Hijinks

by Debra Kayn

  Mom held her hand in the air and glared. “Not so fast, missy. We have a new house rule. Jonathon Taylor is not allowed in this house again unless your dad and I are home.”

  Linda gasped. “Why not? With Jonathon working a rotating shift, it’s hard to find time to spend with him. Besides, Jonathon and I love each other. We’re getting serious.”

  “Yes, you are. Apparently, you love each other too much, because he left his underwear on the floor of your room last week.” Mom shook her finger. “Not under my roof. I don’t care if you’re twenty-seven years old. This is still my house. Is that clear?”

  Linda scrunched her nose. “Yes.”

  There was only one person left without a Yager New Year’s blessing. He caught Shannon’s eyes and winked. Then he held his breath, hoping his mom wouldn’t embarrass her in front of the family.

  “As honorary member of our family, Shannon, you should know how proud we are of how you’ve built a successful career for yourself. I have never received so many compliments about my new perm.” Talia turned her head to the side and fluffed the short curls on the back of her neck, before turning her attention back to Shannon. “But, because we love you, we have to tell you—she sighed—we think you need a nice man in your life.”

  The room fell silent, except for the music playing in the background. He stood. His mother had gone too far.

  “Shannon—”

  Shannon copied his mother’s raised hand. “I’m fine.”

  He stood in front of the chair, not sure what he should do. He wanted to go to her, but he also knew she wouldn’t want him to defend her. She took her independence seriously.

  “A man?” Shannon asked softly.

  His mom nodded and raised her brows in a way he recognized as determination in getting her way. “You’ve been working too hard lately. You’re young and beautiful. So, I’ve talked to Sue Whitman, and she tells me her son, Brett, broke up with his girlfriend. I happened to run into him after the city council meeting on Tuesday and mentioned you were available.”

  “Mom.” He growled. “That’s none of your business whether Shannon wants to date.”

  Shannon lifted her chin, ignoring him. “Brett Whitman? Me?”

  “Yes.” His mom stepped forward. “He’s such a nice man, and I heard he enjoys spending time with his family.” She glanced at Alex and raised her brows. “And he drives a Corvette.”

  “She’s not going out with Brett.” He shook his head. “Unbelievable. He doesn’t even have a job. Why would you want—”

  “He sounds nice.” Shannon planted her fists on her hips. “Maybe I’ll see him on New Year’s Eve at the courtyard and say hello.”

  Mom threw him a smile of victory. He ignored her, and stared at Shannon. “You’re going to go out with Whitman?”

  Shannon shrugged. “Maybe.”

  The hell she was. He sat and glared around the room, daring any one of his family members to say another word about her dating someone else. He loved her, and he’d prove it the moment they were alone.

  “Excellent.” Mom clapped. “Then the only other thing I have to say to you is, good luck at the bake-off because you’re going down.”

  “Oh, no I’m not. I’ve been practicing. In two weeks, I’ll be walking away with the blue ribbon. I’ve created the winning recipe,” Shannon said. Her lips curved in an impish grin, and he relaxed. She’d always enjoyed when his family teased her.

  “Is that why the fire department was called to your house two days ago when the smoke alarm tripped the emergency call?” Tucker grinned past the deviled egg he shoved in his mouth.

  Shannon gazed around the room, and then giggled until she laughed so hard she had to wipe her eyes. “Okay, I’m still perfecting the recipe, but there have been no more emergencies. Ask Alex...he tried the cookies.”

  Alex dragged much needed air into his lungs. He smiled at his mom, never feeling more proud that she was a woman who could read a person and tell what they needed without asking. She played judge and jury, came to the same conclusion on what Shannon lacked in her life, and sentenced her to a place in the Yager family, treating her like one of her kids.

  He’d deal with the matchmaking attempt later, and his mom’s underhanded ways of making him hurry and make up with Shannon. Pushing her toward someone else pissed him off.

