Phil. Yeah, he’d left her. But he was the one who’d raised her magic. The one she loved.
Tris was not for her. He’d failed her tonight. Some surprise. Now he wanted her. Like he deserved her. Regardless of what she wanted, which was home, babies, and a strong, steady guy.
Which he wasn’t. Or at least he never had been. Being strong and steady for Maggie sounded pretty damned good about now, though. Babies? He’d never thought about them. But if Maggie wanted them, he’d change diapers with the best of them. Maybe he could be a better father than he’d gotten.
As if his father was the problem. His father did his best. That had become obvious today. Why couldn’t Tris just accept it? He was the problem. His father provided for his family, protected them, loved them. Which was more than Tris had been able to do for Maggie. Tris was a loser, all the way around, as surely as his father was a winner.
“At least Elroy won’t be drinking up all my rodeo winnings,” she said. She looked up and set her lips. He knew that look. And in spite of the fact that it spelled danger, he loved it. She got that determined look in her eyes too. The one he’d seen in the truck just before the California line. Then she looked down, so he couldn’t see her face.
Shit. He’d forgotten that she lost her father tonight. Elroy might have been a sorry example of family, but he was all she had. “I’m sorry about Elroy....”
“I’m not.” When she turned, her expression was fierce. “That old fool locked me in the bedroom until the Firestarter could get there. He tried to sell me, for Christ’s sake. He admitted that my mother never left us. Elroy hacked her up along with the propane guy he thought she was screwing and buried them somewhere out in the desert. And my dog right after that. So don’t say you’re sorry about Elroy. He got exactly what he deserved.”
Tris wanted to take her in his arms and hold her, but she’d never let him do that. She was too stubborn to admit how shaken she was. He felt totally inadequate to comfort her. “Uh, at least your mother didn’t leave you. She loved you.” He wasn’t sure, but he’d never tell Maggie.
She sniffed. “Yeah.” She raised her chin. “And Phil the Rat can go to hell.”
Now this was interesting. She thought Phil was a rat? Tris chewed his lip some, his steak forgotten. He gathered his courage. “Ever thought of looking him up in Vegas?”
She frowned. “Why would I look him up? So I could get dumped again?”
Tris cleared his throat. “But... if you knew he regretted what happened....” He couldn’t finish the sentence, and she just stared at him for a long minute.
“I’m not moping around after Phil,” she said guardedly.
Good. That was good. But there was the power thing. “You must have gotten your power from Phil. I saw you calm horses, and you’d been doing it for years.” It would have killed him to say that a few minutes ago. But now....
She shook her head wearily. “Oh, I loved him. But I was seventeen, for God’s sake. Who knows anything about love at seventeen? Maybe he did raise my power, a little. I sure never saw him get a power. But what I could do then wasn’t a shadow of what happened to me at the camp.”
Tris nodded, his gut churning. This was it. This was the moment that would determine the rest of his life, right here. She didn’t love Phil. He could hear that in her voice. Sure, he didn’t deserve her. And he was bound to fail her. But he just couldn’t let her walk out of his life. It almost didn’t matter that she’d raised a power he’d never believed he could have and changed his life forever. He’d raised hers in a way Phil never could. That’s what was important.
She looked at him, her gray-green eyes full of emotion. She was the most beautiful woman in the world. She was waiting, he could see it.
God damn it. He was going to do it. It was his only chance....
*****
Maggie watched Tris press his lips together and take a huge breath. He put the tray with his dinner on the bed beside him, and pushed himself up to his feet.
“What are you doing? You’ll start bleeding....”
He ignored her. There was a stubborn set to his jaw but his green eyes were soft as his gaze played over her. He stalked over to her chair and... and got down on his good knee. Her little gasp surprised her. This, this was going to take courage, one way or another. She wasn’t ready!
He took one of her hands in both of his and looked down at it.
