by Kelly Hall
She nodded, her blond locks spilling into her eyes. “He’ll be upset that I’ve already accepted their offer without telling him.”
“He’ll understand. Just be honest with him. He loves you.” That I knew for sure.
“Thanks.” She glanced up and smiled. “Guess I better just get it over with.” She set the buffing stick on the nightstand and after a hug, ran out to tell Hunter the news. I watched her go, hoping that Hunter’s mood wouldn’t be spoiled. I hated to see him down.
Chapter Two
My weekend proved painfully uneventful. The guys had gotten up early and stayed gone both mornings hunting at the nearby club. They hadn’t killed anything yet, which didn’t bother me. The thought of having to eat Bambi every night made my stomach turn. Not that I minded them going, I was just glad to see them all return safely, considering Talon and Owen both had loaded guns and issues.
Holly and Hunter had dragged me along to the movies on Saturday night while Talon stayed home to be mysterious. He’d been lurking around a lot, keeping quiet and blaming it on being tired from all of his nightmares, but I had to wonder. He’d also been working on a report for extra credit to make up for the days he had missed when he left for Houston. This left me to spend my nights studying or reading a book.
Things had certainly changed since we’d broken up. I guess I should’ve welcomed that things had settled down, considering our track record. Boring was better than being chased down, beaten up or nearly shot any day of the week.
Owen spent most of his week nights serial dating. He could have practically any girl in school. It seemed almost magical the way he’d sweet talk them. They’d be eating out of the palm of his hand after just one look. His confidence with the other girls irritated me. Being convinced he only did it to irritate me made it worse. I asked myself too many times why it did. It shouldn’t matter. The farther he stayed from me the better, but a part of me started to miss his company.
Holly and I spent the rest of the week sweeping up hair, answering phones, and cleaning out the storeroom at Mom’s salon. Mom had loads of samples that we fixed up in complimentary holiday bags. We put red and green curly ribbon on them and placed them in a huge basket by the door so customers could take them home.
By the time we got home every night, I found Talon typing away on his computer. Then Hunter and Holly would catch up on kissing time. Upon her return, Hunter would pick her up and swing her around, kissing her deeply.
I missed kissing Talon like that. I missed being kissed like that. Sure he’d fool around if I let him, but I really wanted to be kissed by him as my boyfriend. Without that bond between us, it just made me feel ... confused. Most times I wondered if I really missed him, or the closeness.
My heart always did this crazy woozy thing when I would think about being alone. I had no interest in trying to date anyone else, and besides that wouldn’t be easy with the guys around. It would be impossible while living with Talon. Especially since he’d promised that our being apart wouldn’t be forever. I wondered if he only wanted me on standby, like some pathetic back- up plan.
Owen made it even harder, threatening anyone who’d look at me. He hated Talon, but at least he could keep an eye on him. No other guy stood a chance getting past him. Not that I would want another guy. And then of course, I had to worry about the Light. Putting my heart out there with such a gift and so many secrets didn’t seem fair to anyone and not exactly easy for me.
***
Thanksgiving morning I woke up to the sound of Hunter’s turkey call. As I pulled the covers over my head I couldn’t decide who won for the biggest rude awakening—him or my mom.
Mom had been sleeping in most mornings, with her pregnancy wearing her out, but not today. She’d gotten up bright and early. I’d have to warn her about letting Hunter in at such an early hour. She knew my hatred for mornings, but so did Hunter who took great pleasure in teasing me. The whistle sounded again.
“Blow that thing one more time and you’ll know what it sounds like coming out the other end.” I pointed my finger while I snarled at him.
“Lily!” Holly giggled and put her hand over Hunter’s, blocking his next blow. “It’s time to get up anyway. Granny is expecting you to help and you know she won’t be happy waiting on you.”
I sunk back defeated and then I slid out of bed, still wrapped in my covers, and motioned for Hunter to leave. He laughed, amused with himself, and took Holly by the hand.
