Returning her gaze to the mirror, she had to admit she looked okay. Her green eyes were rimmed with smoky dark eyeliner that made them look even greener and bigger. Her nose, which she had always hated because it turned up slightly, finally looked like it belonged to her. For the first time in her life, she felt pretty.
One of her cousins entered the room. “We’re going to be going now. We’ll see you in a couple hours at the dance.”
“Thanks for being here. I’ll see you soon...”
When her cousin had closed the door behind her, her Aunt Lydia said, “There is something you need to know. Some of your father’s family will be there. They came into town yesterday. They will want to meet you and have some time to talk to you.”
“Do they know about my mother and…Edgar?”
“Yes. They know. Your Uncle Pete told them. They had lost touch with Edgar when we lost touch with your mother. They didn’t want to believe that Edgar had killed Maurice, but they knew the truth when they saw his confession. They had no doubt that it was real.”
“Does this mean that they don’t hate my mother any longer?”
“I don’t know that they will ever be able to forgive your mother for not choosing both men to bond with, but they are your family, too, and I hope they are here to put the past behind them.”
“Why didn’t they come to see me as soon as they arrived in town?”
“I don’t know. I really don’t know much about them.”
“Will Uncle Peter be here soon? Maybe he can tell me about them.”
“He did meet them.”
As if on cue, her aunt’s phone rang.
“It’s your Uncle Pete.” Amber waited until her Aunt turned back to her.
“Is everything all right?”
“I have to go home and help him find his cufflinks and his tie clip. He said he looked everywhere for them. I’m sure he just overlooked them. We’ll both be back here in record time. We won’t let you be late for the dance.”
“What would Uncle Pete ever do with you?” Amber smiled.
“He’s never going to find out, but sometimes he can be a bit of pain. Don’t tell him I said that,” she said and laughed.
After her aunt left, she went downstairs and made herself a cup of tea. She was daydreaming about the night ahead of her when she looked up and saw three men and a woman standing at the kitchen door staring in at her through the screen.
She didn’t need to be told who they were. The men resembled Edgar, and the woman, who was a good deal older than men, looked back at her with eyes as green as her own. Amber put down her teacup and stood as they filed into kitchen.
“Can I make you all a cup of tea?” Amber asked.
“You know who we are then, girl,” the older woman said in a formidable tone as one of the men pulled out a chair for her at the table and she sat down.
“You’re my father’s family.”
“I’m your father’s mother. Please call me Edith. It’s a little late for Grandmother.”
“As you wish, Edith,” Amber said without smiling. She wasn’t sure that any of them would appreciate a smile from her. They looked so serious.
“Thank you for the offer of tea, but I’m not thirsty. Boys, did you want some tea?” she said, turning to the three men that stood behind her.”
“No, we’re fine,” the tallest of the three said.
“These are your Uncles, Anderson, Fowler, and Grant. You have a great deal more family, but for now, we’ll have to do.”
Amber sat down across from where her grandmother continued to stare at her, and her Uncles stood behind her. She waited, but when no one spoke, she cleared her throat, wanting to break the uncomfortable silence and feeling of unease that had enveloped her since their unexpected arrival.
“You do have my eyes, your father’s eyes,” her grandmother stated, her voice devoid of emotion.
“I wish I could have known him,” Amber said sadly. She knew if she had, her mother’s and her life would have been very different.
“But you did know my son, Edgar.”
Amber stiffened. “He was a cruel man.”
“His was a tortured soul,” her grandmother said quickly. “But he’s at peace now.”
“My Uncle Pete has told you what happened.”
“Yes. We are fully aware of how he died.” Her grandmother’s eyes remained cold and distant.
“Then you know he was a sick man.”
A glimmer of something terrible flashed in her grandmother’s eyes. Amber thought it might have been hatred. Was it for her?
“You only knew him after your mother had twisted his soul. He was a sweet boy, as was your father. The two of them were close, almost inseparable. Your mother’s desire to go against nature and separate them had horrific results that have now resulted in the death of both my sons.”
“I’m sorry for your loss, but their deaths were not my mother’s fault. Your son Edgar killed my father, and my mother did the only thing she could to protect me. She saved me from a man who wanted me dead. I’m sorry you can’t see that.”
“What I see before me is the product of a union that brought nothing but unhappiness.”
Amber fought the tears that she knew were not far from spilling down her cheeks. She didn’t want this bitter woman who had no feelings for her to see them. She shouldn’t care what she thought of her, but she was her family. For that reason, she had hoped their meeting would have at least held some chance for reconciliation, but obviously her grandmother didn’t feel the same way.
“Why are you here?” Amber stood, her body trembling with hurt and anger. “You obviously have no desire to have a relationship with me.”
Her grandmother stood with the help of one of her sons. “I wanted to see you for myself. You’re Maurice’s daughter, and I owed him that much. I had hoped that seeing you would give me some comfort, but all it’s done is make me realize that you are more a Linden than a Bartlett. I will never be able to look at you without wishing you had never been born.”
Amber put her hand on the table for support. Edgar Bartlett had manipulated her mother’s guilt and made their life a living hell, and all this woman could see when she looked at her was that she was the product of a union she had never sanctioned.