“I know I’m not much, Maggie O’Brian. Didn’t get here in time to stop you being attacked. Had to wait for my father to figure out you were in danger. I’m bound to disappoint you, just so you know. You’d be way better off with Kemble.” He took a deep breath. “I’m used merchandise, too. Hard used. You know that.” He swallowed. “But I love you. Have for a while. And what I feel for you isn’t in the same league with what I’ve ever felt for a woman before. I know I can be strong for you, Maggie. Steady.” She saw him gather himself before he looked up at her. His eyes were as full as hers were. “I want to marry you, Maggie O’Brian, and give you babies, and watch them grow up with whatever magic they have or don’t have, until we’re old and gray. And I swear that you may get sick of me and leave me, but I’ll never leave you.” His voice grew more uncertain. “I understand if you don’t want to take a chance....”
And here it was, what she’d secretly hoped for almost since she’d met him, though she’d fought so hard against it. Funny. He still thought he’d disappoint her, but he mustered the courage to try for happiness. There were no guarantees in life. He might still move on and leave her. But if he had the courage to try, how could she not?
“That was a damn fine proposal, Tristram Tremaine.” The painful uncertainty in his face was difficult to see. “I think you’re a good man. And I’ve loved you for a while too. I don’t know why you want me. Your family will be appalled. But I accept.”
He lunged forward, gathering her into his arms. “You won’t be sorry, Maggie. I’ll make sure you’re never sorry. I’ll buy you nice things, starting with a dog. A girl like you needs a dog.”
The door burst open. Kemble strode in. “I thought you’d never get to it, old man. It’s cold at night up here.”
Behind Kemble, Mr. and Mrs. Tremaine surged into the room. “His family is not appalled,” Mrs. Tremaine said, smiling. “Grateful, perhaps. And relieved he’s come to his senses,” Then her face fell. “Oh, my dear, you’re hurt. You must let me take care of that.” She bustled over, as Tris pushed himself up, and tipped Maggie’s face up to the light.
“You’ve been out there all along?” Tris asked his brother, outraged.
“Mother wouldn’t let us intrude until you’d settled things.” Kemble looked around the little motel room. “Don’t suppose you’ve got more of that steak hidden around. Diner’s closed.”
Tris looked around at his family, fuming. “You probably brought the whole tribe.”
“Too dangerous,” his father said. “Drew and Mr. Nakamura have them in hand.”
Mrs. Tremaine took Maggie’s face between her hands. Her eyes went almost silver.
“Tris is hurt way worse,” Maggie protested.
“I’ll get to him. This won’t take a minute.” Maggie felt a tingling throughout her body, followed by a sense of well-being like nothing she’d ever felt.
“There.” Mrs. Tremaine stepped back to look at her handiwork.
“I’m so sorry to trouble you. You didn’t have to do that, Mrs. Tremaine.”
“Now that you’re practically a member of the family, do you think you might begin to call me Brina?” Really, the woman’s smile was infectious.
Maggie couldn’t help but smile back. “Thank you, uh, Brina, for healing me.”
“It was nothing.” She looked around the room. “What’s a power for unless you use it?”
“That means you’ll call me Brian, of course,” Mr. Tremaine said gruffly. Then he smiled, almost shy. Now she knew where Tris got his smile. Kemble had gone for the steak left on her plate. Mr. Tremaine’s smile turned
down as he saw Tris’s injuries. “What happened, son? We’d have been here sooner if Brina didn’t insist on coming.”
“I was all ready. The cards were quite clear about the crisis.”
Kemble rolled his eyes.
“There was more than one,” Tris said grimly, limping back to the bed. “I drove the Cloaker off the road about seventy-five miles out, but not before he got in a couple of shots. A Firestarter had Maggie cornered by the time I got to Elroy’s.”
“I take it that one’s dead,” Mr. Tremaine said briskly.
“Yeah.”
“I knew you’d be able to take care of things as long as there weren’t too many of them. You’ve always been a fighter. Firestarter, though... tough. How’d you do it?”
At least his father assumed Tris was competent. Maggie saw Tris blink a couple of times, like he hadn’t expected that. “Tris got his power,” she said to fill the silence, and she wasn’t sorry she couldn’t keep a touch of pride out of her voice.
Mrs. Tremaine... Brina... clapped her hands, her face alight with pride. Mr. Tremaine reached out and shook Tris’s hand. Only Kemble looked a little deflated.
“What is it?” Mr. Tremaine asked.
