Moonlight Gorge
The next day
"I'm glad you're back," JJ told Cian smiling as soon as he had arrived back in the Moonlight Gorge after the auction and seeing his aunt and uncle. The two of them were strolling along the pathways in the park, simply enjoying each other's company on a nice warm day.
"I told you I'd be back in a couple of days," Cian told her smiling ecstatic to see JJ brighten when he called her to tell her that he was back in town.
"Those 48 hours seemed to pass pretty slowly without you around," JJ admitted blushing.
"I promise not to leave again, at least for awhile," Cian said smiling. "There isn't another auction I need to get to for a few months anyway."
"So where is the next one?" JJ asked curiously.
"The next one is in New Orleans which really isn't too far from here. It's close enough I can drive instead of flying if I wanted to save the expense of a shuttle ticket not to mention on a car rental," Cian said. "Of course, there are other smaller auctions, but I don't go to every single one just the important ones."
"Not every auction is going to be about antiques," JJ said. "There are other items people place value in, paintings for example, pottery and all kinds of things."
"That's a very astute observation," Cian and told her proudly making JJ blush. "Paintings can be considered antique, but I don't deal in paintings of any kind, as I'm not an expert on art. As for pottery, I'm not an expert on that either, not the really old stuff that's been around for centuries anyway. What about an early dinner before I turn in for the night?"
"Sounds good to me," JJ agreed. "By the way, I found myself a job at the news station and I quit my other job over the phone. I called my boss and told him I quit and he could mail me my last paycheck."
"You didn't even give him the courtesy of telling him face-to-face," Cian observed. "You must really dislike your boss if you didn't even give him a face-to-face meeting and give him your resignation in person."
"I do, as he kept me from advancing," JJ explained. "He's a sexist pig and implied more than once if I slept with him I could advance in my career. Working hard didn't get me anywhere, not with him as my boss. I know that if I had actually slept with him he could've blackmailed me in order to keep my indiscretion a secret and I wasn't about to get into that situation. I was thinking about quitting anyway, finding something else in Milwaukee though, not in a different state altogether."
"He does sound like a bit of a bastard," Cian said as calmly as possible.
He wanted to go teach JJ boss a lesson about how to treat women, but knew he couldn't no matter how he felt, as it wasn't a good idea.
"Oh believe me he is," JJ said smiling not seeming upset for Cian calling her boss a bastard. "I mean, you would think in this century that such an attitude would've died a painful, lingering death by now, but unfortunately, there are still plenty of people like Jerrod Simmons around. I suppose that kind of attitude never fully dies even though we live in a very advanced time with plenty of job opportunities for women."
Cian now know that JJ's boss's name was Jerrod and to never suggest it for a name for any boy children they had. He doubted JJ would respond well if he did so he might mention the name to his aunt and uncle and see if they wanted to use it for the next boy baby that was born. He was pretty sure that particular name had never been used in their family though he wasn't absolutely positive.
"Well, I'm glad you decided to take my advice then and stay here in Moonlight Gorge," Cian said.
"You practically begged me to stay," JJ corrected Cian smiling. "You said that you thought we might have something special if only I would give it a chance to develop and as you know I caved. That I was having so much trouble with my boss that I was thinking about quitting my job anyway and finding something else only helped me reach that decision."
"What can I say, except I really like you JJ and I would've been willing to move the Milwaukee if necessary, though arrangements would've had to have been made before I followed you," Cian said not revealing the depths of how much he already loved Jennifer Jareau as they'd only known each other for a short time. He had clarified his feelings somewhat over the two days he had been gone and he knew he would do everything in his power to convince her that she loved him to no matter how fast it had happened. That she hadn't left for Milwaukee when he had practically begged her to stay in Moonlight Gorge had to say something about her feelings for him. It at least said, she liked him and she was willing to leave where she had been living. Or at least, that her problems with her boss Jerrod Simmons had made up her mind to not go home. Cian liked to think that JJ had decided to stay in Moonlight Gorge mainly because of him, as she could've found another job in Milwaukee, though not necessarily dealing with the news depending on how vindictive her former boss wanted to be. She still could have gone back home and not moved nearly a thousand miles away from everything she knew and not started completely over.
"I suppose you do have to go back long enough to pack up your apartment, once you find a place here," Cian said.
"Yes, there still a lot to do," JJ agreed. "I've been looking for an apartment while you were gone to your auction, but haven't found anything in my price range yet."
