Firstborn

by Carrigan Fox

  “It’s a win-win situation,” Aislin heard herself explain, only the voice was not her own. And the attractive young man standing before her was not somebody she knew. “You get a great home-cooked Thanksgiving meal with some great people, and I get a buffer.”

  He looked suspiciously at her, narrowing his eyes. “What kind of buffer?”

  Aislin took a deep breath. “I have to tell my dad that I’m changing my major.”

  “You’re changing your major?”

  She felt her shoulders shrug. “I’m still keeping the Engineering degree. That’ll pacify him a bit. It’s a scientific field. But I’ve decided to double major. I’m going to do PoliSci.”

  “As in Political Sciences?” he asked incredulously.

  “Yes.”

  “And your dad?”

  “Is going to flip out,” she answered with a nod. “Unless you’re there,” Aislin added.

  “Why PoliSci, Ted?”

  “It’s interesting to me. I’m considering Law School.”

  He threw his head back and laughed loudly. “You? A lawyer?”

  “Go ahead. Laugh it up. Just get it out of your system. The last thing I need is you siding with my father over this.”

  “I take it your dad would hate it if you became a lawyer?”

  Aislin felt Ted’s shoulders shrug again. “I don’t know for sure. I just don’t want to take any chances.”

  “What does your dad do?”

  “He’s a psychiatrist.”

  The attractive young man laughed again. “I’ll pass. Thanksgiving in the dorm sounds ten times better than sitting across the table from a shrink who’s psychoanalyzing me over the turkey and cranberry sauce.”

  “Okay. Then stay here with one of your girlfriends in the empty dorms for break. I’ll handle my dad myself.”

  “That sounds like a good plan. After all, I do like dorm sex almost as much as turkey.”

  “You’ve never had my mom’s turkey.”

  “That good?”

  “On second thought, you’re better off staying here for the sex.”

  A few minutes later, the sound of the doorbell snapped Aislin out of her trance. She didn’t feel nearly as groggy as she had after the first vision. And when she looked at the clock on her mantle, she realized that more time had lapsed than she thought. She suspected that Adam was on the other side of the door.

  As soon as she opened the door, his broad smile instantly became serious. “Did you have another vision?” He stepped through the doorway and reached for her with concern.

  “I did. Two in one month.”

  “Do you feel okay?”

  “I do,” she answered after a brief hesitation. “I actually feel fine.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  She shared the details of the first half of the vision, the insignificant conversation between two college buddies discussing their plans for Thanksgiving break.

  Adam laughed, “Mom can’t cook, apparently.”

  “Yeah,” she forced an uncomfortable laugh.

  “Weird that this one seems so insignificant. It’s kind of a letdown after the first one was so huge.”

  “Yeah.” She closed the door behind him to have something to do, hoping that he couldn’t read her well enough to know that she wasn’t telling him the entire story. The truth was that she had recognized someone in the vision, and she didn’t want to tell anyone until she had more time to sort everything out.

  C

  hapter 5

  “Ms. MaCall, you have a call on line four.”

  Taryn nodded a vague acknowledgement to her assistant and reached for the phone. “This is Taryn MaCall,” she greeted, still not taking her attention off of the computer monitor in front of her. Certainly this couldn’t be right. In a moment of weakness, she had Googled the name of the illustriously rude mechanic that was identified on the top of the bill she had received that morning. Gray Campbell. Even his name sounded sexy. And when she saw the search results that popped up for his name, she was shocked and even more turned on. His résumé was impressive, to say the least.

  He had served in the military for nearly fifteen years, beginning when he was eighteen. There were articles from his local hometown newspaper with a younger and more innocent picture of him in his uniform. The other article online discussed the end of his military career, when he was hit in the thigh with shrapnel from an IUD on a counterterrorism mission with his Special Forces team in Afghanistan. He was the Operations Sergeant of his team and he had received a Purple Heart from the President of the United States when he arrived home.

  Master Sergeant Gray Campbell just became a serious occupational hazard for Taryn MaCall. At the very least, he was a serious distraction to her. Determined to not allow him to interfere in her life, she pushed him out of her mind, closed the computer window with the article, and reached to pick up her office phone.

  “This is Taryn MaCall.”

  “Ms. MaCall, this is Dr. Archer.”

  She leaned back in her desk seat and gave her client her full attention. “What can I do for you this morning, Dr. Archer?”

  He cleared his throat and sounded almost nervous when he answered. “Everything worked perfectly with the installation, and I wanted to let you know that I’m pleased with the new system. It is easy to use and thorough, as you had indicated.”

  “I’m glad that you’re pleased, Dr. Archer. I have you on my list to schedule your routine maintenance. I like to make certain that our clients are always on the calendar so that you don’t have to remember to call us.”

  “Excellent. So I was thinking…” he paused, and she could almost hear him pacing back and forth across his office. “I suppose this is a bit unorthodox, but your sister was the one who had reason to believe that the men who broke into my office might be a danger to me. I don’t understand how she knows this, but I am a traditional man who believes in trusting my instincts. And my instincts are telling me to consider hiring a bodyguard of sorts. But I could be over-reacting.”

