Renaissance Man Read online

  Dec raised his thick eyebrows. “Since when do you worry about security?”

  Since I’d started having nightmares about Rodney stealing Hades back, that’s when. Aloud I said, “Haven’t you heard about the tack thefts in the area?”

  Dec looked thoughtful. I knew he was aware of the thefts, but he shook his head. “We don’t have time for a puppy, Téa. You’re always at school or shows, and I’ve got too many contracts coming up.”

  “We could adopt an older dog,” I suggested. “Shelters are full of adult dogs looking for homes.” There was a time when Dec had wanted another Australian Cattle Dog.

  “Now’s not the time, Téa.” He exchanged a look with Gran that made the breath freeze in my lungs.

  “Are you going to sell the barn?” I turned to Gran, too scared to guard my expression. She patted my shoulder, but her eyes went to her son.

  “We’ve been discussing it,” she acknowledged. “Peter needs the money, and Stacey’s been accepted to a college in the U.S. so Penny could certainly use the extra income as well.”

  My heart started kicking inside my ribcage. “But... but...” I didn’t know what to say. My words didn’t seem big enough to hold my objections.

  “Nothing’s decided, and I’m still against it,” Dec reassured me. I drew in a breath. He was against it. But for how long?

  * * *

  Jaden’s graduation from law school was that week, and as always, I enlisted Julia’s help to find a dress. I didn’t have much time or patience for shopping so I was relieved when she said, “I’m sure I have something in my closet. Why don’t you come over and play dress-up?”

  I drove to Oakville right after feeding the next morning. Gran had helped, having stayed overnight yet again. I wondered morosely if she was trying to maximize her time in the house before it was sold but then forced my thoughts to change direction.

  Julia greeted me at the door with a smile. That would have been surprising enough, given that she wasn’t a morning person, but her mood had been so somber of late that I impulsively hugged her, glad to see her gloom lifting. We went into the large kitchen, all granite and dark wood, for coffee to fortify us before traipsing up to Julia’s bedroom.

  “You’re looking better, Jules,” I said as I plopped onto her white bed.

  She looked over her shoulder as she opened her walk-in closet. Her face was partially obscured by her long dark brown hair, and her slanting grey eyes glinted with a hint of her former mischief.

  “Well, it might have something to do with the fact that I met someone.” She disappeared into the closet and came out minutes later with an armful of dresses. She dropped them on the bed and peered at me. “You, on the other hand, look like hell.”

  “Gee, thanks.” I laughed. “Hades’ disappearance took about a decade off my life.”

  “Well, try to get some sleep,” she urged as I pulled on the first dress. It was ivory-colored and felt like silk. “Makeup can only do so much.”

  I nodded. “I want to look good for Jaden’s graduation.” I hesitated. “We’re going through sort of a weird time.”

  “Weird how? Are you fighting?”

  “No... just adjusting to new lifestyles, I guess.” Which was true enough; Jaden had an office job for the first time in his life, and I was busier showing than I’d been in years. But the whole truth was that there had been a subtle strain between us ever since he had overpowered me in the hayloft, and I wasn’t sure why. I had forgiven him completely, but I got the sense he was still disturbed by the fact that I hadn’t told him of my plans to steal Hades. Or maybe it was the theft itself that bothered him. I couldn’t say, because the only time I had brought it up his reply had been a curt, “It’s done, Téa. Let’s leave it be.”

  Julia shook her head. “Take that off,” she said, gesturing to the dress. “If there’s making up to be done, then I have the perfect thing.” She ignored the pile on the bed and skipped back to the closet, emerging a second later with a bright red, satiny number. “I thought you’d want something a bit more conservative for a graduation, but trust me, when you show up in this Jaden will be tripping over himself to make things right with you.”

  I slithered into the dress somewhat doubtfully. I’d been planning on something more sober, especially considering that I’d be among family. But when I saw myself in the mirror none of that seemed to matter.

