ROMANCE: Mason (Bad Boy Alpha Male Stepbrother Romance Boxset) (New Adult Contemporary Stepbrother Romance Collection) (56 page)

“Sure.  Where do you work?”

“Macy’s Hair Salon at the mall.  You need a job?” 

“I do, but all I know how to do is wait tables and wash dishes.” 

“Oh.”  Mika seemed obviously disappointed.  “Maybe Winnie could use your help today.”

“Where do they live?”

“Not far.  It’s only about a mile or a little more.  Did you see a driveway that looked more like a path entrance when you guys came in?”

“I wasn’t paying attention.” 

“Oh…well…that’s the entrance to their place.  It’s a little house…an old house…I think it’s haunted.”  She confided. 

Autumn buried her nose and busied her lips with the mug to stop herself from laughing at Mika’s slanted eyes bugging out.  She certainly believed the house was haunted. 

“Why do you think that?”

She sat down suddenly, her thin arms folded on the table in front of her.  “Brian took me there for a cookout during the summer and I needed to use the bathroom.”  She shook her head.  “I think it must have been slave quarters or something, because I heard moaning and chains.”  She nodded her head in confirmation.  “I had to hold my pee!  I just couldn’t go in there!” 

Autumn sputtered coffee and giggled.  “I’m sorry.  I don’t mean to laugh.”

“You don’t believe in ghosts either?”

Autumn lifted her eyebrows.  “A week ago I would have said no.  Since I met Dalton…let’s just say I’m game for anything.” 

Mika grinned.  “It’s a wild ride being with a werewolf, that’s for sure!”  She gave Autumn a coy smile.  “So, what’s up with you and Dalton?”

Autumn’s face sobered.  “I wish I knew.”

“You aren’t here to be with him?”

“No.” 

Mika looked confused and pulled at her pony tail.  “That’s weird.” 

“I guess it is.”

“Brian said you were meant for Dalton.”

Autumn furrowed her brow.  “Why would he say that?”

Mika sat straighter, pride for her man oozing from her pores.  “Brian has a little of the sight.”

“Like a clairvoyant?”

She nodded rapidly.  “Kind of like that.  He knows things about people sometimes.  Like once this guy just brushed against him accidentally on a sidewalk in Fredericksburg, and Brian knew he was getting ready to rob a store.”  She slapped her thin hands on the table.  “Sure enough he entered a little Habib store a block away and tried to rob them, but the owner had something else for him and shot him dead.”

“Why does he think I’m meant for Dalton?”  She asked before Mika could launch into another Brian sight story.

“He said your souls are connected.  He also…”  She stopped, her eyes wide.  “I need to get to work!”  She jumped from the chair like it was hot.  Autumn jumped up too and stopped her. 

“What else, Mika?”

Mika shut her eyes and actually leaned her forehead in the middle of Autumn’s chest, her voice pained and muffled. 

“I’m such a blabber mouth!” 

Autumn gently lifted her away from her chest.  “It’s ok, Mika, I won’t repeat it.” 

“He said you have a darkness in you.  Nothing bad…just something natural.  He thinks your future holds something supernatural.”

“Dalton?”

“Not just Dalton.  He thinks you will be something supernatural.”  She looked at Autumn in a pleading way.  “Please don’t tell.  Brian would be very angry.”

“Of course not.”  Autumn tried to smile.  “I won’t tell.”

Mika walked away happily to get ready for work.  Autumn watched her and rubbed her cramping stomach.  He thinks you will be something supernatural.  Will be…

Autumn wrote a hasty note to Dalton and waited by the front door for Mika.  When she emerged, her face transformed by thick makeup, Autumn requested a ride to Winnie’s. 

The only word to describe Winnie and Chuck’s place was: homestead.  The dirt driveway was more like a path than anything else, but it opened to a sight which made Autumn smile. 

The little house, made of stone, was the center, but she could see a field beyond it which backed up to a tree line.  On the opposite side was a copse of trees, and she could make out another upward sloping field of grass which held several cows separated by wooden fencing which held a smaller area for two horses.  Everywhere she looked there were things growing.  Late blooming flowers, and she smiled at a small pumpkin patch to the left side of the property.  The entire area had to be at least five to ten acres. 

