“Then you do mean to go through with this?”
“Giving up hunting?” Carson nodded. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
“That’s what you said when you married Tally.”
“It’s all part of the same thing,” Carson said.
“I agree,” Nick replied.
Carson raised his brows. “Nicholas Sherwood agrees with me. I think hell just froze over.”
Nick grinned. Then his grin faded. “You do know that Damian and I will always be here, don’t you?”
Carson grinned. “I’ve always known that.”
“But you failed to ask us to help.”
“Deliberately. I thought about it, but…” Carson frowned, trying to put into words what was still a nebulous concept for him. “It’s important that I do this. Tally was raised by you, and she’s…well, I’m biased, but I think she’s one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met, and I know that’s your influence at work. But it also leaves its mark.”
Nick drew in a breath. “She’s not quite human,” he said softly.
“Yes. That’s exactly it,” Carson said. “Not that it’s a bad thing,” he added. “But it does make it difficult for her to relate to humans as a human, sometimes. That’s why it’s better that I give up the hunting. This kid is going to grow up with one foot in the strangest world imaginable. If I can offset that, just a little….” He shrugged.
The kitchen door swung inwards and the music leapt in volume. Tears For Fears was playing now. Jimmy would have approved mightily of every record on the turntable, so far.
Donna slipped through the swinging door. “You’re here. Good.” She dug in her jeans pocket.
Nick straightened up and turned to face her. “Oscar is right behind you,” he said softly.
She glanced at him, startled, then looked over her shoulder as the door swung once more, the volume jumped, and Oscar came in. He had taken off his jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his button-through shirt, but he still looked out of place in their humble kitchen. He looked, well, groomed. It was something Carson had only ever been able to aspire to. Sartorial elegance took money he had never had. Not that he cared. Tally didn’t mind, after all.
Donna considered Oscar for a second then shrugged and dug into her pocket again. She extracted a folded sheet of paper. “I was going through Jimmy’s things and I found this.” She held it out toward Carson.
Oscar was staring at the paper like it might grow fangs and bite if he looked away. Then he stirred and lifted his head to look at Donna. “You found it?”
Donna looked at him steadily. “Yes.” Then she turned back to Carson as he unfolded the sheet. Nick moved around the corner of the table to look over his shoulder.
It was a photocopied section of a map of the lower half of the state. Just north of Poughkeepsie, there was a small circle. It had been made with a felt-tipped pen, bright blue among all the greys.
“Where is that?” Donna asked Carson. “It means something, doesn’t it?”
“There’s an old mine just around there,” Nick said. “The Widow Jane Mine. They dug cement out of it for decades, but it’s been closed down for nearly ten years.”
Carson looked at him. “A man made cave. All the comforts of home for them.”
“Yes.” Nick flicked the sheet with his nail. “Although why would Jimmy have had it? Why didn’t he share it?”
“Perhaps he meant to, but ran out of time,” Oscar said.
Carson folded up the sheet and held it out to Donna. “I’m retiring,” he said firmly. “You should check it out.”
Donna pushed his hand back toward him. “I got into this business because of demons,” she said. “Now I’m going to go back to that side of it.” She held her hand out to Oscar, who hesitated, then took it. There was agony in his eyes, but a small smile played around his mouth. His grip tightened.
Donna looked back at Carson. “The gargoyles are Tally’s project, but she’s going to be busy for the next few weeks. You should check it out. For her. If it is their nest, then you could get rid of the last of them just as your baby is born.”
Carson held the map in mid-air, looking at it. He could see where the felt-tip had gouged a tiny furrow in the paper, and the ink had soaked through to the opposite side. “Miguel will want to follow up. I’ll give it to him.”
Donna shook her head. “Don’t let him go alone,” she said.
“I will go with him,” Nick said. “Tomorrow, when the sun has risen.”
Carson held the map out to Nick.
“I know where the mine is,” Nick said gravely. “I’ve been there before.”
