Deadman's Blood (18 page)

“He has a house with a library and he’s a professor?” Richard said, knowing professors didn’t often make a lot.

“I think there’s family money involved. Something about royal blood or something,” Josh explained.

“Really? That’s interesting,” Richard said.

“But he’s real laid back, Dad. He’s not snooty about his money, at all, and he’s very generous. Well, you’ll see for yourself,” Josh said.

As Bernard put the bags in the trunk, Anne grabbed Josh and pulled him down to her 5’2” stature and gave him a big smooch. “I can’t believe you flew us out here to meet a girl. You look good and you seem really happy. How’s your ability treating you?”

“Actually, it’s great. Dominic’s nephew, Blake, has taught me to control it, and I really feel so much more in control of my life now that I can keep it at bay. It doesn’t bother me to be in public anymore,” Josh explained.

“I can see that,” Anne said proudly. “I never expected you’d meet us at the airport.”

“Yeah. Blake is really great. He taught me a lot of things and so have Anton and Dominic,” Josh said.

“And Anton is….?” Anne asked.

“Anton is Dominic’s son, my half brother,” Josh said proudly.

“Aw, Sweetie, you finally got a bother like you always wanted,” she said sincerely. “Will we be meeting him?”

“I’m not sure. He’s in New York right now at the gallery,” Josh explained.

“He works in a gallery?” Richard asked as they all got into the limo.

“No, he owns a gallery,” Josh said.

“Nice,” Richard said, obviously impressed.

“What about this Blake…will he be here?” Anne asked.

“No. He flew back to California last week with Dean, Sally, and Rowan. Rowan is his girlfriend. Dean and Sally are their neighbors and best friends, aside from their siblings,” Josh explained.

“Whose siblings?” Anne asked.

“Rowan and Blake’s siblings. Rowan’s sister, Darby, is engaged to Blake’s brother, Devon. They’re in Ireland for a week or so,” Josh relayed.

“So how do you know Rowan and Blake, Darcy, Devon, Dean, and Sandy?” Anne asked, trying to keep all the names straight.

“That’s Darby, Devon, Dean, and Sally, Mom. Lanie went to school with Darby and we all became friends a few months ago,” Josh explained.

“I can’t tell you how nice it is to have you talking about all these friends. I guess Lanie, here,” Anne patted Melanie’s hand, “has really changed how you interact with the world.”

“Oh, it was all Josh,” Melanie explained. “Once Blake taught him to control the voices in his head, it was all Josh’s doing. Blake was really amazed at how fast Josh picked it up.”

Josh blushed a bit.

“Well, I think you both had a hand in pulling Josh out of his shell and I couldn’t be happier to see him enjoying life,” Anne said, beaming.

“Mom…you’re embarrassing me,” Josh said.

“That’s what moms are for, silly,” Anne said matter-of-factly.

The rest of the ride was catching up on life in Minnesota and a barrage of questions aimed at Melanie. Melanie and Josh kept the answers brief and neutral, for Josh was still uncertain whether he really wanted to throw the whole vampire, werewolf, and witch thing at his parents.

*****

When Melanie and the Brenners arrived at the house, Dominic was waiting for them on the steps.

“Welcome, Mr. And Mrs. Brenner. I’m so glad you made it here safely,” Dominic said cheerfully.

Richard was the first to approach Dominic, “Thank you, Mr. Larsen, for putting us up and sending the limo.”

“My pleasure. How was your flight from Minneapolis?” Dominic asked.

“Good. No problems at all,” Richard answered, rather surprised himself.

With the girls in tow, Josh met up with Richard and Dominic and made the formal introductions.

“Dad, as I’m sure you’ve guessed, this is Dominic Larsen. Dominic, this is my dad, Richard.” Then he turned towards Anne and said, “and this is my mom, Anne. Mom, this is Dominic.”

“It’s a pleasure,” Dominic said, taking Anne’s hand and bowing to her like royalty. Then he turned and extended his hand to Richard. They shook hands firmly and respectfully.