She could tell Tris was about to pooh-pooh the whole thing. “He can draw energy from the earth to power machines,” she interrupted. She went to sit beside him on the bed. “He powered the cycle to get to Elroy’s after the gas tank got hit, and he made a rust bucket that hadn’t run in fifty years crush the Firestarter.”
Tris’s father grinned. “That’s a good one. Brina, have we ever heard of a wizard who could do that?”
“No, dear. Tris is original, as always.”
His father beamed. “What you could do with that! It would be indispensable in our disaster relief operations.” He turned to Maggie. “Might be a good pairing with the calming talent you have, Maggie. People in shock could use your skills.”
Maggie had a hard time getting her breath... their positive energy, their assumptions, were overwhelming. “I... I’m just a rodeo rider, Mr. Tremaine. I don’t....”
“Brian! Leave Maggie alone. She’s been through a lot.”
“Firestarter killed her father,” Tris said roughly as he put his arm around Maggie.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Brina exclaimed.
“Don’t be,” Maggie said, before Brina could settle into mother-hen mode. “He was never really a father to me. Turned out he killed my mother, and sold me to the Firestarter.”
That didn’t deter Brina. “Oh, my dear. Well. Well, it’s certainly a good thing that you have a new family. I’m quite certain Brian would never kill me, or sell any of the children.” She slid a look to Brian that was a touch mischievous. “Although there are times when I’m sure we’re all exasperating.”
“Didn’t mean to push you, Maggie,” Mr. Tremaine humphed. “If you want to ride animals in competition, you’re welcome to do that. But if we can help you... start an animal rescue perhaps, or calm schizophrenics, or whatever you want to do with your power, Tremaine Enterprises will stand behind any project you undertake. Just bring me your ideas.”
“I.... Thank you, Mr. Tremaine.” He raised his brows. “I mean, Brian.” Boy that didn’t come easy. “I’ll have to put that off, though. I have to bury Elroy, and I’ll need to earn enough to make the monthly payment on the land. The mortgage is underwater and I couldn’t default. Lander County Savings and Loan took a chance on me.”
Tris pulled her closer. His smile was tender. “California is a community property state, baby. You are about to own half of a very lucrative body shop, or a third anyway,” he amended, frowning. “I promised José the shop. I have to at least cut him in.”
“Open a branch for him,” Kemble said. “José could make it go. Las Vegas? Or Silicon Valley. Those tech billionaires like their cars. ”
“I may have unfinished business in Las Vegas.” Tris nodded, looking fierce. Kinda cute. He was angry at Phil the Rat. “Anyway, we can pay off the mortgage tomorrow if you want, Maggie. Then you can sell the land for whatever it brings, or keep it if you want.”
Having Tris pay off her mortgage didn’t feel good.
“Your spent-oil fuel technology will be worth a fortune when we develop it,” Brian said. “As well as making transportation a whole lot cheaper for a lot of people.”
“So see? You’re rich. No worries.” Tris traced the frowning lines. “You can do whatever you want with your power.”
That felt so strange. What would she do if she didn’t have to worry about Elroy and money? Be happy? With Tris? And maybe it was okay if he paid the mortgage. That was the past. Maybe it was best to put it behind her, since they had a whole future to build things together. Build a family. That would be shared work. Suddenly she knew that the vision of Elroy going up in flames, the terror of fighting off the Firestarter, fresh and horrible as they were now, would dim as they slipped into the past.
“Tammy is going to be so happy you finally popped the question, Tristram.” Brina shook her head. “Now we can dispense with that dressage teacher. You won’t mind, will you, my dear? She’d be heartbroken not to get a lesson from you once in a while.”
“Of course! I’d love to teach her.... I mean when I’m in town.”
This was all so fast. She had an instant family, complete with obligations, generosity, and no doubt a lot of complications. It felt wonderful and frightening.
“Don’t you dare scare her away before I can get a ring on her finger,” Tris said, scanning his family. He turned to Maggie. How she loved when his eyes lit with that soft expression. “You already knew my family was certifiable, right? You won’t chicken out?”
“I won’t chicken out.” She smiled a little. “But you’re exaggerating.”
