Dia knew everyone was watching them, wondering what their cryptic whispering was about. She swallowed and pulled his head down to place a gentle kiss on his lips. When she released him, she smiled. “Yes to whatever questions you might have.”
He lifted her chin and placed a little kiss on the tip of her nose, then looked over at those watching. “So, where are those steaks?” he asked loudly.
Dia laughed as all but Nicolae and Sapphire hurried to act busy, like they hadn’t been straining to listen in. Those two just stayed locked arm-in-arm looking at her and Ryan. Nicolae grinned, but Sapphire’s eyes were filled with concern, and Dia knew their Lycanthrope hearing had allowed them to understand the entire conversation. She nodded to Sapphire when her sister tilted her head slightly, making it clear she wanted to talk in private.
Smiling up at Ryan as if she didn’t have a care in the world, she pushed him toward the long food-laden buffet that had been set up as she searched for an excuse to leave him alone again. Relief swamped her. “Go make a plate. I want to check in on Jewell quickly, then I’ll join you.”
Ryan nodded. “Okay, but don’t be too long.”
“I won’t.”
She hurried up the porch and went into the house, knowing Sapphire was on her heels.
“Where are you going?”
“I need to check on Jewell.”
“She’s sleeping. Amen-ra, too.”
“I still have to see.”
“Why? You’ll disturb them.”
“No, I won’t.”
Sapphire grabbed her arm, stopping her from opening the door. “What is wrong with you? She just gave birth four times!”
“I know, but I told Ryan I was checking on her.”
“So what?”
“So I have to.”
Sapphire said nothing more but had her lips pressed firmly together in that way she did any time Dia annoyed her. Ignoring her sister, she opened the door a crack, just enough to look in and see Jewell was indeed asleep. She closed the door quietly and then continued down the hall until she was in Apollo’s old room. She turned. “I don’t like you listening in on my private conversations.”
Sapphire’s brows rose, probably, Dia decided, because she had never been the one to strike first. She shrugged. “I mean it. It’s rude.”
“You know I can’t help it.”
“Try. We’re all entitled to our privacy.”
Sapphire nodded. “That’s true, and I’m sorry. But that man has no idea what you are, what we are. You can’t go planning babies and whatever else it is you have planned, without letting him know who you really are. And you can’t do that unless you’re sure it’s safe for everyone involved.”
Her bubble of happiness completely busted, Dia nodded. “I know. I just don’t know what to do. I can’t let him go. I know you don’t understand, but….”
“You’re wrong. I do understand. When I met Nicolae, what I felt for him was instant, and it only got stronger as time went on, but he was never a threat to us. Do you even know this man? According to Zeus, you didn’t even know what he did for a living until today.”
Dia crossed the room to sit down on the edge of the bed. “I know. Nothing about what I feel for him makes sense, besides his being gorgeous and nice, and now I know successful. But I’m head over heels about him.”
Sapphire smiled a little, settling at Dia’s side. “Then you have to tell him. It’s obvious he’s just as crazy about you. He looks at you like you’re oxygen for his lungs. Maybe he’ll be shocked at first, then because he needs you as much as you need him, he’ll accept it.”
Dia knew Sapphire was purposely leaving out what would happen if he didn’t. But that was only one of her concerns. If anyone had told her she’d be confiding in her oldest sister before anyone else, given their history, she’d have called them a liar. But she had to tell somebody.
“I think he looks at me that way because I placed a love spell on him.”
The shock and outrage she expected didn’t come. Instead, Sapphire burst out laughing and then covered her mouth to cut it off. Remembering why she shouldn’t have chosen this sister to confide in, Dia let the insult settle before speaking. “Never mind, I should have known better.”
She rose and headed to the door, but Sapphire was there as quickly, the merriment in her eyes belying her apology.
“I’m sorry, really, but come on, a love spell?”
Dia blew out a breath. “Yes. But you can’t tell anyone. I was done with magic, but I know I’ve got to go back and figure out a way to undo the spell so I’ll know for sure what he feels for me is real.”
