Coven (33 page)

A car drove by on the street outside and I
paused to make sure it wasn't Dad. When I felt I could go on
undisturbed, I took a deep breath, hating that she would be
completely gone after today. “You don't need to feel bad for
keeping us apart. I wasn't angry with you for it before, not
really. And I'm not angry now. All that time was time I got to
spend with you, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I wish I had
more of that time.” Choked up, I hesitated, clearing my throat and
blinking back tears.

A car door slammed outside and I quickly
stepped away, grabbing my dish from where I'd left it and hurrying
into the kitchen.

“
Sam?” The front door
opened and closed, disturbing the silence of the house.

“
I'm in here,” I called,
checking my face in the blurry mirrored finish of a spoon. As far
as I could tell, I looked fine. “Did you get what you
needed?”

“
Yeah.” Appearing in the
doorway, I immediately noticed a bouquet of flowers in his hand.
“They're tulips,” he explained unnecessarily.

“
Mom’s favorite.” I
smiled, surprised at his sentiment.

“
I thought we could leave
them with her, kind of like a going away present. Is that
okay?”

“
I think that would be
wonderful. I don't have a place in mind, though. Somewhere pretty,
of course, so she can enjoy the scenery.”

“
I know just the place,”
he replied. “It's the perfect spot.”

“
Okay. I'll just go
freshen up real quick and then we can go.” The words sounded
wooden, like I wasn't the one actually saying them. This was it. It
was really happening.

Leaving the kitchen, I went into the
bathroom in the hall, hoping to at least pass as presentable for
the occasion. I was wearing a black, long sleeve shirt and jeans,
which I'd originally thought was too casual, but it then occurred
to me that spreading ashes in a dress might not be the best idea. I
wanted the ability to move freely and over a large area if I could.
My brown hair was curled and I’d donned light makeup. The earlier
conversation with the urn seemed to have left my nose a bit pink,
but it would do. Sighing, I really studied my reflection. There
were things from Mom I could definitely recognize in my face, like
the way my nose wrinkled when I laughed. I hoped that would always
be visible to me, a part of her I could keep forever.

“
You ready,
Sammy?”

“
Yeah,” I stated, stepping
away from the counter. “I think I am.”

When I came into the living room, Dad had
pulled the urn off the shelf and was cradling it in one arm, the
flowers in the other. “You okay?”

Smiling tightly, I nodded, slipping my coat
on and reaching out to take Mom from him. “I'm holding up. So,
where is this place we’re going to?”

Grinning, he turned and opened the front
door for me. “You’ll see in just a bit.”

We drove in silence, myself thinking of all
the wonderful times I'd spent with Mom. Even when she was sick,
she'd been such a light to me. Countless memories of the times
she’d taught me, inspired my love for learning, and grown my
empathy for others played through my mind, her laughter whispering
in my ears.

After about twenty
minutes, we pulled off onto a side road and parked. “It's just a
short walk from here,” Dad explained, opening my door for me.
Leading the way, I followed as
he went
down an old path that curved over a small hill, revealing the
ocean. When we reached the summit, he gestured to the rocky shore
below. “Your mother used to come to this place and tell me that one
day she would sail away from this very spot and see the world. I
would always laugh at her—where were we going to get the money for
a boat? Was she going to learn how to sail? Why not just fly? But
she was adamant. Eventually, she did go, but not in the direction
she wanted to. She left with you and went home to her family in
Arizona. I thought, since I messed so many things up when we were
together, that maybe I could finally give her this one
thing.”

“
Dad,” I said, a little
overcome. Any reservations I'd been feeling about spreading her so
far from what I considered home had melted away as he spoke. “This
is the only place to leave her. Thank you for telling
me.”

“
Do you think I could have
her for a few minutes? To say goodbye?” He gestured to the bottle
in my arms, a hopeful look on his face.

“
Of course.” Handing it
over, I watched as he walked a few steps away, his head bent as he
told his lost wife farewell. After a couple seconds, I turned away,
wanting to give him some privacy, as I'd had earlier. It didn't
feel like I'd said a proper parting to her, but I didn't know what
to say. Surely she would still be with me, as she'd promised before
her death.

“
Here, Sam. Thank you.”
Turning around, I saw Dad holding the urn out, his face reddened
and eyes a little watery. “I'm sure you want to say something
before we continue.”

“
Actually, I talked with
her while you were gone this morning.” Taking the urn, I walked
down to the beach, unscrewing the lid as I did so, my heart racing
a million miles a minute. Mom was really going to be gone after
this, spread across a place she'd once loved. Had I really said
enough of a farewell? Thinking of her last year and how the cancer
had hurt her so badly, I finally smiled. “Follow your dreams, Mom.
See the world, be happy, be healthy, and be free.” Turning the urn
over, I tossed the ashes onto the shore and into the ocean, where
she could be carried away to the lands she never got to visit.
Beside me, Dad lobbed the flowers into the water as
well.

Standing there for a while, neither one of
us spoke as we watched the bouquet move farther and farther from
us. A strange sense of peace filled me and I suddenly knew I was
going to be okay. A lifetime still lay ahead of me and my mother
wouldn't be gone from it, her memory left behind to guide me. She
had given me everything and would continue to do so, no matter
where I roamed.

“
Thanks again for bringing
me here,” I finally said to my dad. “It really was
perfect.”