Carson looked at the folded sheet, wondering what to do with it. Then he stuffed it into his pocket. “Just to keep it safe,” he said, and felt an odd tightness in his chest.
Nick was studying him. “Why don’t you come with us, tomorrow?” he said. “One last sally before you take up diaper duties.”
The door swung open again. The music didn’t jump nearly as loud this time. Damian kept the door propped open and leaned in. “Cory has his camera set up. Come and get ready. Everyone has to be in the picture.”
“Who gets to hold the camera, then?” Nick asked, amused.
“It’s on a tripod and timer,” Damian tossed back. He beckoned with his hand. “Come on.”
They all filed out into the crowded front room. A short row of chairs had been set up, and Tally was sitting on the last of them, her belly rounded out under her breasts. She smiled at Carson and patted the chair next to her. The other chairs were being taken up by the others, while still more people crowded around behind the chairs.
Carson leaned down and swept Tally up into his arms, then settled on her chair and put her on his lap. He stretched his arms around her. The quiet, contented peace he had felt at the cemetery that afternoon, when he had finally decided to quit, settled over him again.
“I love you,” he whispered to Tally as Cory fussed with the camera setting and directed everyone’s positions so they would be included in the frame.
Tally’s hand rested on his and her eyes glowed. “Love you back. Always.”
Damian stood behind them and waved Nick over. “Stop looking grumpy,” he told his lover as Nick settled next to him.
“You know I don’t like photographs,” Nick muttered. “They’re a security risk for us.”
Carson sighed as the contentment spilled out of him. He wanted to embrace the whole room, and shower everyone with his joy, even salty old Nicholas Sherwood.
Cory looked up from the camera. “Don’t anyone move,” he said, picking up the shutter control. He depressed it. “Fifteen….” he began counting.
Everyone picked up the count. “Fourteen…thirteen…twelve….” as Cory hurried to take up his place at the very corner of the group.
Carson looked up at Tally. “I’m heading out with Nick and Miguel tomorrow morning…or late afternoon, the way this party is shaping up. We’re going to check out something. Then that’s it. I’m quit. Done. I get to devote my time and attention to you two.” He patted her belly.
Tally’s smile was warm. Understanding. “The more I think of it,” she whispered, “the more I like it. Thank you for this.”
“For you, I would do anything,” Carson told her. “You, and this little guy.”
“What if it’s a girl?” she asked sweetly.
“Two…one!”
The flash went off.
The next book
in The Stonebrood Saga
Unbearable, Book 2.2 of the Stonebrood Saga.
Tally Grey Connors’ final story.
Carson Connors heads out on one last, minor hunt before retiring forever to raise his daughter, Riley, but as Tally goes into labor, tragedy strikes. The hunt for the last two surviving gargoyles—the strongest and smartest of the Stonebrood clan—warps life and love, straining even Nick and Damian’s four century long relationship, in ways that no one could possibly anticipate.
Unbearable is an emotion-charged part of the Stonebrood Saga, revealing the tragic events of Riley’s early childhood.
Get your copy of this Unbearable story today.
Warning: This is a novella length story (about 80 pages long), and is best read in series order, to avoid spoilers.
This is Book 2.2 in The Stonebrood Saga:
Book 1.0: Carson’s Night
Book 2.0: Beauty’s Beasts
Book 2.1: Harvest of Holidays*
Book 2.2: Unbearable*
Book 3.0: Sabrina’s Clan
*A Stony Stories tale: Short stories featuring the characters and situations from the Stonebrood Saga
A vampire gargoyle urban fantasy story.
___
Praise for the Stonebrood Saga
A new world full of action, mysterious sexy men and stubborn heroines that will sure have readers desiring more and more of. Book Lovers Inc.
Delightfully wicked and erotic. I loved every minute of it. Don’t miss out on this was a wonderful read. Night Owl Reviews
Vividly captivating paranormal thriller that is infused with edgy suspense, dark passion and an extreme emotional depth that immediately grabs the reader and never lets go! The Romance Studio
A paranormal lover’s wicked delight. Literary Nymphs
Unbearable is now available at your favorite bookseller.
