Stone Passions Trilogy (28 page)

Jennifer chuckled as she gazed at her youngest daughter, “Melanie was a reminder that even the best laid plans don’t always work out, something we needed to learn. We had to rush around to prepare for a second baby.”

“And she has kept us on our toes ever since,” Jenner grinned proudly, once again ruffling Melanie’s hair. His smile faded as he turned an assessing eye towards Vaughn. “Including bringing home a new boyfriend when we hadn’t realized she’d broken up with her last one.”

“Dad,” Melanie frowned at her dad’s twisted sense of humor. “I broke up with Peter months ago and you know that.”

“Well, I’ve always thought Peter was a prick,” Jensen interjected, leaning back in the couch and crossing his arms over his chest. Turning his head towards Vaughn, he narrowed his eyes, “I have yet to decide if you are, too.”

“Jensen,” Melanie hissed, glaring at her brother. Without taking her eyes off Jensen, she muttered to Vaughn, “Maybe introducing you to the family wasn’t such a great idea after all.”

Her parents laughed and Vaughn saw the glimmer of laughter in Melanie’s eyes as well. The affection they held for each other was so powerful and he had never known. The hope that had been building inside of him was quickly fading because he couldn’t ask her to give any of this up. Armand was right: this was going to end in heart break. But she was with him now and she loved him and that was enough. Swallowing down the despair, he joined in the laughter, finding that if he ignored his pain, he really liked Melanie’s family.

The front door opened and closed and Ferris scrambled off Melanie’s lap to greet the newcomer. Melanie stood up as well, smiling down at Vaughn. Since she still held his hand in hers, he stood up as well. Jenna was walking around the corner, her head down as she said, “I saw Melanie’s car in the drive way….”

Her smile froze as she lifted her head and saw Vaughn standing there. Her gaze quickly assessed the situation, glancing at the joined hands and then flying to Melanie’s face. Jenna’s cheeks were rosy from the cold but grew redder as she met her sister’s eyes. “Is this him?”

“You knew about him?” Jennifer asked in disbelief and a little bit of hurt.

The girls had looked similar before, when he had seem them side by side while he was a gargoyle, but now he could see and appreciate the subtle differences: the color of their hair, the shape of their faces, their similar eye color. The sadness in Jenna’s eyes still shadowed her and he could understand Melanie’s wish to see her sister – her twin! – happy again. Ferris stood by her mom, the quintessential little girl, oblivious to the charged atmosphere around her. Hoping to disrupt the tension before it grew, he stepped forward and took Jenna’s hand in his, shaking it instead of bringing it to his mouth for a kiss. “I’m Vaughn.”

“He’s gonna marry Aunt Mellie,” Ferris beamed and suddenly the room was filled with voices as everyone looked at Melanie and Vaughn and started talking at once.

“Is this true?” Jenner asked.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Jennifer cried

“Ferris, hush,” Jenna scolded, watching her sister’s face.

“Are you pregnant?” Jensen asked, effectively silencing the entire group.

“Oh, dear God,” Jennifer breathed, putting her hand against her forehead and sinking gracefully onto the couch.

“I’ll kill you,” Jenner growled, taking a step towards Vaughn before Melanie put a restraining hand on his arm and shook her head, her cheeks beet red.

“Daddy, no!” she cried. Taking a deep breath, still clinging to Vaughn’s hand, she sighed, “I’m not pregnant and we’re not getting married and we told Ferris as much when she asked us that question when we first arrived.”

“She asked if you were pregnant?” Jenna asked doubtfully.

Melanie’s face flamed brighter, “No! She asked if we were going to get married but we’re not. We’re just getting to know one another!”

Vaughn’s gut twisted by the vehemence in her voice when she explained they weren’t getting married. He understood it but he didn’t like it. If she was this opposed to marriage, she would be even more reluctant to complete the ritual and he realized he wanted her to want to commit to him.  Uncomfortable, he slid his hand from hers, hoping she didn't realize how much her denial had wounded him.

“But I’ve never seen you look at Peter the way you look at Vaughn,” Ferris cajoled, appearing bewildered as she looked between Melanie and Vaughn. “You love him.”

“Of course I do, sweetie,” Melanie sighed in exasperation, squatting down so that the two of them were face to face. Taking the little girl’s hands in her own, she smiled at Ferris, “I hope that someday we will get married but we haven’t made those plans yet. Besides,” with a wink towards Vaughn, she leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, but loud enough for everyone to hear, “He hasn’t asked me.”

Air rushed back into Vaughn's lungs and he was able to breathe once again. As he looked around at her family, he saw that they were all watching Melanie with quiet wonderment. Her father met his eyes and he saw… acceptance there. Jenner reached out his hand and solemnly said, “Welcome to the family, son.”

“Thank you, sir,” Vaughn managed to croak out over the lump in his throat as he shook the man’s hand. It was strange to be called son when he had several hundred years on the man but at the same time, he felt like a child. He had just been welcomed into this wonderful family and they had no idea who or what he was. Their daughter loved him and that was enough. It was a huge responsibility and he hoped he was strong enough to bear it.

“Well,” Jennifer murmured, wiping a tear from her eye. Stepping forward she wrapped her arms around Vaughn and pulled him into a motherly hug. Unable to help himself, he returned the hug as affection for this group bubbled up inside of him. She looped her arm through his as she led him into the dining room, since Jenna was back with the wine and it was time to eat. Helplessly, he looked over his shoulder as Jenna and Melanie looped their arms together and followed, their heads bent together as they talked quietly.

