Chapter 38
RODERICK
When we arrive at my childhood home, my initial urge is to drag Juliet upstairs and lay her in my old bed, where I can pleasure her until she passes out.
But I resist. This time.
Also, almost immediately upon us crossing the threshold, my little sister tries to abduct my woman herself.
“Dibs!” Tanya shouts as she appears out of nowhere, grabbing ahold of my librarian and almost carrying her away.
“I’ll drop the pies!” Juliet yells, her only defense.
“Fine.” Tanya releases my date with a threatening finger point. “But remember, I called dibs.”
“Dibs for what?” Juliet asks after my sister strolls away.
I shrug. With Tanya, you never know.
The two of us head into the kitchen, where we find my uncle mashing potatoes.
“Hey, Uncle Mason. Have you met Juliet?”
The man who’s the closest thing to a parent I have left in this town turns away from the stovetop with a kind smile.
“Our paths haven’t crossed before now. It’s nice to meet you, Juliet.” He reaches out both hands to take her armload of pies.
“Nice to meet you too. Anything you need help with?”
Mason waves us off. “I’ve had Tanya and Isaac cooking all day. Plus, pack members have been dropping off food for the pack leader. We’re good.”
Dismissed, I guide Juliet toward the back of the house into the family room.
It’s the largest space with an open floor plan, plenty of seating, and a massive stone fireplace.
It’s also where we find the rest of my family and a few extras relaxing.
Warner is wrapped around Zoey, the two of them chuckling over something.
The twins sit at a card table with Thad, dealing out what looks like a game of poker.
I really hope my pack mate isn’t betting actual money. Tanya is a shark.
The only relative Juliet hasn’t met yet is my youngest brother, Isaac. I make the introductions as Courtney waltzes in from the dining room, holding three glasses of wine.
“Those all for you?” I ask.
She smirks at me. “You think I can’t down these on my own? Go on, dare me.”
Zoey detaches herself from Warner, where they’re sprawled on a window seat, and approaches with hands outstretched. “How about I just …” Carefully, she plucks one of the glasses from Courtney’s grip and retreats.
My friend snorts, then holds out the other extra glass to Juliet.
My woman grins, even as a blush stains the top of her cheeks. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. In return, you can be my cornhole partner.”
Partners? If there are any pairs activities, Juliet will be on my team.
As I wrap an arm around her waist to stake my claim, Juliet gives a regretful shake of her head. “Oh, sorry, Courtney. I don’t think I can.”
That’s right because she’s already claimed by—
“Tanya called dibs.”
Damn it. That’s what she meant.
“Hell yeah, I did! After turkey, Juliet and I will lay waste to you all!”
Sometimes, I think Tanya and Courtney have a competition going for who can say the most ridiculous thing. Or maybe it’s just that my friend has taught my sister her dramatic ways.
The Jameson family home is spacious, but with so many people in one place, it starts to feel crowded.
A few pack members with little or no family come here for holidays, knowing they’re always welcome.
Luckily, none of them are approaching me with problems to solve, but I still maneuver Juliet out to the backyard to get some space.
“So, this is where you grew up, huh?”
We gaze out over the property. The place is almost farm-like with its flatness, but my family has never been farmers.
Still, my parents appreciated the sprawling property when my siblings and I were younger and had unending energy to run off.
And this is where my dad liked to have pack members stop by with their questions and concerns.
I prefer to be approached at The Rabbit Hole, but he was more a sit-on-the-back-porch-and-chat kind of guy.
Warner’s got more of his personality than I do. I’m more like my mom.
Thinking of my parents hurts deep in my chest.
My father was a better pack leader than I can ever hope to be, as well as a kind man and loving father. He was a hugger, and I miss that unyielding embrace.
Then there’s Rebecca, who should be here. I can’t help resenting her absence. Hopefully, this time next year, she’ll have figured out her shit and done all she needs for me to let her return home.
Especially because she now has two sons with human partners.
With my mind back on Juliet, I realize I never answered her question.
“Yeah. The house has been in the family for generations.” Wrapping my arm around her shoulders, I guide Juliet off the porch and into the yard, pointing out the cornhole boards she’ll be expected to master later. Not too far from the house is a swing dangling from a fat tree branch.
With a wave, I invite Juliet to take a seat.
She settles carefully, clutching her glass of wine.
Keeping the drink in mind, I don’t push her.
I simply move to stand behind her, gripping the ropes on either side of her head, and offer my body as a backrest. Juliet leans into me, and together, we watch the sky streak with vibrant colors as the sun sinks below a far-off mountain.
“It’s peaceful here,” she says quietly. “I like it.”
With you here, I finally feel at peace too.
For now, I keep the words to myself. Soon though, I’ll let her know how much she’s come to mean to me.
“Are you hiding Ms. Adair with your overly muscled body?” a haughty voice calls from behind me.
The voice is familiar, but out of place. When I turn, I realize my guess was right. Still, it takes me another moment to make sense of the situation.
“Hester Willowborne is your surprise guest?” I hazard because the woman has never shown up at Thanksgiving in all the years of my life.
Juliet smiles up at me, a tightness in the corners of her eyes. “That’s not a problem, right?”
Hester never does anything she doesn’t want to do, and it’s a good idea to let her do what she wants. If she wants to take part in a Jameson Thanksgiving, then the best thing to do is welcome her.
“No. Not a problem. Just didn’t realize you were close,” I say.
My woman shrugs, standing from the swing. “She has me over for tea sometimes. I think we’re friends.”
