That’s what it is, he thought. Her ease gave her such a natural beauty and allure. He thought about the girls in the pack. If they did get them all together, perhaps the girls might pick up on that self-confidence and learn to emulate it. That would certainly get the boys’ heads turning. He smiled at the idea.
It was much later when she finally stood, quenched the remaining fire and headed into the cabin. She paused briefly on the porch and glanced toward the forest where Quinn lay watching. He smiled to himself. She didn’t know it yet, but she was already sensing things beyond her normal human abilities. He felt that rush of pleasure again. She could sense him.
She went in and turned off the lights, so he finally stretched out to rest. He would run home in the morning to clean up and change but felt compelled to stay through the night. He knew he would be alert in an instant if something happened. His eyes closed and her face swam up into his thoughts. He was anxious to get through the night, knowing that he would be with her again the following day.
Twenty-three
Jaisey
Jaisey woke feeling completely refreshed. She’d watched the fire until it had mostly died out after the guys all left. She’d had a lot to think about, and felt now that she had a pretty good handle on everything.
First and foremost, she was completely in love with Quinn. For whatever reason, the universe, or God, or fate, had placed him in her path. She could not help but feel grateful for that gift. He was everything she could have ever wanted. But, as what? A boyfriend? That didn’t seem to be quite right. It wasn’t enough. She flipped through other words – companion, partner, future. There was just so much more to it and no way to describe it.
It is what it is, she thought. And that’s enough.
Her next thought went to her biggest dilemma – her father. Seff had told her that he had talked with him. It had upset her at first, but then as she processed the information, it occurred to her that she would like to talk with him as well, and that scared her. She feared what his reaction to her would be. And yet, something made her think it would be all right if she would just give him a chance. She wasn’t sure where that reassurance was coming from, but after all the years of his unexplained absence, she just wanted to move past that and maybe get some answers.
She could tell Quinn had wanted to talk with her about him. He’d clearly noticed her reaction at the mention of her father. She had to wonder how well he knew her father. There was a feeling of injustice in that; the possibility that these other people knew her father better than she did. She really wanted to call Jasmyn and talk things through, but what could she possibly say? No, she would wait until after the conversation took place.
She shook the feelings off, anxious to get ready for the day. She wanted to be ready when the boys showed up to go swimming. She started a double batch of brownies and then went ahead and took a quick shower, unsure if she would actually swim. She wasn’t sure if Seff would be allowed in the water just yet and she didn’t want him to feel left out. Once she was ready, she went out to the porch to get some fresh air while the brownies finished cooking.
There, sitting in a chair on her porch, was Quinn. He was wearing a dark blue shirt that made his eyes look more of a pale blue than grey, and his eyes were full of mischief.
Jack did a twirl and pushed his nose at Quinn for some attention. Jaisey chuckled at the dog. He seemed to have really taken to Quinn in a very short time. Of course, he’d really taken to everyone on the mountain.
Well, he wasn’t the only one.
“Good morning,” she said, flushing a little. Her heart was beating faster with the proximity, and she felt almost breathless just looking at him. Her whole body was completely tuned to the man sitting not five feet away. She wanted to curl up with him the way she had the night before, but in the light of day, that thought had her blushing.
“Good morning,” he replied with a grin, clearly loving her reaction to his presence. “The boys are going to meet us at the swimming hole,” he said. Again, that glint of mischief was twinkling in his eyes.
“I was just making some brownies. Would you like some breakfast?” she asked.
“No, thank you,” he said rising, closing the few feet between them. “I would however like a kiss.” His voice lowered, “If you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind.” Her voice sounded strange to her own ears.
He wrapped his arms around her, making her gasp as he lifted her off the ground, bringing her mouth level with his own. He kissed her gently once, and then a little more fervently. But then the timer on the stove went off, so he pulled his face back reluctantly.
“I could spend all day just kissing you,” he said with a deep sigh. “However, we have somewhere to be, and I don’t think Seff would be happy if I caused his brownies to burn.”
She smiled, “Who says they’re his brownies?” She winked at him as he put her back down and followed her inside.
She headed to the kitchen and pulled the brownies from the oven to cool. Then she started making sandwiches, knowing the boys would be hungry long before they left the swimming hole. She made enough for them to have two each, in case they stayed as long as they usually did.
Quinn went to the fireplace and picked up a framed picture from the mantle. It was one of their whole family that had been taken on the mountain years before.
“I hung out with your brothers one summer, years back,” Quinn said, breaking the silence.
“Really?” she asked, surprised.
“Yeah, we spent the summer running all over the mountain. I think we even tracked a bear one day,” he said with a laugh.
Jaisey laughed in return, “Sounds like them.”
She could see them all – roughly Seff’s age – running around getting into trouble. And then it occurred to her that her brothers might know that their dad was on the mountain. She had stopped working, lost in thought. Was it possible that they knew he was here all along and had not told her?
She jumped when Quinn placed his hand on her arm. She hadn’t even realized he’d come up behind her.
“What is it?” he asked. His voice was full of concern.
