Light Magic

by Ellie Ferguson

  “Don’t take this wrong, but what are you doing here?” I asked as Drew and I trailed after them to the kitchen.

  “Well, it could be that Mama called me last night, wanting to know what you and Drew were doing together and why you ran out the back of the café when she and the Terrible Trio got near,” Annie teased as she looked inside Drew’s refrigerator. A moment later, she tossed the orange juice to her brother and told him to pour her a glass. “Or it could be Gran called me later to say Mama was right miffed with the two of you because she knew you were hiding in the house and not answering when she rang the doorbell.”

  “Or it could simply be you and I are supposed to go shopping today and Annie here decided to go with us,” Quinn added as she poured herself a mug of coffee.

  Shopping. I’d forgotten I’d promised Quinn we’d get together today. Crap.

  “Sorry, Meg and I have plans today.” Drew slid his arm around my waist and pulled me to him. As he did, my cheeks heated. I had a pretty good idea what those plans were.

  “It’s okay.” I patted his hand. “Give me a few minutes to clean up.”

  “Don’t take too long. We have to swing by Annie’s to pick up the kids,” Quinn said.

  Drew followed me out of the kitchen, stopping me before I turned down the hall leading to his bedroom. “Are you sure?”

  “I am.” I caressed his cheek and then kissed him. “But I wouldn’t say no if you wanted to meet up later.”

  “I think that’s an excellent idea.” He cradled me against his chest and then let me go. “Meg, thank you.”

  “I think I should be the one thanking you.” For more than he knew. “Now get back to the others before they decide to come see what we’re up to.”

  He chuckled and bent to whisper in my ear. Hearing what he had planned for later, my toes curled and lust reawakened. Damn, but the man knew how to get me all hot and bothered.

  “Quinn,” I laughed three hours later as we left the shooting range. “This is the kind of shopping I could get used about.”

  When we’d pulled up in front of the state-of-the-art facility earlier, I relaxed for the first time since leaving Drew’s. Until then, I’d had visions of dressing rooms and shoe stores. Quinn spent the next hour watching with a critical eye as she had us shooting different guns at targets at different distances. Then we stopped in the range’s store and resupplied our ammo. After some discussion, and more than a little resistance from Annie, we finally found a holster she admitted was more comfortable than her old one. With that accomplished, we collected the kids from the secure area where they’d been playing with the Mals and made our way outside to Quinn’s SU.

  “Annie, once that baby comes, I want you to get back into the habit of shooting at least once a month,” Quinn said as she pulled onto the highway.

  “You’re as bad as Sam,” the redhead groused.

  “She’s right, Annie.” I grinned when Annie turned in her seat and mouthed “traitor” at me. “If you’re going to carry, you need to stay in practice.”

  “I swear Sam bribed you both.”

  “Nope.” But mention of her husband reminded me of something I needed to do. While Annie and Quinn talked about our range time and the kids played some game in the third row of seats, I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text. A few moments later, my phone dinged. I read Sam’s response, saying he’d be glad to meet me the next day. I texted my thanks and slid the phone back into my pocket. “Where are we going now?” I asked when I realized we weren’t heading back to Mossy Creek.

  “One more bit of shopping – after we do a drive-through run for the kids.” A shout of approval sounded from the rear of the SUV. “It shouldn’t take long.”

  An hour later, she pulled off the road and carefully guided the SUV down a long, wooded drive. As she did, I tapped Annie on the shoulder. She looked back and shrugged her shoulders. Apparently, she had no more idea why we were at Longhorn Breeders than I did.

  “Quinn, it’s good to see you,” a tall, slender blonde said as Quinn helped Sasha and Zeus out of the back of the SUV. “They’re looking good.”

  “They’re everything you promised,” Quinn replied. She clipped leads onto the Mals’ halters and moved around the SUV. “Are you ready for us?”

  “We are.” The woman motioned for them to come with her. “Are these the two?”

  Annie stopped where she was, her arms crossed under her breasts. “The ones what?” she demanded.

  And wasn’t that an excellent question?

