Keeper of the Golden Dragon's Heart (The Cedar River Series) (9 page)

Papa looked a little ashamed, “I’ve never shopped for you kids before. I usually let Lorelai do that for me.”

I hugged the big barrel chested man. “I’m guessing that you need me to wrap these for you.”

Papa hugged me tight, “Yes, please. The sales people put them in boxes and I wrote the names on them.”

I began to pull out the boxes and put them into piles. This was going to be a two day project. Papa handed me the tape, scissors, paper and ribbons before he left.

“I’m going to attempt to keep Lorelai busy while you wrap. And no nosing around for yours either, kitten. Mama will be wrapping your gifts. No temptation for either of you this way.”

I stuck my bottom lip out in a pout, “Not even a hint, Papa?”

“Not even a hint, kitten,” Papa chuckled as he closed the office door behind him.

Mama and I were hard to hide anything from when it came to gifts. The men in the house had gotten creative about hiding our gifts over the years so they could keep them away from our prying eyes.

A knock sounded on the heavy oak door as I wrapped up the final box for Brady. “Come in,” I called.

Colin came in and took a look around. “Holy shit! Did the old man leave anything for the other shoppers?”

I snickered, “I don’t think so. He went a little nuts from the looks of it.”

“Kind of looks that way. Mama says to tell you dinner is ready.”

My knees were sore and stiff from sitting on them while I wrapped. My back cracked as I stood up and stretched. “Hey, Annie, have you got Mama’s gift bought yet?”

Good grief! What was it with these men? “Of course. Let me guess…you haven’t got your gift bought for her yet?”

He hung his head, “No. I can’t decide what to buy her.”

I shook my head. “Bowie and I are going shopping after dinner. Do you, Brady and Callum want to come with us?”

Colin put his arm around my shoulder, “I love you, Annie.”

I gently punched him in the side. “I know and I love you, too. What would you guys do without me?”

We walked into the kitchen arm in arm, laughing.  Bowie was setting the table and his amber eyes caught mine, twinkling with mischief. My heart fluttered in my chest. When in the hell did this happen? He gave me that wink and smirk that I had seen so many times before, but this time, my breath caught in my chest. Mama saw my reaction to her oldest son.

“Ana, go call Papa to dinner, please. He’s out in the wood shop.”

I saw her smile and throw a dishtowel at Bowie as I walked outside. The air was bitter tonight. The sky was just as clear as could be. I looked up at the stars as I walked across the yard. I could see the constellations. It was the perfect night for stargazing. I could hear Papa using the saw as I walked toward the woodshop. The smell of freshly cut wood lingered on the crisp night air. Papa was fitting pieces together as I walked inside. I ran my hands over the hand tools on the countertop. I had spent a lot of time out here when I was younger. When my mom died I had felt unbalanced. My whole world had spun off its axis and I didn’t know where I belonged. I would bring a book out here while Papa worked, and listen to him while he sang along with the radio. I felt so safe when I was with him. The only person I’d ever felt safer with was Bowie.

“Mama says to make you come in for dinner.”

He lifted his hazel eyes to look at me. “Can you come help me with this first? I need an extra pair of hands.”

I held the pieces he was holding onto. “What are you making?”

Papa fit the next slat into the pieces I was holding. “Not a word about this to anyone, kitten.”

I promised to keep his secret. “This is a porch swing for Lorelai. She’s been talking about having one since I finished the deck. I thought it would be a perfect Christmas present for her.”

“Aww, Papa! That’s terrific! Mama will love it.”

“I want your opinion on something. Should I paint it or stain it?” he asked.

“I would just seal it with a clear finish. This wood is beautiful.”

The red cedar didn’t need anything other than a protective coating on it. He added the end slat and clamped the top and bottom together.

“Clear, it is.” He slipped his coat on and threw his arm around me. The walk back to the house brought back more than a few memories from my teenage years.

The boys were waiting for us when we got in. Papa and I went to wash up before we ate. Bowie held my chair for me as I sat down across from his seat. Mama’s roast beef was delicious. There was nothing like home cooking. I dove in to the meal with relish.

In between bites, Colin said, “Brady won’t be coming with us tonight, Ana. He’s got a tour going out early in the morning, but he said he’d call you tomorrow afternoon.”

