Fairplay Shifters Boxset

by Serena Meadows

  Before she left the room, Annabelle pulled a little slip of paper out of her pocket. “Here’s Mary’s number. I bet if you call her in the morning, she’ll still have that dress.”

  ***Jake***

  Jake rolled over onto his back and stared at the ceiling; he’d been trying to get to sleep for hours, and nothing had worked so far. He couldn’t help reliving the moment he’d suggested that Joslin marry him, or the look on her face when she’d understood what he’d said. The problem was he wasn’t sure what that look meant; it wasn’t one of horror, but it also wasn’t one of joy. It must have meant something in between.

  He hadn’t planned to suggest that they get married; it had just popped into his brain and then out of his mouth, but the more he thought about it, the better an idea it seemed. It was perfectly clear to him that marrying Joslin wouldn’t get them completely out of the mess they were in; in fact, it might make it worse.

  But he wasn’t going to let Deacon get a hold of Joslin and if marrying her was what it took to keep her away from him, then he’d be more than willing to make that sacrifice. Although it wasn’t much of a sacrifice, he thought, a smile spreading across his face. She was smart and beautiful and a little bit fierce when she needed to be, and he’d discovered that she was just the kind of woman he wanted.

  Being married to her might give him a chance to win her over, to make her see that he wasn’t just Justin’s little brother, the baby in the family. Plus, he was positive that there was a spark between them, that Joslin was attracted to him, if only a little bit. That was someplace to start, more than he would have hoped for a few months ago when his attraction to her was nothing more than a crush.

  One thing was for sure: if she decided to marry him, they were going to have a real wedding, make a big show of it. Partly because he wanted to shock Deacon into making a stupid move and partly because if things went the way he hoped, it would be their real wedding: the only one they’d have for the rest of their lives.

  He was lost in thoughts about the wedding night when there was a quiet knock on the door between their rooms, the one he’d crashed through the night before. Throwing back the covers, he crossed the room and opened the door. Joslin slipped into his room and waited until he closed the door again.

  “I couldn’t sleep, and I was wondering if you were having the same problem,” she said, looking down at the carpet.

  “I’ve been trying for hours, but I guess I’m just too keyed up,” Jake said. “Maybe we need to talk.”

  “I guess you’re probably sorry you suggested we get married, and I wouldn’t blame you,” Joslin said, finally looking up at him.

  She looked so sad standing there in the middle of his room, so small and vulnerable that he couldn’t stop himself from crossing the room and pulling her into his arms. His heart was pounding in his chest and desire was racing through him; it would have been so easy to kiss her just then.

  But instead, he said, “I meant it when I offered.”

  She looked up at him. “What happens when this is all over? We didn’t talk about that,” Joslin said, her voice trembling a little bit.

  “I don’t know. I mean, we’ll really be married,” Jake said, suddenly unsure what she wanted him to say, that they’d get divorced or that they’d stay married. It seemed very important that he answered correctly. “I guess it would depend on how we felt.”

  Joslin studied him for a minute, taking comfort from his arms, then bravely asked, “What do you want to happen?”

  Jake nearly panicked and asked her the same question back, but instead, he leaned down and softly put his lips on hers. It was just a feather of a kiss, but it was enough to ignite something between them, and before he knew it, Joslin had wrapped her arms and him and was kissing him.

  Her tongue darted into his mouth, and he couldn’t help the moan that escaped his throat or the reaction his body had to Joslin’s pressed up against his. When there was no breath left in their lungs, they parted, both panting for breath, and stared at each other.

  “That wasn’t exactly the answer I expected,” Joslin said, playfully.

  Jake grinned at her. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time.”

  Joslin’s face got serious, “I think I’ve wanted you to do that for a long time,” she finally said.

  “So, I guess that means we’re getting married,” Jake said, crossing the room and pulling her back into his arms.

  Joslin nodded her head, “I never thought I’d get married before Annabelle,” she said, then pulled Jake’s head down for another kiss. When they finally came up for air, she added, “But I have to warn you: just because we’re married doesn’t mean that you get to run my life. I make my own decisions.”

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way; that’s one of the things I like about you, Joslin: you’re strong and independent,” he said, going in for another kiss.

  She giggled and pushed him away. “I think we’d better call it a night; we have a wedding to plan in the morning.”

  As Jake fell asleep that night, he realized just how much his life had changed in only a few months. Soon he’d be married; it wasn’t exactly what he’d planned for his future, but he knew that it was the right thing to do. Not only was it a way to keep Joslin safe from Deacon, but it was a way to keep her near him, so he could protect her, keep her safe.

  Chapter 11

  ***Joslin***

  Joslin got up and stretched; they’d been at it for hours, holed up in the suite. Once she’d announced her decision, the planning had begun, and to her, it felt more like a battle plan than wedding plans. It made her a little sad that her wedding day wasn’t going to be like she’d always dreamed, that it was entirely possible that a year from now she’d be divorced.

  But she knew that it was the best way to beat Deacon, and if she wanted to have a life, he had to be stopped. When she’d knocked on Jake’s door in the middle of the night, she’d only wanted to make sure that he hadn’t changed his mind, that she wasn’t stewing and worrying over something he’d take back in the morning.