“I’m so glad you accepted my invitation. Please. Come in,” Dominic said.

Richard, Anne, Josh, and Melanie entered the foyer. As Richard and Anne took in the beauty of the house, Bernard came in with what baggage Josh and Melanie weren’t carrying. Melanie smiled at him and closed the door behind Bernard.

Anne exclaimed, “What a beautiful home you have, Mr. Larsen.”

“Thank you. We like it. But I insist that you call me Dominic, after all, we are practically family.” They all smiled but seemed a little ill at ease. Dominic continued as he led everyone into the study and gestured for them to take a seat. “I hope that doesn’t make you feel uncomfortable. You are and forever will be Josh’s parents and I, for one, am very grateful that Josh was adopted by such loving people. I hoped that by us meeting like this we could get to know one another. I might be able to tell you a bit about myself and Katarina and you could tell me some of what I missed.

“I’m also very thankful that you were so open about Josh contacting his biological parents, or I may never have known I had such a wonderful son. In the time I’ve gotten to know Josh, I’ve become quite fond of him. He is a man that any parent would be proud to call his own.”

Richard spoke up, “Yes. He is and we are terribly proud, but I’ve got to ask, why would anyone give up such a child?”

“Straight to the point. I like that. I’d want to know the same if I were in your shoes,” Dominic said. He casually looked at a nervous Josh and telepathically said,
How much do you want me to tell them?

Ummmm, if you can avoid the vampire thing I think it would be best. I’m not sure they could handle that.

Fine…I’ll do my best.

“I was filling in for a colleague of mine; a professor at Minnesota University for a semester, when I met Katarina. She was a bright and beautiful grad student that helped out my colleague. At the time I had been widowed for many years as I had lost my lovely Sophia, Anton’s mother, in childbirth. I didn’t expect to fall in love ever again especially with someone so much younger than myself. When my obligations to my colleague were up, I thought it best to let Katarina go on with her life, get her degree, and have the life she was meant to have with someone closer to her own age.

“I hadn’t realized she had really fallen for me and had taken my leaving rather hard. Along with emotional havoc from my leaving, and some other extenuating circumstances, she had a breakdown and was misdiagnosed for schizophrenia and she was heavily medicated. Her family disowned her and she had no viable way to contact me to tell me of the pregnancy, or things might have been quite different for Josh. Katarina had Josh in the institution and was rendered incapable of caring for her child so they offered him up for adoption,” Dominic explained.

“But why wouldn’t the institution have notified you of what happened?” Richard asked.

“The medications they had her on were so strong, she barely knew who she was, and in bad judgment, they just listed the father as ‘unknown’,” Dominic relayed.

“What happened to Katarina?” Anne asked.

“Well, when I met Josh and I offered to help him find his parents to help him understand where his telepathic gift came from, he told me his mother’s name, his date of birth and place of birth, and I put two and two together. That’s when I went hunting for Katarina. I found her still institutionalized, but I have since had her moved and put under the care of my own physicians and they have slowly weaned her off of the medication she had been on for so long. She’s here in town now and progressing quite nicely.”

“That’s so nice of you to do that for her. How does she feel about finding Josh?” Anne asked.

“Well, we only just told her. She doesn’t really remember much from her time in the hospital. It’s like from the time they put her on the meds, her mind just went into limbo and now she’s woken up from a thirty year nap,” Dominic said.

“How awful. Has she met Josh yet?” Richard asked.

“No. I thought it best to let Josh decide how he wanted to handle that,” Dominic admitted.

Anne looked at Josh for his answer.

“Yeah. I haven’t decided yet. I told Dominic that I feel kind of ashamed about it.”

“Why in the world would you feel ashamed to see her, Josh?” Anne asked.

“Because all this time I’ve been angry with her and whoever my father was. I thought it was their decision to give me up, and now I find out she had very little to do with it, and Dominic didn’t even know I existed until just recently. Besides, I have a mom,” Josh explained.

