by C. B. Haight
“Then what is it that bothers you?” he asked.
“Hurting you. I don’t want to hurt you.” She spoke so softly even with his sensitive hearing, he barely heard her.
Now Cade did turn, his confusion apparent in his expression. “I don’t understand.”
She sighed, “Cade when I die… if we stay together, and as my frail human body ages through the years, as it will, and it then fails me and my heart stops. Tell me. Where does that leave you?”
Cade didn’t get a chance to answer before she continued.
“Alone! That’s where it leaves you. It leaves you hollow and alone. Do you really believe you’ll be satisfied with my short lifespan? I could feel the strength of your love for me last night. I know the strength of my own feelings. One lifetime a few short years are all I can give you. I can’t do that to you. Please don’t ask me to hurt you like that.”
“What makes you think walking away from me now won’t leave me just as hollow and alone?” he asked sincerely.
“Cade, time will only make your feelings stronger. It will just make it that much harder.”
Cade smirked, “You’re right about that, it will make our feelings stronger. I’m counting on that. Collett, you have this way of being wrong about things. I would rather have those few short years with you then none at all. Sure it will be hard, but it is better than nothing. ”
“Cade…”
“No, you had your turn. Let me finish.”
Collett sighed again and conceded with a nod.
“Collett, I have loved many people in my lifespan.”
At her jealous glare, Cade felt a slight satisfaction. He held up his hand to stop her response and continued, “And of all those people I have loved, not one passed on without me feeling grief and loss. It’s just a part of who I am, what I am.
But I would have never traded the joy of those, few short years, as you called it, to avoid that grief. Each person I knew gave me precious memories. Without them, my life would be a hollow shell. Because of them, I am the man who stands before you. If you love me, trust me.”
Collett just stared at him with her soft, saddened eyes. She wasn’t sure what to do now. When she came up here this afternoon, she intended to tell him this had to stop. Now she longed to be with him. She badly wanted to trust him.
Cade approached her once again, gently he moved her face, forcing her to meet his gaze, “Of all those people, none of them has meant as much to me as you do now. Never in all my years, have I loved anyone the way I love you. Maybe you can believe me now when I tell you; I will take whatever time you are willing to give me. And I will cherish every minute of that time.”
“Even if it is only a few days, a few months, I can’t give you any promises, Cade. Not only do I not remember my past, I don’t know what’s in my future.”
Cade smiled at her and kissed her on the forehead. His kiss was so tender. For some reason, Collett felt that sweet, tender kiss, was more intimate than that first startling, passion-filled kiss they had shared in the gym.
He moved down, kissing both her cheeks. He moved over her lips and gave her a soft melting kiss there, too. He pulled back, “One day at a time. We’ll just take it one day at a time.”
Collett nodded, “One day at a time,” she whispered.
Folding her into his warm embrace, he pulled her close to him. Collett closed her eyes to savor the moment fully, he kissed her neck and she felt the scrape of his teeth. “Are you sure you can’t change me with a bite?” she asked quietly almost wishing it could be that simple.
He chuckled, “Well, I could nibble on you a bit and see what happens.”
She huffed out a breath and begged softly, “Tell me again, Cade.”
He laughed a little from relief, and hugging her tighter, he gave her the words she sought, “I love you, Collett.”
“I love you, too.”
Cade pulled back, and putting his hands on her shoulders replied, “Now, you need to go downstairs, and I need to take a shower.”
“Oh, well before you shower, I didn’t train with Nate earlier. I was angry with you. Do you want to go over a few things today in physical training?”
Sudden images came to Cade, “No, I don’t think we’ll worry about today.”
“Are you sure? I could be ready in a couple minutes.”
He gave her a heated look, one full of promises and innuendo. “Collett, I’m trying to be honorable here. I want a lot too, just not until were both ready. Right this minute, I don’t think I could hold back if I were upstairs… touching you.” His eyes raked roguishly over her. “To tell you the truth, I wouldn’t mind just staying right here, but I have lived long enough to learn that good things come to those who wait. I am willing to wait until the time is right, until you’re ready.”
Collett blushed at the implications of his words, “Oh… well okay. Um, I’ll just go downstairs. I’ll ah…just, um…see you at dinner then.” She backed up toward the door.
As her hand reached the doorknob, Cade let go of a low growl. Her shocked innocence pulled at him. In two strides he reached her. He pinned her against the door and kissed her passionately. She reached up, twining her fingers through his thick, glossy hair. She pulled him closer urging him on, needing more. He obliged. Leaning in, he savored the flavor of her. As the intensity of their kissing increased, Cade forced himself to pull back with the tiny fraction of self-discipline he had left.
Collett unconsciously let out a little moan of protest as he did.
With panting breaths Cade declared, “I really think you should go now.”
Collett nodded and twisted the knob behind her. When Cade heard the click from the door latch, he backed up a step, letting Collett pull the door open slightly. She started out the door then turned back to look at him with her lust-glazed eyes.
“You’re killing me here…Go!” he begged.
