“Did he know about you?”
Shaking his head, the irritation waned. “No. That’s the only reason I’m still determined to see this through. If he’d known and never made contact, I’d say to hell with him.”
Dia approached him and wrapped him in her arms. “I’m sorry.”
Ryan didn’t want her sympathy. Everything else. But not that. “It is what it is.” He lifted her chin and placed a chaste kiss on her lips. “But I guess we have to go.”
The text tone sounded on his phone. Alarmed, since his mother rarely texted, and no one else but the hospital had his number, Ryan dug it from his computer case’s pocket. Sure enough it was the doctor.
Tried to call. Your father overly agitated this morning. He escaped. Please contact me at earliest convenience.
His head reeling, Ryan looked up. “He’s left the hospital.”
Dia’s brows pulled together. “Is he better then?”
Ryan shook his head, remembering his father’s last words. “No.”
“What’s going on? You look like you’re going to be sick.”
Knowing he had no choice, he nodded. “I might be. My father was in the psychiatric ward. He’s a dangerous man.”
****
Dia’s heart broke for him. To learn he had a father, and to find out he was mentally ill, had to be devastating. She crossed to face him, and gently took him into her arms. “What can I do?”
Ryan kissed the top of her head. “You’re doing it.”
“Where will he go? Does he have a home close by?” She stepped back to look up at him.
Shaking his head, Ryan led her to the bed and pulled her into his lap. “No. Not that I know of. According to the doctor, my father is homeless.”
“Then they’ll find him, right? He couldn’t get too far, no matter which way he travels if he’s on foot.” Dia frowned. “Unless he’s made it to woods. There are thousands of acres, and that would be harder. Do you want me to contact my sister? She’s a police officer.”
Ryan frowned. “A police officer?”
Dia nodded. “Yes. She and her husband are only a few miles down the mountain. I have no idea if she’s home or not. She used to work nights but changed to days once she was married. I think her days off rotate though, so I never know when she’ll be home.”
She didn’t add they weren’t close enough for her to care much, either. If they were together long enough, Ryan would learn that on his own. The tone on her cell, indicating Sapphire was texting her, startled her. Dia wondered if her sister’s ears had been burning. She frowned at Ryan and reached to the bedside table to retrieve her phone, then jumped up as excitement filled her once she’d read the message.
“I’m so sorry. I know this is a terrible time for you, but my sister, Jewell, has gone into labor, and I need to get to my mother’s house.”
Dia felt awful. He couldn’t drive until he had new glasses, and he had no idea where his mentally unstable father had gone. And now she wanted to be with her family to celebrate the additions to their clan. “I’m really sorry, Ryan.”
He smiled and pulled her into his arms. “Don’t be. I would much rather go with you to a happy occasion than worry over a man I barely know. I can’t see well, I’m completely lost in this area anyway, so there isn’t anything I can do but wait for them to find him. If you don’t mind me tagging along, I’d like to meet your family.”
Dia nodded, though she had no idea what her family would think of her bringing a stranger, one they believed could be a threat, to what was clearly a family event. But worse, she had no idea what he would think if everyone decided to descend at once, which her family was prone to do.
Relief washed through her. As far as she knew Jewell was still planning to have the babies at her parents’ house, and there was limited parking spaces at their cabin. Of course, that wouldn’t stop her aunts from popping in from thin air, which would be a disaster of major proportions.
But what could she say? “Of course, I don’t. Come on. Let’s go!”
Before they reached the Jeep, Ryan stopped her. “Your phone dinged again.”
Dia looked down at the instrument in her hand. Sure enough Sapphire had texted her again putting an asterisk before adding Aunt Dee’s cabin, not the parents’. Dia’s heart sank immediately. Uncle Tom and Aunt Destiny had scads of room for the entire family to gather, so she knew what could have been a quiet birth would turn into a family party before the day was done.
She looked at Ryan, hoping he didn’t regret inviting himself along. “Change of plans. We’re going to my aunt and uncle’s house.”
Ryan nodded and joined her to strap in. “Not the hospital?”