His heart skipped a beat in his chest when Melanie looked up and caught him looking at her. Her lips curved into a beautiful smile before she returned to her conversation with Jenna. In that moment he knew that she was going to be all right, no matter what happened in the future, and he was grateful for it.

“You didn’t tell me he was so gorgeous,” Jenna whispered as they went off to the guestroom after dinner. Because there was a snow advisory, Melanie and Vaughn decided it would be a good idea to spend the night. So after dinner, the two girls volunteered to make up the guestroom, not that Melanie was going to make Vaughn sleep in it. She had plans that involved christening her childhood bed. “You also failed to mention that he’s rich, making his money through investments and dealing in antiquities and art.”

“I know,” Melanie shrugged, taking the sheets from the linen closet as they passed it and continuing on into the guest room. Actually, she hadn’t known he was so wealthy because it had never come up before her dad had asked what Vaughn did for a living. She knew he came from money – one does not live in the apartment he does without some wealth – but she hadn’t thought about it. In truth, she just assumed Armand was the wealthy one and his brothers just lived on his generosity. Now, knowing that they were gargoyles, and apparently older than she first believed, it only made sense that they were affluent.

“He’s so polite,” Jenna continued. “Mom and dad were both charmed and it’s safe to say Ferris adores him.”

Melanie laughed at that, having just left the little girl on his lap as he read her a bedtime story. The sight of him with the little girl sent a pang of awareness through her and she fell even more in love with him. Sure, he was gorgeous, but there was something that was intrinsically Vaughn that spoke to her and drove her wild.

Jenna eyed her critically for a moment before blurting, “You’re planning on having him sleep with you in your bed tonight, aren’t you?”

“Did you see him, Jenna?” Melanie teased, putting a fresh pillow case on a pillow. “Of course I’m going to have him sleep with me.”

Jenna tossed the pillow she was holding at Melanie, catching her off guard and making her laugh. “I supposed it is only fair since Jeremy slept in my bed many, many times.”

Melanie smiled, happy to see her sister talk about Jeremy with a smile and not be reduced to tears. Tossing the pillow back, Melanie grinned wickedly, “Oh, I don’t think he slept at all.”

“He didn’t,” Jenna replied with a saucy smile. After a moment of silence, she sat down on the bed and sighed, “I loved Jeremy with all of my heart but sometimes… sometimes I miss the intimacies of being with another person.”

Melanie sat down next to her, putting her arms around her and hugging her. “I know you loved him, Jenna, but he wouldn’t want you to be forever alone.”

“I know,” Jenna agreed. “But for almost seven years, my entire life has been about Ferris, first being pregnant and then raising her and I don’t have the first idea how to get back into the dating game. Hell, I’ve never actually played the game. I mean, Jeremy is all I have ever known.”

“Well,” Melanie said slowly, weighing her next words carefully in her head. “Vaughn does have two brothers….”

Jenna snorted, “You’re not trying to set me up with either of them again, are you?”

“It’s just something to consider,” Melanie replied dejectedly. “They’re nearly as gorgeous as Vaughn….”

“Then what would either one of them want with the mother of a small child?” Jenna snorted again, irrationally unable to believe that any guy would want her. Not only was she gorgeous, she was the sweetest, move loving person Melanie knew.

“They would be lucky to have you,” Melanie told her with absolute conviction. “I think that the six of us should make plans to go to the Winter Carnival at the end of this month. That way you can get to know them and they can see what an angel you are.”

“Melanie,” Jenna warned, laughing in spite of herself.

“You’re right,” Melanie sighed, before her lips curled into a wicked smile. “They’re not the types who want an angel. They want a little bit of the devil, at least when it comes to sex.”

Licking her lips, swiping a strand of hair behind her ear, Jenna looked down at her hands folded in her lap. “Is… does he… is he good?”

Melanie fell backwards and smiled up at the ceiling, “Better than good… the best I’ve ever had.”

Jenna fell back next to her sister on the bed. “That’s not saying much; you had never been all that impressed with Peter.”

Turning her head, Melanie met her sister’s gaze, “I can’t even remember what it was like with Peter because Vaughn has filled all of my senses. Somehow he is a part of me and I’m a part of him.”

“Melanie, don’t say such things,” Jenna whispered desperately, clutching Melanie’s hand in her own and looking at her with wide, frightened eyes. “You’ve said yourself that you barely know him so what are you thinking by falling in love with him?”

“Wasn’t it like that for you and Jeremy?” Melanie asked quietly.

“And look how that ended,” Jenna replied in a hushed voice. “In the end, he’ll break your heart.”

“But don’t you see? The fear of getting hurt is what kept me with Peter for so long.” Melanie frowned in thought, “Even if this thing with Vaughn crashes and burns tomorrow I will have no regrets. I mean, do you have any regrets?”

Tears glistened in Jenna’s eyes but she had to admit that she had none. “I just wished he had lived longer.”

“I know, sweetie,” Melanie murmured, hugging her sister and kissing the top of her head. “We all wish that.”

Chapter Fourteen

Melanie opened the door of her room and stuck her head out into the hall, glancing both ways before quietly making her way to Vaughn’s room. Not bothering to knock, she opened the door and peeked inside, not entirely surprised to see him still awake and standing at the window, staring out. He looked over his shoulder and smiled at her, making her bones melt and her heart skip a beat or two. “Hey, you.”

“Hey,” she whispered, slipping into the room and shutting the door behind her. She made her way over to the window and stood next to him, sliding her hand into his as they watched the snow drift gracefully down. Leaning her head against his shoulder, she asked, “So, what do you think?”