She kept to the street, walking close to the bumpers of the parked cars to avoid the masses on the sidewalk. Her temperature soared and she had to wipe beads of sweat from her face. She kept breathing, her sunglasses firmly in place, wishing she were on her boat where she could see whatever was coming at her.
She had to push through people to get inside Judith's shop and it was difficult to avoid touching anyone. Twice she was jostled and nearly fell to the sidewalk. Once a tall man's elbow struck her in the head, knocking her sunglasses askew. He quickly caught her elbow to steady her, apologizing profusely. She nodded and scurried into the shop, banging the door closed behind her, hoping to keep everyone else out so she could breathe. She stopped, her entire body shuddering. The store was packed.
Judith looked up and saw her. Judith. Her lifeline. Tall, slim, hair flowing like a cascading waterfall of black silk--a heritage from her Japanese mother--Judith came immediately to Rikki, working her way through the crowded aisle, her expression one of concern. Rikki would never have come into her shop with people around, not if it wasn't important. Rikki felt relief, knowing Judith understood.
"What's up, baby? Anything wrong?" She looked back toward the counter and raised her voice. "Airiana, I'll be a minute."
Airiana, another one of Rikki's sisters, looked up with a small frown of annoyance until she saw Rikki. There was instant concern. "Of course. I can handle it. Hi, hon. Everything okay?"
Rikki lifted a hand to reassure her, but immediately turned and shoved open the door, practically falling onto the sidewalk. She needed to be outside where she could gasp for breath. There were still too many people, so she pushed her way through them to the street. She drew in several deep breaths, holding her head down to clear her dizzy brain.
Judith put a comforting hand on her back. "I'm sorry, Rikki. I had no idea you were going to come into town or I would have stopped you. This place has been crazy ever since the yacht went down. Unfortunately, a couple of bodies have been found, so the frenzy started all over again."
"You all talked about a yacht sinking." Rikki straightened and kept her gaze glued on the distant sea. "But I wasn't really listening past the fact that it went down. What happened?"
"It was some freak accident that has all the scientists in the world out there. Apparently methane gas from the continental shelf was released in a huge bubble, and it was the yacht's bad luck to be there at the precise time the bubble hit the surface. Shades of the Bermuda triangle. The gas changed the density of the water and the ship just dropped down. The owner was a businessman, well-known, in fact rather famous. He, his bodyguard and the entire crew were lost at sea. There are reporters and television crews from all over the world here. Along with that, every curious person in the world has arrived as well. Good for business, but difficult all the same."
"I couldn't get out there diving even if the day was perfect," Rikki grumbled. "There are ships everywhere."
"What are you doing in town?"
"I needed to see the ocean," she admitted. "I got stopped by that moron sheriff, Jonas Harrington, and he asked me to give you a package."
Judith's mouth tightened. "Was he mean to you?"
"No, actually, he was very nice. He didn't even give me a ticket, but he asked me to deliver this package to you and he knew what it was like in town."
Judith smiled. "That's true, but he doesn't know you, Rikki. He probably assumed you'd be coming into the shop anyway."
Rikki shrugged, sending Judith her first small grin. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure you're right, but it gave me a good reason to be mad."
Judith laughed. "Do you need anything from the store?" She glanced down the street to the coffee shop. "Coffee maybe?"
Rikki frowned. "Soup. Broth. Blythe bought me a bunch of cans and I've used them up. I don't know what's good. So anything. And Inez's coffee is fine if you can manage to brave the mob to get me a cup. If not, don't worry about it. Your store was overrun and poor Airiana looked a little overwhelmed."
"You wouldn't believe it, Rikki, but the reporters are so desperate for information, they're filming everything in town and doing interviews. I'm hoping it's good for business. Three different crews have filmed my shop." She indicated a film crew across the street. "Those people are everywhere with their cameras."
