Desire: #4 Brightest Kind of Darkness (22 page)

I smile. “Ethan helped me pick the gifts out. Hiding them is what makes it a good luck charm. Wearing the locket will always keep you safe.”

“Can you help me, dear?” Gran fumbles trying to put hers on. I catch the silver-dollar-sized Corvus broach before it reaches her lap. Gran’s ravens are hidden behind an intricate branches and leaves design. Pinning it to her red cardigan, I step back and smile. “It looks perfect on you, Gran.”

She grins. “It’s lovely, Inara. Clara is going to be so jealous.”

“Thank you, Nari,” my father says, holding up his new watch to inspect the symbol on the back.

When my father’s gaze zeros on Ethan’s back while Ethan leans over to help stuff some wrapping paper in a trash bag, I tense. Ethan’s sweater has ridden up and part of his sword tattoo is showing. It’s bad enough my dad now knows Ethan has a sword tattoo, but does he remember seeing the raven symbol on Ethan’s sword in that dream we all shared? My father would’ve had to really stare at the weapon to have seen it, and as far as I recall, Ethan was moving pretty quickly each time he had seen him holding it.

“It’s just great to see you embracing Margaret’s passion,” Gran says, full of nostalgia. I glance her way to see her absently rubbing her fingers across the broach. “She really did love ravens.”

“I remember Mom focusing on ravens in all those art classes you two took together,” Mom says, smiling. “I just saw the statue she sculpted in Inara’s room the other day. Thank you for saving it for her. It’s like a piece of my mom is still here with us.”

I flick a stop-being-so-judgy gaze to my father, who reluctantly slides his attention from Ethan to wrap the watch’s leather band around his wrist.

“Open yours,” Aunt Sage says, her hazel eyes brimming with excitement.

I quickly rip open the ribbon and wrapping and gasp at the half-carat diamond earrings. “Aunt Sage, this is too much.”

She gestures to my dad. “It’s from both of us. Put them on and let us see your shiny lobes.”

As I quickly slip the earrings on, I notice my mom’s pinched lips.

Standing, she bends down and retrieves a slim gift box from under the tree, then hands it to me. “Might as well give you this now.”

I furrow my brow. We usually exchange our gifts in the morning time. “Are you sure, Mom?”

Nodding, she offers a wry half-smile then sits back down beside Gran.

When I pull off the gift paper and open the jewelry box, Mom says, “Now you’ll have a matching set.”

I lift up the necklace with a solitaire diamond. “Wow, great minds. It’s like you guys were in sync or something.”

“I guess,” Mom says, then motions me to her so she can put the necklace on. Once it’s done, she touches the diamond around my neck. “Merry Christmas, Inara.”

I can tell she’s feeling a bit one-upped by my aunt and dad, so I hug her tight. “Thank you, Mom. I love it so much.” When she hugs me back harder than she ever has, I whisper in her ear, “Nothing will ever change between us. I love you.”

Mom’s a little teary when I straighten, but her smile is back. She squeezes my hands and we exchange a look of understanding.

“It’s lovely, Inara,” Aunt Sage says, lightening the heavy mood that has descended around us.

When I turn to thank her, Gran points to the big box under the tree. “Open your gift from David, Elizabeth.”

Mom’s eyes widen. “That’s from David?”

Gran nods. “Yup. He dropped it off while you were upstairs changing and insisted you open it tonight so he could be here in spirit.”

“Maybe I should wait,” Mom starts to say, but Gran shakes her head.

“No, he
insisted
, dear. Open it.”

While I move to sit back with Ethan, I glance at Gran, my eyebrows raised. She just embellished the heck out of the story I’d planned to tell Mom about the gift under the tree. And why is she pushing Mom to open it now?

“That was sweet of him to bring it by considering he’s sick.” Mom’s eyes light up and she moves to squat next to the gift.

My father straightens his spine a bit, his jaw hardening while Mom tears into the gift. When he smirks slightly and says, “He bought you a crockpot?” it’s hard not to roll my eyes at him.

I quickly point to the crockpot box. “David said the real gift is inside, Mom.”

“Oh, okay.” Mom pulls an annoyed look from my father’s direction and opens the box.

When she lifts out an envelope, I smile. “Open it.”

Mom flips back the flap and lifts out the official looking card, then presses her lips together.

“Well, what is it?” Gran asks, eyes brimming with curiosity as she leans over to see. “Oh, it’s a gift certificate for cooking lessons.”

