Something in Darcy’s voice suggested otherwise. “What’s with this Tim guy? You never mentioned him before.”
“Oh, he’s just a guy I sort of like. He works in construction and has the biceps to prove it.” Her expression became animated. “And, oh God, Addie, he owns a Harley and wants to take me out on it this weekend!”
“Wait, you’re not seriously going to ride on it, are you? You hardly know him. How do you know he can control it? What if you crash?” The guy was a sleaze and Addie had a difficult time understanding what it was Darcy saw in him.
“God, Addie, what are you, my mother? It’s just a ride on a motorcycle, not a trip to Las Vegas to get married or anything. Oooh, now there’s an idea.”
“You wouldn’t!”
“No, but the look on your face, God, you are so gullible. Don’t worry. Jeez, I’ll be fine. Hey, let’s get together tonight. We can eat dinner, rent a movie, or just talk. I have a great bottle of Cabernet we could share.”
“Sounds great. Let’s order a pizza,” Addie said.
Darcy wrinkled her nose. “My hips are going to require major squats but, what the hell—pepperoni?”
“Sure.” Addie considered telling Darcy about her new little power but wasn’t sure how to explain it. A knock on the door made them both jump.
Chapter 9
“That should be our good old dependable apartment manager. He’s here to fix a leak under my sink,” Addie said, calming herself.
Addie opened the door. Ed stood there, his dark wiry hair sticking out in all directions. Chances were it hadn’t seen a brush yet that morning. A huge smile lit his face, a utility belt hung from his waist, weighing down his baggy bright red pants, and his hand clutched a large toolbox. His once white T-shirt, now a dull gray, was only half tucked in.
“Hey, Addie. Darcy.” He sauntered over toward the kitchen, his tool belt clanking at his waist, his small dark eyes focused on the puddle in the middle of the floor.
“Hmmm.” He stood looking down at the floor rubbing his head. “This is quite a leak you have here, Addie. It might take a while. It must have been leaking all night. Good thing you called me first thing this morning before it went through the floor to the Richardson’s apartment.”
“Well, thanks for coming up so quickly.” Addie turned her attention back to Darcy and they exchanged grins at the site of the strange-looking little man.
Addie looked down at her robe and grimaced. “Darcy, will you stay while I get some clothes on?” she whispered, glancing toward Ed, indicating her discomfort at being alone with him while she changed.
“Sure, but hurry, I have things to do.”
Addie left Darcy sitting on the bed and grabbed a T-shirt from her closet, snatched up the jeans she’d left piled on the floor and went into the bathroom. Tugging on the pants, she glanced at her reflection in the mirror and frowned at the red lines still so heavy in her eyes. She pulled the shirt over her head, ran her fingers through her hair and splashed more water on her face.
“There. Not perfect, but okay for now.”
When she came out of the bathroom, Darcy was still on the bed, looking bored. She jumped up when she saw Addie, straightened her pants that had bunched halfway up her calves and headed toward the door.
“Well, I guess I’ll see you tonight, then.”
“Yeah, tonight. Thanks.” Addie shut the door and turned to see how Ed was doing with the leak.
“If you’ve got things to do, I can lock up for you when I’m done.” Ed’s voice sounded muffled as he spoke from under the sink.
“Oh, no problem, I need to do some work on the computer anyway. You know, check my email and stuff.” Addie wasn’t exactly keen on the idea of leaving while there was someone in her apartment—even if it was just Ed. Besides, she could take this opportunity to check some websites on the subject of paranormal abilities.
She went into the kitchen, stepping over Ed and his tools to grab a cup of coffee before starting her internet search, but soon found herself engaged in a conversation with the funny little man whose head was stuck under her sink, the red pants covering his skinny legs stretched out over her floor.
“So, do you ever get lonely living on your own now? You know, away from your aunt?” Ed asked.
“Oh, now and again, but mostly I like being alone.”