"I could probably help you find something relatively nice if you like, within your means," Cian offered.
"That would be good and once I've been working for awhile I'll be able to afford something better," JJ said. "So get anything good at the auction in Philadelphia?"
"I did actually," Cian said. "It's going to be shipped here, as I just couldn't bring it on the shuttle, as a lot of it is easily breakable. It should be here in a few days and I'll show you what I purchased for the shop. Also, I got to see my Aunt Shonda and Uncle Aaron who are living in Philadelphia, as I mentioned when we first met. Aunt Shonda is the reason and I went into the antique business in the first place and it was nice to spend a few hours with them just catching up. Aunt Shonda and I went to the auction together bidding on different things."
"That's really nice," JJ said smiling. "I would love to meet them sometime."
"They really want to meet you, as I told them about you," Cian said. "They raised me after my parents died, kind of adopted me into their family. They already had four children and I was kind of surprised that they were willing to take me in considering that they already had their own kids to raise."
"That was really nice of them," JJ said.
"Yeah, it was and I didn't understand why they decided to take me in after my parents died, not until I was grown up anyway. They knew that if I ended up in a foster home it likely wouldn't have been a good one, as there are a lot of bad foster parents they told me, especially since I would've been shuffled from home to home every couple of years. Once I had some years on me and had learned about the world I agreed with them on that. They were the best adoptive parents that I could have wished for as they were generous and kind and treated me like their own son from the minute I unexpectedly landed on their doorstep."
Cian didn't bother to tell JJ that the Hotchners had never officially adopted him, even though they had wanted to, as they didn't want to bring attention of everybody in authority and so they had simply changed his name and got him a new social security number illegally, which was something that they had to do every generation anyway and so did he.
"That's really nice," JJ said smiling again. She had a feeling she'd really like Cian's adoptive parents a great deal, as they had taken him in for no reason other than they knew it was the right thing to do. That kind of attitude was so rare in this century that it was amazing what the Hotchners had done for Cian. They had taken in a little boy who had lost his parents and given him a more than decent childhood from everything Cian had told her about the elder Hotchners.
What Cian didn't tell JJ was that he also had magic just like his adoptive family and his aunt and uncle had known that he needed to be trained to use his talent responsibly. He was also an empath, a powerful one, and he had to be taught to block out others emotions or he would have eventually gone insane or at least isolated himself from contact with almost everyone. He might even have committed suicide thinking he was crazy, because he was feeling not just his own emotions, but everyone that was in within his range. Even as a child he had been able to sense his aunt's emotions and she had been over a block away in a really nice neighborhood where Walter Antiques was located. He was even more powerful now that he was an adult then he had been as a child and so learning to block out others feelings had been essential to his mental health.
He could also control others emotions if he had to, though he rarely did so. If he had to control somebody's emotions it tired him out where he slept like the dead as he was feeling those emotions along with his own. He'd even been knocked unconscious a few times when he had to do that, especially when he had been younger.
"I'm glad they did, as it turned out that I had a pretty high IQ, a genius level intellect. Do you believe that my intellect ever would've been realized if they hadn't taken me in and sent me to the same private school they sent their own children, even though there was a fee required. When it was time for college they sent me on their own dime and told me not to worry about finding a scholarship," Cian said. "I already decided that antiquing interested me as a career and my aunt was very happy when I did, as I'd already been her assistant for some years by that time. She once told me that I had a good eye for things that people considered valuable and a good brain for that kind of work, something not many people have when it comes to that particular field.
"I was was very naïve when it came to that type of business and thought all you had to do was get products and sell them for a high profit, but I soon learned otherwise, as my aunt was happy to teach me everything she knew. I just didn't know any better at the time I told her that."
"I'm glad the Hotchners adopted, as you might not be here now otherwise and that would've been a tragedy if they had not realized your intelligence or helped you out of your situation," JJ said.
"I also might very well be dead as my mom and I grew up until I was six in a very poor area where nobody cared about anybody except themselves and possibly their own families. It was a neighborhood where you could be beaten up just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time or knifed in the back, because somebody thought you were spying on them, even when you were just minding your own business, just walking home from somewhere like school. It wouldn't have mattered that I was just a kid as those people wouldn't have cared about that."
Cian didn't tell JJ that he had never been to school until the Hotchners had taken him in, even though it was way past time for him to have started. He knew how to read a little, enough anyway to read street signs and things and that was about it. He'd had to work hard at the private school he'd attended to catch up with the other students, but he had been determined to do so and he had.
