Lessons Learned (The Gifted Realm Book 2)

by Jillian Neal

  He awoke several hours later to the smell of bacon, sausage, and eggs frying. He inhaled deeply, and a broad grin spread across his face. It was the way he’d awoken the first morning of every Labor Day weekend at the Haydenshires’ beach house.

  For that one moment before he let his eyes drift open, it was easy to pretend that all of the troublesome worries that surrounded the family he loved and cared about, the family that had made him who he was, were all forgotten.

  If Emily had been tucked up beside him, naked, he allowed, since this was his fantasy, then it would have been utter perfection.

  He let her words and everything that had happened the evening before on the couch play slowly in his mind. I want you to take my hand and make me feel you throb. I want you inside of me.

  Rainer turned quickly on his stomach as he ran her telling him exactly what she’d wanted over and over in his mind. He stifled a groan. Take me, please. I need it.

  His heart raced. His stomach clenched tightly as he gripped the corner of his pillow. The memories made him ache to feel her again. He tightened his jaw, and forced himself to remember that he was in a room with four of her brothers, all in varying states of waking up.

  He begrudgingly shut down the lurid fantasies of him ripping her clothes off and lowering her down onto him as she went for a ride.

  Logan sat up and nearly clocked himself on the bunk Garrett was groaning in. He leaned out of the bunk, stood and stretched. He yawned and shook himself slightly.

  “Okay, none of you are really who I want to wake up looking at.”

  Rainer let his eyes open. He noted that Logan looked much more relaxed, and he was sporting his signature wry grin.

  He tried not to chuckle at how simple guys really were. Good food, good sleep, and good sex in one night, and Logan was out of his depressive doldrums and back to his happy-go-lucky self.

  “Aww, come here I’ll snuggle with you,” Levi mocked. He rolled his eyes at the announcement. Everyone laughed, including Logan.

  Rainer debated hanging out in his bunk. He thought that if everyone else headed to the kitchen maybe Emily would come attempt to get him out of bed.

  “All of you leave. I want Sarah to come wake me up,” Levi commanded. The audible huffs from around the room let Rainer know that everyone had the same basic plan.

  “Whatever, man, I’m the oldest. You leave. Chloe has an insatiable sex drive. She gets cranky,” Garrett bragged as gagging groans issued from the bunks.

  “Obviously,” Levi huffed.

  Rainer wondered just what he’d witnessed. Levi pulled up on his forearms.

  “You two got lucky last night, so out,” he pointed to Rainer and Logan. “You and Chloe got us thrown out of the Cave last night for doing it in the women’s restroom,” he spat disgustedly.

  “And you and Katie haven’t been dating long enough for you to be doing that yet,” he commanded Connor. “So out, and tell Sarah I miss her.”

  “Geez,” Connor quipped. “Chloe’s not the only one who gets cranky.”

  Connor, Rainer, Logan, and Garrett slid from their bunks. Levi didn’t appear to be joking. After throwing on swim trunks and t-shirts, they traipsed out of the bedroom and headed down the long hallway into the kitchen.

  Mrs. Haydenshire looked thrilled to be cooking breakfast for her family, though exhaustion still plagued her eyes.

  Governor Haydenshire was beaming at her.

  Emily was mixing batter for pancakes, and glowed as Rainer made his way to her and kissed the top of her head. Katie and Adeline were setting the table.

  The twins were watching cartoons in the living room.

  It was idyllic, and Rainer felt his chest unfetter and his breaths ease. He hoped against hope that perhaps the Haydenshires could have their usual vacation to relax and be restored before the impending storm crashed in again.

  Mrs. Haydenshire grinned at the boys as they moved into the kitchen. “Where’s Levi?” she asked as she flipped bacon and sausage with ease.

  Sarah and Chloe must’ve still been sleeping, Rainer assumed, as he heated the griddle for Emily with his hand.

  Connor slapped Logan on the arm with a delighted smile. “He’s still in bed, Mom. I don’t think he was feeling all that well last night.”

  Logan coughed to cover his laugh.

  “Please tell me he’s not hung-over,” Governor Haydenshire demanded. “The press will eventually figure out that we did decide to come down here. I need you all to stay out of the papers.”

