Dreams of Ivory

by Carrie Ann Ryan

The man confused her even more than she confused herself.

  She quickly finished getting ready and left the inn, hunger gnawing at her. With Connie gone, she’d had to fend for herself in terms of food, and since she’d been known to burn water, she refrained from going into the kitchen. Even the casseroles and other goodies in the freezer required too much of a chance that she’d burn the whole damn inn to the ground.

  She made her way to the diner, ignoring the curious glances at the “new girl in town”. Yes, she’d be going to the diner for dinner later that night, but she was hungry, and Holiday was such a small town, it didn’t leave her many options.

  Hell, she needed to find a place to live soon. Yes, she could have lived with her aunt, but she knew her aunt liked her own space and had a routine. She was already on the lookout for houses to buy rather than rent. She was in her thirties now, and it was time to settle down, not go from home to home until something fit.

  The bell over the door rang as she walked in the diner. Considering it was after the morning rush, the place was pretty empty except for the booth in the back where the Cooper women sat talking.

  Oh great, just what she needed.

  “Hey!” one of the women said as she waved. “You’re Honor, right? Come sit with us.”

  Honor stood in the center of the diner, knowing she couldn’t really say no and sit alone. Well, these people were close to Jackson, so she should get to know them.

  No, wait, she didn’t want Jackson, so there wouldn’t be a point in getting to know them.

  Denial was seriously making her crazy.

  Honor pasted on a smile and made her way to the four Cooper wives that she knew from sight, but not anymore than that. Aunt Clementine had been thorough in telling her about the town and who had moved in—pictures included.

  “I’m Jordan, by the way,” the woman who’d called her said. She was beautiful with long dark brown hair and bright eyes. Honor also knew she was a witch—a freaking strong witch. “Since we know you know Jackson, we’re not going to beat around the bush and pretend you don’t know why we want you to sit with us.” She smiled, and Honor had to laugh.

  “I think I like you already.”

  Honor pulled a chair over to the booth as Jordan introduced the rest of the party. “This is Rina.” Jordan gestured to the smallest woman at the table with blond hair. “She’s married to Justin. Oh, yeah, I’m married to Matt. Let’s see, that’s Abby sitting by Rina over there.” She pointed to a pretty brunette with a huge smile. “And this lovely lady by me is Allison, Brayden’s wife.”

  Honor nodded to each of them and noticed that they each had little baby bumps—though Allison’s seemed to be larger than the rest.

  “Yes, I know. I’m a whale.”

  Honor looked up at Allison and blushed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to stare. I had just heard that you were all about the same time along. I guess I was wrong. Oh, wait. I didn’t mean you were big or anything. Well, hell, I’m just going to eat the foot in my mouth for breakfast rather than ordering. I’m so sorry.”

  Allison laughed while the other ladies joined her. “Don’t feel bad. I didn’t mean to sound bitchy.” She looked over her shoulder, and Honor noticed that no one else was around. “I’m the only one having twins, so, yeah, I’m a bit bigger. I don’t think I can hide it much longer.”

  “Twins!” Honor said quietly. “That’s awesome. Wait, didn’t I hear you had three kids already?”

  Allison closed her eyes. “Yes. Brayden is walking around now with his chest out like he’s the most virile man in the world, but yes, this will make five total.”

  “Wow, congrats, all of you. Jackson hadn’t mentioned you were pregnant with twins —or that you were even pregnant, but yay.” Belatedly, she realized she’d mentioned his name when she’d wanted to veer away from that topic of conversation for as long as possible and closed her eyes.

  “Ha!” Allison laughed. “You mentioned him first, so now we get to grill you.”

  “We won’t really grill you,” Abby said. “Oh, well, we might, but we’ll be gentle.”

  “It’ll only hurt a bit,” Rina chimed in.

  “I’m scared. Honestly, like really, really scared right now,” Honor said with a laugh.

