As he turned to leave, I called out, “Wait! I need your name…for the order.”
He flashed a brilliant smile. “Jonathan,” he said and disappeared.
Oh, how he dominated my thoughts for the next several days. I spent so much time day-dreaming about our next encounter. I could have written a dozen romance novellas with all the different ways it would play out. (Very detailed and passionate stories, mind you). I bought a new dress, painted my nails, fancied myself up, and even made sure my parents were scheduled for deliveries on the day he was supposed to pick up his order. My goal was to “wow” him in hopes he’d ask me out on a date.
Unfortunately, our next meeting did not go as expected. First, he came in with a gorgeous French girl on his arm. They were laughing and seemed quite intimate, overly friendly with each other. I was heart-broken and jealous. Then, as I was gathering his orchids, he and the girl started whispering frantically before running out of the shop without an explanation or an apology. And there I was with a few hundred dollars’ worth of orchids. I waited, hoping they’d return. But no! They didn’t come back that day or the next. To say I was angry would be an understatement. After that, I practiced all kinds of nasty things I might say to him if I ever laid eyes upon him again.
Oh, I’m sorry, Lexi-girl. I’m getting carried away. I need to shorten this up or I’ll be writing you that romance novel. If you want to stop and get a drink, Jim keeps bottled water in the little refrigerator next to his desk. Trail mix, too. Go ahead. I’ll wait and think of a way to condense my story while you get yourself some nourishment.
I laughed aloud, stretching out my arms and legs. Bouncing to my feet, I decided a gulp of cold water was just what I needed. And even if it wasn’t, I would have gotten one anyways. Just for Ellen. As I walked over to the fridge, I tried to picture Ellen Zimmerman as a young girl. I bet she was stunning. I’d only seen her with silver curls and wrinkles, but her shining blue eyes had always sparkled with youth, mischief, and fire. I giggled to myself. It was easy to understand her anger at Jonathan for disappearing on her, I’d felt the same way with Jason several times before I’d learned he was a Guardian and was rushing off to save people. Funny how she and I both fell in love with a Guardian before we even knew who they were. I plopped back down on the sofa and started up again.
Okay, now that you’re back, I promise to shorten this story. It’s just so easy to get carried away when I think about my first encounters with Jonathan – so many emotions! By now you’ve figured the reason he disappeared so abruptly without his orchids was because he’d had a vision and needed to save lives. Let me tell you, he did come back to the flower shop and pay for his orchids a few days later. He was apologetic and attentive to a fault, and then he lavished me with compliments and asked me out on a date.
Needless to say, I was quite pleased and already besotted, but I played hard to get before reluctantly agreeing to meet him. We dated for several months, growing closer with every passing day. He spoiled me with extravagant dinners at the Eiffel Tower and took me on cruises along the Seine River. We went to shows and explored the city on bicycles like tourists, wanting to experience everything together. We visited museums and art galleries. We laughed a lot, lived life to the fullest, and loved living it together. It was a magical time. But there were times when he was distant and would disappear, saying he had business to attend to. He was vague, claiming he had some sort of government job. I believed him for the longest time, but deep down in my heart, fear began to fester. Fear that he was lying about something – that maybe he was seeing other ladies.
One evening, a clear night with a dazzling full moon, I caught him, hands entwined with Amelie, the same girl he’d brought with him to the flower shop months before. My heart ripped in two at seeing the two of them in an intimate embrace. Unwilling to stay and watch them (I was sure they’d start kissing next and I couldn’t take that), I turned and ran away. Anger, pain, and betrayal – those emotions dominated, destroying my self-confidence. I broke it off with him the very next day. He asked me why, but I refused to tell him. With tears in his eyes, he said, “I love you, Ellen. I always will. But this is probably for the best.”
