Earth Goddess

by Crystal Inman

  She remembered the mornings in the stable slipping Sunshine bits of apple and giggling at the soft nose digging into her palm. The hours she spent brushing her Pinto’s mane and whispering her dreams and desires into always listening ears. Discovering her first real taste of freedom while she rode through the fields in the back pasture.

  “She was my first and only friend,” May murmured.

  “I know, child.” Clep brushed his lips across her hair. “Your love for her blossoms in your speech.”

  May reached up and wiped her tears away. She felt…better.

  Clep stepped back. “My examination is complete for now.” He patted her jeans. “You may put these back on. When you are finished, call for me. I’ll be right outside the door.” Clep reached up, put his hands around her waist, and settled her back on the floor. Then he quietly turned and left the room.

  May rubbed her chest in wonder. Through all the years she remembered Sunshine, all she thought about had been the accident. How could she have forgotten all the good memories? And there were hundreds of them.

  She pulled her jeans from the table and slowly slid them up her legs. A minute later, May called out to Clep, and he opened the door.

  Her stomach jumped. For a little while, she had forgotten what the examination was all about. But it all boiled down to the fact she couldn’t travel easily up and down the stairs to handle the sisters’ business.

  “I’m kind of screwed, aren’t I?”

  Chapter 6

  “And why would you say that, May Fairchild?” Clep moved forward and studied her. His blue eyes were kind.

  “You’ve seen the scars.” May lifted her head. “There are days when I can barely walk. How am I going to be able to handily take that flight of stairs several times a day? The sisters will have to find someone else to help.”

  “If I don’t miss the mark, and I never do, the sisters have chosen you.” Those blue eyes fastened on her. “In fact, I’m sure of it.”

  “Be that as it may.” Frustration built in her. “I am unable to fulfill the duties.”

  Clep walked over to the closet and rustled around for a minute. He grabbed something and turned. She saw a small copper pot with a cork stopper. It couldn’t have been any bigger than a teacup. He shut the closet and walked over to her.

  “This liniment will ease the ache when you are here.” Clep kept it in his hands. “I need you to listen to the instructions very carefully. Will you abide by them?”

  “Yes.”

  “When you arrive here, you need to immediately rub this liniment on both wrists. One application on the way in. One on the way out. That is the most you may use. And the medicine stays here. Agreed?”

  “Okay.”

  “You have pain pills, I presume?”

  She had cabinets full of them. May nodded.

  “Throw them away.”

  “That sounds great in theory,” she began.

  “Throw them away, May.” Clep’s blue eyes were fierce. “They were prescribed for the woman you were so long ago. The one who needed to forget the days and the pain. Now, my dear, you need to remember.”

  She held up her hands. “Listen. I understand you want to help. But there are days when all I want to do is assume the fetal position and pray for the pain to leave.”

  His lips twitched. “I do not dismiss your pain. In fact, I think we may find a way to manage your pain successfully. But you cannot mask it.”

  “I’ll consider it.”

  He nodded respectfully. “Thank you.”

  May followed Clep into the hallway, and he turned to hand her the small copper pot. “You may have one dose of medicine now and one on the way out.”

  She pulled the cork out, and her eyes widened. The scent of her childhood spiraled up from the opening and spread through her. May could smell Sunshine’s shampoo and the fragrance of the light make-up they applied when she was on the set. The sweet scent of butterscotch, her favorite candy, tickled her nose. And a deeper, spicier aroma she couldn’t quite place.

  “It is a strong medicine, May.” Clep’s voice stern as he spoke. “You must follow the directions to the letter.”

  “I can take direction.” May put her finger over the opening and tipped the pot over. A warm liquid touched her finger, and she quickly spread the lotion over her left wrist. And then she switched hands and applied it to her right wrist.

  Clep put the cork back and smiled. “I believe you’ll find your instructions up those stairs in the office.” He motioned to the flight behind her. “I must take my leave. There are other matters I have to tend to this morning.” He moved forward and hugged May. “Please do not forget my instructions or my plea for help.”

  May hugged him back. “I won’t forget either.” She paused. “Thank you,” she whispered.

  Clep stepped back and bowed. “Why don’t you go upstairs? I will wait until you reach the top to take my leave.”

  She took a deep breath and turned to the flight behind her. The medicine on her wrists fairly tingled. The pain in her leg throbbed low. Now or never. May moved to the right to guide herself up with the banister.

  It was slow going. No doubt. But she didn’t topple to the bottom. Her leg didn’t buckle beneath her. May reached the landing and turned to wave at Clep.

  He grinned and waved back.

  “I’ll be going now, May.”

  “Bye!” She turned and walked two steps down the hall when a bright bolt of lightning nearly stole her breath away. A large rumble of thunder followed and rolled across the building. May shrieked and blinked rapidly. None of the lights flickered. She walked over to the nearest window and rubbed her palm in a circle to clear a spot to look out.

  Not a cloud in the sky.

  “What in the hell?” May walked back to the stairs and looked down. Clep long gone. Well, isn’t that odd? She shook her head and shrugged. “I’m up the stairs. What in the hell am I worried about?”

