Amethyst - Book One of the Guardian Series

by Heather Bowhay

  “That was definitely provocative,” he said, grasping my hands.

  “Ash…” I said quietly, biting my lower lip, “I’m not ready…”

  He placed his finger over my lips. “Shhh…Lexi, don’t say anything. I know you’re rebelling against a relationship right now for whatever reason. I’m not really looking for one either, but that doesn’t mean we can’t explore a little passion once in awhile. Besides, now you’ll know what you have to look forward to when you do change your mind – if I’m not already taken by then…” He let his sentence trail off and grinned. “Let’s go check on that pizza, before you throw all caution to the wind and beg me to seduce you.” He chuckled and tugged on my arm.

  Tongue-tied, I fought to regain my composure as he lead me outside, where we drew several interested looks. We ate pizza and hung out for awhile before the band regrouped for the second half of their practice session. When we said our good-byes, Noa told us to come back for the party. There was no way I’d be ready for another romantic confrontation with Ash that soon. Luckily, I had a late shift at work and had to decline, but Ben and Ally said they’d drop by.

  From the porch Ash threw out a few parting words of warning, “Lexi, no more snooping around, or next time, we won’t stop at provocative.”

  “I wasn’t…” I started to say but could see he was teasing me. “You’re hopeless,” I said with a chuckle, because with Ash, humor was inescapable.

  With his cocky grin he said, “I know. Plan on seeing me soon.”

  CHAPTER 13 – TEAMWORK

  Talk about Déjà vu! Monday morning I found myself standing outside the Fairhaven store clinging to one of the green shopping carts, trying to muster up enough courage to walk through the front doors. I’d worked all weekend, but at the end of my shift the night before, Dave Wheeler, my store manager, had informed me that the Fairhaven store needed to borrow a checker for the week. I didn’t know if it was by sheer coincidence or fate, but Dave decided to send me.

  My nine o’clock shift started in ten minutes, and I was mentally preparing myself for the inevitable – coming face to face with Jason at some point. I’d thought a lot about my last encounter with him, and the more I’d thought about it, the more my blood boiled. His unpredictable mood swings and secrets were exhausting, and I wondered if I shouldn’t heed his original warnings and steer clear of him until the weekend.

  After clocking in, I returned a wave to the employee who was driving a rider pallet around the back room like it was a toy. Walking through produce, I realized the store was probably only a third the size of my home store, so the departments were much more condensed but also cozier. Lights were on in the Bellingham Credit Union, a separate business at the front of the store. The bank employee was scurrying around behind the metal bars like she was behind schedule.

  Consisting of only about six check stands, the small front end appeared empty of customers and empty of a morning checker. Even though the bakery was on the other side of the store, the aroma of fresh, baked breads permeated the front end. As I approached check stand #4, a blonde head popped up, and I found myself staring into a pair of familiar stunning eyes. My heart lurched and my pulse quickened. Shaking my head, I couldn’t help from biting painfully on my lower lip. Whenever I saw him, I had no control over how my body reacted physically. It was annoying. What’s worse, is that Fate was definitely amusing herself with my life.

  Jason sized me up while I leaned against the counter gaping at him. Holding several empty cardboard boxes, he’d obviously been stocking the candy bars and gum. Clean shaven and dapper in his dark slacks and silky tie, he looked handsome and sophisticated. He didn’t appear the least bit startled to see me at his store in my work uniform. I, on the other hand, was taken off guard. I’d never had time to ask him which department he worked in. Now I knew. Not only that, but his gold nametag, which denoted he’d been an employee of the month, had his full name: Jason Walker, followed by the words: Customer Service Manager.

  “Hi Alex,” he said smoothly, dropping the empty cardboard boxes into a blue bin.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I said hotly. “Was this your crazy idea? Dragging me out of my own store and over to yours so you could mess with my head some more?” The more I thought about his games, the angrier I became.

