Quin closed his eyes, remembering how it felt to hold her in his arms, and his stomach flipped and knotted. He’d never been more determined, nervous or concerned. One error in judgment could destroy more than his dreams. Others were at risk.
The image of Layla’s smiling face blessed the backs of his eyelids, but he needed to focus, so he tried to shake the stunning vision away. It didn’t work, and he smiled, realizing her face was there to stay, eyes open or shut.
His home came into view, and he sobered, descending into a large clearing thickly surrounded by trees and dotted with houses. His entire coven was on the lawn, awaiting his arrival, and two of them—Caitrin and Morrigan Conn—rushed forward when he landed.
Caitrin was the first to speak, his deep voice lacking its usual serenity. “Is it true, Quinlan? Is she here?”
“She’s here,” Quin confirmed, dropping his hood, “at the inn.”
Morrigan sobbed and wrapped her arms around Caitrin’s waist, burying her face in his chest. “I can’t believe it. She’s here. She’s finally here.”
“I can’t believe it either,” Caitrin whispered, stroking Morrigan’s curly hair. “Hope waned with each passing year.” He rested his cheek on her head, anxiously meeting Quin’s stare. “What did you discover?”
“Her name’s Layla Callaway,” Quin answered. “She just moved here by herself from Oklahoma and says she didn’t leave a family behind.”
Morrigan’s emotional sobs paused as Caitrin’s eyes narrowed. “She didn’t mention a mom?” he asked.
“No,” Quin answered, “just two friends she worked with. She confesses to having family here—says she recently found out about them—but she lacks names and addresses, so she doesn’t expect to meet them.” He paused, bowing his head as he pulled a deep breath into his tight chest, unnerved and awakened to feel such heartache for a woman he barely knew. “She’s been through a hard time, Caitrin. She didn’t say it, so I don’t know what’s happened, but I can tell she’s struggling. She’s sad and insecure, and she’s spent too much time alone. It’s what she’s used to. We’ll have to be careful not to scare her. You need to alert Serafin right away.”
“Yes,” Caitrin agreed, urging Morrigan from his chest. “How’s my sweet peach?”
Morrigan straightened, trying to pull herself together. “I’m fine. Better than fine. I’m thrilled, but we can’t mess this up. It will kill me.”
Caitrin took her cheeks, touching the tip of his nose to hers. “We’ll do everything in our power, Morrigan. I promise. Why don’t you go phone Daleen? Tell her everything we know so far.”
“Okay,” Morrigan agreed, standing on her toes for a kiss. Then she soared across the lawn.
Caitrin watched her go then turned back, clearly agitated. “How are we going to do this?”
“I have no idea,” Quin replied. “Has anyone here ever told the hexless what we are?”
Caitrin’s niece, Enid Gilmore, spoke as she stepped from the nearby crowd. “I told a friend in high school.”
“How?” Caitrin asked.
“I just told her,” Enid answered. “Then I made a matchbook disappear.”
“How did she take it?”
“She left the room and never spoke to me again.”
The idea of watching Layla walk away made Quin nauseous. “Anybody else?” he asked, and his Grandpa Lann stepped forward.
“I told a college professor,” he confessed, “after we polished off a bottle of absinthe together. I even turned his schnauzer blue, but he woke up in a stupor and thought he’d dreamed it all. I never corrected him.”
Quin’s twitchy hands clenched into fists. None of this was helping. He looked to the eldest member of the coven, his great-grandfather, Catigern Kavanagh. “What about you, Grandpa Cat?”
Catigern walked forward, running a hand through his salt and pepper hair as he spoke. “There’s no easy way to tell the secret. I’ve heard many stories—most of them ending like dear Enid’s…”
Quin and Caitrin cringed.
“But the elements of Enid’s tale are quite different than those spinning this one,” Catigern continued. “Layla’s by no means average, and let’s not ignore how remarkable it is she’s here. That suggests she’s accepted her adoption, among other things, so we shouldn’t underestimate her acceptance of us. Our best option is to take the plunge and hope we surface without losing her. Skillful honesty and profound patience will be vital.”
