by Amy Gregory
“From there, you come and go with regular mortals. Walking, catching cabs, renting bicycles, you get the idea. The Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort is exactly as the name says, it’s on the beach, so we could walk out along the water’s edge and watch the waves for a bit. We could even build a sand castle. And they have an exquisite restaurant right on the property. We could eat while watching the sunset over the waves.
“When it’s time to come back, simply go back to the same room, transport from that hotel room to here, and we’re done. As long you don’t zap a towel into your hand or make a drink appear, or, for Goddess’s sake, appear in and out of places full of people, everything runs smooth as can be. It’s pretty simple once you have a few tricks under your belt to help.”
“It definitely sounds easy enough. Jenny, we should try it.” Her father glanced her direction.
Joshua tipped his head. “I’d love to take you all. It’d be fun. I gather you’re just getting the hang of this, but if we all went together, it’d be less stressful for you, and I think we could all enjoy the day. What do you say?”
“Oh gosh, I don’t know. I’d have to check with DeeDee and Wanda, see what the diner’s schedule is like. And what about you, Lessy? Could you and Bill just up and leave the store?” Jenny asked.
She was backpedaling, clearly hoping for a safety line. But Bill stepped in.
“Come on, Less, we haven’t had a day off in months. Let’s close tomorrow, even just for a few hours in the afternoon? What do you say?” Bill reached for his wife’s hand.
“I am totally in. This is going to be so much fun. And you know DeeDee and Wanda have been telling you forever to take time off. We can do this, Jenny. You can do this. If we all go together, there’ll be no way to make any mistakes, and it’ll give you the courage you need to get to Hawaii.”
“Johnathan?” Joshua looked toward her father.
“As much as I should tell you young folks to go ahead, I really don’t think I can pass up the opportunity to see the beach myself. I’d love to join you, if y’all don’t mind an old fogey warlock such as myself tagging along like a fifth wheel?”
“Are you kidding me? I’d be honored to have you travel with us. It’s all up to you now, Jenny. What do you say? Do you trust me?”
Her light-brown eyes caught the sun, the specks of bronze in them shining brighter. Her brown hair fell in ringlets around her arms and down her back. She was the epitome of beauty, even if she was staring at him like he’d grown a second head in the last few seconds. Joshua didn’t want her to feel unsafe and pressured, but with all his being, he did want to be the one to show her the world, show her that travel could be fun, safe, and exciting. He wanted to be the man to change her life. Then he realized in that moment, he’d never been this excited about anything. Again, his mother was correct. He told himself he barely knew Jenny. They’d had only a handful of conversations between them, if that much. She knew how he liked his coffee; he knew she was an excellent baker. She knew he sported material labels, and Joshua knew she was trying to work up the courage to get to Hawaii.
He’d have suggested it, but this was a quick and easy trip that wouldn’t take very much time, and they wouldn’t be so sad to leave after only a few hours. If she would say yes, then it would give him more time to get to know her. And, if he was honest, he wanted to see her face when she saw the waves lap at the sandy beach for the first time in her life. All she had to do was trust him.
Chapter 15
This was crazy. Jenny’s pulse spiked as her fear and excitement fought each other. Impulsive she’d never been. Being daring, crazy, or even doing anything not on her schedule was unlike her. Unless she had an impromptu baking order, Jenny’s world ran like clockwork. She preferred boring over the unknown, yet something about Joshua was intoxicating. She couldn’t understand the magnetic feeling that compelled her to take his hand and follow him down some rabbit hole to an unknown world.
The smile on his face was sweet, sensitive, and just a bit more sinful than she’d ever been exposed to. She put all her faith into her next-door neighbor. Bill knew Joshua, so her trust was not in the stranger, but in her friend. Her father sat next to Joshua, nodding. He radiated anticipation. How could she let him down? They’d never traveled outside the city limits. They’d never even ventured to the tree line, where the dangerous honey badgers were known to hide out.