“Hunter and I are going into town to see Naomi.” With a sly grin, she winked. That told me everything had worked out with her and Hunter about the job. “She’s going to give me some employment papers to fill out. You need anything?”
“No, thanks, but please tell Granny I’ll be there soon. Congratulations, by the way.” I winked back.
By the time I got next door, Granny had sent Talon and Owen on an errand, which I thought was pretty brave, considering one of them may not make it back alive. They rarely hung out together without Hunter, and I often wondered what they talked about. Talon: the sexy, guitar-playing, extreme sports fan, and Owen: the car-loving, hottie jock. Maybe they’d talk about the few things they had in common like ATVs and hunting. Being Southeast Texans, they both had a little of the redneck gene.
Granny swept the kitchen while chickens boiled on the stove. The bubbling aroma from the pot mixed with the lemony fresh clean of her kitchen made for such a homey, pleasant welcome. She seemed in a good mood and surprisingly energetic for all the work she’d done. I wondered if she’d dipped into her Water stash or if the holidays just gave her an extra boost.
“Bout time you showed up!” She tucked her lip, looking back to her broom. “You young’uns, you’re always sleeping your lives away.” Granny woke daily at the crack of dawn, a habit she claimed to have learned as a child.
“Sorry,” I said through a yawn.
She laughed, sweeping a small pile into the dustpan which she then emptied into the garbage.
I had just started to unload the dishwasher when we heard a car pull up and honk. Granny walked to the living room and peeked around the curtain. “Lily, you stay here, I’ll be right back.” She took a deep breath before stepping out, and I knew instinctively something had her upset.
I walked to the living room where out the window I spotted Granny standing next to a beat-up silver car and a tall, skinny blonde with dark roots and leathery skin standing behind the opened car door. With streaked makeup and her hair a twisted mess atop her head, she appeared frazzled. She smiled at Granny. Not a friendly smile, but threatening as one from a predator. They exchanged a few words, and then Granny clutched her chest and stepped away. I couldn’t watch anymore. I couldn’t sit by and let this woman, whoever she was, hurt Granny. I opened the door and walked out to stand with her, but the conversation continued as if I were invisible.
The scrawny blonde waved her finger at Granny. “You better consider it. I can make your life hell. And don’t think you have any rights. Those are my boys. Mine. Now you think about that.”
“They are mine. I raised them from babies. You’ll never get one red cent outta me. They don’t even know you.” Granny’s voice cracked. I grabbed her hand and encouraged her to come with me. Then I looked up at the haggard woman. I didn’t quite know what was going on, but I realized that she was my cousins’ mother, and whatever her issues, Granny didn’t want her around.
“You’d better leave,” I hissed.
“And just who do you belong to?” She curled her lip as she studied me. “Owen or Hunter Ray?”
“I don’t know why you came, but it’s time for you to leave.” I dropped Granny’s hand and stepped toward the woman. “Go the hell away from here and don’t come back,” I warned. I walked even closer, not backing down, as she got in her car and slammed the door. I didn’t take my eyes off of her as she reversed out the drive and sped away, leaving a trail of dust behind her.
Granny stood behind me shaking with tears running down her face. I held h
er hand as I led her inside and she quickly started wiping her eyes.
“The boys can’t find out about this.” She took deep breaths to calm herself. “I won’t let her ruin their lives.”
“Then that was their mother?” I clarified, even though I knew. Somehow I just wanted it to not be the truth. I couldn’t see any resemblance of my cousins in the horrible woman.
“Yes,” she sniffed, fighting off fresh tears.
“What did you mean when you said she wouldn’t get one red cent? She wants money?”
“Yes. That’s all she wants. She never wanted them, for sure! She left those babies alone more than once! One day she actually left Hunter with Owen in his crib and took off before W.O. got home from work. He came in to find them both screaming, starving and in filthy diapers. Owen was only a few months old.” She sobbed loudly, using her apron to wipe her tears. “W.O. finally threw her out, but eventually, his drinking got worse and he wasn’t fit himself. So he brought them to me and I took them in without hesitation.” She took a deep breath and continued.
