Riley's Secret (A Moon's Glow Novel # 1) (33 page)

“Night,” I said, suddenly feeling sleepy. I closed my
eyes and soon drifted off, wrapped in his warm embrace.

Family Heirloom

The first thing I saw when I woke the next morning was
bright, piercing, blue eyes staring at me. “What time is it?” I mumbled,
turning to lie on my stomach, pulling the covers over my head. I breathed
deeply, basking in Nate’s scent that still lingered on the sheets. I peeked out
from under the pillow to see that he was dressed in cargo shorts and a blue
V-neck T-shirt. His hair was brushed and still damp. He looked fresh and ready
for the day. I felt drained and content to stay buried under these blankets
forever.

“Ten o’clock. I woke up a few hours ago.”

“Where are Joe and Lauren?” I asked. The words were
muffled by the pillow under my mouth, of course he heard me.

“Lauren took Joe up to the main house for breakfast. I
already ate, but I can make you something if you want.”

“No, I’m tired. I’m just going to stay here all day.”

Soft fingers brushed the back of my lower left leg. I
shivered from his touch.

“Are you sure you want to stay here?” His voice was
soft and sexy. The fingers wandered down to the back of my knee, moving in
slow, swervy lines. He switched to the other leg. “I thought we could go for a
walk in the woods today. There’s something I want to show you.”

His fingers traveled slowly up my leg to my upper
thigh and I suddenly felt more alert. The thought of sleeping was now farthest
from my mind. I groaned, faking annoyance. “Go away.”

His finger stopped moving, I thought he was going to
do what I asked, but instead I felt his weight on top of me. “Fine, I’ll go all
by myself,” he whispered. His lips brushed against my ear. His breath was hot
and smelled of coffee. His fingers linked through mine, where my hands lay
above my head.

I turned on my back. Nate sat up to allow the
movement.

“I’m awake now, feed me.” I smiled at him, as he
leaned in for a good morning kiss.

An hour later, I was trekking through the woods
dodging branches and waving at the bugs buzzing around my face. They didn’t
seem to be bothering Nate. I was wearing a pale pink tank top, jean shorts and
flip flops. Not the best choice in footwear for hiking.

“Whatever it is you want to show me had better be good,”
I grumbled at the same time I slapped my upper arm after a mosquito took a
chunk out of it. It was a hot, stuffy July morning and I could tell that it was
only going to get worse. I just hoped this little adventure wouldn’t take long
so I could get back into the cool, air-conditioned cottage.

“We’ve barely walked ten feet. I guess you’re not much
of a hiker.”

I waved at the swarm of mosquitoes hovering in front
of my face. “What’s not to like?”

He laughed under his breath. “Don’t worry. It’s just
around this corner.”

We were following a well-used path. The grass in front
of us was worn away from frequent use and was now nothing more than dirt and
the occasional patch of mud. We turned the corner Nate had spoken of and he
pushed a pine branch out of my way to reveal a small house nestled in the
trees. It was a two-story, stone building that I would call a cottage, only
because it was so small. The small porch looked newer against the aging stone.
Obviously it was added years after the house was built. Two windows framed a
screened door and an old wooden rocking chair sat in front, just waiting for
someone to sit down and enjoy the view of the forest. Smoke rose out of the
chimney to complete the fairy tale appearance. I was waiting for the dwarfs to
come out of the house, whistling while they worked.

“Why is this here in the middle of nowhere?” I
whispered. I was afraid that if I spoke loudly the scene before me would
disappear.

“It’s where our groundskeeper lives, but it used to be
the Stewarts’ house.” He paused a moment to let me process what he had just
told me. I was standing in front of my ancestors’ home, where the original Lucy
had lived. Now countless other Stewarts had the same name. It was surreal to
stand in front of where our namesake grew up.

