Strange Neighbors (23 page)

   "That's fantastic! What kind of clients do you have? I imagine they must be into New Age, natural healing too."

   The two witches exchanged glances and chuckled. Then Gwyneth said, "You have no idea…"

   Merry cocked her head, but returned to finishing her tea and asked what she was supposed to do next.

   Gwyneth had her turn the cup upside-down onto the saucer, place her hand on top and make a wish. Merry closed her eyes and frowned as she concentrated. Eventually, she opened her eyes and let Gwyneth take the cup from her.

   "Holy shee-it!" Gwyneth exclaimed.

   "Whoa. I thought little Miss Goody Two Shoes didn't swear!"

   "I don't. Hush your mouth, Chad. Morgaine, look. This'll put a quiver in your liver." She pointed inside the teacup.

   "Tell me what you see, sister."

   "Sister? I thought you were cousins. Or maybe you're both. Doesn't that happen back where you guys come from?"

   "Shut up, Chad," Morgaine demanded.

   "Yeah, Chad," Merry echoed. "Leave them alone. This is important to me and I want them to be able to concentrate."

   "Oh, all right."

   "I see bats, bees, and ducks all over the place."

   Morgaine bent over the cup and nodded. "Right. I see them too. But look! Here's a bear."

   "What does a bear mean?" Merry and Gwyneth asked at the same time.

   "It's a powerful protector. And look how close it is, Gwyneth. The two are obviously connected."

   "Do you think it's Sly?" Merry asked.

   "If not him, it's me. I'll fix you up with some protective talismans and, if you'll allow it, I'll cast a spell to see you through this time. Oh look! There's an arrow. There's the answer to your question." Morgaine pointed to something in the cup and all three women peered at it.

   "Yeah, I see it," Merry said. "I'm almost afraid to ask. Is that a good sign?"

   "Yes and no. It depends on where it's pointing. Yours is pointing up, which means your expectations will be exceeded. If it were pointing sideways, your expectations would be met, but there would be no surprises. If pointing down, you'd never get your wish."

   "So that means my wish will be granted?"

   "Yes, but maybe not how you expect it to happen. If your expectations are good, no matter what happens, you'll have a positive outcome. If you expect the worst, though…"

   "That's what I'll get."

   Gwyneth cried, "Oh no. You aren't one of them folks who expects everything to go wrong, are you?"

   "No! Oh, I didn't mean that at all. I was just finishing Morgaine's sentence for her."

   "Whew!" Gwyneth said and sagged. "Because if there's one thing I've learned from Morgaine, it's that you reap what you sow. We're all bundles of energy and we attract the kind of energy we carry around with us. Positive attracts positive. Negative attracts negative."

   Merry nodded, but didn't look as though she quite grasped the concept or its importance.

   "I had to work hard on my attitude when I got here," Gwyneth continued. "I was kind of a mess, but I've learned so much from Morgaine. And now, things are really gettin' better for me."

   Merry smiled. "I'm glad. But um…" She waved at the teacup. "I'll pay you to finish the reading."

   "Oh, yeah! Sorry." Gwyneth took the spoon and stirred the leaves. Then she stared into the cup with intensity. "Lordy, Morgaine! I think we'd better read our own tea leaves. There's too much stuff showin' up in here and it's all too close to home. Dayum!"

   "I thought you didn't swear, Gwyneth."

   "Shut up, Chad," both witches yelled.

Jason stood alone on his balcony. He barely noticed the city lights as he ruminated over whether or not it was time to let Merry in on his well-hidden secret. The reason he was so protective of his privacy. The reason the paparazzi was such a pain in the ass, not to mention his aunt Dottie.

   Fuck it. He always thought better in his other form, so he yanked off his shirt, bowed his head, and closed his eyes. As he hung onto the narrow metal railing, he felt his body shift. A moment later his talons gripped the railing's edge and he spread his wings. Ah, sweet freedom.

