Karen Whiddon - Tempting The Dragon

None of it mattered, or so Jade told herself when a particular rumor caused her pain. The only matter of any importance was the way the entire town of Forestwood had silently pledged over the years to keep their lake creature a secret from outsiders. Jade more than anyone else appreciated that, since as Libby’s caretaker it made her job easier.

Except someone had apparently broken their pledge. Otherwise, how would the photojournalist have heard about her?

After lunch, everyone piled into Jade’s bright green SUV and they headed home. The sunlight shone through the vibrant green trees, dappling the ground with yellow. As she drove the winding roads heading home, Jade found herself holding her breath the same way she always did as she waited for the first sight of her family home.

Burnett House sat perched up on a hill, high enough to appear sitting sentinel over the entire town. Ancient trees cradled the Victorian-style structure and the corner lot had been fenced long ago with wrought iron. The original house had been built in 1803 by one of her ancestors, Floyd Burnett, who’d made it big in the steel industry. The Burnett family had lovingly occupied and taken care of the place, keeping it freshly painted and updated with the latest plumbing and wiring, not to mention granite countertops and modern appliances. The house had been featured in several magazines over the years.

Despite having lived there her entire life, the sight of the huge two-story home never failed to take Jade’s breath away.

“Almost there,” Amber chirped. Aware of Jade’s admiration of their home, the entire family always watched for her reaction. They found it fascinating, Opal had once told her. The rarity of a Burnett with such strong ties to the house could only be a good thing, especially since ancient lore believed the Guardian’s powers came from there.

Jade wasn’t so sure about that. She tended to believe power came from within. Also, she felt it had something to do with Libby, her charge. Otherwise, why would only the current Guardian be gifted?

One more curve, and there it was. Bathed in yellow warmth from the sun, at this time of day the house appeared to actually glow. Smiling dreamily, Jade sighed with pleasure as she pulled into the driveway. It was a good thing she loved this place so much. Because she, like all the women who’d been given the title of Libby’s caretaker, had been cursed to die if they ever tried to leave. Only the Guardians had to remain—the other women were free to come and go as they pleased.

Or so legend had it. There had been numerous stories over the years. Jade wasn’t entirely certain she believed them. Mostly, she tried not to think about it. While she didn’t like the idea of being trapped, she couldn’t imagine herself making a life anywhere else but Forestwood.

“Here we are,” Jade said as she parked, ignoring her family’s delighted expression as they watched her. Her heart skipped a beat as she wondered when she’d see the handsome stranger from the café. Unable to help herself, she furtively looked around for another car. Seeing none, she relaxed a little, though she still felt on edge.

She couldn’t shake the sense that things were about to change. Her life, most specifically. She could only hope this would be a good thing.

Chapter 2

Once inside the large house, her mother and her grandmother scattered. One of the other reasons Jade loved her home so much was its size. Not only the various hallways and rooms, but the hidden compartments and tunnels had always ensured the one seeking solitude had a place to hide.

Jade had taken advantage of that when she’d been younger. These days, her younger twin sisters, Pearl and Sapphire, were the ones who often hid from the constant noisiness of the family.

Currently, there was only one man in residence—Sam Burnett, Opal’s husband and Jade’s grandfather. These days, due to his worsening dementia, he mostly stayed in his room with the aide the family had hired to look after him. On his more lucid days, Sam would announce to anyone who would listen that he considered himself lucky. He’d always claimed Opal’s first name, which followed the Burnett tradition of naming their women after gemstones, had been a sign that she was his mate.

He was lucky to find her, the rest of the family had always thought. Lucky to have been one of the few men who’d managed to live in the house. Probably because he’d been born a Burnett. Men who’d married into the Burnett family frequently died an early death or the marriage ended in divorce. Most couldn’t deal with the Burnett women’s amazing beauty. More than one bitter divorce had resulted from a Burnett female attracting far more attention than her husband could handle.

And then there were those, like Jade’s father, who hadn’t even attempted to marry a Burnett.

Her aunt Emerald, never named Guardian, had married and moved out, though she and her husband, Jack, and their daughter still lived in Forestwood. Jade saw her cousin Di often enough, though Di’s brother, Jack Jr., had moved to California as soon as he graduated high school. He’d never returned, not even at Christmas or Thanksgiving.

The only ones who couldn’t leave the house were the Guardians. Or so Jade had been told. Like her mother before her, as long as Jade took care of Libby, if she were to marry, her husband would have to agree to reside here. Jade didn’t know too many men—okay, none, other than her grandfather, who was related—who would agree to live in a rambling old house with a bunch of women.

Travel could be prohibitive for those chosen. Even before she’d officially assumed the title of Guardian, but after Libby had named her Amber’s successor, Jade had only gone away once, back in high school during spring break with her friends. In two days she’d become violently ill, and not from alcohol consumption. Her mother had been dispatched to collect her. Once Jade had arrived back home, she instantly felt better. After that, Jade simply stayed put.

These days it was Pearl and Sapphire who were chafing to go on a grand adventure of their own. They were only seventeen, the same age as Jade when she took her ill-advised spring break trip. Since Libby hadn’t mentioned wanting Jade to pass on the mantle to either of them yet, Jade figured they were safe. At least for now, until Libby decided she needed a new Guardian.

The only thing missing, as far as Jade was concerned, was a dog. Her grandmother claimed to be allergic to all pets, so they’d never had any. The longing for a dog was one of the reasons Jade had opened her business, a doggy day care called Dogs Off Leash. DOL, for short.

Jade headed for the kitchen, which was one of her favorite rooms in the house. Her aunt was visiting and, as she often did because she claimed to enjoy the feel of dough under her hands, she was baking bread. The heavenly smell made Jade’s mouth water. Emerald was one of the few talented cooks in the family. When her husband and kids got on her nerves, she frequently showed up and worked out her frustration by baking. Jade loved to be around when Auntie Em visited.

“Hello, dear.” Her aunt held out her arms, wrapping Jade in a mist of perfume and flour. “Did you ladies have a nice lunch?”

“We did.” Jade smiled. “Do you need any help?” she asked. Auntie Em never did, but simply asking was enough to earn a bit of whatever treat she’d made.

This time was no exception. Beaming, her aunt handed her a slice of fresh-baked bread with a dot of creamy butter. After giving her thanks, Jade carried her prize from the warm kitchen and out to the front porch, where she could enjoy it in peace.

She sat down on the wooden swing—her favorite place to sit and watch the world pass by, and took a bite of bread. Soft and fragrant, the white bread contained hints of cheese, onion and herbs and melted on her tongue. She chewed slowly, wanting to savor every single bite. She might even have let out a quiet moan of pleasure.