  “Alex,” he said and glanced around the empty front end, “I’m not trying to mess with your head. I know I’ve given you no reason to believe me, and I understand your frustration. Really, I do, and I take full responsibility for all the confusion, especially all the drama with Madison.”

  I crossed my arms to indicate I wasn’t buying it.

  He sighed. “I know you’re ticked off at me. I would be too if I were you. But I promise you, this weekend we’ll explain everything, and then you can decide how you feel about all of us…and about our friendship.” He scratched his head.

  “So, as of right now we’re friends?” I said with a chilly smile.

  “Of course,” he said with a wounded expression. “I thought we’d established that already. I haven’t changed my mind, have you?” He actually looked taken aback, like the thought had never crossed his mind before now.

  “No,” I said and shifted my feet. “I just need to be clear where we stand today – in case you change your mind tomorrow,” I added spitefully. I studied his intense aqua-marine eyes, which were the same color as his tie, and ironically enough, the same color as my scarf. We looked like we’d coordinated our color scheme beforehand. As usual, he stole my breath away, but I didn’t relent. Breaking the silence, I said, “I’m just a bit P.O.’d.”

  He responded immediately. “I know. I can hear it in your voice and see it in your body movements. Do you think you can work alongside me all week without our relationship interfering with your job? Or is this too much to handle?”

  I pursed my lips. Relationship? He had some nerve.

  “I’ll understand if you can’t stay, though. I can find some way to switch you with another checker from your store. Then you could avoid me altogether.” He dropped his hands in dismay.

  My heart softened, and as I pondered what to do, I surveyed the colorful floral department off to my right. As John Denver’s version of Leaving on a Jet Plane flowed from the speakers, all I could focus on were the words, “Oh babe, I hate to go.”My conscience told me the smartest thing to do would be to keep my distance, but my emotions were begging me not to walk away. Even though Jason was totally infuriating, my feelings were already deeply vested, and I wanted to be near him.

  “As far as I’m concerned,” I said with determination, “what’s done is done. Dave and Merrick have already gone to enough trouble switching schedules around and making this work. The least I can do is stick around and be a team player for their sakes,” I emphasized. “I want them to know I’m reliable, so just send me to my check stand and I’ll get to work.” Trying my best to act indifferent, I studied an end display of Campbell’s Soup with interest.

  His lips vibrated, like he’d been holding his breath under water for a long time. “Thanks. It means a lot to hear you say that.”

  “Don’t push it.”

  He acquiesced with a quick salute. “How about check stand #3?”

  “Fine,” I said, as a sudden surge of customers emerged from the aisles. When we were standing alone in a desolate front end again, I turned to him, and said, “So, we work together all week, acting like everything is perfectly normal, but this weekend I ask all the questions and you promise to be forthcoming with straight answers?”

  His nod was slight, and he looked worried, but he said candidly, “Yes. Believe me, it will be a relief for both of us. I’m anxious to explain; I don’t like secrets any more than you do.”

  Pressing my hands together, I said softly, “Jason, I’d feel a whole lot better if you’d answer a couple questions right now…and answer them honestly,” I added.

  He hesitated, looked me straight in the eyes and said quietly, “I’ve been asked
not to talk about any of this with you until we’re all together this weekend.”

  “Oh, by whom? Madison?” I sneered and shook my head angrily.

  “Actually, by Max’s parents and my own,” he said calmly.

  “Huh?” That surprised me. What did his parents have to do with this?

  Exiting his check stand, he came and leaned over mine. In a low, husky voice he said, “But if you really need me to, I will.”

  My heart beat quickened, and I said imploringly, “Please, just a couple.”

  He nodded once, frown lines overtaking his smooth forehead. “Okay.”

  I regarded his perfectly balanced face, which in my opinion was flawless. Keeping my voice neutral, I said, “The first one is easy. Are you dating Madison?”

  He looked relieved. “What? No! We have a strong…friendship of sorts, but we are not a couple. Never have been and never will be.”

  Nervously locking my hands together behind my back, I nodded. “Jessica thinks I’m an Amethyst, do you?”

