Khan (Bowen Boys, #2)(32)
“Khan is mad because they decided the best way to bring this man to justice is to use me as bait. He thinks I only agreed to this to make him pissy. I didn’t. He has enough about me that makes him pissy without me trying to add to it.” She looked over at George when he laughed. She smiled with him.
“He is a mite protective, is he? Gets that from me. I used to drive my Corrine to madness when we were first mated. Wouldn’t let her out of my sight for any reason. Near drove the people she worked with batty too.” He grinned huge. “She had me arrested.”
“I most certainly did not. Hello, dear. How are you fairing with this old fool?” Corrine kissed her on the cheek and sat across from them. “You really should learn to tell the story correctly if you want to remember the details every time. I had him pulled into the station to have him talked to. The young officer at the time is now the chief of police in our town. Terrance is a good man.”
George nodded. “Yes, he is, but a pain in my ass too. You should have heard the things he said to me. Told me that stalking is a crime and that I would end up on the wrong end of a gun if I didn’t cease and desist. Damned man even had the nerve to tell me that marrying the girl wouldn’t change the facts, but it might make her a tad bit easier on me.”
“You married her to keep out of jail?” Monica burst out laughing. “You did not. You love her very much and it shows in everything you do for her. Mr. Bowen, I’ve never met a more romantic man in my life.”
“Now that’s just sad.” He looked at his wife. “You didn’t train them boys to be romantic? I thought that was your job.”
“No, Khan is romantic. He bought me flowers once.” She tried to remember why and realized it was because he’d made her mad. “I think it was nice. Then he showed me that he was a panther.”
“Not romantic if it’s to make up for screwing up.” George looked ready to go hunt his son down. “I guess I’ll have to take him to the woodshed again. Never too old for that, I’m thinking.”
“No,” she screamed at him. “Don’t do that. I don’t want any more issues between families because of me. He and Caitlynne aren’t seeing eye-to-eye right now because of this thing, and I don’t want you two at it either.”
She knew as soon as he said he’d leave it alone for now that he’d say something to Khan. She wished that she’d never said anything. But Corrine spoke up, and she tried not to think of it anymore right now.
“Dylan was telling us that you’re very strong at the no boundaries…I’m not sure what to call it. Power?” She smiled at Monica. “I’m so glad he told us. I’ve always had a feeling that he knew more than he should. His great-great grandmother would have that same faraway look in her eyes at times.”
“I didn’t realize that you knew her. Dylan thought she’d been dead before you were born.” Monica looked at George when he laughed.
“If only she had been. The old buzzard knew a great deal all right. Right down to the first time that…well, she knew a lot.” George blushed as he continued. “And she had no trouble telling me that my children were going to make me pay for all my misdeeds too. She was right, now that I think on it.”
“She was his great grandmother and she loved him dearly.” Corrine glared at George and then blew him a kiss as she continued. “But she was a little outspoken. But as young people, we didn’t know much about what she was able to do. It’s only been as recently as last evening that I found some writings on her. She had kept the books of the Bowen family, you see, and had put a great deal of information in it to make sure that when—and she did say when—another like her showed up, we’d be able to welcome them and not have them put away.”
“They put her away?” Corrine nodded at her question. “Then they didn’t really trust that she was telling the truth. That’s sad.”
“It is, but maybe not.” Corrine went on to explain. “She was able to learn to control it, which is good. She said in her writings that she thought that it could be transferred from one panther to another through biting, but she wasn’t sure. She had four children, all boys, and had been glad that none of them seemed to be cursed with it. She predicted that it would surface again, and she hoped that it would be something more tolerated than it had been when she was around. I think we have come a long way, don’t you, dear?”
Monica nodded. She did. She wanted to ask them something else about her and Khan, but one of the household servants came in and said that lunch was ready. He also informed them that Mr. Khan and Mr. Walker would be joining them and that Miss Caitlynne was on a mission.
“A mission. How exciting for her.” Corrine took her arm as they moved to the dining room. “Can you imagine all the things she’s seen and done?”
Monica nodded. She had. Accidentally, yesterday morning, as a matter of fact, when she’d been playing around. Caitlynne had been asleep and Monica wondered if she could figure out the sex of the baby. It was a boy, but she’d gotten so much more. Things she promised herself she’d never think of again.
Lunch was loud and friendly. Monica sat by George, and he laughed when Khan growled at him. He was man she could easily love, and did. When George reached over and kissed her cheek again, Khan stood up.