Tristan: The Manning Dragons ― Paranormal Dragon Shifter Romance

by Kathi S. Barton

  His room was nice, he realized. Foster had been bitching a little too much before today about how he’d been bamboozled into being an immortal. One of the kids pointed out to him he was just the same as he’d been before, just hanging around, but now they could all sit with him. He’d not thought of it that way, of course.

  Then there was Winnie. That girl sure could tell you off when she thought you needed it. Just the other day she’d come storming into the house and yelling at him about making the kids feel bad for him. Like by saying he didn’t have anything to contribute to the family. He told her then that he didn’t feel like he did. She just stared at him for several minutes, making him feel really bad for that.

  “Why would you say that? I know for a fact that the kids all come to you when they have a dilemma to deal with. You tell them first that you’re not going to tell them that they did bad or good, that they have to talk to their parents. You’re their rock, as you should be, Foster. I know that Xavier loves having you here. He tells us all the time how you’ve made him feel less lonely all the time. And you know as well as I do that Xavier isn’t like the others—he’s more backward than any of them.” He hung his head in shame. “When I’m being mad at you, Foster Green, the least you can do is look at me.”

  “I hurt you.” She said that he had. He had hurt a lot of people if they found out that he didn’t feel like he was part of the family. “They’re not, you know. None of them are my rightful family.”

  “Only because you push yourself away from all of them whenever they come around. Not a person that sees you thinks that you’re anything but part of the Manning family. You’ll notice that I didn’t say the Manning group, the Manning clan, anything like that. I said you were a part of the family. And having you think that you’re not...well, I have to tell you, I’m sort of hurt myself. For me to say that, you know that you have honestly hurt me.” Foster said that he was sorry. “If you’re still feeling that you’re not a part of this family, then your words don’t really mean much, do they?”

  “No, I guess they don’t. I’m powerfully sorry, Winnie. You’re a good person. And I should never have said that.” She said that she supposed it was better that he told her now. “Why is that? You plan on telling the rest of them?”

  “Yes.”

  He nodded and looked to the floor. “I’m just a bitchy old man that is feeling with his head and not his heart. I guess you might say that I’ve done that all my life. My heart only belonged to one person, and she died, I thought, hating me.”

  “I told you, Foster, that she didn’t hate you at all. Why don’t you believe me?” He said it was his head again. “You tell your head to get with the program before I have to knock some sense into it. I’ll not have you going around moping all the time when there are children, and adults too, that love you to pieces. You bugger of an old man.”

  Foster had laughed with her. Winnie—she could surely put a man in his place without even drawing on her magic. After that, he started thinking more about what he was saying and how it might hurt people. He had been a bugger. And now that he had a job, he did feel more like he was a part of something huge. Something that brought a family together, he’d told himself.

  At a little after midnight, Foster sat down on the edge of his bed. It was called the bewitching hour, and when he could stay awake that long, he’d reach out to speak to his wife. She hadn’t ever answered him, but he felt like if she was there, she would tell him to stop talking and go to sleep. She’d been forever worried that he’d not been getting enough rest.

  “I had me some fun today, honey. That kid, he shown me how to sound out a word. Now that I know my alphabet, I can do that easier. Sure is nice to see things written down and know what some of it says.” He thought of tomorrow, and Thanksgiving with his family. “We’re going to have us some celebration tomorrow. I surely wish you were here with me to have some of it. Thanksgiving. With dragons. Who would have ever thought it?”

  Who is this? Foster fell back on the bed, he’d been so startled by the voice that seemed to sound around the room. Who is this, and why are you trying to talk to the dead?

  I’m talking to my long dead wife. I was telling her about my day. Who is this? She told him her name was Cindi Janis. I’m Foster Green. You dead?

  No, I am not. They come to me when they have troubles. You’re not dead either, are you? He said that he used to be, but they’d fixed him up. Sure. Whatever. No one has come to talk to me that was living before.