Bowie choked on his beer and looked at me funny, “I thought we had plans tonight.”

I swallowed my bite of roast beef. “I invited the twins and Brady to go with us since we’re all going for the same purpose.”

Bowie took another sip of his beer.

Callum watched his older brother. “It’s alright. We can go tomorrow night, Bo. Don’t worry about it.”

“Nah, we might as well all go together. It will be easier that way.”

Mama smiled at Papa, “Did you hear that, dear? It sounds like we are going to have the entire house to ourselves tonight.”

Papa winked at her, “Should we see what kind of trouble we can find?”

Mama blushed and looked at her plate.

“If you leave the dishes, I’ll do them when I get back. We shouldn’t be gone long.”

Mama patted my hand.

“Bowie, will you kids stop and pick up the tree while you’re out? Your mother wants a ten foot Fraser fir this year,” Papa asked.

Bowie nodded at his father.

After I changed my clothes, we piled into Bowie’s truck and headed downtown. The Puma Pride’s tree lot was all lit up when we got there. I set off on my own to try and find the perfect tree. Callum was hitting on the girl who was taking money. Bowie was on a mission and treated it as such. I tried to take my time, searching for the perfect tree. At the end of the fifth row I had walked down, I found it. It was ten feet and full. It smelled like oranges, pine and the holiday season. It was Nature’s work of art.

“Found it!” I called.

Colin reached me first. “Beautiful,” he said.

Bowie came up behind me. “This is the one you want, kitten?”

“Yep! It will look just right in the bay window.”

Bowie took the bottom and let Colin take the top. They carried it up front where Callum was sticking a piece of paper in his front jeans’ pocket. He’d apparently scored the sales girl’s number.

“Pay the girl, Callum,” Bowie called as they carried the tree to the truck and strapped it down to the top.

With that done, we all climbed back into the truck. “Where to first, kitten?” Colin asked.

“Let’s hit Cook’s Paradise first. They have the pots that Mama wants.”

Cook’s Paradise was bustling when we got there. Dragons can be a laid back, “roll with the punches” shifter, but they get frustrated when things don’t go their way. Bowie was fit to be tied five minutes after we got inside. I took his hand in mine and led the boys through the crowds to the section where they could find Mama’s wish list.

The mixer Mama wanted was on sale so Bowie told Colin to grab that. The pots were sold out until January, but he picked up the rain check for those. Bowie’s gift was bought.

They carried those to the truck and we strolled around our little town. Store fronts were decorated for the holidays and lit up so prettily. Bowie and I strolled along behind the twins, our fingers interlaced. He had taken my hand after we’d left Cook’s Paradise. What was funny to me was that what should have felt odd, didn’t feel odd at all.

Callum stopped in front of Cedar River Glassworks. In the front window was a piece made of stained glass. It was a picture of two golden dragons in flight over the forest and water.

“That’s what I’m getting her,” Callum stated as we all stood there, awestruck.

The three of us waited outside while the store owner wrapped up the glass for safe transportation home.

Callum walked out, his chest puffed with pride. “Jake says it didn’t really surprise him that one of us bought it.”

We laughed. Jake was the artist/owner of Cedar River Glassworks. He was a fox shifter and he noticed everything. That image was probably one he spotted one night while on a hunt.

Bowie put his arm around me as we strolled down the street. We stopped for hot cocoa from the McIntyre pack, and warm chestnuts from the Macintosh family.

Colin went into The Treasure Chest and bought Mama the necklace she’d had her eyes on for a while. It was a beautiful gold chain with a heart pendant. Inside of the heart was five diamonds. She was going to be ecstatic with her gifts this year.

Bowie took my hand as the twins walked ahead of us, pushing and teasing one another. His calloused thumb rubbed back in forth over my hand as we walked. It was sensual and electrifying. We stopped to pick up another bag of roasted chestnuts for Mama and Papa before we headed for home.

The lights were dimmed when we got in. Mama and Papa were already in bed. The twins ran upstairs to their rooms. Bowie was getting the tree ready to bring in.

I heard Mama and Papa talking so I knocked on their bedroom door.

“Come on in,” Mama called out.

