry, Daddy.”
“What’s to be sorry about? I don’t mind you wanting to come home.”
Chloe flung her arms around his neck, and Autumn had a sense of how much Diane’s horrific behavior affected the poor girl. Chloe was afraid to upset the adults in her life.
Autumn held up the paper bag in her hand. “Don’t forget your brownies, kid.”
“Brownies?” Keaton picked up Chloe and balanced her on his shoulders. “This is the first I’m hearing about brownies. Were you holding out on me, midget?”
The child’s happy giggle eased Autumn’s own tension. She approached and handed Keaton the bag. Their eyes connected, and she had the insane urge to kiss him. Not a sexual take-me-now-big-boy type of kiss, but a quick peck on the mouth that spoke of affection.
His eyes crinkled as he smiled. She noticed the bold laugh lines bracketing his mouth. Somehow, the small sign of aging made him more attractive.
“Thanks
for thinking of me, babe.”
Her toes curled in her shoes. The husky timbre of his voice did odd things to her insides. “My pleasure.”
The smile lines deepened further with his laugh, and she knew, without him ever having to voice his thoughts, what he was thinking.
“I, uh, I gotta go,” she mumbled. Autumn got three feet before she remembered his daughter. She spun around but continued to walk backward. “Thanks for a lovely day, Chloe. I had fun.”
“Me, too, Miss Autumn.”
“Just Autumn,” she reminded her. “I’ll see you tomorrow for training.”
“Good night, babe.” Keaton’s voice wrapped around her and caused an involuntary shudder of delight.
“Good night, Keaton.”
Chapter 12
Two days later, Autumn, Summer, Coop, and Keaton sat on the floor of the attic, discussing the China trip.
“Since I’ve seen pictures of the monastery, I can teleport us to the exterior of the building,” Autumn said. “The problem comes with gaining entry. Will they just let us through the front door if we show up?”
“It’s a monastery. Aren’t they supposed to be Zen and shit? Why would they turn you away?” Coop asked.
“That’s the question of the hour,” Keaton muttered. “I guess we take our chances. Is there any indication where the stone might be or what it’s disguised as? I can’t imagine they are simply going to hand it over. Does that mean stealing it? If so, what happens if we get caught?”
“From what research I could gather, the stone was set in some godawful necklace design. Trust me, you’ll know it when you see it. But here, I’ve sketched it.” Summer laid a piece of paper in the center of the group. “And in reference to stealing, don’t get caught.”
“What is with this family and breaking the law?” Coop muttered.
“If it’s any consolation, my love, any broken laws will be on foreign soil and out of your jurisdiction,” Summer laughed and kissed his cheek. “You’re a warlock now. You’ll have to get used to lying and bending the law to hide what you are.”
Coop graced the group with a sour look. “I need to get back to work. Stay out of trouble.” He turned to his brother. “Stay safe and don’t do anything reckless. The one person with enough magic to bail you out will be with you. And based on your past history, I’m guessing she’ll leave your ass behind.”
Autumn let loose a wicked laugh when Keaton cast her a wary glance. If she had to guess, he was beginning to realize the stupidity of putting himself at her mercy. If he still planned on accompanying her, he’d grown nads the size of bowling balls.
Keaton studied her for another minute then smiled. “Nah. She wouldn’t dare. If she did, she’d be forced to explain to Chloe, and I suspect she’d find that hard to do because she adores my kid.”
Damn, the man had her figured out. Not good. “True. For Chloe’s sake, I’d save your ass.”
“That works for me,” he laughed. “When do we leave?”
Autumn stood and held out a hand to haul her sister to her feet. “There’s an eleven-hour difference between here and there. I’d like to arrive tomorrow morning, which means we leave here tonight around nine. That puts us there about eight a.m.”
“Perfect. That gives me time to tuck Chloe in. I’ll be here at eight-thirty tonight.” Keaton rose in one smooth motion. “Shoot me a text with what I’ll need.”
The sisters shared an amused look.
“What?” he asked as he moved a little too close for Autumn’s comfort.
“We travel light and conjure what we need when we get to where we’re going,” she explained and edged away.
“Gotcha.” With a warm smile for Summer, he asked, “Do you mind giving me a minute alone with Autumn?”
Nerves ate at the lining of Autumn’s stomach. What did they possibly have to discuss in private? She nearly grabbed for Summer’s arm as her sister nodded and headed out after Coop.
“How’s this going to work if you can’t stand to look at me or touch me, babe?”
He had a point. Since the other night, she’d found it difficult to be around him. With her anger gone, she had no protective barrier against him. “I don’t know. For over nine years, we’ve been at odds. I’m not sure how to be me around you. But it would help if you cut out the pet names.”
Keaton steepled his hands over his mouth before he rubbed his eyes. “Sorry. Being around you again…it’s brought back all the good memories, too, ya know?”
