Twilight dreams, p.1
Twilight Dreams, page 1
TWILIGHT DREAMS
JM MADDEN
Copyright © 2023 by JM Madden
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Created with Vellum
To the readers who wait for anything from these characters. Thank you!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thank you Sandie (as always), Elinda, Teresa and Pam for being the first eyes on this. I always appreciate the input!
Hubby, thank you for putting up with crazy hours. I love you dearly.
I had a baby-naming contest for baby Palmer, and I had so many great suggestions. I had to go with Sophia and Jade, which was suggested by several people. Thank you Jennifer Ellis McComb, Courtney Tenisci, Mistie Lamb, for Sophia. Thank you Barb Jack, Karynne Thompson, Janeen Wagner Phillips and Amanda Burdick for variations of Jade. As soon as I saw the two of them together I knew it was right.
Welcome Sophia Jade Palmer.
CONTENTS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Epilogue
About the Author
Also by JM Madden
CHAPTER 1
September 30, 2022
Willow shook her dark head, giving him a critical look. “It’s only three months to Christmas and you want to do this now? Can you even get an event space?”
Zeke shrugged, glancing around the bar. “It j-just occurred to me. I thought since we would all be together anyway… And y-y-yes, I have the event space. I knew that would be the biggest part. I got the B-b-black O-orchid place over off of H-Harrison Avenue.”
Both women’s mouths dropped open, and Zeke grinned. Yeah, that had been a hell of a coup. It was only available because a woman had dumped her fiancé, and had literally called to cancel just moments before Zeke had called. The cost of the space was enough to make him shudder, but he’d gotten a discount for paying cash up front and on such short notice. Plus, Christmas time wasn’t a big wedding date, normally.
“That place is dreamy,” Shannon sighed, propping her chin on her hand on the bar. “I’ve never been inside, but I can imagine it’s beautiful with all those wood beams and stuff.”
“I’ve been inside,” Willow murmured, “and it’s stunning. That’s all they do there is weddings, and they have a good team. Don’t you get an event planner with the cost of the venue?”
Zeke waffled a hand. “K-k-k-kind of. There are packages. I took one of the p-p-planner packages, but if they have to rent more stuff that comes out of my pocket.”
Shannon nodded. “And what are you thinking?”
He smiled slightly, his conviction firm. “I’m going to give her the ice princess wedding she wants. Drew isn’t the only reason that damn F-f-f-rozen is on the TV all the time at our house.”
The women laughed, and nodded. “She’ll love that,” Willow said. “Raven will be jealous.”
“W-w-well, she can be one of the flower girls. I thought M-mercy could be as well. The tw-t-t…, Gunny’s boys can b-b-be ring bearers. I thought it would be the ideal time for a wedding with everyone coming in for the C-christmas p-p-party.”
Shannon heaved a sigh. “He does have a point,” she said softly to Willow, glancing down the bar. “It’s hard to get the entire group together at once. We’re so busy now. And the kids will love that! Although herding the boys may be a challenge,” she laughed.
Ember was talking to a group of women, obviously there for a bachelorette party. Her long, dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she wore a Frog Dog t-shirt, and she had a sassy look on her face. Zeke had been serving them, but the group was a little wild. They’d been bar hopping all day, and imbibing in the other recreational pursuits Denver had to offer. She tossed him a look from under her bangs, shaking her head slightly. Zeke grinned at her and shrugged.
When the maid of honor had gotten a little free with her hands, Ember had stepped in, just like Zeke would have stepped in if it had been a group of rowdy men.
They watched out for each other, and it had gotten to be a seemless transition. She was his other half, his kindred soul.
Zeke had never envisioned himself as half of a relationship, let alone a father. But Ember had worked her way into his defenses. And as soon as he’d seen Drew, he’d been in love. The kid was awesome. Their love had given him more courage and self-confidence than anything else he’d done. Three years ago, he was taking night jobs and research gigs for Lost and Found, and having surgeries in the hopes of making his face more palatable to people. Ember had convinced him, though, that she loved his face. Man, she’d been pissed when he’d had that surgery without telling her. He only had two since then, and they had been functional more than cosmetic, to release some scar tissue along his lip and forehead. Ember had been beside him the entire way for both procedures.
Zeke knew he was no prize. Yeah, the body wasn’t bad. It did everything it was supposed to. The face, though, would never be pretty. He’d gotten used to the stares and the chatter when he walked into a room, but the look in Ember’s eyes was very different than anyone else. She didn’t see the scars, as crazy as that was to think. She saw the man beneath the marks, and he was so thankful for that.
Hank, Ember’s dad, was semi-retired now since he’d gotten with Karen, and he’d left the day to day running of Frog Dog to Ember. She was taking care of everything anyway, because Hank had been dealing with his own demons over the past two years. The weight of the operation had fallen to the two of them.
