Authors: Taryn A. Taylor

The Secret (34 page)

BOOK: The Secret

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Rob shook his head and smothered a grin. “I can’t say that it’s not nice to see the bull dog put in his place.”

Two tumbling blonde toddlers screeched down the hill behind us. Reed’s two little boys ran straight for their father. He picked each of them up with a separate hand and lifted them over his head. “The twin terrors! Sup monster guys! You’ll be able to put your dad in his place one day, huh?”

They giggled and drool flew through the air.

I laughed.

Reed shoved them toward me. “Say hi to your Auntie Lane-ster and your cousin.”

The boys squirmed as I lifted Kira to their dangling height, and she grabbed at their faces.

“I can’t believe you gave them rhyming names.” I shook my head and tickled under one of their necks, unsure which one it was.

Reed looked at me. “It’s a good thing you’re starting that school.” He bent closer and whispered, “I caught Franz hovering in the air the other day. Like totally above his crib, just sitting in the air.”

“What?” I couldn’t believe it.

Reed laughed and put the boys down in one fell swoop. “They’re perfect, just like their old man.”

The boys scampered off.

Rob coughed. “Yeah.”

Reed grinned. “And, today, I caught Franz doing it again. And Hans was just staring up at him with this look that said, ‘you’re goin’
down
’.” Reed exhaled. “Yep, you need to figure it all out, Lanie.”

I let out an exasperated sigh, shifting Kira in my arms. “No,
we
have to figure it out.”

Reed grinned and puffed his chest out. “I’ve created two Supermans, I’ve done my part.”

Rob rolled his eyes. “Oh, brother.”

I play punched Reed in the shoulder. “Right, Man of Steel, baby!”

Reed flexed. “Yep.”

“Aren’t you under orders?” Rob turned to Reed.

“You mean to keep the twin terrors in check? You betcha!”

The twins ran past the wedding tent and one of them knocked into a pole. The tent shifted.

Rob cocked his head to the side in doubt.

Reed shrugged. “They’re fine.”

“Reed!” Marsha’s calm, yet shrill voice rang out.

Reed immediately scampered after the twins and lifted his hands into the air. “Keep your pants on, Woman, I’m going!”

I turned to see Marsha gliding down the hill toward us. She wore a sequined, strapless red dress with a white, oblong flower on the front side of her hip. Her hair drifted down her shoulders in soft, loose curls. Her lips were perfectly sculpted with a bright matching red. I’d almost forgotten how put together she always managed to look.

I held an arm out to offer a hug, despite the weight of Kira in the other one. “Hey.”

She ignored me and went directly for Kira, pulling her out of my grasp. All pretenses fell from Marsha’s face as she hugged Kira to her. “You got the dress I sent.” She kept Kira against her. “I’ve missed you. Do you remember your Auntie?”

“Auntie!” Kira sang out.

Marsha lifted her into the air and laughed. “Yay!”

Kira’s blue eyes got wide and she put her hands to her dress. “Pretty.”

“Yes, pretty. Auntie Marsha will always make you pretty, Kira.” She brought her down and threw me a look of disdain. “But your mommy needs a lesson on hair.” She snapped behind her to a twitchy-looking assistant. “Bring me some flowers and a clear band.”

The assistant scattered off.

Kira frowned at Marsha’s tone. “Nice.”

Marsha put her smile back into place. “It’s okay, Auntie’s not upset. We’ll make your hair the prettiest in all the land.”

“She needs a girl.” Rob whispered to me.

Kira took Marsha’s hand. “
Nice
.”

Marsha froze, her face going completely blank.

I coughed. This had
not
been the way I’d planned on telling her about the most recently discovered power.

Marsha turned to me and her eyes filled with tears. “It’s like Sam, but she
gave
me the feeling.”

I nodded and moved to take Kira out of her arms. The smell of Marsha’s expensive perfume washed over me. “The only thing Jake and I can figure is that her powers have magnified to the point where she can take and give her feelings to others.”

Kira wiggled and I put her down.

Marsha blinked out a round of tears and she wiped under her eyes.

I took a chance and pulled her in for a hug. “I know, Marsha. I miss him, too.”

Marsha hugged me for an instant and then pulled back. She cocked an eyebrow and started for the big tent. “Let’s remember today isn’t about you, Lanie.”

I closed my eyes. That was Marsha; prickly and soft in the same moment.

“Welcome home.” Rob let out a sigh and squeezed my shoulder.

Warm hands pressed down on my shoulders and I smelled fresh rain before I saw him. “It
is
good to be home.”

“Hey!” Rob pulled Jake into a hug.

Jake turned back and our eyes met.

A warm chill rushed through me and I felt goose bumps on my arms. How could he still do that to me after six years? After touring the world together and having our beautiful, Kira? How could his physical presence still alert every part of me?

