First Angel: The Source {Goddess Class Creation Series: Book Three}

FA:TS- Chapter 36

Chapter Thirty-six

Mark snaked his hand around Dawn's waist after they got out of the SUV that Angel Kat had rented with a driver. It had taken a little over a week to get all the legal documents sorted out for ownership of the Mannings' family estate to return to Dawn, the true heir of the estate. But with Angel Kat and Targ working tirelessly with the lawyers, it was done.

It also helped that Nicholas White was pronounced dead by natural causes. He managed to die because of old age. His heart just gave out after two consecutive heart attacks within five minutes apart. Death finally took that dark man.

Dawn, Mark, and Stephan were the only ones to show up to Nicholas' funeral. Nicholas had no one who truly cared for him because he cared about no one but himself. Dawn and Mark held the wake at their condo where their friends came over to celebrate with them. But Dawn still felt sad that someone died no matter how evil they were. No matter that she couldn't save them from the darkness they loved so much. A life was gone.

Now she took a deep breathe of the place she once called home and hoped to again. The strong scent of lavenders and lemons filled the air. Images of her mother making lemon cake made her miss her mother even more.

Dawn just couldn't help smiling as she turned to Mark and pulled him around to the side of the house. "And where are we going?" His voice held amusement as he just let her led him where she wanted. He'd let her pull him along forever just to she her shine every second of their lives.

She grinned beautifully. "You'll see."

They rounded another corner and before them stood six overgrown citrus trees. Dawn reached out and plucked a ripe lemon. She put it to her nose after she rubbed a spot and smelled it. When she offered it to Mark to smell, he smiled.

"That smells wonderful."

Dawn looked down at the lemon. "My mom loved coming out here and tending these trees. She even made the most delicious lemon pound cake using all of the lemon."

Mark wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "Will you teach me how to make your mom's lemon pound cake?"

Dawn giggled tearily. "Later. Right now I just need to open the windows and shoo away all the dark spirits from the past."

"You got it." He took her hand and they rejoined everyone at the front of the house.

Stephan smiled as Dawn handed him the lemon she still had in her hand. His wife smiling at her husband as she dabbed a single tear from his eye. "The trees thrived as we all have." Stephan nodded at his sister and pulled her into a tight hug.

After another moment, both Stephan and Dawn took a deep breathe and took everyone up the steps of their family's home. Stephan and his wife wanted to join Dawn when she returned. To be there for her and help in cleaning up the house for the reunion that would indeed take place there.

They only had about four days to get the house most of the way finished before Mark had his photo shoot with the designer wife of Donald Xiner. Dawn was also asked to be one of the models for the collection. Actually, the wife wanted Dawn to be the one to model the highlight of the collection after seeing some photos of Dawn that Mark took a few days before the meeting with the designer. Another day that Mark and Dawn were having fun in his studio.

The sound of the front door made when they opened it was an eerie one. One that said that the house hadn't really housed a soul for over twenty years. The dust on the floor and on the cloth covered furniture also telling the same story. The only disturbance from that dust was the foot prints of those who searched the house so many weeks ago.

Stephan hugged his wife when she shivered. "It's so dark in here."

Dawn moved into one of the parlors off from the foyer and threw open the draped that were pulled tight over the windows. Dust flew everywhere as the light of the partially cloudy day drifted in. Dawn sneezing against the thick and fine particles of dust that now danced around her.

Stephan's wife, Amber, walked over to Dawn and handed her a tissue from her purse. "Here you go." Amber waved away the last of the dust as Dawn got her sneezing under control.

"Thanks."

Amber smiled that motherly smile. "We might want to cover our noses and mouths till we have this dust under control." She pulled out two bandanas, handing one to Dawn.

After her bandana was on covering her mouth and nose, she went over to the other windows. More dust flew around as more light came through the now opened windows. Even fresh air drifted in when the windows were opened to the nature that will need some help to be tamed again.

After all the windows downstairs were opened, Amber and Dawn stayed downstairs to clean the kitchen as the others went up the stairs to open the rest of the windows and dealt with a few rooms for them to spend the night in. Even changing out mattresses to the ones that will be delivered shortly.

The kitchen didn't really take too long to clean and scrub before the gils started to think of what they were going to do for food. Dawn smiled after she pushed the back door opened. "They may look wild, but my mother's gardens are overflowing. We don't need much from the store besides the basics."

She walked out a little and picked a tomato. "Just look at this tomato. It's so ripe and feels very juicy." She took a bite and giggled. "I hope you have a napkin because the tomato juice is running down my chin."

Amber laughed coming out with a towel. "I planned ahead and brought a lot of things." Then when she saw Dawn, she had to clench her stomach carrying the towel to Dawn. Amber loved the sight of Dawn hunched over with little red tomato bits all down her chin. Amber's mostly grey short wavy hair danced with her laughs.

"Now isn't that the most perfect sound in the world."

The two women looked up to the kitchen back door to find their men there smiling at them. Dawn quickly wiped her mouth and chin to remove the last of the tomato juice so the men didn't see. Mark smiled as if he knew what just happened. For all Dawn knew, he did.

Amber wiped the corner of her eyes. "Are you all done up stairs?"

Stephan smiled at his wife. "Not just yet." His smile slipped a little as he looked at Dawn. "We were wondering if you wanted to take the master bedroom?"

Dawn's eyes went to Mark and he nodded. "She'd love to." He tilted his head to the side. "Should we turn your old room into a guest room?" Dawn nodded.

"We'll put a few of the guys in there tonight. We're dividing and conquering the rooms."

"And we're going to be conquering the food while you guys work hard."

Stephan shook his head. "In this moment, I wish I was younger so I can help these guys. They have me doing light duty and overseeing everything."

Mark chuckled. "That's because you know this place and are the best one to tell us what to do."

"I just thought it was because I'm an old fuddy duddy."

"There is nothing fuddy or duddy about you. Come on old man. Let's get our rooms closer to being done before the delivery shows up shortly."

Stephan put Mark in a head lock. "I'll show you old man. I do have to keep up with my grandchildren."

The guys left and Amber helped Dawn pick out the vegetables and herbs from the over spilling gardens to start the dinner. Even though it took some time, the hand made pasta dish for everyone to eat. Even the pasta was made from scratch for a very delicious dinner. The two women having fun together the whole time.

For dessert, Stephan was surprised to see his mother's drunken lemon pound cake. He was even teary eyed when he had it. It tasted just like what his mother used to make so long ago. He even rose and hugged Dawn tightly thanking her for making it. He was even happier when she told him that she gave Amber the recipe to keep.