“I need to think about it.” And talk to Annie and maybe even Miss Serena. “Give me the day.”
“All right.” He pulled on his department ball cap. “I need to get back on duty. Drew, you have patrol. Sam and Amy will make sure they get home all right.”
“I don’t need a babysitter.” Annie ground out the words as she glared first at Sam and then at the rest of us. “And I don’t need this wheelchair. I’m perfectly capable of walking out of here on my own two feet.”
Enough was enough! She’d been foolish back at the office and I was damned if she’d be foolish now. Eyes narrowed in warning, I pointed a finger at her. As I did, the air crackled and the monitors in the room stuttered to life. Amy cleared her throat as the others stepped back as lightning danced around the tips of my fingers.
“Dial it down now!” Quinn snapped from the doorway. “Or, by God, I’ll put you on your back. Both of you are on my short list right now.”
I closed my eyes and stilled the energies. Like it or not, she was right. I knew better than to let my emotions run rampant like that. Worse, the fact I was this close to losing control worried me. Whether it was the stress of Mom’s death and then coming to Mossy Creek and learning she had a life I never knew about or something else, I didn’t know. Nor did it matter. I had to get control before someone got hurt.
“Sorry,” I muttered.
“Amy, I talked with your grandmother on my way in. She needs you to call her and then head back to the house.” The look Quinn gave her spoke volumes and I had a feeling it didn’t necessarily bode well for me. Instead of arguing, Amy nodded and, after giving first Annie and me a hug, she left the examining room. “Now, the two of you are free to leave. We will reconvene at my place in an hour. Miss Serena and my mother are already there waiting for us.”
“I have to,” Annie began only to stop before finishing.
“All you have to do is what I tell you right now,” Quinn countered. “Beth is making sure your appointments are rescheduled.” She waited until Annie sighed and nodded. Then she grinned mischievously. “By the way, your mother and grandmother are in the waiting room.”
That bit of news caused not only Annie to pale but Sam as well. Not that I blamed them after seeing how Drew reacted to the sight of his mother and her pink-clad running buddies the other evening. Then, as Annie looked from Quinn to Sam, her eyes narrowed and temper flashed.
“Which of you called her?”
I had no doubt who “her” happened to be.
“We didn’t have to,” Quinn said with a grin. “The café was full when you called Janny. I doubt she’d hung up before folks were calling your mother and grandmother.” Now she paused and, from the way she fought to control her expression, I had a feeling she was trying very hard not to laugh. “Be glad your grandmother was home. She intercepted your mother before she could barge back here to take care of my little girl.”
I swear, Sam almost choked trying not to laugh. I ducked my head, figuring it best not to let Annie see my amusement.
“At least she didn’t bring her babies,” Annie muttered. Then her eyes widened, and she looked as Quinn in horror. “Did she?”
Quinn shrugged. “I didn’t see them, but you know your mother.” She let the rest of her response trail off into nothingness.
“Sam, maybe I should stay longer.” Annie reached for his hand and held onto it like it was a lifeline.
I couldn’t help it. I laughed, closing my mouth with a snap when she glared at me. “Sorry, Annie, but if you’d done as I told you, you wouldn’t be in this position.” Okay, maybe I didn’t have to rub it in, but she needed to understand how foolish she’d been.
Instead of answering, she did what I probably would have done in her place. She glared at me and then stuck out her tongue. A moment later, the tension broke and we all laughed. As we did, one part of me wondered at it. There had never been anyone back in Maxon’s Mill except Mom who would argue with me and then all would be forgiven. What else had I missed out on growing up?
“Shall we get out of here?” Quinn asked.
“Sounds good to me.” I glanced around, looking for my tee shirt. The nurse let me keep my jeans on but had me replace the shirt with one of those oh-so-unflattering hospital “gowns”.
“You and Annie head on out, Sam. We’ll meet you there,” Quinn said.
He nodded and then stepped over to the examining table where I sat. “Thank you.” Then he bent and lightly kissed my cheek. A moment later, he wheeled Annie out of the room, closing the door behind them.
