Eden's Playground: Graystone Academy Book One, BE Kelly [good short books .TXT] 📗

“Absolutely,” Duff agreed. Anson read every dirty thought his brother was having and shook his head. “You know, as soon as we walk through the front door, you won’t be able to be in my head anymore, Brother,” Duff grumbled.

“We’re not in the house and she’s not ours yet,” Anson said. Eden was watching the two of them and he took her hand into his. “My brother is imagining all he wants us to do with you at our place,” he said, filling her in. Eden’s gasp filled the car and he could tell that she was just as turned on by the idea as they were—he didn’t need to be a mind reader to know that.

“Can we put this on hold until we can get this next part over with? Father is standing on the front porch and he doesn’t look pleased,” Duff said, nodding to the front of the house.

Shit—his brother was right. His father didn’t look happy about their surprise visit. “Come on,” Anson said. He opened his door and slid from the car. Duff helped Eden from the vehicle and they walked to the front porch, hand in hand, the three of them.

His father smiled and nodded to Eden, “Hello,” he said, laying on the charm. His father could be quite suave when he wanted to be. “You boys bring home a friend?” he asked.

“This is Eden Street,” Anson said, almost stumbling over the last name. It really didn’t roll off his tongue as Eden Graystone had. “We’ve come home to grab a few things and we were hoping you wouldn’t mind a few overnight guests.”

“It’s good to meet you, Eden. I’d love for you to stay the night. That would be great,” his father said. He could tell that his dad had already started drinking a little early that day. If he had to guess, his father was about two to three drinks in already. That would make him nice enough to answer a few questions and sober enough to remember what the hell he was talking about.

“Did you close the pool for the season yet?” Duff asked.

“Nope—I’ll make sure that it’s heated and ready for you three to use. In the meantime, I’ll let Glory know you’re here and have her plan for three more for dinner. She’ll be thrilled to see you, boys. All she does is complain that I don’t eat enough anymore and that she misses feeding her boys.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Anson said. Glory was their housekeeper/nanny. When they moved to town from Scotland, they were old enough not to need a nanny but too young to go running around unsupervised. Their mum had hired Glory to do some cooking and light housework, but she ended up chasing them around most of the day, especially after their mother got sick. She became their surrogate mother, for the most part, and when their father left town on business or drank himself into a stupor, she was there to take care of them both.

They followed him into the house and he turned to smirk at them. “How many bedrooms will you require?” he asked. Eden turned three shades of red and their father chuckled. Anson hated that she was made to feel embarrassed.

“Duff and I will bunk up in his room and Eden can have my old room,” Anson said. She squeezed his hand and smiled up at him, taking his breath away. She was so beautiful and she didn’t even know it.

“Suit yourself,” their dad grumbled. “I tried to help you boys out.”

“Thanks, Dad, but we don’t need any help,” Duff spat, effectively dismissing him. Thank God he took the hint and left them alone. Anson wasn’t sure how much of their father he’d be able to stomach if he drank much more tonight. He dumped their bags in the two rooms and they took Eden off to meet Glory, anxious to have the two meet.

Glory dropped the spoon she had been using, to stir whatever she was cooking in the big pot. “I thought I heard you two,” she said. “Will you be staying for dinner?”

“Yep, and breakfast too,” Duff said. He kissed her cheek and Anson did the same.

“This is our friend, Eden,” Anson said. Glory pulled her in for a hug, surprising Eden.

“Um, hello,” Eden squeaked.

“It’s so nice to meet you,” Glory said.

“Thank you,” Eden said.

“A witch—well, that’s a nice surprise,” Glory whispered.

“I thought we weren’t allowed to use magic,” Eden said.

“The rules don’t apply to Glory. She hasn’t met a rule she didn’t want to break,” Duff teased.

“Do you have abilities?” Eden asked Glory.

“She’s a fae,” Anson said. “Glory can read minds like me—that’s how she knows you’re a witch.”

“A fae?” she asked. “I’ve never met a fae before. You look so human,” Eden said.

Glory giggled and shifted into her fae form. “I can shift into a fae form, but the people in town have no idea that supernaturals exist. If they knew that a fae was living here with wolf shifters, shopping at the same stores as them and fitting into their daily lives, they’d lose their minds. This is just easier,” she said, shifting back to her human form. “But the boys are right—I don’t like the whole, ‘no magic’ rule. I never did. It’s just Mr. Kirkpatrick’s way of holding some control over the boys. I don’t believe in stifling a supernatural’s abilities.”

“Enough Glory,” their father ordered. He had come in through the back of the kitchen and caught the tail end of their conversation. Glory would have known he was there—she would have gotten a read on him before he even entered the room, but she still had the nerve to say what she did. She always spoke her mind and there father had no way of stopping her. She shrugged and smiled at him and Duff, even giving them a saucy wink.

Duff chuckled and shook his head at her. “See—never one to follow the rules, our Glory,” he whispered to Eden.

“Father, if you have