Nate took my hand and led me up onto the porch and
held the door open for me. The door creaked open, hitting the fridge behind it
with a
thud
. The tiny, multi-sized magnets shook, but stayed attached.
“Is anyone here?” I asked, feeling odd being in someone’s home without them.

“Martin is tending to the gardens, but don’t worry, he
said it was all right.” He took my hand, pulling me farther into the house. We
were standing in a small cozy kitchen. All the appliances were tiny and a
wooden table, only big enough for two, sat in front of the window. There was no
dishwasher, but it didn’t look like one would fit inside a kitchen so small.
“Different family members wanted to expand, to make more of a servants’
quarters for people who wanted to live close to where they worked. But since
the house is in my name, I told them no.”

“Why?”

“Because I wanted to preserve Lucy’s home and I like
it like this. This is the way it was meant to be.”

“I don’t get it. I thought you said the Stewarts lived
in my house.”

“A few years after I was bitten, my father bought it
from her parents, along with the surrounding houses, to give me more room to
run when I visited home. We helped them build your house the year after
Jonathan sold this to my father. There were other houses, but they were torn
down. My father left this one, knowing I couldn’t see her home destroyed.”

I was silent as I walked slowly around the house. The
living room was decorated with worn, masculine-looking furniture and for some
reason the room was full of stuffed fish. Two were on a wooden stand on the
fireplace mantel. A few more were on the walls and even more on the coffee
table and end tables. “Martin likes to fish,” Nate said, coming up behind me.

“I see that,” I laughed. It was certainly not how I
would decorate, but it was strangely comfortable. There was a brown leather
recliner pointed to a small TV in the corner and sitting beside the chair was a
pipe. If my grandfather was alive he would be comfortable here.

We wandered up the stairs where I found three small
bedrooms. I avoided the one that was occupied, choosing to give Martin some
privacy and drifted into a room with a single bed and flowered wallpaper. An
old antique dresser sat under a window. There was a lace doily in the center
and a silver brush and mirror lying on top. It looked as if Lucy finished
brushing her hair and just went outside for a quick errand. “This was her room,
wasn’t it?” I asked, gently picking up the mirror. The silver was tarnished,
but the design on the back of the mirror was beautiful. The silver was raised
in places to create vines around the edge and two small hearts interwoven with
the same vine design sat in the center.

“Yes. She shared it with her sister, Annabelle.”

“Was this hers?”

“Yes. I gave her the set for Christmas the year before
she was killed. Her parents left it for me to remember her by.”

“Why do you keep these here? Aren’t you worried
someone will take them?”

He laughed softly. “No. I trust everyone who works for
me. They are like family.” He bent down to open the top drawer on the dresser.
It looked empty until he lifted a thin board. It was a false bottom. A large,
rectangular, velvet blue box lay inside. He picked it up and handed it to me.
“But some things were meant to be kept private.”

I took the box, rubbing the soft surface and opened
it. Inside was a necklace.

“
It’s a
gemstone called chrysocolla. It was a gift from me to Lucy before she died. Her
mother returned it to me after she was killed.” It was a round greenish-blue
stone, surrounded by mini diamonds. It was truly beautiful. I rubbed my finger
over the stone; it was smooth and cold.

“Is this silver?” I asked, touching the delicate chain.

“Yes, I bought it before I was turned.”

I couldn’t take my eyes off the beautiful necklace in
my hand. I could see him smiling at me. “What are you smiling at?”

He sighed as a hint of sadness crept into his eyes.
“When I bought this I was told it was lucky and would bring the owner
happiness. But Lucy was wearing this the night she was killed. When I asked the
woman who made it what had happened, she told me that since I paid for it, I
was the owner and it would bring me happiness. Not Lucy.”

My brows furrowed in confusion. “But it still didn’t
work. She died. I’m sure that didn’t make you happy.”

