by J. K Harper
Tyla winced. “Not necessarily. He might have brought a date.” She hated the idea, but at least that way she’d be safe from his roaming eye.
“He didn’t bring anyone. Noah said he showed up alone at the hotel last night.”
Tyla took a deep breath. Calm. She needed to do some frickin’ yoga, or something.
“Just be strong. Resist him.” April said that like it was easy to resist Quinn Darbyshire. “Do not be hypnotized by his hotness. He’ll be gone again in a week.”
“Whoa there. A week? He’s in Rocky Falls for a whole week? He’s sticking around for the Christmas Gathering and everything?”
“Sorry, girl. Yeah. He’s sticking around for the holidays. His folks are on a cruise someplace, so he’s visiting with his aunt and uncle for Christmas. But don’t worry. He’ll have a lot of family stuff to do out in the mountains, and he won’t hang around town too much. He might not even make it to the Christmas Gathering. Why would he care about all that small town stuff? He’s a big city boy now.” She leaned in to Tyla, her face full of concern. “Really. It’s going to be okay.”
Tyla stood up. The room seemed too bright, all of a sudden. “I don’t know whether to run, or hide. Or maybe get drunk.”
“None of those options. You don’t even drink, for a start.”
“Yeah, and that means it’d be really easy for me to get drunk. One sip of wine ought to do it.”
“Nope. Your daughter needs you to be your usual bright, capable self. Come on! Witches are better than this. Right?”
“I’m not much of a witch, though. Am I? My family doesn’t even do magic. I couldn’t cast a spell if my life depended on it.”
“So your family were counter-cultural hippies. But you can’t fight the DNA, lady. We both know that.”
Tyla threw the straw on the table and gulped down her Dr. Pepper straight from the can. The bubbles seemed to burn the back of her throat. She opened another can, automatically.
“Is he at the church already?”
“He went with Noah to Noah’s parents’ place first thing this morning. They’ll reach the church in about a half hour, I think.”
“I need to get Louella.” Tyla rushed to the door and threw it open. “Where did Mindy take her?”
“They’re just downstairs. Look, don’t go running in there all stressed and scare the poor kid. Take a moment to relax. She’s fine with Mindy. She loves Mindy.”
Tyla smoothed her dress down and concentrated on steadying her breathing again.
She hadn’t seen Quinn Darbyshire in almost five years. Five years without him. Five years in which everything had changed for her, completely.
The last time they’d seen each other, she was pregnant. Only she hadn’t realized that at the time.
“Tyla?” April was at her elbow, looking concerned. “Forgive me for asking this. There’s no chance at all that Louella isn’t Quinn’s daughter?”
“Nope. She’s one hundred percent definitely his. I never…” She trailed off. “He’s the only one.”
“Was, you mean. At the time.” April’s mouth fell open as she realized what Tyla was saying. “Wait a second. He’s still the only one? Girl! What the hell are you doing? You’re a beautiful woman with your whole life ahead of you! How are you not dating? I should’ve known better than to take that gap year in Europe when Louella was little. So I’ll write you up a list of eligible magical bachelors just as soon as I get back from my honeymoon. We’re going to get you laid, little lady. Mark my words.”
Tyla smiled at her friend. “You’re so bossy. It’s just one part of why I love you.”
“Yeah, you know it.” April threw her arms around Tyla. “Hey, watch the hair. That Brazilian blow dry was a total bust, by the way. I swear I still have frizz in the back. Can you run the straightener over this part right here?”
Tyla switched on the styling tool. It felt good to throw herself into her maid of honor duties, instead of worrying about her lost love.
“Look, April? Please don’t make a big thing of this. I just never met anyone I liked as much as Quinn Darbyshire. I know it’s been a while. But the wound is still kind of raw.”
“Aw, honey. I know. You had it bad for that guy.”
