This segment may be a bit long, but it formed a natural break. I may offer one more much later today, probably this evening. I’m currently around 900 words short and I’d really like to be a lot more words ahead as I am envisioning Thursday (Thanksgiving) being pretty much a non-writing day.

Usual disclaimer: not proofed, etc. Thanks for sticking with me! 🙂

Current Word Count: 32,194

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Chapter Nine

Alone in the foyer, Phoebe waited for Kaden to return. She could hear her grandmother speaking to him and then the response of his slower cadence as his voice took on more of a southern drawl. Even she admitted his Cajun twang sounded sexy.

She replayed last night and this morning over in head, getting lost in the sensations. Despite this strange curse threatening them, she couldn’t stop herself from wanting him now. She put that down to probably too many years of going without making her insatiable.

She looked up and he stood at the top of the steps grinning down at her. His hand rested on the cherry wood banister. “Well, chere, I’d almost think you were waiting for me. Am I that lucky?”

When he reached her, she slid her arms around him and hugged him. “Now that’s more like it, chere.”

His lips devoured hers. His fingers slipped under her shirt, caressing her breast, until she drew his hand safely back to her hip. There were far too many people in the house right now for that to be a good thing. They kissed for several moments, like teenagers until a throat cleared above them.

“Time and place, children, time and place. Neither of which is this,” Aurora said as she came down the steps. She was dressed in the same clothes, but her hair had been fluffed and her red lipstick refreshed.

“I must say, Phoebe, when you come out of your shell, you just destroy the entire shell, don’t you?” Aurora said before sweeping by them for the kitchen.

Kaden pulled Phoebe back into his arms and just held her close until the sound of Raymond’s heavy footfalls down the steps resounded through the foyer. Phoebe chuckled and rested her cheek against Kaden chest before she pulled away and smiled at her grandfather. He gave her a benevolent pat on the cheek, his brown eyes kind.

“As you were,” he said and left them for the kitchen.

“I somehow don’t think that this is the place to be making out,” Kaden said.

“That place in this house probably doesn’t exist,” Phoebe said.

“We could go to my room for a quickie.”

“Tempting, but they’d find us. And, it’s really probably not the right time as gran said. Maybe later when things have settled down. After gran saves the universe,” Phoebe said.

But first there was tea and, to Jared’s delight, sandwiches, lots of sandwiches.

—

Kaden tried to pay attention to the women and their talk of spells and curses and rituals, but after a while he determined that he couldn’t follow their train of thought. He chewed slowly on his turkey sandwich and focused on Phoebe, watching her, her animated expressions, and listening to her soft voice because his new favorite hobby. He didn’t know what this thing was between them. He did know that he wanted it to last longer than a night, longer than a week, although with his commitments taking him three thousand miles away, he didn’t see how continuing their romance would be possible. The thought of leaving her behind, of potentially never seeing her again, left him feeling hollow.

She looked at him and smiled. He loved the way those beautiful eyes sparkled, how the green had hints of amber, like an exotic gem, and how they had looked up at him with desire when her lips were on his cock. Damn, that was an inopportune thought. He knew it was time to find his guitar.

As if following his cue, Tito and Jared followed him into the family room.

“Now that talk in there was some crazy shit,” Jared said and sat down on the wooden piano bench which creaked softly beneath him.

“It felt like being back in New Mexico listening to the old ladies talk about ancestors,” Tito said. “Skinwalkers. Now you want to talk some crazy shit. Skinwalkers, that’s what I’m saying.”

“What in the hell are skinwalkers?” Jared asked.

“You remember those dude on that vampire show who could change into animals? In Navajo culture, it’s like that, but the dude would be a witch. A Navajo witch. Yee naaldlooshii.”

“Say what?”

“Yee naaldlooshii. It means something like the one who walks on four legs or on all fours. A witch who can turn into an animal.”

“But wouldn’t that be a warlock?” Jared asked.

“No, man. I don’t know what a warlock is. That sounds like something from one of those games you play. World of Warlock.”

“Ha. Funny, man. I keep telling you, you should play games like that for dexterity. It would help with your drumming.”

“My drumming doesn’t need any help. Go back to your warlocks.”

Kaden sat on the couch and strummed his guitar. “You guys should hear yourselves.”

“Uh, yo, Roarke, if we couldn’t hear each other we wouldn’t be having a conversation,” Tito said. “Now don’t be talking down to us. I’m pretty sure we’re here because of you. Not that I mind. I’m liking the look of that red head. Have you ever done a red head? Oh, what the hell am I saying? You’ve done every type of woman there is.”

Kaden didn’t say anything in return. Tito’s words just rang in his ears. What he would have laughed off a week ago, now just made him feel disgusted with himself. For the first time he had actually considered his behavior and realized that if any guy had treated his sister the way he had treated any number of women he would have pounded the shit out of him. Not that he was the type for violence. But the self-loathing was definitely there.

“That was a joke, dude,” Tito said.

“Yeah, I know.”

“Dude, this is what they call an epiphany.”

“Really?”

“Ms. Exotic Eyed Phoebe has gotten you thinking about all of your wild ways and you’re not liking what you see.”

Kaden strummed an Em chord and then a C. “I’m sure we can find something else to talk about. Damn, I was supposed to call Bob about rescheduling.”

Tito grinned. “No woman has ever made you forget about your music shit before.”

“There was a lot going on this morning. What are you guys doing for Thanksgiving?” Kaden asked.

Jared’s stroking of keys stopped as he swung around on the piano bench. “Did you just ask what we’re doing for Thanksgiving?”

“Yeah, why?”

Jared and Tito exchanged a glance. “Because in the past ten years you’re never asked.”

“Forget I asked now.”

Kaden set the guitar aside. He suddenly felt antsy like he needed a run . . . or Phoebe. He needed some kind of distraction. He wanted to get out of the house, but, despite how much he might doubt some of the events around him, he didn’t want to test whether that red fog had it in for him.

He clasped his hands behind his head and walked to the window and looked out at the malicious red fog. Is this your doing, Grandpa? he wondered.

“Hey, man, sit down and let’s jam before you pull your hair out,” Tito said.

Kaden nodded. Music was the cure. Just get lost in it. It had always been the most reliable thing in his life.

 

end Day 20, pt 2