  Garrett joined in. He feigned concern.

  “Oh, no, Dad. We didn’t have but a few beers. No one overdid it, but Levi looks rough.”

  “Yeah, I think he might be coming down with something,” Logan sealed the deal.

  Concern colored Mrs. Haydenshire’s face as she wiped her hand on a dishcloth and moved from the oven. “Honey, watch that bacon. I’ll check on him,” she moved down the hall as Governor Haydenshire took her place at the oven.

  Rainer, Logan, Garrett, Connor and eventually Patrick and Will, who followed the boys having figured out that something good was going on, edged down the hallway a few paces behind Mrs. Haydenshire.

  She knocked on the door to the boys’ bedroom but then opened the door without waiting on a response. Everyone took a few more steps towards the door and strained to hear.

  “Hey, baby, come here. I have something I need you to take care of,” Levi drawled. His voice was low and excited.

  “Oh, really, and what might that be, son?” Mrs. Haydenshire spat as everyone in the hallway fell over laughing. Rainer heard the mattress on Levi’s bunk squeak quickly as he turned and gasped, “Mom!” His voice quickly turned to stunned mortification.

  Logan and Rainer held on to the wall. They were laughing so hard they were blinking back tears as Will and Garrett began whistling and applauding. The raucous laughter had Chloe and Sarah emerging from the girls’ room on the other end of the hall, bleary-eyed.

  After willing composure quickly, Garrett choked back laughter as he grinned wryly. “Oh good, Sarah, apparently, Levi has something he needs you to take care of.”

  The hall echoed with hysterical laughter again.

  Mrs. Haydenshire issued further into the boys’ room.

  “Levi Evan Haydenshire, get out of the bed and come have breakfast with your family...now!”

  Everyone had moved to the hallway to see what had half of the house in hysterics.

  To Rainer’s horror, Mrs. Haydenshire emerged from the room with her jaw cocked to the side, glaring at him. She glided down the hallway until she was standing right in front of him, with her eyebrow raised in a knowing gaze.

  “Rainer, dear, I assume you were probably the person last in possession of these.” She dropped Emily’s panties, the ones Rainer had completely forgotten about when he’d thrown the covers back in his bunk, into his hands. His eyes goggled and blood pooled violently in his cheeks.

  “If you’d just return them, sweetheart, I would appreciate it if Emily wore underwear while she’s here.” Mrs. Haydenshire turned her glare on Emily, who was glowing crimson in her embarrassment. With that, Mrs. Haydenshire stalked down the hallway, shaking her head.

  All of Emily’s brothers turned on Rainer instantly. They were still laughing hysterically.

  “Man, you took her panties to bed? That’s just sad,” Garrett slapped Rainer’s shoulder consolingly. Rainer squeezed his eyes shut tightly as Connor harassed.

  “So, is it ‘caught red-handed’ that I’m looking for?” He pitched the ball, and Patrick knocked it out of the park.

  “No, I think purple-headed is what you’re actually looking for.”

  “Shut up,” Emily jerked the panties out of Rainer’s hand and stalked quickly into the girls’ room.

  “Dude, most guys use a sock,” Garrett upped the ante.

  Rainer wished he could melt into the floor. Mrs. Haydenshire returned to the hall.

  “All of you come and eat!” she sounded highly ir
ritated.

  Emily’s brothers weren’t dropping either joke as everyone found a place at the table.

  Connor lifted one of the large platters of sausage and bacon at one end of the table. He handed it to Rainer.

  “Here, when you’re done with the sausage, why don’t you give some to Em?”

  Emily glared furiously at her big brother, but Rainer just shook his head. He knew that if he didn’t act like it bothered him they would eventually stop.

  Levi sank into his chair, scowling furiously. This made him a more appealing target, momentarily, at least.

  “And is the Chief of Staff feeling better, or did you still need Sarah?” Garrett chanted as Chloe cracked up.

  Sarah was still running several shades of red. She glared furiously at Garrett, which only added to Levi’s fury. The Haydenshires chose to ignore the incredibly stupid comments being thrown around the table. It seemed Mrs. Haydenshire had reached her limit when Garrett informed Emily that she’d need to wash Rainer’s sheets for him.