Collett quickly escaped through the thin opening into the safety of the hallway, closing the door behind her. Cade stared at the wooden barrier despondently for a moment wondering, if he was out of his mind. What kind of idiot would have sent her away? Frustrated, Cade stalked to his bathroom and turned on the cold water. He punished himself by standing under the frigid spray for a very long time, while Collett leaned her head against the door with a grin spreading across her face.
****
Just before dinner, Cynda came downstairs to the kitchen and found Collett sitting at the table, staring outside. Cynda approached and sat down in front of her.
To Cynda’s surprise, Collett turned her head and gave Cynda a full, radiant smile. The beauty of her smile extended over her whole expression. Her blue eyes sparkled, and her soft, white cheeks were tinged a rosy pink.
Cynda couldn’t help her surprise from showing on her own face. Collett offered, “You don’t have to worry. I’m fine.”
“You weren’t an hour ago,” Cynda accused.
“No, I wasn’t,” Collett replied kindly.
“What changed?”
“An understanding,” seeing Cynda’s perplexed expression, Collett explained, “Cade and I have come to an understanding.”
“Which is?”
“He loves me, and I love him,” Collett replied simply. “Whatever else happens, at least we know that. The rest I suppose will have to come as it will.”
Cynda felt relief. With an elated smile on her face she said, “Well, since you’re in such a good mood, how about you help me with dinner. Jenny is not feeling well tonight. Can you cook?”
Collett smiled, “As a matter of fact, that’s something I can remember, and I am an excellent cook.”
“That’s good, because I can’t,” Cynda replied with a laugh. “That’s why Jenny took over my kitchen so many years ago. I can brew potions, and make healing salves, but when it needs to be edible, don’t count on me.”
Collett laughed, “Can you chop vegetables?”
“Why yes I can,” Cynda replied lightly.
“T
hen let’s get to work.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
The last couple days passed in a blur for everyone. Since there had been no recent attacks, they all agreed that they could lighten up a bit and prepare for the upcoming holiday. They still kept a vigilant eye on security. Collett still stayed inside, and continued to train in self-defense with Cade. She even had the opportunity to spar with Cynda once, all under Cade’s careful direction. Nate also instructed her some more about the use of several handguns. She really was a quick learner, or so they kept telling her. Her aptitude with hand-to-hand combat was, in fact, surprising, by Cade’s reckoning.
Cynda now allowed Collett to explore her empathic abilities on her own, while she tried to train Collett on some basic evocation magic. Collett seemed to grasp the concept of magic pretty well for a novice, which gave her another boost in her self-esteem.
Now that Cody was here to lighten the load on watches, Rederrick returned to his law office during the day. Collett still hadn’t met Cody, because he continued to take the latest watch. These days her evenings were mostly spent with Cade. She found it slightly odd, that even being under the same roof they had not run into each other once, but Collett was too happy to dwell on it. In fact, she didn’t think about her problems much at all. She simply continued with her routines, and enjoyed the friendships around her.
Jenny was ill for several more days, so Collett happily assumed the role of cook. Despite the puzzle that was her life, chores had to be done. The necessities of life waited for no one. She reveled in the chance to help out and take on her share of duties. More than that though, Collett hadn’t realized how much she had missed cooking. The basic task kept her hands busy and her mind at ease. The simplicity of everyday life was a relief to her.
Everyone was looking forward to the levity of Thanksgiving, making the mood around the house light. Collett could feel the excitement from Cynda. She was looking forward to having all three of her children under one roof, even if it was just for a few days. It would be a full house this week.
Cynda had cleaned and prepared all three of their rooms with careful and loving hands. And though Rederrick didn’t show his excitement outright as Cynda did, Collett felt it in him as well.
Time passed quickly now and it was the Monday before Thanksgiving. Collett was in the process of peeling red potatoes for the roasted potatoes she intended to prepare to complement the chicken breasts for dinner, when the back kitchen door swung open.
James strode into the room, wearing his army greens and with a confident gait in his stride. He feigned surprise, “She’s perfect. Not only is she attractive, she can cook too. I’ve been waiting my whole life for you. Run away with me.”
Collett giggled a little, and teased back, “Why if that’s all you’ve been looking for, you should have been married by now.”
He shrugged, “If you’ve ever had my Mom’s cooking you’d understand.”
Just then, Cynda stepped into the room from the hallway entrance and scolded, “I heard that, young man.”
Assuming a sheepish expression, James corrected sarcastically, “What I meant was, no one can cook like my mom. And I really mean that.”
Cynda narrowed her eyes slightly, but her lips twitched in a smile, “Quit digging a hole to jump in and get over here and give me a hug.”
James dropped his green duffle on the tile floor to approach his mother, and with his free arms, he wrapped them tightly around her. He gave her a smacking kiss on the cheek and then pulled back, “When will my bratty sisters get here?” he asked with affectionate mirth.
“Ashley will be here on Wednesday, and Tracy flies in tomorrow. You can even go pick her up for me,” Cynda answered.
James met Collett’s eyes, “It’s not too late. We can still run away together. We’ll elope in Vegas, and then I’ll take you to Hawaii.”
Collett enjoyed bantering with him, but before she could reply, Cade came down the stairs and teased gruffly, “Go beg some other woman. She’s already spoken for.” He walked over to Collett and draped his arm possessively over her shoulder. “Besides, she has way too much class for you.”
