by Jane Toombs
June was always a glorious month in the valley and this June was no exception. Sunny skies, with a breeze not yet carrying the heavy heat of summer. Flowers in bloom, pleasing to the eye and the nose and birds singing everywhere. Naomi's heavy heart lightened a little as she drove through all these magic June bounties. June, the month of weddings. But she wouldn't be anyone's bride in any foreseeable June. Not Larry's and not Grant's.
No matter how hard she'd tried to eradicate Grant from her thoughts, he refused to go away. Sooner or later she'd forget him, though. She was determined.
Naomi was the first to reach Samara's, where her nephew and niece clamored for her attention, diverting her until her other two sisters arrived with their husbands. The children were immediately fascinated with the croquet set Brian and Johanna brought them and the four went outside to set up the game.
"I swear those two are going to spoil the kids with all the presents they shower on them," Samara said. "I told Kevin we have to find a way to convince them to adopt before our kids are too far gone."
Naomi, who'd noticed the wistful smile on Johanna's face as she followed the children outside, thought it was a shame Brian and Johanna had made up their minds never to have children. She supposed it had to do with the fact they were cousins, but still...
Without discussing it, everyone agreed to put off family business until the children were in bed. So it was well into the evening before the subject of rebuilding Hallow House came up.
"I want to reassure Naomi that we have no intention of building on top of any bones," Ronal said. "This anthropologist is arranging with the Yokut for burial of the skeletal bones and also the skulls presently interred in Skull Cave."
"Yes," said Katrina, looking at Naomi. "That's why we didn't mention it to you right away. We wanted to wait and see what he found."
Aware they meant Grant, Naomi found her heart pounding. "I still don't like the idea," she said.
"Why?" Brian asked. "Johanna and Samara have more cause than you to oppose the rebuilding, yet they agree."
"It's best to replace the dreadful past with a promising future," Samara said, glancing fondly at Kevin.
"The new house will be free of the shadows that haunted the place we grew up in," Johanna said.
"Even if you believe in the curse," Katrina put in, "once the bones are gone, so is the curse."
Naomi thought over what they'd said, finding her arguments dissolving one by one . She might never want to live in a rebuilt Hallow House herself, but that was no reason to try to prevent her sister from doing so. "I hadn't realized the bones were to be taken away," she said. "That changes things."
"Then you agree?" Kevin asked.
She nodded.
"Good." Kevin glanced at his watch and rose. "I've got a project going in the garage I'd like some male advice on. Ronal? Brian?"
As the men filed out, Samara said, "Johanna could you give me a hand getting dessert and coffee ready? Oh, there's the doorbell. Please get it for me, Katrina."
Naomi opened the door and stared speechless at the man on the doorstep.
“Aren‘t you going to let me inside?“ he asked. “I was invited, you know,“
Instead of standing aside, she flung herself at him.. He grabbed her, then lifted her into his arms and carried her across the threshold before setting her on her feet. “Next time I do that it’ll be for keeps,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her and then kissed her thoroughly.
When they were finally able to let go of each other, he said, "Katrina tells me she foresaw our marriage."
"She's never yet been wrong in her predictions," Naomi admitted.
"Good, then we can forget the preliminaries and--"
"Not all of them," she warned.
He grinned at her. "If you don't know by now how much I love you, I may have to scandalize all your relatives by an immediate demonstration."
"Oh, Grant, I do love you."
He pulled her down onto the couch and put an arm around her. "I certainly hope so. Samara and Johanna both told me they thought you did, but I wasn't completely convinced."
"They thought so?"
"Apparently you gave yourself away."
Naomi shook her head. "I kept trying to convince myself I didn't, but I never quite made it."
"So they concocted this meeting tonight as a test," he added. "Either you fell into my arms or ran off like you did the other week."
"I was frightened of the bones."
"My foster grandfather believes the Old Ones brought us particular two together for a purpose. It was time for them to be reburied and, through us, they will be. As a reward, we've been given each other."
Something deep inside Naomi validated this belief. They had met for a purpose. The two of them she and Grant, had lifted the curse from the Gregorys once and for all, as well as reuniting the Old Ones' bones in proper burial. But there was one remaining tie to the past that must be taken care of.
"I have something I'd like your foster grandfather to bury in a place where it will never be found," she said. "Not with the bones, it was never theirs. I know this pendant has the power to evoke evil, tell him that, and ask him if he, as a medicine man, is willing to deal with such a thing."
Grant nodded. "He believes, as I do, that evil should never be encouraged. He'll do as you wish."
Naomi felt an intangible weight lift from her.
"We'll travel together for the rest of our lives," Grant told her. "And I'll ravish you in every country we visit."
"I can't wait," she told him, melting into his arms again.
"Sorry." Samara's voice jerked them back to reality. She set a tray of food on the coffee table before adding, "I'm afraid any ravishing will have to wait until after dessert and coffee. House rules."
So Hallow House would rise again, Naomi thought. Which was as it should be. She glanced at Grant and he smiled at her.
"Now that I'm finished here, I'm off to France. How does Brittany strike you for a honeymoon?"
She sighed happily. Wonderful. And it always would be with Grant.
Naomi looked at Samara, pouring coffee, and remembered something her sister had once said to her. It had been about waiting, because love came more than once and the second time could be the charm.
Recalling the message Grant had delivered to Samara about Mark. Naomi wondered if her sister had believed she loved Mark in the same way Naomi once believed she loved Ronal.
Kevin walked into the room and ruffled Samara's hair in passing. She smiled up at him and no one could miss the love they shared.
"You know," Kevin said to Naomi, "the minute I met Grant, I had the feeling you two ought to get together."
Samara grinned at them. "Well, they certainly did. Meant for each other, obviously."
Naomi's gaze met Grant's. The warmth in his eyes told her he, like she, had no doubts about their life together. As Samara had done, she'd waited and, in the ruins of the past, she'd found her future.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jane Toombs, the Viking from her past and their calico grandcat, Kinko, live on the south shore of Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula wilderness. Here they enjoy refreshing Springs, beautiful Summers, colorful Falls and tolerate miserable Winters. Jane is edging toward ninety with her published books and has over twenty-five novellas and short stories to her credit. She’s been published in every genre except men’s action and erotica, but paranormal is her favorite. She’s a member of a closed twelve author promo group called Jewels Of The Quill, where she’s “Dame Turquoise” at www.JewelsoftheQuill.com
Also by BWLPP, Ten Past Midnight. Six stories and three poems on the dark side of paranormal. Everything from ghouls to the heart-eating Egyptian beast who decides one's fate. Even the touches of romance are definitely different. But what traveler can expect the norm when on the wrong side of midnight? Ten past midnight All's not well. Every road leads right To hell..
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