“Magic in your DNA and powers and true love? Anybody would call that certifiable.” Tris was looking wan and strained again.
“Out, you two,” Brina said to the men with little shooshing movements toward the door. “I have work to do on Tristram. Maggie, you can stay and give Tristram moral support.”
“I’ll go get us some rooms in this four-star establishment,” Kemble muttered.
“Then let’s get out to the scene of the fire,” Brian added. “I’ll grease the wheels with the local law enforcement....” Brian and Kemble closed the door, making plans all the way out.
“Are they always that... directed?” Maggie asked.
“That was tame,” Brina said. “You haven’t seen them in full executive plumage yet. Now, lie down, Tristram.” She seemed pretty directed herself.
It wasn’t long before Tris was whole. He looked sleepy, but the bullet hole had mended itself and his burns and cuts were just new pink skin. When Kemble and Brian returned, Kemble took Brina to one of their newly acquired rooms to rest. Maggie curled next to Tris again, one of his arms around her shoulders. That felt right. Brian sat on the foot of Tris’s bed, frowning.
Tris spoke first. “I know. Two of them, working together. What do you think it means?”
Brian turned to Maggie. “Did your attacker want something more than just sadistic fun?”
Maggie swallowed once. “He... he wanted me to join their group. Or he’d kill me.”
“Bastard,” Tris muttered. “Wish I’d made him suffer more.”
“So there’s a group.” Brian looked like he was about to say something more, but shut his mouth abruptly. He rose. “We should get back to The Breakers as soon as we can tomorrow. I don’t like leaving Drew on her own with the children.”
“I got another load of mustangs to take down to LA,” Maggie apologized.
“We can pick up your truck if we can get a lift to Fallon,” Tris said. “We’ll come back and load up and be off. This time I can drive.”
“I don’t want you two out here on your own.” His father pulled a tiny cell phone from the inside pocket of his jacket. “I’ll have someone bring the truck over. We’ll caravan back together.”
“I’d like
to have that old rusted truck out at Maggie’s hauled back to the shop,” Tris said. “Grandpa deserves some restoration.”
His father chuckled and nodded. “Can do.” He turned back at the door. “Good job, son.” He glanced to Maggie. “Good job all the way around.”
Maggie looked up to Tris and saw some of the anger that always lurked beneath his surface melt away. “Thanks,” he said after a second. “This mean the truce is extended?”
His father’s face, an older version of the classic Tremaine features, got a look of wry apology. “I’d say it’s well on its way to a permanent peace agreement.”
“Just for the record, I didn’t beat up that paparazzo. He’d moved in on another photographer trying to get shots of Brenda Foxfield. They’re apparently very territorial.”
“And I assumed the worst about you. Can you forgive me?”
“Might be the other way around. God knows I provoked you every chance I could.”
“So, it sounds like a deal,” Maggie interrupted. “Now can you two stop the making up long enough for Tris to get some sleep?”
“Oh, I doubt he’ll get much of that,” his father said, flipping the phone to his ear as he closed the door behind him.
Tris gathered Maggie into his arms. “The old man is more perceptive than I thought.” He kissed her tenderly. “Thanks for taking a chance on me.”
“Hey, I ride rodeo. Taking chances is a way of life. Besides, it felt right.” She arched her neck so he could kiss it. “Down to my bones.”
“Or maybe down to your DNA,” Tris whispered as he popped the snaps on her shirt and she pressed her breast into his hand. “Always knew my parents had magic. Now I kinda think we have magic, too. Maybe a couple kinds.”
He stopped any answer she might have made with kisses.
#####
About Susan Squires:
Susan Squires is a New York Times bestselling author known for breaking the rules of romance writing. She has published five novels with Dorchester Publishing and nine with St. Martin’s Press, along with three novellas in anthologies. Whatever her time period or subject, some element of the paranormal always creeps in. She has won multiple contests for published novels and reviewer’s choice awards. Publisher’s Weekly named Body Electric one of the most influential massmarket books of 2003 and One with the Shadows, the fifth in her vampire Companion Series, a Best Book of 2007. Time for Eternity, the first in her DaVinci time travel series, received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly.
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