by Shelly Crane
“You fought back from the very beginning,” Caleb said sweetly and proudly. “Good girl. I’m so proud of you.”
“Alright, let’s go eat,” Kyle blurted and stood up.
“Go ahead. I need a minute with Maggie,” Caleb said.
“What? She’s hungry, let’s go eat.”
“Kyle,” Gran said sharply.
“Fine,” he said as he stalked out.
As he waltzed out, I knew right then I’d have to have another talk with him about everything because he apparently wasn’t getting it. I also felt horrible that I was the cause of their tension. They’d been best friends until literally ten minutes after I met Caleb. That one incident changed everything.
“Hey.” I looked up to Caleb’s voice and saw that Gran was gone as well. “He’s being an idiot. If the situation were reversed, I wouldn’t egg him on even if I did have a crush on the girl. It wouldn’t be fair to either of them and with the imprint being so phenomenal anyway, like this is, they wouldn’t need me being an ass.”
“I know. I can’t help but feel bad though and there’s nothing I can do about it. I can’t stand that you guys aren’t friends anymore because of me.”
“Not your fault.” He slid his fingers over my cheek before coming to sit beside me on the chaise. “He’ll get over it one day. He has to. And then, we’ll be friends again.”
I sat up and he automatically pulled me to sit sideways in his lap.
“Maggie,” he sighed. “I don’t think I can ever leave you alone again. How am I even going to finish college?”
I knew he was joking but partly serious too. He was so angry, so scared, so guilty.
“I’ll just have to go with you.”
His gaze jumped to mine.
“Really? You’re going to go to Tennessee with me in the fall?”
“Well, I still hate the idea of your family paying for it so I’ll look into student loans or whatever I have to, but...yeah. I’m coming with you.”
His face split with a grin and he took my mouth forcefully and gratefully. I fisted his shirt front as his arms went around me. I begged that we’d have no interruptions this time as his skin worked like a sponge to extract all my worries and sorrows. It felt like the room took a spike in temperature, I felt too hot but in a good way. My hand wandered to his hair, shaggy and soft. I let him devour me until I was sure I’d die of not breathing properly.
I pulled back a little but he didn’t release me, just let us sit so close, our lips almost touched and our foreheads did. His breath was hot and intoxicating.
“I’m so happy, Maggie. I hope you know that, even with everything that’s going on, I’m so happy I found you.”
“I’m happy too.”
He leaned back a little to look at me.
“Are you really going with me or was that just a diversion to get my mind off Kyle and Marcus?”
“No,” I laughed. “I’m really going. But that was a good idea, I should have thought of that.”
He tickled me in retaliation and we laughed. His lips skimmed my temple before he stood up and steadied me.
“Are you good? We can wait a few more minutes if you need it. I’m sure we can find something to do,” he said with inflection and clear enjoyment.
“I’m fine. I feel really good actually. Between you and Gran, I’m good as new,” I crooned making him grin.
“Awesome, because,” he let our lips graze, “as good as you taste, green eyes, I need some real food.”
“Ditto,” I said giggling at his lame line.
He took my hand and laced our fingers, pulling me along but then stopped.
“Oh. You better call work.”
“Oh, crap. I forgot about that.” I looked up to his face. I remembered last night talking about how he didn’t think I should work today, or ever again, or at least that’s where it seemed he was going with it. He looked at me like I might rebel and tell him to go screw himself. It was comical, actually. I giggled. “Caleb. I agree with you about not working today. I’m not gonna bite your head off.”
He looked relieved.
“Good. You understand that I have to keep you safe, right? It hurts to think about you in harm and I’m not sure I could sit here while you worked today after everything that happened last night.”
“I understand.”
“Besides, you don’t have to work anymore. Not only is it not safe but I’m taking care of you now. And you’ll be leaving in a few weeks for school so you’d quit anyway.”
“Caleb, I told you I don’t really feel...comfortable with you paying for my stuff. I don’t need you to-” He cut me off with a kiss and then spoke his words against my mouth.
