by Delia Latham
“Me, too. I miss her. But she left me an incredible legacy.” Destiny turned around to face Kylie again, then stood and rounded the desk to sit in the chair beside her. “I think I’d like to sit here beside you, if that’s OK.”
“Of course it is.” Kylie reached out a tentative hand to cover Destiny’s. Something told her this beautiful, confident woman needed a touch of human contact right now.
Destiny’s smile trembled. She turned her hand over and grasped Kylie’s. “Thanks. I needed that.” She cleared her throat and continued. “I was alone with Mama when she drew her last breath. I kissed her cheek and crossed the room, intending to walk out and call hospice, so they could handle sending someone to take her body away. But before I could reach the door, I heard something.” She paused, fixing her eyes on Kylie’s face, as if she wanted to see her reaction when she went on. “It was a loud whoosh of air, like the beating of huge wings.”
Kylie bit at her bottom lip, but didn’t dare drop her gaze. She had the feeling if she seemed uncomfortable with this story, Destiny would stop talking.
“I turned around and checked Mama first, thinking maybe I’d been wrong. Maybe she wasn’t really gone for good…she’d started breathing again, and that’s what I’d heard. Half hoping, you know? She looked so peaceful lying there, as if twenty years had literally dropped away. But she wasn’t breathing.”
“So what was it?”
“I went to the window, thinking perhaps a bird had managed to get into the room, but it was closed and locked. Then, even as I stood there, puzzled and half-scared, I felt something.” For the first time, Destiny seemed hesitant. “Kylie, please know that I would not lie to you.”
“I do know that.” She did, but it didn’t stop a tiny grain of doubt from surfacing. Destiny could be telling the truth as she remembered it, but she had just lost her mother. It was entirely possible she’d been distraught to the point of imagining things.
“I was completely calm, Kylie. You have to be thinking I was out of my mind with grief. I wasn’t. Mama’s illness was long and painful. Letting her go wasn’t easy, but in the end, it was something of a relief to know she wasn’t suffering any more. What I’m telling you happened—all of it.”
“OK.” Kylie nodded. “Go on.”
“I stood there by that window, trying to figure out what I’d heard, and I felt something wrap itself around me. It was soft, and yet unyielding—like huge wings. That’s exactly what came to my mind: massive wings. I went completely weak, and would have fallen, but that invisible hug held me up. Warmth spread throughout my body, and this incredible feeling of pure comfort washed over and through me. I’ve never felt such peace. Gradually, of course it faded, and the first thing I did was scoff at my own imagination.”
She dabbed at her eyes with the tip of one well-manicured finger and sent Kylie a weak smile. “Even I thought I’d had some kind of weird reaction to losing Mama.”
Spotting a box of tissue on the desk, Kylie moved it to a small table between their chairs. Destiny took one and sent her a grateful smile. Kylie snatched one out for her own use as the other woman continued.
“I met Clay at Mama’s funeral—although the poor man thought he was at his aunt’s service.”
Kylie couldn’t help a soft burst of laughter. “You’ll have to tell me more about that sometime.”
“I will,” Destiny promised. “What you need to know right now is that my meeting Clay provided the financial miracle I needed to get Solomon’s Gate up and going. I had no money, no job, no credit. And yet the bank gave me a loan. Can you believe that?”
“Only because you’re saying it’s true. That’s unheard of in today’s economic climate.”
“Clay made it happen. He was my benefactor, but the bank staff was sworn to secrecy.” She shook her head. “This could never have happened a hundred miles down the road, in a place like Sacramento.”
Kylie rolled her eyes and snorted, so caught up in the conversation that she forgot to be embarrassed by such an undignified response. “No kidding! So Clay financed Solomon’s Gate. What then?”
“Soon after I opened for business, I began receiving threats from someone who didn’t like what I was doing here. Thought I was ‘playing God,’ meddling in people’s lives. Clay was disturbed enough that he insisted I move in with his mother for a while. But the guy found me anyway, here at work.”
Kylie gasped. “What happened?”
