by Ashlyn Chase
“I’m telling you now.”
“Yeah, after the fact.”
“Look, I knew you’d get in trouble if you were involved.”
“Fuck that. A little girl’s life could be hanging in the balance. And holy shit, Dawn, your life may have been endangered too! You should have told me.”
“Well, excuse me, but I was a little busy earlier, trying to process that big news that you dumped in my lap about being a shape-shifting bird.”
“Phoenix.”
“Yeah, and I find this out at your brothers’ double wedding, and now, I’m sure everyone thinks we’re next, because I kissed you at the reception.” She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest.
“You didn’t change anything. My mom already loves you, and if you hang in there, everyone else will too.” He grinned.
“So you don’t think your parents will be pissed off at me if we break up?”
“They’ll be pissed off at me, not you. Are we breaking up?”
“No. Of course not. I still need time to talk about your abilities with your parents, but not today.”
“I should have told you at some later time, but we were coming clean…”
“I’m glad you did tell me.”
“Good. Now it’s your turn. Tell me everything that happened from your vision to going to her rescue. And don’t leave anything out.”
Dawn filled him in on her vision and her trip to Keene Street Convenience and how she’d almost been able to rescue Mandy but was stopped by Ice and Carla.
“Shit.” Luca shook his head, his eyes laced with concern. “You could have been hurt or worse. They could have just thrown you in that storage room with Mandy and then hauled you out to a dump in the middle of nowhere and offed you.”
Dawn swallowed the lump of emotion in her throat. She’d never had someone care so much about her, other than Annette. Even her mother had cared more about getting a fix than her own daughter. On the other hand, she wasn’t used to having to answer to anyone. That kind of rankled her.
“Look, thank you for caring, but as you can see, I’m fine.” She didn’t tell him about the part when Ice leaned in for a kiss nor about the gun he had tucked into his pants.
“Thank you for caring?” Luca shook his head. “You could have been killed.”
“But I wasn’t. I got away. So it’s fine. At least I’m fine. Mandy is still stuck there. And we need to rescue her before it’s too late.”
“We will rescue her, but we’ll do it the right way. Not like some half-cocked crazy action movie or waltzing in there like Robin Hood.”
“I couldn’t let Mandy just stay there when I knew where she was.”
“You going over there only made them suspicious,” Luca countered. “For all we know, they could have moved her to another location by now.”
Dawn blew out a breath. She hadn’t thought of that. She may have jeopardized Mandy’s life. Tears sprang to her eyes. “I fucked up, didn’t I?”
“No, I understand,” Luca said, placing his hands on either side of her face. “You’re a brave woman. But I could have lost you. You mean too much to me. I don’t want you putting yourself in danger like that again.”
Luca leaned in and kissed her, underscoring what he’d just told her. When his tongue slipped along her lips, she soon forgot about their argument. His breath mingling with hers, the heat of their bodies, made her wish one of them had an apartment. She’d never felt so attracted to a guy like she did Luca. He did things to her insides that no other guy ever had. Luca pulled away from her, his blue eyes hooded, like he wanted the exact same thing she did.
“Please don’t keep things like that to yourself, babe,” he whispered. “I don’t want you getting hurt.”
Dawn wanted to kiss him again just for that, but instead, she reached up to the side of his face and whispered back, “Yeah. So you’ve said. You mean a lot to me too.”
* * *
Dawn stretched and yawned. She glanced at her iPhone and saw it was just past 9:00 a.m. She rarely ever slept in this late, even on weekends, but by the time Luca had dropped her off, it was almost 1:00 a.m. Her phone beeping alerted her to a text message. No doubt that’s what had woken her.
Hey babe, just wanted to check in to see how you’re doing. I’m glad we talked last night.
She sighed at Luca’s endearment. It felt good. Texting back, she said she was just waking up and then paused before she hit send. Should I use the emoji heart? Or XO? Or…love? Or what? Hmm…would that make her seem too pushy or needy? On the other hand, he’d called her babe.