“
It was the least I could
do.” He shrugged, watching the water in somberness. After a few
more minutes of silence, he took a deep breath, which sounded very
much like the precursor to something important. “Listen, Samantha,
I was wondering if you'd like to stay a while longer. I know you
were only planning on doing this, but I'd like to spend more time
and get to know you better, if I can. We haven’t really visited the
past few years and I’ve royally sucked at being a father. That, and
I know you lived with your mom in Arizona and I feel bad letting
you go back to her empty house.”

“
How long were you
thinking?” I asked warily. Staying longer meant I'd be around while
he was working and I wasn't so sure I wanted to see that side of
him. So far, I had only good memories of this meeting and it would
be a shame if that were to somehow be ruined.

Shrugging again, still not looking me in the
eye, he licked his lips. “As long as you want. Who knows, maybe
you'll like it here and decide to stay. That would be fine with me,
too, honestly.”

“
Dad, I'm a grown woman. I
have a bachelor’s degree and a job. You don't have to invite me to
live with you and take care of me now. I can do it.”

“
I know you can,” he
replied, blushing furiously. “That's not what I meant, either. I
simply thought it would be nice to spend more than a few days with
you.”

Mom
had
said she wanted us to spend more
time together, and I was on an extended leave from work so I could
take care of family things. No one was really waiting for me to
come back. But an indefinite stay? Was that something I really
wanted to do? What if I agreed and was ignored while he worked?
That would just make me feel worse. What if my job decided I was
away for too long and I lost it? What if I ran out of money while I
was here and couldn’t get back? On the other hand, Mom probably
would’ve pushed me to accept. Hadn't I been thinking what a nice
escape this place was anyway? So what if I had to put up with a
little treasure talk? At least then I'd be able to find out how it
was possible to spend five million dollars a year digging a
hole.

Taking a deep breath, the decision made, I
answered before I could change my mind. “You know what? I think I
will stay. I'm not sure how long, and I'll have to see if I can get
my flight refunded, but I think it could be good for us to be
together.”

“
Really?” He finally
turned to me, his eyes lighting with excitement. “You mean
it?”

“
Why do you always ask me
if I'm serious?” I laughed. “Yes, I mean it.”

Happily, he pulled me into a tight embrace.
“Everyone's going to be so excited to meet you!”

“
What do you mean
everyone?” Suspicion pricked at me and I suddenly wondered if he
had another family here, or a woman he was seeing. Hadn’t he told
me there was no one else?

“
I told the guys you were
coming to visit. They'll all be at the meeting tonight, but I
didn't know if you'd want to come to that. Now that you're staying
longer, they'll get to meet you for sure.”

“
Oh. I didn’t know I was
allowed in your meeting tonight.” Foolish relief flooded through me
and I scolded myself for becoming so possessive so
suddenly.

“
Of course you are! You
can come to anything you'd like while you're here.” He was grinning
like an idiot by this point, suddenly snapping his fingers as an
idea came to him and he released me. “You need a real room. I'll
talk to the guys tonight and see if we can have our meetings
somewhere else so I can pack up that big table and give you some
space. I might be able to borrow some money to see if we can get
you the essentials, like clothes and stuff. When my next payment
comes in, I'll pay the loan back and save more out so we aren't
tight in the future.” He was babbling, obviously excited that I’d
agreed to stay, and I didn't interrupt him.

There was a strange thrill of excitement at
the thought of staying and trying something new. Stories he’d told
me as a child of pirates, knights, and a treasure so large it
wasn’t to be believed swirled faintly in my mind. At the same time,
I heard my mother’s disapproving voice, whispering that he was a
lost soul, obsessed with finding something that didn't exist.

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Belinda Boring!

Chapter One

“Quit your posturing, Daniel, and hike the
ball!”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the serious
tone coming from Mason as he growled at his best friend. Looking
around at the others on the makeshift field, I turned to Jasmine
and rolled my eyes.

“What is it with men and football? Don’t
they know it’s just a game?” I brushed a strand of hair away from
my eyes as I looked over to see the play. Daniel finally sent the
ball to the quarterback, and after that it was just a blur.

Mason quickly faked, running through his
team as they opened up a path for him. He twisted out of the grasp
of some of the opposing players, but Jonas was no match for him. I
winced at the sound of bodies hitting at full force, and for the
hundredth time that afternoon, wondered why I was watching.

The sun was hot, beating down on the Pack,
as we enjoyed a peaceful Sunday afternoon together. Mason had
called everyone in for a game and food—the men getting their macho
groove on first, and then once their bloodthirstiness was appeased,
they’d let the women play too.

“Don’t let them hear you say that, Darcy.
Last time you did, you almost started a war, and that was just with
my brother.” Jasmine glanced over at Mason with a soft smile. I
reached over to give her a quick hug. By becoming the future mate
of the Mystic Wolves Alpha, not only did I gain someone to love
forever, but I was also blessed with a best friend, sister, and
confidante. Or, depending on what mischief we got up to, a partner
in crime and fellow conspirator. Our favorite targets—Mason and
Daniel.

“He talked to me like I was stupid. How was
I to know there was actual strategy to the game? As far as I knew,
it was just a bunch of guys standing around, slapping butts, and
taking a million breaks in between passing the ball around.” I
scoffed.