“He tied Julie and me up and threatened us with a gun. But here’s the thing…he couldn’t use that weapon. I saw him gazing at the scripture above my desk, but I didn’t understand what was happening. Then his hand began to tremble. He tried to pull the trigger, Kylie. I saw him make the effort, but nothing happened. And before you ask—” She raised one hand, stopping the question trembling on Kylie’s lips. “No, the safety was not on. Much later, I had an opportunity to speak to that man under quite different circumstances. He said the words of the scripture above my desk glowed as if they were written in fire, and that he tried to pull the trigger but couldn’t.”
“What did he do?” Kylie knew her eyes had to be as round as a six-year-old’s. She didn’t care.
“He wrote a note and tied it into strands of my hair and Julie’s. Clay found us shortly after he left. A few days later, just when we were starting to feel halfway comfortable again, he dropped off one of my clients in the lobby—horribly beaten and barely alive.”
“Oh, no!”
Destiny pulled in a deep breath and nodded. “Apparently he had a crush on this woman, and imagined that he had a chance with her. But then she came to Solomon’s Gate, met a man through us, and fell in love with him. Someday I’ll tell you the whole story, but for now, here’s the thing. He tried more than once to hurt me, but never did. Once they had him in jail, he asked to see me, and told me an amazing story. He said every time he tried to get close to me, he was stopped by my ‘bodyguard.’ I had no clue what he meant. Even as I sat and talked with him in that jail cell, he insisted the bodyguard was with me, standing right behind me. He described him as very tall, blond, muscular—”
Kylie’s gasp interrupted her, and Destiny nodded. “Yes. Solomon, of course.”
“You knew it was Solomon? How did you know that?”
“Because I saw him in a dream before I ever opened this agency. He convinced me to go ahead with my plans, showed me what I could do to help my Seekers. It was that dream that gave me the name for the agency.”
“Solomon’s Gate,” Kylie murmured. “But you’d only seen him in a dream?”
Destiny chuckled. “That’s still true. Others are granted visitations—Lea is the second child who’s seen Solomon, that I’m aware of. Apparently only chosen people—like you—are granted a glimpse of my ‘doorkeeper.’” She tossed Kylie an amused look. “I tend to think of him as a gatekeeper myself. That’s how I saw him in my dream. But I have yet to visit with Solomon while I’m awake and lucid.”
Kylie shook her head. “What an amazing, beautiful, unbelievable story!”
“Believe it. Every word is true.”
“I know it is. For some reason, I don’t doubt you, even if I should. And besides, I saw Solomon, remember?” Her eyes welled with tears again. “Also, I—” She hadn’t told anyone about her experience the night of her first immersion experience. “I think I may have had a visitation of my own.”
“Tell me about it,” Destiny invited.
She nodded slowly. “I think I will.”
Kylie's Kiss
27
On the way home, Kylie burst out laughing in the solitude of her vehicle. She’d been with Destiny a full hour and never gotten around to that apology.
Her cell phone rang just as she pulled into the reserved parking space at her apartment. She fished it out of her purse and answered without checking the caller ID. “Hello?”
“Hey, Kylie. It’s Rick.”
“Oh! Uhm, hello.”
“You already said that.”
&
nbsp; She managed a shaky smile, never mind that he couldn’t see it. “Yeah, I know I did. You’ll have to pardon me. I recently took a pretty nasty blow to the head.”
Rick’s deep laughter sent electric tingles right through her brain. So much for what was left of it after the accident. She grabbed her purse and climbed out of the car, holding the phone to her ear as she crossed the parking lot.
“What’s going on?”
“Does something have to be going on for me to call you?”
“No!” Why on earth would she get all flushed and embarrassed, when he wasn’t even here to see it happen? “You can call any time.”
“That’s good to know. Hey, this is really short notice, but I was hoping you’d have dinner here at the ranch with Lea and me tonight.”
“Oh.” She bit at her lip, inordinately pleased by his invitation. “Really?”
“No. I’m just kidding.”
She didn’t know what to say, so she said nothing. His low burst of laughter sent relief sweeping over her in a wave that left her weak. “Yes, really,” he said. “Why? Do you have plans?”
