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She looked so guilty that he almost felt sorry for her. Chin lowering, she said, “I…performed a little…rite.”
“A rite?”
“A…spell.”
He blinked at her.
“Magic,” she said. “You know. You burn some herbs, light some candles, chant some words….”
Light finally dawned. This was the tarot card sister, the New Age guru. The Aquarian of the family.
“You’re not supposed to mess with people’s free will,” she went on quickly. “But I messed with yours. I just wanted to own up to it. I’ll deal with the karma. It’ll be worth it if…well…I mean…if things work out the way I’m hoping they will.”
Caleb smiled. She seemed really upset about all of this. Her hands were fisted together and kneading on the table, and her teeth were worrying her lower lip every little while. He covered her hands with his. “You didn’t mess with my free will, hon. If I had known about the babies…I’d have been here long before now.”
“You would?”
“Of course I would. Why does that surprise you?”
She blinked and seemed thoughtful for a moment. “Well…I guess because you used a false name and everything… you know, when you came here before. I assumed that was a precaution you used anytime you went out catting around, you know, to keep the women from tracking you down if there are consequences.”
He sat very still for a long moment. Then he said, “And is that what your sister thinks, too, Selene?”
She only shrugged. “I don’t know what she thinks. But I think she needs you, Caleb. She’s doing just fine at playing the fearless firstborn of Vidalia Brand, but deep down, she’s scared to death. About carrying those kids, about delivering them, and even more about raising them afterward.”
He nodded. “She should be. But to be honest, she doesn’t seem too eager to let me be a part of any of it.”
Selene’s eyes speared him, deadly serious and intense, she said, “That’s got nothing to do withyou, Caleb. It’s got to do with the past, and our father, and stuff that I don’t even remember. I just know it’s in her, you know? Like a deep sliver she hasn’t been able to dig out.” She shook her head slowly. “Maybe she thought it was all healed over, but this thing with you just jammed it in deeper and started it hurting all over again.”
For a moment he thought he was going to learn something real, something meaningful, about the mother of his children. He knew the story of her father. She’d told him, and he’d heard about it again from the local gossips ever since he’d come back this time. But he didn’t know how Maya felt about it—how she’d felt then, how she felt now.
And it didn’t look like he would know any time soon, either. Selene bit her lip, shook her head. “That’s for Maya to talk to you about, not me. Like I said, I don’t even remember. But I do know this much. If Maya’s unwilling to let you be a part of this, you’re going to have to make her let you. You have every right to be involved in the birth of your own kids, Caleb, and you need to say so. Don’t take no for an answer.”
“She might hate me for it,” he said softly.
Selene shook her head. “Maybe for a while. But she needs you. Trust me.” Her hand touched his. “Iknowthings.” Drawing a breath, straightening, she gave a nod. “And know that whatever happens will be real and that it will come from the two of you. I’m not going to interfere again.”
He lifted his brows. “What, no love potions?”
“You’re teasing me, aren’t you?”
“No, Selene. I might, but there’s something about you that makes me wonder.”
She smiled, seeming to take that as a compliment. “Well, that’s it. That’s what I came here to tell you. Good night, Caleb.”
“Night,” he murmured. But he barely saw her leave. He was too busy wondering if there were secret wounds festering in Maya Brand’s heart…and how he could possibly hope to get close enough to find out.
From his room that night he called Bobby, spoke to him briefly, only to learn that no further word had come in about Caleb’s impending fatherhood. No threats, no demands, no one even hinting that they knew. So if Selene hadn’t sent that photo, and Maya obviously hadn’t, then the question remained…who had? One of the other sisters? Mel or Kara? Perhaps Vidalia Brand herself? He hoped so. Because if it wasn’t one of them, then that meant someone else must know about all of this. And if someone else knew, they were holding the fuse to Caleb’s personal political powder keg.
* * *
Her back ached. Her head ached. Her stretch marks itched. Her feet were swollen. Her bladder was about to burst, and, oh, hell, she had a leg cramp. “Ow, ow, ow, ow, OW!”
The cramp eased. The knotted muscles in her calf relaxed. She stopped yelling and managed to get through her morning routine without serious damage. The babies were kicking so hard it actually hurt now and then, and she was so big she had to use the long-handled back brush to wash her feet, even though she’d put a waterproof stool in the shower stall.
Ugh!
Finally she chose one of her colorful tent-sized outfits from the selection in her closet and pulled it on over her industrial-strength bra and super-support panties. A pretty kaftan and a pair of stretchy leggings. But she just didn’t feel pretty in them.