Winnie was chopping wood, and stopped when she heard the car pull up.  She yanked work gloves from her hands and frowned as Mika came to a stop. 

“Good luck.”  Mika giggled.  “Don’t punch her again.  Play nice.”

Autumn shot her a wryly look.  “Yes, Mom.”  Autumn got out of the car and waved as Mika backed the car around and drove away, her little hatchback bumping along the path.

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to see if I could help you with anything.”

“Why?”  Winnie squinted into the square of sunlight Autumn was standing in. 

Autumn shrugged.  “Mika said you might need help.  I honestly didn’t want to be at Dalton’s alone today.”

Winnie regarded her for a moment, weighing her and deciding her worth.  She motioned with her head.  “Come on, then; I’ll show you around.”

After the tour, which Autumn was highly impressed with, Winnie took her into the house.  Autumn looked at the dark wood beams of the ceiling and noted how the gleaming wood of the floor matched in stain.  Dry wall covered most of the walls, but there was a strip running along the front and back door which showed the original stone like the outside.  The bottom floor was one large room.  The living room bleed into the kitchen.  Accordion doors were open on the far side of the large room, and Winnie pulled them shut, hiding the washer and dryer which were there.  All of the furniture was rustic and many pieces looked exquisitely handmade. 

“Wow, Winnie.  This place is beautiful!”

Winnie gave her a half smile.  “Thanks.  It took a lot of work.” 

“Mika thinks this place is haunted.”

“So I’ve heard.”  She said dryly.

“She thinks this might have been a slaves quarters.”

“And it was.  We checked the county records.  The manor house burned to the ground in the mid 1850’s.  The original property encompassed this acreage and Dalton’s as well, plus another hundred acres to the west of Dalton’s.” 

“That’s huge!” 

She nodded.  “The original property was about a two hundred acres.”  She looked around the room lovingly.  “Want to see the upstairs?”

“Sure.” 

Autumn followed Winnie up a narrow stairway which turned abruptly after the sixth step.  The final six steps led to a hallway with a bright bathroom at the end.  Two windows were to Autumn’s right, and she could see the cow and horse fields clearly.  On her left were two bedrooms.  One was obviously Winnie and Chuck’s, but the other was completely empty.  Autumn stared into the room, disconcerted by the Noah’s Ark themed border which ran the perimeter of the room.  Winnie’s voice spoke quietly behind her. 

“We were expecting a little over a year ago.”

Autumn turned her head and looked at Winnie, her face stretched in surprise.

“We lost her.  It was my third loss.”

Autumn’s eyes enlarged with sympathy.  “Oh God, Winnie, you were far enough along to know it was a girl?”

Her eyes moved off of Autumn’s face and into the room beyond.  “I was six months along.  The others, I was only about five or six weeks.”

“I’m so sorry.”

Her face hardened slightly.  “So was I.”  She backed away and Autumn could hear her footsteps going back down the stairs, her voice wafted up to her.  “Come on down.  I’ll fix us something to eat.”

By five that evening, Autumn had learned the horses names, had fed chickens, and was currently being taught how to use a canner, as Winnie canned the last harvest of black eyed peas. 

“I like to dry these too.”

Autumn shook her head.  “You’re amazing.  How in the world did you learn all of this?  You’re so young!”

Winnie laughed.  “Not as young as you think.  Didn’t Dalton explain about our age being different from humans?” 

“He said you guys live longer.”

“Yes.  I look young, but I’m nearly forty.” 

Autumn’s eyes boggled.  “And Chuck?”

“Thirty five.”

“Wow.” 

Winnie laughed.  “Aren’t you going to ask about Dalton and Brian?”  When Autumn only shrugged she continued.  “Dalton is actually twenty seven and Brian twenty four.”  

“Is twenty seven young for an alpha?”

Winnie shrugged.  “A little maybe.  We were in a pack together was in Williamsburg, Thomas, the alpha there, is in his late thirties.  He was a good leader.  Still is, I guess.”