As Gran makes a
hmmm
sound, my dad mutters, “Winning lots of points there.”

My aunt cuts a sharp look to her brother at the same time my mom narrows her gaze on him for a split second. Sliding the box and envelope back under the tree, Mom stands and spreads her hands. “Who would like some eggnog?”

While Mom makes a fast retreat to the kitchen, Gran grabs the envelope once more, her brow furrowed. Waving it in the air, she said, “Did you read David’s note, Elizabeth?”

Mom pauses in pouring some rum into her cup of eggnog, her expression a bit anxious. “There was a note?”

Gran holds the card up, glances at my dad for a brief second, then reads out loud, “My dearest Elizabeth, I’m looking forward to taking these classes with you. To me, the best part will be a chance to spend some quality time together. Merry Christmas. David.” Lowering the card, Gran grins. “Aw, now that’s sweet.”

Mom beams, her entire face transforming.

Dad scowls and my aunt covers her mouth, trying not to laugh at him. Gran turns toward my father. “What’d you get her, Jonathan?”

He starts to reach into the bag Aunt Sage brought in with them, but Houdini makes a horrific retching sound, grabbing all our attention. I jump up and herd my dog to the kitchen’s tile floor, worry sliding through me.

Houdini manages to stop retching, but then he looks at the door and starts whining pitifully.

My father approaches with the leash in his hand. “I’ll take him out.” He has already put on his coat, so I hook the leash on Houdini’s collar and hand him the looped end. “Thanks, Dad.”

A few minutes later, Dad comes back in with Houdini. Both are covered in snow and Houdini is quivering all over. “Where’s the nearest vet clinic?” Dad asks, his expression tense.

“What happened?”

“He threw up several times.”

I tense with worry. “Oh God, what if the mistletoe poisoned him?”

Ethan squats and rubs Houdini’s snout, then stands and clasps my hand. “He’s not a happy camper right now, that’s for sure.”

I move to get my coat off the rack, but my dad shakes his head. “The storm has gotten worse, Nari. I could barely see three feet in front of me out there. I’ll drive him. Just tell me where an emergency clinic is that’ll be open on Christmas Eve.”

“It’s that bad out there?” Aunt Sage asks.

“I know where a clinic is,” Mom says, grabbing her coat. “I pass it every day on the way to work. I’ll take you or you’ll never find it.”

My attention darts between my parents, thoughts of them fighting while they try to deal with Houdini pinging through my head. “I can take him, Mom.”

“You’re not driving in this, Inara.” She quickly wraps her scarf around her neck, then waves dismissively. “Houdini will be fine.”

My dad looks at his sister. “You might want to leave now too before the roads become impassable. You can’t get stuck here with three dogs waiting for you at home. I’ll catch a cab once we get back.”

Nodding her agreement, Aunt Sage hugs me goodbye, then puts on her boots and coat.

My father gives Ethan a pointed look. “You should leave now too.”

Gran puckers her lips as if she’s eaten something sour. “The boy hasn’t had a chance to exchange presents with Nara yet, Jonathan.”

My dad frowns. “He might get stuck here if he doesn’t leave now—”

“I can walk home if I need to,” Ethan says, squeezing my hand.

“What am I? Chopped suey?” Gran says, pointing to herself. “I’m a better watch dog than Houdini. He does whatever Ethan tells him.”

When my dad’s face hardens even more at Gran’s last comment, Mom cuts in, her tone final. “You can stay and exchange gifts with Nara, Ethan. No one’s rushing you out.”

“Go take care of the pooch.” Gran waves my parents on. “I’m sure he’ll be fine. That plant was in his mouth less than a minute. It’s probably all the pot roast I fed him under the table. It was a bit tough on my dentures.”

“But you asked for seconds,” Mom says, looking incredulous.

Gran shrugs. “Houdini seemed to enjoy it.”

When Mom sighs and shakes her head, Gran pats her arm. “The cooking lessons aren’t a bad idea, dear. If I tried to teach you, everything would have rum in it.”

Once my parents leave with Houdini, Aunt Sage wishes Gran a Merry Christmas and hugs her goodnight. Turning to me, my aunt pulls me into a tight hug, then glances at Ethan. “Thank you for the gift.”

He shakes his head, nodding toward me. “It was from Nara.”

She just smiles and says, “Mmmm, hmmm.”

The second the door shuts behind my aunt, Gran does a little hop, then makes a bee-line straight for the bag Aunt Sage left by the couch.

