“Let’s stop for lunch. I’m hungry.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Killian had finished all the garlands and was now hanging lights along the ceiling, tucking the strands in with the garland so the cords weren’t visible.
Tally followed us into the kitchen, but as I looked at her, I sensed something different. I couldn’t pinpoint it, but there was something extra about her. I sidled over to her. “You okay?” I asked, lowering my voice.
But regardless of my whisper, Killian still heard me. “What’s that? Is something wrong with you, sis?”
Tally dropped into one of the chairs at the breakfast nook. “I wasn’t planning on telling you,” she said. “At least, not yet.”
“Telling me what? Are you all right?” A look of concern spread across Killian’s face.
She waved him away. “I’m fine. I don’t want you to worry about me.”
“What should I be worried about?”
I could feel the anxiety rolling off of him. Killian and his sister had a great relationship, although he could be heavy-handed playing the big-brother card.
Tally stared at him, then at me. “All right. I’ll tell the two of you, but you aren’t to breathe a word to the ’rents until I’m ready.”
Killian stared at her blankly, looking confused and worried, but I knew exactly what she was about to say. I moved over to sit beside her and took her hand.
“I’m pregnant.” She glanced at me. I rested my hand on her shoulder to show my support.
But Killian wasn’t quite as enthusiastic. “You’re what?” He swung around, hands on hips, staring at her. “Who the hell’s the father? Les?”
Tally bristled. “Chill out. Of course Les is the father, and he’s asked me to marry him. I don’t want to get married again, but now it’s problematic.”
Les Howling Moon was the assistant to the Rainier Wolf Pack’s shaman and had been dating Tally for not quite a year. Within the Pack, even though Tally was well of age, her parents could have protested the arrangement if they didn’t approve of him and the couple would have been forced to separate. Killian and Tally’s parents tended to be hands-off when it came to their children. They were far more progressive than many shifter families. But with Tally pregnant, I could easily see that changing.
Killian shook his head. “Why weren’t you two more careful?”
“We were, you big dumb oaf,” Tally retorted. “Sometimes, birth control fails. As I said, I’m not ready to get married, but I think…I want the baby. I want children, though with my ex it would have been dangerous, given his temper.”
“But you don’t want to get married?” Killian asked.
She shrugged. “Eventually, I think. I love Les, and I know he loves me, but I like life on my own. I’m just…” She burst into tears. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Do you want some tea?” I asked. “I have herbal lemon, and also chamomile and mint and raspberry.”
“Peppermint tea would be nice,” she said through her sniffles.
I started for the stove but the doorbell rang.
Killian motioned for me to answer. “I’ll get her tea.”
“Fine, but stop yelling at her. That won’t help anything,” I said on my way into the dining room. Try as I might, I couldn’t hear a word of what they were saying as I crossed the living room to answer the door.
Rowan was standing there. Relieved, I escorted her in. Maybe she could help out with the current crisis. My grandmother was resourceful when it came to figuring out solutions.
“Come in, please.” As I ushered her in, I leaned close and whispered, “Tally and Killian are here. She’s pregnant and doesn’t want to get married, and he’s acting all big-brother on her.”
“Got it,” Rowan whispered back. Raising her voice, she said, “So, here are the checks for you and Ari. You can make them out and sign them, and they’ll be good. They’re drawn on the Court Magika’s account, and this has all been arranged with the bank. Just don’t go on a shopping spree.”
“Not likely,” I said, taking the checks and thanking her. I stopped to slide them into my wallet, then replaced my wallet into my purse before following her. Tally had moved into the dining room, and she had wiped her eyes.
“Good afternoon,” Rowan said. “Nice to see you again.” She had met Tally a couple of times.
Killian popped his head through the kitchen archway. “Hey, Rowan. Want some tea?”
“That sounds good. Strong, black as night, with lemon and honey.” Rowan sat down near Tally. “So, what’s going on in your world?”
Tally looked at her, her lower lip trembling. Rowan might be brusque, and sometimes she seemed almost uncaring, but she also was a natural-born listener and people automatically told her their secrets.