“Seems to me a pretty young woman like yourself should have a man coming around more often than you do.”
“Not you, too? Why does everyone think I need a man?”
“I’m just sayin’ I haven’t noticed you bringing anybody home at all since you moved in, not that I’m nosy or anything. But, I do like to keep a watchful eye over my tenants, especially the young women, make sure no harm comes to them. You know?”
“Yeah, well, no need to worry about me. I’m not really interested in men right now.”
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t realize you were one of those gays.”
Addie choked out a laugh. “No, Ed. I’m not gay. I just haven’t met anyone I’d like to get to know that way, if you know what I mean.”
“Oh yeah, sure, I know what you mean. Sorry, I didn’t mean to imply ... well, you don’t look masculine or anything.”
Addie laughed again and was sure his face under the sink was bright red. “Thanks, I think.” Having a conversation about her sexual orientation with her sweet little landlord was the last thing she thought she’d be doing this morning. “Well I guess there is a bit of comfort knowing you’re looking out for me.”
“I try to keep a lookout. Young women like you and Darcy need to be careful these days.”
“Yeah, did you hear about the woman they found Saturday morning? A bit scary, don’t you think? Those things usually don’t happen around here.”
“Yeah, I heard about it. Young women shouldn’t be out by themselves no matter where they live.”
“You’re right, of course,” she agreed. “What about you, Ed? I don’t see you bringing any women home.”
“Me?” He laughed and Addie watched his stomach jiggle. “My courtin’ days are long gone. Nobody’s gonna be interested in a scrawny little old guy like me.”
“You’re not old and you’re not scrawny.” Much. “I’m sure there’s a very nice woman out there just waiting for someone like you.”
“That’ll be the day. Well, I think she’s fixed,” he said as he shimmied his way out from under the sink.
“You’re done? Wow, you’re quick, a regular miracle worker. Thanks.”
He averted his crimson face from hers as he picked up his tools, placing them meticulously in their respective slots on his belt.
“Well, I’ll be off then. Appreciate you letting me know about this right away. Better to nip these things in the bud before they escalate to bigger problems.”
“Yeah, no problem,” she said, walking him to the door. “I appreciate you coming up so fast.”
“You take care, now.”
With Ed finished with the leak under the sink and out of her hair, Addie grabbed another cup of coffee, took out her laptop, and began her search. A dozen different sites popped up for paranormal ability; people possessing psychic powers, telekinetic and telepathic experiences, and people claiming to have clairvoyant abilities, but not one of them was remotely close to what was happening to her. She scrolled down the page, clicking on another article and paused.
“Wait a minute, wait a freaking minute. What’s this?” She tapped her fingers on the side of her cup as she read the article about a girl who could emit electrical sparks from her fingertips strong enough to knock people down.
After reading the whole article, she found there was nothing to substantiate the girl’s claim. “It’s nothing but a hoax. Well, shit.” Every article she read proved to be much the same. Frustrated, she gave up her search and went back to experimenting with her ability again.
Placing another slice of bread in the sink, Addie concentrated on heat and fire again, only to be disappointed. After about an hour an
d several slices of burnt bread in the trash, she finally managed to toast a piece without burning it. “Well, now, this is more like it. I think I’m getting the hang of this, whatever this is.” Feeling rejuvenated, she decided it was time to head off to the cliffs.
***
Darcy kept telling herself she didn’t care what Jared thought. Back in her own apartment, she drew a hot bubble bath. The scent of lavender and ginger filled the small room and she tried not to think about Jared as she leaned back in the tub and closed her eyes. But, it was impossible not to see his face. Why after all these months did visions of him have to start popping into her head again? As a couple, they were over. He made his choice when he slept with that slut, Hannah. So what if he didn’t remember anything about it. So what if he was drunk beyond standing. Come on, did he really expect her to believe him? He had begged and pleaded with her to forgive him, but all she could picture in her head was the two of them, naked and tangled in bed. And yet ... Face it, Darcy; you know the man can still make your knees go limp.