Judith was striking with her tall, slim body and waterfall of hair, as well as her sparkling personality. She saw people in colors and tended to shine the moment she walked into the room. Rikki could understand why a reporter might want to talk with her on camera. She would draw the eye of the audience with her animation and personality.
"That's insane," Rikki murmured in agreement anyway. "What can any of you tell them about a freak accident? A few years back I read about the theory of methane leaks causing ships to go down in the Bermuda Triangle, but seriously, who would ever believe it would happen, especially here? I'm out there all the time." Rikki pointed out, glaring at the news crew, silently wishing they'd all go home so she could have her tidy little world back.
"They say it really did happen and that yacht definitely sank."
"How long is all this going to go on?" She meant before she could have her ocean back.
Judith smiled at her sulky face. "I don't know, babe, but just think about all the business we're getting."
"Think about all the business I'm losing," Rikki muttered, and then was instantly ashamed. In a rare gesture of affection, she flung her arms around Judith. The hug was brief but fierce. "I hope they film the inside of your shop and see what a genius you are. I could never have enough of your kaleidoscopes or painting."
Judith looked out toward the sea and for a horrified moment, Rikki thought there were tears in her sister's eyes, but when she looked back, she was beaming. "You just made my day, little sister. Wait here and I'll get the soup for you. It will only take a minute."
"Airiana is going to kill both of us if it takes more than that," Rikki pointed out, but made no move to let Judith out of the task. "While you're there, can you pick up more toothpaste and a good toothbrush?"
Judith burst out laughing. "I'm on it."
They had a supply room for the farm and it was kept well stocked with everyday items, but when Rikki had checked it, no toothbrushes or toothpaste had been on the shelves. She found a razor and shaving cream. The cream smelled like lavender, but if Lev wanted to shave, he could just make do. Besides, it might lessen his ultramale impact on her.
She tapped the toe of her shoe on the street, counting, all the while keeping her gaze glued to the sea. The whitecaps were foaming and curling, the spray shooting into the air when it hit the cliffs. She found herself smiling, feeling each ebb and flow begin to set her right inside. She wrapped her arms around herself and hugged tightly, needing the pressure to help hold together until Judith returned.
Judith came hurrying out, her straight white teeth flashing, her dark eyes bright. Rikki took a moment just to enjoy the sight of her, the happiness flowing from her. Rikki saw Judith as a burst of color across a monotonous background. She sparkled, and in another world, she would have been a fairy of some kind, waving her wand and leaving happiness in her wake.
"What?" Judith asked as she handed the bag of groceries to Rikki.
"You just look especially beautiful today," Rikki said, idly fiddling with the turtleneck collar, drawing it up around her mouth.
Judith's expression changed. She reached out and touched Rikki's face, pushing down the sweater. "Is everything all right, Rikki? I can close the shop and go home if you need me."
Rikki looked at the masses of people. Today would be a potentially killer day for sales. Judith had rocked the kaleidoscope world, winning all kinds of international awards, and her name was synonymous with quality. She had made her money in art restoration, but her first love was making kaleidoscopes for individuals. She studied the person--Rikki knew she could read their aura--and she made the perfect scope for each customer. Rikki had one that she only had to pick up in order to ga
in more control; even the feel of it in her hands was enough. When she turned it to look into the swirling sea, she immediately felt serene and calm.
"I'm fine. I'm going out to the headlands and sit for a while. You know me, I just have to be out on the ocean sometimes, and it's been too long."
"Come for dinner tonight. I'll serve salad with a peanut butter dressing."
Rikki burst out laughing. "I think I'll skip it. And you should be happy that I am."
Judith laughed with her. "All right. Go sit by your precious ocean and I'll go see what I can sell today."
"Well, one of us has to be the breadwinner, because it sure isn't going to be me for a while," Rikki groused as she slammed the door of her truck closed and waved to her sister.
She watched Judith go back into her shop before she started her truck. Judith was a true sister of the heart, not born of blood but certainly chosen and very loved. The five women had taught Rikki trust. It was fragile, but she'd learned to count on others when she needed them--at least here on land.
