Valentines and Valkyries Read online

  Scarlett hadn’t told Ella and Luna about the twins, though knowing Luna—she probably had already felt the twins. The little punk was the youngest druid in the Oaken family, and the best of them. The girls had stayed with her mom, so when she’d gotten home, her apartment was still gleaming from the druids Lex had hired. Was it weird that she cried over the empty washer and dryer? Full on sobbing in front of the shining stove? The freezer had been stocked, and Scarlett found the chocolate chip cookie dough. Ella, Luna, and Amelie were spending another night with her mother and grandmother, so she took a bath and used the bathroom without anyone knocking on the door or screaming outside of the bathroom.

  She sniffed and told Lex after her bath, “Clean laundry is literally the best present anyone has ever given me, ever.”

  Lex laughed at her like he didn’t understand. But he didn’t. She’d been staring at the laundry for weeks and thinking, you know what this situation needs? Baby laundry too. Endless rounds of baby laundry.

  “We need to get some things for the babies,” Lex said. There was just enough steel in his voice to tell her that he wasn’t going to let her get away with pretending it wasn’t happening any longer.

  “I’ll start ordering,” Scarlett said softly. She took a deep breath and pictured her babies’ faces. “Plus the Circle will have a baby shower for us.” She stepped into his arms, “I’m sorry I’ve been freaking out.”

  He pressed a kiss to her forehead and said, “We’re gonna be ok.”

  She nodded against his chest and wondered just how she’d gotten here. She and Grant had planned for Ella. They’d tried to get pregnant and they’d been thrilled when she was born. The same thing happened for Luna. Scarlett loved Lex, but they wouldn’t have been having a baby—let alone two—without a fertility charm, and even seeing the babies’ faces hadn’t removed her worry that her life was going to implode.

  What if Lex realized in the end that this kind of life wasn’t what he wanted? Was it possible her hormones were making her insane? Or, was the reality that her mother, grandmother, aunt, and cousins were all single? It had taken a visit from a ghost to get Harper to stop pushing Quinton away. Maybe Scarlett’s family was just ill-fated to have love last for a while?

  The next morning Scarlett faced Henna who had taught her to bake, sold her the business when she’d come home, and stepped in whenever she needed help. Henna was also one of the most experienced druids in the Circle which told Scarlett that Henna had known for sometime that Scarlett was carrying twins. It was, after all, a truth Henna didn’t need to fight.

  “I need to work less hours,” Scarlett told Henna deliberately saying nothing about the girls.

  “So you…” Henna’s voice trailed off into nothing, but she was waiting for Scarlett to tell her about being pregnant with twins. But if Scarlett said it out loud, it would be extra real.

  “You already know,” Scarlett said watching her friend. Something was up. Henna was acting funny.

  Henna smiled at Scarlett mischievously her eyes crinkling and her laugh lines coming out to play in a big way. “How do you feel?”

  “I am so freaked out that I can’t even think about it.”

  Henna laughed and then said, “You’re a good mom, Scarlett. You can do this.”

  “Maybe you check out the photos Harper took of my laundry situation yesterday.”

  “Laundry or the lack thereof does not qualify anyone as a mother. You are a good mother.” Her gaze flicked over Scarlett’s face and they ended up staring at each other.

  “What?” Scarlett demanded.

  “Nothing,” Henna said too quickly.

  Does she not think I’m a good mother? Scarlett wished she could believe otherwise. She took a deep breath and slowly hooted it out before she admitted, “I’m excited about the babies,” Scarlett said, staring at Henna and then admitted, “that scares me. Harper is freaking out. I’m freaking out. We’re both excited, but I…I know what’s going to happen. I’ve had an infant before and I’m still recovering. And now it’s going to happen times two. I’ve only made it lately because Harper and Mom have been helping me. Only they’re going to have twin babies too. How am I supposed to survive?”

  “This time you’ll have Lex. And Amelie, Ella, and Luna.”

  “They’re four more people who depend on me. I do Ella and Luna’s laundry already. You think I won’t end up doing Lex and Amelie’s when they move in?”

  Henna took Scarlett by the arms and hugged her tight. “They are four more people to love those babies, rock them, hold them, sing to them.”