I cleared my throat and noticed a tissue box sitting at the other end of the sofa. Pulling the box closer, I wondered if Mr. Crompton always kept that box there, or if he’d put it there for my benefit. I wiped my face and then blew my nose. All those emotions Ellen had experienced – yeah, I could relate. I’d felt the same way when Jason had said there was nothing more to our kiss than Essence. I’d wanted to cry. I’d wanted to scream, and I’d wanted him to kiss me and tell me he was lying. Love was complicated enough. Throw Guardians, Innocents, and Amethysts into the mix, and matters of the heart got even more messed up. Dropping the wadded tissue on the cushion, I began reading again.
A few weeks went by, and I was in shambles. (True, back then I couldn’t follow my own advice about not living in the past). Problem was, when I saw my future, Jonathan loomed largely before me. But I refused to go begging for a second chance when he was the one who’d been unfaithful.
Then one afternoon, the strangest thing happened. I was distracted. Deep in thought. And I walked right onto the train tracks, completely ignorant of the train barreling down on me. My life flashed before my eyes. I didn’t have time to react, but I remember the train whistle shrieking. That was just before Jonathan materialized between me and the train. He tossed me out of the way but was struck himself and pulled under the train. In that moment, my world came crashing down.
The train eventually screeched to a halt, and people began looking for a body. Everything was chaos. I was numb. Frozen. Unable to think, speak, act, or cry. After a couple minutes, I spotted movement several cars back. I remember watching Jonathan’s head emerge, and then he crawled out from under the train. He should have been dead, but he wasn’t. He looked bloodied and injured, and despite a limp, he moved with his usual stealth. When our eyes met, he held a finger to his lips and then slipped away, disappearing into a thicket of trees. Somehow, I made it home. I don’t remember anything. It’s always been a blur. All the rest of that day, I wondered if I was crazy. Had I hallucinated everything?
That night Jonathan snuck into my bedroom and told me the truth. I learned about Guardians and Amethysts and Ray-pacs. Everything and more. A world within our world. So amazing and wonderful. Are you wondering if I believed him? All I can tell you is that I did. I never doubted him. Maybe it was because I’d seen the train strike him and knew any normal human being would not have survived. Maybe it was because I’d always known he was someone exceptional, and now I had the proof. Maybe it was simply because I loved him. I just don’t know.
After that, we were inseparable. For a while, he was in trouble with some of the higher-up Guardians because I was an Innocent and wasn’t supposed to know about the Guardian Network. We resolved that issue by getting married. (The happiest day of my life, by the way). Even though I was an Innocent, I was accepted into the Paris Circle because I was Jonathan’s wife, and he was a well-respected chap. You’ve probably already figured out that what I’d seen between him and Amelie under the full moon was simply the two of them “linking.” Luckily, Amelie was madly in love with an Innocent, so there were no hostile feelings between us.
For a year, life with Jonathan and the Paris Circle was amazing. There was always excitement and Innocents who needed to be saved. Oftentimes, I was around and would help out where I could. There were a few Ray-pac incidents, so I kept the Circle supplied with orchid pollen. Funny that such a beautiful flower could hold such a paralyzing effect. Jonathan and I grew even more madly in love and talked of having children. Life was wonderful. But that all changed in one day. That was the worst day of my life.
One evening during the midnight hour, all members of the Paris Circle met with surprise attacks while they were at their homes, sleeping in their beds. A vicious group of Ray-pacs. Actually, over the years, the more I thought about it, the more ce
rtain I became that there must have been several groups of Ray-pacs, all who’d joined forces in an effort to take out the entire Paris Circle of Guardians. The only reason I’m still alive is because Jonathan had a premonition in the middle of the night that I was in harm’s way.
He’d installed a secret room in our home even before we got married, insisting that it was only a precautionary step, one for ensuring our safety. At the time, I never thought that a day would come when it had to be used. Nor did I realize that the safe room was meant only for me. Things happened so fast that night. One minute I was curled up next to him; the next he was kissing me fiercely and then shoving me into the secret room, making me promise I wouldn’t come out no matter what I heard. His last words to me were, “Ellen, life with you has been an adventure and a privilege. Please don’t stop living. Not ever. You must live in all the moments of the present and the future. Enjoy them as you know I would have enjoyed them with you.” Speechless, I’d stared at him, but he shook me and pleaded, “Promise me this.”