Sapphire’s merriment evaporated. “You’re serious? You finally succeeded and you’ve placed a man in love with you?”
Shrugging, Dia knew she was going to have to be honest. “I don’t know for sure, but I think it’s highly possible.”
“Oh, my gosh, Dia. You have to tell Mom!”
Dia shook her head. “No, I don’t. And neither will you. I’m an adult. I’ll handle this.” Tears filled her eyes. “I just don’t know what I’m going to do if it turns out I’ve enchanted him, and he really doesn’t love me.”
Sympathy filled Sapphire’s eyes. “I hope you’re wrong and are still nothing more than a horrible witch-wannabe.” She grinned suddenly when Dia’s gaze sharpened. “There you go. That’s much better than tears.” Her gaze sobered. “But you have to be careful. If you did do this, then only you can undo it, and undoing a spell of the heart isn’t as easy and is very dangerous. If you mess up, the heart might stop beating altogether. That’s one reason we don’t do them to begin with.”
Feeling the heat of chastisement, Dia looked at the sister who’d inherited the gift she’d always coveted. “Do you practice now that the werewolves have been enchanted?”
Sapphire nodded, a slight grin on her lips. “I do. And you were right all along. It’s great. But I would never attempt a love spell.”
Dia pressed her lips together and nodded. “Yeah, I get that.”
“Sorry. I don’t mean to beat you over the head about it. I’m just worried for you. You could just leave it alone. Even if he loves you because of a spell, it’s obvious he’s happy. Think about it.
“I won’t say anything to anyone, if you promise me you’ll tell Mom before you try a reversal spell. Losing his love would be bad enough, taking his life…” Sapphire shuddered. “I can’t even imagine how that would affect you.”
Dia shivered, never wanting to find out. She couldn’t imagine something so horrible. “I promise. But for now, I just want to enjoy our time together.”
Several emotions played across Sapphire’s face, all laced with worry. “I guess more time won’t matter much at this point. Just be careful. His life isn’t the only one in danger. Our family has a long history of star-crossed lovers and you wouldn’t be the first Cavanaugh woman to die of a broken heart. As much as you aggravate me at times, it would break mine to lose you.”
Dia was surprised, both by Sapphire’s words and the hard hug that followed. When they broke apart, their mother was standing in the doorway looking from one daughter to the other.
Sapphire flashed her a big smile. “Guess what, Mom? I think I’m pregnant!”
At Rayne’s squeal of delight, Dia blew out a relieved breath. She smiled at her sister as her mother caught Sapphire in a hug. Sapphire winked at her and pulled their mother from the room, talking babies and growing families.
Dia rolled her head to ease the tension in her neck and followed them all the way out the front door. She looked around and several fingers pointed to the side deck. Dia nodded her thanks and went in search of Ryan, for the first time in her life praying her sister was right about her being a horrible witch-wannabe. She needed to be wanted for herself, not because of a magical mistake.
The afternoon gathering bled into the evening, and Dia knew her time alone with her man would have to wait for quite a while. Her cousins had embraced Ryan into their fold as if
he’d always been there. The males tried to outdo each other in competition, and the females simply enjoyed his ability to converse about any and every subject under the sun with an easy intelligence that impressed them all. Games of touch football were followed by horseshoes. A quiet round of putting commenced once flags were set out in the field, then replaced by a more boisterous round of shooting to see who could take the flags out first. That stopped immediately when Rayne came out threatening the boys’ lives, since they’d awakened all four babies, right after they’d gotten them back to sleep following their first feeding.
Undeterred, and not the least bit repentant, the Whitehawk boys grinned at Ryan once Rayne’s back was turned and declared another pig-skin war in order. This time, girls playing or not, tackle was the name of the game. Dia was delighted when all the dads and moms came out to join them for the second round, especially since her father had sobered up enough to give it a go, too. She was as proud of her all-female team as she was of her favorite nerd, since none of them buckled under the pressure of the very athletic Whitehawk boys. The girls might not have won, but they hadn’t embarrassed themselves either.
