by Leigh Morgan
When they turned onto the driveway, Jordon pushed the security code buttons at the gate. The iron doors opened and they began their descent to the cottage. It might as well have been a descent into hell for the look of dread that came over Jesse’s features before he banished it. When he looked at her again there was a controlled wariness about him that made her stomach turn.
“Remember you said that.”
When he opened the door to the SUV and held out his hand for her, the romantic lover was gone. In his place stood a lethal black warrior knight who slew dragons with impunity and no remorse.
It was going to be a long weekend.
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
Things were oddly formal at ‘the cottage’. Cocktails were served at six, sharp. Dinner was at seven, prepared and served by a full-time staff. To Taryn, it all seemed weird and more than a little creepy. Jordon seemed to feel right at home and Reed knew everyone by name. It didn’t need to be so damned uncomfortable, but it felt like everyone around her knew a secret she didn’t. Worse yet, they were all actively trying to keep it from her.
Taryn readied herself to go downstairs for cocktails when she heard a knock at her door. She crossed the bright yellow bedroom, traversing a carved wool carpet. Her ridiculously high heels caught in the carpet and she fell into the door at the same time it opened, propping her up.
Lauren entered and eased her back into a standing position.
“Don’t you dare laugh.”
He straightened his perfectly tied tie. “I wouldn’t dream of it.” Then he looked her over, from the hair she tried to pile sedately on top of her head, past the expanse of chest popping out of the too-low-cut-too-tight-too-short mango colored tank dress Finn picked out for her. His gaze made it all the way down to her three and a half inch bright orange pumps, clearly designed by some man who never had to wear them. Then, even more slowly, his gaze took in all of her from toe back to the tail she wound on top of her head. The side of his mouth quirked, but he didn’t laugh.
As he approached her, she got a whiff of his subtle cologne. With Lauren, it was certain to be exclusive and expensive. “You smell good.”
He laughed, a rich, deep sound, reminding her of how much she really liked him. “You’re still saying whatever pops into your head, aren’t you? You’ll have to watch that or your husband will be inviting me to visit his dojo.”
“I hear that the cottage gazebo has been used as a sparring ring.”
“Great. Keep telling me how great I am and I just may risk it.”
“I said you smell good. I was not telling you how great you are, although you do look particularly dapper this evening.”
“And you look like a skinny sherbet cone. Step out of those ridiculous shoes before you break your neck.” Taryn stepped out of Finn’s idea of foot fashion and instantly felt more herself. She was no longer eye to eye with Lauren, which he seemed to enjoy.
Lauren reached up and unpinned her hair, running his fingers through it, settling it over her shoulders. It felt so good not to have that tight mass on top of her head that she moaned, rotating her head. Lauren chuckled, making her smile.
“You’re a magician.”
Jesse’s voice came from the doorway where he was lounging like he hadn’t a care in the world. “One who’d better get his hands out of my wife’s hair before I make him disappear.”
Lauren’s hands slowly lowered, fingers combing through to the ends. “Better,” he said, under his breath before he turned to face Jesse. “If she didn’t love you, I’d give you something to worry about. But, alas, she does.” He turned and looked at her with friendship, real caring, and something deeper in his eyes. His voice was low and rough when he said, “Tell him.”
Taryn looked from Lauren’s amber eyes to Jesse’s navy ones. “I love you. I’m not going anywhere you’re not. Not willingly, anyway.”
Jesse pushed away from the door and went to her, stopping just short of running over Lauren. He was still holding her gaze when Jesse told Lauren, “Go away.”
Lauren chuckled again. “No chance, Romeo. I’ve got a job to do, and until it’s over, Taryn and I are joined at the hip.”