“I promise,” I’d whispered back, tears flooding down my face.
He’d kissed me once more and said, “I love you, Ellen.” And then he shut the door. I believe he already knew he was going to die that night. He must have seen it in his premonition.
It’s okay to cry now, Lexi-girl. I’m bawling, too.
My eyes were so blurry, I couldn’t see the words on the page anymore, and my nose was running like a sieve. I wadded up a bunch of tissues and cried my eyes out. Eventually, with a shaky hand, I picked up the last page of the letter.
Jonathan was the love of my life. The only reason I survived that night was because he saved me. It wasn’t until after the fact I learned how Guardians and Ray-pacs can detect each other’s presence because of their links. Jonathan had kept that from me. He’d known I’d be safe in the secret room because my presence was not discernible. After the loss of Jonathan and most of my friends in the Paris Circle, I grieved for a long time. Then the war came along, throwing the world into turmoil. It was a horrible time in my life personally and all around me.
Eventually, I remembered my promise to Jonathan and decided to start living again. I could only do that if I left Paris, though, so I packed up and moved to the United States. All that pain I’d experienced led me on an incredible journey through the healing process, and when I emerged from that dark place, I was ready to laugh and feel again. I explored the states and traveled the world. I never remarried, but I dated and, in time, had a long, loving relationship with someone else who treated me well. As you know, I never had children. But don’t feel sorry for me. I had a full life.
And that brings me to you, my dear. Another ray of sunshine in my life. A few weeks after you started visiting me, I realized how much better I felt after your touch. Now remember, I can’t feel Essence like my Jonathan could, but I know the difference between feeling good and strong versus feeling old, creaky, and exhausted. Believe me, within a few seconds of your touch, I was ready to waltz down the hallways. Finally, I put it all together and realized you were an Amethyst. I cannot tell you the joy I gained from that knowledge. My sweet Jonathan and my sweet Lexi-girl were connected in ways I never thought possible. Just knowing Guardians and Amethysts are roaming the streets of little old Bellingham makes me want to learn hip hop and have a party. Simply marvelous.
When you introduced me to Ash, I must say, I was baffled. I wasn’t sure if he was an injured Guardian and you were trying to nurse him back to health, or what? You see, his eyes were that glowing amber of someone who is depleted of Essence. Jonathan once told me the Ray-pacs have eyes like that most of the time. Over the years, I’ve been watchful but never encountered one. I still haven’t figured out Ash’s story. Hopefully, I will soon. I do know that I’m ready to discuss Guardians with you, so hopefully we will and then you’ll never have to read this letter. But if you are, I want you to know I gave some orchid pollen to Ash, just in case you should ever come across Ray-pacs. I want you safe. (I’m also thinking it’s possible you don’t know about the pollen, and here I’ve been rambling on about it in my letter. All you need to know is that it has a short-time paralyzing effect on Ray-pacs or Guardians if inhaled. That’s why I always kept my Paris Circle supplied with it. Use it if you are ever in trouble. Just blow it in their face).
And finally, money issues. I never told you, dear, but I am a very rich old lady! I have left tons of money to my favorite charities. And I am leaving you a large sum of money as well, and I expect you to take it. This is an order, not a request. Use it for your college tuition, use it to help people, and use it to help support the Guardians. Nothing would make me happier.
Thank you for being a part of my life. Remember to live in all the moments of the present. I always knew you were an exceptional girl. Now I understand why. You and my Jonathan, Guardians and Amethysts…who would have guessed it? Life works in wonderful and mysterious ways. Know that I am at peace, and I am with him again.
Love you always, Lexi-girl,
Ellen
Through my teary eyes, I smiled. “Love you too, Ellen.”
It took about ten minutes to turn off my faucet of tears. I knew Ellen Zimmerman was a special lady, but I’d had no idea of the experiences she’d lived through. She’d always refrained from talking about herself, and instead, had questioned me incessantly about my life. How I wished we’d connected earlier and been able to share our stories. After a bit, I put my tennis shoes back on and paced the room for a couple minutes. When I felt certain I was once again composed, I asked Mr. Crompton to come back in.