Before she had come to Justine Falls and learned who she really was with the help of the three men she was going to spend the rest of her life with, she might have caved and begged her grandmother to forgive her for being the result of the love between her mother and father. But not now. She had come too far to let this woman try and ruin her happiness with her misplaced cruelty.
“I want you to leave this house. We’re not family. We’re nothing. I’m not sorry that I was born. I’m not sorry that my mother loved your son and that she did what she had to do to protect me from your other son. I’m only sorry that your bitterness and hatred will prevent you and your family from knowing Maurice’s daughter and grandchildren. You’ve lost him, and now you’ve lost his only daughter, too.”
“Mother,” the man called Grant said softly, “she speaks the truth. Are you so ready to throw away what’s left of Maurice? This is his child, and she’s innocent of any wrongdoing.”
Amber watched as her grandmother crumbled in front of her eyes. “I can’t forgive her mother for what she did to my boys. I see her, I see her mother, and it all comes back to me.”
“I know,” Grant said, laying his hand on his mother’s shoulder. “But her mother’s not entirely to blame. Maurice made the decision to be with her, and Edgar, although you don’t want to admit it, was always weak and unstable. Amber’s mother has more than paid for her mistakes, and although Edgar died at her hands, Amber speaks the truth. It’s time for this to end.”
Her grandmother turned toward the door, taking a hanky from her pocket. “I’m an old woman,” she sobbed. “I have hated for so long, I don’t know if I’m capable of anything else.”
Grant looked to Amber, his eyes sad and full o
f compassion. “We’re going now. Please don’t think we all feel like my mother. She needs time now that she’s met you to come to terms with what has happened. Please allow us to return, and when we do, I promise you that you and your new husbands will be embraced by your father’s family.”
Amber felt Grant’s pain and that of her other uncles who looked at her with the same sadness and compassion she saw in his eyes. She knew he meant what he said.
“I would like that. Thank you.”
All three of the men smiled. She watched as they led her grandmother out the door. She wasn’t sure if she would ever see her Edith Bartlett again, but she felt certain she would see her father’s brothers and their family sometime in what she hoped was the near future.
“They’re gone now. I’m sorry it didn’t go as we had hoped, but it wasn’t a total disaster,” Nathaniel said from behind her, standing in the doorway to the dining room.
Amber turned toward his voice. Parker and Markus were standing next to him. All three men were looking at her expectantly. Had they been here the whole time?
Chapter Fourteen
“Yes, we heard everything. We didn’t interrupt because we knew this was something you needed to handle by yourself,” Parker said as he walked ahead of his brothers toward her, his arms outstretched.
“It was awful. My father’s mother is so full of hate,” Amber said, melting into him, taking the comfort he so wanted to give her.
“It was best that the meeting happen here. I’m glad they didn’t wait until tonight at the dance,” Parker said as he caressed her back.
“Me, too,” Markus said, coming over to place a soft kiss on her forehead. “Tonight is a time for celebration.”
Parker looked down at her and wiped away her tears. “Everything will be okay. Now go freshen up, and then we’ll wait with you until your Uncle Pete and Aunt Lydia come for you.”
“How did you know they would be here?” Amber asked, looking up into his eyes, confused.
“Just a feeling,” he answered. “When it comes to you, we are nothing more than a mass of feelings. We can’t help it.”
“I’m glad you’re here.”
“Us, too.”
“Your aunt and uncle just pulled up. We’ll fill them in,” Nathaniel said, “while you’re repairing your makeup.”
Parker smiled as he watched Amber go upstairs. She was so beautiful and had become everything to him in such a short period of time. He loved her more than life itself and would do anything to keep her safe. When they had told Pete and Lydia about Amber’s visitors, Pete just shook his head.
“Edith Bartlett is a tough old bird and, it appears, an unforgiving one. Maybe she’ll come around and maybe she won’t. It’s not something we should be worrying about tonight.”
“No, it’s not,” Parker answered. “We need to get back to the house and our parents. We’ll see you all at the dance.”
By the time they arrived at the dance, the band was playing and people were dancing. Some were actually floating. His eyes searched the dance floor and found Amber with her family surrounding her.
She looked toward them as they made a beeline for her. She smiled, but when Parker’s lips brushed hers, he felt stiffen. He felt the change in the atmosphere in the room, too. Both his brothers were right there with her, shielding her from the inquisitive eyes that he knew were no longer judging her, even though Amber wasn’t convinced of that yet.
“Just relax,” Nathaniel said to her. “You look beautiful, and although they may be curious about you, everyone here is happy for us.”
Parker stepped back and let Nathaniel lead her over to their parents, who, when they turned, broke into smiles.
“My mother, Irene, and my father, Palmer. You’ve met my father Rory already.”
Irene opened her arms and hugged Amber tightly. “I’m so happy my sons met you. They’ve been waiting for you. Welcome to our family.”
Parker shared a private smile with his brothers as their fathers took turns hugging her and giving their blessings. This was what they had wanted, and now it was really happening.
“Our boys are completely in your power, Amber. You have made them happier than I’ve ever seen them. Thank you,” Palmer said. He smiled broadly.