He bent down and our lips met. The softness of him rolled through me like the rich aroma of melted chocolate.

I reached out to stabilize myself against him.

He pulled me closer, like a harbor welcoming a storm-tossed ship back to safety. “Hey.” He kept his lips close to mine.

I giggled and pulled away from him.

Kira was at our legs and her arms were stretched up. “Daddy!”

Jake picked up Kira and nudged into Rob. “How ya hangin’ in there?”

Rob’s face paled slightly. “I’m fine.”

Jake gave a thoughtful nod. “You should be fine. I just saw how fabulous the bride looks.”

Rob straightened the cuffs of his sleeves. “Really? How’s she doing? It’s killing me not to see her today. That’s a stupid, irrational myth about seeing the bride before you’re married.” He lifted a finger, slipping into lecture mode. “In fact, in the research—”

As if on cue, the light wedding music shifted into a version of the wedding march.

Jake and I shared a relieved look. We would be spared a lecture from Professor Hart.

Marsha spoke into a microphone. “Ladies and gentleman, please take your seats in preparation for the bride to walk down the aisle.”

People moved to the white arranged chairs.

Rob took my hand. “You sure you don’t mind being the best ‘man’?”

I pulled Kira up into my arms. “I’d be insulted if I wasn’t.”

Jake rushed back to the mansion-sized cabin. Karen had asked him to give her away.

“I’ll see ya at the end of the aisle.” He blew me a kiss.

I moved into position next to Rob. The reverence of the Flat Irons rushed through me like the peace I’d felt when Jake and I had walked into the Sistine Chapel for the first time.

Rob squeezed my hand and then let his hand drop. He looked worried for a second. “You’re staying home now, right? No more touring the world?”

I winked at him and nodded, resolutely, willing my words to instill confidence. “We have plans. Big plans. New school, remember?”

The pianist started the wedding march and the audience stood. Karen and Jake appeared at the end of the sea of red.

I did a double take. Karen’s hair was up with tendrils falling around her brown cheeks. She didn’t have her glasses on and her eyes were punctuated with just the right makeup that made her look exotic. Her simple, white dress fell around her in just the right princess cut fashion.

Rob cleared his throat.

I turned to him. “You okay?”

Rob looked past me and broke into a wide grin. “The choices we make today, Lanie. That’s what counts.”

I chuckled softly as Jake handed off the bride to my big brother.

Jake moved next to Kira and me.

A soft flutter rose into me like the last smoke from a flame. He was right. We would make our own history now.

“What?” Jake whispered into my ear.

The ceremony started and I shrugged.

But he wouldn’t let me off the hook. He kept his gaze riveted to mine during the whole ceremony. The intensity in his eyes reminded me of the small ceremony on the warehouse steps, not long after graduation.

The audience applauded and I turned to see Rob and Karen kissing.

Jake pulled me into his side. “What are you thinking, Lanie?”

Tears streaked down my face. “We’re normal.”

He frowned in that confused way of his. “Is that good or bad?”

I laughed and a slow song came on. The audience began retreating toward the house for dinner. “We’re standing at my brother’s wedding and our baby girl is at our feet. And we’re going to settle down and start a school and not run from anyone or have anyone chasing us.” I shrugged. “We’re normal. It’s good.”

Jake kissed me softly. “It’s better than good; it’s perfect.”

A note from the author

A note from the Author

When I first began writing The Secret, the only thing I knew…was Lanie Hart wanted to find a home. And, even though the characters were so different in so many ways, that’s what they all basically wanted: someplace they could be themselves, someplace they were accepted, someplace they were loved.

I’m a romantic at heart and, of course, I had to have a love triangle in there. It was super hard, in a cry and eat more chocolate kind of way, for me to kill off Sam. I loved him. But, isn’t that the best kind of love? The kind you can’t have and lose everything for?

Sigh.

And, yes, I love Jake, too. He and Lanie have true love. The kind a person instantly recognizes and the kind that lasts forever.

Another sigh.

Maybe, maybe one day mankind will be threatened from the other side and the characters from The Secret, or their offspring, will have to combine to save everything and everyone they’ve ever loved.

Maybe.

Thank you for reading it and, hopefully, loving it, too.

About the Author

Photo by Patrick Youngblood.

TARYN A. TAYLOR

Taryn A. Taylor grew up moving from small town to small town every few years. This helped her gain an appreciation for good books, loyal friends, and the fact that a home is a lot more than a house - it’s the people that love you. After receiving a B.A. in English and an M.A. in Communications, she finally began putting all of her stories down on paper, finding it most helpful to eat chocolate during this process. In between raising four amazing boys she loves to go on dates with her husband and watch movies late into the night.

Find Taryn at:

Blog link: taryntaylor.blogspot.com

Twitter: @tarynataylor

Facebook: Taryn A. Taylor

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