  “Don’t be,” Jordan said. “As for why Jackson didn’t mention it, well, Allison and Brayden just told everyone this morning, and Jackson had something else on his mind. So before we grill you on your past with him—which we will—what do you know about this whole sandman thing?”

  That right there was the reason Jordan was the take-charge one of the group according to her aunt. Family safety before anything else, and Honor was glad Jackson had her.

  “I have no idea, you guys. Jackson showed up at my room this morning and told me about it. I guess he told you guys before he headed over then?”

  Allison nodded. “We’d done a video conference call to announce it before work because I couldn’t hold it in anymore, and he didn’t look like himself. His brothers got it out of him, and now we’re all freaking out a bit. He told us he was on his way to tell you. I guess this whole magic thing doesn’t surprise you.”

  “Of course it wouldn’t,” Rina chimed in. “You’re a tooth fairy, right?”

  Honor nodded. “I forget that elves are really good at detecting things like that.”

  Rina smiled. “Yep, we’re special.”

  Abby’s eyes widened. “Okay, after we figure out what to do about Jackson, we’re going to talk about you. I don’t think I’ve ever met a tooth fairy before.”

  Honor smiled, liking that, unlike when she hadn’t lived in Holiday, she could be open about who and what she was. “You have if you’ve met my Aunt Clementine.”

  “Really?” Abby asked. “Well, hell, this town is even weirder than I thought. In the best possible way, of course.”

  “I know what you mean,” Honor said. “As for Jackson, I don’t know. I’m scared. Did he tell you what the man said?”

  They all nodded.

  “Yes, that the man who hurt Jackson wanted to hurt you,” Jordan said, her eyes narrowed. “I’m a witch, you know, so I can feel if someone is up to something, and I can’t feel that negativity off of you, so this other man must have a reason that we can’t even fathom. I feel no guilt from you, no remorse, so I know you’re not part of this—not in the wrong sense, anyway.”

  Ignoring the rise of anger that filled her at Jordan’s remark, she nodded. “We’ll figure it out. We have to. I’m going to talk to my aunt after I eat and try to see what I can do.”

  Rina nodded. “I’m going to look around and see what I can do as well. I might know a sandman that can help. I’ve never heard of one losing their powers and going back to normal—or however normal a Cooper can be—but at least he’d be able to help Jackson deal with these new powers of his.”

  Allison pushed Jordan out of the booth. “I’m going to go get you a drink, Honor. I also planned on just ordering specials for us. You want one?”

  “I can get up and do it,” Honor said. “You shouldn’t be standing.”

  Allison rolled her eyes. “You sound like every Cooper male right now. The waitress called in sick, so our cook and owner’s alone. Technically, I don’t work here anymore, but I’m getting us food. Sit down and go over what you can, and we’ll figure it out. Jackson’s not alone, and you aren’t either. No matter what happened between the two of you in the past, it will stay that way—in the past—but we’ll be here as your friends, no matter what.”

  She walked off, leaving Honor tearing up.

  “She’s right you know,” Abby put in. “We’ve adopted you.”

  Honor stared at these women who were closely connected to the man she desperately wanted to forget but could never let go.

  It seemed things were about to change, and, frankly, Honor liked it.

  Chapter 5

  “That’s the last patient of the day for you,” Veronica said as she walked into the exam room, her gaze on he
r tablet rather than Jackson’s face.

  Jackson finished washing his hands then dried them off, his mind on magic, changes, and Honor, rather than what he should be doing to close up before dinner.

  “Jackson? Did you hear me?”

  He turned toward his receptionist and nodded. “Yes, thanks for everything today. You can go home now, and I’ll close up early.”

  Her eyes widened then narrowed. “What’s up with you today? First, you’re late, and then you barely talked to anyone who came in. Sure, you’re usually silent and broody, but you usually talk a bit to your patients to ease their minds when you have your hands in their mouths.”

  “I’m not broody.”

  Why the hell did he always have to explain that to people?