  I told you, I was dead before. Maybe that’s it. I don’t know. But my wife, as I was saying, she and I have a little conversation nightly when I can remember to stay up late enough to talk. It’s midnight; maybe that’s why we can talk. She said that she didn’t know. Who you looking for, anyway? Maybe I can help you.

  My aunt, Caroline. She’s missing, and I was hoping against hope that she isn’t dead. I can call them when they are, and sometimes that’s what helps the police. They can.... I’m sure you don’t want to hear this. He told her that he did. Then told her about the murder of some woman here in Ohio. I’m sorry to hear that. Did you know her?

  No, didn’t know her. My Grace, she helps the dead too. Sort of tells their story in paintings. She had some of them come talk to her. We’re thinking they were killed by the same person, and that’s why they contacted her. Cindi asked him if he knew their names. Not yet we don’t. Just the one found here on the land. Oh, and she’s a little red headed thing.

  There was nothing said from the girl, and he waited. He surely hoped that he didn’t just tell her about her aunt. When she spoke to him again, Foster felt as horrible as he’d ever felt before.

  I’m going to come out your way in a couple of days. My aunt, she’s a red head. Tiny too, I guess you’d say. I’ll come there to see if it’s her. If not, perhaps I can have a look at the paintings that your Grace painted to see if she’s in any of them. He asked her if she thought it might be her aunt. Yes. She’s been missing for a week now. She told me that she was in Ohio.

  Chapter 13

  Cindi ordered the house to be closed down for a month. She didn’t know what was going on, why she had this feeling that it was going to be her aunt, but she knew that it was. Cindi sat down to call her cousin, Caroline’s late in life daughter.

  “You’ve found her.” Cindi told her about the conversation that she’d had with Mr. Green. “Are you going there to see if it’s her? If so, I’d like to go with you.”

  “I want you there too. And I don’t know if it’s her. Just a feeling that I have.” Blair told her that she’d never been wrong before. “No, but I want to be this time. I don’t want it to be her.”

  “Neither do I.” There was silence between the cousins. “I wanted to go with Mom, but she had to leave when there were things going on here. Why couldn’t she have waited just one more day?”

  “I don’t know, Blair. I wish I knew.” Cindi sat down on the floor of her bedroom as people moved around her, getting things ready to go. “Did you know that she was going to be there? In Ohio, I mean?”

  “The last time she spoke to me, she said that she had a contact there that she was going to look up. I don’t know why she didn’t just look up the stuff she needed in her book. Most everyone in the world knows how to do that.” Cindi knew that too, but there was no point in telling Blair that her mom was a little off when writing. “When are you leaving? I have a couple of things here that need my attention today and tomorrow. Can I follow you?”

  “Yes. I’ll make arrangements now, and I’ll let you know what they are as soon as I do.” Cindi hated to ask this, but it was important. “Are you going to be all right if it’s your mother?”

  “I don’t know why I won’t. I mean, it’s not like we were all that close. She didn’t want a baby when she had me. I think I was as much as surprise as I was a hindrance to her style of life. Don’t you?” Cindi agreed with her. “I don’t know what I would have done had it not been for your parents being there for me a
ll the time. You all treated me like I was just one of the kids. I can’t tell you how much I love you for that.”

  “You needed us as much as we needed you, Blair. It wasn’t your fault that your mom was a little off.” They both laughed. “All right. I’ll let you know what I can do about accommodations. I’m taking the plane, so I’ll send it back for you when you’re ready to go.”

  “No reason for that. I’ll just take commercial.” Cindi heard someone talking to her cousin. “I have to go. I have two meetings back to back today, and then I have to go to the bank to find out what is going on there. I love you, cuz.”

  After telling her that she loved her as well, Cindi hung up the phone. It was going to be a hard few days. She only hoped that they could get this taken care of and finish up what was going on with her own parents’ deaths.