  He worked his way around the room under the guise of visiting, moving closer to Shannon. Every step he made, she seemed to gravitate away from him. At the fireplace, he sat down on the hearth as Shannon sat in the chair he vacated. He frowned. She sure as hell wasn’t making this easy for him.

  Chapter 3

  The time at the Yager’s flew by in merriment and togetherness. Shannon accomplished what she’d planned and kept far away from Alex throughout the evening. She balanced the plate of leftovers Talia sent home with her in her hands as she walked the worn indentation through the grass to her porch. The sun going down on the horizon cast a somber mood on her now that the festivities were over.

  Not sadness, for the night filled her with love from every one of the Yagers. She counted her blessings every day knowing she surrounded herself with friends and customers who she cared about and enjoyed. She glanced back in the direction she’d come from and sighed. One man left her unsettled, and she had no idea how to move on.

  Yet, deep down, she yearned for more. She wanted to start her own traditions and gather everyone she knew inside her house to celebrate. Her parents never stayed in one place long enough to bond with anyone, and since she told them she wasn’t going to follow their example of traveling the world, they deemed holidays no reason to come see her.

  The last several years, she believed Alex would always be a part of her life.

  Security meant everything to her, and Alex had been the love of her life. She wanted both, but she’d promised herself once she became an adult, she’d never move. Alex focused his goals on vacation homes and traveling to different countries. Her dreams were aimed at settling down and having children.

  And, although she would love to have kids with him, the thought of doing what her parents had done to her sent a cold chill through her. Alex, never having lived her gypsy lifestyle, couldn’t understand her firm stance to plant herself in one spot. She’d never hold him back from enjoying life, so she had let him go.

  The last thing she wanted was for him to realize he wanted more and leave. Leaving her, the same way her parents had.

  She paused in front of the door. “I’m home, Domo.”

  The door clicked open. She walked inside, put the plate in the fridge and stretched her back. She was an adult, it was almost a new year and there would be no more dwelling on the past.

  Alex wasn’t part of her life anymore. She groaned. Not that she had any desire to go out on a date with what’s his name who drove a Corvette. She’d figure out some way to make an excuse.

  “Track three, Domo.” She slipped off her heels.

  Music flowed through the house. “Track three is on, Shannon.”

  “Thank you.” She smiled.

  Thankful she wasn’t truly alone. She walked into the living room and grabbed her day planner off the shelf. She’d fallen into the habit of going through her schedule, her to-do list, the old-fashion way, preferring to input the information into the computer on Monday mornings before she opened Crazy Curls for business. But, this week she was off work and it was time to get started on all the things she’d been putting off.

  She wrote, ‘Try another cookie recipe.’ By the end of the month, she’d impress Talia and regain her self-respect. She’d heard the challenge in Talia’s speech, and she wanted to win. Not only to prove she could beat everyone, but to make Talia proud of her.

  A car engine roared over the music playing. She lifted her gaze and strained to hear where the noise came from. A door slammed. She set her tablet beside her and walked to the window. A shadow moved toward her house. She frowned, and moved the curtains to take a better look. Someone was definitely ap
proaching the house.

  “Domo? Who’s my visitor?” she whispered.

  With the music playing, the microphones placed around the house didn’t pick up her voice. She scanned the walkway, but lost sight of the person. Maybe they realized they had the wrong house and left.

  She walked back toward the couch. A loud knock interrupted her before she sat. “Domo?”

  The Smart House ignored her. She hurried into the hallway. “Domo, music off.”

  The singing piped through the intercom continued. Tomorrow she would call the computer tech in charge of keeping Domo running correctly. The last update the company provided must’ve had a bug, because she’d never had the problem of Domo not listening to her before.

  Another knock came, this time longer and more impatient. She hurried to the door. How long had it been since she’d had to deal with an unannounced stranger at the door? Never. She ran her hands down the front of her dress. It’d be okay. This was Seaport. She knew everyone.