  Kissing him had been the furthest thing from her mind last night; well, that wasn’t entirely true, as she had wondered if it might be a good way to make up her mind. She’d thought about kissing him a lot over the last few weeks, wondered how his lips would feel on hers, how it would feel to have his strong arms around her.

  Nothing she’d imagined had been as good as the real thing; his lips had been firm, his mouth had tasted like almonds, she got a thrill just thinking about kissing him again. “If you’re going to the kitchen, I could use another soda,” her sister said, interrupting her thoughts.

  “Oh, yeah, okay,” she said heading for the kitchen.

  She was digging around in the refrigerator when Jake walked in and scared her, making her bump her head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said, taking the sodas she’d picked up out of her hands and setting them down on the counter.

  “That’s okay; I guess I was lost in my thoughts,” she said, rubbing her head.

  “Yeah, I could see that. Are you sure you’re okay with the wedding? We could have it somewhere else,” Jake said, leaning up against the counter. “We chose the ranch because Deacon won’t have any spies there, and only people with an invitation will be able to get in, but we could move the location.”

  “No, I think the ranch is perfect, it’s just that I’m not sure all of this is necessary. We could just go down to city hall and get married; it would be quick and easy,” Joslin said, not sure why their plans for a big wedding bothered her so much: then it hit her. “I feel like we’re lying to all those people, making them part of this without asking them.”

  Jake thought about that. “We’re not lying, Joslin; we’re really going to get married, and I hope we’re really going to try and make it work. And if a year from now we go our separate ways, I hope it will be a good memory that you’ll take with you.”

  He wasn’t sure where that speech had come from,
but it seemed to do the trick. “Okay, I guess it’s not so bad when you think of it that way. But isn’t that a lot to ask of your mom and Penny? It’s not going to be easy to pull this off in only a week.”

  “Then we’d better get back in there and finalize the guest list so that Annabelle can send out the invitations, and then we’d better call Penny. Like I said, I’d rather explain all this to my parents in person, especially my mom, but I want Penny there since Justin can’t be.”

  When they joined Annabelle and Justin, Joslin realized that she felt much better. “Okay, where were we?” she asked, ready to get back to business.

  “We’ve finalized the guest list including those who we’ll recruit to work with us, and I’ve sent out a digital version. I’ll call the printer in the morning and have him do a rush job on the paper ones,” Annabelle said, then looked to Justin.

  “You two are booked on a flight out of here late tonight; it should get you to Denver about one o’clock where there will be a car waiting to take you to Fairplay. All that’s left is to call Penny and get her to meet you at the ranch tomorrow morning. Annabelle and I will head back to the compound once we know that you two made it safely,” Justin wrapped up their plan.

  “Deacon won’t know anything until after the wedding; that’s going to send him into convulsions,” Annabelle said, a wicked smile on her face. “As soon as I get home, I’m going to start trying to figure out what Deacon’s done to dad.

  “I’d start with a revealing spell; that might show you what spell Deacon used,” Joslin said, “But be very careful: we don’t want him to know that you’ve been messing around.”

  Annabelle sighed, “This isn’t the first time I’ve done this.”

  Joslin grinned at her. “Yeah, but I won’t be there to help you.”

  “I’ll have some help, don’t worry. Now you two had better call Penny; I can’t wait to see what she says,” Annabelle said, grinning.

  Penny wasn’t picking up her phone, so by the time they headed to the airport, they still hadn’t gotten a hold of her. But they weren’t worried; Penny was a night owl, liked to stay up late and sleep in, and eventually she’d answer her phone, and if not, they’d just stop by the house in town and pick her up on the way to the ranch.

  They said goodbye to Annabelle and Justin in front of the hotel and took a car to the airport, both a little nervous. Once they were in the back of the car, Jake put his arm around her and pulled her close, and her nerves disappeared, the feeling of contentment she felt around washing over her like a warm ocean.

  With a sigh, she relaxed into his arms, only to have him sit back up. “Oh, I almost forgot,” he said, a grin on his face. “I got you something.”

  When he pulled a velvet box from his pocket, Joslin’s heart began to beat a little faster. She took the box from him and opened it to find the perfect engagement ring inside. Instead of a diamond, there was a sapphire the exact color of Jake’s eyes. “Your sister helped me pick it out, try it on.”

  “Oh, Jake, it’s beautiful. I love it,” she said sliding the ring onto her finger. “It fits perfectly.”

  “I figured since we are engaged, you should have a ring,” he said, suddenly serious.

  Joslin looked into his eyes and saw affection, and a thrill went through her. “Suddenly, it doesn’t seem like such a bad idea to marry you,” she said, then pulled his head down and kissed him.

  ***Jake***

  Jake knew that he was never going to get tired of Joslin kissing him like she just had. In fact, every time she did it only made him want her to do it again. He was thinking about that next kiss when the car pulled into the airport, and he knew that it would have to wait. They only had a few minutes to make their flight, and it would throw off everything if they missed it, so he grabbed their bags and Joslin’s hand and hustled them through security and to the gate.

