So Many Men...

by Dorie Graham

  Nikki shook her head. “Honestly, I’m not sure. I don’t seem to attract men the way I used to. And I don’t seem to feel things about people as much as I used to, either, though it almost seems that sense with Dylan has grown even stronger. I seem to feel everything he feels to an extreme degree. Do you know what I mean?”

  To an extreme degree.

  Tess nodded. Exactly the way she’d describe her experience with Mason. Just the way Aunt Sophie had theorized.

  “Would it be such a bad thing? To lose the gift?” Nikki asked. “It was always more a curse than anything to me. Sure, it proved a blessing with Dylan. I honestly believe it helped him and I’m grateful for that, but I was barely aware that I had those abilities when I met him. It wasn’t like I was very attached to them. I only accepted the gift once I believed it could help him.”

  She shuddered visibly. “I hate to think what would have happened if I hadn’t met Dylan. The gift hasn’t been nearly so kind to me as it’s apparently been to you.”

  Tess frowned. “No regrets, then? About choosing Dylan over the gift—if indeed that’s what’s happened.”

  Pure happiness radiated from her sister, but even without her sixth sense Tess read Nikki’s contentment in the blissful expression on her face.

  “I’m happy for you, Nikki. Your engagement to Dylan seems to agree with you.”

  “It’s a good life. You should think of trying it yourself. Find some nice guy to settle down with.”

  A shiver of foreboding swept over Tess. Settle down with a nice guy? Like Mason? “I can’t imagine what that might be like. I don’t even know if it’s an option for me.”

  “I hear you’re giving your minions a break. Or they’re giving you one, however that works.”

  “It’s weird. It has been strangely quiet around the apartment lately—when I’ve been there, that is. I guess I haven’t been there much on the weekends. The break wasn’t intentional. It seems that things just quieted down over the past week.” She inhaled a breath. “Ever since I hooked up with Mason.”

  Did that have any significance?

  “So tell me all about your new love. I hear he’s knocked you for a loop.”

  “Who told you that? Erin? There she goes telling you things she has no idea about.”

  The corners of Nikki’s lips lifted. “I don’t know, that seems a pretty heated response.”

  “It is no such thing.”

  Nikki regarded her with raised brows.

  “The only thing that I’m heated about is that little sister of ours talking about things that she doesn’t know anything about.”

  “So he’s not special? You weren’t gushing? Erin said you were definitely gushing.”

  “Gushing? That’s just a matter of opinion. Mason is…he’s different. Special, yes. They’ve all been special, though, so it’s hard to say. He cares about things the way most people don’t. And these kids—I’m blown away by these kids he works with. He’s just…amazing…and the patience he has. He sets his mind on something and— I don’t know how I fit in. I feel things I’m not sure I want to feel, and I get all— Am I making any sense?”

  “I’ve never seen you so flustered by a man.”

  “Who says I’m flustered? I am not flustered.”

  The phone on the side table rang. Tess started and Nikki frowned as she reached to answer it. “Hello?”

  Tess folded her arms and sank back against the cushions of the chair Dylan had bought to match Nikki’s. Tess was not flustered. So what if Mason was different from the rest? What did that have to do with anything? It certainly didn’t mean she was planning to settle down with him—or anyone else for that matter.

  “Wait, Thomas, say that again.” Nikki plugged one ear and pressed the phone closer to her other ear.

  Tess sat forward. Tension lined Nikki’s face. A feeling of apprehension crept over Tess. Had something happened to Thomas? She cocked her head in question, but Nikki gestured for her to wait.

  “Okay, well…I know… Just see if you can— I know… I know.” She rolled her eyes and Tess relaxed some. Nikki was more frustrated than upset.

  “Okay… Okay… We will. No, we will. Tess is here with me…. Yes, I hear.” She flinched and pulled the phone away from her ear and a loud crashing sounded from the earpiece.

  What was going on?

  “Okay, Thomas, yes, we’re coming…Yes, now. I promise. No, don’t try to get in the middle of it. We’re on our way.” She glanced at Tess and raised her eyebrows in question.

  “No way.” Tess folded her arms and sat back. No way was she getting involved in whatever craziness Thomas had gotten himself into.