“He’s still worried about her.”
“We all are.” Quinn reached down to retrieve my tee shirt from where it had fallen on the floor behind one of the two battered metal chairs in the room. “And thanks for trying to protect her. Annie’s a stubborn and loyal friend who will run head-first into danger if she thinks she can help.”
“I’m starting to figure that out.” I shrugged out of the hospital gown and reached for my tee shirt. “But I take it you have something else you wanted to discuss.”
She glanced around and shook her head, her expression serious. “Once we’re on our way.”
Ten minutes later, discharge papers signed, written instructions in hand, we drove out of the parking lot. I waited as Quinn guided her SUV away from the hospital. She had something on her mind, that much was obvious. But what?
Finally, unable to stand it any longer, I asked.
“Sorry.” She glanced across at me and smiled apologetically. “To be honest, I wanted to make sure my temper was under control before saying anything.”
My stomach did a slow turn, and, to my surprise, I found myself hoping I hadn’t done anything to upset her.
“Don’t worry, it’s not you. It’s me.” I relaxed a little. “Meg, two things. First, like I said, thanks for trying to take care of Annie. She’s special.”
I nodded.
“As for what happened, I’m going to be looking into it as well. No, I don’t have jurisdiction and it won’t be official, but let’s just say I have contacts Lucas and Drew don’t. Besides, you saw how those cowards reacted when you let your talent manifest. Think what they will do with mine.” She lifted her right hand from the steering wheel and rubbed her fingers together. A moment later, small flames danced above her fingertips. Then she shook her hand, extinguishing the flames.
I chuckled at the thought. “Only if you take me with you.”
She looked at me and grinned. As she did, I knew I’d found a kindred soul.
“What’s the second thing?”
“Well, it’s actually a couple of things. I guess the first is that Drew is going to meet us at my place. He’d be there anyway because of Annie but I’ve got eyes and I’ve known him all my life. There’s something between the two of you. I’m not sure either of you realize it or know what it is. I know he doesn’t.” She gently applied the brake to slow the SUV as we neared a stop sign.
“Let’s just say we know something is going on and we aren’t ignoring it.” What else could I say? At least she wasn’t telling me to stay away from him.
“Good.” She sounded relieved. “Drew’s a good guy. Also, like his sister, he’s loyal and will do whatever he thinks necessary to protect those he cares about.”
“Understood.” I think. “What else?”
Now she seemed to hesitate. “Has Miss Serena said anything about my house?”
“A little. Why?”
“My house is different, even from hers. It always has been. Just don’t be surprised by anything you see or feel. Okay?”
I nodded, not sure what else to do. As I did, she parked in front of a three-story house. From the design, I knew it had to be one of the oldest houses in town even if it looked almost brand new. Sprawling balconies decorated the front of the house, each with French doors I assumed opened into bedrooms. An eight-foot tall stone fence with wrought iron toppers was designed for privacy and ran along, I assumed, three sides of the house. The fron
t of the fence was wrought iron. Welded finials topped it. A narrow iron gate stood across the stone walk and a larger one protected the driveway. To say the house was impressive would be doing it an injustice.
I waited until Quinn switched off the engine and then climbed out. By the time Quinn joined me on the sidewalk, I had a pretty good idea what she meant about the house. Closing my eyes and extending my awareness, I could see the energies surrounding it. Those energies were alive and, unless I missed my guess, aware. I could feel them responding to Quinn’s presence. No doubt about it, she was tied into the energies somehow. Was this the same thing I’d felt to a lesser extent at Miss Serena’s?
“Watch this,” Quinn whispered.
I opened my eyes and smiled to see Drew parking behind her SUV. As he stepped out, he hesitated, his gaze never leaving the gate in front of the house. For a moment, I wondered at it. Then, seeing the sour look he turned to Quinn, I had a feeling I knew the answer. If the house was as alive as I suspected, Drew had been on its wrong side more than once.