Rikki sat for a long time on the edge of the bluff, knees drawn up, just breathing in the scent of the sea. Almost immediately relief flooded her body, practically a euphoric rush. The waves mesmerized her, transporting her away from a world where she didn't fit, where she was out of sync with everyone else. There was no rhythm for her on land. No order. She rocked gently, picking up the beat of the waves, letting the song of the sea whisper to her, drowning out the noises of the world around her.
She let herself drift off, envisioning the seafloor, the smooth rocks, the forests of kelp, the coral and the crevices. She found herself laughing as she remembered the time she had had an encounter with an octopus just south of Casper where a big rock about fifty feet off the headlands stuck up out of the water. She was relatively new to the area and she anchored her boat there. The floor was some thirty feet down, but she found sea urchins on the rocks at around fifteen feet and began raking them fast into her net, elated at the easy find.
Without warning an octopus was suddenly in her line of vision, bobbing in the water. Normally the ones she encountered were relatively small, but this one was larger than she was. Its tentacles were down, but it was watching her. Thinking it prudent to give the octopus a little space, she moved in a counterclockwise motion around the rock and began working again. The octopus swam clockwise and met her on the other side. Her heart jumped when she saw the creature coming toward her, getting bigger and bigger as it came near.
Again she changed direction. The moment she began picking, the octopus followed about a foot behind her, just bobbing, tentacles down. At that point, Rikki decided the octopus wanted the sea urchins more than she did, either that or it was protecting his den. Whatever--the creature made a rather loud statement she wasn't ignoring.
Laughing at the memory, she rose, her arms outstretched, embracing the sea. Happiness wrapped her in mist and the wind whipped her hair into a wild frenzy. She inhaled and closed her eyes, needing to feel--to absorb the water into her skin, into her blood. She could feel the tides running through her, filling her need for freedom, to be able to be wild and to show every emotion, deep and strong. The force of her passions often shook her. She rarely showed feeling, but the emotions were there, hidden beneath her carefully constructed false calm. Just like the sea, she was turbulent and wild, angry and loving. She felt every sensation, but it was only here, with water around her, that she dared let herself feel so strongly, so passionately.
She opened her eyes to take one last look at the sea before she went back to the farm. The swells were enormous, the sea crashing against the bluffs.
"Oh shit," she whispered, dropping her arms and staring at the turbulent, choppy water. "Did I do that?" There were boats out in the very rough sea.
Swearing under her breath, she raised her arms again to encompass the coastline and did her best to calm her mind, to still the fears she had about allowing Lev in her house and the guilt over not telling her sisters about him. Breathing slowly, in and out, she brought forth the image of a calm sea, of clear skies, of the gulls flying overhead and water lapping gently at the rocks below the cliffs.
She felt the wind tugging at her clothes and ruffling her hair. The mist swirled around her, the spray dotted her skin. Her body, thirsty for the moisture, instantly absorbed the droplets. In her veins the pounding rhythm slowly began to calm and her heart slowed to a gentle beat. Water swirled for a moment just under the bluff, rising like a cyclone in a thin column, leaping up toward her, as if reaching to kiss or embrace her, and then it spun itself out, collapsing back into the calm sea.
She slowly allowed her arms to drop as she looked out over the gently rocking water. Jubilation. Pride. Satisfaction. A dawning hope. Emotions flooded her and her brain began working a million miles an hour trying to assimilate what had just happened. She hadn't accidently turned on a few faucets. She hadn't skipped water out on open sea. She had actually manipulated a huge body of water. She had a gift beyond price. Lev had been so matter-of-fact about her ability, so certain she could do it, but this--controlling a large body of water had never occurred to her.