  Veronica merely raised a brow and pursed her lips. “Sure, dear, whatever you say. Now you’re telling me I can go home early, and you’re going to close up the place on your own early. Are you going to tell me what’s going on with you? Does this have to do with Honor?”

  Jackson closed his eyes and prayed for patience. He’d told Honor that the town was already talking about them as a couple, and he hadn’t been lying, but hell, he just needed a moment away from it all to think.

  “Go home, Veronica.”

  “Fine, Jackson, but don’t think you can hide from me for long.” She left him alone in the exam room, and he rubbed his temples.

  Hadn’t it been less than twenty-four hours ago that he was magic free and able to stay away from Honor? Now he was a sandman —or whatever the hell he was since he didn’t really feel different—and he was about to go on a date with Honor.

  Oh, he’d said it was so they could talk about things, but really? She hadn’t wanted to be alone with him for the same reason he wanted to be alone with her yet dreaded it.

  They’d have their clothes off within a minute of being alone, and he’d sink his cock into her warmth as soon as he could. He’d felt the sparks when they’d both been on her bed that morning, and it had only been the tension of the events that had stopped him from kissing her.

  It was hard as hell to stay away from her.

  Now they were going to go out in public and eat and try to talk about what it meant to be a sandman and the tooth fairy. Too bad that probably wouldn’t be happening considering that, yes, Holiday might know about some of the paranormal and his favorite booth made most things private, but he had a feeling things weren’t going to go as they wanted.

  This was a date.

  He just needed to hop like that freaking rabbit and scream he was late for that very important date and he’d be one step further down that rabbit hole of insanity.

  Jackson closed up the practice and drove to the diner, his palms clammy. He could have lied and said it was from the subject matter of their supposed talk, but, in reality, he was nervous to see her.

  He was almost forty for God’s sake, not a teenager. He needed to act like it.

  As he walked into the diner, he could have sworn conversation stopped for a beat before picking up again. Their curious glances bore into his back and everywhere else so hard he almost wanted to look down to make sure he’d zipped up his fly.

  Honor sat in the far booth with two waters on the table and a faraway expression on her face. She’d worn her hair down like he loved—not that he’d tell her that. No, he needed to keep his distance.

  He had a feeling that wasn’t going to happen though. Honor had been the one woman he’d seen himself having a future with, and then he’d forced her to go. Not only to make sure she lived her life and fulfilled her dreams, but because he’d gotten scared as hell.

  No one else since then had made him want to forego his plans of living alone until he died, and he knew no one else would. When Honor had first come to town, he’d tried to tell himself—he still tried to tell himself—that he wouldn’t do anything with her, that he’d go on without her and just deal with the fact that she lived in the same town as him.

  As he watched her gaze reach his and heard his quick intake of breath, he knew he’d been an idiot to think he’d even had a chance of staying away.

  Either he’d force himself to act like he didn’t care, or he could maybe think of her as something more than just his past.

  He didn’t know, and frankly, it was up to her, but damn, he wanted her.

  There, he’d said it.

  He wanted Honor.

  Now he just needed to figure out what he wanted to do about it.

  Jackson ignored the murmurs and looks as he went to the back booth and sat across from her.

  “Hi,” she said, her voice a bit breathless.

  Good, at least she felt something too. Or at least he hoped she did.

  Hell, he needed time to think about all of this. Too much was going on at once, and for a man who liked things orderly, he was freaking out. Nothing seemed to be that way at the moment.

  “Hi,” he said, and they fell into an awkward silence.

  What exactly could he say to an ex-girlfriend who came back into town after leaving eight years prior, who also happened to be a tooth fairy, niece of the Ivory Queen, and, in some way, connected with the man who’d turned him into a sandman?

  He didn’t think there was a self-help book or Hallmark card for this special occasion.

  “I didn’t order us anything since I don’t know if you still like the same things,” she said, her voice rushed. “Though, really, we never actually went out on dates so…”

  He winced at the reminder he’d treated her so poorly before by hiding her from Holiday.