The rest of the evening was spent introducing Amber to the many inhabitants of Justine Falls and watching her dance with his fathers and variety of other men who knew after tonight she wouldn’t be dancing with anyone but him and his brothers. Her aunts and uncles congratulated them and also gave their blessing.
When he finally claimed Amber for a dance, he caught her looking over at Mardi’s friends that he hoped had become her friends, too. They were busy dancing, each caught up now with her own destiny. He had heard that Sherry and Lea had bonded with Adam Woodard. Adam was a good man that he had never seen look happier. Kate was nearby with the four Broward cousins. They were known to be a handful, but by the look of adoration on their faces when they looked at Kate, she would have no trouble keeping them out of trouble and focused on the farm and her.
He could feel Amber’s thoughts about Mardi, and that pained him because he knew there was nothing he could do to make her pain go away.
He felt Amber’s mood suddenly lighten and followed her eyes back to the three girls who were looking their way. As their eyes connected, they smiled warmly. He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing how much their acknowledgement meant to Amber.
He knew she wished her grandmother and Mardi could have been here, but he felt confident that everything would eventually right itself. Knowing that her father’s brothers wanted to get to know her better had given him hope that someday she would have the love of all her family members. But for now, all she needed was them, and they didn’t intend to let her out of their sight for a long time.
He saw the Elders walk up onto the stage at the end of the room. There was an immediate hush over the crowd as the music stopped and the lights were dimmed. This was it, what they had been waiting for. Nathaniel and Markus came to stand with him and Amber. He could feel Amber trembling. He squeezed her hand.
A rather stern-looking man held up his hands from where he stood on the stage. “All those who wish to bond with the blessing of the Coven, please come forward.”
The crowd parted as those to be bonded walked toward the stage. Parker couldn’t contain his excitement as his eyes met both his fathers. He knew how happy they were for him and his brothers. Everything was finally as it should be.
The Elders motioned for them to hold hands as each one of them gave a private blessing for each of the groups that were bonding. It took a long time, but each blessing was beautiful. He looked down at Amber and saw that she had tears in her eyes.
Once the final blessing had been given, there was applause as they kissed. Congratulations were then bestowed upon them and toasts were made to those who had just bonded.
When it was time to leave and they had all said their good-byes, they flew with Amber into the night wrapped in their love. When they spiraled back down to the earth, they were in front of their home and not her grandmother’s.
He hoped she liked it, but if not, they could always renovate. It was a farmhouse, not unlike her grandmother’s, just a lot larger.
“Home sweet home,” Markus said, grabbing her hand. “We wanted to bring you here, to our home, your home now.”
“Are your parents here?” she whispered.
“No, they have a place in town now. It’s just us.”
She smiled. “My home. I like the sound of that.”
“You’ll like what we have in store for you even better,” Nathaniel said, his voice full of lust and longing, mirroring how Parker was feeling.
“Come,” Nathaniel said, leading the way into the house where he turned on an overhead light that illuminated the foyer and also the room next to it. Parker watched her face. Her eyes didn’t miss anything, from the shiny hardwood floors with Oriental rugs scattered about the room to cherry wood antique
s that his mother and fathers had been collecting for years. It was opulent and showy, and yet it was home.
“Do you like it?” Markus asked.
“I love it,” she said and then smiled as his lips kissed the crook of her neck.
Parker watched as her focus zeroed in on the family pictures that adorned the piano in the corner of the room.
“I’m glad,” Markus said, relief written all over his face. “It’s your home now. You can change whatever you want.”
“I’m not sure I would want to change anything,” she assured him. “You have a lot of pictures of when you were all kids. I like them.”
“I’m hoping to replace them with pictures of our family,” Nathaniel told her, his voice husky and full of warmth. “But like Markus said, you can change whatever you want. We want you to feel like this is your home.”
“The only thing I want changed right now is the way you’re dressed,” Parker said, cupping her breast through her dress. “You can’t imagine how much restraint we used not to cut the dance short and sweep you back here to fuck you until you scream.”
Amber’s eyes lit up as they met his. The passion he saw there scorched his soul and fueled his desire. And just when he thought she couldn’t get any sexier, she did.
“I like it when you say you want to fuck me,” she breathed, casting her eyes downward and biting her lip.
Lifting her face with his finger, he smiled. “You like it dirty, don’t you, baby?”
She nodded and licked her lips.
Markus coughed. “We all do, and I’m about to combust.”
“I’ve had a fantasy of seeing you laying on your back on one of these rugs with your legs spread wide open as you play with yourself while we watched,” Parker said as both Nathaniel and Markus looked on.
Her eyes swept upward quickly as her breathing increased. She couldn’t hide the intensity of her feelings from them, and Parker knew he never wanted her to. She was everything he could have ever imagined. Not only was she sexy as hell, but she was brave. And although he knew she was nervous, she was embracing all the new feelings that she was suddenly experiencing. His heart swelled with his love for this wonderful, beautiful woman who spoke to his heart in a way that made him understand just how lucky he and his brothers were to have found her. But then again, the Elders would say that it wasn’t luck, but destiny.
Bewitched by Three (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 11