  “Luna will probably bring a rat or a mouse or another squirrel home for each of the babies.”

  Henna laughed at that and admitted, “Probably.”

  Their gazes met and then Henna added, “I think I have something of a solution. My niece is moving to Mystic Cove. She has worked at a bakery before. It was one of those grocery store ones, but she could learn while you’re pregnant.”

  “Would she be ok with part-time hours?”

  “She’d prefer them,” Henna said, grinning. “The path is sometimes clearer than others, love. It’s going to be ok.”

  While Scarlett started to roll out Lex’s favorite cinnamon rolls, she tried not to think too much about the babies. She was excited, nauseous, and terrified.

  “So…” Henna said, “Who have you talked to since you’ve been back?”

  Scarlett turned to Henna where she was scooping out cookies and examined her. “Wh…”

  The bell over the door of the bakery rang as Scarlett started sprinkling the cinnamon over the dough. She felt a lot better because of the extra sleep the day before. She and Lex had slept until they woke up, ate breakfast, and then napped. The joys of being pregnant, she thought. She’d cried in the bathroom before she left the B&B. They’d slept on their Valentine’s date. She didn’t think that it was possible to feel like a bigger loser than realizing that her perfect date at that time was simply sleeping.

  “Welcome,” Scarlett called, glancing up and seeing one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen. She was model tall, model thin, with long glorious hair that had clearly been brushed in the last 48 hours. The woman’s makeup was smoky and gorgeous and Scarlett immediately felt like a fat scrub. Under her breath to Henna, Scarlett said, “I am a fat scrub.”

  Belinda was in the backroom until later that afternoon, so Scarlett crossed to the counter and said, “Hi, may I help you?”

  “Scarlett Oaken?”

  Scarlett blinked utterly shocked that those perfectly red lips knew her name. “Um, yes.”

  “I’m looking for Lex. I tried the police station and they told me to check with you.” The woman glanced up and down Scarlett as if to say there was little reason Lex would be around her. Her gaze focused for a moment on Scarlett’s baby bump or perhaps on the flour spread across the bump. Either way, Scarlett felt as though she were a scrub.

  Scarlett snapped her mouth shut and swallowed before she responded in a way she’d regret and then said, “He’s not here.”

  “Mmm,” the woman said. “I can see that.”

  “Who are you?”

  “His girlfriend, Cameron Sloane,” she said. She flipped her long hair over her shoulder and the movement could have been filmed for a hair commercial.

  Scarlett breathed slowly in and then hooted it out before she said, “That’s not true.”

  Cameron eyed Scarlett like she was a bug and then said, “You are not who he’s shacking up with.” Her gaze flicked down Scarlett’s body and then she said, “It won’t last.”

  Her statement was not a question and the look Cameron gave Scarlett was pitying. Quiet river thoughts, Scarlett thought. Sunny days on the beach thoughts. The east wind snapped by the door of the bakery, slamming it open, throwing a garbage can into the brick wall of the building and generally making a mess of the street.

  “Surely, you didn’t trap him with that baby? Please. Does Lex realize it’s not his? You know he’ll le
ave you either way? Just like last time.”

  Trash from the dumped over can slammed into the bakery’s window and then slid down the side of it before it was lifted and carried away by the east wind.

  “Scarlett,” Henna snapped. “Get it under control.”

  “Lex isn’t here,” Scarlett said evenly. “Maybe you should call him if you want to talk to him.”

  “Yes, well I tried that,” Cameron said. “I tried his house—where you don’t live. I tried his work. I need to speak with him.”

  Scarlett eyed Cameron again. She was so lovely. And mean. Was it pregnancy hormones that made Scarlett feel so dumpy or was it the fact that Cameron was Lex-level gorgeous? Scarlett slipped her phone out of her pocket and called Lex as Cameron watched. He answered on the first ring.

  “Hey babe,” he said warmly. He’d woken her with nausea tea and toast, and she hadn’t thought she could love him more. She hadn’t realized she could be so angry with him on the same day. “Everything all right?”

  “Your girlfriend is looking for you at the bakery,” Scarlett told him and hung up. She jerked her head towards the tables and said, “I imagine he’ll show up sooner or later.”