They were both propped up in bed, reading.

“We got you some chestnuts, but you’re gonna want to eat them while they’re warm.”

Mama patted her side of the bed. “Did you kids have fun tonight?”

“Yeah, we did. Bowie’s bringing the tree in so we can get it set up tonight. We’ll decorate it tomorrow night.”

Mama ran her hands through my hair. “If you and Bowie want to decorate it tonight, Papa got the decorations out. He put them in the living room for you.”

I couldn’t help but grin.

“No, batting the ornaments around the house though,” Papa said, looking at me over the tops of his reading glasses. I kissed them each goodnight and went out to the living room.

Bowie had the tree in the stand in front of the window. “What do you think?” he asked as he turned it, trying to find that perfect spot for the front of the tree.

I walked around it and studied it. “Turn it about a quarter of a turn toward you,” I instructed.

“Mama and Dad want to wait until tomorrow night?”

“Actually, they said if we wanted to decorate it we could.”

Bowie handed me a string of lights and we began to decorate. The white lights were lit. The hard candy shaped garland wound around the tree. The special ornaments went on next.

My first Yule with the Goldens had been commemorated with a pentagram in silver. Each of the boys had their own special ornaments as well. The generic ornaments were the last to go on the tree. They were more for filling in the empty spots that anything else. Bowie placed the dragon on top of the tree. It was just like the tree decorating had been when we were younger, tossing icicles at one another, laughing and teasing. The teasing just got a little more adult in content this time around. Bowie would brush my butt as he hung an ornament on one of the higher branches. I’d be sure to rub myself against him as he reached over top of me. When we were done, we stepped back and admired our handiwork.

“It looks good,” I told him.

“Let’s take care of this mess, then we can relax with a glass of wine. What do you think?”

I agreed, though the butterflies were dancing around in my stomach. The twins never came back down so Bowie and I were on our own. Any other time it wouldn’t have been a big deal, but after the brief kiss and walking around town hand in hand? This was different.

The boxes were all put away. I found the wine glasses while Bowie chose a bottle wine. I sat down on the sofa. Bowie turned off all of the lights except the tree and lit some candles. I tucked my feet under me as I sipped my wine on the end of the sofa. Bowie kicked off his shoes and put them up on the coffee table. He twirled the wine glass and watched the tree. The silence would have been awkward with anyone else, but with Bowie it was normal. All of sudden he turned his bright amber eyes to me. He held out his arm.

“Come here, kitten.”

I scooted down the couch and snuggled against him.

“How’s school going?” he asked.

“Good. I’m really getting into a groove here. I miss going to breakfast with Viv Saturday mornings, but I’m dealing with it. It’s easier to go to class now though. I can go when I have the time and don’t have to worry about a schedule.” I took a sip of my wine, “How’s work? It seems the town troublemaker has been on her best behavior lately. It may be time to stir up a mess.”

Bowie chuckled softly. “It’s quiet. There are a few town kids who have heard the legend of the hell raiser and try to top her pranks, but no one has managed it yet.”

It was my turn to laugh. “I should apologize, Bowie. I was a pain in the ass and I know it.”

Bowie took a drink of his wine, “You kept me on my toes, kitten. It’s all good. I actually kind of miss having you sitting in my jail cell.”

His hand began stroking my hair. If you’ve ever pet a cat, you know what happens. They usually start to purr and lean into the stroke. I couldn’t help the purr. The smile on Bowie’s face was lethal. I watched him as he leaned toward me. He had his hand on the back of my head and he used it to draw me to him. My heart was ready to pound out of my chest when his lips brushed over mine. He pulled away to look in my eyes. When he saw that I wasn’t pulling away, he put his wineglass on the coffee table. Taking my face in both of his hands, he kissed me again. This time he angled his mouth across mine and he took the kiss to a whole new level. His tongue teased my lips open and I was lost. I buried my hand in his hair and held on for the whole ride. My gods, could that man kiss! My toes curled as our tongues met and tangled with each other. His lips began to wander over my face and down my neck. I angled my head, giving him better access. His hand cupped my breast, kneading gently. I couldn’t help but moan softly.

Suddenly, he stopped and pulled a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, kitten. I shouldn’t have taken it that fast.”