“It’s not that.” I wished I had time to go after Rika, but sunset was only a few hours away. “I need to go home and get cleaned up.” I took a deep breath before I added, “Then I have to call Raven Island, and talk to Jesse.”
“No.” My brother took my arm and marched me over to Gray’s truck. He put me in the passenger side of the cab, and as soon as the horses were loaded he climbed in behind the wheel and drove us home.
“So what’s Plan B?” I asked as we left town and headed for the farm. “Are we going to ambush him in the park when he comes for me? We won’t find the girls that way, you know.”
“This is over now.” Trick didn’t look at me. “You’re staying home. The sheriff and the Ravens will deal with the vampire.”
So we were back to complete and utter denial of the situation. “I’m the one he wants. He’s not going to show unless I’m there.”
“You’re not going anywhere near that town tonight,” he told me. “End of discussion.”
Once we arrived home Trick told me that he and Gray would handle the horses, and sent me into the house. I went straight for the aspirin and a hot shower, which helped ease some of my soreness, if not my mind.
I heard my brothers come in, and Trick began rattling pots and pans in the kitchen. Of course, he was going to heat up the Christmas dinner Gray had brought home from the market. We were going back into happy family mode. And if I went downstairs, and pretended to do the same, he’d find an opportunity to give me a hug, or take my hand in his, and then nothing would be wrong because I wouldn’t remember any of this.
I couldn’t let him do that to me. Not now, and not ever again.
I opened the window to my bedroom, and looked down at the ground. Because of my hip I’d have to climb the pine tree halfway instead of jumping as I normally would, but I could get out of the house. But Trick had the keys to Gray’s truck, and tired as Sali was, I couldn’t ride her all the way back into town.
Sali isn’t my only ride anymore.
I looked out at the little red convertible Gray had parked out by the barn earlier that morning. I closed my eyes and willed myself to remember what I’d seen when he’d done that. He’d gotten in, started the engine, drove it across the lawn, and then had parked it. He hadn’t locked the doors … and he hadn’t been holding the keys when he’d climbed out.
I came over and sat down on my bed. If I did this, it would probably destroy my family for good. If I didn’t, three girls were going to die.
A knock sounded on my door before it opened and Trick looked in on me. “Are you feeling better?”
Why lie? “Not especially.”
He came in and closed the door behind him. “I’m sorry I snapped at you earlier. I’ve made a real mess of things, and I shouldn’t have taken out my anger on you.”
“I’ll survive.” A tiny spark of hope glimmered in my heart. “I talked to Gray while we were out riding the maze. He told me about what happened in California, and some other stuff. I think I understand things a little better now.”
“I’m glad.” He sat down next to me. “I know you’re blaming yourself for what’s happened, but Cat, none of this is your fault. I realized tonight how selfish I’ve been, and how much grief I’ve caused you and Gray because of it. This is one hundred percent on me.”
I looked down at my hands. “You were just doing what you thought was right.”
“I used to dream about this place.” His expression softened. “I wanted it to be perfect for us. So I waited and saved until I was sure we’d be safe here and I could make a go of it. This was supposed to be our reward for all the years of running.” He gave me a sideways glance. “But it was always about what I wanted, not what was right for you. I know that now.”
This confession was starting to worry me. “Patrick, what are you trying to say?”
“Until now, I’ve been making all the decisions for this family.” He stood up. “I think it’s time I learned how to compromise, and let you and your brother have some say in what happens.”
My spark of hope flared back up. “Does this start now?”
“It can,” he agreed, “as long as you’re willing to tell me what you want, and work out a compromise with me.”
“I don’t want you to make me forget anything, ever again, for the rest of my life,” I told him. “That’s number one on my wish list.”
“Very well. I promise that I won’t tamper with your memories anymore.” When I grinned, he lifted his hand. “As long as you agree to stop seeing the Raven boy.”
His name is Jesse. “That’s not fair.”
“In my eyes, it’s an even exchange,” he said. “To get what we want, we both have to give up something that is very important to us.”
My heart wanted to flat-out refuse; my common sense told me to lie and agree. Neither would give me what I really needed, so instead I went with my instincts. “Do you need an answer now, or can I have some time to think about it?”