“In the words of some really beautiful smart girl I know- just give me what I want.”
I giggled despite it all.
“Ok. But...even though I’ll call them and tell them I’m not coming in today, I can’t just quit without any notice. They’ve been like family. I can’t do that to them.”
“Ok.” He blew out a long breath. “We’ll think of something.” He smiled reassuringly.
We stepped into the kitchen and I looked around at my new family. Maria walked up to me with a plate piled high with homemade honey buns and strawberries.
“You’re not allergic, are you?” she asked.
“Nope. I’m not allergic to anything,” I said as I took the plate. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. I’m allergic to kiwi, but it’s ok because I don’t really like kiwi anyway.”
“Really?” I pulled away from Caleb and gave him a smile over my shoulder. “I love kiwi,” I told her and followed her out to the table where there was already about ten women seated.
“Hey, Maggie,” Jen greeted and I was glad. I didn’t want everyone to feel weird about me because they knew what had just happened to me. I prickled as I wondered if everyone had heard me screaming. “Feeling better?”
“Yeah. Thanks. Gran is a lifesaver.”
“And Caleb I would think, too,” a new woman said giggling.
Other giggles erupted and Rachel covered her mouth before going on.
“Now, now. Leave them alone. It’s been so long since we were that age, we’ve forgotten what’s its like.”
“Oh, I never forgot,” the woman said. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about!”
Everyone laughed, even me. Then, they told me some stories about Caleb when he was a kid.
“So, by the fifth go round, he finally realized that I was tricking him! He was so cute, all disgruntled,” Caleb’s aunt ended her story.
Everyone laughed as they remembered.
“Well, I remember the time he house sat for us and Ken charmed the house plants before we left. Every time Caleb came around a corner, my potato vine had moved something, a chair or the palm had flipped a picture frame. It was so hilarious the first phone call we got from him,” she did her best Caleb impression, “Uh, Aunt Margo, I think something’s up with your house.” She laughed and cackled. “He finally figured it out at some point and when we got back he looked at us as sternly as a sixteen year old boy can and said, “Very funny.”
I laughed so hard at their stories I was wiping my eyes.
“Well, Maggie. Where are you going to school?” Jen asked after everyone settled down.
“Um, I think I’m going to go to Tennessee.”
There were a lot of breaths of relief and I looked around curiously. Jen looked at me and smirked while Rachel explained.
“It’s just that we’re wading through uncharted waters, Maggie. Human girls are so...different. Demanding and independent and there’s nothing wrong with that but it’s just not the way of our kind. The Virtuoso had always been old fashioned and we were worried that you’d rebel against it all. Caleb is a good boy- uh, man.” She sniffled and two ladies near hear patted her hands. She laughed through her tears. “I’m a mess. I never thought I’d see this day and now its here and I can barely believe it.” I bit my lip in uncom
fortable respite. She smiled at me. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable, I’m just so happy and very proud of Caleb. He’s handling everything so well, as are you. He’ll stop at nothing to make you happy, Maggie. Know that. You don’t have to worry about mundane things anymore.”
I nodded in understanding and smiled at her and her aunts, nodding and beaming with pride. I broke the silence by asking about their imprints.
I sat and finished my lunch with them, listening to their stories of when and how they imprinted and ascended. I was fascinated. I was sure they were sick of my questions but they kept smiling and eagerly answered.
I so enjoyed them and no one treated me like I was a child or naïve. They sympathized, they laughed, some cackled more than once. I tried to keep my gaze off Jen, knowing she wouldn’t have a story to tell but when my eyes did drift to her she looked happy and content with Maria seated on her lap.
Eventually the guys came out and pulled some chairs to sit around us.
“You’re alive?” Caleb jested. “I was scared of what I’d find out here.”
“Yes, I’m alive. And I’ve learned a whole lot,” I spouted with eyebrows raised.
“Oh no, now I’m scared.”