“I had them for at least five months before she even came to check on them. And since then, she’s only seen them three more times. She never even showed up after W.O. died. Owen probably wouldn’t recognize her. Hunter might, maybe.” She wiped her eyes again, and anger flashed in her eyes. “She just wants money for her drugs and booze.”
“No offense, Granny, but what would make her think you even have any money? You certainly don’t live the part.” I understood Granny appreciated her simple life and wanted to raise the boys to be humble and understand the value of things. Granny’s simple home certainly didn’t let on that she owned a fortune of gold, mostly because she’d been too afraid to spend it. That fact was one of the best kept secrets between Granny and me, and even my cousins had no idea of the fortune that awaited their future. How did this lady know?
“She said she saw me at the bank last week when she visited a teller friend for lunch. They must have asked how she knew me and told her I’m wealthy. Now, she thinks she can bribe me.” Granny took a deep breath.
“How—what does she have on you?” I couldn’t imagine any skeletons in Granny’s closet.
She shook her head quickly. “I can’t let them find out.” Her face squished in anguish as she breathed away another crying spell. “They’ll be devastated that I didn’t tell them. They’ll be mad about the money, too.” She looked me directly in the eyes. “Oh Lily, I’ve always tried to give them everything, really. I only wanted the best for them. Maybe I was wrong?”
“Wrong? Granny, you are their mother. You’ve taken them in and taken care of them the best you could. You’re all they have. They could never be upset with you. I’m sure if you just tell them, whatever it is, they’ll understand, and then she won’t have any leverage against you. Then she’ll just go away. Nothing can be so bad that ...”
“Lily, I need to show you something.” She hurriedly led me to her room and opened the trunk at the foot of her bed, and then she took out a large scrapbook and opened it. The pages were crisp and yellowed on the edges and it smelled like the cedar trunk it came out of, the smell wafting up as she flipped quickly through the book to find the page she knew was there. She stilled when she found it and stopped to run her hand across a picture, her fingertips lingering on the man’s face as if she longed to feel the heat of life in his skin and the curves of his strong face.
“This is my son W.O.” She pointed to the handsome, rugged man who had dark hair and eyes. He reminded me of the pictures I’d seen of Granny’s husband.
“He’s handsome.” I smiled down at the picture, not sure what Granny meant.
“Yes, well, you saw LeAnn today. That’s her name. LeAnn,” Granny sneered. “They don’t look a thing like her, do they?” I thought of the skinny faux blonde with deep brown roots. My cousins really didn’t favor her in any obvious way. Granny looked back to the picture of her son’s smiling face. I was dumbstruck as she continued.
“I always knew. They’d had such an on again off again relationship. One day, while they were off again, she showed up, pregnant with Hunter. She stayed around long enough to have him and Owen, then she started going back to her old ways, and her old boyfriend, putting herself and her addictions first. I suspected that we weren’t blood, but I loved them just the same.”
The vision came rushing back to me. Me and Owen! My stomach turned. I put my hand to my mouth and held in a gasp. We’re not blood. Owen had guessed right all along. Before I could say anything Granny continued.
“She’s going to tell them about their real father, the money, everything! Owen’s gonna hate me most of all.” She put her hands on her head. “I considered telling them the truth when we found you. But it frightens me, Lily. I feared they would eventually want to meet their real father and then we’d have to face LeAnn. You became smitten with Talon anyway, and I just hate her so much I don’t want her in our lives.” Then she exhaled loudly. “Yet, now ... here she is anyway.”
“They have a right to know. I’m sure if you just tell them then, well, it’ll work out. What can be so bad that it would come between you? You’re family. Family works things out,” I assured. “They’ll see she’s only here to cause trouble and they’ll see her true colors. They love you.”