Jesse took Taryn by the arm, pulling her out of the room. She barely had time to grab her flats and her gifts on the way out the door. “Be attached an arm’s length away. And for the record, you are not sleeping in my bed.” Jesse said, brushing past Lauren.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
Jesse didn’t enjoy the ritual Bennett cocktail hour the way the other occupants of the room were enjoying it. He’d been too worried about Taryn for that. So worried, in fact, he hadn’t even been able to muster the amount of ire he should have felt for MacBain and his gratuitous pawing. Jesse coughed, inclining his head at the man in question, who stood across the room, getting his ear bent by Taryn’s Aunt Olive. The old woman was so short that MacBain literally had to bend to hear her. He had to hand it to the man, though, he managed to meet Jesse’s eyes, nod in return, scan the room as well as what could be seen of the exterior through the windows, all while bending to answer an old woman.
Taryn’s shoes were flat brown, better suited to mountain hiking than cocktails. Her hair was a mess and what little lipstick she’d had on she’d managed to bite off. To Jesse, she never looked lovelier. And, she only had eyes for him. Another reason he hadn’t blackened MacBain’s eye. Jesse harrumphed and took another sip of his ginger ale. That man was too pretty by half. “Pansy.”
“I have it on good authority MacBain is ex-SAS. I don’t think pansy does him justice.” Reed arrived cloaking him in her light scent of lavender and honey. She went up on tip-toe and kissed his cheek, her eyes sparkling at him, teasing him out of his doom-and-gloom funk.
“What about a snapdragon?”
His mother cocked her head at him, seeming to consider the fitness of the flower he’d just assigned to a trained assassin. “Yes, I think snapdragon is more apt.”
“Snapdragons are for protection.”
“Exactly. That is what he’s here for isn’t it?”
“Yes. And he’s her friend. I know that. I’m not jealous of MacBain, mom, so you can relax.”
He couldn’t tell if his mother believed him or not, but she changed the subject anyway. “I should never have trusted Finn to pack dinner dresses for Taryn. She thinks everyone with large breasts should display them to the world. I’ll get her something in town tomorrow she’ll find more comfortable. I like the shoes though. At least those reflect who Taryn is.”
“Taryn is more than her shoes, Mom.”
Reed put her hand on his arm, drawing his attention away from Taryn and her shoes. “She’s going to be fine. You both are, so long as you don’t give yourself a heart attack before the weekend’s over.”
“Do you know what they’re planning?”
“I know the basic outline, but like you, my reactions need to be real, so I haven’t been given the details.”
“This is dangerous.”
“Yes it is. So was the incident at the well. She’s not running now, Jesse. That will make protecting her easier. Look at her.”
Jesse looked.
“She’s stronger than she appears.” Reed seemed to swell with pride and grow to about five foot three. “My daughter is no pansy either.”
Jesse laughed, picked Reed up and twirled her around. “Ah, but she does ease the heart.”
Taryn watched Jesse laughing with his mother and something deep inside her melted. He was a good man, a good son, a good brother, and he was doing his best to be a good husband. In that moment she knew with absolute certainty that he would be an exceptional father. She was thirty-three years old, and until that very moment, she hadn’t given motherhood much thought.
Daisy came up to her and took her hand. Taryn looked down into her shining freckled face and sincere blue-green eyes. “He’s wonderful. Isn’t he?”
Taryn smiled at her sister. “He certainly is. I guess we’ll have to start a new list.”
> Daisy frowned. “Better not.”
“Why not?”
“He’s already pretty cocky.”
Taryn grinned. “Yes, he is. Better add that to the list we already started.”
Jordon approached and kissed his daughter, giving a pretend shudder. “Not the dreaded list. What’s my son’s list titled?”
Daisy grinned at him, showing a missing molar. “Stinky Black Knight List.”
Taryn blushed when Jordon winked at her. Lord, the man was a winker. “Seems apropos to me.”
“I helped with the title. Taryn’s was way to long.”
Jordon nodded as he sobered. “It’s always good to have a concise title when making a list.”
“That’s what I said.”
Taryn listened and laughed and felt her heart opening more and more to this new family. She caught Mary Campbell’s eye and saw that her mother was smiling. She wasn’t sure why Mary was so happy about Taryn’s position here, but she was. Daisy was pulling on her dress, and lifting Taryn’s hand, demanding her attention again.