  Their flight was just getting ready to board, but it looked like they had a few more minutes, so he pulled out his phone and tried Penny’s number one more time. This time, to his great relief, she picked up.

  “Hey, little brother, what’s up?”

  “Hey Penny, I’m at the airport. Joslin and I are on our way to Fairplay; we’re getting married in a week, and we need your help,” he said, just as the first call for boarding came over the loudspeaker.

  “What? Did you just say that you and Joslin are getting married? In a week?” Penny sputtered. “Have you two lost your minds?”

  “Look, our plane is boarding. We’ll be in Fairplay by morning. Meet us at the ranch, and we’ll explain everything,” Jake said, noticing that they were the only ones still left in the terminal.

  “What time does your plane land? I’m going to meet you in Denver. You better have a good explanation, Jake this is crazy,” Penny said.

  When they walked out of the airport terminal in Denver a couple of hours later, Penny was standing on the sidewalk, hands on her hips, a scowl on her face. “Okay, what the hell is going on?” were the first words out of her mouth and Joslin couldn’t help but smile.

  “You never were one to beat around the bush,” Joslin said. “Don’t worry, this will all make sense once we explain; we haven’t lost our minds.”

  “You’d better have a good explanation; I don’t know what mom and dad are going to say. Two witches in the family might be a bit much for them to get used to,” Penny said, looking from one of them to the other. “I definitely sense that’s there’s something more going on here. Let’s go, you can tell me on the way home,” she said, clearly having decided she needed to hear more.

  Jake and Joslin put their bags in the trunk and got into the car, before they were off airport property, they’d begun telling Penny everything she’d missed since she’d left New England. By the time they got to the mountains, she’d pulled her car over to the side of the road so that Jake could drive. Now she was busy sending e-mails and planning the biggest wedding Fairplay had ever seen.

  When they got to the ranch, the sun was just coming up, but his mother met them at the front door. She’d clearly just gotten out of bed, her robe slightly askew, but he could smell coffee and she had a cup in her hand.

  “Oh, Penny, Jake, Joslin,” she said a bit surprised. “I thought you two were in New York with Annabelle and Justin.”

  Penny didn’t wait for them to answer, just pushed her way past her mother. “I need to use your computer and a phone charger; we have a wedding to plan,” she said, over her shoulder.

  His mother stepped back into the house and led them to the kitchen, “Okay, I’m only half awake. Did I just hear her say we have a wedding to plan? I thought Annabelle and Justin were getting married in New England? Did something happen?”

  Jake headed straight for the coffee pot, needing a jolt before they once again told their story. “No, Annabelle and Justin are still getting married out there; the wedding is for Joslin and me,” he said, then offered his mother a refill.

  She sat down heavily in her chair. “I think you two had better start talking,” she said, then took a huge gulp of her coffee.

  It took a little longer to explain the situation to his mother; she kept interrupting to get more details so by the time they’d finished, the sun was up, and the house had begun to stir. When his father came out of the bedroom and saw them all huddled around the table, he turned and went back into the bedroom.

  He came back out a few minutes later, dressed for the day. “I figured I’d need to be dressed to hear whatever I’m about to hear,” he said, getting himself a cup of coffee.

  “We’re having a wedding,” his mother said, a huge grin on her face.

  Chapter 12

  ***Joslin***

  As the big wooden doors opened, Joslin got a glimpse inside the barn. There were hundreds of people who had come to see she and Jake get married, and for just a second, she hesitated. But then she looked over at her father, who was wearing a blank expression, and knew that she had to go through with it.

  She wasn’
t really thinking about backing out, but for just a second, she’d wished for her old life back. But then she got a glimpse of Jake standing at the end of the aisle and took the first step inside, knowing deep down that it was her destiny to marry him.

  The four of them had spent the last week feverishly planning the perfect wedding and scrambling to get their out-of-town guests there. Jake had been right: the ranch was the perfect place to have a wedding, and thanks to a little hocus pocus on her part, there were some very nice guest cabins on the property now.

  The big barn and reception hall had already been there, a side business that brought a little more money in for the ranch. Thanks to Penny, they had a feast and an army of people to serve it to them waiting in the reception hall, and Joslin decided that she was going to forget Deacon and enjoy herself. It wasn’t every day that a girl got married, even if that marriage was a big fake.

  But, she reminded herself, it wasn’t all fake. She and Jake had something going between them; it wasn’t love, not yet. But it had potential, and that alone gave her a little more courage to take that next step. Before she knew it, she was standing next to Jake reciting her vows in a clear, steady voice, her eyes locked on his. When he repeated the words back to her, his eyes never leaving hers, she felt them deep in her soul, knew that at that moment he meant every word of them.

  When the minister announced that he could kiss the bride, he smiled down at her and said, “Now that wasn’t so hard,” then he pulled her to him and covered her mouth with his.

  The kiss went on and on, neither able to break the spell they were under, until a cheer from the guests reminded them of where they were. When they broke apart and turned to face the rows and rows of smiling faces, another cheer went up. Jake offered her his arm; she tucked her hand under his elbow, and together they went back down the aisle and out the big doors.