  Rainer rolled his eyes. He was growing weary of the insinuations. The comment was meant to trap Rainer into either demanding that he would wash his own sheets, therefore admitting that he’d done what they were teasing him about, or to say nothing, and imply that he was a complete jerk who made his fiancée do his laundry.

  “Garrett Anderson Haydenshire, you may be twenty-nine years old, son, but I can still make your life miserable, so if I were you, I’d shut it,” Mrs. Haydenshire declared.

  Emily shot Garrett a sneering smirk, and stuck her tongue out delightedly.

  Garrett rolled his eyes and hissed, “I’m sure he’s got something he’ll let you lick, Em.”

  “What was that, son?” Governor Haydenshire demanded furiously.

  “Nothing, Dad,” Garrett piped down, and began devouring his breakfast.

  The Devil You Know

  Soon, everyone was out on the beach, either building sand castles with the twins or playing volleyball.

  Rainer and Emily were in the water, riding the waves when they weren’t involved running their hands all over each other or locked in a kiss.

  Logan and Adeline joined them, as did Connor and Katie. Connor attempted to push Emily under, but Rainer shoved him into the incoming waves instead.

  Most of the families out on the beach were friends of the Haydenshires. They’d been beach neighbors for years. Some were Gifted; some were not. Many of their Gifted friends wanted to shake the Governor’s hand or check on Mrs. Haydenshire. They all pledged their votes to the Haydenshires, for which they expressed their deepest appreciation.

  Rainer noted that Garrett and Chloe left soon after breakfast, and hadn’t returned. Rainer and Emily headed back to the shore to lie out and help keep up with the twins, as the Haydenshires were attracting more and more company.

  The twins were chasing the outgoing tide, and then squealing with delight as it washed back over their feet. The water was churning with more vigor, and a wave headed towards Henry that Rainer knew would knock him over.

  Rainer sprinted through the sand and hoisted Henry into the air just before the water reached him. Emily beamed, and Mrs. Haydenshire gestured to Rainer after she placed her hand on her husband’s arm, to show him what he’d done.

  Henry was getting tired, so he laid his head on Rainer’s shoulder and began sucking his thumb, though it was covered in sand.

  Emily and Mrs. Haydenshire swooned, but Rainer wasn’t certain what had elicited that response.

  The sweet smiles disappeared as Rainer quickly tucked Henry’s face into his neck. Cameras began flashing furiously.

  Fury lit the Governor’s features as he stalked to several photographers positioned just outside the private beachfront that belonged to the Haydenshires.

  With a long-range lens, they could’ve gotten Henry’s face as he’d edged further down the beach than Keaton.

  The Governor let the photographers know precisely what he thought, and then ordered them off of the beach, heatedly.

  After hearing his father shouting, and being wary of the cameras after the incident at the hospital, Henry began to cry as he clung to Rainer.

  “Wanna go inside buddy?”

  Henry nodded. He lifted his little head as he yawned deeply. And in that moment, they had it. They had Henry’s sweet little innocent face and then the photographers sprinted away.

  Rainer threw his hand over Henry’s face, but he just hadn’t been quick enough.

  “Take him inside,” Mrs. Haydenshire demanded.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Rainer, sweetie, it certainly isn’t your fault. They would have gotten him alone and falling into the water if you hadn’t saved him. Imagine what Peterson would’ve done with that,” she sighed.

  He rushed Henry towards the house with Emily close behind him.

  Rainer saw something move, and his head snapped to the side. His training kicked in instantly. A man dressed all in black sprinted from one of the large sand dunes near the Haydenshires’ house.

  Rainer summoned quickly, and threw his shield over Emily and Henry as he let his eyes sweep the house and beachfront. His heart thundered as he methodically tracked the man in black.

  “Do you want me to take him in?” Emily’s voice shook.

  “No, there may be someone in the house. Will, Patrick!” he shouted as Will and Brooke and Patrick and Lucy were on the beach but still close enough to hear him.

  They both turned as Rainer wrapped his arms around Emily and Henry. He spun his shield cast furiously. It glowed a fierce green.