The lawn was silent for a long moment as everyone contemplated the consequences and benefits of taking the plunge. Then Caitrin swallowed and cleared his throat. “She should be given the chance to come to terms with what she is before meeting everyone.”
“I agree,” Quin advocated, “and we need to make it safe for her to take that time. What’s the latest news on Agro?”
“He was spreading terror in the Allegheny Mountains two months ago,” Caitrin answered, “murdered a pregnant hexless woman. That’s the last anyone’s heard.”
“We need to make sure his dogs aren’t lurking,” Quin pressed. “If Layla crosses paths with the Unforgivables…”
“I know,” Caitrin quietly growled. Then he took a calming breath and searched out Lann. “Do you mind making some phone calls, Lann? Map out the Unforgivables’ movements the best you can. And get in touch with all of our contacts in Oregon and Washington; make sure they haven’t caught wind of Agro or his miscreants.”
“I’ll do my best,” Lann agreed, squeezing Caitrin’s shoulder. Then he glanced at Quin, momentarily meeting his thoughtful stare.
As Lann flew away, Morrigan returned, alighting next to Caitrin and taking his hand. “They’re leaving now,” she said. “We can expect them tomorrow night.”
Caitrin nodded his approval then looked at Quin. “You’re seeing her tomorrow?”
“I’m taking her to Cinnia’s for breakfast,” Quin confirmed.
Caitrin stood quite still, contemplating his course, and not a soul interrupted or rushed him. After several minutes of deliberation, he kissed Morrigan’s hand and looked at Quin. “Are you willing to tell her?”
Quin didn’t have the slightest idea how to do it, let alone do it right, but he couldn’t turn down the delicate task. Having no control over the outcome would drive him crazy. “Yes.”
As soon as he answered, an objection rang out. “Wait a minute.”
Quin looked over, unsurprised to find his parents, Kemble and Cordelia, walking toward him.
“I’m not sure that’s the best idea,” Kemble went on, stopping next to Caitrin.
The entire coven knew about Quin’s reoccurring dream. And if they were looking at him closely, which most of them were, they would undoubtedly notice that Layla had already left her mark on him.
Quin understood their concerns; they were his own, but his apprehension didn’t merit submission. “I’m not sure it’s the best idea either,” he confessed, “but I’m not going to refuse. If Caitrin’s willing to let me do it, I wholeheartedly accept.”
“She needs levelheaded support right now,” Kemble countered, “not a boyfriend.”
“I understand,” Quin replied. And he did. He’d already considered everything running through his dad’s head. “I know why you doubt me…”
“No, Quinlan,” Cordelia interrupted, “we don’t doubt you.”
“It’s okay, mom. Your concerns are justified given the situation, but I’m very aware of them and have treaded as conscientiously as possible around her.” He met his dad’s searching stare. “Believe me, the last thing I want to do is scare her away.”
“I know,” Kemble replied, “but perhaps someone else…”
“Who?” Quin challenged. “She already knows who I am, and she trusts me enough to be alone with me. It wasn’t easy getting her to relax. Ask Bri.”
Everyone on the lawn looked at Brietta, who nodded. “It’s true,” she confirmed. “She was very skittish.”
“And she remained guarded the entire time,” Quin a
dded. “A stranger with no apparent motivation for speaking to her would only scare her. She would be hesitant to accept anything they say.” He paused, glanced at Caitrin then back to his dad. “I know a relationship would complicate things for her right now, but her interest in me is the only reason she agreed to stay in Cannon Beach. I don’t like the idea of abusing her attraction, but it’s the only leverage we have.” The more he defended his point, the more he believed it.
Kemble remained skeptical, but Quin had convinced his great grandpa Catigern. “Quinlan’s right,” he advocated. “He’s in the best position to break it to her gently.”
Kemble didn’t respond or relax. He just watched Quin’s face and the air around him, thoughtful and concerned.
