Cattail Ridge, page 5
part #4 of Firefly Hollow Series
“I was a mountain lion until I was shot. Now I’m not.”
Amelia’s eyes grew huge, but Sarah still maintained ignorance. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”
Archer picked up one of the Tobias Hedge books that was on the table. “I wondered how Owen managed to be so accurate. Who is Toby based on? Is it him?”
Sarah let out a shuddering breath. “Mountain lion, huh?”
“Yes. So is my brother. But if you could keep that between us and the fence post, I’d appreciate it. I’m sure you understand the danger if too many people know.”
“So you can’t change anymore?” Amelia’s voice was tentative. “At all?”
He shook his head. “They lost me three times on the operating table. I guess that part of me didn’t come back.” Not used to talking about his shifting abilities, he shrugged. He stood and went to the coffee pot to refill his mug and Amelia’s. When he saw the sympathetic looks the women were giving him he shuffled his feet, uncomfortable. “What?”
To his surprise Sarah was the one who spoke. “How did you… That had to be hard to learn to deal with.”
He carefully considered his words before answering. “Of all the things I had to come to terms with as a result of the shooting, that was the hardest, yes.” He lifted the lid on the pot and inhaled. “Soup smells good.”
They let him change the subject but when Owen came in a little while later for dinner Sarah pulled him aside. From the half-scowling study the older man subjected him to after that Archer figured she’d told him the secret was out.
He didn’t say anything until after the meal, when he grabbed Archer’s coat from a hook beside the door and tossed it to him, then grabbed his own. “Let’s walk.”
Owen let the silence build between them as they walked to the barn, which was situated across the mountaintop meadow from the house. Once there, he flipped a light switch on and slid the door closed behind them. The silence of the cold winter night was deafening. Archer faced him straight on, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“I hear you’re not quite what you appear to be.”
Archer had to fight to keep his hands in his coat pockets and not defensively cross his arms over his chest. “And I’m inferring that you probably aren’t, either. Is that going to be a problem? My knowing?”
Owen studied him with a stare so hard and wary Archer was almost afraid of what his answer would be.
“If you are what you say you are, you understand why I’m a little upset. I have a family to protect.”
“Yes, sir.”
Owen scowled. “Stop that. You make me feel old when you ‘yes, sir’ and ‘no, sir’ me.”
Archer’s lips twitched but he answered seriously. “I would never tell anyone what I’ve learned about your family this evening. I do understand the danger. Even when I was married, it was something I kept from her. I knew she wouldn’t understand. That probably should have been a clue that I shouldn’t marry her but I wasn’t exactly thinking with my head when I said my vows.” He felt his cheeks flush from more than just the cold.
“Sarah said you couldn’t shift anymore.”
“No. I can’t.”
Owen’s expression was full of sympathy and he laid a hand on Archer’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
Archer picked at a small sliver of wood on top of one of the stall doors. “I’m still here for the most part. And that’s more than I should have had, given how she shot me. I have to remember that.”
“That’s a healthy way to look at it.” The older man’s voice was tinged with admiration and, if Archer wasn’t mistaken, some healthy skepticism.
“Took me a little while to get there,” he admitted.
“I can only imagine.”
They went back to the house soon after that and the conversation stayed on more normal topics for the most part. Amelia did confess to Archer that she was a shifter, as was Owen, and that her brothers also had special abilities.
“John is scary good with numbers and Ben has this thing with plants. Emma’s the only normal one of us.” She seemed to be waiting with bated breath for him to say something and groaned with disappointment when he just grinned at her. He knew from the way Amelia watched him when Emma was close by that she suspected something about his feelings for her sister, but he wasn’t about to open that can of worms.
As the years went by, the Campbells folded Archer into the family, making him one of their own. When he passed his GED test they threw him a surprise party. Amelia even presented him with a cap and gown and made him wear it while holding his framed certificate as they took pictures to commemorate the event and to send to Logan. They had cake, ice cream, and barbecue, and a house full of people whose sincere pride in his accomplishments was evident.
Sarah found him on the porch getting some fresh air a little while after the meal had been eaten.
“You seem overwhelmed. You okay?” She sat down next to him on the swing and smiled up at him. “It’s been a big day.”
He smiled back. “Very big. And yeah. It was just a little stuffy in there.”
“You don’t much like crowds, I’ve noticed. You remind me of Owen in that regard.”
“I never mind spending time with your family.”
Sarah laughed softly. “No, but they can be rather boisterous. I’ll leave you in peace.”
“You don’t have to go,” he protested, and she sat back down. “Besides, I haven’t had a chance to thank you properly yet, not just for today but for everything. I feel like this was as much your success as it was mine, and I don’t think I ever would have accomplished what I’ve done without you all. So thank you.” He had to clear his throat around the lump that was choking him up.
Sarah put her arm around his shoulders and gave him a hug, her own eyes a little misty. “We just provided you with the tools you needed, and the support. You figured out the rest. And we’re very proud of you, as I’m sure Logan will be, as well. Have you told him yet, that you passed?”