Jenny had no idea what her father was like before her existence, before he was a single father. There’d been no tales of what he’d done in his younger days, what he’d seen, where he’d been. She knew why. It’d lead to questions about her mother. She never knew if he’d seen the ocean, but, gauging by his hopeful grin, he wanted to badly.
“Okay, all right. Y’all win. We can go. Let me just call the diner and check with DeeDee or Wanda. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll go call them.” She tried not to actually leap from her chair at the table and run through Lessy’s back door. Once inside, she proceeded down the hall to the bathroom and locked the door behind her.
Leaning over the sink, she stared into the mirror, blinking at the woman looking back at her. What had she agreed to? She turned the cold water on, letting it run over her hand until it was as cold as she knew it’d get, then leaned down to splash it on her face. Her breathing was hard and heavy; the panic attack almost had its full grip on her. Jenny concentrated on the cold water as much as she did taking nice, easy breaths.
The heat started to dissipate; her cheeks weren’t nearly as rosy as when she’d rushed in. Jenny still held on to the sink, unsure if she’d pass out or not. Though she’d never done it before, she was pretty sure this was as close as it got. Her arms and legs quit tingling, and finally, she was able to pull in a deep breath.
If the mere details of travel would hit her this hard, how in hell was she supposed to transport and stay with the group?
Goddess above
What have I done?
Something trivial I hate to beg
My fear I sacrifice, give you to hold
For my father I must go
His happiness I need to repay
For being my hero every day.
Jenny hadn’t even realized she’d whispered the chant to the Goddess above until it was lifted off her shoulders. She glanced in the mirror, wiped the excess water from her face, brushed her bangs from her forehead, and stood tall, shoulders back. With the Goddess’s help, she could do this for the man who’d given up his entire life and whatever dreams he had prior to her to be the kind of father she knew was one in a million. Especially after living through the hell that Lessy’s family had put her through. Sassy’s story wasn’t any charming fairy tale either. Jenny was beyond blessed, and if she could do this for her father, she had to. Then maybe the two of them could go visit his mother, her grandmother, together.
She realized at that moment, he’d been leaving bread crumbs for her to find for several years. He wanted it to be her choice to go on vacation, but he desperately wanted to see his mother and was torn between leaving Jenny or not seeing his own mom. The book about Hawaii she remembered back to the day she’d seen it on top of a pile of books when she’d walked into his house. It hadn’t been there the day before. Looking back, she realized there had been little hints just like that one over the years. Although when Grandmother Von Zuzle came to visit, she was only jovial and kind, there were way too many wishes of them visiting said aloud to ignore. Smiles, with a pat on the cheek and promises of showing Jenny the paradise her grandmother enjoyed.
“Okay, Goddess, I understand. You flooding me with memories is what I asked for. I didn’t know it’d hurt so much, realizing what I’d held Dad back from all these years.”
“It wasn’t only you, my child.”
Jenny stared in the mirror. There was no one else in the small bathroom with her. The words weren’t spoken aloud. It was as if she’d heard them inside her own head. If she didn’t feel crazy before, she did now. Maybe it was her subconscious trying to make
her feel better about everything. Yet, deep down, Jenny knew better.
Chapter 16
Jenny opened her eyes. The five of them had held hands, letting Joshua direct the transport instead of individually stating the city, hotel, and room number. She inhaled as she turned in a slow circle, absorbing every bit of the luxurious suite Joshua had reserved for their very short vacation—if one could even classify it as such.
“What do you think?” Joshua asked as he walked toward the patio doors.
Jenny grinned up at her father. “I did it.” He squeezed her hand, then pulled her close. “Thank you, Dad.”
“Don’t thank me, thank that young man who is sweet on you.” He pulled back from their hug enough to wink at her.
“It’s not like that. I barely know him.”
“Sugar, it is very much like that. Whether you want to see it or not, to the rest of us, it’s quite obvious.”
“Dad.”
“Jenny.”
“Dad.”