Zeke had never envisioned himself a bar owner, but the longer he did it, the more he enjoyed it. Frog Dog wasn’t his, but it felt like home. They’d renovated this year, doing a deep clean and clearing out the cobwebs. A bunch of the banquettes had needed reupholstered, and the tables refinished. Hank, Ember’s dad and the owner of the Frog Dog, had balked a little at the changes, but they made sure to keep the heart of the Frog Dog front and center. They’d moved a bunch of the memorabilia into cases to keep it protected, and gotten rid of several things that had been falling apart. Overall, they’d updated and refreshed, giving it a sleeker, more sophisticated look.
Clientele had responded, and Denver had nominated them as up and coming. It didn’t hurt that the food leaving the kitchen was amazing. Whether Ember was cooking or their head chef Alberto, the food was delectable.
Zeke still took cases at the agency, but he loved working with Ember. It felt so right, coming around the bar and seeing her standing there. They belonged together.
He wanted her in his life forever.
So, they needed to continue their journey together. Yes, he’d given her an engagement ring, but they’d never settled on a date. They’d just kind of drifted along. But Drew had asked him the other day if he was ever going to marry his mom, and it had set Zeke back on his heels a little. He hadn’t realized it bothered the boy.
“Do you think I need to?” he’d asked.
Drew had given him a lopsided smile and looked him in the eye. “Yeah, I think you do. She would love that, because I think she wants a baby. And I want you to be my dad officially.”
Zeke had walked around that day in a bit of a haze, rocked at the bombs Drew had unknowingly dropped. Ember wanted a baby. He looked at her now, wondering what her body would look like, rounded with his child. The thought sent a bolt of need through his lower half, and he shifted to conceal more of himself. Shannon and Willow didn’t need to know what he was thinking.
It also terrified him. He was a big guy, and he’d been a big baby. The thought of Ember carrying a baby on his scale and possibly putting her life in danger… That was something they’d have to talk about. He knew if she turned those big brown eyes his way, though, he would give in to anything she wanted.
Zeke owed Ember the world. He couldn’t imagine loving her anymore than he already did.
“Okay,” Willow said. “You have a lot to do. I can help on the weekends and stuff.”
“I can help you out,” Shannon said, grinning at him conspiratorially. “Marigold is in class now, but she still comes in to help out. She’ll be off around Christmas, too, so we can help you more then.”
“Assuming you haven’t had that baby,” Willow warned, nodding to her gently rounded stomach.
Shannon grimaced. “True,” she said, “but my due date is in January. I should be good for a Christmas wedding. With my luck we’ll have it on January fifteenth, Duncan’s birthday. John would never live that down.”
They all chuckled.
Zeke looked between them. “Thanks, l-l-ladies. I know it’s crazy, but it seems r-r-right to do it Christmas weekend. Everyone will be here, and it gives me time to get my f-f-fo… parents in.”
“So, you actually want to get married on Christmas Eve?” Shannon clarified.
Zeke nodded firmly. “The LNF holiday party is that T-thursday…” Willow leaned behind Shannon and widened her eyes theatrically, and Zeke hesitated in what he was going to say next. He shifted gears. “Everyone will be here for that. We’ll j-j-just ask them to stay a couple extra days. Then they can head home Christmas Day if they want to.”
He’d almost screwed up. Willow and Ember were throwing Shannon a baby shower the Friday af
“Okay,” Shannon said, sighing. “If that’s really what you want.”
He could tell by the reluctance in her voice that she was unsure, but he knew his fiancée. “It’s what Ember w-wants. We were watching some show the other day and the star got married in an i-i-i-i-cy wonderland. Ember said she would love to do that. And D-drew thinks it’s time, too.”
Willow frowned, but didn’t contradict him. “Okay. You clear the way and we’ll help you out.”
Pressure eased in Zeke’s chest, and he knew he would forever be in their debt. “Okay. I’ll talk to the guys about it later.”
“Word to the wise,” Willow murmured. “The men gossip worse than the women. Whoever you’re picking for your groomsmen tell them three days before. That will give them enough time to rent a tux.”
“Okay, noted.” Zeke gave her a mock salute, and grinned. “Thank you, ladies!”
Willow reached out and patted him on the shoulder. “You’ll do fine, dear. Just remember all the extra stuff doesn’t matter as long as the two of you are there.”
He nodded, knowing she was exactly right. He and Ember together could do anything.
Ember had seen Zeke talk to Willow and Shannon, and she couldn’t help but be curious. What were they cooking up?
When it slowed down a little, she asked him. “You have a good talk with the girls?”
Zeke blinked at her, and tugged on his ball cap. Then he ran his hand over his beard, all nervous tics he had developed. “I did. Flynn’s birthday is around Halloween, and Willow was asking me if I had any ideas for a gift.”
Hm. Plausible, she supposed. Zeke was watching her, wiping a glass with a bar towel. She continued to stare at him.
“Fine,” he grumbled, putting the glass down firmly. “I was also asking t-them about what to get you for Christmas.”
Ember cocked her head and frowned. “That’s months away.”
“I know, but I have something b-b-big planned, and I was getting their o-opinion.”
Now, that sounded more like Zeke. Ember smiled slightly and shook her head. “You know I don’t need anything. Let’s just focus on Drew this year.”