In spite of everything, she never stopped loving him and was glad Addie respected her feelings even though Darcy never told her how she really felt about him. Her passion for Jared was becoming a problem. Was it love or hate? Darcy wasn’t sure anymore. Better to continue playing the field and try to forget him. Maybe someday she’d find the perfect man who could make her legs wobble the way Jared could.
***
The sun peeked out from behind the clouds as Addie steered into the tiny turnout off the highway. She stopped the truck, got out, and shut the door. Realizing her hands were empty, the camera still on the passenger seat, she tugged at the handle to open the door. Locked. She reached in her pockets for her keys, but they were empty. She looked in the window—her keys dangled from the ignition.
“Oh shit, shit, shit. Now what?” Addie considered using her new skill. “I guess this should be a good test.”
She looked around and, confident she was alone, focused on the lock, stretching out her hand, her fingers pointed straight at the door. Sparks flew toward the handle, unlocking the door, and to her amazement, also starting the truck. As the engine roared, Addie opened the door, jumped up on the seat, and turned the ignition off. She sat stunned for a minute, trying to comprehend what just happened.
“I really need to be careful with this.”
Once again she left her truck, this time with camera and keys in hand. As she walked closer to the edge of the cliff, she snapped pictures, trying not to think about the story Bart had shared with her. Instead, she focused on capturing the waves as they crashed against the rocks jutting out from the cliff. She took several more pictures, and then as she looked closer over the edge, she noticed a small cave in the rocks below.
“Hmmm … that would be great if I could get a shot of that white foam flowing into the opening.”
Wanting to find a more direct angle of the waves slamming against the rocks before they entered the cave, she leaned over as far as she could, but still couldn’t get a complete shot of its opening. She inched closer—ignoring her sudden fear of heights—held the camera close to her eye and searched through the viewfinder. She took a step forward and the ground under her feet gave way.
Chapter 10
Addie screamed and dropped the camera as she struggled to grab hold of a root protruding from the side of the cliff. She hung on with one hand groping for the edge with the other, screaming for her life as a hand grabbed her wrist.
“Hold on!”
“Please …” She looked down at the rocks and the waves crashing over them, the roar exploding in her ears. “Oh God, please don’t let go!”
“Don’t look down, look at me. I won’t let go. Let me have your other hand.”
“No, I can’t. I’ll fall.” Her gaze moved again to the jagged rocks below.
“No, I’ve got you, I promise. Look at me.”
It was a command, one she couldn’t ignore. As she looked in his eyes, she saw strength and confidence and allowed herself to trust him.
“Now reach up and give me your other hand.”
With every ounce of courage she could muster, she let go of the root and grabbed his outstretched hand.
“Good, I’ve got you. Now dig your toes into the side of the rock and push.” With one fast sweep, he pulled her up and she landed on top of him.
There they lay, face to face, chest to chest, his arms wrapped tightly around her, as she stared down at the dark blue eyes she remembered so well from the night before.
“It’s you,” Addie said, sounding a bit like a squeak-toy.
“Yes, it’s me. That’s twice now, Grace.”
“Twice?”
“Yes, twice in the past twenty-four hours I’ve had to save your life.”
“Last night? I wasn’t dying then, just dazed.”
He grinned. “So, what the hell were you doing just now?”
Fully conscious of his body underneath hers, she squirmed. “Let me up, will you?”
“Sure, if you promise you won’t try to kill yourself again.”
“Kill myself? Why would you think I was trying to kill myself?”
“I can’t think of any other reason why you would get so close to the edge without looking where your feet were.”
Noting his cynicism, Addie twisted to free herself from his grip. “Let me go.”
“No, not until you promise,” he grinned.
“You are infuriating. You know damn well ...”
“There are some who would agree with you, but I’m still not letting go until you promise.”
She sighed and rolled her eyes. “Okay, I promise I won’t kill myself. There, are you happy? Now let me up.”