  “Uh...who is it?”

  The answer came too quiet for her to understand. She marched to the corner of the entryway, stepped up on the chair, and tilted her head toward the flat, round disc in the ceiling. “Domo. Music off!”

  The volume intensified. She growled in frustration. This was not the time to break down. The door banged. She jumped. Only wanting to stop the madness, she yanked on the doorknob. Locked.

  She muttered under her breath, threatening to dismantle Domo one wire at a time if he didn’t shape up, and keyed in the security code manually. The door swung inward and she hurried out of the way.

  Alex stepped inside. His gaze flickered around the room before settling on her. “What the hell is going on?”

  She crossed her arms. “What are you talking about? You’re the one who barged into my house.”

  “Shut the music off,” he yelled.

  “I can’t.”

  “What do you mean, you can’t?”

  She raised her hands in the air. “Domo’s broken. He won’t listen to me.”

  Alex crossed the distance and stood in front of her. “Where’s the main control?”

  “In the—”

  The front door slammed shut on its own. Even with the music blaring, the click of the high-security lock engaging could be felt throughout the room. Oh no.

  She scrambled around Alex, punched in the override code and counted to six. Nothing. Maybe she missed a number. She slowed down, echoing the nine-digit password one by one in her head. When she was positive she’d entered each number and letter in the correct sequence, she tried turning the handle.

  Locked.

  “Shannon.” Alex turned her away from the panel. “The main control? Where is it?”

  “T-the salon.”

  “Come on.” He grabbed her hand and led her through the house to the door in the kitchen, leading out to her shop.

  “Shit. It’s locked,” he said.

  She groaned. “What’s going on?”

  Her voice ended in a shout as the music track finally ended. She blew out her breath. Finally.

  “Let’s try the front door again now that we can hear ourselves think.” Alex turned.

  “The house is in lockdown,” Domo said. “Lights will go out in exactly twenty minutes.

  “Oh no,” she whispered.

  “What?”

  She shook her head and walked past him without saying a word. Never, not once, had she ever played with a total shutdown code. The techs warned her against panicking, except in the most extreme cases. Burglaries, invasions...nuclear war.

  The hidden metal panel in the kitchen window slid down with a whoosh, blocking the glass. She jerked her gaze to the dining room and watched in disbelief as the next window sealed itself off to the outside, keeping them secured in the house. She ran into the living room.

  Whoosh. Click.

  Whoosh. Click.

  Whoosh. Click.

  She stared in absolute shock as one window after another cut off all exits to the outside. Oh, this was not good. Not good at all.

  “Dammit.” Alex reached into his pocket and removed his cell. “I told you this house was possessed.”

  “It’s not...” She cupped her elbows in her hands. This couldn’t be happening.

  Alex bit off a curse and glared at her. “My phone’s dead. I’ll need to use the landline.”

  She sank down on the edge of the couch. “You can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “We’re in lockdown. All communication and securities are shut down and unavailable to keep the occupants safe in the house.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me. We still have lights.” He paced the room, stopped and stared before resuming his march back and forth.

  “They’re on a different circuit. The electricity for the lights is separate. The refrigerator continues on a cycle to maintain proper food storage temperatures,” she said. “Wall plugs are shut off completely in an emergency. Domo has control of everything. It’s not like we can flip a switch or thingamajig and restore power to certain parts of the house.”

  “Let me see your cell phone.”

  “Well, you see...that’s a funny story...” She laughed, forcing the burn of panic tears back. “You can’t.”

  “Why not?” he asked.

  He couldn’t blame her. It wasn’t as if she planned for Domo to lock them inside without some way to let Alex out. “I left it in the salon...charging.”

  “You’re charging it? Now? Don’t you do that at night when you’re sleeping like everyone else?”