“Actually, I do.”
“Oh.” Surprise—and was that a little bit of disappointment she heard?
“I’m dining with a friend and his lovely little girl tonight. I’m afraid I’ll have to take a rain check.”
She could almost hear his smile. “Good one, Twinks! Slammed me with my own weapon, didn’t you?”
“I do have my moments.” She grinned.
“Lea is dancing on air after your visit yesterday.” His voice thickened, and he cleared his throat. “She’s six, Kylie, and that’s the first time she’s ever had a playmate in her room.”
“Well, Dayna tells me Eva Kate can’t wait to see Lea again. She’s making plans for a sleepover soon. How will you feel about that?”
“Scared to death!” Rick laughed, but she heard genuine nervousness in his voice. “She’s never been away from me overnight.”
“I’m not sure whether your concern is for Lea or for you.”
“It’s completely for me.” Rick’s laughter held a hint of panic. “Are you kidding? Lea will have a ball. I’m the one with all the doubts and uncertainties.”
“It’s a good thing, Rick. This is normal interaction between children. It’ll be good for her.”
“I know, and of course when she’s invited I will let her go. But her daddy may need a babysitter while she’s away.”
Kylie tugged at her lip again, not worried in the least about her mother’s abhorrence of the habit. “That’s OK…to be a little nervous, you know. And I just happen to know someone who might be willing to keep you company in Lea’s absence.”
“You do?” Rick lowered his voice, injecting a note of something that stole Kylie’s breath and increased her heartbeat to a dangerous level. “If it’s not you, don’t even bother. I’ll throw myself on the floor and kick my heels until I get the babysitter I want.”
She couldn’t help laughing. “Charming thought. But it’s possible I could be convinced to take on the job.”
Her apartment door was locked. She’d forgotten Shay was visiting their parents. Kylie fumbled for her keys, which she’d already dropped back into the bottomless depths of her hobo bag. Fortunately, they hadn’t settled too far just yet, and she was able to fish them out without dumping half her life on the sidewalk. She opened the door and let herself into the cool apartment. A quick flip of her wrist landed her purse on the coat tree in the entry. She crossed the room and dropped onto the sofa.
“Sorry, I was distracted for a second. Shay’s not here, and it took me a minute to find my house key.”
“Don’t change the subject, Twinks. How might I be able to talk you into babysitting a frightened daddy on his first evening alone in six years?”
She couldn’t stop smiling. She kicked off her sandals, stretched her feet out and laid back. “Well, I could tell you, but where’s the fun in that? Figure it out on your own.”
“Playing coy with me, are you?”
“Who, me?”
A loud knock on the door brought her to her feet with heart pounding. “Someone’s at my door, Rick. What time do you want me tonight?”
“I want you all the time. But maybe I can wait a few hours. Trina says dinner’s at six.”
She pretended she hadn’t heard what she thought he’d said, since she was probably dreaming anyway. “Perfect. See you then.”
Another barrage of loud pounding echoed through the room. She tossed the phone onto the coffee table and headed for the hall. “Hold on, I’m coming,” she called. In the entry, she stopped long enough to smooth her hair, swung the door open, and sucked in a startled breath. “Dylan!”
“Hey, Kylie. Long time no see.”
Eyes the color of dirty ice, framed by insanely long lashes. They watched, amusement in their murky depths, as her mouth dropped open in horrified shock. Black hair fell across a smooth, high forehead, and perfect white teeth gleamed when he smiled. Many women found that smile irresistible, on those occasions when he bothered to tone down the reptilian coldness of his eyes.
Kylie had gotten over that deadly attraction a long time ago.
Her visitor didn’t wait for an invitation. He placed one large hand on each of her arms, moved her out of his way, and strode into her home as if he belonged there.
****
Dylan Barnes walked through the small living room, picking up a picture, moving a vase—making himself at home. When he noticed Gus, her porcelain Dalmatian, he shook his head and rolled his eyes.
Kylie seethed. The shock of seeing him on her doorstep had delayed her reaction, but anger rapidly replaced that initial response.
“Why are you here, Dylan? What do you want?”