“He wasn’t interested in a family, and he’s totally unsuitable, and he’s a cheetah shifter, and they’re major playboys. Major. And I knew that. But I’m not sure I ever really got over him. Or at least, I never found someone new. It’s hard to meet people as a single mom. Since Louella was born, there just wasn’t anyone else I liked. Nobody at all.” She cleared her throat. “It was just lack of competition. It’s not like I spent all these years thinking about Quinn and wishing he was still here, or anything.”
Bullshit. She hoped April couldn’t tell she was lying.
Unfortunately, she knew she was talking too fast, and that was a big neon sign for someone who knew her as well as April did.
“Honey, you burn your candle for him all you like. Just so long as it doesn’t make you miserable. I mean, sure. He’s gorgeous. He’s a superstar. Who wouldn’t be attracted to him? Until you find someone a lot better, you’re going to remember him with rose-tinted glasses. That’s natural.”
“You’re so lucky to have found Noah so young.”
“True fact. I know how lucky I am.” April’s face almost glowed when Noah was mentioned. “But there’s someone for everyone, right? And your fated mate must be out there somewhere too. He just must. And you’re going to find him. Okay? It’s gonna happen, Crosby. Keep the faith.”
“Sure. Yeah, okay.” Tyla didn’t entirely believe in fated mates for witches, but she didn’t want to spoil April’s wedding morning with a disagreement.
“It’s a shame your witching family didn’t believe in performing magic. Otherwise you might have some magical means to help you find Mr Right.”
Tyla made a face. “I know! Tell me about it. I always used to think my parents were cool for turning their backs on tradition. Now it’s more than a little damn inconvenient not to have the basic tools of witchery. The older I get, and the more life throws at me, the more I wish I could just cheat a little sometimes and cast a useful spell.”
April nodded sympathetically. “Here’s what we’ll do. I’ll call Mindy and get her to bring Louella up here. Then we’ll fix her hair and put on some cartoons. We still have an hour before the car arrives. My dad will be pacing the kitchen floor for a while yet. And you can get your thoughts around the Quinn thing before you have to face him. Deal?”
“You panthers are always so organized. It’s like you’re running a military operation.”
“Like I say, you can’t fight the DNA.”
Tyla gave in. “Okay then. Call Mindy. And I’ll try to relax.”
April picked up her phone and gave Tyla a mischievous wink. “It’s going to be fine. Really. You can do this. Witches are strong as steel, even when they’re terrible at magic. And this panther’s got your back. Two panthers, if you count Mindy. And we’re both with you all the way. And don’t you forget it.”
Tyla was still pretty spooked at the thought of seeing Quinn again, and she dreaded the moment when she did. But she pretended she agreed with her friend.
“Yep. It’s all going to be fine. Sure it is.”
All she had to do was get through the wedding.
She couldn’t let April down, and she owed it to her daughter to stay focused.
One single day, to do her duty. She could do that.
Then maybe she could avoid Quinn for the rest of the holidays?
Maybe.
She took another sip of the Dr Pepper and grimaced.
It was going to be a long day.
Chapter 2
Mindy looked exactly like her sister April, only a little more petite. She was also full of energy, or even hyperactive. She tapped her foot, or drummed her fingers constantly. At just under a year younger than April, the sisters were often mistaken for twins.
As April pulled a
wide comb through Louella’s thick wavy hair, Mindy took Tyla’s arm and led her toward the couch.
“You heard about Quinn? You know he’s coming?”
“Yeah. I just found out.”
How long had Mindy known he was back in town? Had Tyla been the last person to know about the VIP groomsman?
Mindy sucked air through her teeth. “And you’re okay with that?”
Not at all. “Yeah, it’s cool. We’re good.”
“Yay. Can I ask a kind of personal question?”
No. She knew Mindy would go right ahead anyway though. “Sure.”
“Why doesn’t Quinn know Louella’s his daughter?”
Tyla sighed and rested her head on the back of the couch. “A few reasons. It just wouldn’t have been a good idea to tell him.”
“Right.” Mindy left a long pause, but Tyla knew what was coming next. “What kind of reasons?”
“Oh, Mindy. You know. Stuff.”
