Freaky Deaky Tiki

by Amanda M. Lee

  “It is nice,” he agreed, smoothing my hair. “But that’s not what you were thinking.”

  “If I tell you what I was thinking I’ll never live it down.”

  “Now I definitely want to hear it.”

  “Uh-uh.”

  He resorted to tickling, refusing to let up even though I shrieked and fought back. I was laughing so hard I was crying when he was done, but still I refused to give up my secret.

  “I thought we agreed to tell each other the big stuff?” he challenged.

  I shook my head. “This isn’t big. It’s ... mushy.”

  “I want to hear the mushy stuff.”

  “We can’t tell each other everything.” I was perfectly serious as I pressed my hand to his chest to make sure he didn’t get any ideas about continuing the tickle attack. “We can tell each other the big things, and that should probably be a rule. But you have to allow a girl a little mystery.”

  Galen didn’t look convinced. “I’ll tell you what I was thinking if you tell me what you were thinking.”

  “I already know what you were thinking.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “You were thinking that you want to play a game before breakfast. I know which game ... and I’m fine with it.”

  Torn between the cutesy offer and chasing the truth, he finally heaved a sigh. “Fine. Keep your secrets. I’ll get them out of you eventually.”

  “That’s not going to happen.”

  “We’ll just have to see about that.”

  MAY WAS IN THE KITCHEN when we made our way downstairs and she looked happy, bubbly even, when she saw us together.

  “So cute,” she chortled, grinning. “I love how cute you are together.”

  “And we love hearing how cute we are,” Galen teased, pulling the carton of eggs from the refrigerator and handing me the bag of shredded potatoes. “I, for one, can’t tell you how much I love hearing about how cute I am.”

  “You were a darling boy,” May agreed, pouring tea for both of us as she watched us navigate the stove together. “I remember when your mother brought you by one day for a visit and you gave me a flower. You said it was for the prettiest woman on the island.”

  Galen smiled. “I probably stole the flower.”

  “You did ... and from my own garden. You were a charmer and a half as a boy, and you’ve grown up to be even more charming as a man.”

  “Oh, did you hear that?” I drawled. “You’re charming. And here I thought you were just good at flirting.”

  “I have many talents.” Galen winked at me before focusing on May. “Did you talk to Wesley after he left last night?”

  She nodded, sobering. “He likes you, Galen. You don’t have to worry about that. He’s always liked you ... even when you used to sneak onto his property to drink in the fields.”

  “I didn’t realize he knew that was me,” he said, shaking his head. “I always thought I got away with that.”

  “He let you get away with it because he knew you weren’t really doing any harm. He believes you’re a strong man, with good values and a stalwart heart.”

  “Then what’s his problem?” Galen challenged. “He’s been giving me grief for days about spending time with Hadley. He had to know it was coming to this. From the moment I laid eyes on her, she’s all I can think about. It’s not as if I’ve got five women twisting in the wind or anything.”

  “Of course not. It’s just ... when Emma left the family it was because of a man. We never got to see Hadley grow up because our daughter put distance between us. Now we have Hadley back and here you come. He’s worried you’ll steal Hadley.”

  “I have no intention of stealing Hadley.”

  “And I wouldn’t let him if he tried,” I added. “I want to know you and Wesley. Galen won’t steal me. I can’t pretend to understand why my mother did what she did. I didn’t know her, not even for a second. I’m not her. That’s the only thing I have to offer on that front. I have no intention of going anywhere.”

  “And Wesley will come to realize that.” May smiled as her gaze bounced between us. “Seriously, you two are just adorable.”

  “That never gets old.” Galen took to cracking eggs and flicked his eyes to me. “What are your plans for the day?”

  I sensed trouble. “I don’t know. I promise not to go back out and visit the cult, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  “Well, I know you’ll end up with Aisling.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Call it a hunch.”

  “Even if I do you have nothing to worry about,” I promised. “We’ll be good little girls and not get into trouble.”