“You should be.” I leaned forward to whisper loudly. “I know about the Scooby Doo underwear.”
He groaned as I laughed and Kyle’s dad, who I could never remember the name of, came over.
“Caleb. Come play for us.”
“No. No.” He waved him off.
“Yes. Yes. It’s been ages since you played. Come on. Play while we throw the shoes.”
“Come on, Caleb!” someone else chanted.
“Fine.” He grimaced at me and leaned forward to whisper in my ear, “Guitar. And Kyle’s dad’s name is Max by the way.” Then he kissed my temple and smirked at me as he took the guitar from Uncle Max and sat back in his chair.
He started to play something and Max set up the horseshoes. I glanced at Caleb as I recognized the song he was playing, Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead. He wasn’t even looking at the strings while he played. He was looking at me.
Then I saw Kyle coming my way and I froze.
Crap. Crap!
I knew he was going to ask me to be his partner in horseshoes, I could see it on his face and I so didn’t want to have any more conflict between Caleb and Kyle. That would do it for sure. So I jumped up from my chair quickly, acting like I hadn’t seen Kyle coming, who had only been about seven feet away at the time, and made a beeline to Peter who was leaning on the next table over watching everyone.
“Hi.”
“Hi there,” he said easily.
“Do you want to be my horseshoe partner?”
He smiled.
“An old man like me doesn’t get asked that much anymore.”
“Aw, come on. You’re not old. And I’ve never played before so I’m not sure if you should play or run.”
He laughed out loud just as Kyle reached us. Dang it. He followed me over here.
“Mags. You wanna play with me?”
“Uh, I think I convinced Peter to partner with me, If he’s brave enough.”
“Oh,” Peter said grinning as he stood and placed my hand in the crook of his arm. He walked us towards the others. “I’m brave enough all right. But you better watch out because my wife taught me everything I know.”
I laughed.
“Aha. Well it’s not like I could tell the difference between bad and good anyway. You’re going to have to teach me.”
He showed me how to line them up and how hard to toss.
“So, feeling better now?”
“Much.”
“Good. I’m worried about you And Caleb. I’m still trying to figure something out for you two.”
“Thanks. You know, I’m not that worried though. Caleb’s pretty crafty and it’ll all work it out. I know it.”
He nodded and smiled. I looked over to hear Maria squealing and saw an ivy vine racing across the yard towards her as she ran from it in zigzags. I looked around until I found the uncle concentrating on it. He winked and smiled at me.
“I’m glad one of you is level headed,” Peter continued and I realized this was just a common thing with them, to use their abilities in everyday life.
We played a few turns and I actually won a few. He asked me about school and things. I told him about running track.
He threw a shoe and it stopped midair. I gawked at it but he smirked and turned around to find Rachel. She smiled.
“Are you telling her that old lie about me teaching you everything I know?”
“Yes, ma’am, I am.” He opened his arms and she went into them, giggling in amusement. With their arms around each other they looked back to me. “Honestly, Maggie, my wife is terrible at shoes. Unless she cheats,” he said grinning and guffawed when she playfully punched him in the stomach.
“I wish it weren’t true but it is,” she admitted. “So, how is our Maggie faring?”
“Wonderfully, she’s a natural at horseshoes.” Then, he cleared his throat. “That was really thoughtful what you did, Maggie.”
“What?”
“I saw you before and I saw Kyle making his way to you. I could practically read your thoughts as you scampered over to me.”
“Really?” I wrinkled my nose. “I wasn’t trying to hurt Kyle’s feelings but he knows how to rub Caleb the wrong way and he does it on purpose. I’m just trying to avoid conflict.”
“I know. And trust me, Kyle didn’t see but I did and so did Caleb.”
He nodded his head to Caleb and I glanced over. He was looking at me with so much love in his eyes, it was terribly obvious but I didn’t care. I smiled at him and then giggled when one of Caleb’s uncles grabbed my arm to drag me away for another game.