“No. Nothing so simple. My sister wants to have a home birth.” Scowling, she threw the Jeep into gear, backed up and turned, then headed down her long driveway, praying this wasn’t all a big mistake.
It took only a short time to pull into the driveway that was as long as hers. This time there were acres of wide-open field once they reached the large cabin her uncle had built years before her birth and had added to after his triplet sons were born. Sure enough, there were lots of cars, trucks, and a motorcycle already parked to the far side of the driveway, and as many members of her family were sitting outside on the large wrap-around porch. She glanced their way as she parked and noticed she and Ryan were capturing the attention of her cousins.
She turned to him, catching his hand before he leapt from the Jeep. “I hope you’re ready for this.”
Ryan nodded as he glanced from those now standing on the porch to her. “The welcoming committee, or am I about to get the third degree?”
Dia shook her head as he laughed. “You might think it funny now. But they’ve never seen me with a guy, so the third degree is more likely.”
He nodded and jumped down to walk to her side. He took her hand and looked deeply into her eyes. “Well, let’s answer one question for them before we say hello.” He leaned down and kissed her with gentleness, then straightened, making her smile.
“You are a very bad boy.” Dia couldn’t help but smile, but she was quaking on the inside.
Heracles jumped the porch railing at a dead run, only braking before he slammed into Ryan. Dia grinned at her favorite cousin, amused to see the challenge in his eyes when Ryan didn’t flinch or react in any way. She cleared her throat pulling the internationally known model’s attention her way. “Hi, Harry.”
“Hey.” He nodded toward Ryan. “What’s this?”
Dia shook her head. “This is Ryan Steward. Ryan, this is Heracles Whitehawk. My cousin and self-appointed watchdog apparently.”
Ryan grinned and held out his hand. “Hi, nice to meet you.”
Heracles looked from his face to the hand and then reluctantly took it with a frown. He glanced at Dia and sighed, before eyeing Ryan up and down. “Yeah, you too.” He turned to Dia once their hands were back at their sides. “So why haven’t I heard about him?”
Dia nearly laughed, but knew her cousin was serious. They’d been the closest of all the others, ever since all nine of the Cavanaugh children were born within minutes of each other. They not only shared the same birthday, she and Heracles shared the same sense of humor, the same love of the exotic, and had fought each other enough times while growing up that they even had the same moves.
“Because I wanted to keep him to myself for a while. Jewell’s labor has sped that up.”
Knowing Ryan wouldn’t say anything about their short association if she didn’t, she linked her arm through his and began pulling him toward the cabin. Heracles followed, and Dia could only imagine what was going through his head. She stopped on the porch, addressing Zeus, the oldest of the three Whitehawk boys. “How’s Jewell?”
He nodded at Ryan, amusement in his eyes. “She’s good. The moms are in there doing their…” He looked at her with a raised brow and Dia shook her head slightly. Nodding, he continued. “They’re preparing the room and she’s taking a bath, I think. At le
ast she was when I came outside a few minutes ago.”
Zeus turned to Ryan. “Zeus Whitehawk.”
Ryan grinned and shook his hand. “Ryan Steward.”
Dia took a deep breath as Apollo stepped up, and she repeated introductions. Apollo looked from her to him then back, and she prayed he wouldn’t say anything he shouldn’t.
“The girls are all inside. Why don’t you go on in and check on your sister.” He looked at her pointedly. “And tell your mother you’re here. I’ll introduce Ryan to Amen-ra and Nicolae.”
“Where’s the dads?”
Apollo smiled. “In the rec room. My dad and Logan are plying your dad with some really fine whiskey, I imagine.”
Dia glanced down the long porch to where Amen-ra sat in one of the many wooden chairs gracing the porch. He seemed to be throwing back and then refilling several glasses of his own. “Why isn’t he with Jewell?”
Apollo chuckled. “She threw him out. Said he was smothering her. But the moms will call him back in when it’s time.
“Have to say, that one has a mouth when she’s in pain.”
Dia couldn’t imagine Jewell cursing, much less yelling at the man she worshipped. “I’ll go in, but be nice to Ryan. He’s mine.”