  “Right.”

  “I swear it.”

  He turned to face me, his expression serious. “I don’t want to rain on your parade. I simply want you to be safe. As long as you promise to stay away from the tribe, I promise not to give you grief.”

  It seemed too easy. “Seriously?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why are you being so agreeable?”

  “Because he’s adorable,” May answered for him.

  “Because Griffin said something to me last night that stuck. He said he fell in love with Aisling because of her mouth. Trying to change her after the fact isn’t fair to her ... or him. That means it’s not fair to you, or me, for that matter. I don’t want to change you.”

  That was a relief. I most certainly didn’t want to be changed. “I happen to like you the way you are, too.”

  “Great.” He gave me a soft kiss. “Compromise might be fun. I’m looking forward to trying it.”

  “So am I.”

  “It’s going to be a good day.”

  “Definitely.”

  “So cute,” May bubbled, shaking her head and smiling. “I wish I had a camera..”

  “Let’s not push things,” Galen hedged. “Just stick with how cute I am for now.”

  “I can do that.”

  18

  Eighteen

  Compromise is a funny word. I thought it meant Galen would stop constantly worrying about where I went and what I planned. He thought otherwise.

  Thirty minutes after breakfast I heard voices outside, and when I went to the window I found Griffin and Aisling, hand-in-hand, walking up the driveway.

  “Huh.”

  “Who is that?” May asked, floating behind me. “They don’t look familiar.”

  “Aisling and Griffin. They’re here on their honeymoon.”

  “Oh, the reaper.” May looked intrigued. “I knew our reaper, of course, but she looks a lot more fun.”

  “Oh, you have no idea.” I moved to the door and tugged it open before they could knock, smiling as I ushered them inside. Even though I was suspicious and had tons of questions, Griffin beat me to it.

  “This place is great.” He was enthusiastic as he released Aisling’s hand and started prowling around the living room. “It’s so ... interesting. The building looks absolutely huge, but inside it’s kind of homey.”

  “It’s definitely homey,” I agreed, casting him a sidelong look before focusing on Aisling. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, but what are you doing here?”

  “Oh, Galen didn’t tell you?” The fire in Aisling’s eyes told me that she was on the verge of losing her temper. “It seems my husband and your boyfriend had a long talk last night.”

  “I know. I was eavesdropping. You don’t have to worry. You came out smelling like a freshly-baked doughnut during the conversation.”

  Confused, Aisling knit her eyebrows. “Are we talking about the same conversation?”

  “No,” Griffin answered for me, his hands busy as they moved over the bookshelf May had built into the wall sometime in the past. “Hadley was gone before we started talking about our plans for the day.”

  Our plans? Hmm. I wasn’t expecting that. “You have plans with Galen today?” I asked.

  “He does,” Galen confirmed, strolling through the door and pulling up short whe
n he saw what Griffin was doing. “Isn’t that neat? It’s recessed into the wall and there are carvings inside. Whoever did this for May did a heckuva job.”

  “It’s very cool,” Griffin enthused. “Baby, we should consider something like this for our condo. Now that the baby is coming we won’t have nearly as much room as we originally thought when we bought it.”

  Aisling scowled. “Just another reason I want to collect all your sperm and set them on fire,” she groused.

  Galen stared as I chewed my bottom lip to keep from laughing.

  “I see you’re in a good mood,” he said, shaking his head. “What’s wrong with you?”

  “Nothing,” she answered hurriedly, her eyes flashing. “Why does something have to be wrong? Perhaps I’m simply not quite awake yet because it’s barely dawn.”

  “Ignore her,” Griffin suggested, his eyes plastered to the shelf as he admired the craftsmanship. “She’s a bear in the morning until she gets her caffeine. And we woke up to information from her father that put her in an extremely foul mood.”

  “At least your father is talking to you,” I said brightly.