She groaned in frustration. XO meant a hug and a kiss. Yup. They’d already been there. She hit send and waited. Her breath caught when he texted back with a heart and asked her out for brunch. They could also plan what they would do about Mandy. She texted back: Sure, I’ll reach out when I’ve had a shower.
Heading downstairs, the aroma of cinnamon wafted up to her. She breathed in deeply of the sweet and spicy scent. Walking into the kitchen, she spied the muffins cooling on a rack. Annette was dressed and packing a thermos and some sandwiches along with a container of six of the muffins. “Morning, Grandma. Those muffins smell and look delish.” She kissed Annette on the cheek.
“Morning, sweetie.” Annette gave her a sideways hug. “Freshly baked cinnamon-apple coffee cake muffins. Help yourself.”
“Oh, I will.” Dawn picked up one of the warm muffins and laid it on a plate, inhaling the incredible scent. She picked off a chunk from the still steaming top and popped it into her mouth. “Mmm. So good! No one can bake like you do.”
“Thanks, dear. Now grab a glass of milk, sit yourself down, and tell me about last night.”
“Okay, but where are you heading today?”
“I’m heading over to Sheree’s place. She’s been feeling low since her husband died six months ago, so I’m bringing her a little care package. Thought I’d spend the day with her, playing cards.”
“You’re such a good friend.” Dawn took a sip of her milk to wash down another bite of muffin.
“Well, Sheree was there for me when Lissie was sent to prison, and I’ll never forget that.” Annette finished packing the food, then pulled out a chair and joined Dawn at the small kitchen table. “Now, spill it. Tell me everything.”
Dawn told her grandmother about the wedding, leaving out the part about Luca and his family being shape-shifters. She didn’t want to worry Annette, but at some point, if it turned out to be true, she’d have to tell her. She also left out the part about her vision of Mandy and her failed rescue attempt at the convenience store. She hated lying to Annette, even by omission, but she didn’t want to put her in danger. The less she knew, the better.
“Well, it sounds like you had a great time. The Fierros seem like a wonderful family.” Annette patted Dawn’s hand.
“They are,” Dawn agreed.
“I just want you to be careful. The women in this family seem to have bad luck when it comes to men.”
“Hopefully, our luck is about to change.”
“If anyone is going to change it, it’s you, sweetie.”
“Aw, thanks, Gran.” Dawn stood up and wrapped her arms around Annette. “Speaking of luck.” She remembered the scratch tickets she had bought at Keene Street Convenience. Grabbing her purse off the hook by the front door, she went back to the kitchen and pulled out the scratch tickets and handed two to Annette.
Annette shook her head. “Oh, now you’ve gone and done it. You have labelled me a typical old lady who sits in her kitchen and scratches lottery tickets.”
Dawn chuckled. “Well, at least you don’t play bingo on Saturday nights.”
“No indeed. Okay, hand me a quarter and let’s get to work.”
The two women scratched off all four cards. Dawn didn’t expect to win, but then Annette let out a squeal of deligh
t.
“Did you win?”
“Well, wonder of wonders, I actually won.”
“What did you win?”
“Here, look.”
Dawn saw the amount: $20.
“Cash it in, honey. We can move to Hawaii.” Annette chuckled.
“I will cash it in, and I know just what to get with it.”
“What?”
Dawn smiled to herself. She’d seen a beautiful old cane at Goddess Fashions on sale for $19.99. It was black with an ivory handle and an ornate bird design down the length.
“I’m going to surprise you.”
Annette smiled. “Okay, you do that, but promise me one thing.”
“Yes, anything.”
“That’s the first and last time you buy me lottery tickets.”
“Deal. Now, you promise me one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Let me walk you to Sheree’s place, okay? We’re supposed to get rain later today, and they say after dark, it could freeze.”
“Oh, I’ll be fine. You enjoy your day off.” Annette patted Dawn’s hand, still around her shoulder.