Shaking, Granny clutched my arm and took my hand. Her already panicked breathing quickened. “No! Lily, you have to promise me. You can’t tell them anything. Not about her coming here. Nothing until I figure this out. Promise?” Her eyes pled to me as she squeezed so hard my fingers hurt.
Granny had asked me to keep a lot of things a secret since we’d met, and out of respect I always did. I knew I had to promise her again. I had no right or place to tell them. Even though I knew that eventually, obviously, Owen would find out.
I knew he’d never try anything with me knowing—believing—we were related. He’d given Talon hell about the whole brother thing, knowing full well that we’d never really be blood. This explained a lot about my vision. And though my heart ached for Granny, a part of me felt comforted that at least if the kiss had to happen, there was no relation of any kind between us.
“Okay. I’ll keep your secrets, but what are you going to do about LeAnn? You’ll have to tell them eventually. She’ll come back. Besides, I know they’ll find out. I’ve seen proof of that already in a vision. It all makes sense now.” Granny understood my abilities and thankfully she didn’t ask for details.
“Just give me time, Lily. I’ll find the right time.”
“Make it soon, okay? They need to know. I know it will all work out.” I hoped those words reassured her.
I leaned in to hug her and then heard someone come into the house. “I’ll go see who that is. You better go wash your face.” I walked into the kitchen to find Mom finishing the dishes I’d left when LeAnn arrived.
“Where is everyone?” she asked. “I thought I heard a car a minute ago. I thought the boys came back already.” To my relief she hadn’t seen the incident. It would be easier to hide.
“Nope, not back yet.” I shrugged and swallowed hard at the thought of Granny’s secret. I would have to try really hard to act normal. My whole world had just changed, and I had to keep it all to myself.
Nervous about Owen and Hunter knowing the truth, I wondered what it meant for us. Would things go on as usual and just how would it affect their relationship with Granny? She had some reason to worry.
Hunter would be upset because of the money. He’d always wanted to be helpful and get a job, but Granny wouldn’t let him. He’d tried so hard to find Mr. Hill’s buried gold so that he could give Holly anything she wanted. He’d always hated going to Granny for money.
And even though she would usually give them both whatever they wanted for Christmas and birthdays, he’d gone without the feeling of security that he could have had. The security he hoped to find with the gold. Now with Holly getting a job to help out, with Granny knowing all along, he’d really be furious.<
br />
Owen would be furious too. He’d lost his hope for a relationship with me when Granny led him to think we were related. He’d struggled since with his feelings. He’d even had this very suspicion, which his brother discouraged. It couldn’t have been easy. Especially since he had to watch Talon and me grow closer. Well, at least until we’d broken up.
I’d never really thought about it before, but I felt bad for him. I feared his reaction when he did find out the truth. Would he try to pursue me again? According to my vision he would. What would it do to our friendship?
Then I considered Talon. How would he feel towards Owen without the cousin factor? He’d always been tolerant of Owen’s habits, the playful hand-holding and the hugs. But soon, all of that would change. Would he once again see Owen as competition? With the way things had been since the break-up, would it even matter to him?
Somewhere deep inside I selfishly hoped this would bring Talon back to me. I pushed the thought away quickly. If we got back together I wanted it to be for the right reasons, because he loved me and couldn’t be without me, not to beat Owen to the punch.
Granny and I kept quiet through dinner. Even though we could both feel each other’s tension, we made sure it didn’t show.
***
Talon plopped down on the couch after dinner. “That gumbo was awesome.” He held his stomach. “But, I think I overdid it.”
Hunter, who sat in Granny’s recliner, had already fallen asleep, his breathing a soft, steady purr. Owen and Holly watched TV, both looking stuffed and miserable.
“Well, you better hurry up and make room for your mom’s turkey.” I regarded my own over-fed belly with a pat.
“I may have to hurt her feelings,” he moaned.
“I know another way you could hurt her feelings. Stay with us.” I took a seat next to him on Granny’s couch.