  “I don’t suspect that Jaclyn would agree that you are over-reacting. She even suggested that around-the-clock personal security might be the best option.”

  “I trust her.”

  “So do I, Dr. Archer.” She remembered that Jac had declared him adorable and had waxed poetic about his dreamy eyes. “Perhaps you would be interested in Jaclyn providing security.” Guarding your body, she didn’t say.

  He choked a bit, possibly reading between the lines. “She is no longer employed by MSC, as I understand it. I am happy to retain the services of one of your current staff.”

  “It wouldn’t hurt to ask,” Taryn prodded with a silent chuckle.

  “Of course not. But I am sure she is busy with her own business.”

  “Jac may not be on payroll for MSC any longer, Dr. Archer, but she cares about her clients and remains an exceptional asset to our family’s company.”

  “I imagine that she is,” he agreed. He had hoped that requesting a bodyguard would involve more work with the older MaCall sister. He couldn’t get her out of his mind, and he needed to see her again. Now that her sister was practically throwing Jac at him, he was embarrassed. The prospect of that petite woman in yoga pants protecting him dealt a small blow to his ego. “She was quite clear on the fact that she doesn’t work for the company any longer. I don’t want to bother her. Except perhaps she could make a recommendation for the particular staff member to serve as a bodyguard.”

  “I’m sure that she’d be happy to offer an opinion. She usually has many opinions,” Taryn laughed.

  “She should know, however, that I’m not completely ignorant when it comes to protecting myself. I can manage typically.”

  “Certainly. But this situation may prove a bit atypical.”

  “Precisely.”

  “I will ask her. She may even wish to volunteer herself.”

  Her tone seemed a bit suggestive, putting Will on a bristly defensive for a brief m
oment.

  “And if she declines, I can certainly assign another extremely competent security detail to you.”

  “That sounds fair. And Ms. MaCall?”

  “Yes.”

  “This isn’t a lame effort to hit on your sister.”

  Taryn grinned into the phone. “The thought had not even crossed my mind, Dr. Archer. But I will make that particular point clear when I proposition my sister on your behalf.” She patted herself on the back for the clever word play.

  He hesitated a moment, probably trying to figure out if she was being smart. “Thank you, Ms. MaCall.”

  She dialed her sister as soon as the call disconnected. “You’re in trouble,” she greeted with a laugh.

  When she finished highlighting the conversation, Jaclyn groaned, “He isn’t serious. Is he serious? Yes, I would recommend that he consider 24-7 security, but specifically asking for me? That’s got to be a joke.”

  “I might have nudged him in that direction,” Taryn admitted.

  “And he agreed?”

  “Apparently, your Madame Chloe trick made an impression on him.”

  She remembered him studying her body every time she turned her back and responded dryly, “I don’t think it was the premonition that piqued his interest.”

  “Before you turn me down, you should remember that this would be an excuse to spend time with Mr. Dreamy Eyes.”

  “I have a shop to run, Taryn.”

  “And the little curl in the end of his hair? And the sexy glasses?”

  “No, Taryn.”

  She sighed in resignation. “I suspected as much. I’ll call him back and assign another officer.”

  “No, I’ll take care of calling Dr. Archer.”

  “Okey dokey,” Taryn responded. She had hoped that her sister would offer to speak with him.

  ***

  The sixteen-year-old sitting across from him now could use a haircut and some clothes that actually fit her. But before she would be ready to let her mother spend money on her, she needed to learn to let herself be loved again. She gnawed anxiously on the cuticles of her fingers while her mother sat beside her and elbowed her in an effort to make her stop. It was a habit that the girl had picked up in the last few months, and she often chewed them until she drew blood. It was a mild but disgusting form of self-mutilation that Dr. Archer was also eager to curb.

  She was a younger version of her mother, both wearing their once sun-kissed blond hair long to emphasize their large brown eyes. The mother had lines around her eyes, but they shared the dark circles and the sunken cheekbones. Neither appeared to have basked in the sun recently. But why would they? They were struggling to repair their relationship after they had buried the men in their family.

  Will had dated Dianne’s younger sister in high school, and he had even attended Dianne’s wedding to her own high school sweetheart. He had been seventeen at the time and had been given his first beer by the groom that night. He remembered how happy they both were and couldn’t imagine the grief that followed the accident that had killed her husband and her teenage son.

  Finally, the daughter spoke up. “I’m glad that you weren’t killed in the accident,” she whispered. And although the words were directed at her mother, she could not pull her eyes away from her thoroughly chewed cuticles.

  Dr. Archer studied the mother’s expression, noting the instantaneous tears that filled her eyes when she answered, “Oh, Corinne, I don’t know what I would have done if I had lost you too.”

  He cleared his throat, partly to interject and partly to clear the emotional knot that had formed. The car accident that had claimed the lives of the girl’s father and brother had destroyed both women, and they were now fighting to get well again and become a family again. After seven months of individual sessions, Will had finally suggested that they come together for a session. “The important thing to remember is that you didn’t lose each other. Both of you survived for a reason, and that reason might simply be to support each other and help each other through this. For the past seven months, you have each existed in your own exclusive world of pain.”