“I intend to, after I walk you to Sheree’s. And when you’re done visiting, text me and I’ll come get you.”
“Never mind about that. I’ll be fine.”
“Oh, all right. I have no idea where you get your stubbornness from.”
“Really? And where does your stubbornness come from?”
Dawn grinned as she was about to take her last bite. “I’m looking right at her.”
Annette chuckled.
* * *
“Are you going to finish that bacon?”
“You bet I am.” Dawn picked up her last piece of bacon and waved it in front of Luca’s face.
“Damn, I thought women didn’t eat bacon. My sisters-in-law say it’s too fatty and high in calories.”
“Really.” She grinned. “Well, this woman loves it.” Luca made a puppy-dog face, and Dawn burst out laughing. “Okay, okay! But you have to come get it.”
“Ah…challenge accepted.”
She put one end of the slice in her mouth, and Luca leaned in and, with a little growl, opened his mouth and took a big bite. Dawn giggled, loving his playful face. He lifted one eyebrow like a villain in a silent movie. “Why don’t we order more bacon to satisfy your appetite?” she said.
He waggled both his brows. “I have many appetites that need satisfying. Bacon is only one of them.”
Dawn was about to reply when her phone rang. Lifting it off the table, she recognized Sheree’s number. She swiped to answer. “Hi, Sheree. Is everything okay?”
“Honey, it’s your gran. She slipped and fell just outside my door. I called 911, and some nice paramedics just took her to Boston General Hospital. I’m sorry, honey. I feel terrible.”
“Oh my God! I didn’t think it was going to ice up until tonight.”
“It wasn’t ice. Wet leaves were covering one of my grandkid’s marbles that he left on the steps.”
“Shoot. Thanks for calling.”
“I’m so, so sorry.”
“It’s okay. It’s not your fault. I’ll head over now.”
Dawn hung up and looked at Luca. “My gran fell, and they took her to Boston General. Can you drive me there?”
“Absolutely. Let’s go.”
As they made their way to the car, Dawn felt terrible that she wasn’t there when it happened. “I told her not to leave Sheree’s on her own. I told her to text me. I was going to stop off at Goddess Fashions and pick up a really cool old-fashioned cane for her that I saw there. It would help her get around and keep her from slipping. And here she went and slipped.”
“Everything will be okay, I promise.”
Luca drove like a speed demon to the hospital and dropped Dawn out front, telling her he’d meet her inside. Dawn ran in to the ER and spoke with someone at the nurse’s station. “Can you tell me about my grandmother, Annette Forest?”
The nurse glanced at her computer monitor and a few moments later said, “She’s been taken to the OR.”
“They’re operating? On what?”
“I need to see if you’re on the list before I release personal information.”
“I’m definitely on her list. Dawn Forest.”
The secretary flipped to the next page and nodded. “Yup. You appear to be the only one we can talk to. Do you want the nurse or doctor to talk with you?”
“Maybe later. Can you just tell me what they’re operating on?”
“A broken hip.”
“Damn,” she breathed. “Oh, sorry. Where can I wait for her?”
The nurse told Dawn where to check in, and Dawn texted Luca to meet her on the fifth floor in the waiting area.
Three hours later, Dawn and Luca were standing by Annette’s bedside in a hospital room. Another lady was in the room. Dawn had pulled the privacy curtain around them, not liking the fact that her grandmother was not in a private room, but they couldn’t afford it.
Annette was groggy but waking up. Dawn held her hand and glanced at Luca. He smiled reassuringly at her.
“Gran, how are you feeling?”
“Like a silly old woman.” She asked Dawn to give her some water. Dawn held the cup with the straw to her grandmother’s lips so she could take a sip.
“You’re not a silly old woman. But please, next time when you want to try a cartwheel, text me first?”
Annette chuckled. A good sign. “Oh, I’m so sorry to put you kids through this. I ruined your date.”