  “It’s very simple.” Quinn kept walking, the blonde at her side. Annie and I shared a look of frustration before hurrying after them. As we did, the kids followed more slowly. “These are the breeders and trainers Mom got Zeus and Sasha from. I called Carole here the other day after your little encounter with the Luíseachs. I want both of you to get yourselves a guard dog.”

  “I can’t.” I shook my head. Even if I wanted a dog, I didn’t have a place for one. Quinn knew that.

  “You can and you will. Someone’s already tried to make you into road kill, Meg. We aren’t taking any more chances with your safety.” She pinned me with a look that left no doubt she meant every word. “And as for you, Annie, this is something your husband suggested. So, if you have a problem with it, take it up with him.”

  “Is she always this bossy?” I asked, not trying to speak softly.

  “I am,” Quinn answered unapologetically.

  “You seem to have forgotten one thing, Quinn. I don’t have my own place. Hell, I don’t even know if I’m staying in Mossy Creek.” Okay, that wasn’t quite the truth, but they didn’t need to know it – yet.

  With a smirk, she pulled out her phone. I lunged forward, grabbing for it. She couldn’t be calling Miss Serena. Anticipating me, she stepped out of the way. I ground my teeth and considered tackling her. I couldn’t believe she’d do this. Fortunately for her, I remembered the kids and decided I’d deal with Quinn later, without young witnesses.

  “Hey, Miss Serena, it’s me,” Quinn said as she put the phone on speaker.

  I rolled my eyes. She might have the upper hand for the moment, but it wouldn’t last.

  “Quinn, what can I do for you?”

  “Miss Serena, I’m at the dog trainer’s with Annie and Meg. It seems Meg is worried you might not like her bringing a dog home.” She danced out of the way as I once again tried to grab the phone from her.

  “Meg dear, quit worrying. You can bring home as many dogs as you wish. There’s more than enough room in the house. The backyard is fenced, not to mention all the acreage beyond the yard where you can run them.”

  If there had been a wall handy, I’d have pounded my head – or possibly Quinn’s – against it. As it was, I could do only one thing. “Thank you, Miss Serena. But Quinn spoke a little prematurely. I haven’t found a dog yet.” And, if I had anything to do with it, I wouldn’t.

  “Don’t close your mind to the possibility, dear. A dog’s not a bad idea.”

  “We’ll see.”

  “Quinn, when you finish there, come back here. I’ll call Sam and Lucas – and Drew. We’ll have dinner here and you can tell me about your day.”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’ll call when we’re heading back.” Quinn ended the call and slipped the phone into her hip pocket. “Any more objections?” She looked first at me and then at Annie.

  We shrugged and, knowing we couldn’t change her mind, followed Carole and her to a fenced area where trainers were working with several dogs.

  I should have known what would happen. I’m not usually slow and I’d had plenty of examples of how things worked in Mossy Creek. Even if we weren’t exactly “in” town, it’s influence obviously held. There could be no other explanation for the two Belgium malinoises whose leashes I now held.

  “Mama.” Ali held hands with Robbie as Annie and I finished paying for our dogs and the various food and supplies Quinn insisted we needed.

  “What is it, sweetheart?” She dropped to on
e knee in front of the children. “Do you need to go to the bathroom?”

  “Moom,” Ali protested. “No.” She shook her head. Then she looked at her mother and I couldn’t help laughing. I saw the calculation in the little girl’s eyes and knew Quinn had her hands full or would soon.

  “What is it then?”

  “Mama, you have Sasha and Zeus. Robbie has Rocky. Miss Annie and Miss Meg now have dogs.”

  “And?” Quinn’s eyes narrowed as she realized where the conversation was headed.

  “I’m the only one without a dog.” She batted her eyes. Annie and I both laughed as Quinn looked at her daughter in disbelief.

  “I think it’s only fair Ali has her own puppy, Quinn.” Annie sounded so innocent I almost choked.

  “Mom, I think Rocky needs a new friend,” Robbie put in. From the way he grinned at Ali, I knew the two of them had cooked up this ambush of their mothers.

