“Mother will be pleased to see you, and you know you are always welcome in any of our homes.” Michael nodded politely again as he took Gram’s arm deferentially and guided her to the main doors.
They were halfway down the boardwalk before Alexia finally found her tongue and could speak again. “I don’t believe what just happened.”
“Hmmm, love? What’s wrong?” Gram pulled her into another building, this one a restaurant. Alexia waited until they’d been seated, rather quickly, on the deck before she voiced her concerns.
“Gram, I’m here to take care of you, not to let you stay with neighbors while I go dancing with someone I’m never going to see again after this holiday is over.”
“Meh.” Gram leaned forward and patted her cheek. “I told you all the boys were going to be after you.” She gave a contented smile as she turned her chair to better see the ocean. “He won’t be the only one, I guarantee it.”
The morning passed in a blur, and Alexia grew more and more confused. Gram hauled her from location to location, insisting there was something she needed at each stop.
Yet Gram purchased nothing but coffee and cake at the restaurant, and even that had been “on the house” once the manager, another of the Marley brothers, came to the table to give his personal greetings. By the end of the morning, Alexia had been reintroduced to at least a dozen of the playmates she’d gained over summers past. Now they were all sensual men who watched her with their bright eyes and more than a passing interest. Alexia felt the heat of their stares as they examined the necklace hanging between her breasts, their gazes lingering on her body.
They all found an opportunity to touch her casually in passing, her arm, her shoulder or they kissed her knuckles as they bent low over her hand. Part of her rebelled and wondered why she was being fawned over. Part of her grew hot and bothered and wondered what she could do to make them never stop. A low buzz of anticipation grew throughout her body and by lunchtime it was enough.
“Time to go home, Gram.”
“But there’s a couple more—”
“No.” Alexia rubbed her temples with her fingertips. “They will have to wait until tomorrow. Since you insist I go out tonight, I suggest we spend some time at home this afternoon. We can go through some of the things you want put aside for the research fellow who’s supposed to contact us soon.” She glanced at her grandmother to see Gram staring back with a great deal of surprise on her lined face.
Alexia gave her a gentle smile. “You’re not used to anyone telling you ‘no’, are you?”
Gram turned her face away to stare out the window but not before Alexia caught the small pout on the older woman’s lips. It was clear from the morning outing everyone in the small beachside community went out of their way to spoil her grandmother. She reached across the car seat and squeezed Gram’s hand for a moment. Alexia wasn’t displeased with the knowledge, but she was in dire need of a cold shower before attempting to accomplish anything of value in the afternoon. Her whole body was edgy and raw. Tight. Like she was being drawn thin and taut, and needed to be poured into before she could find release.
Joshua glanced up from his workbench to see a group of his brothers marching rapidly down the boardwalk, heads close together as if they shared some great secret. He fought the impulse to call out and instead waited to see if they planned to include him. A flash of pain shot through him as they passed the window with barely a nod and a wave in acknowledgement.
Why it had become okay to ignore him, Joshua never understood. The “when” had started the first summer he’d been sent away, but as to the “why”, there was no rhyme or reason he could see. As the youngest he had a lot in common with the mob, even though he had chosen a more artistic line of work.
He wiped his fingers on his apron, removing a trace of the glue that clung from his latest project. The mirror surrounded by an intricate mosaic made of shell fragments was nearly ready for shipping, and he admired it once more before being distracted by passersby.
Joshua puzzled over what he saw. There were more people than usual headed to the Beachshore Inn this evening. More of his relatives. The male relatives.
He wiped his hands carefully and removed his work apron. He ran upstairs and as quickly as possible showered and changed into a clean shirt and jeans. He deliberated whether he should place his hair in its usual ponytail but decided to let it swing loose over his shoulders, like Alexia had seen him most recently. The memory brought a smile to his lips and an ache to his body. It was past time for this to all shake down.
The music of a band playing at the inn carried over the water toward him as he approached. So. There was dancing to be had tonight. Joshua was never sure when the social events were taking place, preferring to spend his time creating his art.
He wasn’t lonely.
He already knew he would share his life with Alexia. Last night had confirmed it. He just needed her to claim him publicly and the rest of the family to acknowledge it.
Entering the building, Joshua stuck to the shadows and let his eyes adjust to the dim lighting. Alexia sat perched on a tall stool surrounded by a crowd of his siblings. Michael leaned on the bar counter beside her, his hand casually draped over her shoulder, and Joshua fought the urge to slam his fist into his oldest brother’s face.
“I’m glad you’re here, Joshua.” Anthony spoke quietly in his ear, his nearest cousin in age and his closest friend of the bunch. “Although I didn’t expect to see you. I thought you were banned from any event that included the new Keeper.”
Anthony was the only one of the family who had ever made him feel welcome and Joshua was glad of his company now. He let his gaze wander the room as he counted relatives. Damn, he was the last of the boys to arrive. Anger flared as he thought of how they tried to cut him out. Any remorse he might have felt at blocking the call and making love alone with Alexia washed away.
“Never been officially banned that I’ve been informed.” Joshua leaned closer and asked quietly, “Has she shown any favorites? Michael looks like he’s trying to make some kind of point already.”
Anthony snorted. “You know Mike. Dashing and in charge. He spotted the medallion and immediately made his move. Thinks he can influence her decision since he was the one who brought her out tonight.”
His cousin looked flushed and Joshua laughed softly. “You excited about the thought of the call? Looking forward to trying to convince Alexia you should be one of her lovers?”
Anthony shook his head violently. “It was one thing to be involved in group activities when we were teens, but it’s another altogether to become a consort to the matriarch of the pod. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy her company. She’s got a mischievous sense of humor, and a wicked temper when she thinks someone’s being mistreated. Making love with her would be amazing, but she’s going to be leading the people for the next fifty some years. I’m not cut out for leadership, or to support leadership. I’m content to teach in the winters and take part of my summer holidays to play in the Mediterranean Sea.”
Joshua smiled and clasped a loose arm around Anthony’s shoulders. It was good to know there was one less obstacle in his quest for Alexia.
Loud laughter broke across the room, and he saw Alexia shrug off Michael’s hand and take to the dance floor with the oldest of the cousins. Braden held her a tad too close for a moment, and Joshua readied to defend her when he realized there was no need. She spoke firmly and the space between the dancers opened to a polite hand’s span.