  He raised his eyebrows this time but answered calmly, “Yes, I do.”

  I’d expected that response since I’d overheard his discussion with Madison, but I needed to start with that question so I could ask the next one. I touched his shoulder, and he blinked hard. In the most normal tone I could muster, I said, “Is that the only reason you’ve shown an interest in me?”

  His irises flared. “No Alex, it’s not.” He glanced at my hand on his shoulder. “You being an Amethyst is…well, it’s…it’s just part of who you are, and it makes…it makes our relationship complicated.”

  “Why?” I asked. He gave me a desperate look and shook his head slowly, so I acquiesced. “Okay…I’ll wait, but that’s the first question I’ll be expecting you to answer.” I dropped my hand, and turned my head at voices drifting towards us, signaling it was time to get to work.

  A steady stream of customers continued throughout the entire day, and intermittently Jason and I would chat – always keeping the topics neutral. The next couple days brought much of the same, and during down times I engaged in simple, non-committal conversations with him and the other checkers. Despite remaining low-key, I was counting down the days. Now that I knew his family was also involved, I was dying to know what their involvement was.

  Wednesday afternoon proved interesting. While Jason was on his lunch break, Ash sauntered into the store. Once he spotted me, he marched right over and demanded to know why I’d switched stores without bothering to tell him. Conveniently, I was customerless. After I’d filled him in on the short term changes in my work schedule he mellowed out.

  After finding out my shift ended at seven o’clock, he announced, “You’ll want to run home and change, because I’ll be picking you up a half hour after that.”

  Remembering the steamy moment in his living room brought a rush of heat to my cheeks. “Why?” I asked and scanned the front end. It suddenly struck me that I didn’t want to introduce Jason and Ash to each other – could get awkward in a hurry.

  Giving me a hard look he said, “Just be ready.” In a saucy tone he added, “Motorcycles, picnics, and sunsets – ring any bells?”

  He turned slightly and threw a flashy smile Kendra’s way. Standing in the check stand next to mine, she’d been ogling him with her big, brown eyes. Rather pallid and plain looking, I imagined she wasn’t used to a lot of male attention, because after he smiled at her, she turned beet red and almost keeled over.

  With a wink, Ash turned on his heel and called, “See ya ladies.” He strutted out the door in his Diesel jeans.

  A couple minutes later, when we were in between customers Kendra said excitedly, “Wow, your boyfriend is a hottie! And how romantic – a motorcycle, a picnic, and a sunset. You are sooooo lucky.”

  “Wait a minute,” I interjected. “He is not my boyfriend.”

  “Who’s not your boyfriend?” asked a deep voice from behind, and I whipped my head around to find Jason gazing at me with a puzzled expression.

  Beating me to the punch, Kendra burst into an overzealous, detailed account of Ash’s visit. Listening to her, anyone would have thought Ash and I were seriously involved, and that he was the most romantic guy on earth. As she sprayed orange-scented sanitizer all over the conveyer belt, she gushed over Ash’s physical attributes. She stopped cleaning, held the bottle in midair, and asked dreamily, “Where did you find him?”

  Luckily, a squeaky cart rolled into her check stand, and I was spared a response. “You’ll have to give me all the details later,” she whispered.

  Shaking my head with disbelief, I glanced at Jason who was now banging his pencil against the front end clipboard. Looking extremely agitated, he demanded, “So, how about I ask you a couple questions?”

  Lightly tugging on my silver drop earring, I responded with a weak, “Okay.”

  “Are you dating this Ash guy?”

  “No,” I said slowly. “He’s a friend, who…”

  “Who wants to be more than a friend?” Jason supplied, looking at me crossways.

  “Probably,” I said, as he looked at me skeptically and grunted. “Okay, I would say yes, but he knows I’m not ready for a relationship just yet.”

  “Mmm-hmm, and what do you mean by just yet?”

  “Just that,” I countered with a pretentious smile.

  “Are you interested in him?”