“I’ll be fine,” Ryan said, delight filling his eyes.
Surprise lit Apollo’s chocolate ones, but he merely nodded in understanding before turning to Ryan. “Welcome. Come on back and meet the father. I have a feeling he’ll be wasted if they don’t call him in soon. And then they’ll have my ass for letting him drink in the first place. I can’t believe he’s let one little woman take him down like this.”
Before Ryan turned away, Dia pulled his head down for a kiss and then glanced at Heracles with her brows raised. He glared at her for only seconds before amusement filled his chocolate orbs as well. “Got it.”
Satisfied, Dia entered the house and headed toward the scents of jasmine, rosemary, and mint her mother and aunts would use to purify the house in preparation for the new babies and to ease the weight of the air for her sister. Though Dia knew her aunt did so regularly in her home, the three together would enhance the properties of each, to bring in love and protection and chase out any bad karma, though Aunt Destiny wasn’t likely to let it in to begin with. Figuring her mother had prepared a hyssop bath for Jewell, she turned and headed to the rooms her cousins had once used before they’d moved out. Sure enough, the three matriarchs were slowly whipping the air with their burning herb ropes, and Sapphire was handing Jewell what was likely a magic-enhanced herbal tea. There were so many to choose from, Dia didn’t attempt to guess which they meant to ease her suffering with.
“Hi!”
Jewell looked over and smiled before she burst into tears. Dia hurried over and squatted by the claw-foot tub. “Hey, it’s going to be fine.”
Nodding, Jewell wiped at her eyes. “I know. But I’ve chewed my husband’s head off, and, ah, ah, ah, ah….”
Dia winced as her own abdomen clenched in sympathy. She glanced up at Sapphire, but she looked as lost as Dia felt. “Hi.”
“Hi. Is Amen-ra still drinking?”
Dia nodded. A look of anger crossed Sapphire’s face, and sparks shot from her sapphire eyes. “Hey, before you go out there, I need to tell you something.”
“What!”
Dia wouldn’t want to be Amen-ra if her life depended on it. “You can’t show yourself. I’ve brought my…boyfriend, and he knows nothing about us.”
“You did what!”
Rayne hurried over. “You brought a guy? You have a boyfriend?”
Dia smiled at her mother. “Yes. And yes. But he—”
“That’s completely inappropriate!” Sapphire stated, her eyes flashing fire now.
“Sapphire, stop that now. She didn’t throw a fit when you brought Nicolae home. We don’t do that.”
“You guys, these babies are coming, please stop, or get out. I can’t take this right now.”
All eyes turned to Jewell, and Sapphire immediately calmed. “I’m sorry, Sis. I’m just going out to make sure your husband is sober enough to hold your hand without passing out on top of you.” She turned back to Dia. “This isn’t the time to ask anyone to hold back their power.”
Having said that, she left the large bathroom to stomp her way down the hall. Dia glanced at her sister and then her mother. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t leave him behind. It’s the guy I told you about yesterday.”
Rayne’s brows rose, but thankfully she smiled instead of commenting on the shortness of Dia and Ryan’s association.
“Is he special to you, then?”
Dia nodded. “He is.”
“Then he’s special to us too. We can do what must be done. He won’t be in the room when the babies are delivered.”
Relieved her mother was on her side, she turned back to Jewell. “Let me know what you need.”
Jewell lay back and moaned deeply, her legs open wide. “I think the first one is coming. Please, get my husband in here!”
Dia looked up at her mother. “In the tub?”
Rayne nodded. “It will ease the delivery. Her children will be of water.”
Not questioning how her mother would know such a thing, she hurried to help Sapphire get the ancient Egyptian in time to witness the birth of his children. She met Sapphire and Amen-ra in the foyer, and though his smile was big, his eyes were filled with panic. Dia glanced at her sister, who threw her an amused look.
“You might want to get out there. Heracles is flirting with your man.
“Really cute, by the way.”