“Sure, if you insist.” He unclasped his arms as he laughed.
“Why are you laughing? I could have died.” She stood, brushing the dirt from her clothes.
“‘Could have’ are the operative words here, Grace. Lucky for you—again—I was here.” He stood, and running his hand through his hair, smiled.
Remembering her camera, Addie turned her attention to the ground.
“Oh no, where’s my camera?” She stretched out on her stomach, positioning her body close to the edge to see if she could see it anywhere. He crouched down next to her as they both peered over the edge. The camera swung on a branch by its strap. “Damn it.”
He rubbed his chin. “Looks a bit too far to reach.”
Addie glared at him and wished her newly acquired talent could help retrieve the camera. She sighed. Even if it could, she wasn’t ready to share that particular skill with anyone just yet, especially him. With her luck, he’d turn out to be the FBI and turn her over to some government science lab for alien testing or something. She stood and brushed herself off again.
He stood up also and looked around. “Sorry, there doesn’t seem to be anything around here long enough to reach it.”
Addie watched him brush the dirt off his coat. “I don’t think you’re going to accomplish much there.”
“What?”
“Your coat.”
He frowned as he looked down. “What’s wrong with my coat?”
“It looks like it was in a war … and lost.”
He smiled and she thought he almost looked proud.
Remembering her camera, she murmured, “Well, this is just great. I’ve wasted my whole freaking morning. I had some great shots of the waves, too.”
“Not to mention the replacement cost of the camera,” he added.
A moment ago she found him heroic, now his callousness irritated her. As she turned to leave, his hand caught her arm.
“Where are you going? Don’t you want your camera?”
Addie glanced down at his hand on her arm and frowned. With a look of reluctance, he let go.
“Of course I do. Unfortunately, it’s hanging twenty feet down the side of a cliff on a branch with no possible way any human could retrieve it without a twenty-foot pole and I don’t see any around here, do you
? So unless you’re going to fly down there and get it, I’m leaving.”
For a minute, he looked as if he actually considered it. Addie shook her head as she walked off, wanting to get as far away from him as possible.
Idiot, a self-righteous idiot. “Shit, now I have to buy a new camera.”
As Addie stomped back to her truck, he strolled along beside her. She quickened her pace hoping he would take a hint and leave her alone, but his stride was much longer and he didn’t have any problem keeping up.
“Why are you following me? You’ve had your laugh for today. Please leave me alone.”
“Well, you could at least say ‘thank you.’”
“Thanks. Satisfied?”
“You’re a hardheaded one, aren’t you? I’m not sure if I find your stubbornness irritating or sexy. Oh yeah, speaking of heads, how’s yours, Grace?”
“I’m not stubborn, I’m annoyed, and if I irritate you ... tough. Your problem, not mine. And I’m sure there are plenty of women around you can have sex with.” With a fierce look, she added, “Call me Grace one more time and I’ll deck you.”
“I didn’t say I wanted to have sex with you. I just said you were sexy. Though I wouldn’t mind if you want to—I mean have sex.” He ran his hand through his hair again, and then stuffed both hands in his pockets.
She stopped walking. Did she just hear him correctly? She looked him up and down. Considered. Maybe some other time, some other place, a tumble with him might be wonderful, but she didn’t know him and she wasn’t in the habit of sleeping with men she didn’t know. The prospect of having sex hadn’t occurred to her in a long time, at least not since she moved here.
“Well, pal, I’m flattered you find me so sexually ...” Addie's eyes fell to his crotch, “arousing. That’s quite an ego you have, but your arrogance won’t help get you into my pants. So don’t think for one minute just because you saved my life I’m going to jump in the sack with you. I don’t even know you. I thanked you for saving my life, now please go away.” She placed her hand on her forehead, felt the bump from the night before, and started walking again. She was annoyed, her head throbbed, and yes, she was slightly aroused.
Whisper Cape Page 7
