Eden's Charms (27 page)

“Trust your instincts, Ethan. It’s brought you this far. You asked Savanah to marry you this morning after only being with her a short seven days. And she said yes. My guess is you knew the minute you saw her in Lillian’s.”

“Honestly? I knew when she accosted me in the airport.”

“I did no such thing,” Savanah protested. “You did the accosting.”

“She took my breath away.” Ethan smiled at his fiancé.

“Really?” Savanah leaned into him, angling for a quick kiss.

Ethan obliged with a soft kiss on the corner of her lips. “If you guys are finished, I should probably take over and land. The airport’s calling in the runway patterns.” Ethan gave a little nod to the twins. Without missing a beat he said, “This means one of you has to give up a seat.”

With a challenged glare, Lucian and André shot odd/even fingers at each other. Lucian grinned in triumph as André moved to one of the seats in the rear. “Thank you, Ethan, for this opportunity. I’ve forgotten the freedom this offers.”

“Anytime, call me, and we’ll come up.”

Savanah wiggled her nose into Ethan’s neck and whispered, “Brown-noser,” one last time and then kissed him lightly.

Chapter Thirteen

One foot in the door, Ethan stifled the thought he’d just been tossed into the lion’s den. He wondered why they even bothered with the
Welcome Home
mat outside the front entrance. A meat-grinder would have been more appropriate. His soon to be mother-in-law’s blistering glare oozed retribution. Standing beside Jovan, her side-kick—Doctor Serina with a lethal injection hidden somewhere on her person he was certain, and next in the firing squad’s line-up, the totally, non-lactating—Raven, and members of their chain gang, Payton, Duncan, and Jonah, all shoulder to shoulder like great starving cats, snarling angry, because they didn’t like the piece of meat offered to them—him.

Savanah grabbed Ethan’s hand and dragged him in. Lucian, André, and Julian brought up the rear. Jovan walked up to Ethan with a viper’s grin and slapped his face. Ethan didn’t flinch even as the deep red welt formed.

“What the hell, Mum? What the hell did he do to you?”

“Jesus, Blossom. That was out of line, even for you.” Julian added.

“It’s okay.” Ethan said as he rubbed his cheek. “We know now where we stand with each other. For the record, I’d have called you back, but you never left a number.”

“You put her in harm’s way. You could’ve gotten her killed. Absolutely nothing good has happened since you crawled from under your rock and into our lives.”

“Mum, he had nothing to do with Draque chasing me. He kept us alive.”

“No, Peanut, I kept you alive when you were unconscious in the car lot.”

“Thank you. It’s a comfort knowing that Savanah has a family that looks out for her wellbeing. Jovan, I hope that someday soon, you can trust me with her because I plan on taking care of her for a very long time.” Peripherally from the corner of his eye, Ethan saw André giving him the universal sign to shut up as he waggled his hand frantically across his throat like it was slit. Being a quick study, Ethan stopped talking.

“Not now, kid,” Lucian mouthed.

“Ethan, I didn’t like you when I first met you. Nothing has changed. Stay out of my way and don’t ever place my daughter in a position that could harm one hair on her head.” With an abrupt turn, she stormed out of the entryway.

“
Cherié,
” Andre chased after her. “Wait up.” Jovan turned back to them.

“We just spent a week with the man, and we didn’t kill him. That has to tell you something.”

“All it tells me is your judgment is poor. Did he let you fly his plane home? Is that why you like him?” Jovan didn’t miss a thing.

“Yes, but,
Cherié
, he loves her. It’s like Serina said. They’re a perfect match for one another.” Desperate to get a smile on her lips he added, “They complement each other better than Sonny and Cher.” No smile, but her glare intensified. “Give your daughter some credit. She’s intelligent and knows herself.”

“And that’s why she dated those two other scum of the earth creatures? Because she knew herself so well?” Jovan argued.

She had that point.

“Please, give him a week before you condemn the man.” André walked, as if on egg shells, toward his wife.

“André, he’s tied to Sinclair. Does that mean nothing to you? The family is the cesspool of Hell. We are to have our babies in a few months, and we allow this man to come and live under our roof, knowing full well he carries a larger threat?”