She let out an aggravated huff. “It’s just all this business with my father. I just wondered if my brothers knew he was here.” She hated thinking they would keep something like that from her and Jasmyn. She knew her own twin would have never hidden something like that from her.
“No, I don’t think so,” he said softly. “Jaisey, would you like to go and talk to him? I know he wants to talk to you.”
She looked up at him. His eyes were so sincere. He wouldn’t take her if he thought she would be hurt. She was sure of that. She nodded.
“Not today though,” he said. “The boys will be waiting for us. We can go tomorrow if you like.” Again, that sparkle was in his eye.
She raised her eyebrows, questioning his excitement – but he just smiled.
They walked hand in hand to the clearing. The electric current that flowed between them seemed to intensify with each passing moment. At some point, Jaisey knew it would become too much to handle. What would happen then, she wondered.
They entered the clearing and Jaisey stopped, shocked. There on the edge of the water were several of the girls from the village. She was able to name all but two of them. The boys were nowhere to be seen.
“What’s this?” she asked quietly.
“Just taking your advice, and as it turns out, they were all very excited to be invited,” he explained.
She nodded with a smile.
“Good morning girls,” she called out, crossing the clearing. Jack bounded ahead of her to get his scratches from each of them in turn.
The poor things looked so nervous. Jaisey strolled right up to them. She needed to get them relaxed and feeling comfortable before the boys showed up.
“I’m so glad you all came today,” she said with a genuine smile.
“Hey Jaisey,” Honi replied with a smile. “Rudi said he and
the other guys would be up in a bit.”
“Well good, that’ll give us time to visit. I need a little less testosterone,” she said with a laugh.
The girls all giggled at that. Jaisey smiled inwardly, she could definitely ease the girls into comfort.
“Let’s get some swimming in before the boys get here,” she suggested.
They all agreed and stripped down to their swimsuits. Jaisey turned and winked at Quinn, who was making himself very busy with spreading out the blankets.
She was grateful she’d decided to wear her swimsuit after all. She ran to the edge of the water with Honi right on her heels. They dove in and the other girls followed. Jaisey asked who wanted to jump off the cliff and was rewarded with several volunteers, including Tate’s twin Tasha. She had always seemed so timid that Jaisey found it surprising. Another was one of the new girls – Leloo. She was quite pretty with her dark hair and blue eyes.
Both girls did beautiful dives into the water. Jaisey followed them in and soon they were all climbing up to the top to jump or dive in. Leloo turned out to be something of a leader with the girls, pulling them out of their shells nicely. The other new girl was named Maiyun. She was as quiet as Leloo was loud. Maiyun was simply beautiful. She had delicate features and seemed fragile somehow. She had to wonder why the boys hadn’t been drawn to these girls. Then she amended the thought, guessing that they actually had been, but just didn’t know what to do about it.
The boys didn’t keep them waiting long. She worried that the girls might get all quiet and reserved, but they were having too much fun to let the boys spoil it. Seff looked forlornly at the water but took a seat next to Quinn on the blankets. Jaisey did a few more dives with the boys and then she headed over to sit with Seff, not wanting him to feel left out. The boys were showing off for the girls and the girls loved it. They were applauding all the daring feats off the cliff and laughing at their antics.
Quinn headed to the water once Jaisey sat down. She watched him climb up and then do a flip into the water. She smiled and found Seff was watching her.
“What?” she asked.
“I just like seeing you two together. I think Quinn must’ve been waiting to find you all these years,” he explained.
“What do you mean… waiting to find me?” she asked.
“Well, he never seemed very interested in the girls in the village. There are several his age, but he never looked at them twice. I guess I just see now he was waiting for you. The two of you are a perfect fit,” he said with a shrug.
Jaisey felt a rush of jealousy at the mention of other girls, needless as it was. Seff had just told her Quinn wasn’t interested in any of them. Somehow, she knew she had his heart – just as he had hers. There was a natural ease between them. It was like the kind of connection characters in fairytales made.
“I guess I was waiting for him too,” she said quietly. She thought back to her own experience, or rather lack of experience, with dating guys and realized the truth in that.
“So, Seff… who’s caught your eye?” she asked suggestively.
“Ew! I told you before, no one,” he replied, but then he blushed.
“Oh! You do like someone,” she accused.
He just sat quietly, getting more and more embarrassed.
“Seriously, who is it?” she pressed.
He shook his head.
“Tell me,” she begged. She gave him her best impersonation of puppy dog’s eyes and he laughed.
“Fine, but you have to promise you won’t say anything. And don’t get all judgmental,” he replied sternly.
She nodded enthusiastically, “I promise. Who is it?”
He glanced to the water, making sure no one could hear him. “I can’t believe I’m telling you this.”
“Seff… come on…” she said.
He exhaled loudly, “But remember, you promised.”
She nodded again, in full agreement.
“Okay, who I really like…” he said drawing it out, “is Colin.”
Jaisey’s mouth dropped open and her eyes were wide. She tried really hard in the moment not be judgmental, but, “Really?”
Seff burst into laughter and fell back.
“That is so not funny Seff,” she scolded him. But then she couldn’t help it, she laughed too.