  “As a friend, yes. More than that, I don’t know. My interests might lie elsewhere.” I bit my tongue at that confession, but he still didn’t seem satisfied. Hurriedly, I said, “Aren’t I due for a ten minute break?”

  “Alex.”

  “Well, aren’t I?” I persisted, and he nodded. “Great!” I gave him a triumphant smile and logged off my computer.

  “But Alex…” he said, and I thought I could hear his teeth grinding.

  “Hmm?” I mumbled as I grabbed my water bottle.

  With a very solemn expression he said, “This discussion is not over by a long shot. I don’t like being in the dark.”

  I let out a derisive snort. “Ha! Welcome to my world.” Turning on my heels, I headed for the break room. Abruptly, I stopped mid-stride, turned back, and added, “Of course, you’ll only be in the dark for another week. By then my feelings might be clearer, and maybe I’ll even share them with you.” I spun around and sped off, but I thought I heard him muttering something about motorcycles being heavily overrated.

  Thursday morning I was deep in the middle of an order when my customer ran back to grab a bottle of dish soap. Monotonously scanning items, I tuned out the repetitive beeps and worried about Ash’s strange behavior the night before. He’d seemed extremely preoccupied during our picnic dinner. Not only had he kept his distance, he’d also had a hard time finishing his sentences or talking coherently. When I’d called him on it, he’d apologized and explained he was having trouble sleeping at night and wasn’t feeling “physically right.” Another word he’d used was “stifled.” When I’d suggested a visit to the doctor, he’d rejected that idea immediately. He’d taken me by surprise when he’d said he was leaving town to take care of some financial matters. He’d also said I wouldn’t see him for a couple weeks, because he was going camping with some friends after his trip. Without any romantic advances other than a hug that lasted several minutes, he’d made me promise to take care of myself and told me he’d call me when he got back. Speechless and dismayed, I’d watched him ride away.

  Of course, I didn’t have much time to worry about Ash. In between work and concentrating on finding my own Essence, I was busy devoting my thoughts to Jason and his mysteries. During our intermittent conversations, I’d learned a lot about him. Besides being an avid reader and hiker, he enjoyed boating, and he played on a soccer team. I was most impressed to learn he’d been training in the martial arts for 13 years and was a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Apparently, that was only one step away from black belt. He said it normally took 16 years to reach that stage. Adventurous and accomplished, it sounde
d like he lived a very full life.

  He riddled me with questions until he found out that I’d been on the swim team in high school and that I enjoyed woodworking. He was surprised I’d been a red belt in Tae Kwon Do but had chosen to quit.

  “You should really consider starting up again. The benefits are phenomenal,” he said, as we restocked the standing cashew displays at the ends of our check stands. “Self-defense, mental clarity, and physical fitness just to name a few,” he said with a show of three fingers.

  “Great,” I said and shoved several bags onto the bottom rack. “Are you saying I need to get in shape?”

  “Of course not.” He frowned. “You look…” His eyes caught mine. “You look…I just meant…” He stuttered, all tongue-tied.

  Chuckling, I said, “Don’t worry about it. I know what you meant.”

  “Oh, okay. Well good,” he said uncertainly.

  “One thing’s for sure. I’m a master black belt at burning toast,” I admitted.

  He laughed. “You don’t cook?”

  “You wouldn’t want me to,” I said honestly.

  “Well, I’m a great cook,” he said proudly.

  “Why am I not surprised?”

  A short time later, he blocked off my check stand with the Sorry this Lane is Closed sign and told me to take my 10 minute break. I stepped outside for some fresh air where forget-me-not blue skies and scattered cotton ball clouds greeted me. Rays of sun soaked into my skin as I readjusted my hair clip. When I turned to walk back inside the store, I was struck with a sudden wave of dizziness and a pain in my head. I closed my eyes as I felt the snapshots coming on strong. A swirling of colors appeared behind my eyelids, colors forming into images:

  two shady looking men wearing baseball caps

  a gun in the hands of the man with the green baseball cap