“I know, Dear, and I appreciate that, but no one can have too much mothering. There’s nothing wrong with having two moms. Lots of kids from divorced parents have two moms, even three or more. Family is a good thing, Josh. Look how much your life has changed since you’ve gotten to know this family. Katarina has had a horrible life in that institution. Think how wonderful her life could be now that she’s out. She can finally know her son. She may have missed the baby moments and the growing up years, but she shouldn’t have to live her entire life not knowing you. Maybe you’ll hit it off and become close, and maybe you won’t, but you’ll always regret not taking the chance to find out,” Anne explained.

Dominic’s eyes welled up. “Anne, you have a heart the size of heaven above. You’re both lucky men,” Dominic said to Richard and Josh. “Your mother here is a tiny little angel right here on earth.”

Richard took his wife’s hand proudly and said, “Yes, she is!”

Anne rolled her eyes, “Oh, stop it. But seriously, Josh. Set your doubts and anger aside. Look where getting to know your father has gotten you. That’s turned out to be a good thing. But Dominic, I have to ask, I hope you don’t find it intrusive, but why didn’t you check on Katarina? You said you fell in love with her. Weren’t you curious what happened to her?”

“Terribly so, and that is why I didn’t check on her. I thought if I did find her, I wouldn’t be able to stay away again. As it was, it took all my strength to do it the first time. I wasn’t sure if I saw her again that I would be able to let her go.”

“So what’s the situation now?” Anne asked.

“In regards to what? Dominic said.

“Your relationship. I know she is still under treatment, but you said you met with her recently. Were there still fireworks?” Anne asked.

“Mom…that’s kind of personal and a little awkward,” Josh said.

“Josh, when have you ever heard your mother back down from a romantic possibility at a ‘Happily Ever After’?” Richard exclaimed.

“It’s all right. Truthfully, Josh here asked me the same thing so he may be embarrassed that you brought it up, but he must have that same longing Anne has for a ‘Happily Ever After’. I don’t think there’s a happily ever after in our future. There are some extenuating circumstances that make it a little complicated and well, let’s just say, the meeting didn’t go as lovely as I had hoped,” Dominic admitted.

“That’s too bad, Dominic, but you never know what tomorrow will bring,” Anne assured him.

“Very true, Anne. Very true indeed. So shall we get you settled in your room? I believe Bernard has deposited your baggage in your room upstairs. They will be in the room across from Melanie’s and next to yours, Josh. If you want to show them where it is, I would be much obliged. After you’ve had some rest and gotten some time in with your son, we’ll join for a lovely dinner Bernard has been planning for us,” Dominic said.

“Thank you, Dominic. That would be nice,” Richard said, as everyone stood up.

Anne asked, “Will we get to meet your son, Anton?”

“I’m not sure, Anne. I suppose, if you felt strongly about it, I could give him a call and see if he had plans,” Dominic suggested.

“Oh, don’t do that. I just thought it would be nice to meet him, but Josh had said that he might be in New York still,” Anne said.

“Well, you never can tell, but it never hurts to ask, right?” Dominic said.

“You’re right. That is what my grandmother always told me,” Anne admitted.

“And she was absolutely right,” Dominic chuckled. “Now rest up, if you like. It’s a beautiful day if you’d like to go for a walk around the pond.”

Richard laughed out loud, “You consider THAT a pond? It’s practically a lake.”

Dominic laughed and patted him on the shoulder as they exited the study. “If you’re a golfer, there’s a putting green on the other side of the rose garden or you can practice your long drives from the grassy patch nearby into the ‘pond.’ Just ask Bernard to get you a set of clubs from the shed.”

“Thanks, Dominic. I might have to take you up on that,” Richard said, delighted.

“My pleasure…enjoy,” Dominic said as Melanie and the Brenners headed up the grand staircase towards the huge portrait of Sophia.

*****

Dominic was happy to find that Anton was willing to drive home to meet Josh’s parents. In fact, Anton seemed excited about the event. Anton made it back to Connecticut in record time with time to spare. So much so that he was able to join Dominic, Richard, and Josh in a couple of long drives into the pond and a putt or two on the green, while Anne and Melanie had some alone time to converse.