Beyond The Veil: A Paranormal & Magical Romance Boxed Set

by Multiple Authors

  In her rearview mirror she saw a truck in the distance. Not the kind of truck she would expect a farmer to have, but more of a box truck a small business would have, and it was moving up on her quickly. She looked at her speedometer. She was already going fifteen over the limit, which in rural country could easily mean a ticket. The truck was going to be mad when it caught up to her, but she dare not risk going any faster with such winding roads.

  Next thing she knew it was right on her tail, and she got that feeling—the one that told her badness was coming. Was she going to blow a tire and have the truck hit her? Was she going to come upon a cow crossing when it was too late to stop? As the truck came so close she could feel the vibration, she realized, no. The danger came from the person in the truck.

  She pushed her pedal down further, desperately looking for a solution that didn’t involve dying or a coma. She saw nothing but bendy curves ahead. Faster and faster she went, and the truck kept right on up with her. As she turned the next bend, she saw a hill, a glorious steep hill with truck brake warning signs. If she could keep her speed up the hill, she could leave the truck in the dust and find a place to pull over. In theory, anyway.

  She pressed the accelerator even more, and her car began to shake. She didn’t look at the speedometer, for fear it would scare her and impede her progress. Jolie caught sight of a sign out of the corner of her eye. As she approached it, she was filled with relief.

  Fresh Flowers: 1 mile ahead, on right.

  She had to make it in less than a minute and turn right. She had this. She was speeding down the hill now, and once the truck reached the crest, he would have the advantage. She saw the sign for the farm stand quickly approaching and hoped she could reach it before the truck was able to take advantage of its weight. She was almost there as the truck came back into view. Jolie was running on pure adrenaline as the truck started making ground. Jolie waited until the last possible second to hit her breaks and turn into the lot, praying it wouldn’t follow for fear of being caught.

  She made a lot of noise, over corrected far more than she should have and almost hit a tractor, but she did it, much to her surprise. Before she could pull her bearings together, a little old lady and a man in uniform came barreling out of the glorified farm stand. Her heart was pounding so loudly she couldn’t begin to hear what they were yelling to her. She turned off the car and pulled out the keys. She had no doubt in her mind that her poor car had serious damage.

  The door swung open before she could focus on the real issue: Why was a truck driver after her? Two days in one week in different parts of the state is no coincidence.

  “You okay, miss?” It was the man in uniform. Upon a closer look, she could see he worked for the sheriff’s department.

  “Yeah.” She looked up at him. She was wobbling. Nope, not wobbling, she was shaking. Jolie closed her eyes. “No, officer. I don’t think I am. Some crazy guy in a truck just tried to run me off the road. I think he wants me dead because he jumped the curb and almost hit me at school earlier in the week.”

  “I told you that truck was part of her crazy.” It was a female voice chiming in. Jolie assumed it was the older woman. She was not ready to open her eyes quite yet to verify her hypothesis.

  “Mama, just calm down. Of course it was the truck; any one seeing this unfold could have seen that. Why don’t you go inside and make some tea while I help Miss ... can you tell me your name, miss?”

  “Jolie, Officer. I’m Jolie Skuld.”

  “Ah, Skuld, well then …” He turned his attention back to the older woman. “Mama, why don’t you go make some tea for Miss Skuld and call Garrick while you’re at it.”

  His voice quieted, and she felt his hand on her shoulder. “Come on, Jolie, let’s get you inside. You had quite a scare, and from the looks of things, your car is going to need a look over before you leave anyhow.”

  She opened her eyes and was pleased to see he wasn’t still moving. “Umm yeah, that sounds good.”

  He steadied her by the elbow as she climbed out to the car. “How far are we from Twin Rivers?”

  “Oh, only ten minutes, maybe. Not too far at all, but you are actually going about twenty minutes from here because the Richards have their homesteads a bit out of town and closer to the actual rivers.” He started to lead her toward the house behind the farm stand.