  Nikki hung up the phone and stood. “Come on. I’m not doing this alone. You’re coming with me.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  “Yes, you are. Maggie is much more likely to listen to you than to me.”

  “Maggie? I thought she was still hot-tubbing her way through Europe.”

  “Apparently, she got in last week.”

  “Last week?” Tess asked, stunned. “Why hasn’t she called? Has she called you?”

  Nikki’s cheeks colored. “I don’t know. Dylan took a break from his classes and we haven’t been accessible.”

  Tess groaned but rose to follow her sister. “So where are we headed? What exactly is going on?”

  “You don’t want to know.”

  Tess groaned inwardly. “You’re probably right, but tell me, anyway.”

  Only after grabbing her purse and ushering Tess out the garage door did Nikki answer. “Seems Maggie moved in with Aunt Sophie.”

  “What? What do you mean moved in?”

  “Beats me. Something about she’s tired of being on the road and it isn’t like she has a place of her own to roost.” Not a trace of derision laced Nikki’s voice, a far cry from a few months ago.

  “Okay, for just a minute let’s say I buy that she’s ready to roost. What is so wrong with her staying with Aunt Sophie? Doesn’t she pretty much use that as a home base, anyway?”

  Nikki shrugged as they reached the car. “Apparently this is different.”

  “How so?”

  “It seemed Thomas was dodging pots and pans. He wasn’t really up for any detailed explanations. One thing’s for sure, though.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Maggie and Aunt Sophie are killing each other.”

  “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING on here?” Tess stared open-mouthed at Aunt Sophie’s kitchen.

  Dirt splattered the floor amid shards of broken pots and mangled herbs. A bowl of fruit lay on its side, its contents sprawled across the counter. Pots and pans littered the wooden floor.

  She stared at first her mother, then Aunt Sophie, who sat at opposite ends of the long oak table. Thomas was nowhere to be seen. Nikki straightened the fruit bowl, then started to retrieve the contents.

  “Well?” Tess asked again.

  The two women sat in silence. Nikki waved a banana. “At least they’ve calmed down.”

  Tess shook her head. “Where’s Thomas?”

  Sophie gestured out the back door, which stood ajar. “As soon as the storm in here settled he stomped out back to light up his pipe.”

  “Aunt Sophie, I would expect this from Mom—” a derisive snort sounded from her mother’s end of the table “—but I am shocked to witness this kind of behavior from you.” She gestured to the disaster around them. “What is all this?”

  Aunt Sophie’s shoulders heaved. “Ask your mother.”

  Tess turned to Maggie, who waved her fingers in the air, then she pointed to Sophie. “She started it.”

  Sophie gasped but managed to hold her tongue. Tess pressed her palms to the table. “I don’t care who started what. Why are the two of you fighting?”

  Maggie rose, her red hair loose and wild-looking. “It doesn’t matter. It’s over and I’m leaving.”

  Sophie glared at her. “And where will you go?”

  “Tess will take me in. Nikki�
�s old room is still available, right girls?”

  Tess shifted. “Not until you tell us what’s been going on here.”

  “I’ll tell you.” Thomas spoke from the back door, his pipe in hand, smoke curling from the bowl. “They’ve lost their minds. That’s what’s happened.”

  “Just her.” Maggie shook her finger at her sister. “My mind is fine. Maybe I should have known she’d be this way. I ask for one small, little favor and she can’t handle it.”

  “One small, little favor?” Sophie’s eyebrows arched and her face turned scarlet.

  “What kind of favor?” Nikki asked as she finished filling the fruit bowl, then grabbed the broom and turned to the broken pots of herbs.

  Sophie glared at Maggie and folded her arms. “You’ll have to ask her.”

  “It isn’t anything any loving sister wouldn’t do for another.”

  “Now, Maggie.” Thomas went to her and gripped her shoulders. “Sophie loves you. Whatever the two of you are in a tizzy about, there’s one thing for sure. The two of you do love each other and you’ll work this out.”

  Maggie shook her head. “I should never have come here.” One large tear rolled down her cheek. “It was a huge mistake. I thought for sure she’d understand.”

