Page 59 of Jack of All Trades

Jack heard this and it all but confirmed his suspicions. “I’ve read the book you gave me. It speaks of a fury, a goddess of the underworld, the avenger of murder.”

“Don’t believe everything you read, Jack,” she scolded as her smile grew.

“Your first name, Ms. Tempest. It wouldn’t happen to be Tisiphone, now would it?”

With a dismissive wink, she waved a hand over herself, and she was once again the old woman with the lines and harsh gray bun. “You have a strong mind, Jack. Use it for better things than learning about things that are best unsaid.”

With that, she backed out of the stack and disappeared around a corner, the clanking of the cartwheels the only thing marking her leaving.

Jack smiled, knowing he’d been in the presence of a real goddess, in all senses of the word.

Chapter Sixteen

Maltin worried over Jackwhen he was out of sight. Jack was the love of his life, even besides being his mate. He went to the window over and over, trying to catch a glimpse of Jack on his way home, but that only showed the road.

Outside, he paced, and when Jack finally did pull into the yard, Maltin wanted to yell at him for making him worry. He didn’t, of course. Coming to his senses before Jack emerged from the Thunderbird.

“Were you worried about me?” Jack said as he laughed, feet scraping on the gravel.

“No, I was getting some air.”

“Sure,” he said, then kissed Maltin sweetly. “I just had to get out for a while. You know, if I feel threatened, I shift. I’m pretty much the safest person in this town.”

“Shift and fight with the babies?”

“Maybe they’d come out and help me fight.”

Maltin was ready to strangle him. “Go upstairs and get your feet up. Mother will be by soon, and if she sees you tired, she’ll throttle me.”

“Sure, for your mom, I will go rest.”

Jack’s hand was taken, his fingers threading through Maltin’s as they entered the warehouse and walked past the center row of cars. “Jack, when they come, we won’t have a lot of time together. I hate to admit it, I’m already jealous.”

“You won’t have time for jealousy after, so I’ll let you have that now.”

“You…I’ll miss you terribly.”

Jack stopped and turned to Maltin, obviously seeing his worry. He never could hide his emotions well. “Maltin, we have forever. I’ll be here with you when the children are grown and searching for their own fated mates. They’ll sleep sometimes, and we have a few people that wouldn’t mind babysitting, I’m sure.”

“We do have a couple of grandmothers that are chomping at the bit to get their hands on these kids.”

“Exactly. I’m yours. Always, Maltin.”

That afternoon, the couple left the warehouse to meet with Trudy and Rodney at the first of the three houses they were thinking of buying. Jack saw the place, at the end of a peaceful block, big oak trees in front providing shade. It was a two-story Craftsman with a wide front porch where Maltin had pictured them sitting and playing with the babies. It was his favorite, and that was likely why he’d brought them to that particular house first.

Jack’s bright face showed he loved it too. He knelt on the grass in front, starting at the yellow-painted door. “Maltin, it’s beautiful here.”

“The house needs a little work, but that won’t be a problem for us at all. The backyard is big enough for a pool or a big junglegym. Whatever we want. Three main bedrooms upstairs and a small one on the main level.”

Jack heard the excitement in his voice and turned to him. “You love this one.”

His mother had other ideas. “Never go with the first one you see, boys. This is rather small!”

“Mother, it’s perfect. We don’t need a stale, cold mansion or a chateau in France. We want to be here, with others like us. So the kids don’t think themselves so different and have to hide themselves.”

After a resigned sigh, Trudy whispered, “Fine. Then, I guess it’s fine. But we must see the others, so Jack has a choice!”

“Yes, Mother.”

---