Treasure of the Jaguar Warrior - Mystery of the Mayan Calendar Read online

  Jacques smiled. “Animals like me.” And it was true. Once Duke could actually get to him, he was a happy little dog.

  “Harold,” Gloria said as she greeted her estranged husband. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’ve come to spend Christmas with my family,” Harold said, his eyes growing a little larger as he looked at his yellow wife. “What happened to you?”

  “There was a mishap at the beauty parlor,” Gloria said by way of explanation. “Jessie’s here, so of course you are welcome.”

  He stood uncomfortably and cleared his throat. “I want you to welcome me.”

  “And I want to be loved, spots and all,” Gloria said. “When someone leaves you,” she said in a hushed voice, “you don’t tell them to have a good time.”

  “I thought you were coming for a visit,” Harold said. “I didn’t know that you were leaving-leaving.”

  “I left a note.”

  “I was busy with my experiment down in the lab and didn’t find it until last night.”

  “You always are!” Gloria snorted.

  “Honey, as soon as I read it, I left the house and my experiments. I took the red-eye and have been driving all morning to get here to you,” Harold said.

  “You came for me?”

  “Of course.” He cleared his throat again. “I’m sorry I haven’t told you enough, but I love you.”

  “You love me?” Gloria asked.

  “You are my life,” Harold said.

  Jessie watched with a smile on her face as her mom stepped closer and they hugged. Jacques came to stand next to her to meet his future father-in-law.

  “Spots and all?” Gloria asked.

  “They’re actually alarmingly sexy.” Harold said before kissing her soundly.

  Jessie’s eyes grew big, and she turned to Jacques. “Okay, that was too much information,” she whispered as he laughed.

  “Maybe you will wear the spots for me sometime, oui?” He grinned. “We will have fun, especially since I can still levitate objects.” He picked up the candlestick on the nearby table to emphasize his claim. Jessie grabbed the floating candle before her dad noticed and placed it back like she just couldn’t curb her desire to straighten the items it held.

  “What can I say?” Jacques whispered. Once a jaguar god always a jaguar god.”

  Jessie shook her head, remembering when he’d discovered he could still change into the jaguar and disappear. He was like an invisible Tarzan with phychic ability.

  Jacques greeted his future father-in-law and found another chair from the kitchen to squeeze into the living room, so that everyone had a seat. Just when everyone had settled down again, the door burst open.

  “Ciao, darlings,” Aunt Katie called out as she entered with a rather robust looking man. “I am back!”

  “Aunt Katie,” Jessie cried, hugging the eccentric looking woman who had changed her world forever.

  “How was everyth—” She stopped in midsentence when she saw the man behind Jessie. “Jacques!” She hugged him next. What a surprise to see you!” And she meant it literally.

  He hugged her tightly as he laughed joyously, picking her up slightly.

  “I told you she was the one!” Katie said. “She is a veterinarian.”

  “Oui!” Jacques nodded with a wink.

  “Everyone!” Katie stood back a little to stand next to the gentleman she had walked in with. “I’d like you to meet my new husband, the count, René Bronte,” Katie announced. “We met on the Riviera.”

  “That’s wonderful Aunt Katie,” Jessie said and stepped back in order to let her mother greet them.

  “Oh,” Katie said when she spied her sister. “Gloria that is stunning. I love this look. Who did your hair?” Katie hugged her sister, whispering into her ear. “You’ve finally made it to the 60’s.” Katie laughed.

  Jessie laughed softly, close enough to have overheard that one. “Welcome to the family,” she greeted the new member as she looked into the mirror over the entry table at herself. She looked at her new uncle and then glanced back into the mirror. “Aunt Katie.” Jessie pulled her aunt over to the side. “Your new husband doesn’t have a reflection,” she whispered in her ear.

  “I know,” her aunt whispered back. “Isn’t it exciting?” She did a little squeal and winked. Phyllis Diller, Jessie finally knew who her aunt reminded her of. “Oh, but don’t worry,” Katie said. “He’s strictly vegetarian.”

  Aunt Katie entered the living room and said “Merry Christmas, everyone!”

  Jessie looked across the mixture of friends and family that were gathered there. Thor was sitting with Barbie and the Chiquita banana woman. Her father, the mad scientist, looked on in bow-tied wonder as Mavis told him the history of the house, and with Tarzan at her side she laughed.

  “What is it?” Jacques asked next to her.

  “We’re the Adams family.”

  Jacques purred in her ear, sending goose bumps to her toes. “We should get married today, oui?”

  “Oui!” Jessie wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him soundly.

  The End

  Barbara Ivie Green makes her home in the Piney Woods of East Texas where she lives with her husband, daughter, two dogs, and four cats. Having been a professional artist for 25 years, she now also enjoys writing and poring over books of ancient world history. Being able to combine her love of all three is a dream come true!

  www.barbaraiviegreen.com