  She turned to Tess. “Look, I am really tired. Can I come stay with you or not?” She raised her arms, then let them flop to her sides. “Otherwise, I’ll go find a hotel.”

  “No.” Sophie rose, then moved to her sister’s side. Thomas draped one arm protectively around Maggie’s shoulders and pulled her close. A sound of frustration rose in Sophie’s throat. “You’ll stay here.”

  “No.” Maggie lifted her chin. “Not unless you agree to my terms.”

  Sophie shook her head. “We need to discuss this rationally. And right now, you are not rational.”

  “No discussion. I’m not the one being irrational.” Maggie turned to Tess. “Yes or no, Tess?”

  “No,” Sophie repeated. “You’ll stay here. I’ll grant your favor.”

  Maggie’s shoulders slumped as though she’d been relieved of some great burden. “Thank you, Sophie. You won’t be sorry. I promise.”

  “I’d better not be.” Sophie’s voice shook and a feeling of unease settled over Tess.

  In her entire life she had never seen her aunt anything but calm and serene. What could possibly have happened to throw her so off kilter?

  Try as she might, she couldn’t seem to read either her mother or her aunt. Not that she ever had, but given today’s development, it had been worth a try. She turned to Thomas. He scratched his head, seemingly as confused as the rest of them.

  “If it’s okay with all of you, I’m going to bed.” Dark rings circled Maggie’s eyes and she did indeed appear ready to collapse.

  “No, it’s not okay.” Tess frowned first at her mother, then her aunt. “We deserve an explanation.”

  Shaking her head, Sophie glared at Maggie, who ran her hand over her face, then turned toward them. “You’re right. You deserve an explanation, but for now you’re not getting one. I will decide when to tell you anything.”

  “Wait,” Nikki said. “You two have some secret and you’re just not going to tell us?”

  “That’s what makes it a secret, dear.” Maggie moved toward the stairs. “Good night, all. I really do need to get some rest.”

  “Here, I’ll walk you up,” Thomas offered, and she nodded, leaning into him as they moved up the first step.

  After they’d gone, Tess turned to Sophie, but before she could utter a word, Sophie raised her hand to silence her. “This is between your mother and me. It’s the way she wants it, so it’s the way it’s going to be. At least for now.”

  “Aunt Sophie…” Nikki set down the broom to move to Sophie’s side. “You know if there’s anything either of you need from us, all you have to do is ask.”

  “I know, sweet girl.” Sophie cupped Nikki’s cheek, then gestured to Tess. “Come here, both of you. Your old aunt needs a hug after all this drama.”

  Tess complied and Sophie wrapped her arms around them both. For just a second a flicker of fear passed through Tess. She straightened, but the sensation was gone so quickly, she couldn’t tell if she had imagined it, or exactly where it had come from.

  Had she gotten a reading from her aunt?

  “Now, you both run along. I’m sorry you got dragged into this. Poor Thomas didn’t know what else to do but call in the troops when he walked in on us.”

  Tess caught her aunt’s eye. “Are you sure the two of you will be okay?”

  “Of course.” Sophie straightened and smoothed her cotton dress. “Aren’t we always?”

  “You certainly are.” Nikki leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. “Mom looked exhausted. Is she okay?”

  A shadow flickered across Sophie’s eyes, but again passed so quickly that Tess wasn’t sure it had actually been there. The reading from her own gut had her shifting uncomfortably.

  “It’s good to hear you call her that. She’ll be fine.” Sophie smiled, though it seemed forced. “She just needs a little rest. It seems it’s taking her a little longer to get over her jet lag this time, but she’ll be fine.” Her smile brightened, seeming even more unnatural. “I’ll look after her. There’s absolutely nothing for you two to worry your pretty heads about.”

  “Okay, then, if you’re sure, we’ll get going.” Nikki nodded to Tess.

  Tess kissed her aunt’s cheek. “You call if you need us, okay?”

  “We’ll be fine, dear. Remember, Thomas is a shout away if we need him. Bless him for moving into the neighborhood, where we can see him more regularly.”

