Intended Series Collection: Books 1-6 by Abigail Grant (best summer books .txt) 📗

looks up at the house as if she is looking at a loved one. “Thank you, El. It’s my safe haven.” She closes her eyes for a moment and then grabs my hand and Gavin’s, pulling us both into her home, with Alexa following behind. “Come with me, kids. We can sit and wait for the others to arrive.”

I look over to Gavin with my eyebrows raised and whisper. “Others?”

He looks apologetic when he answers. “We have some family around whom I thought you could meet. We like to stay close.”

My heartbeat picks up a notch at the thought of meeting all of these people and what secrets they could possibly have that would cause such a gathering. I feel as though I am about to be put on display for the circus crowd to gawk and throw peanuts at.

We enter into a spacious room that looks to be a sitting room with a large fireplace on the far wall and a couple of couches placed so that they are facing one another. There are fresh yellow and blue flowers displayed on tables around the room, and the ceiling reaches high above our heads, with windows making up most of the front wall. Even though we are indoors it feels like we are still outside with the woodsy decorations and amount of natural lighting.

We turn a corner into the large marble-lined kitchen with even more windows displaying an immaculate green yard and vegetable garden at the back of the house. My eyes are wide as I study all of the amazing details inside. I peek through a side door in the kitchen that leads to a large dining room. There is a long dark wood dining table in the center that matches some of the wooden trim around the doors and it looks as if it could seat twenty people.

Cami lets go of my hand and grabs a plate of chocolate chip cookies and a pitcher of lemonade from the marble kitchen island. She hands me the plate and Gavin the pitcher. “Could you guys take these into the front room for me? Lex and I will grab us some glasses.”

“Got it.” Gavin takes the plate from my hands and leads me back into the room with the fireplace. He takes a seat close to the picturesque wall of windows and gently tugs on my hand so that I will sit beside him.

I turn toward Gavin, my knee brushing lightly against his with the movement. He is looking out the window, enjoying the scenery, so I take the opportunity to search his perfect face for any hints as to what he could be hiding. Other than those magical eyes, he seems so normal. “Gavin?” I get his attention in a hushed voice.

He looks at me with slight concern etched across his face. “Yes?”

“Why are we here?” He looks down at our still entwined hands, avoiding my question. “I mean, I know we are here because you guys have answers for me about why you sneak around at night and why that man has been following me, but can't you just tell me? I feel like I am about to learn that the world is coming to an end, but everyone is being too calm. They act like it's just another day.” My voice raises in pitch toward the end.

He is quiet for a moment, looking unsure as to what he should or shouldn’t tell me. “The world isn't coming to an end anytime soon, I'm sure.” He pauses. “We have a lot of secrets in this family that we only share with other people like us.” He looks at my eyes as if he is waiting for me to reply.

“Okay...” I draw out the word. “Should I know what that means?”

He squeezes my hand and rubs his thumb gently along my wrist. “Aella, you and I... you know, we have a lot in common.”

“Well, I know we have some things in common. We both lost one or both of our parents, we are huge nature lovers, we are both artistic.”

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before locking eyes with me once more. “Yes, all of those things, but there's more than that, a lot more.”

I silently beg him to get to the point, but before he can open his mouth again, a booming voice breaks into our private world.

“Where's that little trouble-maker?” A loud male voice reverberates off the glass windows. I jump and spin around to see a tall, lumberjack-looking man burst through the front doors. His large muscles stretch out the long-sleeved wool shirt that is tucked into the waist of his carpenter jeans.

He notices Gavin and me, then immediately charges toward us, his familiar golden eyes blazing, with an angry expression marring his handsome features. I cringe and grab onto Gavin's arm out of fear before he is ripped from me and lifted off the couch by the large and intimidating beast of a man.

The behemoth tucks Gavin under one arm and, with the opposite hand, proceeds to give his handsome head of hair, what looks to be a decently painful noogie.

“Jack! Let go of me right now, you giant oaf!” Gavin yells at the man, Jack, I'm guessing.

Jack begins laughing loudly at Gavin struggling under his arm. Gavin stops his useless fight, which makes Jack release him with a smug “I'm the champion of the world” look on his face.

Gavin punches him hard in the shoulder, with a slight grin forming under his angry facade. “You are so lucky Aella is here or you'd be looking up at me from the ground right now, old man.” he says to the guy who looks to be only ten years older, at the most.

Jack turns on me at the mention of my name. Oh, dear Lord. Before I can react, he lifts me into a bear hug that makes my feet dangle at least a foot off the ground. This family seriously has a hugging problem.