  “I have to wear this,” I whispered. My straight brown hair hung slightly below my shoulders, and I swept it out of the way to better admire the dress. The fabric hung above my knees and was held up by spaghetti straps. It molded itself to my figure, which had improved thanks to the working out I’d done. I turned and admired the best part — on the back of the dress there was a circle of fabric missing, so that my back was exposed from just above my butt to the bottoms of my shoulder blades, and reaching to the sides of my waist.

  “Uh-huh.” Julia grinned. “You’ll need something to cover yourself for the ceremony — here, try this.” She held up a light grey blazer. I shrugged into it and looked again. Perfect.

  “Thanks, Jules. So who’s the new guy?” I asked as I undressed carefully.

  “His name is Al,” she said. “He’s older, a financial analyst, and he’s been so good to me.”

  “How old is ‘older’?”

  “About Jaden’s age, I guess — twenty-five or so.”

  “I’m happy for you.” I was, too. I thought I’d feel resentment on my brother’s behalf but found that I didn’t, because Julia had been so down of late that it was a relief to see her smiling again. On the drive home I thought guiltily that I hadn’t done much to help my friend get over her sadness. It wasn’t only that I’d been busy, either. The truth was that after a while, I had thought that Julia was overreacting. Okay, her parents were getting divorced, but it wasn’t like she was going to be shuffled from house to house, a fate many of my friends had endured in childhood. She still had two parents who loved her. From where I was standing, that seemed like a pretty good deal, and I felt bad for not being able to empathize better.

  The convocation was held in a venerable stone building with massive pillars across the front. Its oddly rounded shape gave the impression that a giant pebble had been dropped among downtown Toronto’s sleek modern architecture. Dec and I rushed in slightly late because he’d had trouble finding parking — or rather, he had insisted on trying to find street parking, and there wasn’t any. We found Aunt Paloma and Uncle Peter and settled into our seats, trying to be quiet. I glanced from Dec to Uncle Peter. They were both wearing suits, and it increased their resemblance. Uncle Peter caught my glance and nodded without smiling. Then he turned and spoke to the woman next to him, and I realized she must be his new fiancée. I didn’t have time to register more than her general appearance — dark-haired and attractive in a generic way — before my attention was called to the ceremony.

  The only graduation I’d ever seen was my own high school graduation. There was more pomp and ceremony at this event, and it was certainly longer, but I didn’t find much difference until Jaden’s name was called. The rush of pride that made my eyes sting and throat tighten wasn’t something I had felt at the end of my time in high school.

  After the ceremony, we went outside to wait for Jaden and avoid the crush. It was overcast, and the heavy city smells of hot asphalt and exhaust fumes made the air feel thick.

  “This is Christine,” Uncle Peter introduced his fiancée. “And this is Paloma, Declan, and my niece, Téa.” He gestured to each of us in turn while I frowned. I was the only one whose family connection had been specified, and it made me suspect that Uncle Peter hadn’t told Christine of my alliance with his son.

  Jaden came out with a laughing group of his friends. He tore himself away, and I admired his graceful, ground-covering stride as he joined us, smiling. His mother got to kiss him first, of course, and then Uncle Peter and Christine, who Jaden had already met. Dec gave him a hug and thumped him on the back.

  “I�
�m proud of you, son,” he said gruffly.

  Jaden turned to me. My overwhelming joy for him pushed me forward, but something in his face pushed me back, and we ended up sharing only a brief, awkward hug. I pulled away shaken, wondering what had just happened. Granted, we were careful not to flaunt our love around his mom, but this felt like more than an attempt to spare Aunt Paloma’s feelings. Our family members were discussing plans to go for lunch; I hazarded a glance at Jaden and found his gaze upon me. Strain was evident in his face. This shouldn’t be happening, I thought, frustrated. This should be a day of unadulterated joy for Jaden, but somehow our relationship drama was tainting the moment. Again.

  I followed Dec mindlessly back to the truck, barely hearing his muttered complaints about the price of parking. I hunched quietly in the seat during the drive. The restaurant had been Uncle Peter’s pick. It was at the top of a high-rise; the elevator doors swept open with a soft chime to reveal a hallway flanked by a glass wall looking down about thirty stories. The restaurant itself was muted, the dark colors brightened by the almost limitless view from windows on all sides.