I was handed off to several other uncles and cousins before it was over, one uncle who was apparently the one to see almost a minute into the future, predicted with accuracy mine and all the other wins and loses.
He even gave me some pointers before shots and told me I was literally changing my future.
I really liked him.
Somehow, I kept away from Kyle. He looked like he maybe caught on before it was over with but it couldn’t be helped. He leaned back in a chair and sulked openly, leaning the chair back on its hind legs. I cared more about Caleb’s feelings than Kyle’s and Kyle was really pushing it lately.
They were all sweet and talkative as we listened to the tinks of metal hitting metal and the strums of guitar. They told jokes and Rachel passed out lemonade.
Caleb was so good, I couldn’t stop from my eyes traveling to him every few seconds and even though he played a lot of modern stuff, his family seemed to really enjoy it. I guess they just enjoyed him. It still seemed so foreign to me to have so much family and be so close to them.
Then the music stopped and I turned to see Caleb standing behind me.
“I didn’t get my turn,” he said cockily grinning.
Eighteen
“Caleb, you were so good. I didn’t know you could play like that.”
He hugged me around the middle and grinned.
“Believe it or not, there’s still a few things you don’t know about me.”
“Oh, they’re lots I don’t know.” I linked my arms round his neck, “Favorite color, favorite food, favorite band, favorite movie. Were you a band geek or a jock in high school?”
He smirked.
“Would it matter if I was a band geek?”
“Absolutely not.”
“Well, I was little of both, I guess. I played the drums and bass in the school jazz band and was also wide receiver on the football team.”
“Wow,” I sighed.
“What?” he laughed.
“You’re just good at everything aren’t you?” He laughed again but I kept going as I tugged him under the tree to get out of the sun. “We have guitar, piano, drums, bass, and I know I saw a trumpet on your wall, though I didn’t see
you actually play it, then football, swimming, geometry, motorcycles. I mean you are a serious overachiever,” I joked as I leaned my back against the tree.
He shrugged and came closer, invading my space in a way I wanted.
“What can I say? I’ve had a lot of spare time...waiting for you.”
My heart skidded and now that I knew he felt every movement of it, I watched his face and saw him register it. His lips turned up slightly on the sides.
“Good answer. Add flattery to that list,” I stammered as I stared at him, that dimple making me want to touch it.
He laughed again and shook his head.
“You are the funniest person I’ve ever met.”
“And you’re the sweetest.”
“I’m not that sweet,” he insisted.
“You’re honey bun sweet,” I said with an accent as sweet as syrup.
“Oooh.” He raised his eyebrows in mock seriousness. “That’s like the ultimate compliment.”
“Yeah, pretty much,” I said grinning.
I glanced around and saw that we were once again under the microscope of his family as they sat, played horseshoes and talked, tried to look like they weren’t watching us.
Then I heard Marvin Gaye blaring through the garden. Caleb scoffed and looked over with a raised brow at someone, I followed his line of sight to a guy I hadn’t talked to yet. He saluted and winked at Caleb, grinning like a fool and I heard a lot of laughter floating around us. I realized he was using his ability somehow because the music seemed to be right in our ears, everywhere. He was trying to be funny.
It was pretty funny, though it made me blush. So, I started back on topic.
“So, what about tonight? I have to go home at some point.”
“I know. I’ll just come to your room again, though I wish I could keep you here. Maybe you can say you’re spending the night with your friend or something.”
My phone dinged with a message.
I can’t believe you haven’t called or texted me! I need details on you and college boy. Is he as dreamy as he looks? How was the kiss? You did kiss him didn’t you? You better have! Come stay with me tonight. Pizza on me.
“Or.” I had an idea and wanted to laugh at Beck’s timing. “I could actually spend the night with my friend. I have barely seen her at all lately and she’s leaving for Southern Cal U in a couple weeks. I know it sucks us not being together but it’s not my house at least, Marcus wouldn’t know to look for me there and I can leave first thing and come straight here to see you.”