Also, he'd had a second set of lessons after school to learn to use his magic like the other children of the Hotchners and he had it excelled at that to.
He knew his mother would've been happy that the Hotchners had taken him in and treated him at the son from the first moment they had met him.
"That sounds awful," JJ winced.
"I didn't know any differently, not then," Cian said simply. "Once the Hotchners had taken me in though and I'd been there for a few weeks I was grateful for the opportunity to better myself and have a roof that didn't leak over my head and more than adequate food in my stomach. They also bought me brand new clothes and didn't make me wear their son's Blake's clothes, as he was about the same age I was. He was about a year older and had more weight on his frame than I did at that time."
"You were malnourished," JJ said and Cian nodded.
"Very much so," Cian said. "They got to me before that malnourishment affected me to where I never reached my full height."
"Sounds like you are very, very lucky that the Hotchners took you in," JJ said.
"I know I am," Cian said simply smiling. "I'm sure you can see why I love them so much, as they did what they did, simply because it was the right thing to do and not for any money that was paid by the government to look after me until I was 18. So many people seem to sign up for foster care for nothing but the paycheck and then mistreat the child that they are assigned, which is just wrong."
"Yes, I can," JJ said she took Cian's hand noticing that it felt right to hold his hand as they walked. They finished their walk about half an hour later and headed for Cian's car, which was a nice one and not like hers at all. For one thing it was one of the newest models and wasn't likely to break down like hers had. His car also had a flying feature while hers did not.
The doors to Cian's car opened as soon as they were within range of it sensors and they both got in the doors closing and locking automatically as soon as they had their safety webbing fastened.
~~~Cian and JJ~~~
"Welcome to Jazz's Stupendous Delights," Cian told JJ as the two landed in the parking lot right outside the original bakery owned by Jazz Rossi.
Unlike her old car Cian's could fly while hers didn't have that function. Unfortunately, she was stuck on the ground whenever she was going somewhere. On the other hand, there wasn't as much traffic on the ground at least usually so that was a good thing. To be fair though, there were other cars like hers that couldn't join the air traffic because they're flying function either didn't work or their cars didn't have that feature.
The building that housed the bakery looked like it had had a coat of fresh paint sometime recently and also the sign looked as if it had been freshly painted as well. Unlike most businesses the original sign was hanging above the entrance and it wasn't one that had light bulbs in it to make it work. It was wooden.
"You know it's very unusual to see a sign for a business made out of wood nowadays," JJ said, as she looked at the sign and also the words painted on the window that looked freshly done as they weren't chipped or faded. The letters were gold in fancy lettering that gave the name of the bakery. There was an open sign on the front door and this one the lettering was lighted in electric blue. The door was made out of glass and was unpowered so you had to open it manually unlike most businesses nowadays, where the doors opened automatically as soon as you came within range.
"Why change it if you don't have to," Cian said simply. "Just because most businesses, especially those in large cities have signs that use bulbs doesn't mean every business has to. This is the original sign that Jazz Lincoln had made several hundred years ago and since it's still in good shape, even after hundreds of years, why change it? It's obvious the family cares about the business and so takes care of it with fresh coats of paint when necessary and any other repairs.
"The sign looks pretty weathered, as if it's been out in all weathers, but it's still in pretty good shape considering," JJ said looking at the sign again.
Cian opened the door and held it open for JJ hearing the bell jangle cheerfully. JJ entered the bakery salivating at all the delicious aromas that were coming from the kitchen.
"Sure does smell good in here," JJ said, as she and Cian stood in the long line.
"I know it does and I enjoy just coming and sitting in one of the booths and enjoying my snack and usually a cup of coffee. Order anything you want, as they never charge me, because I'm family," Cian said quietly enough that no else could possibly have heard what he said since the bakery was fairly noisy.
"Now that is a good deal," JJ said appreciatively.
"It's a practice that the first Jazzlyn Lincoln started," Cian said. "Anybody with the last name of Rossi or Hotchner never pays for anything they decide to get, well, so long as the are related to those two families, as there are Rossis out there that aren't related to the first Jazz."
"Rossi is a pretty common surname today," JJ commented and Cian nodded agreement.
"Yes, it is," Cian agreed.
"Hotchner on the other hand is not," JJ said.
"No, it isn't," Cian agreed smiling unoffended.
"I don't believe I've ever met another Hotchner, except for you," JJ said.