That wasn’t what he was expecting me to say, but he hid his surprise quickly. “It can wait until tomorrow morning.”
“Thanks.” I smiled. “I’ll be down in a minute.”
I got to the kitchen just as Gray was taking the pre-cooked turkey out of the microwave and Trick was setting the table. The market had provided all the traditional side dishes, from jellied cranberries to green bean casserole, and there was even a little fruitcake decorated with flowers made of candied cherries and slivers of apricot.
“That looks amazing,” I told Gray as I got out a big platter for the turkey. “When did you enter the contest for this, Trick?”
“I didn’t.” He eyed Gray. “I thought you did.”
“Wasn’t me.”
“Well, I didn’t enter the contest.” I felt uneasy now. “Maybe they mixed up the phone numbers.”
“I saw the entry form in the box.” Gray went over to where he had left it by the trash and reached inside for the slip of paper. “This is our address and phone number. It says ‘The Youngblood Family.’” He handed the slip to me.
“Someone must have entered it for us.” I studied the handwriting, which to my relief wasn’t Jesse’s, but still looked familiar. I glanced at the corkboard by the wall phone, and saw the note about Rika’s feed ratio. The handwriting was identical. “I know. It was Mena Marks.”
Gray scowled. “Why would she do that?”
“She has this gigantic crush on Trick,” I said, shaking my head sadly. “I don’t think she realizes he’s old enough to be her father.”
“Dr. Marks has at least ten years on me,” Trick put in. “But I can wait until she’s eighteen.”
“If you got married, would that make her my stepsister, or my step-guardian?” I wanted to know.
“Stop it.” Gray glared at both of us. “This is embarrassing.”
I chuckled. “Relax, Grim. All she did was fill out a contest entry form. It was a nice thing to do.”
“I’m going to have to thank her, aren’t I?” When Trick and I both nodded, he dropped in his chair. “Great.”
The dinner was delicious, and we all tried to enjoy it. I teased Trick about the year he had tried (unsuccessfully) to grill our Christmas turkey, which Gray and I renamed the Christmas jerky before we’d microwaved some frozen pizzas. As we laughed and joked about other holiday disasters, the last rays of the sun shimmered away and the window grew dark.
Once we’d finished eating and tidied up, I made popcorn and hot cocoa while my brothers took out their gift basket goodies, and we carried out everything to the living room to watch Gray’s Christmas movies.
“I never get tired of watching A Christmas Story,” I said as the movie began. “Why is that?”
“It’s funny,” Trick said, and yawned before he ate some popcorn and took a sip of his cocoa. “Nobody ever gets tired of laughing.” He leaned back against the sofa pillows as his eyelids drooped.
Stretched out on the floor in front of the television, Gray pillowed his head on his arms. “They should make all movies funny. Then girls wouldn’t cry through them.”
I stole one of his cookies, but I left my mug of hot cocoa on the coffee table. “Movies don’t make me cry.”
He held up one finger. “Titanic.”
“Okay, but all those people drowned, and they didn’t have to, and that was very sad.” I glanced over at Trick, whose head was nodding. “See, he agrees with me.”
Gray held up a second finger. “Steel Magnolias.”
I scoffed out some air. “That one made you cry, Grim.”
“Julia Roberts should never die.” He tried to hold up a third finger, and frowned at his hand. “There was … another one.”
I took the bowl of popcorn out of Trick’s lap before it slid over with him. “It was Gladiator.”
“Cat.” Gray lifted his head and tried to focus on me. “I can’t … stay … ”
“Awake.” I waited until he slumped over, and then got up to tuck a pillow under his head. “I know.”
I made sure they were both sound asleep before I left the house. As I’d suspected, the keys were still in the convertible, but I didn’t get in it right away. I went into the barn and slipped into Sali’s stall. Still tired from the long day’s ride, she shuffled over to me.
“Not tonight, girl,” I said as I rested my cheek against her strong neck. “I’ve got to take this ride without you.” I couldn’t say good-bye to her, not without bawling like a baby, so I gave her a kiss on the nose. “Look after them for me.”
I had to hurry out of the barn before I changed my mind, and then I got in my new car. The dashboard wasn’t the same as Gray’s truck, but once I tested a few buttons and switches I knew where everything was, and started the engine.