Cormack’s eyes turned to his sleeping daughter and her lightly-snoring husband. “It might be longer than that.”
Braden snickered. “I have a feeling we’ll all be spoiling her … even me. I wasn’t sure I would ever see her again. I didn’t like the feeling.”
“I knew I would see her again,” Cormack volunteered. “I just didn’t know about the rest of you.” His eyes were glassy. “I didn’t get a chance to thank you, Izzy. What you did … .”
“Was the only thing to do,” I finished, discomfort washing over me. “It always had to be me because … it’s my job.”
“Crossing the gate isn’t your job. Monitoring the gate is your job. You risked your life for my child.”
“No, I risked my life for our future. I’m talking everybody’s future here. We all needed her back … and I needed answers. I needed to see, to know. More than one thing propelled me through the gate, and I don’t regret it.”
“It was a risk.” Cormack refused to back down. “You might not have come back. That would’ve hurt our family … even if you don’t yet realize that.”
“I knew it would be hard for all of you, but I also knew that I had to try. Losing you would’ve crushed your family more than losing me.”
Braden stirred. “I would rather not qualify my feelings for either of you. Trading one for the other … either of you for Aisling … it’s an impossible choice. It’s done. We all survived. Can we please not dwell on it?”
I patted his arm. “Sorry, but I blame your father.”
“I blame him, too.” Braden snuggled closer to me, his face disappearing into my hair. “Let’s talk about something else. Believe it or not, I preferred talking about how spoiled Aisling is.”
Cormack chuckled. “We don’t have to talk about any of that. Your sister is home. She’s right over there. In twenty minutes I’ll wake her and watch her overload on ridiculous amounts of food and sugar. Two hours from now, Griffin will chase her upstairs.
“They’ll make a big show of flirting,” he continued. “They’ll gladly hand over baby duty to me – and I’ll gladly take it because I wasn’t sure I would ever see Lily again either – and then they’ll disappear into her bedroom.
“Once on the other side of that door, any façade they’re hiding behind will crumble. They’ll give in to the emotions they’ve been running from for the better part of the day. They’ll cry … and hold each other … and pass out from sheer exhaustion.”
I watched him for a moment, expecting him to continue. When he didn’t, I had to laugh. “Is that personal insight or what you want to happen so you don’t have to imagine the other way they might celebrate?”
He cracked a smile. “Personal insight. They held it together all day. They’ll hold it together for dinner. Then they’ll fall apart behind closed doors. It’s okay. They’ve earned it.”
“And you?” I was genuinely curious. “What have you earned?”
“I … .”
He didn’t get a chance to finish because there was a flurry of movement by the door. Jerry stumbled into view. It looked as if he’d been crying for the better part of two days. Aidan trailed behind him, looking sheepish as Jerry raced toward the settee.
“One little problem,” Aidan said. “I forgot to call Jerry right after Aisling walked through the gate … and then I was distracted by a fight for our lives … and then there was the gross cleanup. He just found out thirty minutes ago that she’s fine.”
“Oh, no.” I leaned forward, ready to offer Jerry solace, but he didn’t as much as look in my direction.
Instead of waking Aisling, instead of picking up the baby and cuddling her, he shoved Aisling until she was practically on top of Griffin and then he rolled in behind her, wrapping his arms around her from behind.
I expected her to wake and start complaining. I thought for sure Griffin would make a fuss about his wife being crushed between him and her best friend. Instead, they continued to sleep as Jerry pressed his face to her back.
“That’s kind of sweet,” Braden said finally. “Do you think we can leave them out here so dinner is quiet?”
Cormack shook his head. “Your sister needs her food.”
“You need my sister to have her food,” Braden corrected.
“Either way, she’s getting her prime rib … and chili fries.”
Aisling stirred. “And ice cream bar.” Her voice was thick. “Did you get the other thing I asked for?”
“The beignets?” Cormack nodded. “They’re not really for you. I thought we would surprise Izzy with them after dinner. She earned them, after all.”
“Okay.” Aisling’s eyes were still squeezed shut. “Just give us ten more minutes.”
“No problem, kid.”
I didn’t realize there was a lump in my throat until Cormack turned to me.
“I had to get your beignets on the fly,” he explained. “I hope you like them.”
I seriously thought I might start bawling. “You didn’t have to get them,” I argued. “This is Aisling’s night.”
“No, this is a family night,” he corrected. “You’re our family … and today you’re our hero. You get whatever you want, too.”