  “I’m actually moving to Twin Rivers. My mom married Garrick.” And then it clicked. Garrick Richards. “But you knew that. You asked your mom to call him. Duh. Sorry, today has been made of evil. First, I get woken at three AM by a prank call about trees, and then a truck tries to run me off the road. I’m ready for bed.”

  “A prank?” He stopped dead in his tracks only a couple of steps from the house. “About trees?”

  She nodded.

  “Do you remember what it said?” His voice more intense than it was only moments earlier.

  “Yeah, let me think.” She really wished she had written it down at the time. “The tree will fall and the wolves will rise …?” That sounded wrong. “No, that’s not it. Not tree, oak. The oak will fall and the wolves will rise. Yes, that was it. Over and over again.”

  “Mama,” he shouted into the house. “Best call Jesse, too.”

  Well wasn’t that flipping fantastic. Jesse was coming, and he had something to do with the prank. Perfect.

  Time to Meet the Family

  Jolie was sitting at a small circular kitchen table with a cup of tea and a plate of cookies in front of her. She hated tea, but the woman was so insistent that she couldn’t say no. The sheriff was outside pacing and talking on his phone, and the older woman pretended to do dishes as she tried to eavesdrop on her son. Jolie had no idea if they’d even introduced themselves, but hoped someone would call their names before the afternoon was over so she knew who to thank. Their little roadside stand had helped, but she was pretty sure it was seeing the sheriff at her rescue that convinced the trucker to keep on moving.

  She couldn’t have been there five minutes when she heard vehicles pull in. With the farm stand situated the way it was, she couldn’t see the cars, but it sounded like at least three. By the voices firing questions at the sheriff, there were more than a handful of men there. She couldn’t hear Jesse’s voice, but she could feel him. He was there. Wondering why she felt this strange connection to him had caused her hours of lost sleep. But after the day she’d had, she just wanted to embrace it.

  She stood up and walked toward the door. Toward him. She had barely opened the door when she felt his arms around her, and she sunk into them. He pulled back before she would have liked, whispering as he did. “I’ll get you out of here.”

  “Well, I’ll be. I was right.” The old woman piped in from behind them.

  “Not now, Mama.” Jesse’s voice was firm and the order clear.

  “Dear, you just let me know when because things like this need preparation.” The woman's nervous voice from earlier was now jovial. Whatever she was alluding too made her happy.

  “Mama.”

  The woman froze. “Oh, have no fears. I wouldn’t tell a soul. Not my place. I’m no gossip.” Jesse growled behind Jolie, but unlike in her dreams there was no sexiness to it. It was a warning. An animalistic warning, but a warning at that. “No one. I promise. You shouldn’t either.”

  “Thank you, Mama.” He walked up to the old woman and whispered in her ear.

  Being older must have meant hearing loss because even though Jolie could in no way hear Jesse, she heard Mama loud and clear. “No, until you bite, only I will be able to tell. Unless you are stupid, of course.” He growled in response. “Which you of course you would never be.”

  “Thanks, Mama. I’m taking Jolie back to the main house, if anyone asks. But wait until we’re gone before you answer them. You know how they are.”

  Jesse turned to Jolie. “Follow me, but don’t touch me at all, even on accident, in front of them. It is very important.”

  So they were back to that. Since she
was his new “sister,” she kind of got it, but it still hurt. “Yes, Mr. Bossypants.” That earned her a giggle out of Mama, and she followed him out the door and straight to his car, which was now parked next to hers. It wasn’t until she got there that she saw the coffee clutch of men in front of the farm stand.

  “Jolie, what do you need to have out of this car?”

  “Um …” She was looking at the men who were all so deeply involved in their discussion they seemed to not notice her. She wondered which one was her stepdad. “Just my purse and the purple duffle bag on the floor of the front seat. The rest is school stuff and can wait.”

  She heard the car door open and close, but her eyes never left the men. “Jesse?”