  Since turnabout was fair play, I knew what I needed to do. “I think that’s a great idea, kids. Carole, would you have some puppies we could look at?”

  Annie sighed in resignation, but Quinn narrowed her eyes at me. I nodded once, a slight smile on my lips.

  An hour later, we headed home. To say the SUV was crowded was putting it mildly. We’d folded down the third-row seat. The kids now sat in the backseat with me. Each one cradled a puppy. Robbie had chosen a German shepherd puppy he’d already named Moose. Ali held a black lab pup. In cages in the back were not only Sasha and Zeus but also three others: Annie’s German shepherd bitch and my own matched pair of Mals. I shouldn’t have spent the money and it wasn’t right to take them back to Miss Serena’s, but I couldn’t pass them up once I’d seen them. I just hoped she understood.

  “Your dogs aren’t working dogs like Zeus and Sasha, but they’ll need to have their training reinforced periodically. I’ll help you,” Quinn said as we drove back to Mossy Creek.

  “You’d better,” Annie muttered. “Sam’s going to kill me. A new dog, a new puppy AND a baby? I’ve lost my mind.”

  Quinn glanced back at me. “You okay?” For the first time, she seemed a little unsure.

  “I ought to be mad at you, but I’m not.” Far from it, in fact. “Just no more surprises, okay?”

  “Okay.” She smiled and relaxed. “They really are good dogs, well-bred and well-trained.”

  “Yeah, but now I really do need to find myself an SUV or truck. My mother’s Chief certainly can’t handle transporting the dogs and there is no chance in he – no chance in the world I’m transporting them in the Land Rover.”

  And, just like that, I felt the trap snap shut. Not only was I settling down, but I was growing up.

  Damn it, Mom, what are you doing to me?

  Chapter 20

  Saturday ended with everyone at Miss Serena’s. The guys were sent outside to grill steaks while Judith and Annie’s grandmother, Mary Kate, took care of the sides. As they did that, Annie went upstairs to take a nap. That left Quinn and Miss Serena who took me to Miss Serena’s workroom for another lesson. By the time that ended, I wanted a nap of my own. Instead, Quinn had me grab the dogs and we went took them outside to play.

  To my surprise, as everyone prepared to leave later that evening, Miss Serena suggested Drew stay “for a nightcap”. We didn’t need any more encouragement than that. I might not be ready to love him in a house that could tell on us, even if this one wasn’t as active as Quinn’s, I wasn’t going to give up the chance to spend time with him. There were still things we needed to talk about. But most of all, I needed the peace he gave me, especially after a day that had been one surprise after another.

  Sunday, I drove into town to meet with Sam. To make sure we had privacy, we met at his office. The dogs stretched out at my feet. Their presence reassured me as did the knowledge when I finished here, I’d be meeting Drew for lunch. Afterwards, he promised to take the dogs and me for a walk. Then it would be back to Miss Serena’s for another lesson before doing more research into Mom’s life.

  We spoke for more than two hours. Where telling Drew about what happened on that last mission helped, talking to Sam about it had been cathartic. I knew it wouldn’t be the end of my nightmares, but it was a step in the right direction. Drew would be there for me — if I let him — but he didn’t understand the way Sam did. Sam had seen combat. More importantly, he knew what happened, at least the basics, and knew how bad it had been.

  He made me promise to call him, no matter what the time, if I needed to talk. He’d learned after his own discharge how important it was to have someone to listen, someone who’d been there. After I promised to do just that, he turned the discussion to my mother. He agreed we needed to find out more about her family, not just her birth parents but distant relatives, in-laws and ancestors. There had to be a reason beyond their zealous religious beliefs for the way the Luíseachs behaved, not only when Mom still lived here but the other day as well.

  Monday morning came all too soon and with the new week came new decisions and new leads to track down. Beth handed me a stack of printouts as I entered the office. On top was a copy of Annie’s schedule for the day. A quick glance reassured me I had time to at least glance at the rest of the paperwork Beth gave me before Annie and I had to go to court. That presented its own set of problems. Not only did I have clue zero about how to get the dogs into the courthouse, much less into the courtroom, but I could’ve go through security armed. And I had no intention of leaving the office, especially if Annie was with me, unarmed.