“Yay!” Braden clapped his hands, causing me to jolt. “What? That means I get whatever I want because we’re together. I want some pie.”
Cormack sighed. “Sometimes I wish I didn’t have children,” he lamented.
I didn’t believe him for a second. “I think you might miss them.”
“That’s the sad thing. I know I would.”
It was quiet after that. For once, Grimlock Manor wasn’t burbling with noise. Love was another story.
We still had an enemy to contend with, but for one night at least, we could rest. With that in mind, I slid my eyes to Braden and leaned in close to whisper. “I love you, too.”
Emotion stormed his eyes and I thought he might start crying, but he held it together. “We’re not alone and you said it.”
“I felt it. That’s all that matters.”
“Yeah.” He rested his forehead against mine. “Just remember who said it first.”
Ah, yes, there was that Grimlock competitive streak. That was still going to take some getting used to. Thankfully, we had plenty of time.
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About the Author
I want to thank everyone who takes the time to read my novels. I have a particular brand of humor that isn’t for everyone – and I know that.
If you liked the book, please take a few minutes and leave a review. An independent author does it all on their own, and the reviews are helpful. I understand that my characters aren’t for everyone, though. There’s a lot of snark and sarcasm in my world – and I know some people don’t like that.
Special thanks go out to Heidi Bitsoli and Phil VanHulle for correcting the (numerous) errors that creep into a work of fiction.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
For more information:
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Books by Amanda M. Lee
An Avery Shaw Mystery
Who, What, Where, When, Die
If it Bleeds, it Leads
Buried Leads
Shot Off The Presses
The Preditorial Page
Misquoted & Demoted
Headlines & Deadlines
Misprints & Mistakes
Bylines & Skylines
Off the Record
Unwritten & Underwater
Extra! Extra! Dead All About
It
On Deadline & Under Fire
Above the Fold & Below the Belt
Oracles & Obituaries
A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Mystery
Any Witch Way You Can
Every Witch Way But Wicked
Witching You Were Here
Witching on a Star
Something to Witch About
Witch Me Luck
Life’s a Witch
Charms & Witchdemeanors
The Trouble With Witches
Murder Most Witchy
A Witch Before Dying
A Breath of Witchy Air
Witch, Interrupted
Flip the Witch Switch
A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short
Careful What You Witch For
Wicked Brew
On a Witch and a Prayer
You Only Witch Once
The Christmas Witch
Bewitched
A Solstice Celebration
Witchdependence Day
Happy Witchgiving
Merry Witchmas
Four-Leaf Clover
Thistle While You Work
Landon Calling
I Dream of Twila
How Aunt Tillie Stole Christmas
A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Fantasy
Witchy Tales
A Witch In Time
Make A Witch
A Witchmas Carol
All My Witches
Close Encounters of the Witchy Kind
An Aisling Grimlock Mystery
Grim Tidings
Grim Offerings
Grim Discovery
Grim Reunion
Grim Expectations
Grim Holiday
Grim Rising
Grim Tempest
Grim Vows
Grimlock Family Shorts
Grim Like Me
Grim & The City
Now & Grim
Grim & Bear It
Grim & The Dead
Death Gate Grim Reapers
Only the Lonely
Only the Quiet
A Mystic Caravan Mystery
Freaky Days
Freaky Lies
Freaky Hearts
Freaky Games
Freaky Places
Freaky Rites
Freaky Reapers
A Charlie Rhodes Cozy Mystery
The Bigfoot Blunder
The Chupacabra Catastrophe
The Werewolf Whoops
The Megalodon Mix-Up
The Undead Uproar
A Moonstone Bay Cozy Mystery
Witchin’ USA
Witch Out of Water
Freaky Deaky Tiki
To Spell With It
A Spell’s Angels Cozy Mystery
Bad to the Crone
No Crones About It
Covenant College
Awakening
Whispering
Conjuring
Waxing & Waning
Graduating
Living Covenant Trilogy
Rising Covenant
Dark Covenant
Eternal Covenant
Dying Covenant Trilogy
Haunted Covenant
Desperate Covenant
Everlasting Covenant
2019 Shorts
Wolf on the Job
Luke on the Loose
Cupid in Crisis
Millie on a Mission
Elemental Witches of Eternal Springs
Bat Out Of Spell
Spell on Earth
Hotter Than Spell
Spell or High Water