“If Caitrin will let me do this,” Quin firmly decided, “I’m going to do it.” He turned to Caitrin, looking between him and Morrigan. “And I’ll do everything I can to make it easy on everyone involved, particularly Layla.”
“I know you will,” Caitrin quietly replied, pulling Morrigan’s hand to his cheek. “Let us know if you need anything, and keep us updated on any unforeseen changes.”
Quin nodded, glanced at his parents then walked away, already focused on his purpose.
“Quinlan,” Caitrin called.
“Yeah?” Quin replied, turning back.
“You said she’s sad, but…” Caitrin paused, clutching his throat as he watched the ground. “How does she look?”
Quin stared at him for a moment, remembering, seeing. Then he smiled. “She’s beautiful, Caitrin, like a star in a storm. You won’t be disappointed.”
~ * * * ~
That night—the first night of the rest of Quin’s life—peaceful rest was an elusive dream. Between snippets of exhaustion in which he’d have visions of the real Layla, he was alert and brainstorming ways to tell her the truth. None of his ideas were good enough, none of them fail safe, and it pissed him off that he couldn’t guarantee an acceptable outcome.
He deeply feared her reaction to the confessions he’d make the following day; for not only would he reveal he knows her family, he’d reveal she descends from a powerful line of witches and wizards.
Chapter 9
Layla huffed and tossed a t-shirt across the bed then delved further into her suitcase, which lacked anything date-worthy.
She froze, stomach flipping. Was this a date? It seemed like a date. Blah!
She threw her hands in the air and sat on the bed, squeezing her eyes shut and counting to twenty. She wasn’t used to feeling hot and bothered and needed to get a grip. She wasn’t a school girl getting ready for prom. She was a grown woman going to breakfast with a handsome man. A very handsome man.
Her eyes popped open as she grabbed a pair of dark jeans, a white v-neck shirt, and the necklace Travis and Phyllis gave her. At least she had pretty jewelry to wear with her bland outfit.
After getting dressed, she looked in the mirror. Yes, the clothes were plain, but the platinum chain and emerald mawsitsit contrasted nicely with the white shirt.
She didn’t own any makeup, so that was done, and she was leaving her hair down, so she ran her fingers through it and slipped a ponytail holder around her wrist. The waist-length spirals were hard to maintain, becoming a tangled mess more often than not, but she refused to cut them short. A weird quirk, she knew, but she’d been born with it, objecting to haircuts from the first attempt. According to her mom, she’d been a year old and cried harder than ever before when they snipped that first curl.
After looking in the mirror one more time, sighing hopelessly at the mundane outfit, Layla moved to the bed to clean her mess. As she shoved the last of the clothes in her suitcase, someone knocked on the door.
Her reaction was instantaneous and ridiculous—heart racing, palms moistening, cheeks burning. “Act your age,” she hissed, slipping on a gray, button-up sweater. Then she exhaled and walked to the door, boldly swinging it open.
For the tiniest moment, Quin looked worried, but a smile quickly stretched from one dimple to the other. “Good morning,” he greeted, eyes roaming from her head to her toes. “That necklace looks great on you.”
“It’s a pretty necklace,” she replied, touching the gem.
He reached up, moving her fingers from the stone to her clavicle. “The necklace is lovely because you’re wearing it. It’s not wearing you.”
Their fingertips quivered over her rapid pulse as heat flushed her entire body. “Thank you.”
He dropped his hand, clearing his throat as he flexed his fingers. “Are you hungry?”
Layla waited as long as she dared before answering, trying to strengthen everything—nerve, knees, voice. “Yes,” she replied, thrilled it came out clearly. “Let me get my bag.”
“Leave it,” he suggested. “Aunt Karena’s having a two-for-one special this weekend.”
“Is that right?” Layla smirked.
For so long Quin wondered what it would be like to kiss the mysterious Layla. As he watched her mouth, the urge to find out grew. “That’s right,” he returned. “It would be a shame to let it go to waste.”
“Never mind the room going to waste in Portland,” she countered.