But how do you get on the wrong side of a house and did I really want to know?
“Let’s go. The others should be here soon.”
With that, Quinn walked toward the gate. It swung open as she neared. Doing my best not to laugh when Drew quickened his pace, as if afraid the gate would swing shut on him, I hurried to his side. Without thinking about what I was about to do, I reached for his hand. I smiled slightly as our fingers touched and that spark I’d come to expect came to life. Then, as our fingers twined together, we stepped through the gate. It swung closed behind us and Drew blew out a relieved breath.
“Are you all right?” I asked softly.
“I’ll explain later,” he said just as softly.
Soon, we all settled in the front room of the house. Annie arched one brow and then smiled as her brother slid down to sit on the floor by my chair. Her smile deepened when he reached for my hand. At least she didn’t seem to mind the fact there was something between Drew and me. Of course, I had no illusions about how she’d react if she felt I was taking advantage of her twin and heaven help me if I hurt him. I’d seen enough of how she reacted that morning to know I did not want her mad at me.
“Here you go.” Sam handed Annie a cup of what smelled like herbal tea. “Now answer me one question. Where’s your gun?” He pinned her with a firm look.
I swear Annie squirmed in her chair before answering. Not that she needed to say anything. Her expression said it all.
“Damn it, Annie.” He ran a hand over his face.
To my surprise, Quinn spoke before he could continue. “Annie, why weren’t you carrying?” She spoke softly, slowly, not that it hid her anger.
“Both you and Sam are too overprotective,” she protested.
“Annie, you have your carry permit for a reason.” Lucas rested his hand on Quinn’s thigh, stopping her from interrupting. “What would you have done if one of the Luíseachs managed to get past Meg this morning? From what I’ve heard, they threatened you as well.”
“What?” Sam’s voice turned cold and his expression deadly. “They threatened you?” When Annie didn’t answer, he looked at me.
“It was veiled but there,” I confirmed. “Basically, they said she wasn’t as safe as she thought.” I went on to detail everything they’d said.
“Damn it, Annie.” Sam pulled her close, as if trying to protect her from what happened earlier. “You have to carry your gun. Promise me.”
“Sam.” She sighed, and I could see her trying to figure out what to say next. “I quit carrying when I started resembling a beached whale. There’s no way to carry comfortably.”
“We’ll find you something that works,” Quinn promised.
“Until you do, you’re not going into the office,” Sam told her.
“But,” she protested.
“Annie, I’ll take care of things for you. If you trust me to.” Where that came from, I didn’t know. But I wasn’t about to take it back.
For a moment, it looked as if she might argue. Then she simply smiled and thanked me. Not that I completely bought it. I had a feeling Sam would have his hands full trying to keep her home for the next few days. At least that was his worry and not mine.
I hoped. There was one thing I needed to say, however.
“I owe all of you, especially Sam and Annie, an apology. None of this would have happened if I hadn’t come to town and if you hadn’t agreed to help me.” Damn, this was harder than I expected. “Annie, I’ll take care of the office until you’re back, then I’ll step away. I’ll talk with the judge and make sure he appoints someone else to help you. Miss Serena, I’ll start looking for someplace else to stay. I’m not going to put any of you in danger or cause you trouble with those people.” I couldn’t call them my relatives any more than I could stop my decision from hurting so much. How in the world had I come to care so much for these people in such a short period of time?
“Meg, don’t be foolish.” Miss Serena stopped everyone else from speaking with just a look. “If you run, and that is exactly what you’d be doing even if you don’t leave town, you let them win. Don’t give them that satisfaction. If not for yourself, do it for your mother. Stand up to them for her and because of her. They can’t hurt us.”
Drew twisted around so he could look up at me without straining. “She’s right, Meg.” He held my gaze until I looked away. “I don’t know how they found out who you are. My guess is the grapevine, but I guarantee that after today, none of the regulars at the café will say anything that might get back to them.”
