Besides a few nightmares, Willow didn’t suffer any ill effects from her experience. When she spoke to me about it, she described it all as a bad dream. If she should need more help in the future, I’ll get it for her.
Truth be told, Willow is happy as a clam living at the mansion. She loves having Julian close by and Thomas is wonderful with her. In fact, she recently took Thomas to preschool for Grandparent’s day.
Technically he’s not her grandfather, however he’s the closest thing that she has. It made me misty watching them go off hand-in-hand. Plus, I would have paid good money to have seen Thomas sitting at a miniature table doing arts and crafts with all the children and grandparents. According to one of Willow’s teachers, he was quite the hit with the other children.
Thomas Drake, it turned out, is a big old softy.
When the September temperatures began to change, swinging dramatically back and forth from hot—to cool—to hot again, Willow came down with an ear infection. I truly don’t know who suffered more, Willow or Thomas. He insisted on going along to the pediatrician and I was damn tempted to send the nurses flowers as an apology afterward.
After Willow had been dosed with antibiotics and eardrops, Thomas worked a healing spell on her, which he promptly taught me how to do as well. He says that I am a natural with healing magick.
Thomas was good to his word about training me in magick. For myself, I’ve found it comforting to learn a magick that is healing and positive, as opposed to strictly defensive and protective. Julian rolled his eyes at me and said I’m an occult overachiever. But despite his teasing, he’s always there to answer a question about a spell, or to help me if I need it.
I discussed it with Thomas first, but I ended up trying a recipe in Irene’s cookbook. I chose the Avalon Apple Pie to invoke the wisdom of my ancestors, and had some wild dreams where I was sitting in the park chatting with my grandfather Phillip Drake.
He seems like he was a wonderful man. I wish I could have met him while he was alive.
I found myself smiling over that thought as I finished changing from my business clothes into casual jeans and a light sweater. I took my hair down from the clip I’d had it in for my meetings with an upcoming October bride and brushed it out to flow down my back.
We’d all been invited to Autumn and Duncan’s bungalow to celebrate Autumn’s birthday, and the equinox, with a family barbeque. I smiled at the sound of Willow’s voice. I could clearly hear her in her room next door to mine. She was talking to her dolls, having a tea party.
I walked over and poked my head in the doorway. “Hey, sugar pie, are you ready to go to the party?”
“I like barbeque!” She jumped to her feet, wearing jeans and an orange sweatshirt featuring a black cat.
I held out my hand. “Me too.”
“Mama, can we get a cat?” Willow wanted to know.
“Hmmm,” I said. “We’ll have to talk to Thomas about that.”
“It can stay in my room. I’ll take care of it,” she said.
We started down the staircase, dodging a few toys. It was common to find dolls and toys on the grand staircase these days, not to mention the huge custom baby gate that was stationed at the bottom. It was placed there as a precaution since Isabel is toddling. Thomas made the staff baby-proof the entire house too. Even the antique tables in the library and living room have safety corners on them now.
We were halfway down the stairs when Julian arrived home from the museum. He said hello to us as he swung a leg over the gate. He’d gone up a few risers and was in the act of unbuttoning the top buttons of his dress shirt as we passed each other.
“What’s that?” I asked, pointing to the collar of the pink stained undershirt peeking out from beneath his fancy designer dress shirt.
He raised his eyebrows. “Sorry, what?”
“Don’t play dumb with me,” I said. “It doesn’t suit that pretty face of yours.”
“I don’t have a pretty face. You do,” he said tugging on a lock of my hair.
I rolled my eyes. “Bullshit.” I poked him in the collarbone. “Why are you wearin’ that old thing? You’re the most fashion-conscious straight man I’ve ever known.”
“Uh-oh, Mama said, bullshit,” Willow announced with a laugh.
“Don’t say that word, sweetie,” I corrected automatically.
Julian brushed at an imaginary speck of lint from the sleeve of his tailored gray suit, but he didn’t answer.
“Julian…” I rolled my eyes. “I bought you a package of new undershirts several weeks ago. Willow even gift wrapped them.”
“With a pink ribbon,” Willow added.
“I happen to like this undershirt.” He shrugged. “It’s very comfortable. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to change for the family barbeque.”
Thomas stood smiling at the bottom of the stairs and watching our exchange. “Is everyone ready to go?”
“I am!” Willow sang.
“I’ll be down in two minutes,” Julian called, and hustled up the stairs.
I stood there trying not to laugh as my handsome cousin sauntered off, perfectly comfortable in his pink stained undershirt.
***
Autumn and Duncan’s Craftsman style bungalow was absolutely charming. I stood in the cheerful red and white kitchen, helping put a salad together, while Ivy and Holly argued over the best way to assemble a fruit and cheese platter.
My great-aunt Faye wasn’t with us today, and while I was secretly relieved that I wouldn’t have to put up with her attitude, I did my best not to show it.
“Aunt Faye is off on a six month tour of Europe with Dr. Meyers,” Holly told me.
“That’s nice,” I said, trying to sound like I meant it.
“I bet you five bucks they end up getting married,” Ivy said.
Willow chased Morgan through the kitchen, and the two