“Look at the honker Jesse gave Taryn.” Daisy said, holding Taryn’s hand up for Jordon to see. “Just look at all those notches.”
“Facets, love. Diamonds have facets, not notches.”
“Well there’s lot’s of them.”
“There sure are.” Jordon smiled at Taryn warmly. He seemed to enjoy teasing her while trying to put her at ease, an arresting combination in any man. In an innately charismatic man like Jordon, it was devastating.
“It’s a bit much.” Taryn said, the words making her blush since she found herself spitting out her every thought again. She wanted her filter back, but it seemed to have evaporated.
Jordon’s smile was all male. He was used to ostentation and extravagance, needing neither, recognizing both when he saw them. “No, ten carats would have been a bit much. My son chose wisely.” Jordon raised her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it before drawing her in for a hug. “It’s perfect, Taryn. And so are you. Go gently with him. He wears his heart on his sleeve, just like his mother. They may seem tough, but where their hearts are concerned, they are all goo.”
A short man, whom everyone referred to as Thorson, stepped into the room and announced, “Dinner is served.”
After dinner, Taryn stood. Heart beating parade music in her chest, she addressed her family, old and new, focusing her eyes on Mari, her new-found friend. “I have something I’d like to share with all of you.”
Silence and fifteen sets of eyes greeted her.
“I found something in Glastonbury.” Taryn shrugged. This had been so much easier in her head. “Well, more precisely, something found me, since it fell into my hands, but that’s neither here nor there. Oh…hell. Mari, will you please hand everyone a box?”
Mari stood, collected the bag from Taryn and went around the table handing out gold foil wrapped boxes to everyone. Taryn looked to her left where Lauren sat. “Guess I’m not bringing much light, am I?”
“It’s a work in progress. Relax. Ease into it.”
Mari sat back in her seat, next to Shay, who couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her. He was acting like a teenager, touching her every time she was close enough to reach. For such a tough guy, he sure was touchy-feely with Mari, who didn’t seem to mind.
“When I was being dunked in the well-”
Jesse interrupted, “nearly drowned.”
“-when I was in the well, a small gold item fell into my hand and I managed to bring it home with me. What you have in those boxes is an exact replica of what found me. Mari, Magnus and Seamus created a mold using a lost wax method and voila you can’t tell the original from the ones in boxes. Go ahead. Open them.”
Paper tore, boxes opened and curious gazes met hers, except for Olive’s. Olive picked up the pendant turning it in her fingers, examining it, paying special attention to the runes and the ogham.
Daisy was the first one to slide the pendant over her head. “What is it, Taryn?”
It was Olive who answered. “It is a goddess symbol. The one rumored to be around Ceridwen’s cauldron. Thirteen of these were supposed to surround the exterior. There is a wood cutting with this image in some of James’ research materials. I believe he came across it in the early seventies. I didn’t believe it was real.”
Olive looked at Taryn, eyes narrowing. “You found this in Glastonbury?”
“Yes.”
“Did you find the cauldron too?”
A shiver went through Taryn at Olive’s tone, although there was nothing blatantly objectionable in it. Something made her hair stand on end and she was suddenly cold. She’d never been comfortable with Aunt Olive on those few occasions as a child when she was alone with her. She’d buried that feeling over the years, yet here it was washing over her again. She swallowed past the lump in her throat, reaching for her water glass, taking a drink before she answered.
“No, Aunt Olive. I didn’t find the cauldron. I wasn’t looking for it or the Goddess. It just kinda came to me.”
Olive’s smile spoke more of hate than love, then she blinked and the look was gone so quickly, Taryn thought she must have imagined it.
“What are these marks on the bottom and the sides?” Daisy asked, seemingly fascinated by her present.
Magnus answered for Taryn this time. “Those are runic symbols on the bottom and ogham on the sides.”
“What do they say?”
“The runes are easier to read. They say: Real love transcends time. The ogham is a little tougher to decipher.” Magnus said. “But mom and grandpa are pretty certain it says: Spirit within Spirit without.”