  “Don’t interrogate me. You’re not in the courtroom. You’re a...guest in my house. It shouldn’t matter to you when I want to do anything. We’re no longer engaged. If I want to dance naked on the roof in broad daylight, I will.” She bit her tongue. “Besides, maybe you should follow my example.”

  He arched his brow. “Do you?”

  “Do I what?”

  “Dance naked on the roof.”

  “No.” She clamped her teeth together and screamed. “Stop asking stupid questions.”

  “Fine.” He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the top of his shirt. “How long does this last?”

  “Domo will notify us,” she whispered.

  “You have no idea, do you?”

  She shook her head and looked away. Why would she need to know? She’d never needed to engage Domo in a lockdown before.

  “Is that what he usually does?”

  She cleared her throat. “I don’t know. This is the first time I’ve experienced a lockdown.”

  “We’re stuck?”

  She nodded. “Completely.”

  “Just...freaking great.”

  He didn’t have to sound as if being stuck with her cramped his style. She stood and walked out of the room. If he wanted to stew in his frustration, she’d find another part of the house to wait in.

  Chapter 4

  Alex sat in the living room, trying to ignore the sensation of someone watching him. Domo. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think the house was against him. Not only was he a prisoner, he’d left the present he intended to give to Shannon on the passenger seat of his car in the driveway.

  He’d always hated the high tech appliances, the code words Shannon changed every week, even the remote controls that—he jumped to his feet and rushed out of the room. “Shannon!”

  Expecting to find her in the kitchen, he checked there first and found the area empty. He whirled around and sprinted for the stairs. She probably shut herself in her room, but he was determined enough not to let a door stop him. Well, an inside door. The outside doors would need a discharge of dynamite or a bulldozer to open.

  Halfway up the staircase, the lights went out. The toe of his shoe caught on a step and he pitched forward. Disoriented in the dark, he turned. Shit.

  His body twisted. He grabbed for the railing, missed and fell into thin air. The step caught him in the ribs, sending him tumbling. He hit the back of his head on the wall. �
�Shan...oomph.”

  The momentum came to an abrupt stop. He lay flat on his back, in the dark, pain shooting down his spine.

  “Alex? Where are you? What was that noise?”

  He lifted his head, moaning when his neck muscle spasmed. “Why don’t you ask the house?”

  “Lights will be out for the next two hours,” Domo said.

  Alex moved his hand around on the floor, found his shoe, and threw it against the wall. “Do you think a little warning next time would be too much to ask, you stupid house?” he said.

  Before he could warn Shannon to watch out, her hand landed in his stomach, pushing the air out of him in one giant whoosh. He caught her before she hit the wood floor. Pain ricocheted through his knee.

  “Sorry. I didn’t know where you were.” She wiggled off him, but not before kneeing him in the chin. “Sorry, again.”

  “Just...sit. Don’t move.” He pushed himself into a sitting position, gritting his teeth through the pain. “Do you have a flashlight?”

  “Why?”

  He sighed loudly. “We obviously have no lights. It would be nice to see before I end up getting killed.”

  “Oh.” She grew silent.

  “Well?”

  “I’ve never needed a flashlight before. Domo turns on the lights.”

  “Then ask him to turn on the lights.” He ground his teeth together.

  “I’ll try, but we are in lockdown. The main computer goes into lockdown when the house does.”

  “Impossible. You heard it—”

  “Him. Domo’s a male.”

  “He said the lights will come back on, and for that to happen the mainframe of the Smart House has to keep running.” He rubbed his hand across his jaw. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

  “Domo, turn on the lights.”

  They waited for two minutes and through three commands, but nothing happened. He heaved himself to his feet, reached down, and helped Shannon up. It was obvious they had no say in the way the house ran.

  “We need every remote control you use to run this place, so I can find out if there’s a way to bypass the lockdown,” he said.

  “They’re in the kitchen, and I know I have some candles we can use for light too.” She kept hold of his hand. “Walk behind me so we don’t clobber each other , but don’t let go of me. I don’t want you to fall again.”