   He knew he made a magnificent display. A majestic falcon soaring above the city. A bird of prey. Master of the skies. Hunters were pretty rare in Boston's Back Bay, so he felt safe. Silhouetted against the light of the nearly full moon, he let his thoughts run free.

   Falcons were monogamous. Now that he had found his mate, he couldn't lose her to anyone else. How could he ask her to wait two months until he returned from spring training? And why would she come with him if they weren't married? The answer was simple and frightening. She might not and that was a chance he wasn't willing to take.

   How and when would he tell her what he really was? She deserved to know, especially if he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her—and he did. There was a chance he might inadvertently shift in front of her and that, at this stage of their relationship, could be a disaster.

   Having only half shapeshifter blood made it harder to control his shifts. His brother had had much more practice since a demanding career hadn't consumed him. Plus he had the extra motivation of needing to make a normal life for his wife and kids. His sister-in-law knew about the family secret and almost didn't marry his brother as a result. That's why he had to be sure to pick the right moment to tell Merry.

   Their children would only have one-quarter shapeshifter blood, so might never shift at all, like his brother's kids—so far. Jason couldn't imagine his brother having that talk with them. Not only did he have to tell them about the birds and the bees, he had to tell them about the birds and humans.

   Jason thought surely his Uncle Ralph must have told Dottie about the Falco family secret, but now he realized his uncle, wisely, had not. His father, a typical Alpha male, was so self-disciplined that he could probably go years without shifting if he wanted to. Only extreme stress could make him shift against his will. He hadn't even shifted during his heart attack. Thank goodness, his mother had said. They were right in the middle of a dinner party.

   The full moon also contributed to the urge to shift at inopportune times. Merry had asked him to accompany her to her home on Thanksgiving, and having just been home for a week, he had accepted. That was stupid! He hadn't checked the calendar to see what phase the moon would be in. Since Thanksgiving came late this November, it landed right on the first day of the three days considered the full phase. He had feared shifting in front of her during the last full moon—at the bachelor auction! Only keeping his cool under fire had saved him.

   His "workouts" with Merry may have helped him relieve stress. He had been resisting his falcon shifts more easily. He flew high enough during orgasm to rival any falcon flight he'd ever tried, and he didn't even miss soaring above the city.

   Still, not only did he have to divulge to her his shapeshifter secret, but he also had to tell her what being a falcon shapeshifter meant. Once falcons chose a mate, they were completely monogamous. He had assumed he and Merry were exclusive, but he had to be certain. To find out otherwise could drive him into a jealous rage, in which case he'd probably shift and peck out the eyeballs of his rival.

   And just in case, she also needs to keep her bunny in its cage.

   So he had a lot on his mind. The woman he wanted to marry needed to know what she was getting into. He had to meet her family and impress the hell out of them so they would approve of him taking her so far away from home so soon—if she agreed to accompany him home for Christmas.

   What could happen during Thanksgiving, though? Her family seemed very supportive and loving. It would probably be a wonderful experience. That's the attitude, he told himself. He was worried for nothing—hopefully.

   Peering down over the city with his mind more settled, he glided joyously along the river to the ocean and back. He had found his one and only. It was time to celebrate, not ruin it with needless worry.

They got an early start on Thanksgiving morning. Merry and Jason, all bundled up in layers to ward off the chill, climbed into his small sports car. He revved the engine and let it warm up.

   Merry glanced at his handsome face. "So, are you ready for this?"

   "As ready as I'll ever be."

   "Well, try not to worry. They're going to love you."

   "But they don't even know I'm coming. Are you sure it's fair to spring another guest on them?" He backed out of the alley and pulled onto the street.

   "I'm the one who does the cooking, so they won't care unless we can't find another place around the dinner table and someone has to eat sitting on the floor."

"Are you serious?"

   She laughed. "Of course not, silly. Relax. Everything's going to be fine."

   Merry glanced at the other beautiful brownstones as they drove by.