“Jenny,” he teased back, then turned her around, his hands on her shoulders, and faced her toward the ocean view. Joshua had opened the doors wide, letting in the breeze and the gentle sound of the water lapping at the edge of the beach.
“Oh, wow.”
“Absolutely amazing, isn’t it? Now that you’ve done it, the realm is the limit. You can go anywhere you want, any time you want. There’s nothing to stop you anymore, baby girl. Go on, go smell that ocean air. I’m so proud of you.”
Her father had nudged her toward the horizon, but she turned to hug him tighter instead. “Thank you, Dad. For everything.” He kissed the top of her head, but didn’t reply. She knew him well enough to know it was his emotions getting the best of him. He was choked up, and if he spoke, he’d cry. This was a fun trip, not a sad one. She backed away from him and gave him the biggest smile she could, letting him know she understood.
Taking a deep inhale, she approached the good-looking man from the East Coast who’d given her a gift she’d never be able to repay. With a stomach full of butterflies, she stepped into the space next to him. His cologne mixed with the salt air encircling her. She continued to stare at the empty beach, thanks to the off-season and cooler weather. Instead of people’s laughter and noise, she could hear only the seagulls and small waves as they took their time rolling in toward them. “Thank you, Joshua.”
He nudged her with his shoulder. “There’s nothing to thank me for. Isn’t it beautiful? I could sit in a chair and watch that view all day.”
“It is. And yes, I do owe you my gratitude. I’d never left Assjacket before. You know now I’d never even transported anywhere until yesterday. This is something I’d only ever seen in pictures. I don’t think I would have had the courage to try, even with Dad, unless you’d made it happen, and so easily.”
“You’d have done it, Jenny. I should apologize, actually. I pushed and didn’t give you any out. That’s not very gentlemanly of me. My mother would scold me until the end of time if she found out.”
“Is she scary?”
“No, no. Not at all. She’s just… Let’s put it this way. She’s ready for more, for me to have more. And if she met you, she’d either give me away and adopt you, or be super pissed at every single thing I’ve done that could possibly chase you off.”
Jenny didn’t dare take her eyes off the water. The sun danced over it, making it appear as if diamonds were floating out across the blue hues. She replayed his words in her head, barely hearing Bill and Lessy pass by them, letting them know they were off to walk along the beach. Her father even waved as he neared a lounge chair and umbrella sitting closer toward the water. They were left alone.
“Jenny, I know we only met a few days ago. I know we have incredibly different lifestyles, so much so, I didn’t realize it until I was here with Bill and Lessy. Comparing my life to theirs, I don’t know, it’s done something to me. They’re so happy in Assjacket. The small-town life… I swear you can’t walk anywhere with them or be in their store and not have every single resident stop and speak to them. They know everyone. It’s so completely foreign to me. But—I really like it. I’d like to get to know you better. I think if you’d allow me to take you to dinner, maybe you’d get to know me. I haven’t made a very good impression on you. That’s something I would really like to change. I want you to get to know the real me. You’re the very first person I’ve never had to try to impress. Wait. That came out wrong. I want to impress you, but I mean… Oh good Goddess, here I go again.”
He turned toward her. “I want you to get to know me for me. Not for my last name.”
Jenny snickered, dropping her chin to her chest. She clenched her eyes shut tight.
Do not laugh. Do not laugh. Do not laugh.
He tickled the back of her neck. All bets were off. Jenny lost it. She was ultra-ticklish, and once she started laughing, she couldn’t quit.
“You’re the only one I’ll allow to make fun of my last name,” Joshua said, laughing while continuing to tickle her along her sides.
“I don’t mean to. I’m not trying to be cruel, but…”
With her in front of him, he ran his palms up and down her arms. The laughter left her as he started an entirely different kind of teasing, one lighting her senses on fire.