  “Yes, Jolie.” He was now too close, and she realized how hard the order not to touch him really was.

  “Which one is Garrick?”

  “He’s not there. He is with Sheriff Williams, probably behind the house so the town gossips don’t hear.” He grabbed the car door nearest to her. “Get in. I want to get you out of here before they think to notice.”

  He didn’t have to ask her twice. The only person she wanted to even possibly meet was her new stepdad, and if he wasn’t there, she had zero interest in being social after the day she had had. They were out of the driveway and at least a mile down the road before either of them spoke.

  “You okay?” He sounded more angry than concerned, and turning to her left, she saw how tightly he was clenching the steering wheel. His knuckles were white and the veins on his arms were popping out. His face, however, looked like the picture of calm—a complete facade.

  “Yes ... no ... I don’t really know.” Jolie moved her purse from her lap and turned her body toward him. Even now all she wanted to do was jump him. What was wrong with her?

  “Let’s start with this.” He turned to the right, and for the first time she saw one of the rivers. They must be getting close-ish. “Are you physically hurt?”

  “No, not physically. I am shaken up and was a bit light headed at first, but I didn’t get hurt.”

  He loosened his grip, indicating it wasn’t anger at her that had him so wound tight. That was something.

  “I’m pretty pissed about my car, though. It was actually smoking when I got out, and the sheriff said that it was probably in need of repair.”

  “You not being hurt is the important thing.” His sincerity filled her with comfort. She had spent a good part of her drive trying to figure out his hot/cold garbage, and she had come to the conclusion he was just freaked out about the being her brother or future brother thing. “I’ll get your car taken care of on Monday. Fred’s shop will be closed for the weekend soon.”

  “Actually, I think we need to wait on that. I have a roadside doohickey, so I’ll probably have them tow it to Mom’s house until I figure it all out.”

  “No, you need your car looked at. Especially if it was smoking.” His hand reached for hers in a gesture so sweet she almost forgot about all the evil that had gone on. “We need to make sure it wasn’t tampered with. Cars shouldn’t smoke from going and stopping fast. Not as fast as your beater could go, anyway.” Yeah, evil not forgotten.

  “I doubt anyone messed with it because it had been driving fine the whole trip. The car has to wait.” They turned down yet another road, and this time it was bumpy. Looking out her window, she saw a dirt road. They really were in the middle of nowhere. “I need a job first.” It was easier to admit it looking out the window and not at him.

  “Bullshit.”

  “Bull truth.”

  “I’ll take care of it.” He gave her hand a squeeze. He was both demanding and gentle at the same time. It reminded her of her dreams.

  “I can’t let you until I know I have a job.” Her voice sounded so weak to her. She hated being all vulnerable and really hated how much she just wanted him to pull over so she could eat him up. Darn car mixed with hormones was torture.

  His voice changed as he began to speak, as if understanding. “The money means nothing to me, and I would be happy to fix your car for you.” He pulled off the road and stopped the car. Unbuckling his seat belt, he turned to her, capturing her eyes with his. “I understand you not wanting anything from me. I have gone from random horndog to asswipe, to stalker, to brother—and that has to mess with you as much as it does with me.”

  “Not brother,” she whispered, closing her eyes.

  “Yes, brother.” His voice cracked as he said it. He wanted it to be no more true than she did.

  “You. Are. Not. My. Brother.” Goodness she wanted it to be true, which was so unfair because she also wanted her mother’s happiness. “We’re adults and our parents are married, but we never grew up together or lived together as siblings.”

  “I am, but that’s not the point right now.”

  “Well then, why did you bring it up?” She sounded like such a bitch and tried to reign it in. He wasn’t trying to be cruel.

  “Because I was trying to make a point. Woman, you tie me in knots, you know that?” She knew the feeling oh too well.

  “Well, then make your point.” Trapped in the stopped car, being so close to him, even when he was being an asshat, was getting to be too much for her. She either needed out or to get naked and neither was a decent option.