After giving my hand a squeeze, Juliet crosses the yard toward the new arrival, jogging, even in her heels. Not the most practical footwear, but I can’t complain about the flex they put in her toned calves.
Juliet waves, and hell if Hester Willowborne doesn’t smile back at her. That’s a rare thing.
I approach the pair at a slower pace, giving them the semblance of privacy even though I can hear every word exchanged.
“I am here. As requested,” Hester intones.
“I’m glad you could come.” Juliet reaches out to squeeze the woman’s hand.
“Of course. I would never miss an opportunity to discover the secrets of the Jameson family.”
Her sharp eyes meet mine over Juliet’s head, and I do my best to suppress a grimace.
“We’re open books.” I mount the steps to the back porch and press a palm into Juliet’s lower back. “Hello, Hester. Good of you to join us.”
She offers me a regal nod. “It is good of me, isn’t it? I deserve wine for my efforts.”
No one has ever claimed she was humble.
Together, Juliet and I lead the way back into the house, and it’s not long before we’re all surrounding a massive dining room table my dad built himself before I was born. This year’s gathering is different than those of the past, but there’s still plenty of joy and banter and good eating.
After dinner, we decide to let the food settle before bringing out the dessert. Which is how I find myself in an intense battle for the crown of best cornhole player, teamed up with Warner. Our rivals are my aggravating sister and my gorgeous librarian.
Surprisingly, despite their team only having half the supernatural abilities as ours, they’re up by a few points. Apparently, Juliet played softball in high school and college.
The choice of a bat as her weapon makes more sense now.
Still, I’m on my last beanbag, and I have a chance to bring this home.
I step up to the line, eyeing my target, ignoring my little sister as she sidles up to Juliet.
“Okay, now you need to distract him,” Tanya whispers, though I can hear her easily enough.
“Distract him how?” Juliet’s brow crinkles in confusion.
“Just use your feminine wiles. Seduce him with your eyes so he can’t aim.”
I bite back a snort, even as I hear Warner chuckling.
“I think you’re overestimating my seduction abilities.”
“Here.” My sister grabs their team’s beanbags and drops them at Juliet’s feet.
“What’d you do that for?” my woman grumbles.
Trying not to laugh, I take aim, but just as my arm swings back, Juliet bends over to retrieve the beanbags. Her gorgeous ass, rounder than the full moon, is on display underneath that stretchy sweater fabric.
My eyes lock on the view, and I barely register the fact that I throw my beanbag. That is, until I hear the cursing.
“What the hell was that for?”
A glance to the right has me meeting the glare of my youngest brother, Isaac, who’s been watching from the sidelines. The guy rubs his nose, and I notice a beanbag on the ground in front of him. The beanbag I just threw. Apparently a good five feet wide of my target.
Warner groans at my side while Tanya does a happy dance and Juliet glances between us all in confusion.
“What did I miss?” the librarian asks.
“Nothing,” I mutter a second before my sister claps happily.
“Let’s just say, I’m not overestimating anything.”
They beat us.
I’m not too mad about it. Especially when I reap the rewards of the win by getting a celebratory kiss. Doesn’t really feel like I lost anything after that.
At the promise of sweets, our group relocates inside, spreading out over the open living area. Isaac heads into the kitchen, in charge of serving everyone this last course. Even though Juliet is my priority, I figure she can find her own way to the opened wine bottles while I check in with Hester.
The woman sits near the fireplace in a stiff-backed chair I never liked. She makes the simple wooden furniture look like a throne.
“Can I get you anything?”
Again, the knife-sharp stare takes in the whole of me.
“You are doing fine,” she informs me. “For now.”
That sends a shiver down my spine. “What does that mean?”
“You make Juliet happy.” Hester tilts her head, reminding me of a hunting hawk, her eyes as cold as a raptor’s. “I like my new neighbor. Be careful how you are with her, or I may need to pay you a visit.”
The words may sound innocent, but I know a threat when I hear one.
“I only want her happiness.”
Hester blinks, a slow judgment in the movement. Then she waves a long-fingered hand, dismissing me. “Send your sister over to me. I want to teach her how to cause mischief.”
Gods, that’s definitely a threat. “She doesn’t need help doing that.”
“Of course she doesn’t need help.” Hester smirks. “She needs guidance.”
That’s a whole hell of a lot of ominous. Still, I decide not to refuse Hester’s request, instead vowing to work on reversing any damage done later.
Even after the tense exchange with Juliet’s guest and the underlying stress of my mother not being here, my chest warms with contentment as my eyes scan the gathering.
My belly is full, and despite being the pack leader, I’m not expected to act the host, so I can settle into a cushy recliner and bask in the happy chatter going on around me while I drink my beer.
The doorbell rings, and I consider getting up to see who’s come by now, but Warner is on his feet before I am. That’s better anyway. I may be the leader, but he’s the more charming brother. Pack members come to me with their problems, and they go to Warner when they want to smile.
Besides, I have the perfect view of my woman from my seat. Juliet is just across the room from me, talking with Courtney about arranging some kind of barnyard story time at the library. The two of them speak animatedly, a flush of excitement staining Juliet’s cheeks.
Watching her is almost as good as having her body pressed against mine.
Almost.
Sitting suddenly seems pointless, and I stand, with the intention of crossing the room and wrapping my arms around her. Juliet can still have her conversation while she sits in my lap, I reason.
But before I reach her side, Warner comes back into the room, smiling wide, even as tension tightens the skin between his eyes.
“Hey,” he says, voice loud and attention on me. “An old friend decided to stop by.”
I catch the rose-petal scent the moment before a familiar figure steps into the room.
Monica.