  Dec and I were the last to arrive, and I noticed that neither of the remaining seats was next to Jaden. Oh well, I thought, resigned, I suppose his parents deserve to have him to themselves today. Jaden stood up when I arrived, and he pushed my chair in for me as I sat, which I was embarrassed to realize I rather liked. I felt his hand on my shoulder and a moment later, his voice was at my ear.

  “I’m sorry about earlier,” he murmured.

  I twisted to look up at him. His eyes held regret, and I covered his hand with mine for a second before he returned to his seat. Aunt Paloma stiffened at our exchange, and I noticed Christine looking on with interest. Then I looked again, startled. There was a small dark-haired boy climbing onto her lap — her son, no doubt. I hadn’t seen him at the graduation and I wondered where he’d come from. He picked up the knife from his mother’s place setting, and she immediately took it out of his hands and placed it out of reach. He started trying to fish ice cubes out of her tall water glass with a fork.

  “How’s your new job?” Jaden’s mother asked him. Her eyes were darkly luminous, and she was immaculately groomed for her son’s big day. By all accounts, she had recovered fully from the cancer she’d suffered the previous year. Christine kept shooting nervous little glances her way. I wondered whether she was intimidated, meeting most of Uncle Peter’s family — including his gorgeous ex-wife — all at once like this. Aunt Paloma, on the other hand, was treating Christine with polite interest.

  “It’s going well-” Jaden started to reply. He was interrupted by a thud and startled exclamation as the boy knocked over the water glass.

  “Tristan!” His mother moved Tristan into the chair next to hers. “Please, just sit here quietly. Sorry,” she apologized to the table at large, wiping up water with her napkin. Jaden helped her until a waiter swooped in.

  “Kids will be kids,” Uncle Peter said heartily. Jaden’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t look at his father.

  “So you’re enjoying it, then?” Aunt Paloma said when everyone had sat down.

  “Yes-”

  Tristan started banging on the table with a spoon. His mother quickly took it away from him and began rummaging in her purse while Jaden told us about his new position. “It’s a very good firm with a lot of opportunity for advancement.”

  Christine gave Tristan a scrap of paper and a pen, and she and Aunt Paloma shared a conspiratorial smile.

  “I’m glad you’re finally starting a real career,” Uncle Peter said.

  Aunt Paloma bristled like a hedgehog. “Jaden’s time was no less valuable when he was playing polo.”

  “In your family’s eyes, maybe,” Uncle Peter said dismissively. “But I didn’t spend all that money on private schools for him to waste his life being a jock.”

  I felt my jaw drop open. Jaden had been the polo equivalent of a rock star, one of the best in the world. “Jock” was an insult to that kind of achievement.

  “How can you say that?” I demanded.

  “Téa,” Dec warned.

  “Dad,” Jaden sighed.

  “I’m hungry!” Tristan yelled. “Hungry hungry hungry!”

  There was a startled silence punctuated only by Christine’s shushing, and then we all began to laugh. Dec got up and found a basket of rolls for Tristan. Jaden caught my eye, his face still touched by laughter, and I felt a spongy softness spreading through me.

  Our food arrived. Dec had ordered a steak done so rare that it was almost mooing. He closed his eyes as he savored the first bite, and I smiled, happy to see him enjoying it. I had thought he’d be worried about the prices in this place, but he showed no sign of anything but appreciation. My own mushroom pasta was divine too, and for a few minutes, the only sounds were of cutlery and Christine’s quiet comments to her son.

  “So,” Uncle Peter said once our hunger had been dented. “Are you putting the old homestead up for sale soon?” He looked at Dec expectantly.

  I dropped my fork. I stared first at Uncle Peter, acting as though this was an everyday conversation, then at Dec. He finished chewing and wiped his mouth before giving his brother a direct stare.

  “I don’t think this is the right time for that conversation, Peter.”

  “Well, when is the right time? You’ve been putting me off for months.”

  A rhythmic thud, thud, thud, shook the table.

  “Don’t kick the table, honey,” Christine told Tristan. Uncle Peter threw the boy an irritated look.

