Chapter 48
2526 Words
Purple Creek
- It’s a little bit sad. – Daniel said, interrupting the decoration of the Christmas tree. They were always doing it all together.
- What’s that? – Jess asked. He came to his family home only yesterday.
- Yeah, that angel without a wing looks quite pathetic! – Carter replied, staring critically at the Christmas tree.
- It’s much better than the Santa without a leg. – Mark added, waving the broken knick-knack.
- You know very well what I’m talking about! – The youngest brother was irritated. – Jay should be here with us now! And decorate that damn tree! Meanwhile, she hasn’t called for a good two weeks! – His voice broke a bit so he turned his gaze to the window.
- She’ll call. – Christian assured him. – You know her. Christmas is a special time for her.
- You’re probably right. – Daniel admitted, though he was still plagued by depressing thoughts.
Suddenly the front door opened with a bang. Frosty air, saturated with flecks of snow, burst into the house. A man entered the living room. His warm winter clothes were covered with a layer of white fluff. Not carrying about the mess he had made, Bryan Weakfield ripped the hat off his head and grinned.
- I brought you guests! – He announced cheerfully.
There was a spark of hope in Daniel’s eyes. However, it faded very quickly when John Tyler and his parents appeared behind Bryan. He felt remorse almost immediately. He loved his grandparents and was glad to see them. He had mixed feelings about his father. He was simply absent most of Daniel’s life. Yet he also enjoyed seeing John.
- Hello boys! – Grace Tyler rushed to her grandsons to hug them. – You’ve grown up a lot! And you’re all so handsome!
- After all, they have good genes! – Jonathan cut in. – Good to see you boys again! – He gave them a bear hug.
- You made us a real surprise! – Michael said, releasing himself from his grandmother’s embrace. – Hi dad!
- Michael! – John gave him a male hug, and then greeted the other sons. – I’m glad to see you again!
- Only Jay is missing. – Daniel pointed out.
- Where’s that girl?! – Grace asked impatiently.
- You see grandma, Jay… - Jess started uncertainly.
- She should be here already! She rode ahead! – She waved her hands impatiently. – Have you seen such irresponsibility?!
The same moment the front door opened again and together with the frosty blow, Jay’s joyful voice reached the living room. She was singing “Jingle bells” at the top of her throat. She rushed into the room and, bypassing her father and grandparents, she threw herself into the arms of speechless Danny.
- Hi handsome! – She kissed him loudly on the cheek. – Did you miss me? – She asked greeting the other brothers.
- Where have you been?! – Grace asked reproachfully. – You should’ve come before us.
- I drove Mel home. – She explained. Finally she could no longer delay that moment. She turned the direction from where the distinct vibrations of energy were reaching her. – Hello Bryan! – She greeted her ex-boyfriend.
- Jaysabel. – It was the only word he could say.
He was convinced that that Jay would not come home for Christmas. He thought that what happened between them would make her want to look at him no more. That she would chose not to see her brothers at this special time, just to avoid meeting him. And it would not surprise him at all. He had failed her. He rejected her when she needed him most.
Subconsciously, however, he hoped that she would come. That he would see her smiling face again and look into her beautiful turquoise eyes. And now, as she stood in front of him, in the light of the fireplace, against the Christmas tree, she seemed completely alien. Different. Totally distant. Out of his reach.
She took off her hat and a storm of juicy red hair spilled over her shoulders. ‘She cut them!’ He thought in surprise, with a sense of regret. He loved the touch of her long silky hair. And now it barely reached her shoulders. She looked at him again and he froze. Her eyes showed no emotions.
It was over.
- Please make yourself comfortable! – Maria, accompanied by Sean, entered the living room. – It’s so good to see you all again! – She greeted John and his parents. – Sit down, please! Boys! – She said to the brothers. – Bring the punch and cake! – Such an order could not be opposed.
- I’ll go now. – Bryan turned towards the door.
- Please stay! – Grace asked with a charming smile.
- I wished, but duty calls. – He explained smoothly. – Besides, my sister came home and I’d like to greet her.
- Naturally! – She smiled warmly.
- I’ll see you tomorrow! – He assured and left.
- Now tell us everything! – Grace said to her grandchildren.
- Believe me grandma, you don’t want to know everything! – Jay rolled her eyes. She was trying hard to hide her own feelings. Especially pain.
The rest of the evening was spent on pleasant conversations, jokes and memories. Jay was teasing with her brothers and questioned them about current affairs. She tried to manage the conversation so that she did not have to tell too much. She did not want to initiate them in the case with the vampire, let alone her complicated relations with Cole Sullivan. Not to mention her new hobby of illegal fighting in “Double Bottom”.
Later on she, with a little help of her brothers, prepared some dinner. Maria was pregnant and she deserved to rest. Fortunately, she did not have to take care of the whole seven teenagers anymore as only Danny was still at home. And knowing her younger brother, Jay was sure he was helping Maria so she would not tire herself out. ‘Sean must be watching over it too.’ She thought. He may have been a werewolf, but he had a good heart and loved Maria more than anything else.
It was far after midnight when she finally went to bed. Her bedroom did not change a bit. It was clean as Maria always cared about it, but apart from that everything was on its place. She took a hot shower to relax and put on one of her favorite oversized tees. ‘This one must’ve belonged to Carter.’ It crossed her mind. She thought of this visit as an opportunity to steal more T-shirts and sweatshirts from her brothers.
She went to bed hoping she would be able to fall asleep.
***
It hurt.
The sudden sharp prick she felt at the sight of him turned into throbbing constant pain, which accompanied her continuously throughout the evening spent in the company of her brothers and the rest of the family. It never left her during the sleepless night. And when she managed to fall asleep at the pale dawn, she was tormented by dreams about Bryan.