Since everyone was too worn out to play again, the four-wheelers were taken from the large garage behind the massive house and raced around the parameter of the field before a mountain of pizzas was delivered all the way from the town below.
The pleasure in Ryan’s eyes, as he embraced each activity, was nearly matched when he turned his gaze on her. So happy she could burst, Dia pushed away worries that popped up from time to time, determined not to let her concerns ruin what was the happiest time of her life. The evening ended with her father apologizing for being such a doofus, and Ryan assuring him he hadn’t been. By the time they made it back to her cabin, they were both ready for showers and falling into the bed.
“I’m not sure I can lift my arms.”
Dia laughed, and agreed. “I know. What were we thinking?”
Ryan rolled toward her, his joy-filled eyes shining. “I’ve never had so much fun in my life.”
She raised a brow. “Never?”
He leaned forward and kissed her gently and then winced. “I think Heracles cracked a rib or two. He was supposed to be on our side.”
Dia reached out to touch him, though she hadn’t been kidding about being weak. Her arm felt like it weighed a ton. “Are you okay? Do we need to go to the emergency room?”
Ryan shook his head. “No. I’ll be fine. Besides, I’m not sure I can get up.” He laughed at himself and winced again.
“Seriously, do you need me to bind your ribs?”
“No. just let me look at you. That might be all I’m capable of tonight.” Color blotched his cheeks. “I thought getting to the gym four times a week was enough to keep myself from becoming a complete chair potato, but I’ve never had a workout like the one today.”
Dia smiled. “At least they didn’t pull out their boxing gloves.”
Ryan looked at her in horror. “I’m guessing you’re not kidding.”
She chuckled. “Nope. Those boys grew up pounding on each other, so my aunt finally made them start wearing gloves, with set rules. Not that they followed any when she wasn’t looking.”
“Okay. That’s where I draw the line.”
“Smart man.”
He heaved a sigh and winced. “That doesn’t make me look like a wimp to you?”
Dia couldn’t believe he was serious, but the question in his eyes said he was. “Ryan, I wouldn’t have cared if you had bowed out of everything today, for whatever reason. I think you a lot of things, but a wimp isn’t one of them.
“I hope you didn’t do all that to impress me.”
He grinned. “Maybe a little. But I’m serious. I’ve never had more fun. Your family is amazing.” He shook his head. “I’ve never been athletic or been around people who are. That wasn’t exactly my crowd in school. But I wasn’t blind either.” He grinned. “Well, not completely. Your cousins are star athlete material. What do they do?”
Dia placed her palms together and tucked them between her cheek and pillow since it was obvious neither of them were capable of doing more than talking. “Well, Zeus owns a flower shop in the valley below, but he’s rarely there so his staff really runs the place. We all thought it a strange business for him when he bought out the previous owner. He’s so serious, and rarely smiles, so maybe it’s best he isn’t selling the flowers himself. No one questions that he flies out of town every week because he’s Zeus, and none of us question Zeus about anything. He’s so…formidable, I guess is the word I’m looking for, and always has been. In fact, today, with you, I can honestly say I have never seen him smile so much.” She grinned at Ryan. “They all really like you.”
His eyes shone with pleasure. “I really like them all back.”
After another little kiss she settled back on her pillow. “Then there’s Apollo. He works for the fire department in Mystic Waters and helps run the Boys and Girls Club on his days off. He hates seeing kids with nothing to do but get into trouble. He has a soft heart for people in need. My mom says Aunt Destiny worries over him the most. She’s sure some girl will break his heart someday because he feels things too deeply.
“And finally, there’s Heracles. He’s a model. Underwear, jeans with no shirt, etcetera, etcetera, and is about as self-assured as they come. We all consider him the diva of the family, but he’s a sweetheart in his own way. He jets around the world getting his picture taken for magazines and posters. He hooks up with an alarming number of beautiful women he doesn’t seem to care for any longer than it takes to hook-up with the next one. But all three have always been athletic, probably because my aunt had to get them out from under her feet as often as possible to keep her sanity. They were in every sport imaginable.