  “Yeah, well he’s not really talking as much as emailing lists of things I can’t eat or drink now that I’m pregnant. Caffeine is one of those things.”

  She lapsed into silence a moment, morose, and then she exploded before I could think of something comforting to say.

  “He expects me to go nine months without caffeine. No rare steaks either.” Aisling looked positively apoplectic. “No deli meat for sandwiches because of the listeria. No smoked seafood. No raw eggs. No soft cheeses. Apparently there’s nothing I can eat.”

  “I think you’re overreacting,” Griffin shot back. “I saw that list of cheese you can’t eat and the only one on it you’ve ever tried is feta. You’ll simply have to go without Greek salads until the birth. You usually eat chili dogs and fries when we’re at the Coney, so I think you’ll somehow survive.”

  Aisling growled. “It’s not that I can’t do it. It’s that I have to do it. I didn’t expect this. I just ... thought we would have more time.”

  Her eyes briefly turned glassy, making me think she was going to burst into tears, but she caught herself before Griffin could pull her close for a hug. He wrapped his arms around her even as she fought him, pressed a kiss to her forehead and rocked back and forth.

  “I know you didn’t expect this. I didn’t either. We’ll be okay. It’s not as if we’re alone. We’ll figure things out. You need to tell me what you’re feeling instead of bottling it up. When you bottle things up you end up exploding ... and then I end up exploding. Let’s try to stay away from explosions.”

  I felt intrusive staring at them so I tilted my head and indicated Galen should follow me back into the kitchen. When we were clear of the scene in the living room, I gave him a serious look. “I don’t understand any of this. Why are you taking Griffin with you?”

  “Because he’s worried Aisling will get herself in deep trouble and wants to end this as soon as possible,” Galen replied without hesitation. “During your eavesdropping yesterday, you missed the part of the conversation when he admitted that he wants to wrap himself around Aisling and act as a human shield to protect her and the baby.”

  “She won’t like that.”

  “No, definitely not.” Galen’s expression was hard to read as he glanced back toward the hallway we’d just escaped through. “You want to learn things because you’re curious by nature. Aisling wants to be in the middle of things because she’s used to being the center of the universe. Griffin is a detective with keen instincts, and I could use the help. I think we can arrange this so we all benefit.”

  I wasn’t as easily convinced. “So ... what’s the plan? Are you going to try to lock us into the lighthouse or something while you guys do all the heavy lifting?”

  “Not even a little. You guys can go wherever you want ... as long as you stay away from the tribe. I have no idea what they’re capable of, and if they see you again things might get bloody.”

  “I protected us yesterday. I can do it again if it comes to it.”

  He extended a warning finger, his expression fierce. “You promised!”

  “I did ... and I’ll keep that promise. I’m just reminding you that I managed to keep us safe yesterday.”

  “And I’m very proud of you. That doesn’t change the fact that there are more of them than you realize and they could’ve easily outnumbered you if Barry had decided to call in reinforcements. I prefer you steer clear of them today.”

  In truth, I had no interest in getting up close and personal with the neighborhood cult leader ... or any of his rabid followers. It wasn’t a hard promise to make. “We’re not going back out there.” I was firm. “We’re going to hang out here, try to find some information on the tiki masks, and maybe grab lunch downtown. Now that Aisling can’t eat deli meat, we’ll probably have to eat out.”

  “Yeah. Who knew deli meat was such a death trap?” He pulled me close and gave me a long kiss, his eyes going heavy and hooded when I finally caught my breath enough to meet his gaze. “I’ll text you a few times throughout the day. Please text back so I know you’re not in trouble.”

  “I will.”

  “Try to keep Aisling from doing anything stupid.”

  “I’m not a miracle worker.”

  “That’s not what you told me last night.”

  My cheeks burned. “I ... .”

  “You’re cute when you’re tongue-tied.” He gave me another kiss before taking a step back. “As long as you guys stick close to town you can have your run of the place. Just don’t go beyond the township limits. That’s all I ask.”