“I’m pregnant,” Tally burst out. “I don’t want to get married yet, but my parents are going to want me to. The father wants to marry me, and Killian thinks I should. I don’t think I can fight the tide.” She wiped her eyes again.
Rowan motioned for me to sit on Tally’s other side. “So, why don’t you want to get married? I’m not saying you should, but I’m curious…why?”
Tally hesitated, biting her lip. Finally, she answered. “I’m scared. It was so bad the first time that I’m gun-shy. Les is a good man, and I do love him, but…what if he changes? I thought my first husband was a good man too, but he ended up beating me.”
“For one thing, I’ll be around to—” Killian started to say, carrying in a tray with two tea mugs on it, along with two latte mugs.
“Stop talking,” Rowan said, not even glancing at him.
Killian set the tray down, handing me a latte. He looked properly chastised. If there was one person who could shut anybody up without incurring an argument, it was Rowan. I wanted to have the confidence and force she did. Nobody ever talked over her.
“So, you’re afraid that he’ll change in the way your ex did?” Rowan said.
Tally paused. “I guess… Yeah, I am.”
“If you knew for a fact that would never happen, would that change your feelings?”
Again, Tally hesitated, taking the time to think over Rowan’s question. “Yes, I think it would. If I knew that Les would stay the same wonderful man he is, I’d… I guess I’d say yes.”
Rowan leaned back. “Well, then. The problem is, Tally, that nobody can ever guarantee anything. However, when you were still married, did your parents and brothers know what was happening behind the scenes?”
“No,” Tally said. “I was too embarrassed. I thought it was all my fault.”
“Okay, then here’s what I propose: now that they know everything that went on, don’t you think they’ll be on their guard? And don’t you think you’ll be on your guard as well? You strike me as the type of woman who learns from experience, and I can’t imagine you staying in a relationship that might put your child in danger.”
“Of course not,” Tally said, straightening. “I wouldn’t ever let anybody hurt my kids. Or…I guess… me, either.”
“There’s your answer. You’ll never have a guarantee that Les will stay the same sweet man he is, but you do know that you won’t allow anyone to harm your child, and you know you won’t allow anybody to gaslight or abuse you again. Your parents and brothers will be watching out for you, too. So…you have those guarantees.” Rowan rested her hand on Tally’s forearm. “You’re a strong woman, Tally O’Connell, and you’re going to make a wonderful mother. That much I can foresee.”
Tally dried her eyes and gazed at Rowan. “Thank you,” she said. “I guess I’m scared of repeating the past. But you’re right. I’d never allow anyone to harm my children—not if I could move the heavens and earth to prevent it. And I won’t take crap from any man again.”
Killian’s scowl had dissolved during the discussion, and he held out his hand to Rowan, stretching his arm across the table. “Thank you. I guess that’s what I wanted to say, but I couldn’t think of how to phrase it. Tally, you and Les
are good together. And you know that the folks, Darryn, and I will never stand by if you show any signs of being unhappy.”
She relaxed. “I guess I do know that, yes.”
I spoke up. “For as long as I’m around, I’m here if you need to talk. I’ve been through a bad marriage too, though at least he didn’t hit me—not until we divorced, that is. But I promise you, if you feel there’s something wrong, come to me. I’ll do what I can to help. Except,” I added, “for changing diapers. I draw the line at that.” But I grinned when I said it.
“Then I suppose I’m ready to tell the folks. And…I’ll accept Les’s proposal. I do love him,” she said with a wistful look on her face. “And the shaman keeps him in check—you can’t be the shaman’s apprentice without toeing the line.”
With that drama solved, Rowan stood. “I didn’t mean to stay. January, I’ll be here tonight around eight. Call Sheryl and schedule a time to onboard. Make it Tuesday. Several of the Court Magika judges will be gone over the weekend, so the sooner, the better.”
“Will do. I’ll see you tonight,” I said. “Oh, before you go, how’s Tarvish doing?”