Archer shook his head. “I didn’t even tell him I was taking it. I’m scheduled to fly out there week after next. I thought I’d surprise him then.”
Logan had recently been stationed in North Carolina and Archer was looking forward to seeing him while his brother had some R and R time. They hadn’t been able to spend more than a day or two together since Archer had moved to Hazard two years earlier.
“One of these days you’ll have to bring him here. We’ve heard of him so often I feel like he’s already one of the family.”
“I’m hoping when he gets out of the Army he’ll come here and settle. But Logan isn’t really the settling down type, so it’s anyone’s guess if he will or not.”
“And what about you? What are you planning now that you’re able to take on the world? At least as far as the official channels are concerned?”
Archer knew she was referring to the fact that a person without a high school diploma or equivalence diploma was locked in to a certain subset of choices.
“I’m not sure. Pip keeps trying to convince me to join her at the community college.” Amelia had graduated high school the year before and when Owen insisted she attend college, she’d picked the small, local, two-year school. Owen hadn’t been particularly happy about that but he’d given in, conceding that it was her choice.
“You could keep her in line,” Sarah teased. They exchanged a look and burst out laughing.
“Yeah, because she’s such a trouble maker.”
She was a straight-A student, was on the Dean’s list, and while not an angel, was about as far from trouble as it was possible for someone her age to be.
John’s sons found them on the porch then and the quiet time was over. As the rest of the family eventually spilled out of the house, Sydney made a beeline straight for Archer.
“Up!” The dark-haired toddler held her arms up, her smile wide, one-hundred-percent confident that she’d be accepted. Archer obliged her happily, snuggling her close when she threw her arms around his neck for a hug.
“She adores you. Always has.” Sarah smoothed a hand over the little girl’s silky curls.
“I adore her. I keep telling Emma I’m going to keep her one of these days. Yes I do, pretty girl,” he told Sydney when she pulled back to laugh at him. He buried his face in her neck and blew a loud raspberry, making her dissolve in giggles.
He was more attached to Sydney than he knew was healthy. He figured it was only a matter of time before Emma would find a dependable man and marry him, and there’d be no room in Sydney’s life for Archer except as a doting uncle. Even having accomplished what he had, he didn’t feel like he was a viable candidate as a mate for Emma. No, someone like Burke Lockhart, the state trooper she was friends with, was more in line with the type of man Emma deserved. Burke was a single father, he worked close by Emma’s photography studio, and he was around almost as much as Archer was. Though he seemed like a nice enough man, Archer had grown to loathe the very sight of him. That dislike, much like his feelings for Emma, was something Archer hid away.
He didn’t know if he’d ever be the kind of man she deserved. With his luck he’d get to that point just in time to watch her find someone else. But he just wasn’t ready to declare himself. Not yet. And if he was meant to have a relationship with Emma then he figured he would. He just had to wait for the right time. No matter how much he’d love to lay claim to her now.
Chapter Seven
Present day—1993
Emma groaned with frustration. “Why, oh why, is this so hard? I’m a reasonably intelligent woman, I think. I run a business. I’m competent with a hammer and nails. I even know how to use most power tools. But plumbing stumps me.” She rested her head on her arms, which were crossed on the edge of the kitchen counter.
“Don’t worry. We’ll get it fixed. I know who to call.” Amelia stood from where she’d been crouching in front of the sink to inspect the dripping pipes that led to the faucet. She went to the phone at the end of the counter.
“Who? Every male relative we have is in Georgia, even Ben.” Emma straightened and pressed her hands to her aching back. It was only Tuesday and already the week felt like it had lasted days longer than it should have. “I should just give in and call a plumber.”
Amelia shook her head. “Hang on before you–hey, are you busy?” she asked the person she’d called. “Emma and I need a favor. Her sink is leaking.”
“Who are you talking to?” Emma had a strong feeling she knew who was on the other end of the line, judging from the self-satisfied smirk on Amelia’s face. She narrowed her eyes and gave her little sister a stern glare. “Pip?”
“Good. We’ll see you in a few minutes.” She hung up and the smirk grew into a grin. “Just Archer. He’s on his way.”
“He’s–damn it, call him back. I don’t want to impose on him.”
“Oh, you’re not imposing. He almost jumped through the phone when I told him you needed him.” She laughed hard when Emma picked up a sopping wet towel and threw it in her direction. “This should be interesting. I’m torn between a desire to leave the two of you alone and the need to stay and watch.”
Emma strode over to her and put her hands around Amelia’s neck, giving a gentle shake. “If you leave, I’ll strangle you. I’d better go change clothes.” She looked down at herself and grimaced. Ratty shorts that she’d had since long before Sydney was born, a comfortable, baggy T-shirt that she would never wear outside the house. A quick hand to her hair told her that it was a rat’s nest. “Pip, I really am going to strangle you.”
Amelia followed her out of the kitchen and upstairs. “Don’t you dare change those shorts. They barely cover your ass. The shirt has to go, though.”
“I know they barely cover my ass. That’s why I’m changing out of them.”