“That was way too easy,” he said laughing harder, wiping tears from his eyes.
She shook her head. He was incorrigible.
“Actually,” he finally said, wiping the last of his tears away, “I like the twins.”
“Accalia and Ayame?” she asked.
He nodded, “But they’re both so different. Accalia is outgoing and likes to play sports. She’s a lot of fun to be around. But then Ayame… she’s so quiet and she sees the beauty in everything around her, it just makes her more beautiful.”
Jaisey stared at him, half expecting him to start joking again. But this time he was clearly serious. He never ceased to amaze her with his depth.
“Of course, it doesn’t matter anyway. They both actually do like Colin. I mean, I guess he is pretty cute,” he said with a roll of his eyes.
Jaisey turned to watch them all in the water. The older teen boys, Caleb, Rudi, and Randon had worked their way to the edge where Raksha, Ruelle, Honi, and Maiyun were sitting on the far side. They were all talking animatedly. Leloo was trying to outdo Quinn and Jei in a diving contest up on the cliff. The younger boys, Tate, Colin, and Maicoh were doing cannonballs into the middle of the other group of girls, which included Tasha, Kiyiya, Accalia, and Ayame.
She watched the younger girls and did notice that the twins were watching Colin. Tasha was fixated on Maicoh, who was oblivious. Tasha’s twin, Tate seemed to not be paying attention to any particular girl, but as she watched she noticed he kept situating himself next to Kiyiya. And then she noticed that Ayame kept sneaking glances their way – she was watching Seff. She watched Seff just to see if he had noticed, but he was looking back at the bags of food she’d brought.
She shook her head with a smile. “Hungry?”
Seff nodded enthusiastically. She rose and began pulling out the food. That was enough to pull the rest of the boys from the water, followed shortly by the girls. She was glad she’d made extra, though the boys would get a little less now. Quinn stayed in the water. So, after making sure everyone was set, Jaisey went to join him.
She dove in and swam up right into his waiting arms. He pulled her along to the far edge. They found some rocks in the shallow water to sit on. Quinn pulled her up close to him with a deep sigh.
She raised her head to him, “What?”
He stared back into her eyes, lowered his head to hers and kissed her. When he pulled back, he smiled and said, “I was just thinking about how I can’t seem to get enough of you. I want more and more.”
She smiled and reached up and gave him another quick kiss. “I agree.”
“So, how do you think this is going?” he asked, nodding toward the group of kids.
“Better than I thought it would. I think they’re getting past their insecurities,” she replied. “Maybe we should have a bonfire tonight up at my place and give them a chance to do a bit more bonding.”
“Tell you what,” he replied, “I’ll get them all there after they’ve had dinner with their families. However, I’d like to cook dinner for you tonight.”
She looked up at him with a smile, “You want to cook for me?”
“You do so much to take care of everyone else, let me take care of you tonight,” he said with a wink.
She blushed and ducked her head, “Your place or mine?” An involuntary shiver ran up her spine.
“Yours,” he answered. “I like your kitchen better than mine.”
“Okay,” she replied.
They sat like that while the teenagers all finished eating and couldn’t help laughing when Seff discovered the brownies. They all ended up back in the water, so Jaisey headed back over to Seff; this time Quinn joined her. The three of th
em sat and talked about nothing in particular while the rest of the group played and swam.
When they’d all had enough, they headed back to the village. Jaisey noted, with a satisfied grin, that the groups were mixed with boys and girls as they walked out of the clearing.
Seff walked with Jaisey and Quinn back to her cabin. She offered to let them use Yellow Jeep to get back to the village. Quinn accepted graciously, saying he’d be back shortly.
She went in and took another shower and then caught up on the dishes and some straightening. She was outside gathering some wood for the fire when Quinn pulled up.
“I don’t think I’ll have enough seats for everyone,” she called out.
“Don’t worry, Seff’s on it. He’s got Tate and Colin running around grabbing extra lawn chairs to bring up,” he replied.
She smiled warmly at him as he climbed out of the driver’s seat, “Welcome back. Can I help?”
He was carrying several bags but shook his head no. He wouldn’t let her in the kitchen, telling her to sit and relax. She flitted around the living room and then finally managed to get past him to at least set the table. He pulled out some candles and reached past her to place them in the center. Her heart fluttered; as if he wasn’t amazing enough already, Quinn was a romantic too.
He served her dinner over candlelight and even pulled out a rose for her. He’d cooked fish and vegetables that were incredible. Then he pulled out a soufflé for dessert. She hadn’t even seen him making that.
“You’re a better cook than I am,” she told him.
“Not really. This is the only dish I can cook and it’s only because my mom said I should have at least one meal I can make well,” he replied.
“You definitely do it very well,” she said, “Thank you.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” he said sounding pleased.
He leaned across the table and pressed his lips to hers. Her heart took off racing again. That was something she couldn’t get used to; every touch sent a thrill through her. His kisses lingered, warming her. He pulled away, again seeming reluctant to do so. There was a fire in his eyes. He closed them and took a deep breath.
Shift (Castlerock Shifters Book 1) Page 19