“He’s settling in fine. I thought I’d bring him for Thanksgiving,” she said. “Do you mind?”
“Of course not,” I said, amused. My grandmother seemed to have taken a real shine to the Funtime demon.
“I’ll let myself out.” Rowan paused and turned to Tally. “I expect an invitation to your wedding, young woman.”
Tally laughed. As Rowan left, I decided to make a platter of sandwiches for lunch while Killian and Tally talked over when to tell their parents.
Chapter Fifteen
After helping decorate the tree and the rest of the house, Killian went out to hang the lights and set up the outdoor decorations. I still needed to invest in more. I wanted my yard lit up so you could see it from space. I loved seeing people deck out houses so beautifully that people driving by slowed down to get a good look. After all, in the Pacific Northwest, the winter was gloomy and overcast—which I loved—but the sparkling lights of the holidays made everything seem to shimmer and they reflected off of the rain puddles, and the raindrops magnified the twinkle of the lights.
I stopped for a moment and called Ari, telling her about my grandmother dropping off the checks. “I know you’re busy tomorrow, but Rowan wants us to come on board then. Can you swing it?”
“Let me check my book.” Ari paused and I could hear the sound of paper riffling. “Yeah, after six. I’m booked solid all day tomorrow. I can meet you at seven.”
“Sounds good. I’ll give Sheryl a call. By the way, what are you doing on Friday? You want to go down to Black Friday with Killian, Tally, and me?”
“Oh good grief. I hate shopping, but there are a lot of other events, so sure. I can’t promise Meagan will come. Anyway, text me about tomorrow night when you confirm.”
Black Friday didn’t spare our little town its chaos—it was simply on a smaller scale. The stores filled up Friday morning. The retailers of Moonshadow Bay had come together and formed a pact that any store other than a pharmacy or grocery store wouldn’t open on Thanksgiving. But in Moonshadow Bay, rather than allow a frenzied mob to descend on the stores, Black Friday had turned into a citywide holiday, including supervised events for the kids and childcare at the community center where parents could drop them off for a couple of hours for an affordable fee. Runners participated in a Black Friday marathon to raise money for Harrow House—a food bank that also included a women and children’s shelter. And then, of course, there was the tree lighting ceremony that evening.
Ari’s parents were on vacation, as were Killian’s. Since Meagan’s family had basically disowned her, the two of them would be front and center at the table. I turned to Tally.
“I have one more call to make, then would you like to go shopping with me? I want more lawn ornaments.” I smiled at Tally.
“Sure thing. I’ll go finish up decorating the tree—there are two boxes of filler balls left.”
I sat down at the table and pulled the Majikoil documents over to me, then called Sheryl. It took one ring for her to pick up.
“January! I’m glad you called.”
“Listen, Ari and I can make it for onboarding tomorrow evening, around seven. Will that work for you?”
The swiftness of her answer surprised me. “Sure! I’ll text you my address.”
“Fine. We’ll see you then.”
“Don’t forget to bring the onboarding fee,” Sheryl added. “I’m so excited to have you in my downline. Of course, you’ll want to recruit members to form your own downline. Remember, you can make quite a tidy bonus for every person you bring in.”
Damn it, if I was only recording the conversation right now, we could have her on tape with no extra effort.
“I’m sure,” I murmured. Seconds after I ended the call, she texted me with the address. Try as I might, I couldn’t pinpoint which part of town it was in. I turned to Tally. “Do you mind waiting a few minutes? I want to check out where this address is.”
“Take your time,” Tally said. “Do you mind if I make myself some cocoa?”
“Whatever you like.”
I headed into my office and sat down at my desk. I still didn’t have my computer back, so I pulled out my tablet and set it up. Quickly, I tapped the address into a browser and glanced at the search results. Most of them were maps, so I clicked on a link and opened it in a separate tab.
The place was on the edge of Moonshadow Bay, tucked into a small suburb that had made actual inroads into the Mystic Wood. While the Mystic Wood surrounded Moonshadow Bay, very few people actually lived inside its borders. That alone made me suspicious. I went back to the other tab and started looking through the different links.