  “Meg, one more thing,” Beth said as we walked through the work area toward the small break room. “A runner from the sheriff’’s office brought over a package for you about ten minutes ago. I put it on your desk.”

  “Thanks.”

  I changed directions and hurried to the office I’d been using. Once inside, I told the dogs to lie down. Then I closed the door. Whatever was in the envelop, I had a feeling I didn’t want Annie walking in and seeing.

  Resting in the middle of the desktop was a large, thick mailing envelop. Someone had scrawled my name and the office address on the front. I rested on hip against the edge of the desk and held the envelop in my hands, weighing it. It wasn’t as heavy as I’d expected. I hoped that was a good sign.

  I flicked open my knife and carefully sliced the tape holding the flap in place. Once I had, I upended the envelop and emptied its contents onto the desk. My brow furrowed and I frowned as what looked like a leather credit card case fell out. A number of pages of paper followed. Ignoring the case for the moment, I reached for the papers, hoping one of them explained what I now held.

  Meg,

  Here are your CCW license and accompanying paperwork. The deputies at the courthouse, as well as the court bailiffs, know. You will be able to enter without going through the scanners. Just have your ID with you — it’s in the badge case with your CCW license.

  Badge case? Did I even want to know?

  Holding the leather case as if it might explode, I carefully opened it. The moment I did, I rolled my eyes. Instead of being angry at Lucas’ presumption, I chuckled softly. It seemed Quinn had nothing on him when it came to doing whatever he thought necessary. Not only did the case contain my plastic CCW card but also my ID, complete with my picture, identifying me as a reserve deputy, and badge. I closed the case and slid it into my hip pocket before reaching again for his note.

  You’re now one of my reserve officers. We’ll discuss your “schedule” later. – Lucas

  We’d be discussing a lot more than that, which he probably already knew. Then, seeing what was scrawled across the bottom of the page, I nodded in agreement, even if Quinn couldn’t see.

  Meg, don’t be angry. We want to make sure you’re in the best position to protect yourself. Yes, we pulled strings. We’ll discuss it later. But this way you can carry wherever you go without worry. – Quinn

  P.S.: I’ll see you after work. Miss Serena wants us to work together some more.

  A knock at the d
oor interrupted my thoughts. I quickly slid the pages back into the envelop and shoved it into a desk drawer. Then I straightened and called out for the newcomer to enter.

  “You’re here early,” Annie commented as she sat on one of the chairs in front of the desk.

  I sat on the other chair and turned to face her. “I had a couple of things to do before court.” I glanced around, frowning. “Where’s Brigid?”

  Annie sighed, frustration clear. “She’s in my office. I swear, if you tell me she needs to be with me every step I make, I will scream. Sam’s bad enough. I don’t need you hovering as well.”

  I held up my hands and shook my head. “Just asking.” Inspiration hit and I nodded to where Apollo and Athena lay. “At least you got away with just one dog.”

  “True,” she admitted with a light laugh. “But you didn’t object too much when Carole brought the two of them out.”

  I couldn’t object. Not when she was right. The moment I saw the matched pair of Mals, I knew I couldn’t separate them.

  “Did you want something?” I asked.

  “I did.”

  I waited, wondering why she suddenly looked like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. She had something to say but from the way she fidgeted in her chair, she didn’t know how, or maybe if she should, proceed. Either that or she was in labor and heaven help us all if she was. I most definitely did not want to tell Sam his wife had gone into labor early.

  “This isn’t as easy as I expected,” she murmured.

  Worried now, I leaned over and rested my hand on her arm. “Just say it.” When she did, I hoped it wasn’t to say it was time to move on.

  She blew out a breath and then smiled. “Sam and I had a long talk this weekend and I came to a couple of decisions. But, before we get to that, I have a favor to ask. I have an appointment with my OB/GYN this morning. Sam was supposed to take me, but he can’t. Beth is going to, but it means I need you, if you will, to cover court for me.”