Not wanting Savanah or Ethan to hear him, André shot Jovan a quick message.
Jovan, you painted the damn picture yourself, little Miss Scryer. We have to protect him. I’m not asking you to be his best friend or bake him a cake, unless you really do want to kill him…
He waited for a look that could kill, but Jovan tilted her chin up, defiant to the end. Stubborn was in the dictionary just because of her. Jovan spun and headed for the kitchen. André followed.

Jovan paled. André helped her sit by the fire pit. “Relax. I’ll make some tea.”

“André, I’m scared. Something’s going to happen, I can feel it down to my toes, and you know I’m never wrong. Our daughter’s got the vamp that haunts people in movies and real life after her, and Ethan’s tied to the second biggest nightmare. We need help.”

“Speaking of the big picture, everyone except Savanah has seen it.”

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this—” Jovan wiped tears from her cheek. “—He wasn’t supposed to be like this. When I scryed I saw a caring, loving man, not someone tied to the
Lusitania
.” More tears slipped past her hardened façade.

“I’ll add some herbs to your tea. Possibly a shot of brandy.”

Jovan’s face turned an angered shade of red.

“I’m teasing. Come up stairs. I’ll give you a nice massage and relax you in my own special way.”

“Your own special way got me into this mess, husband.”

“Ouch, Jovan. Don’t be upset with me. I’m not the one that slept with the guy.”

“You might as well be,” she huffed a blonde tendril from her face. “You certainly sound as if you like him enough too.”

André dropped to his knees and gave Jovan his best double lift eyebrow, wink-wink face. “I never said I wasn’t easy. You of all people should know that.”

Jovan’s husky-blue eyes almost barked.

“Oh come on, Cherié, that was supposed to make you smile, not snarl.”

“Enough already, Mum,” Savanah entered the kitchen. “Don’t go getting your knickers in a knot at Papa. You’re just going to have to get to know him.”

Jovan threw her hands in the air. “Why does everyone think I still wear knickers? Oh and you think you
do
know him after a week?”

“You did with Papa after three days.”

“That was different.”

“Why, Mum?”

Jovan’s silence filled the room.

Savanah got in her face. “What? No oh-so-brilliant comeback?”

Pushing her growing belly up from the chair, she grabbed André’s hand and led him toward the back staircase.

“I thought you were going to give me a massage.”

André looked back to Savanah and shrugged his shoulders. “Ah, guess we’ll see you at dinner, Peanut.” André followed Jovan’s heels.

Savanah mouthed the words, “I love you,” to him and went after Ethan.

Back at the main entry, Savanah found she was alone. Her heart raced until Ethan peered over the edge of the balcony.

“Come up. Julian just gave me a room to hang my hat so to speak.”

“Where?” she hollered upward.

Ethan crooked his finger to her. “Not down there, silly.”

Taking the stairs three at a time, Savanah met him without even losing her breath. However, inside the room her jaw dropped.

“This is so much better than you passing out on me,” he teased as he tapped her mouth shut.

“I’d forgotten this room existed. This is my mother’s handy-work. Is she or isn’t she the most talented artist alive?” Upset with her mother or not she loved her and proudly showed off her talents.

“Savage, look at the back wall. It’s you all grown up, in a wedding dress. Half the wall is covered with a sheet. Oh, is it bad luck to see the bride before the wedding?”

“Doesn’t count, Eth. This is my Mum’s dress. I climbed into it one day and she caught me. For penance she made me stand there for
hours,
” Savanah fanned herself feigning weariness, “as she painted me. But she did it on a canvas. I don’t know when she did this one. The canvas is actually hanging in the
Louvre
under a penname.”

“What’s under the cloth beside your painting?”

“Dunno. I was alone in the original painting. Shall we peek?”

About to rip the cover from the wall, Serina stuck her head into the bedroom.

“Unless you’re both sitting, you might want to wait to see what’s under there.”

“Hey, Auntie. Who is it?” Savanah asked.

Serina crooked her head to one side and lifted an eyebrow toward Ethan.

“Auntie, out with it. How long has she known?”

Ethan looked between the women. “Known what? Why do I feel like I’m the last one getting the punch line to a joke?”

Not mincing words, Serina answered, “You are the punch line, Ethan. And it’s no joke.” Serina lifted the tarp. Ethan’s jaw now dropped.