  Cindi had never regretted having Blair as a part of her family. Not once had they ever not gotten along. They’d had their spats, of course—what kids of the same age didn’t? And Cindi’s brothers loved Blair as much as they did her. Protected Blair too, just as they did her.

  Robert entered her bedroom after a hard, short knock. He sat on the floor with her, not saying a word. Robert held her hands and just sat there. Cindi thought that he’d been working with Blair and had come to see her too.

  “It’s going to be Aunt Caroline. You know that, don’t you?” Cindi told him that she already knew that too. “No matter how much Blair tries to act like it won’t be that big of a deal, I think that it’s going to hurt her more than she’ll let on. I’m worried about her.”

  “I am too, if you want the truth. She’s been so strong through all this with our parents, then taking over the business as she was asked to do. Blair is still upset a little that Mom and Dad gave her a share of their wealth. I don’t think she thinks she deserved it.” Robert said that would be just like her. “Did you know that they tried to adopt her at one point? But of course, Aunt Caroline told them she might need her when she was old and gray. What a thing to say to someone.”

  “Aunt Caroline never was one to have very much tact, you know.” Cindi laid her head on her brother’s shoulder. “I can’t go with you guys. I wish that I could, but Daniel is going to go. He said that he wants to be there in the event that one of you falls apart. I don’t know if he knows this or not, but you two are much stronger than he is.”

  “Daniel is the best of all of you guys when it comes to picking up the pieces. You run and hide. Marshall just sits there with his thumbs up his butt, and Davy would just say buck up, it’s over and done with.” They both laughed. “I have a meeting tomorrow, then I’m leaving right after. Keep an eye on Blair. As you pointed out, she’s not going to take this well if it’s her mother.”

  “Before I forget. I have some time next week if you want to go over the proposal that Blair did up for the new wing at the hospital. It’s really good. There are things in the paperwork that I would never have thought of.” She asked him like what. “For one thing, they cannot ever change the name of the wing, or they will be required to pay back all the financial aid that was given to them to do it, plus interest. Nor are any of the funds that come in for the wing to ever be used for anything but the department. I think those are good points. The hospital only ever needed the wing because previous heads of staff didn’t use the money for what it had been earmarked for.”

  “I think that Grandma Anna would be very proud to know that she is now a part of the Anna Janis Children’s Hospital Wing. She spent a lot of time there when she was feeling well. And she so loved rocking the babies that needed it.” Robert nodded, then stood up. “What’s on your schedule for today? Anything I can help you with before I leave?”

  “Nope. Blair and I worked on everything this morning before you called her. Then after she got off the phone, she took a break. I think she went to see Grandma Anna. Anyway, I’m headed back to work now. I have no idea why—Blair has it running like a tight ship.” Cindi said that she knew she would. “I know. She’s like a little tornado sometimes. I have to get back. I just wanted to see how you were doing and to see if you needed anything. I know that none of us were very close to Caroline, but she was an aunt to us.”

  “I know. And I’m fine. I’m mostly worried about Blair.”

  After her brother left her, she called the town that Mr. Green had told her about. It wasn’t much on the map, but she did find a place for them to stay.

  “Ms. Janis, I’m not sure that it’ll be something that you’d like. Staying here, I mean. My staff is off for the winter months, and there isn’t much to see here.” Cindi smiled at the woman—she sounded very concerned about their visiting their little town. “I mean, we don’t even have any buses coming in this time of year.”

  “It’ll be perfect. And I’ll bring some staff with me so that you don’t even have to worry about the place. In fact, Mrs. Sheppard, I’d be willing to pay you for the entire month just to have the place to ourselves. My cousin and I are looking into something, and we don’t have any idea how long we’ll be there.” She told her that the place was for sale, so she didn’t know how that would work if there was a buyer. “Let me put you on hold for a moment, please. I can work something out quickly on my end.”