When she withdraws an envelope and starts to pull open the tucked in flap, I say, “You can’t open that, Gran. And what’s with torturing Mom and Dad over the presents?”

“I got tired of watching them be polite to each other all through dinner. It was like watching two eggs roll into each other over and over. When neither cracked, I decided to crank up the heat and poach their brains.”

She shrugs, unrepentant, then looks down at the envelope, folding the flap all the way back. “Don’t you want to know what your father brought for your mother? I’m not getting any younger. Gotta get my kicks while I still can.” She reads the contents, then looks up, her green eyes glittering with emotional mist.

“What does it say?” I ask, my stomach tensing in anticipation.

She lifts the paperwork and reads the card on the front. “For all the anniversaries I missed. I hope this trip gives us plenty of time to catch up. I love you, Elizabeth. I never stopped thinking about you and missing
us
. Not once.” Gran waves the envelope in the air. “It’s a voucher for a month long trip cruising around the world. How amazing is that?”

“Beats cooking lessons,” Ethan says quietly, smiling.

“He’d better have his excuse for leaving rehearsed to the nth degree,” Gran mutters. Putting the envelope back together, she slides it into the bag the way she found it. “Goodnight, you two.” Waving, she turns toward the stairs.

I gape. “Where are you going?”

“To bed. I’m old. Who expects me to stay up past nine? I would tell you two to be good, but what’s the fun in that?” Winking, she walks upstairs, a wicked cackle floating behind her.

“Your Gran is awesome.” Ethan chuckles and clasps my hand. “Thanks for delivering.”

“On what?”

Tugging me close, he drops a kiss on my nose. “A very entertaining evening.”

“I’m glad
you
enjoyed it. My stomach’s been tied in knots. Do you think Houdini is going to be okay? I would feel so awful if the mistletoe is what made him sick.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s from overeating. Your dad didn’t mention anything else when he went out, and I didn’t sense any confusion in him, which I would have if he’d been poisoned.”

I nod and tug him over to the couch. “Sit here. I’m going to get your present. It was too big to fit under the tree...or to wrap properly.”

His eyes light up. “Too big, huh?”

“Close your eyes and don’t open them until I tell you to, okay?”

He closes his eyes and murmurs, “What could possibly be too big to wrap?”

I go to the hall closet and get Ethan’s gift, then lightly set it in his lap and say, “Okay.” His hands intuitively grip the acoustic guitar before his eyes open. The look of love and appreciation he gives me is worth the money I spent on his gift. “I wanted a rosewood Martin for you, and a new one’s a bit out of my price range. This one has only had one owner, so—”

“You always know how to knock me in the gut. It’s perfect. Thank you, Nara,” he says, quietly.

“I’m not done. I’m making up for missing your birthday.” I retrieve his other gift from under the tree. Handing it to him, I grin. “This one, I could wrap.”

Ethan leans the guitar against the couch, then tears off the wrapping paper. As he holds up the leather bound book with blank pages, I tap on the spine. “This book is only for drawings that make you happy. No demons or dark, nightmare images allowed. This is for ones to keep.”

Ethan rubs his thumb along the spine, his gaze subdued and sincere. “Thank you for accepting every part of me, Sunshine.”

“I love you, Ethan. Every glorious, beautiful side of you.” Smiling, I run my fingertips along the strings on the guitar. “Maybe one day you can teach me how to play.”

His fingers fold over mine on the guitar’s neck, a playful look in his eyes. “How about a short lesson now?”

I don’t even get to answer before he pulls me between his legs and lifts the guitar, settling it on my thighs.

After he fiddles with the strings, tuning them quietly for a minute, he folds my fingers, placing them on certain strings, then shows me how to strum. “Okay, now you do it by yourself.”

I strum my finger down the strings and the soft sound floats around us.

“That’s a G,” he whispers in my ear. “Stands for,
God
, I love you more every day.”

Goose bumps scatter across my skin when he switches my finger placement and tells me to strum the strings again. “That’s a B, for
Be
Mine.”

My heart races as his strong arms surround me to manipulate my fingers once more. Putting his hand over mine, we strum the next chord together. “And an F.” He runs his nose along my neck until his mouth touches my ear. “That represents
Forever
, Sunshine.”

When he kisses my cheek, my fingers grip the guitar, but as his mouth moves to my jaw, my heart melts and I whisper, “Together ‘til the wheels fall off.”