About six links down, I caught sight of a news story containing Sheryl’s address. It was on the Moonshadow Bay Monitor website. I opened them out to take a look. It was dated September 6, and it read like something out of the Lifestyle page. The Monitor needed better journalists, I thought.
Sometime, during the past three days, Sheryl Brown vanished. No one has seen her since Monday and authorities have no evidence where she might be.
A clerk at Mystic’s Voice, a local witchblood shop, Ms. Brown hasn’t been seen since the afternoon of Monday, September 4. She lives 2416 Weatherby Street. When Thomas Strong, the owner of Mystic’s Voice, noticed that Brown was late for work on Tuesday morning, he called her at home. There was no answer.
“I thought she might have a cold and might be sleeping,” Strong said. “I decided to wait until afternoon and call her again. When there was no answer the second time, I was worried, but sometimes people get caught up in an emergency and don’t have time to call. So I decided to wait until Wednesday and if she didn’t show, I would call her sister.”
By the next morning there was still no word from Sheryl, so Strong contacted her next of kin. Her sister, Jacinda Brown, who lives in Seattle, indicated that she had not heard from Sheryl for over two weeks. She had no clue where Sheryl could be.
When she investigated Sheryl’s house, she found Sheryl’s purse, her dog—who had not been fed in several days—and all her clothes and valuables. There was no indication of a robbery. Jacinda Brown then contacted the police, who determined there had been no activity on her credit cards or bank account either.
If anyone has seen or had contact with Sheryl Brown, please immediately contact the Moonshadow Bay Police Department. There’s a thousand-dollar reward for information leading to Sheryl Brown’s safe return.
I frowned, sitting back in my chair. What had happened? She was obviously back now, but what was the reason for her disappearance? Since I was on the Moonshadow Bay Monitor website, I did another search on Sheryl’s name and brought up three more mentions. The first was the story I had read, the second was much smaller, but equally as important:
A local woman missing for over a month has suddenly reappeared. Sheryl Brown disappeared on Se
ptember 4, and remembers nothing of her disappearance. She claims to have amnesia surrounding the month she was missing. Doctors confirm that she seems to have no memory of the situation.
Ms. Brown appears to be in sound state, but has left doctors baffled with regards to where she was and why she suddenly returned. There is nothing to indicate foul play at this time, and she returned unharmed, though slightly malnourished. Ms. Brown has subsequently quit her job at Mystic’s Voice and opened her own business.
If anybody knows where she was, the authorities are asking you to notify them so they can fill in the missing pieces.
After that, the rest of the links seemed to point directly toward Majikoil’s website. I turned my tablet off, trying to fathom what might have happened. I brought up the satellite map and looked at her house on it. The place looked to be in good shape, though there was something odd about the energy. But I couldn’t tell what.
At a loss, I shrugged and gathered my purse and keys.
Killian had asked if we could pick up more of the ties that he used to affix the lights to the fence.
“While you’re at it, could you bring me back a pizza? I have a sudden hankering for Hawaiian pizza and I don’t feel like calling in an order.”
“Roger that,” I said. “Do you want anything else?”
He glanced at me and winked. “Yes, but I’ll have to wait for that.”
I laughed. “I meant in the way of food.”
“A milkshake would be good. Chocolate?” Killian loved his chocolate milkshakes.
I gave him a peck on the cheek and promised to bring him a double-thick one. Then, with Tally in tow, I headed toward my car and we took off for Maxwell’s Department Store, which had the biggest and nicest selection of holiday decor.
Along the way, I glanced at Tally. “So, is everything okay? Regarding the baby?”
She grimaced. “I suppose. I’m still leery of getting married again. But Les is a wonderful man and he’s going to make a wonderful father. Your grandmother was right—I keep imagining what happened in my former marriage, rather than focusing on what could happen with Les. He’s put me first ever since we started dating, and even though this pregnancy was an accident, he didn’t flinch once when I told him. He just kissed me and asked me to marry him.”
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