  The Ivy Bed and Breakfast had been for sale now for a couple of years. It had started out for just under a million, and was now at only about seventy grand. Cindi knew about the little town and the baskets made there. Since the man who ran the basket business had passed on, it had become sort of a ghost town, she’d heard. Making one more call after assuring Mrs. Sheppard that she’d not forgotten about her, she put in a bid to buy the place before going back on the line with the owner.

  “You bought it?” Cindi said that she could use it as a base when she was working in Columbus. Plus, she had a large family that might like to get away for a while. “Well, that’s wonderful of you. I don’t know how long it will take me to move out the furniture. But...you know what, I don’t even care. I’m so glad to have it gone that I’ll just leave it. If you don’t want it all, then we’ll work something out.”

  Cindi knew that it would all have to go for her brothers to stay there. She’d looked over the pictures that accompanied the website advertising the little gem. The website said that it was in the heart of the shopping district. It was small, the village that it was in, but Cindi thought that she’d enjoy the place when she needed to get away.

  The house was a big one. The lovely kitchen had everything she needed, Internet, another plus, as well as a large sitting room that she could work in if necessary. There were five bedrooms in the place as well. It was a little overdone, but then people expected that when they went to a B&B. After assuring Mrs. Sheppard that it would be wonderful as it was, Cindi asked two people to go to the house to make sure that it was ready for them when they arrived in the morning.

  The paperwork arrived by courier, and as soon as she signed it, she sent it back to the bank with the same man. He seemed to be happy with the events, and she tipped him generously. As soon as she heard from the bank, she sent the people on their way to get things ready. She had a house that she really didn’t need, but was looking forward to having a nice quiet place to stay while working in Columbus.

  Contacting Blair again, she was disappointed that she was not able to talk to her. She had indeed gone to see Grandma Anna, and that made Cindi smile. They were incredibly close, the two of them. And more so since Grandma Anna had had to be put into a nursing home. Alzheimer’s was a bitch.

  As she was packing up her computer, Cindi could just about see the two of them. Blair would be curled up around Grandma in the big bed that had been brought in just for the two of them. They’d not be saying anything, just holding onto each other as they had while Blair had been living with them. Grandma had loved Blair the most, they all knew that, and it had never bothered any of them. Blair could also calm Grandma when she was upset faster and better than any of the staff that took care of her.

  Cin
di had always thought that Grandma knew secrets that Blair hid from them all more than anyone else. Nothing terrible, she hoped, but whenever she was upset or needed to talk, Blair would go straight to Grandma. She thought that Grandma took a special liking to Blair because Caroline was her daughter, and she’d been ashamed of the way that she’d treated the young girl. Whatever it was, they were closer than even Cindi had been to her own parents.

  Leaving a note for Blair to call her when she had time, Cindi finished up packing and then sent it all to the plane. She wanted to get out and going before the phone started to ring off the hook, as it usually did. Smiling to herself, she went to the office and worked there until things were in a place that she could easily leave it until she returned.

  It wasn’t as if she couldn’t work on the go. Cindi didn’t care for it much—she liked things in neat order, and all her things she needed within reach. But in a pinch, she could do it. She had a feeling that she was going to be doing it a great deal more since her parents had passed away.

  Two months ago her mom and dad had decided to go on a long trip. It was something they did a great deal since her brothers and her had gotten older and started taking over some of the duties that went with being wealthy. But the bitterly cold morning that they left on hadn’t started out well. The late arrival of the limo to take them to the airport had seemed like a bad omen to them all. It turned out that it had been.

  The plane, only a minute or two in line to be able to take off, was hit by another plane that hadn’t hit the runway like it should have. Since her parents’ plane was gassed up and ready to go, it burst into flames even before it had been cleared for takeoff. All the passengers on both planes were killed.

  Cindi and her entire family had seen it happen, as they’d not even left the windows to see them off. It had been like a bad dream, watching the second plane come in hard and fast and then hit the other plane. Cindi would never forget the sounds, heard well within the building, nor the way the heat blasted inward the glass on all sides of where they stood, leaving only their big glass panel complete.