  Scarlett went back to making the cinnamon rolls. She eyed them, realized they had been for Lex, and flipped the dough into the trash.

  “I’m sure she isn’t who she says she is,” Henna said carefully, delicately. Her gaze was fixed on the trash can full of perfectly made dough. “Lex…”

  The look Scarlett shot Henna shut her right up. Beyond her expression, Scarlett didn’t answer. Being pregnant sucked. Being a hormonal psycho sucked. It reached torturous levels when the baby daddy’s ex came trotting around. Especially when on her best day, Scarlett would never be as glamorous as Cameron Sloane.

  Scarlett was not surprised when Gram showed up at the diner. Seeing as how the way the east wind was tearing apart Arbor Avenue, Gram had to know that it was Scarlett who was upset. Gram’s boyfriend was gossiping with Henna’s boyfriend on the bench outside, so it had only been a matter of time before Gram came trotting in. She would be followed sooner or later by the rest of the town since Mystic Cove was olympic level skilled at gossip and everyone who knew Scarlett’s abilities knew that she was responsible for the wind storm.

  Scarlett didn’t even try to control the wind. She hummed under her breath as she pounded out garlic loaves. Scarlett didn’t need more garlic french bread loaves, but beating up the dough was better than shattering the window.

  Gram didn’t say anything . She simply took a table, crossed her legs and arms, and leaned back, gaze fixed on Scarlett.

  Harper arrived next. She came in the backdoor of the bakery, helped herself to a piece of toast, puked some in the bathroom off the kitchen, and then took a seat across from Gram. With a slow turn, Harper crossed her legs and didn’t even flinch when a piece of trash slid down the window behind her.

  “Can I get some coffee?” Cameron had waited until Henna had gone into the back to get more chocolate chips.

  Scarlett’s eye twitched and Harper rose and crossed to wait on Cameron. When Harper was the tempering influence, Scarlett’s crazy must be out of control. But maybe Harper wasn’t protecting Scarlett. Maybe she was just trying to keep her from causing a bit of a tornado.

  “I was…

  The next person to arrive was Amelie. Scarlett glanced at the clock, saw that school wasn’t out for a couple more hours, and eyed her boyfriend’s child.

  “What’s got your panties in a twist, Scarlett? The wind is crazy out there,” Amelie smirked and then said, “Can I have cookies?”

  Scarlett took a deep breath and reminded herself that killing pre-teens was a terrible idea. Especially when she loved that beast. But then Amelie saw Cameron and shouted, “Cam!”

  Another trash can slapped against the building as the door to the bakery opened again and Scarlett’s very pregnant mother, Maye arrived. She took in the sight of Amelie hugging the supermodel in black leather pants and flinched for Scarlett.

  Scarlett formed another loaf of bread and tried breathing in through her nose and hooting it out. Maye didn’t try to speak Scarlett either. Was she smoking from her ears? What was amazing was that her entire family was just…watching? Were they there for the show, or were they there to step in if the east wind decided to lift Cameron up and throw her in the ocean?

  It was Lex who arrived next. He glanced at Amelie animatedly talking to Cameron Sloan and then at Scarlett. He must have seen the east wind, so he had to have a pretty good idea she was furious. She didn’t care.

  Some woman showed up here thinking that she was his girlfriend while Scarlett was carrying his two babies.

  “Lex,” Cameron said, standing up.

  Lex glanced at Scarlett, but he didn’t bypass Cameron. She crossed to him and pressed her hand against his chest and Scarlett slammed her fist into the french bread dough.

  “Mm,” Henna said, but Scarlett didn’t turn away from her work counter.

  Gram, however, said, “So…is this the one Lex’s partner interviewed about the murder?”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “Wait what?” Scarlett asked, carefully rolling the dough to the side and giving it a soft pat.

  “I messaged Lex while you two were gone,” Gram said with her usual evil smirk. “Didn’t he tell you? I was surprised you weren’t back yesterday.”

  Scarlett smiled as she punched the loaf of dough and then said, “Wait. What?”