   She had planned well. She had given her father the grocery list and had him buy everything she needed ahead of time. Now all she had to do was arrive by eight a.m. to season the turkey and get it cooking.

   "So what is Thanksgiving at your house usually like?"

   "Well, I don't have to get up early or anything. I usually have everything ready to go the night before and once I put the turkey in, there's plenty of time to prepare the extras. I make the stuffing separately, so the turkey won't take as long to cook. Potatoes will be peeled by my little brother, and that activity comes with the added bonus of keeping him out of trouble for a while."

   "Is he really apt to get into trouble without something to do every second?"

   "No, but structure is good for him."

   "You know him better than I do. So what's next? After you get the food prepared?"

   "My sisters-in-law will arrive by eleven with more side dishes to keep warm in the oven and pies for dessert." She had thought of everything, right? So why was she so nervous?

   Jason headed toward Storrow Drive, which would take them to the southeast expressway, then to route 95—and home to Rhode Island.

   Jason. He had to love her family, and they had to love him. Had to! They were all too significant to her for anyone to feel less than enthusiastic about her choice.

   Yes, she had made her decision. No more looking around. Even if she wasn't one hundred percent sure the timing was right, the man was. And that was more important, right?

   Part of her wanted to experience independence for longer than a few weeks before finding the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. The other part of her couldn't get over the fact that she'd found the man of her dreams so quickly and easily. Not to say this euphoria was going to last. She knew the passion would someday become a simmer, but she couldn't imagine the fire going out—ever.

   "So, does Roz make an appearance? Since you two are from the same town, I imagine she'll be there for the holiday, too."

   "No. She doesn't usually come over. It's just family."

   Merry thought about how Roz had dated off and on, hoping that each new man was "the one." Sadly, none of her relationships had worked out. She was intelligent, successful, and despite being a little chunky, beautiful. Roz deserved no less than an amazing man who loved her completely. Yet Merry was the one who ended up with exactly what they'd both yearned for. True love.

   She couldn't help feeling a little guilty for barely setting foot in the dating waters and coming up with an incredible hottie. But Roz would understand and be happy for her—wouldn't she? Of course she would. That was probably the test of true friendship.

   Merry tried to shake off her insecurity and drag her mind back to the moment. Jason still seemed tentative. What was going on in that handsome head of his? She stared out the window and lapsed into silence.

Jason's mind had whirled with questions all the way to Schooner, Rhode Island. One in particular. Should he pull the ring out of his pocket before, during, or after this visit? Before would give them the chance to announce it to her family if she said yes. But what if she said no? That was entirely possible, since they had only known each other for six weeks.

   Merry pointed out her family's driveway, so he had a split second to decide. Even if he decided not to decide right now, that was making a decision. Crap. Why couldn't it be as easy as knowing whether to throw a fastball or a changeup? Realizing that Merry might throw him one hell of a curveball if he did it in front of her family, he bypassed her driveway.

   "Hey! Where are you going?"

   "We're early," he said. "And there's something I want to tell you. Is there someplace we can park for a couple of minutes? Maybe someplace with a view?"

   She tilted her head and scrutinized him like she was trying to read his mind.

   "Uh, yeah. Keep going until you get to the stop sign and turn left. There's a view of the ocean down there."

   "Perfect."

   "Is something wrong? Do you want to back out? You can always drop me off and someone can drive me back…"

   "No! I mean, no—nothing's wrong."

   Her forehead wrinkled, but she didn't say anything more until he found the spot she must have had in mind and cut the engine. The harbor seemed deserted. Fishing boats floated nearby. The seagulls seemed disinterested and bored. He didn't care to hunt them as much as pigeons and mourning doves. The latter were delicious. Probably because in urban areas birds were fed by humans. Seagulls ate whatever they could scavenge and diarrhea made them poop on everything in sight. At least he had the decency to aim at a tree branch or rooftop.