Painted next to Savanah’s portrait was Ethan, wearing a black linen jacket with tails. A black silk tie, done in a double Windsor knot loose around his neck. His untucked white shirt left his portrait rugged. Casual. His loose curls brushed the top of his shoulders. Gawking between Savanah’s real hand and the hand in the painting, he realized his soon to be mother-in-law might just be the one person on the planet to predict Armageddon. The engagement ring in the picture happened to be identical to the one Ethan had in his pocket ready to give to her. He’d seen it in New Orleans and knew he had to buy it. A one and half carat princess-cut diamond sat nestled inside an antique platinum setting, surrounded by two trillion diamonds.

Ethan glanced at Serina. “How does she know this stuff?”

“We are born with these abilities,” Savanah answered. “Aunt Serina can heal people without medicines or surgery. My Mum can see into the future and do all the things I can. I cannot see the future, which is fine by me.”

“Jovan allowed herself the one luxury of seeing her daughter’s wedding day, because she became a wee bit leery that it wouldn’t come in the next millennium, and she saw you, Ethan.”

“Aunt Serina!”

Serina blew Savanah a kiss. “Maybe now you understand where her hostility comes from. You come traipsing in here trying to kidnap a child, tell us it’s a Sinclair and then run off to New Orleans with our baby. By the goddess, you totally snookered all of us. You’re damned lucky I haven’t tried any of my spells on you.”

“She isn’t kidding. Her juju ain’t what it used to be!”

“Savanah!”

Savanah returned the devilish wink.

“If you two would excuse me, I’m headed down to the wine cellar. You’ll hear a knock at your door and there will be a tray for you in the hallway. I think you two might like to be alone.” Serina curtsied and left.

“So, do you like your room so far?”

“I get to look at you when I close my eyes and when I open them. What’s not to like?” Ethan pulled Savanah into his arms, a breath away from his lips. “Savanah?”

“Yes?”

“Sit down on that antique of a thing for a sec. Probably squeaks to the heavens. That’s why they put me in here,” he mused. “Savvy, when I asked you to marry me this morning, there was something missing.”

“What?” she asked a serious expression etched on her face. “I loved your proposal.”

“No, Pip—this.” Ethan got down on his knee in front of her and pulled a tiny black velvet box from his jacket pocket.

Opening the box with trembling fingers, Savanah let out a little, “Holy cow,” and started to giggle. “How? How—uhm—did my Mum know or you? Eth, this is the most precious ring I’ve ever seen. You sure you never met my Mum before this? It’s identical to the one in the portrait.”

“Will you wear it?” Ethan raised his voice above the chatter of her teeth.

“No. I just thought I’d put it storage with the rest of the Crown Jewels.”

“Savanah, I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve you, but I promise to do right by you and your family. And in saying that, there’s something I have to do.”

“I’m thinking I might not like this conversation. You sound way too serious.”

“I have to cut my ties with the Maestro.”

“How?”

“Come on, Savage, you’ve seen the movies, you live this life. It’s the only way I know I can keep you safe.”

“Not alone, Eth. You’re a part of this family now which means you’ve got people to watch your back.”

Feeling bad for taking away their special moment he changed the subject. “And I’ve got you right where I want you. Shall we give this thing a run for its money?” He pat the mattress next to her.

“In a bit. I heard footsteps a second ago. Let’s go see what goodies we’ve got at our fingertips.”

In the hallway a tray with a vase of yellow roses, a bottle of very expensive champagne, two glasses and a bowl of strawberries, raspberries and pineapple with melted chocolate sat by the door. Frozen sugar-coated grapes and some Cabot cheese slices outlined the tray. Ethan looked at Savanah and back at the tray.

“Why are they being so nice to me now? Well, except your mom.”

“This is their way of welcoming you to the family. If you get Payton’s specialty, chocolate amaretto cookies with orange glaze then you hit the lottery. Payton rarely makes them.”

“Savanah, the day I met you, I won the lottery. Now, shall we find out if the springs on this thing need some oil?”

“Let’s bounce.” Savanah climbed on the mattress and started jumping up and down like a little kid.

“What are you doing,” Ethan asked as he watched her carefree attitude, and lust for life and wondered how she’d lived this long and never lost it. “You’re too…”

“Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare tell me I’m too old to bounce.”

“Pippy, I’m smarter than that. You’re too tall. You’ll bump the ceiling.”

Savanah kicked her feet out and with a hard thump on her bottom, caught air and landed next to Ethan. “Join me.”