  Both women nodded in agreement.

  “You now need to be able to lean on each other. And perhaps it’s too early to celebrate your lives, but I think it’s long past time that you stop dwelling on the tragedy. Honor your family by living.”

  Dianne Huntley sniffled and reached for her daughter’s hand. When she didn’t respond, Will simply asked, “Cori?”

  She looked at him sharply and then turned to her mother with fresh tears threatening to fall from her own eyes. She wiped impatiently at them and then nodded with a new and relatively fierce determination before taking her mother’s hand.

  “I want you both to try to enjoy parts of the next week together. I don’t want to see you again until next week. This has been an emotional day, and I think it’s important to let everything sink in and see how the next week goes.”

  “But, Dr. Archer--,” Cori began.

  “You don’t need me, Cori. You have your mother. And I’ll see you both separately next week to discuss how you feel things are going.” He spoke firmly and with confidence, expecting that both women would trust his professional opinion.

  When they left, he followed them out and asked May to schedule both women for an appointment in the end of the next week. Then he returned to his office and typed in some notes in each of their files. And to encourage continued growth, he sent Dianne Huntley a brief email.

  Dianne,

  I saw some wonderful potential today. I truly believe that this relationship will continue to grow with the effort that we saw today. I’ll look forward to seeing you next week.

  Take care,

  Will

  When Dianne had first approached him, he had been hesitant to take them on as patients. He hadn’t seen her since he was in high school and had been dumped by her sister. And while he knew there was no conflict of interest, he had a hard time with the blending of a former personal relationship and a present professional interest. But everything had been working perfectly, and he was thrilled with the progress of these two women.

  He had left the door between his office and the lobby open and he heard and immediately recognized her voice when she greeted May in the front office. His heartbeat raced for a moment as he looked eagerly around his office, as though guiltily seeking out a notebook where he’d scrawled her name in hearts a dozen times. He wasn’t in middle school anymore, he reminded himself for the second time in the past few days.

  “As long as he isn’t with patients, I can show myself in.”

  She appeared in his doorway before he was ready, and he gulped nervously at the site of her.

  He first noted that she wasn’t wearing her yoga pants and sports bra. Pity. But the blue jeans she wore were fitted and the flowing light fabric of her apricot top pressed against her breasts as she breezed into the room.

  “Good afternoon, Dr. Archer.”

  “Ms. MaCall, what a surprise.”

  She could hear the hint of a nervous tremor in his voice. Good. She had hoped to catch him off guard. “A pleasant one, I hope,” she teased with a flirtatious smile.

  “Of course.” His smile was brief before he cleared his throat. “Did your sister mention that I had called?”

  “She did. Unfortunately, as I had mentioned to you, I no longer work for MaCall Securities. So I am afraid I have to decline the personal request for security detail. Taryn will be happy to assign a currently employed security agent to you. I can assure you that our security team is the best.”

  He nodded, and she watched his eyes for a flicker of disappointment. Instead, they flamed briefly with embarrassment and indignation. “I merely wanted your opinion. Asking you to personally see to the detail was your sister’s recommendation,” he explained formally.

  She turned to study the immaculate office space, admiring how the sunlight streamed through the side windows and didn’t illuminate even a speck of dust in
the room. She suspected he would look even more adorable if she could watch him work in his tidy shirt and tie in his tidy office. She imagined him over her while she lay sprawled on the large desktop and smiled to herself.

  “It was an odd request, Dr. Archer. Even when I did work for MSC, I never did security detail.”

  “I apologize. I was not aware of that.”

  “But my sister is aware.” She turned to give him her full attention and tilted her head to the side. “So why would she be so interested in throwing the two of us together?”

  He actually blushed. Nervousness was perfectly adorable on him.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Taryn likes people to think that she’s tough, but she’s also a hopeless romantic. Personally, I’d put money on her thinking that you have a crush on me.”

  He stammered indignantly, which Jac would have thought impossible if she hadn’t seen it herself. “Well…I…I…certainly not. I simply felt that I could trust you to at least make a recommendation. You seemed…I don’t know…you seemed to know what you were doing when you were here.”

  She shrugged coyly. “I do know what I’m doing. And I could definitely handle the situation.” She pretended to study the abstract painting on his wall. “Assuming we are talking about security and not your crush on me.”

  When he only gaped at her for a moment, she laughed.

  “I’m just teasing you.” She pointed at the bold colors of the art piece. “This surprises me. I wouldn’t peg you as an abstract aficionado.”

  “I liked the colors,” he answered, relieved to discuss something other than his attraction for her. He knew that she was toying with him, but he wasn’t sure if she wanted him to make a move, or if she was only enjoying his discomfort.

  She moved past him toward the doorway. “I don’t mean to keep you, Dr. Archer. I simply wanted to personally explain why I had to turn down your proposition. I don’t want to make things hard between us.”