Luca crouched by the side of the bed. “Mrs. Forest, you have nothing to apologize for. We’re just glad that you’re okay.”
“You’re such a nice boy, Luca.” Annette reached out for Luca’s hand, then her eyes widened.
“Gran, what is it?”
Annette glanced at both Dawn and Luca. “Is there something you need to tell my granddaughter?”
“Are you psychic too?” Luca asked.
“Li’l bit.”
Luca must have realized what Annette sensed. “She knows, Mrs. Forest. I told her last night at my brothers’ wedding.”
Annette visibly relaxed. “I could feel something about you when you reached for my hand. But I can’t explain what it is.”
Dawn looked at Luca, a worried expression on her face.
“It’s okay, Dawn.” Luca glanced behind the curtain to make sure the other woman was sleeping. With a lowered voice, he explained his abilities to Annette, who listened patiently.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Annette eyed her granddaughter.
“I promised not to, and even if I could, I didn’t know how. I figured I’d know when the time was right, and then you fell. Please forgive me.”
Annette sighed and nodded. “I understand.” Annette reached for Dawn’s hand and Luca’s. “Luca, you need to watch over my Dawn. She’s got a big heart and has a notion she can change the world we live in.”
“I promise to look out for her, Mrs. Forest.”
“And promise me you’ll call me Gran from now on.”
“I promise, Gran.” Luca grinned.
“I can see why my granddaughter is so taken with you.”
The nurse interrupted them and told them visiting hours would soon be over.
“Honey, tomorrow morning, bring me my nightgown and robe. I can’t abide these hospital gowns. And my knitting. I need it to pass the time here or I’ll go batty.”
Dawn nodded, saying she’d be in first thing in the morning before work. She placed a gentle kiss on Annette’s forehead, but she was already falling asleep.
“Good night. Sleep well.”
Dawn sighed and leaned her head on Luca’s shoulder as they made their way out of the hospital.
So much for th
e Forest women’s luck turning. The nurse said her grandmother would have to stay in the hospital for at least a week and then go into a rehab facility for two weeks after that. She would be safer in the hospital than at home. Dawn would be able to focus on finding Mandy, knowing her grandmother wasn’t in harm’s way.
“Are you okay?” Luca asked in a soft voice as he pulled up to her house.
“I’m okay.” She turned to him. “I don’t want to be alone. Will you come inside?”
Luca nodded.
Dawn felt overwhelmed by what had happened to Annette. She blamed herself. She wasn’t able to rescue Mandy, and she wasn’t able to stop her grandmother from breaking her hip. Somehow, she had to make it right. But for now, all she wanted was Luca’s arms around her. She wanted his heat. His kisses, his body close to hers. She turned to him. And leaning in, she whispered in his ear, “Stay with me tonight. Please.”
* * *
Luca followed Dawn inside her house. He had been here before, but it seemed strangely quiet without Annette bustling around. Without saying a word, Dawn opened the hall closet, then reached toward him for his jacket.
After handing it over, he ambled around the living room, taking in features he had missed before. A bookshelf against the far wall was crammed with books of different sizes and no knickknacks. It looked as if Annette and Dawn were serious readers. The sofa appeared to be one that could be opened and made into a bed, not that that meant much. Somehow, he doubted Dawn would make him sleep on the couch tonight.
After hanging up her own leather jacket, Dawn walked over to him and slipped her arms around his neck.
“Thank you for staying with me tonight. I’m really upset about what happened to my grandma, but I put on a brave face for her.”
His arms automatically pulled her closer. “I know. It’s okay. She’s going to be fine. In the meantime, you have me.” He stroked her back and placed a gentle kiss against her neck.
She leaned back slightly and looked up into his eyes. “You have the most beautiful blue eyes. But you’re the only one with blue and the rest of the family has brown eyes. Right?”
Luca smiled. “I know. I must’ve had an ancestor on both my parents’ sides who had blue eyes, and I got the recessive gene.”