James let out an over-exaggerated sigh and pretended melancholy, “The story of my life. All the good ones are spoken for.” Then he looked to Collett and waggled his eyebrows, “Still, if you ever get tired of him, and want some younger blood, you know where to find me.”
Collett chuckled under her breath, then tried to straighten her face as she replied with feigned seriousness, “Thank you, James, I’ll keep that in mind.”
James bent and picked up his duffle bag, throwing it over his shoulder and said to Cade, “Chicks dig the uniform.”
Cade inclined his head in sarcastic agreement, “Yeah, I can see that.”
James looked back to his mother, “Where’s the old man?”
“He’s watching security with Nate.” Cynda answered
James bent down, gave his mother a quick peck on the cheek, and turned his head smiling, “See you at dinner, Collett.” He said with huskiness in his voice, and winked at her as he left the room.
Cade shook his head, “Kid’s got a smart mouth.”
Collett couldn’t help but agree, “Yeah, but I like him.”
****
It wasn’t just James that she liked either. Over the next two days, Collett easily found that she enjoyed Tracy and Ashley’s company just as much.
At twenty-six, Tracy was the eldest in the family. Her hair was cut short in a playful style that flipped out at the ends. The color was a shiny auburn, much like her mother’s. It held more red than brown. Her eyes were green too, but instead of the deep shade of green that Cynda and James had, Tracy’s eyes were a light, muted green that sparkled with intelligence. Her facial features favored Rederrick, with more angles than curves. The whole combination was incredibly flattering.
From what bits of conversation Collett could piece together, she learned Tracy was an art-history major. She worked at one of the most prestigious antiquities auction houses in the country. It was located in New York, making it necessary for Tracy to live far from home, something Rederrick was not willing to let her forget.
Late Tuesday, Collett overheard one such conversation. She’d been coming down the stairs when she sensed a frustrated turmoil in Rederrick. She approached to see if she could help, then she realized he wasn’t alone.
With a concerned fatherly tone, Rederrick stated, “You know there are closer auction houses. I could put a word in for you.”
“Dad, we talked about this before. I like New York. I like my job, and despite what you may believe it’s called the Big Apple, not the big bad center of all that is evil.”
Rederrick grunted his reply letting Tracy know he didn‘t agree with that assessment.
Tracy let go of an exasperated sigh, then she wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder, saying, “I love you too, Dad.”
Just like that, Collett felt his irritation melt away. He folded his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. He questioned, “You’re careful, right? You watch yourself?”
“Yes Dad, I’m careful. No one knows I’m a witch. No one really cares about little ol’ me in that big city full of weird people.” Then she quickly maneuvered him to change the subject. “So, why don’t you tell me about this woman who has Uncle Cade all out of sorts?”
Thinking it best to leave them alone and not wanting to hear anything more, Collett stepped away from the door.
Later, when Collett was formerly introduced to the eldest Williams daughter, she sensed a strong independence within Tracy. She was confident and at peace with who and what she was. Collett felt a slight twinge of envy. She longed for that kind of self-confidence. It was the kind of self-surety that made it impossible to doubt your decisions.
Tracy was open and forward. Her honesty and easy nature made it impossible for Collett not to like her.
On Wednesday afternoon, James arrived back from the airport with
another radiant, young woman. He introduced her to Collett as Ashley. Right away, Collett saw the family resemblance.
Ashley had shiny brown hair that reached just past her shoulders. It was layered and full, cut in a style that drew attention to her face. Her features were softer, more round than Tracy’s and James’, but that didn’t diminish the effect of her beauty. She was the only one of the three children who had inherited Rederrick’s steel-gray eyes. To Collett, Ashley’s twinkling eyes looked to be full of compassion and kindness.
She was slim, but curvy and was shorter than Collett’s five-five height by a good couple of inches. At twenty-four, Ashley was the middle child in this family, and unlike her siblings, she exhibited a calmer, quiet nature. Ashley was shyer, more timid.
She wasn’t prone to the quick sarcastic quips like James and didn’t emanate Tracy’s self-confidence. She carefully assessed conversations around her before including her opinions. Collett felt a profound kinship with the woman. It was a connection she didn’t completely understand, but Collett did understand that simple need for solace and peace more than anybody.
Through conversations, Collett later learned, Ashley was currently studying to be a veterinarian at Michigan State University. Collett wondered if having Cade in her life had influenced Ashley’s career choice.
Oddly enough, despite their similarities, when Nate introduced them, Collett immediately sensed a small flash of jealousy, as if Ashley had feelings for Cade. Cade of course, was oblivious.
On Thursday morning, Collett was in the kitchen helping a recovered Jenny with the Thanksgiving preparations, when Ashley and Tracy wandered in. Tracy still wore her cotton pajamas. Ashley, on the other hand was fully dressed, with hair and makeup done.
Ashley sauntered over to Jenny and kissed the older woman on her wrinkled cheek. “I heard you’ve been sick. Are you okay?”
“Pish, posh. Just a cold is all,” Jenny answered.