“Why did you chose Dalton, then?” 

Winnie twisted her lips.  “He has special talents.  He is a good leader too, he just needs some honing.  I haven’t always been very nice to him.  I guess I’ve just been too focused on the pack being strong and fruitful.”  She looked at Autumn with a raw expression.  “I guess my biggest problem was my own fruitful problems.”

Autumn touched her arm lightly.  “Don’t give up.” 

The front door banged open and Chuck walked in.  His ruddy cheeks glowed as he marched to Winnie and planted a big kiss on her lips.  He looked at Autumn sheepishly.  “Sorry.  I always greet her that way when I’ve been gone.”

Autumn laughed.  “It’s ok.”

“I’m surprised to see you here.” 

“I had Mika drop me off.” 

Winnie smiled and pulled out of Chuck’s embrace.  “Yeah, she’s seen the sights and I’m teaching her how to can.” 

“Good!  You need a little help.  Hey did the lumber yard call today?”

Winnie shook her head.  In explanation she said to Autumn, “He’s on a temporary layoff from the lumber mill he normally works at.”

Autumn nodded her understanding. 

A knock sounded at the door right before Dalton stuck his head in.  When he caught sight of Autumn his face immediately broke into a grin and he felt his heart leap into his throat.

“Hey.”  She said, with a little wave.

“Hey yourself.”  He came all the way in, and Autumn could see he had more paint on his white painters pants than he probably stroked onto whatever he had been painting.  Some was even speckled through his hair.

“How was your day?”

“Dirty.”  He laughed.  “But the good news is that old man Taylor wants the inside of his place painted after we finish the outside.” 

“Awesome.” 

“Yeah, it is.  Money for bills is awesome.”  He nodded to Winnie.  “Glad to see you both getting along today.” 

Winnie rolled her eyes.  “You knew last night that we were fine.”

“True.”  He slid his eyes back to Autumn.  “Ready to go home?”

Chuck and Winnie exchanged a glance, both smirking. 

“Yeah, sure.”  Autumn waved to Winnie.  “I’ll be back tomorrow, if it’s ok, for more good fun.” 

Winnie smiled, a sight which amazed Dalton and warmed Chuck.  She hadn’t smiled much of late.  “Sounds good.  More great fun tomorrow.” 

Dalton crammed a handful of chips in his mouth.  Autumn rolled her eyes and pushed the cart into another aisle. 

“We’re going to be arrested for shop lifting.” 

Dalton shook his head adamantly, chip crumbs flying from the corners of his mouth.  “No, I’ll have them ring it up at the register, even if I finish it.” 

Autumn snatched the bag out of his hand and folded the top over, placing it in the cart.  Dalton pouted and tried to grab the bag again.  Autumn smacked his hand away. 

“Hey!  I’m hungry!” 

“You’re acting like a child.”  Autumn grabbed a box of Cheerios from the shelf and threw it in the basket. 

“Ugh.  Cheerios.”

“What’s wrong with those?”

“Bland, tasteless, did I mention bland?”  He counted off the reasons on his fingers. 

Autumn smirked and pushed the cart further along.  Dalton stared into the cart assessing the contents.  His mouth twisted disdainfully. 

“Look at all of this healthy stuff!  Can’t we get some cookies or something?”

“You’re buying the stuff, Dalton, get what you want.  You told me to pick out some things I wanted.” 

He lifted a round container from the cart.  “Did you eat hummus up there in the mountains?” 

Autumn’s face clouded.  “Not very often.  Some days I only ate at the lodge on my break.” 

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that sometimes we didn’t have food in the house, so I would have to wait for work to eat.” 

Dalton watched her continue up the aisle.  Once again he wanted to snap the neck of her boyfriend and mother.  Ex-boyfriend.  He reminded himself.

Teddy Roberts rubbed his jaw and waited patiently for the police officer to finish speaking to Becky.  His eye twitched nervously.  Autumn had been missing for five days.  Five days without a call, a note…nothing.  Yeah, that bitch would have some explaining to do for sure.