He nodded. “I know. That’s what I said. But she told
me that Lucy wasn’t meant for me and the necklace would someday be in the hands
of the girl who was.” He gazed at me intently, then looked at the necklace
still in my hand. I gaped at him, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. Instead of
running away from him, like a part of me wanted to, I smiled with him, knowing
I was right where I wanted to be, where I was
supposed
to be. “I want
you to have this, but I can’t put it on you.”

“That’s fine. I want to keep it in the box for now.”

He nodded at the mirror and brush on the dresser. “I
want you to have these as well. They belonged to your ancestor.”

Looking down at the items laying on the wood, they
appeared to be waiting for their owner. I felt that if I took them it was some
sort of stealing. “Oh no, I couldn’t. They mean a lot to you. They belong in
her house.” I didn’t feel the same way about the velvet box in my hand.
Somewhere deep inside me recognized it as mine and I wasn’t giving it up.

“You’re right, they do and it would mean so much more
if you would keep them. She was your family.” He took my hands, wrapping his
hand around mine, making me pick up the mirror. He was being careful not to
touch the silver. He turned it until the mirror was facing up, showing my
reflection. It was dusty, but still intact. My face was flushed and my
expression held a look of wonder.

I started to object again, but when he whispered
softly in my ear, “Please.”

I gave up. Besides, they were so beautiful and the
idea of having something of one of my ancestors made me want to treasure it
forever. It was something I would like to pass on to my children, if I had any.

I turned around. “Thank you,” I whispered, wrapping my
arms around his shoulders.

We toured the rest of the house. The brush set wasn’t
the only thing that Lucy’s parents left. There were some old dishes that were
displayed in a cabinet in the living room and the rocking chair on the porch
was also from my ancestors. Once we were finished, we headed home.

Nate opened the door to the cottage for me. The cool
air was an instant relief after having been out in the heat and the stuffy
Stewart house. Lauren and Joe barely noticed our entrance. They were sitting at
the kitchen table, engrossed in a card game that looked like poker.

“Bollix,” Joe said, pounding his cards on the table.
There was a wad of bills in the center. Lauren’s cards were fanned out in front
of her. She smiled as she picked up the bills and counted them before stuffing
them into her pocket. “You didn’t tell me your niece was wicked, Nate. She
pretends not to know how to play and then wins all my money from me.” He shook
his head and rolled his eyes. “She’s a devil woman, is what she is.”

While he ranted, I looked at Lauren, who sat across
from him giggling. Her eyes were dreamy and her cheeks were red. Someone was
smitten with the Irish werewolf. I wasn’t sure if Nate noticed, but I wasn’t
going to tell him. He didn’t seem happy about the idea of the two of them
together.

I excused myself, needing some time alone and headed
to Nate’s bedroom. I placed the brush and mirror out on the dresser I had been
using and then sat on the bed, holding the velvet box in my hand. I opened it
again and could no longer resist. I had to put it on. Once I took the half-moon
necklace off, I put the silver one on and slipped into the washroom to look in
the mirror. It was beautiful. The bluish-green gem and diamonds was a perfect
match for my skin tone. I knew I couldn’t wear it all the time, not if I wanted
Nate to touch my neck, but for now I couldn’t help myself. I went out to join
the others, showing off my gift.

Nate’s eyes darkened when he spotted me. “It’s
perfect,” he whispered to himself, gazing at the gemstone. He seemed to be in a
daze, staring at my neck and then into my eyes. Finally he smiled. “You’re
beautiful.”

“Thank you.” I leaned in to give him a kiss.

“You do remember we’re here, right?” Joe asked from
behind us, where he still sat with Lauren playing cards. Nate and I laughed and
joined them for a hand of poker. Since my new necklace was lucky, maybe I would
turn the tables on Lauren.

Sometime later when the guys became hungry, Nate fired
up the grill and tossed on a bunch of steaks and potatoes. I helped Lauren make
a salad. Even though she grew up like me, she knew how to cook and seemed to
enjoy it. “So,” I said, chopping the last of the cucumbers and sliding them
into the bowl Lauren held in her hand. “How bad is it?”