“True. But still.”
“No buts. Ninety-five percent of our business is from out-of-towners on vacation. We don’t need the income from a bunch of fundamentalist religious freaks who have nothing better to do than worry about someone else’s lifestyle choices.”
“How did you get so smart?”
He grinned. “Raised by the best.”
“Your father’s going to have a conniption.”
“He’ll get over it. Go find him. I’ll take care of this line.”
»»•««
Laurie opened the door to her parents’ home and stepped inside without knocking. She hadn’t lived there for two years, but she knew she was always welcome and it would always be her home. “Mom? Dad?”
She dropped her bag on the floor and plodded toward the kitchen. At this time of day, her parents would be enjoying a beer and cooking dinner.
Her father stood from his perch at the island when she entered. “Laurie. What are you doing here?” He stepped toward her and pulled her into his embrace. He then held her at arm’s length and looked over her shoulders. “Where are your mates?”
Tears fell. She couldn’t stop them. “I came alone.”
Her mother gasped. She rounded the island and wrapped an arm around Laurie’s shoulders. “Let’s go sit down. Tell us what happened.”
Laurie let her mother lead her into the living room where she plopped onto her favorite armchair and leaned her head back. She fought the onslaught of tears she had managed to keep at bay for the last several hours. It was too late to stop them now.
They fell unbidden, soon followed by giant sobs.
Her mother hurried from the room and returned with a box of tissues.
Through the haze of her watery eyes, she took in her childhood home. It always managed to envelop her in its warmth, no matter what her problems.
And it did this time too. The walls were the same shade of khaki they had been for as long as she could remember. The fireplace was lit, as it always was in winter. The furniture had been replaced several times over the years, but it was a deep chocolate color that she easily sank into. Her parents rarely watched television, but it sat unassuming in its nook along the bookshelves.
Home.
She cried harder.
Her father sat uncomfortably across from her, rubbing his chin with one finger. “Did something happen? Is everyone okay?”
Laurie nodded, reining in her sobs. She took a deep breath. “Everyone’s fine. I just needed to leave town and come home.”
“Why?” her mother asked. She sat on the arm of the chair and stroked Laurie’s head.
“So many things were happening in Cambridge and Sojourn.”
“Your grandmother has told me about everything. I’ve spoken to her several times a day. What does this have to do with you?”
“I think I’m the cause of the unrest,” she blurted.
Her mother gasped. “Why? Honey, that’s crazy.”
Laurie shook her head violently. “No. It’s not. Everything started when I arrived. Nature went haywire, spirits popped out of nowhere, and both my mates are taking flak from the community for our unconventional relationship.
“I realized I was the common denominator. I needed to leave town so things could go back to normal.”
Her mother chuckled. “Honey, it doesn’t work like that. Zachary and Corbin are your mates. It’s fated. You can’t stop it any more than you can stop the snow from falling.”
Laurie flinched and glared at her mother. “I can actually cause snow to fall, Mom. Haven’t you been listening?”
“Sweetie, you can’t affect the weather. And you can’t change who your mates are—especially after they’ve claimed you.”
“I beg to differ.” Laurie pursed her lips, wiped the last of the tears from her face and stood. “We’ll see.”
She knew time would tell. And she was exhausted.
“What are you going to do?” her father asked.
“May I stay in my old room? I’m so tired. I need sleep.”
Her mother stood also. “I was just cooking dinner. Don’t you want to eat first?”
Laurie shook her head. “No. I just want to be alone.”
“Okay.” Her mother’s face was contorted in disbelief.
Laurie couldn’t blame her, but she also didn’t want to stand around arguing the finer points of her decision. It was her decision to make. No one else’s. And she’d made it. Now, she needed to wait and see what happened.
She headed down the hall toward her childhood room and stepped inside. It should have soothed her. Nothing had changed in the last few years. Her belongings were gone, but her bed was the same and the furniture hadn’t been swapped out. When she’d moved into an apartment with her closest friend, she’d taken her clothes and trinkets, but not the furniture.