About the Author
Tracy Cooper-Posey is an Amazon #1 Best Selling Author. She writes romantic suspense, paranormal, urban fantasy, futuristic and science fiction romances. She has published over 55 novels since 1999, been nominated for five CAPAs including Favourite Author, and won the Emma Darcy Award.
She turned to indie publishing in 2011. Her indie titles have been nominated four times for Book Of The Year and Byzantine Heartbreak was a 2012 winner. Faring Soul won a SFR Galaxy Award in 2016 for “Most Intriguing Philosophical/Social Science Questions in Galaxybuilding” She has been a national magazine editor and for a decade she taught romance writing at MacEwan University.
She is addicted to Irish Breakfast tea and chocolate, sometimes taken together. In her spare time she enjoys history, Sherlock Holmes, science fiction and ignoring her treadmill. An Australian, she lives in Edmonton, Canada with her husband, a former professional wrestler, where she moved in 1996 after meeting him on-line.
Other books by Tracy Cooper-Posey
* = Free!
Blood Knot Series (Urban Fantasy Paranormal Series)
Blood Knot*
Southampton Swindle
Broken Promise
Vale
Amor Meus
Blood Stone
Blood Unleashed
Blood Drive
Blood Revealed
Blood Ascendant
Beloved Bloody Time Series (Paranormal Futuristic Time Travel)
Bannockburn Binding*
Wait
Byzantine Heartbreak
Viennese Agreement
Romani Armada
Spartan Resistance
Kiss Across Time Series (Paranormal Time Travel)
Kiss Across Time*
Kiss Across Swords
Time Kissed Moments I
Kiss Across Chains
Kiss Across Deserts
Kiss Across Kingdoms
The Kine Prophecies (Epic Norse Fantasy Romance)
The Branded Rose Prophecy
The Stonebrood Saga(Gargoyle Paranormal Series)
Carson’s Night*
Beauty’s Beasts
Harvest of Holidays
Unbearable
Sabrina’s Clan
Destiny’s Trinities (Urban Fantasy Romance Series)
Beth’s Acceptance*
Mia’s Return
Sera’s Gift
The First Trinity
Cora’s Secret
Interspace Originas (Science Fiction Romance Series)
Faring Soul
Varkan Rise
Cat and Company
Short Paranormals
Solstice Surrender
Eva’s Last Dance
The Vistaria Affair (Romantic Suspense)
Red Leopard*
Black Heart
Blue Knight
White Dawn
The Royal Talisman
Delly’s Last Night
Vivian’s Return
Ningaloo Nights
Jewells of Tomorrow (Historical Romantic Suspense)
Diana By The Moon
Heart of Vengeance
Scandalous Sirens (Historical Romance Series)
Forbidden*
Dangerous Beauty
Perilous Princess
Romantic Thrillers Series
Fatal Wild Child
Dead Again
Dead Double
Terror Stash
Thrilling Affair
The Endurance (Science Fiction Romane Series)
5,001
Greyson’s Doom
Contemporary Romances
Lucifer’s Lover
An Inconvenient Lover
The Sherlock Holmes Series (Romantic Suspense/Mystery)
Chronicles of the Lost Years
The Case of the Reluctant Agent
For reviews, excerpts, and more about each title, visit Tracy’s site and click on each title in turn: http://tracycooperposey.com/books/tracys-trilogies-series/
Copyright Information
This is an original publication of Tracy Cooper-Posey
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for third-party websites or their content.
Copyright © 2015 by Tracy Cooper-Posey
Text design by Tracy Cooper-Posey
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
FIRST EDITION: January 2015
Cooper-Posey, Tracy
Harvest of Holidays/Tracy Cooper-Posey—1st Ed.
Romance—Fiction
Paranormal – Fiction