  Aunt Paloma leaned forward. “Would you like to learn to count in Spanish?” She smiled at the boy, and Tristan nodded shyly.

  “Téa’s still in school,” Dec told Peter. “All her income comes from the barn, and mom’s still too invested to let it go.”

  “Mom should be moving to Florida at her age, not handling horses anymore.”

  Tristan, having apparently learned enough Spanish, bolted out of his seat and started circling the table at a run.

  “Tristan!” Uncle Peter snapped.

  Jaden reached out one long arm and caught Tristan around the middle in mid-flight. He pulled the wriggling bundle onto his lap.

  Uncle Peter leaned close, his face taut with anger. “You do NOT run in a restaurant, do you understand?” The boy drew back, wide-eyed.

  Jaden’s arm wrapped around the small shoulders. “He’s just a child,” he said quietly. “It’s not fair to expect him to hold still for so long.” He smiled down at Tristan. “Hey, big guy. Do you like airplanes?” At the boy’s nod, he got up and led Tristan by the hand toward one of the wide windows, presumably to spot some planes. Christine’s eyes followed them, her expression soft.

  “You have a wonderful son,” she said to Aunt Paloma. I noticed she didn’t include Uncle Peter in her statement, and I wondered if she was angry with him. I would be.

  I was just finishing my pasta when Jaden and Tristan wandered back. “Would you like to see the view?” Jaden asked quietly. I very carefully didn’t look at anyone else, but rose and accompanied Jaden to the restaurant’s front door, keeping a respectable distance between us. As we stepped into the glass-sided hallway I blew out a breath.

  “Yes,” Jaden agreed, taking my hand. We strolled down the hallway. Jaden walked right next to the glass but I hung back a bit. It looked like a really long way down.

  He stopped once we were around the corner, out of sight of the restaurant’s door. The hallway was deserted.

  “Great progress we’re making with our family,” I commented.

  He passed a hand over his face. “They’re priceless, aren’t they? Maybe we should elope.”

  “Okay,” I joked, “but not this weekend, the Classic’s at Palgrave.”

  His face fell. “Oh. A group of us are going out to celebrate graduation — I was hoping you’d come.”

  “Sorry.” I was, too. It was warmer in the hall, and I slipped off the blazer I’d been wearing. Jaden took
it and slung it over his shoulder. “I’ll do my best to make it up to you,” I promised, looping my arms around his neck. His hands went to my hips and he pulled me to him before sliding his hands over the silky fabric. When he got to the bare circle of my back he paused.

  “Oh. My. Lord. What are you doing to me?” His mouth came down on mine, and his lips worked insistently while his hands explored the contours of the dress, returning again and again to the bare circle.

  “I thought you’d like this dress.”

  “Like it? It’s all I can do not to tear it off you,” he growled against my lips. “Red is definitely your color.” He stopped kissing me long enough to turn me around and survey the dress’s back. I felt his hands, hot on my skin, and reached up to lift my hair out of the way.

  “You’ve certainly gotten stronger. I can see the muscles in your back move.”

  I shrugged, enjoying the feeling of both my muscles moving under his touch, and his appreciation of them. “It’s important for me to be able to keep up with Hades.”

  Jaden turned me back to face him. He wore his trademark wicked smile. “It’s also damn sexy.” He set about proving his words, but he soon took a step back, holding my shoulders and breathing hard. “I’m going to need a minute before we go back in there.”

  When he was composed we walked back into the restaurant. He kept one hand on the bare skin of my back, and when I paused, intending to put the blazer back on, he simply gave a small shake of his head and kept walking. He sat me in my chair and draped the blazer on the back before returning to his own seat, ignoring the icy silence from his parents. Dec raised his eyebrows at me, but he didn’t look perturbed.

  As we said our goodbyes Uncle Peter gave Dec a meaningful look. “We’ll talk soon.”

  I didn’t have time to grill Dec for more answers because I left for the Palgrave show the next day. I brought several students, along with Hades and Cal. It was usually a good show, and I was looking forward to it, but it rained all through the first day. I rode my horses wearing a large poncho which also served to protect my saddle.