  “Ask me anything and I’ll tell you,” he said.

  She tilted her head and frowned. “What are we doing here, Jackson?”

  “I take it you don’t mean in the diner.”

  “No, and you knew that. What are we doing eating together when we could have done this with your family and probably gotten more information out of it?” Her eyes widened. “Unless you’re still hiding me from them, and then we’ve got a problem because I just had breakfast with all of your sisters-in-law this morning.”

  Now he felt like the ass everyone called him.

  There had to be a way he could fix this.

  He reached out and grabbed her hand, ignoring the whispered and no-so-whispered gasps and comments from their audience.

  “I don’t know what we’re doing, but whatever it is, we’ll figure it out together. I know things are convoluted at the moment, but it will get better. As for my family, it obviously didn’t occur to me to talk with them and you because I wanted to be with just you. I’m sorry.”

  She blushed that pretty shade of pink he knew covered her whole body, and he shifted as his cock hardened.

  “Since most of the people in town are currently staring at us, we can’t talk about everything in private. I’m sorry I wanted us to be in public. I guess that didn't make much sense.”

  Jackson grinned, and he heard even more gasps. He knew he didn’t smile much, but, hell, people really needed to mind their own business. He looked over his shoulder and glared. Everyone quickly turned away and busied themselves.

  Finally.

  “Since we’re not going to talk about everything we need to talk about, including the tension currently between us,” Jackson began, “let’s talk about you. It’s been eight years, Honor. What did I miss?”

  “Well, I finished graduate school, and now I’m here to open up a family-friendly, eco-friendly camp.” She smiled, and he blinked.

  “Really? In Holiday?”

  She nodded. “Yep. Aunt Clementine said Holiday was dying down because you guys needed more jobs and more men. Her words, not mine. Since my degree is in helping to direct marketing, tourism, and outdoor activities, I thought Holiday was the perfect place for me to work. The camp will bring in hotels and cabins, restaurants and more. All of those will bring in more jobs.”

  “You’re going to bring more people into Holiday.”

  “Yes. I didn’t know the condition of the tow
n, but Aunt Clementine told me. I’ve already talked with the town council over the internet and phone calls. The plans are already made and most everything is signed. I’m just getting ready to finish the last plans before I hire people to build, design, and do other things. My job is to organize and the fact that I know about the environment helps that.”

  She leaned closer. “I’m also going to bring in more people like you said. Magical and non-magical. The area is beautiful, Jackson, and we’re not using its beauty to bring people in safely. I want to open an environmentally friendly outdoor area where the town will thrive. This way people will come in, spend money, and leave without disrupting the town and surrounding area’s ecosystem.”

  She smiled as she described it, and Jackson knew he was in love with the woman just like he had been before. No, he’d always loved her; he’d just tried to forget it all.

  “That sounds like a big project.”

  “It is, but I can do it.”

  “I know you can.”

  “You always did believe in me,” she said, and then she drank from her glass of her water.

  “Of course, Honor. Where are you going to build this place?”

  She grinned at him, and he held back a groan. That was her naughty grin. Hell. “Oh, you know the place—the lake by your place.”

  He closed his eyes as images of how the moonlight danced along her naked body as they skinny-dipped late at night flooded his mind. They’d made love in that lake, near that lake, and around that lake countless times.

  He still remembered a time where a fish got a little too friendly…

  Honor threw her head back and laughed, catching the attention of the diner again. “You’re remembering the fish, aren’t you?”

  Jackson rested his face in his hands. “God, that damn fish.”

  “You always get this little line between your brows when you remember that frisky fish.”

  Thankfully, the waitress stopped by and took their order before he had to talk about the fish that knew a little too much about certain parts of his anatomy.

  “So the lake is owned by the town and I already have the permits saying we can build on it. The town will own the camp and I’ll hire people to run it. This way the money goes directly into the community, not someone’s pockets.”