Rikki wasn't certain she believed her own eyes. Turning away from the water, she made her way back to her truck, all the while wanting to practice. She needed a place to go where no one could observe her, and no one could get hurt. The farm had a pond that was used for irrigation. She could sit beside the mass of water to her heart's content and see if she really could do this amazing thing.
She did have the presence of mind to drive slowly so she didn't get stopped again. With her usual single-minded purpose, she drove straight out to the pond and jumped out, nearly running to the pond. The water lay flat, seemingly unresponsive to her, but as she made her way down the slope, she imagined she could see ripples forming, moving toward her, as if she were a magnet.
Rikki sank down on the very edge of the bank. The lip was narrow and she knew it was a precarious perch at best, but she was eager to test her ability. On the drive, she'd begun to doubt, thinking it was much more likely a coincidence, but she'd felt the water that time, felt it move through her, inside her, just as she did when she was under the water. She'd felt like she was a part of the sea, connected to it in a way she never had been with anything else. The discovery was both terrifying and elating.
She threw out her arms and closed her eyes, deliberately absorbing the feel of the water. Immediately she could feel the normal centering in her brain that she always felt when she was near water, but beyond that, she could tell there was a difference. The sea was powerful and moody. The pond was serene and lazy, a gentle, steady presence, more peaceful than one that battered and pounded as the ocean did. This body of water didn't tap into her emotions as the sea did. There was no release of anger, of fear, of the golden happiness this farm and her sisters represented, or of the wild sexual energy she was desperate to repress ever since pulling Lev from the sea.
She absorbed the calm, took it in and then tried her dance, singing softly and using her palms to "feel" the water. When she opened her eyes, small columns leapt and played under her direction, just as on the open sea. The small spouts whirled and leapt, racing one another across the surface. Delighted, she stood up, raising the energy, and saw the instant response--the columns grew taller, whirled faster, and more broke off into multiple geysers.
Joy burst through her. This--this gift--was hers. She couldn't walk down a crowded street or go into a store with fluorescent lights, but she could join with water, make it whisper or roar, be a part of it. She reached out over the small strip of land she was standing on toward the columns of dancing water, her fingertips tingling as she manipulated the many waterspouts across the pond.
She stepped forward and felt the narrow edge crumbling. Desperately she tried to throw her weight backward. Her heart hammered, her palm burned, the pain rushed up her arm. The columns collapsed, sending water spraying into the air as the earth continued to erode beneath her. She flung out h
er hand to catch an exposed root. Without warning she felt a jolt, like a hand lifting her and flinging her back onto solid ground. The force was so strong she landed hard enough to knock the wind out of her. She lay there, trying to find air, her lungs burning and her mind racing. She should have fallen into the pond.
Rikki rolled over and stared up at the sky, all the while cradling her left arm and pressing her palm against her wildly beating heart. What had saved her from a cold dunk? It would have been difficult to climb out, but she had no doubt she could have. It would have been messy and cold and very embarrassing, but still . . . She looked at the narrow ledge where she'd been. It had collapsed completely in a mini avalanche.
Rikki? Rikki, answer me. I need to know you're all right.
Lev's voice filled her mind. She realized immediately he had done something to help her from a distance. Swallowing hard, she rubbed her hand over her face, trying to think. He had to have tremendous power to do something like that. She lived in Sea Haven and everyone there knew the Drake family. It was rumored that seven daughters were always born to the seventh child and each carried tremendous gifts, but she'd never heard of anyone else having such powers, and the Drakes were--well--the Drakes. Everyone accepted them as fact.
Answer me now.
The voice was a soft growl of command. She couldn't stop the instant response. I'm fine. Don't worry.
Rikki clapped her hands over her ears. She had no intention of engaging in telepathic communication with him. If he could get inside her head, he might be able to read her thoughts . . .
You could read mine too.
There was relief in his voice. It flooded her mind and the intimacy of his velvet tone shocked her. Her body reacted, coming alive, every nerve ending alert. Electricity sparked over her skin, and deep in her most feminine core she felt empty and needy.
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