Mindy tapped out a rhythm on her knee with both hands. “I just feel like you’re not the kind of person to keep something like that from a guy, unless you had a good reason.”
Tyla said nothing.
Mindy persisted. “So you must have a good reason, I guess.” Her feet began to join in with the imaginary beat. “Right?”
It was no good. Tyla was going to have to talk to Mindy, or be drummed and prodded into submission.
“Okay. Here’s what happened.” She lowered her voice so Louella couldn’t hear her. “You know what we all used to say about lion and cheetah shifters when we were at high school? That they’re basically man-whores?”
“True fact.”
“And it’s like they’re expected to be that way, right from adolescence. Grown men disown their sons if they don’t hit on every woman they meet. Women won’t date a guy who hasn’t been around the block a million times. All of that. You know? If anything, I think cheetahs are worse than lions. It’s that cultural thing they have going on. Like their masculinity depends on it.”
Mindy nodded. “I feel for those guys. Not.”
“And you know what Quinn’s family is like?”
“Real strict. And not very friendly. That’s all I remember about them.”
“Right. They send their kids to boarding schools at the age of seven. Seven. It’s like Victorian England or something. And they’re not loving to each other, not at all. They don’t even seem to hug each other, or pick up the tiny kids much. And they push all the kids to the limit. Look at Quinn and all his brothers and sisters. All super high-achievers. All driven to succeed at all costs. All totally screwed up, from what I remember from high school.”
“You say that like you think chasing success is a bad thing?”
“No, it’s not that. Ambition is great. It’s the pressure from the family that I don’t like. They make their kids work until they drop. No time for fun. No time to just be kids. No curling up in front of a movie, or lazy days by the lake, or riding a bike through fall leaves. None of the stuff we all took for granted when we were growing up.”
“Wow. I’m starting to feel sorry for the super hot rich dude.”
“I grew up so close to my dad.” Tyla fought the tears that always prickled at the corners of her eyes when she spoke of her much-missed father. “I never doubted his love. I always wanted to give my kids that kind of a life. He raised me so well. He was laid back, and loving, and totally accepting of who I was.”
“Your dad was the bomb. I get that.” Mindy’s excitable feet paused for a moment. “I still don’t understand why you didn’t tell Quinn he’d knocked you up though. The guy had a responsibility to you. I mean, you could’ve just said ‘We’re having a kid. Hands off, man.’ Then at least you could’ve gotten the support you needed.“
Tyla snorted. “If only that were true. Believe me, I didn’t want to keep Louella’s father a secret. I hate that she doesn’t know her daddy.”
“You’re talking in circles here.” Mindy looked baffled.
“Look, Quinn once talked about an older girl from our high school who got pregnant at sixteen. She was a grade ahead of April and me. Two grades ahead of you. Quinn was so mean about her. Talked about her like she was trash. The way he saw it, it was like she was a dumb gold digger, and the poor guy had been trapped with all his dreams crushed. Then he said if it had been his baby, his family would’ve taken the girl to court and they’d have gotten custody. Not ‘tried to get custody’. He said they would’ve gotten it. And knowing that family, they probably would’ve got what they wanted.”
“That was Susie and Theo, right? Those two got married, actually. They moved to the east coast, I think. They had their happy ending.” She looked over at Louella, who squealed happily as April tended to her hair. “You really thought they’d try to take your baby from you?”
“Well, what would you think? He’d pretty much told me exactly that, by talking about what his family would do if he were Theo.”
Mindy looked thoughtful. “I guess it wouldn’t be in Louella’s best interest to be taken out of her mom’s care. Not at all.”
“I mean, they could give her all the material stuff she ever dreamed of. But they don’t give their kids love. They don’t give them their time or their affection. They push them hard so they’re winners. That’s all they do. And I’m not letting my baby suffer that sort of upbringing. Not even part time. No way. That could break a person. Especially a little kid as sweet and curious as Louella.”
“Did you guys break up because you were pregnant?”
“No. He left because he had a big break in sports and he dropped me without a second glance. I was nothing to him. So, you see, telling him I was pregnant would’ve been the last thing he wanted.”