“But, apparently, they also play video games.”
Ryan laughed at that, and this time only blinked instead of his entire face contorting. “Thank goodness. We nerds have to make a living somehow.”
“Apparently you nerds make a living just fine. But I’m serious, your money means nothing to me.”
“I believe you. It isn’t an issue.”
Dia smiled. “Good.”
“You know, I don’t even know what you do.”
Dia sighed, suddenly embarrassed. “I’m not sure myself. I used to try to invent things but have learned it isn’t my calling. I’m good with plants and am still learning about holistic medicine, so maybe I can do something with that.” She studied him. “Compared to you, I’m pretty much a loser.
“Still interested?”
Ryan grinned and groaned a little as he pulled her to him. “Definitely interested.”
He proved his point by taking her lips and kissing her until she thought she’d pass out. She chuckled when he rolled back to his side of the bed with a look of consternation on his face. “Too much pain?”
Ryan looked over at her. “Too much everything, sun, exercise, food… I don’t think I’ll try so hard to impress you next time.”
Dia reached over and took his hand. “Don’t. Me either. How about we hold hands and go to sleep?”
Relief lifted his lips. “That sounds like a plan. Just don’t hold it against me.”
Dia yawned. “Not a chance. But you know, you asked about my male cousins, and not about my sisters and female cousins.
His eyes closed, he smiled with a contentment Dia found adorable.
“There were girls there? Hmmm. I didn’t notice. I only had eyes for you.”
Dia smiled as his sappy comment, loving it, and slid into sleep.
Chapter Ten
Dia awoke to the smell of bacon frying, and biscuits baking. She moaned as she sat up, wondering if every muscle in her body had declared war on her. She sent Ryan a tired smile, and plopped back down, deciding it was too early to move.
“Breakfast in five, sleepyhead.”
She groaned into her pillow and then rolled around so she could watch him, loving her little one
-room house more than ever. “So you cook.”
Ryan grinned. “I’ve been on my own since I was sixteen, more or less. Somebody had to feed me, and at first I couldn’t afford to eat out all the time. It was necessary I learn. Turned out I was pretty good at it.”
Dia frowned. “Sixteen? Did your mother throw you out or something?”
Laughing, Ryan carried a perfectly cooked slice of bacon to her. “No. I graduated from high school at fourteen, got a full ride scholarship to MIT, and went straight into college. I’ve never lived with my mother since.”
He held it out to her and she took a bite. Her attention was torn between the wonder of her happy taste buds and the intelligence of the gorgeous man who seemed to be good at everything he did. She smiled at how good he made her feel, whether touching her or just sharing the same air.
That he’d just told her he was truly a genius, so casually, would have made her breathless if she hadn’t already figured that out for herself. She chewed slowly and decided she was going to have to get up for more, unless… She eyed him speculatively. “Breakfast in bed?”
Ryan nodded. “Only if you’re a very good girl.”
Dia grinned. “What qualifies?”
“When we’re done, you wrap my ribs, and then ravage me.”
Laughing so hard hurt all over, but she couldn’t help it. “Deal. Are you in a lot of pain?”
Ryan returned to the tiny kitchen corner and pulled biscuits from the oven. He sat them beside the bacon and turned back to her. “Not as bad as I expected, but some. Let’s just say I’m definitely not playing football with Heracles anymore.”
“I don’t know what got into him yesterday. I think you have a groupie.” She grinned at the thought. “Which is cooler than you’d think. Heracles doesn’t usually hang with the guys like that unless it’s to pound on his brothers. He’s such a pampered baby. I don’t know if you noticed but he has no body hair. He says he gets his legs and stuff waxed for the cameras. My mom says she thinks he does it for the girls.”
Laughing, Ryan turned back and cracked eggs into a bowl and then faced her while whisking them into a bubbly brew. “I noticed the plucked eyebrows but wasn’t going to say anything. But I have to admit, I didn’t look at his legs…or stuff.”
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