"There are other Hotchners here in town and they're all related to each other," Cian said. "In fact, there's one running the register right now and her name is Alana."
JJ looked at the lady at the register and saw she was a very beautiful with gorgeous red hair and when she looked up green eyes.
"She's working here temporarily until she can find another job," Cian answered JJ's unasked question. "The Hotchners and the Rossis are great friends with each other and in fact, my aunts best friend name is Jazz Rossi.
"I believe you mentioned that at some point," JJ said
"Probably, because you usually can't get me to shut up about my family," Cian shrugged not looking at all embarrassed.
He knew very well, that not many people were as close to their own families, as he was to his, which was a tragedy and a shame, but unfortunately the way of the world.
The two of them finally reached the register and Cian got a cup of coffee as well as a dozen chocolate chunk cookies to take home and a apple turnover to eat here at the bakery.
Alana rang up Cian's order and then Cian asked, "What do you want JJ? It's on me."
"It all looks so good it's hard to choose," JJ said she looked all the goodies in the front cases. "Any recommendations?" JJ asked Alana and Cian.
"Depends if you prefer something with chocolate or something else," Cian said. "I got an apple turnover to enjoy here and some chocolate chunk cookies with macadamia nuts to take home for later."
"I guess I'll try the apple turnover and a large coffee," JJ decided, as she was well aware there were people standing behind her who were waiting to be served and she didn't want to be rude and hold up the line just because she couldn't decide.
Cian gave a Alana a wink when JJ wasn't looking and Alana nodded smiling briefly. Yes, Alana had heard about Cian finding his mate and Alana correctly assumed that JJ was her. The family rumor mill must've been working overtime.
"We'll be back," Cian promised smiling, "and you can try some of the other treats. You can put JJ's order on my account Alana."
"Will do," Alana agreed cheerfully.
What Cian meant, but didn't say out loud was basically, she's my mate so she's family. Alana immediately got the message.
"I have a feeling I'm going to become a regular customer, as it all looks so good," JJ said, as Alana handed Cian and JJ their order and the two immediately headed over to sit at one of the few free tables.
"She didn't even charge you for my order," JJ said once they were sitting at one of the tables.
"I told her to put it on my account so she did," Cian said simply.
"I feel guilty for letting you pay for everything for me," JJ said. "I mean you bought me several meals and now you're getting me treats for free at this bakery. It's not right. I have a job now I can pay for my own food."
"I know you're independent, but I truly don't mind it. Why pay when you don't have to?" Cian said
"Because it's not fair to have you continue to pay when I have a job now," JJ said. "I actually have money in my bank account, as I've gotten several paychecks now."
"But you still don't have much money as your bank account was drained and you haven't been working that long," Cian said. "Why not just accept the gift?"
"For one thing, I'm not family and the cashier didn't charge me like she should have," JJ said. "You telling her to put it on your account was enough for her not to charge me for my order."
JJ took a bite out of her apple turnover and nearly groaned at the taste, as it was terrific. There were large chunks of baked apples in it as well as cinnamon and sugar and it had a nice glaze on the top of it that complemented the apples, cinnamon and sugar in the pastry perfectly. The pastry was nice and flaky the crust golden brown. The turnovers were like a hand pie, as you could hold it in your hands to eat it, but some people used forks so that they didn't get stickiness all over their hands from the glaze or the apples and sugar.
"This is seriously great," JJ said she took another bite, putting the piece in her mouth with a fork.
"Glad you like it, as it's one of my favorites," Cian told her, as he took a bite of his own turnover getting a piece with his fork. "Of course, I like the desserts with chocolate to and often get something that contains it like the chocolate chunk cookies I got for later. I just didn't want chocolate for a snack today.
"I can definitely see why," JJ said as she took another bite using her fork to break the crust of the pastry and get some of the delicious baked apples along with the taste of cinnamon and sugar. "I'm definitely going to have to come back and try some of the other dessert items."
"You can come every day if you want and I'll be glad to bring you," Cian said smiling. "I'm in here practically every day anyway getting me some coffee and usually some kind of treat not always an apple turnover."
"We'll have to do that," JJ decided electing not to argue farther as she would never get Cian to agree with her anyway so why create bad feelings?
"I'm glad to see you're not gonna argue with me because you wouldn't win," Cian told her smiling. His smile was just a tad bit smug and JJ nearly chastised him for feeling so smug.
"I've already figured that out," JJ said rolling her eyes in exasperation.
~~~Cian and JJ~~~