She was so stubborn. He liked it. “We could check you out of that hotel and book this room for the week.” He could be stubborn, too.
“Um…” she hesitated, glancing over her shoulder. “I’d prefer to start the day off with coffee.”
He grinned and reached around her, grabbing her backpack off an entryway table. “Of course you would. Leave your luggage,” he insisted, taking her hand. “If you want to go back to Portland later, it will still be here.” Without waiting for her approval, he closed the door and led her down the corridor.
The café was only a few blocks away, so they walked, hand in hand—her watching the window displays as he watched her.
“It embarrasses you that I’m holding your hand,” he concluded.
She met his stare for the first time since he’d taken it. “I’m not used to it,” she confessed. “It’s nice, though, just… a little weird.”
“Why is it weird?”
“Because we just met. Most guys don’t ever make this kind of gesture, let alone make it this early.”
“What kind of gesture do you think it is?”
Damn. She was on the spot and her own mouth put her there. What if what she thought it meant was way off base? “Well,” she weakly explained, “I see holding hands as a way to show you care about someone and want to keep them close.”
He smiled. “That’s an excellent way to put it.”
“Then you see why I find it weird.”
“No.”
She sighed. “Really?”
“Really,” he repeated. “It makes perfect sense.”
She watched him for a long moment then looked at the sidewalk. “I’ve never met anyone like you, Quin. Most guys dodge their feelings, embarrassed to have them, let alone express them.”
“I was raised differently.”
“Hmm…” she mumbled. “It’s refreshing.” And unnerving and embarrassing and it made her feel all tingly inside. She lifted his hand, staring at their entwined fingers. “So you want to keep me close?”
He grinned. “You haven’t noticed my attempts to keep you at my aunt’s inn?”
She stopped walking, bringing him to a halt as well. “You’re serious,” she decided, slowly scanning his casually humored expression.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” he asked.
Her face was hot again, so she looked down. “Why me, Quin? Why are you holding my hand?”
He reached out and took her chin, raising her gaze back to his. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met, Layla. I don’t know you very well, but so far you’re friendly, witty and wonderfully stubborn. Now you’re blessing me with a chance to discover more, a chance I consider myself lucky to have, so if you’re willing to let me keep you close by holding your hand, that’s what I’m going to do.”
Layla searched for signs of dishonesty, finding none, and her heart constricted then swelled. “Okay,” she whispered.
He smiled and squeezed her hand. “Okay?”
“Yeah,” she confirmed, trying to find her lungs, but she was experiencing so many new and unusual sensations, her vital organs struggled to keep up. She wondered if she was finally going through that raging hormonal faze she managed to skip as a teenager.
“Excellent,” Quin approved, compelling her to walk. “So did you listen to Morrigan’s CD?”
“Yes,” Layla beamed, forgetting about her insecurities and worries. “It’s amazing. Do you really know that woman?”
“Very well. I’ll introduce you some time.”
“I wouldn’t know what to say,” Layla countered. “It would be like meeting a rock star. Why haven’t I heard of her?”
“She doesn’t play professionally,” Quin explained, leading her across the café deck, “just in her spare time.”
“That’s a shame,” Layla replied, catching a whiff of the world’s best coffee. “She’s incredibly talented.”
“I’ll tell her you said so,” he offered, holding the door open.
Apparently Quin was popular around the café, because the moment they entered, a male clerk waved them over. He was average in height, but brawny in build, and his light blonde hair was close-cropped, accentuating his bulky frame. He energetically drummed his hands on the bar, flashing a bright smile that pinched his cheeks and stretched into sparkling blue eyes.
When Quin and Layla approached, the clerk ceased his drum roll, but remained lively. “Hey.”
“Hey,” Quin returned. “This is Layla.”
The clerk stretched his arm across the counter. “Nice to meet you, Layla. Banning Gilmore, but you can call me Bann.”
As Layla accepted his hand, an odd tingle shot up her arm, but she hid her surprise well, not flexing her fingers until he’d released them. “Nice to meet you, too, Bann.”
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