  May made her way to the office door and stopped. Last time she had been here, the sisters rushed her through the door and into the meeting. Now, she could examine the door at her leisure. An incredible work of art. Each nick of the wood brought out another detail of the four. No doubt in May’s mind that the piece was of the sisters. Their father was hardly subtle. She chuckled. The four reaching for something just out of reach.

  I often wonder what it would be like to not be the oldest. My sisters look to me for guidance. I often worry I will fail them.

  The softly spoken words were a memory from her childhood. It sounded like Eden’s voice. May frowned and concentrated, but no other words followed.

  “I’m tired.” May rubbed her forehead. “I’ve had a long day. I’ve stripped down in front of a complete stranger and let him pry into my childhood memories. I’ve walked up a flight of stairs by myself. I need a stiff drink and a pint of ice cream.”

  She shook her head and opened the door. The room more beautiful than it had been the first time she saw it. There were folders in a rainbow of colors on the large table in the center of the room. A multitude of post-it notes and pens neatly stacked on the side.

  A full-size sheet of heavy bond paper with a gold border lay on top.

  May,

  Our grounds have been cleared. We need you to look over the numbers for the nurseries on the back side of the grounds. Also, we have considered buying the pasture behind the lot for future expansion. Please put numbers to paper and look over the inventory for us.

  Spades Hardware will deliver the wood and supplies for the two nurseries around noon. Have them place the provisions, tarped, on the back side of the building. We have a tab with them so the bill has been taken care of. There are sandwiches and sodas in the refrigerator. Help yourself.

  Thank you.

  Simple enough. May walked slowly over and opened the small refrigerator with a smile. Diet soda abounded. She snagged one and popped the top. The folders waited for her attention, and May walked over with a smile. Life is good.
r />   * * * *

  May’s stomach rumbled in disgust at her inattention. She lifted her head from the figures in front of her and glanced at the clock. It was almost noon. Spades should be delivering the supplies any minute. She rubbed her stomach and promised sustenance. She had just enough time to get downstairs before the delivery arrived. Her stomach would have to wait.

  May left the office and started down the stairs when she heard the first knock.

  “Shit,” she muttered and sped up her stair shuffle. “Coming!” she called out. The last stairs went by fairly quickly, and May shuffled to the door.

  The minute she opened the door, relief flooded her. Larry, the owner, stood there with a large wad of papers in his hand. He looked up, startled, at May and smiled slowly.

  “Well, damn, May. Make an old man wait out here.”

  May chuckled and moved forward to hug him tightly. “If I’d known it was you, I would’ve taken the stairs at a run.”

  They stepped back, and Larry straightened his ball cap over his bald pate. “May Fairchild, out and about, walking the stairs. Never thought I’d see the day.” He scratched his gray whiskers and winked at her.

  Larry “Spades” Crown was the set builder for the studio when she was younger. He always made sure to keep an extra butterscotch in the pocket of his overalls for her. Years after the accident, May looked him up and stole him away from the studio with a promise of his own hardware store. In the years since, he had paid her back and then some.

  May put her arm around his waist. “Seems we’re working for the same bosses here, Larry. Not afraid of spending a bit of money, are they?”

  “A bit?” The old man’s blue eyes widened. “I can add two more specialized studios to the store.” He shook his head. “Never seen the like.”

  They walked down the sidewalk where several trucks waited with supplies. May motioned behind her. “They want the supplies tarped behind the building. They’re not hiring your men to complete the nurseries?”

  “No, ma’am.” Larry jerked his head toward the back, and the first driver nodded and turned around in the street. The rest of the trucks followed. He turned back to May. “They paid premium money for prompt delivery and high quality supplies. In fact, the boys get a bonus for finishing this all in one day.” Larry grinned at her. “Never seen so many employees free up a day like that.”

  “I’ll bet.” May tilted her head to the side. “Who’s building the nurseries then?”

  “Got me.” Larry shrugged.

  Several questions flew through her head. She’d have to take a look at the numbers again and find the answers. Labor had been nonspecific. May always assumed the sisters would contract Spades.

  Larry patted her shoulder. “You look good, May.”

  She turned, grinned at him and winked. “You have a butterscotch to go with that compliment, Larry?”

  He reached a gnarled hand into his shirt pocket and pulled out a golden-wrapped hard candy. “You better believe it.”

  May eagerly took the candy and unwrapped it. She popped the disc into her mouth and smiled. “Come on, Larry. I’ll treat you to lunch.”

  * * * *

  They ended up spending an hour and a half at a small cafe on the outskirts of town. After lunch, she took Larry back to the site and signed the paperwork. He loaded up the men and left shortly after.

  May glanced at her watch and shook her head. She had spent the good part of an entire day at Elysian Fields. Probably should get home and check on some other clients. Or, perhaps, finally work in her garden.

  She walked slowly up the stairs and gathered her paperwork to put in her black case. Just a few more minutes, and she would be on her way home and into her comfy clothes to play in her own garden.

  May closed the office door behind her and shuffled across the wood flooring to the stairs. Intimidating. No one planned to fall down a flight of stairs. She rubbed her right thigh absently. But a very real possibility nonetheless.