“I understand the first saying. It’s like happily ever after reincarnated.” Daisy said, eliciting chuckles from around the table, especially from Magnus who wasn’t immune to her thirteen-year-old charm. “But what does that spirit thing mean?”
Olive answered, and this time Taryn could detect nothing but her aunt’s inner scholar in her words and her tone. “It is a reference to energy magic.”
“You mean our pendants are magical? Cool.”
“Indeed. Where is the original, Taryn?” Olive said.
“I have it in a safe place. After Lauren is through authenticating it, I plan to take it back to where I found it. Now that Mari and her family have made these, we’ll share this find with the whole world through these pendants. Magnus is donating eighteen of them cast in sterling for the Calatrava’s gift shop, to go with the other Celtic jewelry the art museum is selling. Mari’s also going to sell them in her shop and online. The knowledge and the beauty of the old ones will be available to the masses. Hopefully it will make people ask more questions and learn more about the Celts and their beliefs.
She took a page from Jordon’s book and winked at Lauren. “I’m doing my part to shed the light in an accessible way. The Celts loved their jewelry, after all.”
“How very plebian of you, dear.” Olive said.
That ugly feeling was back.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE
Thorson had breakfast prepared by the time Taryn showered, changed into cargo capris, a sunshine yellow tank-top with a peace frog Reed had given her and boat shoes Jordon insisted she wear for this morning’s outing. They were slippery indoors and she slid on the carved wool carpet on her way out the door. She was wearing her pendant. Mari put a bail on the original one for her, and Taryn wore it from a leather cord. An energy radiated from the small figurine, making her feel stronger, bouncier, if such a thing were possible. She was also wearing her charm bracelet and the diamond Jesse gave her. As far as jewels went, she was way over-dressed, but she was beginning to like it: the warmth of the gold, the flash of the diamond, the coolness and the tinkling of the sterling at her wrist. She was digging it all.
Jesse saw her slide across the carpet. “I’m familiar with that feeling. Those shoes suck indoors, but Jordon thinks everyone on the boat should wear them. I’d rather be barefoot than in those snowboards.” He ran past her lau
ghing. “Good luck on the steps.”
She watched him take the stairs two at a time in his tennis shoes. She held the railing tightly, easing herself all the way down. Everyone was at the breakfast table when she arrived. There was food everywhere: bowls of yogurt, muesli, berries, half a smoked salmon, half broiled salmon served cold with a lemon dill sauce, crab-cakes, and so many different kinds of eggs, eggs Benedict, scrambled, over easy, soft boiled, even coddled. There was even a plate of scones and some of that haggis that Magnus and Seamus loved so much, only in smaller links.
She filled her plate three times before saying to the group, “So what’s up for the day?”
Henry gave the itinerary for what everyone had planned for the morning. Then he got to her. “You, Lauren, Jesse and Jordon are going to be going out on Jordon’s boat for a tour of the lake. That’s why you’re wearing those shoes. Jordon wanted to take you across the lake to eat lunch at the Geneva Inn. He loves that place.” Henry nodded to Olive and Mary. “Your mom and your aunt are the only ones who haven’t declared themselves yet.”
Mary said, “I think I’ll go into town with Reed and Mari and shop. There’s a wine shop I’m told is world class, with daily tastings. I’d also like to buy you some shoes, honey. Those dirty brown things you insist on wearing could use replacing.” Mary popped a strawberry into her mouth, smiling. “Maybe I’ll get you some frog sandals to match your shirt.”
Reed hit Mary’s arm. “Hey, I got her that shirt.”
“I know.”
“It’s too bad you two aren’t getting along.” Taryn said, feeling somewhat left out. Maybe she could catch up with them after lunch and share some lady time. She didn’t get much of that with her job and she was feeling the urge to indulge in some female companionship.
“I think I’ll go with Taryn.” Olive said, sparing her sister-in-law a glance. “I’d like a tour of the lake.”
Taryn looked around. Merlin was nowhere is sight. “Where’s Merlin?”