After he and I were alone in his office, he smiled and said, “Tear-jerker?”
I chuckled. “You know Ellen, she sure knew how to tell a story.”
He laughed. “She did indeed.” He opened the folder and grabbed yet another envelope. Strolling purposefully around his desk, he leaned against it and tapped the envelope against his hand. “This is a check from Ellen’s estate. You may look at it now or later. Ellen wanted you to have this money. She knew you would use it wisely. She loved you.” This time he held out a plain white envelope.
“Thank you,” I said. Stepping forward, I took it from his hands. “I think I’ll open it later, if you don’t mind?”
“Completely understandable.”
“Mr. Crompton, thank you for allowing me to monopolize your office while I read Ellen’s letter.”
We shook hands. “You’re welcome, Lexi. If you have any questions please contact me anytime.” After a few more parting words, I excused myself.
When I stepped outside, I closed my eyes for a minute and allowed the sunshine to engulf me in a warm embrace. The sun felt good against my face, like life. Smiling, I opened my eyes and ambled toward Jason’s truck.
Looking all sexy with his sun-bleached hair and bright eyes, he was leaning casually against his truck with his arms crossed. “Hey, pretty lady. Can I offer you a ride?”
“Even if I wasn’t dating you, I’d say yes,” I said, stopping in front of him.
“I hope you wouldn’t say that to just any guy.”
“Only the cute ones,” I teased. Pulling his arms apart, I leaned my head against his chest. His heartbeat was strong and his Essence was even stronger. I couldn’t imagine losing him to a Ray-pac. Talk about devastation. Lifting my head, I stood on my tip-toes and held his face. His skin was soft and smooth under my fingers. Sizzling.
“Hey, what’s this all about?”
“Just following Ellen’s advice, baby.”
“What’s that?” He looked puzzled and his lashes curled.
“Living in the moment.” And with that, I pressed my lips against his and kissed him passionately. He trembled under my touch, and his hands slapped against his truck. I flattened myself against him, allowing my Essence to flow evenly from my every inch of my body into his. Touching him provoked a storm of sensations. Helpless shivers swept through my body. My heart raced. And my nerves flared to a scream. An intimate connec
tion that was powerful and, quite frankly, hot, hot, hot. Of course, the hot, hot, hot turned into burn, burn, burn all too soon, and he squirmed away. His absence and the letdown was immediate.
His eyes were wide open and he exhaled a deep breath. “Oh, Alex! I wish I could live in the moment a little longer than that.”
“It will happen…someday,” I said, fighting to stop the sadness from cracking my voice. “I sure hope you’ll be ready when it does.”
He looked at me, something between regret and apology flashed in his eyes. “I’m past ready. I want us to be together. In every way.”
“We will. Right now, though,” I said, fanning my face, “I need to cool down. Your touch leaves me wanting more…”
“No, Alex. It’s your touch that does that to me. And I can’t even begin to describe how badly I need to cool down.”
Laughing, we climbed into his truck, and he immediately turned on the air conditioning. I told him about my meeting with Mr. Crompton and about the letter, promising I’d read it to him later when I was emotionally ready to experience it again. Then, I touched his nose with the envelope and said, “Okay, I’m going to open this. Let’s see how much ‘helping others’ Mrs. Zimmerman had in mind for me.”
My hand trembled as I opened the envelope. My jaw dropped and my eyes nearly popped out of my head when I looked at the amount.
One million dollars.
“Holy crap!” I exclaimed.
Leaning across the seat, Jason looked shocked as well. “Well, that’s putting it mildly.”
“I’m going to help a ton of people with this,” I said, my hand still covering my open mouth.
Suddenly, my cell phone rang, scaring the living daylights out of me. I grabbed it out of my purse. “Hello.” I frowned and listened to the frantic voice on the other end. Jason turned the radio down.
Dentelle #3 Guardian series Page 20