  She transferred her black case to her left hand and hugged the left side. The banister remarkably polished for the rest of the house being in disarray. May wondered how the sisters managed it. Her fingers trailed the shiny wood as she took the stairs one at a time.

  The bottom rose up to greet her.

  She stepped completely onto the first floor and looked behind her. The unapproachable had been conquered. A deep feeling of satisfaction filled her chest. How long had it been since that feeling of accomplishment touched her?

  May turned and walked to the front door. The small copper pot lay on the table by the front door. She traced her hands over the delicate brown color and then popped the cork off. A bit of the medicine on each wrist, and May replaced the cork and the container.

  She stepped out of the building and shut the door behind her. The lock clicked into place, and May walked slowly down the sidewalk toward her car.

  Quiet here. Birds spoke softly to one another without shrill calls. No traffic stirred. A faint breeze stirred the leaves of the trees.

  “It’s beautiful.” The words escaped before May had a chance to realize she uttered them. The faint tinkling of bells met her admission, and she smiled. “You’re welcome.”

  May walked to her car and headed for her house.

  * * * *

  “Wow,” Eden murmured. She watched May leave the lot and drive back toward her home. Had she any idea thirty years ago when she interfered that her mortal would carry pieces of her? No. Eden’s only thought had been to save the girl. The rest, incidental. The fact May unknowingly sensed the fairies and thanked them for their work?

  Her sisters were back home tending to their other business, and Eden felt thankful they missed that last little bit. The last thing she needed was another reminder of her impulsive decision.

  That thought lasted two point three seconds.

  Eden had enough time to school her features and brace herself.

  Then he appeared.

  Had he always made her pulse race like this? Yes, always.

  How long had it been? A decade? Two?

  Eden fought to steady herself.

  Asclepius bowed low. “Earth Goddess.”

  “Rise, Asclepius, and report your news.” Her voice sounded sharp, even to her own ears.

  The healer straightened but said not one word.

  “Speak, damn it.”

  He allowed himself a smile. “Your May Fairchild is an amazing mortal.” He paused. “She is yours, isn’t she?”

  “You know she is.”

  “I do.” Asclepius nodded in agreement. “Your touch is all over her. In her mind. On her wounds. You knew I would see that. Does your father know?”

  Eden lifted her chin. “He does not. Do you wish to blackmail me?”

  Asclepius arched an eyebrow. “Blackmail, Goddess? I would dare not.”

  “What do you want?” she demanded.

  His blue eyes deepened and became a turbulent sea. “I would like to continue to treat her.” He paused. “With your benevolent permission.”

  Asclepius around all the time? Eden fought against the rush of emotions his mere presence brought. They had been a couple once. Before one of her mortals opened her eyes to the truth. Eden couldn’t even find happiness for her mortal. How could she possibly find it for herself?

  “You can help her?”

  He nodded. “I can help her help herself.”

  “Then you may continue.” She nodded once and disappeared.

  Asclepius blew out a breath. “Half the battle,” he murmured.

  * * * *

  May arrived home and parked in the driveway. She stepped out and started toward her backyard.

  “May!”

  She stopped in her tracks at the masculine voice. Hell. Images of Chandler’s mostly naked, hot body flashed behind her eyes. May turned with a tight smile on her face. “Chandler. How are you?”

  “Good, good.” He wore a pair of short jean shorts and a red tank top that showed off muscular bicep
s. He had some sort of device hooked to his shorts. Chandler patted it with a grin. “Billie’s taking a nap. This is our toddler walkie-talkie.”

  May laughed. “I would think you would be resting and recuperating at this point in time.”

  “I would,” he admitted, “but I just remembered something.” Those brown eyes studied her.

  “What would that be?”

  “I left two pieces of grass in your keeping, and I was wondering if they were still there.”

  May chuckled. “Yes. Tom and Jerry are this way. Follow me.” She walked up the path and unlocked the back gate. They walked through it and to the patio doors. May punched in the alarm code and opened up the patio door.

  Chandler followed her in and grinned down at the grass. “This is great.”

  May set her case down and blinked. “Okay.”

  “Strides, May. You’re making strides.” Chandler bent down low and patted the grass. “Good job, guys.” He stood. “Now you can take me out to dinner.”

  Two startling directives in one day. First, “take off your pants” and now this. What a day.

  May rubbed her thigh absently and formed a negative response.

  Chandler took the hand from her thigh and put it in his. “I don’t bite unless asked. I’m housebroken. I work for a living.” He threaded their fingers together and gave a slight tug.

  May ended up against him so quickly she could barely credit his smoothness. All her soft curves settled against his firm muscles. More than pleasant.

  “May.” Chandler undid the clip of her hair and ran his fingers through her short brown hair. “Give a guy a chance.” He moved his mouth down and nipped at her ear.

  Delicious shivers moved through May. “Thought you said you didn’t bite,” she whispered.

  Chandler’s eyes darkened as he lifted his head and nipped at her bottom lip. “May have exaggerated. Trying to sell myself here.”