Zeke gave a shake of his head. “Nope. That’s what you said last year. So, I didn’t get you very much and I could tell you were d-d-disappointed. That’s not happening this year, princess.”
Ember sighed and moved close enough to reach her arm around his tight waist. Immediately, he wrapped his strong arms around her, resting his chin on her head. Zeke was so much bigger than her, but somehow they always seemed to fit together so well. “I think you’re overthinking it.”
“I d-disagree. You deserve a fabulous Christmas.”
“It seems so far away,” she murmured.
“With the way t-t-this year has sp-sp-ped by?” Zeke asked incredulously. “It seems like just yesterday that Drew was starting first grade, now he’s in third, and I don’t know where the t-t-time went.”
“Yeah,” she agreed. “You’re right.”
It had been a lot of settling in and change. Her father had moved out into his own space, and was now living with Karen, his girlfriend. He’d completed all of the domestic violence classes, and seemed to be rebounding. He talked more openly about what had happened to him during the war, and he seemed to be making peace with his past.
And Karen was a large part of that, she was sure. The woman was harsh and unrelenting when she needed to be, and a gooey marshmallow when she didn’t. Ember had to admit that they’d all fallen in love with her, and she couldn’t be happier that her father had found love again. As well as a new, expanded family. Karen had several children from her first marriage, and some grandchildren about Drew’s age. They’d gotten together a couple of times this summer.
Times did pass quickly. What was the phrase? The minutes were long but the years short? Or something like that.
There was a bell from the back. Leaning up on her tiptoes, Ember kissed Zeke’s bearded chin. “I’m sure whatever you do, I’ll love it.”
She really hoped that was true, and she wasn’t just trying to convince herself.
CHAPTER 2
December 22, 2022
As he unfastened the safety belt, Aiden scanned the surroundings carefully. Focusing his senses, he scanned into the night, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Haven blipped on his radar, but the feeling of him was as familiar as Wulfe and Fontana now, and he passed over him. Nothing else plucked at his senses in the wintry Denver night.
Stepping out of the car, he visually scanned the parking lot, recognizing several vehicles. There were no pedestrians; it was too snowy. Traffic moved through the shopping mall behind the Frog Dog, but no more than normal. Haven moved to stand at the rear of the car to give him cover. He wore a thick black wool coat, and a skull cap over his short dark hair. His dark eyes moved over the lot quickly, looking for any abnormalities or danger.
Aiden moved to the back door of the rental SUV and reached in. Unsnapping a latch, he smiled down at his cherubic daughter. His own body curved over the baby carrier as he removed it from the rental. Angela chuckled at the awkward way he drew her out, but he didn’t care. If he got shot, he would heal. Probably. They had no idea if the baby would or not.
This was one of the first times his daughter had ever been out of the state of Virginia, let alone out of the protective building where the Dogs of War were all living. They called it the Dog Pound, for obvious reasons, but it was actually the Elton Recovery Building, and it was an impenetrable, highly protected edifice. The men— former test subjects— they’d gathered in the jungle were living there, rehabilitating and training. Several of the men that had fully recovered were now security or part of the Omega task force, and Aiden had failed the last time he’d tested them by trying to break into the building. The men were doing so well. They had repelled him easily, with a combination of physical and mental attacks that forced him to turn away.
The Elton Building was the only place that baby Fallon had ever known, and Aiden’s anxiety was through the roof.
“You really need to chill,” Angela told him calmly.
“As soon as I’m inside, I’ll chill, when I have other people to watch over her.”
Angela shook her head at him, but she let him be the overprotective father he was. She gathered the diaper bag, as well as several bagged presents, laughing as the Colorado wind whipped her hair around her face and tugged at the tissue paper in the bags.
Aiden knew he’d been a pain in her ass over the past year, but she’d rolled with it, knowing how anxiety-ridden he was about the baby. Aiden had thought that worrying about Angela’s health throughout the pregnancy had been bad, and he’d been prepared for an outright catastrophe at the birth, but when his squalling little girl had popped into the world, red faced and angry, his motivations had changed. As John had told him, he’d fallen in love at first sight, the worries of his life fading away as the tiny, eight-pound princess changed his world. Even right after birth, she’d been beautiful, her distinctive little red puff of hair so similar to her mother’s.
Angela had broken down and sobbed when she’d seen her. It hadn’t been an easy pregnancy. Even with the special OB/GYN Elizabeth had hired, she’d struggled with morning sickness and nausea throughout the pregnancy. There had been iron issues, as well as a pre-eclampsia scare that had somehow resolved itself. Or maybe it was because Belladonna had laid hands on her at one point. It had taken work for the notorious woman to overcome the fear the men still had of her, and healing Angela had gone a long way toward doing that.
Aiden tortured himself with worry that all the problems were because of the Ayahuasca cocktail coursing through his system. There had been changes to his DNA even in the past year as his body continued to adapt to what Dr. Shu had done to them in the torture camps. The training that they did in the building had sharpened his senses even further. Elizabeth had no idea when the changes would stop. Or even if they would stop.