* * *
Joshua willed himself to behave, to keep what little distance there was between them friendly and not pull her in close and start kissing her. He hadn’t lied about his mom fearing he’d chase her off. Though all he knew about Jenny had been information fed to him by Bill and Lessy, he was intuitive enough to know she wasn’t the type to give in to random public displays of affection with just anyone, especially with her father nearby. He closed his eyes, picturing himself holding her instead.
She makes me want to be a better man.
The sentence ran through his mind a handful of times. Love at first sight. Girl next door. Settling down. Everything he’d been fighting his entire adult life was standing mere inches in front of him, waiting to change his entire world. She didn’t know it, or if she did, she was really good at playing hard to get. Something else he wasn’t used to. This woman threw him off his axis. He couldn’t use his normal lines, his hard exterior, his aloofness with her. He was going to have to be the one to chase her, something he’d never done and was completely out of his wheelhouse—yet it lit up something deep inside him so bright, it made him come alive.
Friends first. Another first for him. Being friends with a woman wasn’t something he’d ever done, yet as he stood behind her, his head reeling with a dozen revelations, he listened to the waves and inhaled, memorizing her perfume. It hit him again, another first—he wasn’t alone. He’d not only willingly traveled with a woman, it’d been his idea, and he’d pushed her to come on this adventure with him.
Jenny Von Zuzle was changing everything about him, and for the first time in a hundred years, he was as giddy as a child on Christmas morning. He didn’t feel the need to cut bait and run; it was the polar opposite. Joshua was scared he’d screw up, that his words, his actions, would scare her off. He’d done it—he’d become as lovesick as his best friend, Bill.
The thought made him grin, though no one could see it.
Nice and slow with her. Show her you can be her friend.
He mentally repeated the statement, making it a mantra of sorts. “Jenny.” He moved from behind her toward the edge of the patio where the sand met stone pavers and held out his hand. “Would you like to go closer, maybe walk along the water’s edge with me?”
Joshua tried not to be completely obvious about holding his breath, waiting on her answer. She glanced between his hand and his face, then, when he was about to let her off the hook, her cheeks turned a darling shade of pink. She didn’t answer with words, but lifted her hand and laid it in his. He immediately took it, taking in how soft her skin was, and smiled down at her.
As they let the water run over their feet, the white sand sank around them, leaving footprints wher
e they’d walked for several yards. Joshua had not let go of Jenny’s hand; instead, he had intertwined their fingers, making the gesture more romantic, hoping she felt the same. He glanced over the horizon, then down at the woman by his side. “This is by far my favorite vacation I’ve ever been on. Thank you, Jenny.”
Her cheeks reddened again, but a smirk appeared. “If it’s only a few hours long, is it really valid to consider it a vacation?”
He started to think of a romantic comeback. Before he could, she’d slipped from his hold and jogged a few yards ahead of him and bent down, her cupped hands reaching for the chilly water.
It was too late in the year to go swimming in the water of Hilton Head beach without freezing, walking along barefoot had him wishing he’d have grabbed her a sweater. But when she sent two small handfuls of water toward his chest and face, all he could do was laugh out loud. “Yes! It’s definitely a vacation now.” He lunged toward her, but she was a step ahead and giggling. If he was mean, he’d splash her back, but the protective side of him didn’t want her to freeze. Instead, he took off at a light jog, chasing her down the secluded beach. Joshua finally caught her as she turned a circle with her arms up. Watching her take everything in for the first time renewed his love of travel.
He turned her in a faster circle, her laughter mingled with the sounds of nature around them.
Chapter 17
Jenny stared at the open cookbook on her counter. She’d read the recipe a half dozen times, spacing out over and over before she could gather all the ingredients. A month had gone by since Joshua had left Assjacket. After their magical day on the beach, something had shifted in the way she felt about him, and she missed him. His calls and texts came regularly, and he was constantly zapping flowers and small presents to her home. Yet they were states away, officially long-distance. Easier for them to deal with in their immortal world than it would be for poor mortals, who couldn’t just transport to see each other. It didn’t make it much easier when they each had work to contend with.