He hiked one brow and sent her a familiar cocky grin as he stepped into her tiny kitchen and opened the refrigerator. “What? No beer?”
“I don’t drink, and you know it.”
“But I do, sugar. I thought you’d keep a couple of cold ones in case I dropped by.”
She slid onto one of the bar stools and braced her feet on a low ledge. The moment they found support, both feet began a rapid, nervous dance. Kylie felt the vibrations all the way through her body. She clasped her hands together on top of the bar and took a good look at the man she had once considered the love of her life.
“I haven’t seen you in two years,” she spat. “I thought, with any luck, I might never have to again.”
He smirked. “Aww, come on, sugar. Don’t be that way. I missed you.”
“Don’t call me sugar.”
“Touchy, touchy.” He chose an apple from a bowl on the table and tossed it in the air once before biting a sizable chunk from one side. He spoke while munching the fruit. “Come on, Ky, give me a chance.”
“I did that once, but once is all you get. Aren’t you supposed to be in prison?”
“Got out last week. Armed robbery of a convenience store doesn’t put a guy away for life, you know.” He shook a long, tapered finger her way. “And I redefined ‘good behavior’ for those legal blowhards—shaved a nice, big chunk of time off my sentence.”
Kylie swung her stool around to follow his movements as Dylan rounded the bar, wandered to the sofa and plopped down in the center of it. He propped his feet on her coffee table and crossed them at the ankle. Tossing the half-eaten apple onto the tabletop, he patted the cushion beside him. “Come on over here and welcome me back. You know you’re glad to see me.” He sent her a suggestive eyebrow dance.
Terror rocketed through her brain, but she shoved it into submission. Dylan fed on weakness. She couldn’t let him see any.
Pulling in a huge breath, she glared at the obnoxious man parked on her divan. “Dylan, get out. I’m not glad to see you, and I don’t want you here.” She hurried to the front door and opened it. “Go.”
“But I like your place, Ky. It’s downright cozy. A perfect little love nest.”
“Whether you like it
or not doesn’t matter to me. Now, either you get up and leave, or I call the police.”
“And say what?” Dylan sat up and dropped his feet to the floor. “That your boyfriend is cluttering up your perfect little playhouse?”
His nasty sneer turned Kylie’s stomach, and a lightning bolt of fear sliced through her anger. Stay calm, Ky. Don’t let him see that you’re scared.
“You’re not my boyfriend. Those days are long gone, and I have no plans to resurrect them. So please, just go. Don’t make this ugly, OK?”
He stared at her for a long time, while she sent up a dozen desperate prayers. They didn’t seem to be working. She watched the familiar, angry wave of red start in his neck and rise rapidly over his face. God, please, do something before this gets out of hand.
Dylan stood, his movements slow and precise, never taking his wintry eyes off of Kylie’s face. As if in a horrible dream, she watched him cross the floor to where she stood, still holding the door open. He stopped only inches away. “I’m not going anywhere, Kylie. I think you know that.”
“Oh, you’re going somewhere all right.” The deep voice startled both of them.
Kylie gasped and spun around to the open door. “Rick! What are you—how did you know—?”
He spared her a brief glance, and held up a finger. She got the message: Shut up and wait a minute. OK, she could do that.
Dylan attempted a cocky swagger. “I’m going somewhere? Says who?” He raked an insolent gaze over Kylie’s trembling frame. “This guy thinks he knows you, sugar.”
Fury shadowed Rick’s handsome features. He grabbed a handful of Dylan’s shirt and hauled the startled man’s face close to his own. “Don’t ever think you can speak to Kylie like that.” A vigorous shake bounced Dylan’s head like a bobble doll. The smirk disappeared, to be replaced with blatant terror. “Do you hear me?” Rick growled.
“Yeah, yeah. I hear you. I hear you, man!”
Kylie’s shocked gaze flew to Rick’s face. What she saw there snatched her breath away. His nicely shaped lips, usually curved into a pleasant smile, were a straight, trembling gash, circled by skin so white it appeared bloodless. The blue eyes that held such dangerous depths for her emotions glowed like fiery orbs.