  Tess nodded, then followed Nikki out the door. They walked in silence to the car, and drove a mile or more before Nikki turned to her, her hands gripping the wheel. “Did I imagine it, or did you feel it, too?”

  The sense of unease twisted Tess’s stomach. “Did I feel what?”

  Nikki turned back to the road and shrugged, though her grip on the wheel didn’t loosen. “You know, that sense of mine isn’t working anymore the same way it used to. I probably imagined it.”

  Tess kept her gaze on the road. A streetlight flashed by. “Imagined what?”

  “I don’t know. For just a second there— It’s probably nothing, but I thought that maybe I sensed this flicker of fear from Aunt Sophie.” She glanced at Tess. “Did you get any of that?”

  Tess shifted. “What would Sophie be afraid of? I’ve never known that woman to back down from anything.”

  “Exactly. Which is the only reason I brought it up.” She shook her head, then continued to speak. “I hate that they’re keeping this secret from us. It so obviously has her spooked. Whatever it is, it has something to do with Maggie. There’s something terribly wrong with her.”

  The knot in Tess’s gut tightened. She sighed. “Yes, I think you’re probably right. I got the exact same feeling. Something is definitely wrong with Mom. The question is, what can we do about it? She obviously doesn’t want us to know.”

  “Damn, Tess. You were supposed to tell me I was hallucinating.”

  She met Nikki’s gaze. “If you were, then I was right there with you.”

  “SO WHAT COULD IT BE?” Tess paced across Mason’s soft carpet, while he waited patiently for her to join him in his bed the next evening.

  “Sweetheart, there’s no way for me to tell.”

  “But you’re a doctor. Tell me some signs to look for. She seemed really tired. There were dark rings under her eyes. You know, or maybe you don’t know, but she has always looked years younger than her actual age. People have been mistaking us for sisters since Nikki and I hit our teens, but Maggie was starting to look her age last night. What could possibly do that to a person?”

  “Tess, come to bed. You’re getting yourself all worked up and you don’t know that anything is really wrong. Maybe she was just feeling jet lag, like your aunt said.”

  “Oh, no, there’s definitely something wrong. Sh
e and Aunt Sophie never argue like that. And this was no ordinary argument. This was an all-out fight. They demolished the kitchen. I’ve never seen anything like that, except for the time at the apartment when the guys got a little carried away over that football game and Josh took a pass in the kitchen and they all had to get in on the action.

  “But that’s beside the point. Nikki picked up on it, too. Sophie is helping Maggie hide it, but whatever it is is not good.”

  “Come.” He patted the bed. “You need to relax. If you really want to help your mother, you should calm down so you can think clearly.”

  Tess sighed as she crawled into the bed beside him. “I guess you’re right. I just don’t know how to react to this. Do you know that I can’t ever remember her having so much as the sniffles?”

  “Good, she’s generally healthy, then. Is there any family history of illness?”

  “No, but I don’t have what you would call a normal family. I can’t tell you much about my grandfather’s side, but my grandmother comes from unusually strong stock. All the women of my family tend to live relatively long and healthy lives. I think my great-aunt Emma was one hundred and three when she went peacefully in her sleep.”

  “That’s good.”

  She turned to him, her eyebrows drawn down in concern. “So how do I figure out what’s up with my mother?”

  “Well, you can always ask her.”

  “I did. She was adamant that she wouldn’t tell.”

  He stroked his hand up her back. “What about your aunt? Could you ask her?”

  “She made it pretty clear that it was between my mother and her. I don’t think she’ll break that confidence.” She sighed again and rested her head on his chest. “I hate this. I’m thinking all kinds of horrible things here. I just can’t imagine what it could be.”

  “Maybe you should try to put it aside and not think about it. If it’s anything serious, then chances are she’ll broach the subject when she’s ready.”

  “But what if you saw her? Checked her out kind of discreetly.”

  His hand stilled on her back. He shifted to see her better. “What are you saying?”

  “I could arrange a dinner. My sisters both want to meet you and some of my other friends, too, so maybe I could have a cookout at my place and you could come and I could invite Mom and the rest and you could make some objective observations about whatever doctorly things you would normally observe in a patient and—”