Tyla trembled slightly as Mindy drew her into a hug.
“I’m sorry, Tyla. I shouldn’t have asked you about this. I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“It’s fine, really. We’re practically family, you guys and me. We’ve known each other all our lives. You’re entitled to ask questions.”
Louella chose that moment to hurtle into her mother. She was a whirl of bubblegum pink chiffon and lace.
“Mommy! Look what April put in my hair!”
Tyla brushed a dark ringlet from her daughter’s face and examined the new hair clip. “Wow! Is that a unicorn?”
“Yeah!” Louella patted it happily. “It’s sparkly, look! Can you see the sparkles?”
“I sure can! It’s so sparkly, baby. What a beautiful unicorn.” She mouthed “Thank you” to April. “C’mon, let’s get you into your sparkly shoes too. It’s nearly time to walk with Tyla down the aisle. Are you excited?”
“Yes! So excited!” Louella leaped up and down. “I wanna shift, mommy! Can I shift?”
“Oh my goodness, no. No shifting in that beautiful dress.” Tyla pulled Louella onto her lap. “You can kitty up later, once you’ve changed out of your clothes.” She kissed Louella’s soft cheek and hugged her close. “It’s going to be wonderful to see April and Noah getting married, huh?”
“It’s awesome. Can I have a piece of the big cake?”
“Sure you can,” April laughed. “We’ll cut it at the party afterwards. And you can have a great big slice. Deal?”
“Deal!” Louella high-fived April.
“Let’s go,” Mindy called from the doorway. “The car is downstairs. Dad’s about to blow a fuse. You know how he likes to be right on time.”
Tyla took Louella’s hand and led her down the stairs to the waiting limousine. She snuck a quick look at her as she climbed into the back seat.
Nope. Louella really didn’t look at all like the blond athlete who was her father.
Even if Quinn worked out the dates, there was no way he could be sure Louella was his.
Sure, he might ask Louella how old she was. She was four-and-a-half, but if she just said “Four” then he might assume Tyla had met somebody after him and gotten pregnant pretty fast.
In fact, she guessed he w
ould assume the kid wasn’t his, because he never wanted to knock anyone up. Quite the opposite. He always hated the idea.
How could anyone hate the idea of a child? Tyla wondered, as she watched her gorgeous girl laughing with Mindy and April.
It was his loss. They were just fine without Quinn, and that’s how they were going to stay.
She just had to be strong when she saw him again. Her heart needed to be armor-plated, for one day only.
Chapter 3
The church looked sumptuous, with deep red roses, holly and mistletoe everywhere. In the arched doorway stood a huge Christmas tree, garlanded with red and white flowers and candy canes.
“Your mom’s friends did a great job with all this,” Tyla whispered to Mindy, as they stood in line. “It’s the perfect winter wedding look.”
“Aw, she loved doing it. She brought a bunch of friends with her, and they had a ball. Mom practically exploded with excitement when April asked her to coordinate the decorations.”
Tyla smiled at the idea of Mrs Redding’s delighted face, ordering around a team of church volunteers. “I’ll bet.”
The opening chords of the wedding music rang out. Tyla squeezed April’s arm, as her father took the other.
“Let’s go get you married off, Miss Redding.”
“I’m on it.”
They rounded the corner and started their slow walk down the aisle.
Louella walked in front of Tyla and Mindy, solemnly gripping the long chiffon of April’s dress. She took her bridesmaid duties very seriously.
Tyla choked back a tear and a chuckle, all at once. Look at my beautiful girl, and my best friend. She was so happy for April, and so proud of Louella.
At the front of the church stood Noah, looking handsome and happy. When the groom saw his bride for the first time, he gazed at her with such love, it made Tyla almost cry once again.
They were halfway down the aisle when Tyla she saw the back of a very familiar head, just to the right of Noah. Light brown freshly-trimmed short hair, a strong neck and broad shoulders in what looked like a very expensive grey suit.