“It also means everything they do in public will get back to us,” Quinn’s mother, Judith, said. “The question we need to answer is why they chose to confront you in public. That’s not how they usually operate. They much prefer doing their dirty business behind closed doors and away from anyone who might see or hear.”
The anger and bitterness in her voice surprised me. Unfortunately, I had a feeling this was neither the time nor the place to ask about it. Hopefully, that chance would come sooner, rather than later.
Before I could spend any more time worrying about it, others began arriving. Over the next few minutes, Judge Caldwell and his wife, Camille, came in. Not long after them came Amy and Lexie. Then Beth arrived with Miss Peggy and Janny, along with enough food to feed half the town, close behind. Soon, everyone had found places to sit and food had been passed around. Conversations flowed around me. Instead of feeling left out, I felt part of it all. Their worry for not only Annie but for me came through. So did a sense of community I’d never experienced outside of the military. I’d always wanted something like this but now I didn’t know what to do with it.
I finished my burger and stood. For more than half an hour, we’d discussed not only what happened outside Annie’s office that morning but also my wreck. There had been a great deal of speculation and suggestions on how to proceed but no answers. Worse, if possible, I had more questions now than I had before this war council began. I needed some time alone, some time to think and time to pull my thoughts together.
To my surprise, when Drew and Quinn prepared to stand, Judith waved them back. She gave a quick shake of her head before they could object. I smiled in appreciation and moved in the direction of the kitchen. Maybe the others would assume I was simply throwing away my trash and putting my plate in the sink. It really didn’t matter as long as they didn’t follow.
“Are you all right?” Judith asked a few moments later as she entered the kitchen.
I shook my head without turning away from the sink. Instead, I continued to look out the window. Then I sighed and turned. The look of understanding on Judith’s face almost did me in. Without a word, she hurried forward and I soon found myself in her arms. She spoke softly, reassuring me everything would be all right.
When she stepped back, she looked at me closely. Then, holding my right hand in hers, she led me to the table at the far end of the kitchen. She watched as I was seat
ed and then she sat next to me. Her expression troubled, she gently ran her hands over my left arm, as if searching for damage.
“Why didn’t you say you were hurting?” She stood and crossed to the walk-in pantry. I listened as she rummaged around inside before reappearing a few moments later.
“It’s not that bad.” Well, it wasn’t as bad as it could be.
“You don’t have to hurt, Meg. I know Serena’s told you that.” She worked quickly to mix up some sort of tonic.
“It’s nothing, really.” Well, it was more than nothing, but it was also a reminder not to be careless.
“Drink that.” She set the glass on the table and waited.
I lifted it to my lips and sipped a bit hesitantly. I trusted her not to do anything untoward, but I remembered some of Mom’s potions. To say they tasted foul was being kind. This one, however, tasted of mint and something else I couldn’t identify, refreshing and light. I took another sip and soon set the now-empty glass on the table.
“Thanks.”
Judith ran a light hand over my hair and I felt a little boost, whether from the potion or her own energies I didn’t know.
“Go walk around the backyard. Give yourself some time to gather your thoughts,” she suggested. “You’ll be safe. The house will protect you.”
I nodded, not even trying to act like I didn’t know what she meant. Not only did I have a feeling Miss Serena told her I knew about her house, but I’d seen the look she’d shared when Quinn when we entered and Quinn’s nod.
“The others?”
“They’ll continue comparing notes for a bit. Then they’ll start talking about sports or Annie’s baby or any of a number of other things. But they will be here when you’re ready to talk.”
I stood and gave her a quick hug. Then I stepped back and looked at her, understanding suddenly dawning. “You knew my mother, didn’t you?”
“She was one of my best friends growing up.” She smiled and her expression softened. “And you are so much like her.” She cupped my cheek with one hand. Then she led me to the backdoor. “You feel the protections, right?” It wasn’t exactly a question and I nodded. “They extend to the property line. The house won’t let anyone into the yard without Quinn or me, or a very few others, saying it’s all right. Believe me, your mother’s birth family will never be welcome here. So you can relax and decide what you want to do next without worry.”
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