As she saw no other option, she decided to vent her frustration at the gym. She spent two solid hours there, then came back to her room and took a hot shower to ease her sore muscles. Se blow dried her hair and put on her favorite clothes – a pair of fitted jeans and a cashmere sweater. She ran downstairs where her brothers were sitting in the kitchen and enjoying a rather late breakfast.
- I guess it’s not very healthy – She noticed looking at the sweets they were eating.
- Once a year you can eat whatever you want for breakfast. – Daniel said, and he shoved another gingerbread into his mouth.
- You’re damn right! – Christian backed him up, and he put another batch of cheesecake on his plate.
- You’re not serious! – She stuck to her opinion. She reached for the cup and poured herself some coffee. – At least Mike thinks about what he eats! – She pointed to her brother who was eating a sandwich.
- You don’t eat very well either. – Carter pointed out. – Coffee is a bit too little for a nutritious breakfast.
- I’m leaving myself some space for dinner. – She said. – Maria and grandma for sure have planned something special. – She took another sip of her coffee. – And where’s the rest?
- Grandma and Maria went to town, and Sean shows grandpa and dad around his kingdom. – Mark informed.
- Isabela organizes some meeting tonight and we have the house for ourselves. – Jess noticed. – How about a little party? In a small group?
- What do you suggest? – Michael inquired.
- We’ll invite Weakfields. – He suggested. – Like in the old days. I guess we can still be friends, right? – He added seeing the grimace on Christian’s face.
- Great idea! – Jay agreed. – I can prepare some homemade pizza later and we’ll spend the evening in a pleasant atmosphere. – She finished her coffee and put the mug in the dishwasher. – I’m going for a ride. – She said and left followed by the eyes of her brothers.
She put on some warm jacket, hat and scarf and riding boots. The air outside was freezing cold with delicate snowflakes swirling in the breeze. She took a deep breath enjoying the silence of the morning in her home town. Slowly she moved towards the stable. The paddock was empty. ‘Tom probably has a day off.’ She thought. She found no one in the stable either, but the noticed that three horses were missing, which confirmed her belief that Sean had taken her father and granddad for a ride.
Jay walked over to the box of her favorite mount. Thunder’s ears twitched when he saw her.
- Hi handsome! – She greeted the horse and stroked his snores tenderly. – I missed you. How about a little ride? – She went into the stall to saddle the horse.
At the stable door she met Sean, her dad and grandpa, who had just returned from their ride.
- The weather is perfect! – The werewolf said, pleased with this moment of complete relaxation.
- But the bones are not the same as they used to be! – Jonathan, laughing, rubbed his spine.
- It’s like riding a bike, you never forget it! – John stated cheerfully. In his eyes you could see that he enjoyed the ride. – We’ve met Brad on the way and agreed to go for another ride in the afternoon. My butt has to endure somehow! – He laughed heartily. – And where are you going? – He asked his daughter.
- Ahead. – She replied carelessly. – Thunder always chooses the path himself.
- Be careful! – He said with concern as Jay mounted her horse.
- I’ll be back for dinner. – She announced, then spurred her horse and galloped towards the forest wall.
- This girl has a devil under her skin! – John stated.
- She’s just like her mother. – Sean pointed out. – Wild, lively and untamed.
- You’re right! – Jay’s father agreed. – And it freaks me out!
- She’s a child of nature! – Jonathan cut in. – Just let her be as she is. – He went to the stable to clean his horse. He was not that old to leave it for the younger ones.
***
The forest in winter scenery looked almost magical. Jay let the horse set the pace and choose the path. She was not surprised when she reached the clearing where her mother had died. Thunder always took her here, as if he knew what she needed. And although this place caused her pain and opened old wounds, it also gave her strength. The horse stopped for a moment so Jay could soak up the atmosphere of this place.
When a shadow flickered between trees, even her eyelid did not twitch. She had grown accustomed to her mother’s spirit, which kept coming back to her. A slender figure in a long dress in the sea color, emphasizing the depth of her gaze. The scarlet hooded cloak made her question whether the spirit felt cold. She found it ridiculous at once. She withstood the gaze of turquoise lakes and allowed the horse to continue the journey.
The lake was supposed to be the next stop, but here Thunder barely slowed to a trot. The mist rising over the calm surface of the lake seemed to be mystical, but also a bit spooky. For some reason she felt a strange shiver running down her spine. As soon as they left the lake behind, the horse started galloping again.
As they ran through the woods and the hills surrounding Purple Creek, Jay felt incredibly light. She felt unity with the animal and nature. Sharp gusts of wind cut her cheeks with ice crystals, which gave her unimaginable joy.
At the top of the hill, as soon as they left the forest, the horse stopped. From here there was a beautiful view of the quiet town. The quiet of the Christmas morning was almost tangible. From here she could see the Main Street full of Christmas decorations. In the distance, the church tower rose to the sky, and there was cemetery nearby. Even at this distance, Jay was able to locate her mother’s grave. Her family home, as well as the Weakfield mansion was barely visible among the trees. But she had a great view of another house.
An imposing structure lay at the foot of the hill. A two-storey house made entirely of wood, which stood empty now. Old Finney died ten years ago, his children never wanted to come back to a small town, and the price they wanted for the vast land and the house on it was quite high.
- One day it’ll be mine! – She said, confident in her words.
The bitter cold was starting to gnaw at her slowly, so Jay sped up her horse and headed back home. However, she decided to take a longer, roundabout way, wanting to avoid places that evoked unpleasant memories. She also wanted to miss the rider, whose silhouette flashed past her among the surrounding trees.
- Writer