  “I’m sure we can follow your rules.”

  “I’m sure you can, too. I’m not sure about your buddy.”

  Now that he mentioned it, I wasn’t sure Aisling was capable of following rules either. I decided to change tacks. “Everything will be fine. I have everything under control. You have nothing to worry about.”

  “I’M BORED.”

  Aisling lasted exactly ten minutes in the third-floor library before she chucked the book I gave her for research and stretched to stare at the ceiling.

  “I’m trying to find the meaning behind the tiki masks,” I explained. “If you don’t want to help, you don’t have to. My bedroom is a floor down if you want to take a nap.”

  Aisling made a horrified face. “I’m not sleeping in your bed. I saw you and your flirty love monkey this morning. I know exactly what you were doing last night and I wouldn’t touch that bed with Taurus’s imaginary ten-foot pole. I don’t want your sex cooties.”

  She was definitely in a mood ... and it just so happened to be an irritating one. “You know, you don’t have to stay here.”

  “According to Griffin, I do. He’s worried, but he won’t come right out and say it.”

  Her scowl told me everything I needed to know. “He’s worried because of what happened yesterday?”

  “That and other things.” Aisling was dejected as she rubbed her hands over her face. “When my father sent the list of things I could and couldn’t eat, he was reading through it and I could tell he’d never considered any of it. He’s just as freaked out as me, which isn’t good.”

  “I have news for you; he’s been just as freaked out as you since the beginning. He’s simply better at hiding it.”

  “I guess. He’s usually the steady one — except for rare occasions — so I’m not used to having to console myself. He spent twenty minutes reading that list and then he got on the internet and did his own research. Neither one of us knows what we’re doing.”

  “I’m sure that can be said for most first-time parents. You’ll figure it out.”

  “Yeah.” She blankly stared at the ceiling for an extended beat and then swung herself into a sitting position. “What are you researching?”

  “The tiki masks,” I said again. “I think they were chosen for a specific reason. The problem
is, I can’t find any books that help. I don’t know where to look. There’s a library down on the beach, but I haven’t visited it yet. The way it was described makes me think it’s a coffee shop more than anything else.”

  Aisling made a face. “No coffee shops. If I see other people with caffeine I might be forced to choke them to death. On the research front, though, I might have an idea.”

  AISLING BORROWED MY COMPUTER to make a Skype call, and the man who answered looked sleepy and annoyed. I recognized right away that he had the same dark hair and purple eyes as Aisling. Unlike her other brothers, though, he had shoulder-length hair and he wasn’t alone in bed when he accepted the call.

  “Why are you calling me from your honeymoon, Ais?” Cillian Grimlock growled. Aisling swore up and down before placing the call that he was her favorite brother. Not only that, he was supposedly a whiz when it came to research.

  Right now, he looked like a shirtless underwear model in his boxer shorts. His tousled hair was all over the place and he scrubbed his cheeks as he carried his computer away from the bed — and the sleeping brunette in it — and settled at his desk.

  “Is something wrong, Ais?”

  “Why would anything be wrong?” Aisling adopted an air of innocence that didn’t quite fit her personality. “Why would anything possibly be wrong? We simply need information on tiki masks. Can you get that for us?”

  “Probably,” he hedged, uncertain. “Do you want to tell me why you need this information? I was under the impression that you were supposed to be soaking up the sun and reveling in the fact that you’re now Mrs. Griffin Taylor.”

  Aisling’s eyes narrowed to glittery purple slits. “Do you want me to smack the crap out of you when I get home?”

  “You can’t wrestle. You’re pregnant. I heard Dad with Braden and Redmond last night going through a list of things you can’t do. By the way, sock hockey is off the table, and you’re only allowed to absorb souls in quiet and safe neighborhoods.”

  Aisling’s mouth dropped open. “Excuse me? He can’t do that!”