Both statements startled Dia, first because her sister was suddenly so friendly, and secondly because Heracles didn’t flirt with guys. He was always in the tabloids with one starlet or another, and he was more than happy to tell of his sexual exploits whenever he came back from a photo shoot. She laughed, figuring Sapphire meant their crazy cousin was talking Ryan’s ear off. “Okay, but tell Jewell I’ll be right back. I’m not missing the births!”
Dia saw Ryan down the long side porch, talking as much with his hands as his mouth. Heracles was close, hanging on his every word. But so were Zeus, Apollo, and Nicolae. She stayed at the corner of the house, happy no one noticed her, just to have a moment to look at him as his animated face moved, smiled, laughed with her cousins, and then he went on with whatever he was talking about.
His concern that he was awkward with others wasn’t apparent now. Though she couldn’t distinguish their words over the soothing music her aunt must have turned on to bring additional tranquility to the birthing, it was clear Ryan was fully engaged in a discussion or demonstration. From the stances and looks on her cousins’ and brother-in-law’s faces, they found him equally engaging. He stopped talking, and she could tell he was listening with a nodding head as Zeus moved next to him and was now using his hands to form whatever it was which had them all so fascinated. Ryan reached up and pointed into the air between Zeus’s hands, and Zeus nodded, then they laughed together. Heracles maneuvered between Zeus and Ryan, said something, only to have Zeus push him away. Again they all cracked up, and Dia could do nothing but smile at the abundance of testosterone held in check while they bonded and seemed to be welcoming Ryan into their fold.
He was so deliciously attractive he just took her breath away. For his beauty to shine in the presence of the company currently enthralled by his every word, said so much about him. She knew he didn’t realize, geek or not, he was a man’s man in every sense of the word. He could have been a ladies’ man if he’d only allowed it to happen. She tore her gaze away to look at the others and marveled again that such works of art walked on two feet.
Zeus, Apollo, and Heracles were completely identical in looks, unlike her female cousins and sisters, though genetically each set of triplet children had, if tested, what science considered matching DNA with their siblings. The Whitehawk boys, deemed by their mother, The Sons of Cavanaugh—since they were the first males born to a Cavanaugh woma
n in over three thousand years—were darker of skin than the female cousins and were nearly an indistinguishable reflection of their father, minus the span of years separating them and him. The last full-blooded Native American male of his family line, her uncle Tom was still a visual force to be reckoned with at fifty-nine years of age, and his sons were blessed with his strong genes. As if that weren’t unfair enough to the rest of the world, they’d also inherited the magic of both parents, as well.
Nicolae Lupei, Sapphire’s husband, and Dia’s newest brother-in-law, was off the charts when it came to looks. He was the kind of man who made women gasp when they first saw him, both because he was eye candy at its finest, but also because one instantly sensed the physical power that radiated from him at all times. As the Alpha Male of the local band of werewolves, who were now becoming as much a part of Mystic Waters as the Cavanaugh descendants, Nicolae had deemed his Lycanthrope pack as the protectors of Mystic Mountain. His males now took turns patrolling the mountain nightly in their natural form. Daily they worked as homebuilders for Nicolae’s construction company in town in their human form.
Dia looked from one to the other and finally her gaze landed back on Ryan. As if he’d felt her presence, he glanced down the long porch, and his eyes lit up with pleasure. Her feet moved, taking her forward, even before her mind made the conscious decision to do so. She grinned at her cousins as they moved back, and then she walked straight into Ryan’s open arms.
“Hi,” he said and then kissed the top of her head.
Dia looked up, not caring that her family was looking on, and pulled his face down for a soft kiss. She inhaled his grin as if it was required for breath and then turned to the others. “Looks like you guys are having fun.”
Zeus looked from Ryan to her, shaking his head. “You didn’t tell us this was the Ryan Steward.”
Dia made a face as she shrugged. “I told you his name. What do you mean the Ryan Steward?”
Surprise lit her cousin’s eyes as Zeus frowned at Ryan. “She doesn’t know?”
Dia turned to him. “What is it that I don’t know about you, that my cousins do?”
Unforgettable Heroes II Boxed Set Page 164