  “The point was I know you don’t want anything from me, and I don’t blame you.” He put his hand on her cheek and she leaned into it. She had not a lick of willpower, and instead of letting it freak her out, she embraced it, if only for a moment. “I really need to have the car looked at, though. For my own sanity. I need to know if someone got close enough to you to mess with your car.”

  “I will pay you back.” She didn’t know how, but it was important for her to do so.

  “If you must and thank you.” He leaned in and kissed her lips so briefly that she was unable to respond before he was back into driving position and starting the car.

  They were back on the road only a moment before he turned again. This time they were on a long driveway.

  “Is this where I’m staying?”

  A nervous chuckle escaped him. “No, this is my house. Your mom lives up the road a bit.” They reached the house, and it wasn’t at all what she was expecting. Being in the middle of nowhere and him a single guy, she expected a cabin, and instead she found the cutest little farm house sitting in front of her. It was perfect.

  “This is yours? How old are you?” She couldn’t even pay to repair her car, and he had a house. He was no college kid.

  “Yes, this is mine. I built it last year.”

  She was stunned. He wasn’t given this house. He built it.

  “To be fair, it is my business. Building things, that is. And I’m twenty-two.” He opened the door and climbed out.

  Twenty-two. He was three years older than her and had a job, a good job and his very own house. Her door opened and he reached in to grab her bag. “Coming in?”

  “I thought I wasn’t staying here.” She climbed out of the car. Staying here or not, she was not going to refuse some time with him.

  “You’re not staying here. I just thought you might want some of your things to freshen up with or something?”

  He led her into the house, and it felt familiar. She and her mom had been city people, and apartment people at that, but this house felt so familiar. The wraparound porch was perfect for snuggling up with a good book. As a young child she had drawn pictures of her family home, but the family was not she and her mom. It was an imaginary family with her as the mom, a dad, and three kiddos. She always talked about them as if she thought they were real. She even named the dad Jimmy.

  As they walked in the door, she got an overwhelming sense of déjà vu and took a step back and into Jesse.

  “Whoa, you all right, sweetling?” It was too much. The house, the déjà vu, the nickname from her dreams, the near death experiences, the insane need she felt for this man who is sortof-kindof her brother. It was all too much.

  �
�No, no, I’m not. I need air.”

  Before she realized what was happening, he scooped her up and out the door to a love seat on the porch. He sat down with her, not letting go, and she snuggled closer. He didn’t seem to mind her weight on him, and she was too selfish in this moment to care if she was smushing him.

  “Thank you,” she mumbled into his chest.

  “Anytime, sweetling.” She stiffened. There it was again.

  “What, what is it?” His concern enveloped her.

  “Sweetling. Why do you call me that?”

  “I don’t know. I think it was because of that sexy dress you had on the first day. It was sort of southern, and you were a cross between sweet and sexy ...”

  Jolie felt the fool. With all the real things happening, she was fretting over the name he gave her the first time they met because she used it in her dreams.

  “Want to tell me what freaked you out about the house?” He squeezed her closer. Yes, her hormones were still on steroids, but the gesture filled her with comfort more than need.

  “Not really, but I will.” She sucked in a deep breath, preparing to info dump on him when they heard a car coming up the driveway. She scooted to get off of him, but he held tight.

  “People will see.”

  She used a little more force, but wasn’t going anywhere.

  “It’s just my dad and possibly your mom.” As if that made it better.

  “Let me go. Mom is going to freak.”

  He chuckled. “Oh no, sweetling, she is going to be happy. Trust me. Her daughter is alive and well and—”

  “And snuggling with her new brother. Let me down.”

  “They are already parking, so relax and trust me. I’m sure Mama already filled them in.”

  “Your mom knows, too? I thought she was being weird. Oh screw.” Two car doors slammed behind her.

  “Not my mom, Mama.” He ran his hand down her arm. “Mama because she mother hens everyone in town. Surprised she didn’t tell you to call her that too.”