“If you do, I’ll never forgive you. Seriously, Em, the man needs a push. Those shorts could do it.”
Emma stopped a couple of steps ahead of her sister and turned back. “And I still think you’re delusional. He’s had plenty of opportunities to hit on me. He doesn’t. He’s the same friendly Archer as always.”
Amelia rolled her eyes. “Yeah. He’s still convinced you and Burke are an item, no matter how many times I tell him you aren’t. He just needs a little encouragement. Trust me.”
In the weeks since the pirate incident, Amelia’s theory about Archer hadn’t been far from the front of Emma’s mind. Each time they’d encountered each other, like at the family’s Fourth of July celebration, Emma had paid special attention to how he acted around her. But she would be hanged if she could notice any sort of heat in his gaze when he looked at her. Added to that, his brother had been injured overseas and Archer had just returned from staying with him while he recuperated. Still, Emma didn’t think it was possible to miss what wasn’t there. Her dubiousness must have been clear on her face because Amelia held up her hands.
“Let me prove it to you. I’ll be subtle but I think I can get him to sit up and take notice in a way that even you can’t deny.”
“Fine. At least you’ll hush about this romance theory when nothing happens.”
“Great! And I know exactly which shirt you need to wear.” Amelia bounded past her on the stairs, leaving Emma to follow. “But we won’t overdo it. He’ll be suspicious if we do.”
Observing her sister’s enthusiasm as Amelia dug through Emma’s closet to get the shirt she wanted, Emma realized that she felt old. She’d long ago buried most urges to be a woman and had instead focused on being a mom and building her business. Now that the opportunity to bring the woman out again was in front of her, she felt awkward and uncertain. Shoot, the last time she’d made an effort to be sexy and try to catch a man’s attention she hadn’t been much older than Amelia was now, at twenty-two. She’d had Sydney when she was twenty-five, and that young woman who’d been so confident and sure of herself felt like she was a lifetime away.
“I never understood how Zanny felt, not really, back when she and John were having problems,” Emma mused. “That the mom had overtaken the woman. But I get it now.”
Amelia shot her an assessing look. “Oh, I think you still have it. You just have to remember that you have it. Are your underarms clean?”
“Pip! Geez, what kind of question is that?”
“A legitimate one.” She held up the shirt she’d been searching for, a sleeveless T-shirt that was so old the print was almost worn off the front. “This is casual enough that he won’t think you picked it out just for him but it also hugs your curves. Between the shirt and the shorts? He’s toast.”
Emma pulled the comfortable T-shirt over her head and tossed it on the bed, then caught the new one when Amelia threw it to her. “I just shaved last night, so yes. My pits are good. I can’t believe we’re having this conversation.” She went to her dresser and undid the clip holding her hair up. Running a quick brush through the heavy tresses, she twisted it back up and reclipped it. Amelia was studying her reflection critically so Emma pirouetted so her sister could get a thorough look.
Amelia’s smile was calculating. “Perfect.”
“If you say so.”
“I do.”
Downstairs, as they waited for Archer to arrive, Emma determinedly stamped down her nerves. She kept busy by putting a salad together to go with the pizza they’d ordered, while Amelia cleared out the wet towels and replaced them with dry ones.
“How do you think the folks are?” Amelia asked.
“Having a blast, if I had to guess. They sounded ramped up when they called last night.”
The family had gone to Savannah to see Sarah’s sister Kathy, who’d been living there for over thirty years. Sarah’s mother, Eliza, had recently become engaged to Owen’s uncle Eli, who’d been widowed several years earlier. Theirs was an awkward relationship to explain to outsiders but there was no blood tie between the two, and they seemed to make each other happy. Eliza had wanted to introduce Kathy to Eli before the ceremony and since Kathy wasn’t able to come back to Kentucky, they’d all decided to go there.
“Mom thinks they’ll get married there, since most everyone is in Georgia,” Amelia told her. Everyone who had been able to go had gone. Even several of Eli’s children and grandchildren had made the trek. Only Emma, Rachel, and Amelia had stayed behind in Kentucky.
“Do you regret not going?” Emma asked.
“No. You know I’ve not been comfortable going to Georgia for a while now.” She and Kathy avoided each other and had since Amelia was only eight years old. Amelia reminded Kathy too much of the daughter she’d lost.
“I know. I’m sorry.”
Amelia shrugged. “It is what it is. I enjoyed spending the summers with Uncle Eli. Do you miss Georgia?”
“Sometimes. I really liked Savannah. But it isn’t worth the risk to go back.” Sydney’s father was still in the southern city, and Emma wasn’t comfortable having less than a full state’s width between him and her daughter.
“Do you think he’ll ever…?” Amelia’s voice trailed off but Emma easily surmised the question. She instinctively lowered her voice before answering, even though she could hear Sydney’s happy chatter floating through the screen door at the back of the house as she played in the yard with the neighbor’s daughter.
“No. As far as he’s concerned she doesn’t exist, and that’s just fine with me. He has two children by his wife and no need to ever come looking for Syd. It would be more detrimental to him to try to establish a connection with her than it’s worth.”
