35. Adrian
Adrian
W hen Adrian left Cori’s cottage the next morning, she was still asleep, her head buried in the pillow. He had conflicted feelings about leaving her, but he knew Seth and David would head to the dock with or without him.
Cori had plans to meet up with Prudence and Alfie later. Even though their intentions had been good, and Cori trusted them, the whole kidnapping thing left a sour taste in his mouth. Pru had apologized to Cori for the way they handled the situation, but Adrian had to admit—there was no other way to inform her.
If Cori had found out they knew who she was, she would have done everything in her power to escape. He smirked to himself, realizing that drowning might have been preferable to some spells that Cori likely had in her back pocket.
He walked home, savoring the feeling of the rain falling on his neck and shoulders. Although he could have shielded himself from the storm, he embraced it instead.
By the time he made his way up the drive to the farmhouse, the last rays of moonlight were breaking through the clouds. His father’s truck was parked in the driveway. He puffed out his cheeks, blowing out a tired sigh.
Seth would have filled his parents in on what happened last night. He bit his lip, preparing for the lecture about responsibility.
He dried himself off on the front porch, the cheerful chatter of his parents and Seth echoing from the kitchen. “Damn, all three of them are awake,” he muttered to himself. There was no chance Ariel was up this early, but Hannah was often an early riser.
He slunk into the kitchen as his father finished his story.
“…and then I really knew that this guy didn’t know what he was talking about when he asked me about the leeks.”
Seth sat forward in his chair as he shoveled some hash browns in his mouth. “What does the guy have against leeks?”
“Maybe he has good taste and realizes that leeks are disgusting,” Adrian reasoned.
“My leeks are delicious, and you know it,” Hannah chuckled.
David snorted. “Well, this guy has a thing for leeks. He wants them bad. Kept asking me if it was possible for us to add them to our crop.” He shook his head. “Asked me over and over if it was too cold to grow them in Maine.”
“Some chef he is. Doesn’t he know they grow best in cold, sandy soil?” Hannah rolled her eyes.
David held up his hand. “Listen up, boys, because this is where your old man really came through. I said to the guy—listen, leeks are a rough trade up here. It takes a lot of energy to grow those bad boys. If you want them, we might have to add some increased irrigation. For the price you’re offering…”
“Oh David, you manipulated the poor man.” Hannah put her head in her hands.
“So, he goes... OK, I’ll give you an extra thirty-K…should that cover it ?”
Adrian pursed his lips as Seth pumped his fist in the air. “Thirty-K? Like thirty thousand dollars?”
“Ma, you could build the most advanced leek-growing facility in the country,” Adrian chimed in. She smiled up at him, a knowing gleam in her eye. If they really got a thirty-thousand- dollar investment from this restaurant owner, it would be just enough to get them out of the hole they were in. He waited for the other shoe to drop. What risky reciprocal plan did David work out this time?
“You could make a leek grow out of this kitchen table,” Seth reasoned. “These better be the best damn leeks in the world.”
David sat back, cradling his coffee mug in his crossed arms. “Apparently this guy has a signature dish. He’s coming up here with New York money. Obviously, he picked the right farm, so he must have some brains in his head.”
Seth stood up purposefully, stretching his arms. “When Ariel wakes up can you ask her to come by the apartment later. The pilot light in the water heater is broken, and I need her to light it for me.”
“Adrian, if your apartment is in a pile of ash later tonight, you can thank your brother,” Hannah warned him.
Adrian settled into his chair, filling his mug with coffee. “Ma, go easy. She’s going to be seventeen in less than six months, give her some credit. She can control it—mostly.”
David arched an eyebrow at him. “Like you could control the hurricane that you unleashed on a bunch of Gray witches yesterday?”
Here it comes . Adrian scrubbed his hand through his hair and took a large sip from his mug. “So, you heard about that, Pop?”
David leaned back in his chair, studying him.
“Honey, your father got home late last night. When Seth got back, he filled us in on what happened on the island,” Hannah said softly from behind her teacup.
Adrian nodded, steadying himself.
“Hannah, Seth, I think I want to have a little talk with my son,” David said in a low voice.
Seth sulked out of the room, exchanging a pitying look with his younger brother as he went to pack the truck.
Hannah rose from her seat, failing to hide the amused grin on her face. “I knew you would, dear.” She winked at Adrian as she gathered a few gardening tools into her basket and hastily pulled on her boots at the back door.
As the back door creaked closed, Adrian was alone in the kitchen with his father. David, who was never at want for words, sat in his chair for a little while in silence. He sipped his coffee, eyeing him from above the rim of his mug.
Adrian broke the heavy silence. “I don’t know how much of the story Seth told you…”
“He told me the whole story.”
“Before you tell me how irresponsible I was yesterday, let me just explain.”
David was stoic. “There isn’t much to explain. Is there? You were supposed to help your mother yesterday, but…”
Adrian slammed his hand onto the table. “She was threatened.” He stood from his chair and paced the room. “Pop, she was in trouble. I didn’t have a choice.” He gripped the back of his chair. “If something happened to her, and I didn’t stop it?—”
He raised his hands to his head, trying to drown out the memory of what it felt like to have that note appear in his hand. It wasn’t until his father’s hand landed heavily on his shoulder that he realized he was shaking.
David was regarding his youngest son sympathetically as a proud smile crept onto his lips.
“Adrian, if anyone had threatened your mother how Cori was threatened yesterday, I would have stormed that island, too. You’re much more patient and calculating than I am. I wouldn’t have snuck up on the assholes. I would have delivered a tidal wave so big it would wash them all away.”
Adrian sunk into his chair, his head in his hands. The chair next to him scraped across the floor as his father settled into it. “I don’t know what came over me.”
The grandfather clock chimed in the living room, as his father sat back in his seat and took a sip of coffee. “I do.”
“You do?”
“Of course, I do. You’re fated to her.” Adrian’s heart leaped as David spoke the words aloud, alighting a truth within him. He looked up at his father, at a loss.
David grinned back at him, proud tears welling up in his eyes.
“My boy,” he said, patting his son hard on the shoulder.