Unexpected tears burned her eyes. She did know. For the length of time their relationship had lasted, it had been beautiful. Every day better than the last. In hindsight, it couldn’t possibly have remained that way. The first bloom of love was bound to rub off, and then where would they have been?
“Hey,” he said softly and cradled her face in his palms. “What’s this?”
“I don’t know. The more I spend time with you, the more I find odd, stray emotions creep up and attack me from behind.”
He drew her into his embrace and rested his cheek against her temple. She loved how feminine he made her feel with the simple gesture.
“You aren’t alone in your feelings, Autumn. But mixed in there, I have a lot of self-hatred, sorrow, and regret.” He sighed and kissed her forehead. “Had I been the slightest bit open and understanding about your gifts, we wouldn’t be at this point in our lives.”
“It couldn’t have lasted, Keaton. Nothing good ever does,” she said in a low, aching voice.
“Not true. Some people make it work. Look at Coop’s dispatcher, Lil. She’s been married to the same man for nearly forty years.” He drew back and bent a little to meet her downcast gaze. “And the Johnsons. They are celebrating their sixtieth anniversary next month. Things last. But they take a mutual respect and willingness to work at it.”
Autumn met his intense gaze and got lost there. When he inched his mouth toward hers, she didn’t protest. And when his lips hovered over hers, she rose on her toes to close the distance between them.
This kiss was like no other. Their standard level of passion was present, but this had the added qualities of age and wisdom. This kiss redefined how kissing should be. It contained love and appreciation for stolen moments. It hinted at a desperation due to an unclear future, but contained hope all the same.
As her hands wound into Keaton’s dark hair, Autumn played with its thick, smooth texture. His arms came more fully around her and pulled her close. The ridge of his budding erection rubbed against her abdomen, and she wanted to purr like a contented kitten at its feel.
They broke off with tiny lingering kisses and love bites. Keaton pressed his pelvis into her once before backing off. It was as if the gesture was more instinctual in nature and his brain had to override his body’s command.
“I’d better go. If I don’t, I’m going to beg you for sexual favors.” His voice was deep and throaty. It reached in and caressed her.
Goddess, she wanted to throw caution to the winds and drag him to the nearest bed, but her baser urges would get her in trouble. More and more often, she had to remind herself that he was untrustworthy. That he could destroy her this time around if she wasn’t careful.
Because breaking contact was difficult, she finger-combed his rumpled hair and ran a hand down his shirt to smooth the wrinkles. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Don’t say it in that voice, or I don’t care how much you resist, I’ll sweep you up and drag you to my private lair,” he warned.
The visual gave her a warm shiver of appreciation.
After a mental slap, she said, “Go.”
“My biggest regret was my stupid-ass reaction in the clearing.” He toyed with a shoulder seam on her top, and if Autumn didn’t know better, she’d have sworn he was nervous. “If I had it to do over, I can’t say that I wouldn’t do the same thing—but only because of my daughter. I would never want to erase her from my life.”
“I understand that, Keaton.”
His tortured g
aze lifted to hers. “What you don’t understand is how much I wish she was yours. Ours.”
Tears flooded her eyes. Her nose and throat burned with the effort to hold back the sobs that wanted to break loose. “Oh, Keaton.”
He rested his forehead against hers. “You don’t have to answer me now. But think about us and about giving me a second chance. I probably don’t deserve one, yet I want one so badly I…” He cleared his throat. “Just think about it.”
Keaton didn’t seem to expect an answer, which was good because Autumn didn’t trust herself to speak.
They shared one more tight hug then he left her alone in the attic.
“Are you ready?” Autumn asked later that evening.
Keaton didn’t want to admit he was apprehensive about teleporting. He’d seen the Thornes pop in and out with barely a snap of their fingers. But for someone who had never teleported to another room, traveling to another continent was scary as hell.
As if she guessed his reservations, she said, “We can do a few trial runs. I can transport you to the barn or outside to get you used to it.”
“Won’t that drain you for the real thing?”
She laughed and shook her head. “No. Magic isn’t draining. Or that use isn’t.”
“I’m assuming it doesn’t scramble your organs or anything like in a bad sci-fi movie.”
“Promise.”
He wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans. “What do we need for clothing and essentials? You said I didn’t need to pack.”
“I can conjure anything we need if we are there that long,” she assured him. “But we do need heavy coats, lined pants, and sturdy weather-proof boots. I’m teleporting us to a general location. We’ll probably need to hike a ways.”
“Can I conjure, or am I still too much of a novice?”
“You want to learn now? We have a little time to spare.”
He nodded his agreement.
“Okay, let’s try something small like a piece of fruit,” she suggested and held out her hand, palm up. “In your mind, visualize an apple. I’d go with your favorite type.”
Keaton closed his eyes and formed the apple in his mind. “Okay.”