  Will and Patrick saw his cast, and sprinted up the planked walk. The man began running, and the chase was on.

  As soon as the Governor reached the house, Rainer put Henry into Emily’s arms. He demanded that she stay in the house, and he joined in the chase.

  The man seemed to have disappeared into thin air.

  They all returned to the house several minutes later, still panting.

  “Who the hell was that?” Patrick demanded.

  Emily was pacing and bouncing Henry. She was trying to console him, but when Rainer entered the room he threw his hands out.

  Rainer’s brow furrowed as he took Henry from Emily. Henry buried his face in Rainer’s chest and began to calm.

  “Yeah, that’s where I feel safest, too.” Emily kissed Rainer’s cheek. Unable to determine what to do next, Rainer sank down into one of the recliners and rocked Henry.

  An hour later, they were both asleep when an afternoon storm blew in, and everyone cleared off of the beach.

  Emily and her mother prepared huge pots of gumbo for dinner.

  Logan, Adeline, Levi, Sarah, Connor, Katie, and Patrick all headed to a movie. Lucy wanted to stay and learn to prepare Mrs. Haydenshire’s gumbo. Nothing unusual had happened since Rainer had seen the man.

  The Governor paced the house, and called Vindico repeatedly.

  Vindico suspected that Governor Peterson had hired Private Detectives to follow the Haydenshires, but someone with more sinister plans was certainly another possibility.

  Governor Haydenshire phoned the Gifted associated press and every major news source. He informed them that if any pictures of Henry’s face were printed that the cost associated would likely bankrupt the paper or magazine.

  Brooke took a nap as Will tried to track down Garrett and Chloe to warn them about the intruder. Garrett hadn’t been answering his phone. Everyone who was awake checked on Keaton constantly as he napped in his crib. Rainer dozed in and out as everything was going on.

  When he woke, Henry was tucked up safely on his chest. Neither of them was wearing a shirt, and Rainer was fascinated to be able to feel his burgeoning energy. It was just barely noticeable as he slept.

  Henry certainly wouldn’t be able to access it for many years, until he’d gone through puberty, but it was definitely there, slowly developing beneath the surface.

  Rainer wondered if Emily had ever noticed it, but realized that she would
have, as she picked up on energy more readily than anyone else.

  He let his mind wander, and considered what it would feel like to hold his and Emily’s children, to nap with them laid out on his chest, or bring them to the beach to let them feel the sand and the ocean for the first time.

  Henry shifted slightly. He located his thumb again, and held it in his mouth without sucking, as he wasn’t awake enough for that.

  Emily appeared beside the chair Rainer was reclined in. She placed a mug of coffee beside him and smiled.

  “You can go put him in his crib if you want.” At that moment, a clap of thunder rent the sky and shook the beach house windows. Henry tensed and clung to Rainer. He trembled in his sleep.

  “Shhh,” Rainer soothed. Emily handed him a quilt, and he covered Henry with it. A moment later, Henry’s body relaxed as he continued his nap.

  “I’m jealous,” Emily gave Rainer an adoring grin as she sank down in the other recliner beside him and sipped her coffee.

  Rainer gave a whispered chuckle, and started to offer to hold her while she slept later but wasn’t certain if the Governor was up to hearing that kind of joking.

  Knowing how much Emily hated storms, Rainer wondered if there wasn’t a little bit of truth behind her joke. He felt badly that he didn’t know how to soothe both of them. He could take them to one of the big beds in the house with him and hold them both, but he didn’t think the Haydenshires would appreciate that either. As everyone returned from the movie, Henry stirred and sat up.

  “Hi, Wainer,” he beamed.

  Rainer grinned at him. “Hi, Henry.”

  “I to ride.” He pointed to the front door ready to go to the boardwalk.

  “It’s raining, buddy,” Rainer lamented with him, “They don’t run the rides in the rain. Maybe we can go tomorrow?”

  He hoped that they would be able to get the boys to the boardwalk safely at some point.

  “So, we were photographed going into the movie and then leaving the movie,” Patrick rolled his eyes and then wrapped his arms around Lucy.