35. Chapter 35
Chapter 35
Gavin
“ I s it a workshop full of gnomes building tiny houses?”
Gavin shook his head.
“An erotic bakery?”
“I don’t ever want to picture my mom baking a penis cake.”
“An elite dog training school?”
“That’s a better idea than what we have planned. We should scrap the whole project.”
Sabrina laughed and threw herself back on the seat of the car as they neared the turn for his family home, each giggle popping his fear that things might be different between them. He couldn’t stop peppering her with questions about the expansion of her inventory at the shop, her plans for her crowdfunding launch and social media. He cared, obviously, about her success—but also how brightly it made her smile.
He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. Had Sabrina been this nervous during their first coaching session, when he’d coldly scrutinized her business? If he could go back in time, he’d slap himself with the spatula she’d clutched. It was an odd feeling, now the tables had turned and he was showing off his new venture for her approval. The first clue was the large wooden sign, painted purple with buttermilk cursive, as they entered the driveway.
Welcome to Glengarry Gables – Bed and Breakfast the sound of the cards snapping together still gave him a little rush of excitement.
She rubbed her chest and squeaked out, “Ohmygod, is this how you feel when I touch your spreadsheets?”
“Would you like to do it?”
She pursed her lips together and shook her head, watching him draw three cards, which he placed face down on the antique dresser in front of him.
“What’s the spread?” she whispered.
“Past, Present, Future,” he said, pointing to the cards that held his fate in their clutches.
She hoisted herself up to sit on the dresser next to the cards, facing him. “Well go on then, show me what you learned.”
He’d found the deck while cleaning the house and had taken comfort in learning the meanings like a meditative habit. Gavin reached for the first card, representing the past. They both looked down.
“The Tower,” he said.
“That card has it out for you. You must have been a jackass in your past life too.”
He didn’t answer, instead reaching for the second card, denoting the present situation, and prayed it would be something a little more positive. “The World.” He listed off the key phrase he’d memorized, “The completion of journey. ”
“Hmmm, what do you see in the picture though?” she asked.
He considered the image. “She looks like you.” It depicted a woman with blonde hair, top bared, with a length of fabric wrapped around her lower body.
“My boobs aren’t that big, Gavin.”
He smiled at her, but she kept her features emotionless.
Nerves wracked him as he reached for the last card. The Future. Sabrina would be invested in its message. If it was the Three of Swords, he’d throw himself into a ritual fire. He forced his eyes downward, stomach roiling to see the Ace of Cups. He ran through the key terms he’d tucked away. The suit of cups represented emotions. The ace was the first card in the suit—a new beginning, a gift. A new beginning for him and Sabrina? He looked up to see her studying him, and uncertainty crept in. What if she interpreted it as a new beginning with someone else?
She burst out laughing. “Your face right now.”
He scowled, not sure how to read her laughter.
“You’re spiralling aren’t you, tallying up all the ways the card could be construed?” She shook her head. “It’s very common among newbies.”
She hopped down from the dresser and came closer to him. His heart was pounding as her hands slinked around him. “What was your first instinct when you flipped the card?”
“That it was a fresh start for the two of us. A gift.” And not a curse.
“Me too.”
He picked her up and she wrapped her legs around him. He liked this position, he decided, with her safe in his arms, where he could kiss her senseless and then whisper filthy praise in her tiny little ears. But she ripped her lips away again before he could start.
“Sabrina,” he groaned.
“I don’t want to forget. Before you start your lengthy list of sexy make-up activities, what are you doing next weekend? ”
You , his brain roared. He planned to spend the next week in bed—and definitely not resting. He pressed a kiss to her cheek before moving his mouth to nibble on her earlobe.
She giggled and pulled back. “You see, I have this big crowdfunding launch party.” She pressed her palm to his cheek.
“Oh?” He turned his head to kiss it.
“Yep, only all my life’s ambitions coming to fruition, thanks to your help.”
“Sounds like a big deal.”
“I need a date.”
“Hmmm, I don’t see what’s in it for me,” he said. “Tit for tat.” He bit her pinky finger playfully.
She dropped her face to his and nipped at the dimple in his chin.
He caved instantly. “Of course I’ll be there.”
“You know, I’m starting to think you’re a terrible business coach. You missed out on some truly filthy bargaining.”
“We don’t need an excuse for that, now do we?”
And they didn’t.
***
G abe flicked off his coil, disconnecting his implant from the roar of the snowblower, immersing himself in blissful silence.
But it didn’t quiet the thoughts.
Will Gavin’s health recover? Will there be any lasting effects of his mistakes?
His hands trembled, more than was expected on the vibrating handles of the machine. He tried to slow his breathing, taking deep inhalations of snow crystals mixed with the scent of gasoline.
Everyone was safe for the moment, he tried to tell his anxious brain. Gavin and Sabrina had reconciled. Nothing bad was happening .
But what about Gareth? the shadowy voice whispered.
Gareth had smashed through the walls with his sledgehammer the past few weeks like he was on a vindictive mission, the actions setting off all of Gabe’s intuitive alarm bells.
Gabe stopped the snowblower at the edge of the pond and entered the little hut they kept the skates and shovels in. He stuffed his foot in a skate, wiggling his toes in the cold pocket of air. He gripped the laces, pulling from the bottom up, feeling the burn as they dug into his shaking hands. He wrapped the laces round the back and secured them before repeating the action, feeling the shudders subside in his shoulders, silencing the intrusive thoughts. He grabbed the shovel as he exited and dug his blades into the ice, his feet vibrating along the bumpy surface. His breathing returned to normal.
Gareth was safe—for now. All he could do was monitor the situation and pray that his usually easy-going brother didn’t fuck things up as bad as Gavin had. Even-keeled Gareth, perhaps out of all of them, had the best chance of coming out of this curse unscathed. At least that was what Gabe told himself.
He’d made the right decision telling Sabrina about the last verse of the curse. He’d gambled that she would understand, but he still wasn’t sure if he could trust his brothers with the same information.
They all had their own trials to overcome, their own role to play. Gabe’s hands instinctively sought the phone in his pocket. Thank God he’d found a loophole for his own situation. Right now, he needed to focus on keeping his brothers safe. Until then, he’d wait for the next message.
* * *