  “Scarlett,” Lex said, holding out his hands and shrugging his usual shrug. His gaze was fixed on hers though, and she could see him scrambling a little bit. It was a sight she’d seen too often since she realized she was pregnant. She narrowed her gaze on him, but before she could reply another interrupted.

  Cameron Sloane said, “Why wouldn’t you come help me, love? I have called you seventeen times. Is this really how you treat me?”

  “Cam,” Lex said with an edge of something in his voice but all Scarlett heard was ‘Cam.’

  “Wait,” Scarlett snarled, “What?” Her brows lifted and she heard the crazy in her voice but she couldn’t hold it back.

  “Hello,” Gram said to Harper who laughed. The two of them leaned together and whispered and Scarlett could imagine they were taking bets.

  “Did you have something to add?” Scarlett said and Harper snickered evilly.

  “What’s your problem?” Harper asked, flipping her hair over her shoulder with a laugh. “That Lex’s girlfriend is crazy hot?”

  “Why are you evil?” Scarlett demanded as another trash can slammed into the side of the building.

  “You need to calm down,” Lex told Scarlett, his gaze on the crack in the window of the bakery.

  She slowly turned from Harper to Lex and could feel the rage roll up her back. A tiny part of her mind pointed out that she might be overreacting, but it was surpassed by the echoes of calm down, calm down, calm down, calm down.

  Harper snickered and Lex took a careful step forward reaching for her. She slapped his hands away before he could touch her shoulders just as Cameron said, “I’m sorry,” she took hold of Lex’s bicep and said, “I need you, Lexie.”

  Harper choked and Scarlett took a deep breath, then licked her lips.

  “Scarlett,” Lex tried, but there was none of the smoothness in his voice, none of the charm. It was…almost…apologetic? Why was he sorry if he hadn’t done anything? Unless he had done something?

  She shook her head, she wasn’t even sure at what and walked out of the bakery.

  “Scarlett,” Lex yelled.

  She glanced back just in time to see Cameron pull on his arm again. His gaze turned from Scarlett to Cameron and she spread her hands, letting the wind lift her, and wondering if she were completely in the wrong or justified? The tiny voice in the back of her head said she was probably being irrational. It was the same part of her that remembered how Lex had taken care of the laundry and made her nausea tea before she was even awake enough to be
puking. The same Lex who’d napped with her for her Valentine’s Day date.

  Scarlett thought for a moment and then she caught the sight of her best friend, Gus, sitting in Mabel’s Diner. It was, she realized, meatloaf day. Scarlett went into the diner, joined Gus, who was looking distinctly windblown and took a deep breath. A few moments later, the east wind settled down and Gus said, “You look like you could use something that will put hair on your chest.”

  “Why didn’t you come enjoy the show too?”

  Gus paused and then admitted, “I didn’t want to see you upset. And I didn’t want to interfere if it was Lex who was bugging you. Figuring out this best friend thing with him is weird. He’s…territorial.”

  “Says the vampire,” Scarlett muttered. She sighed and said, “I would kill for a drink, you jerk. Why did you have to mention it? I can’t drink anything that will help this day be better,” she whined, “not while cooking babies.”

  Gus’s lips twitched just enough to tell her that he knew about the twins before she had. She narrowed her gaze on him and the wind picked up. He held up his hands, spotted with age, and said, “I’m your friend, Scarlett.”

  “Did you hear them?”

  Gus shrugged and just said, “I don’t know. I can just tell.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “It took a few days from Christmas, for the reality of it to hit you, and you were in full panic mode. If you didn’t have Ella and Luna, I’d have put money on you running.”

  “Running?” Scarlett asked.

  “Fleeing.” He grinned at her and then leaned in as he said, “Like a rabbit.”

  “Lex’s girlfriend came into the bakery looking for him.”

  Gus leaned back and laughed. Right in her face. As if she’d say something truly hilarious. He shook his head at her and rose, crossing to the diner owner talking to her for a minute and then returning to the booth.

  “Did you just laugh at me?”

  “Was your temper tantrum over the woman who said Lex was hers?”

  Scarlett started to answer and had to close her mouth to stop from flipping out again. “She’s gorgeous. She’s Lex level gorgeous.”