“Yes, I did. And then I walked out.”
“So you left her unprotected?”
“No, she has a group coming in for a guided meditation class today and Julius said Logan was gone for the time being. I hung around long enough to see three carloads of clients arrive, she’s safe enough for now, and I’ll go back before everyone leaves because I am so obviously not done. But I’m going to give her the silent treatment.” His jaw jutted out as if he expected an argument. “In the meantime, find me something productive to do.”
Tyler appraised him for a moment. “You ever do any historic research for insurance? I’m running searches through multiple sources but since we only have his first name and a possible family affiliation to work from, it isn’t going well. Basically, I’ve got nothing.”
Reid walked around to the back of Tyler’s chair, looked over his shoulder at the computer screen.
The browser was open to a popular site for tracing ancestral history; search results were minimal. Tyler outlined his progress so far. “Tracing Logan’s family history hit a dead end earlier than I expected. All the records on his father’s side were destroyed by fire in 1872 which would have been at least one generation after Billy, possibly two.”
“According to Julius, old Billy went to sea on a merchant ship, do you think there would be any records of that ship in naval history books.”
“Now that’s an idea.” Without elaborating further, Tyler began tapping away at his keyboard.
“What?”
“Naval records. I’m pulling up a list of museums along the coast. We’ll split the list, make a few calls, see what we can learn about the Indestructible and I will see if there are other places to access merchant ship records.”
The first thing Reid learned about this type of research was that curators of naval museums loved to talk about anything related to the sea. It took five calls and three epic stories before he found the first glimmer of hope. Harry, the owner of a small museum remembered reading about the Indestructible in some musty old record books. Promising to track them down, scan, and email what he found, the enthusiastic man was delighted to help. Reid flashed Tyler a thumbs up and waited for the other man to finish listening to another long yarn. Finally, Ty laid his phone down and crossed the number off his list.
“You found something?” He asked in a hopeful voice. Normally, he would have loved listening to tales of terror on the high seas with storms and swashbuckling pirates but today, he had no patience for them.
“Looks like it.” Reid gave Tyler the rundown then there was nothing left to do but wait.
***
When Reid stepped into the kitchen to grab a drink, two of the three resident females eyed him with enough intensity to make him squirm while the third listened just as intently. At this point, he figured he had two choices, let them keep staring at him like he was wearing his skivvies on the outside and brazen it out or grab a drink and run out of there like they were on fire. The second option sounded best. He never got the chance.
“Reid. Have a seat. Let’s talk.”
This sounded like the worst idea ever but since he was too manly to throw the bottle of water as a distraction and run for his life, he warily dropped into a chair determined to bluff his way through whatever was to come.
Gustavia crossed her legs, leaned back, and appraised him before speaking to Kat, “They slept together, she got cold feet, he finally got tired of apologizing, lost his temper, and ended up here. That’s my bet. Kat, you in?”
“Nah. I’d say you pegged it, nothing to bet against.”
How did they know?
“She call you already?” That had to be it.
Julie answered, “No. Amethyst keeps things locked inside until she gets them sorted out for herself, even when she should be leaning on her friends. Comes from being let down in the past.” The rebuke was mild yet its barb slid home and poked his anger back to full flare.
“Ever stop to think she might have let me down, too? Sneaking away like a thief in the night without even a goodbye? Trust goes both ways, ladies, and mine was just as shattered as hers was. Did she ever stop to think how I might feel? I came home to an empty house.”
“She broke your heart.” Kat’s words were spoken quietly and accompanied by her reaching out to find his arm and give it a squeeze. It took a moment for him to register the empathy behind them, but once he did, all his anger dissolved leaving nothing behind but misery.
“Totally.”
Gustavia reached across the table to pat his hand. She too, could always be counted on to provide a bit of empathy. “Did you tell her that?”
“She doesn’t want to talk about it. I thought that after last night,” he confirmed Gustavia’s assessment, “she might open up so we could have an honest conversation, find some resolution. Instead, she acted like she wished nothing had happened so I yelled at her and walked out.” The words sounded defensive because they were.
“You going back?” If he said no, Julie would send Tyler up the hill to make sure her friend was safe. Or even better, she would send Zack to drag her back here for the duration.
He ran a hand through his hair then rolled his eyes. It was a gesture of impatience. “Not much choice is there? I love her. I have to protect her even if that is the only thing she lets me do.”
“Want some advice?” This from Kat who had, maybe, the most insight and the least experience to draw from.
“Wouldn’t that be breaking some kind of female code? Fraternizing with the enemy?”
“You love her. I love her. How does that make us enemies? Do you want the advice or not?” Kat rarely spoke so firmly.
“Yes, please.” He chanced a look at Julie who shrugged before turning his attention back to Kat.
“Then answer this question. Did you do everything you possibly could to find her after she left? Or did you hit a couple walls then give up and throw yourself a pity party because she hurt you?”
That was exactly what he had done and it was nothing to be proud of.
Three years of feeling sorry for himself, of insisting he was the more injured party had netted him what? Three lonely years. Not worth it.
He looked at the table and mumbled something. Kat’s voice softened, “Women want a man who will fight for them even when they’ve done something stupid. Actually, especially when they’ve done something stupid.” Reid’s head shot up.
“You’re not completely against me?”
“Don’t be an idiot. I think you seem like a pretty decent guy. You hold up pretty well under pressure. Bit thick sometimes, but your intentions are good. She never stopped loving you. Amethyst needs to know you’ll always fight for her—even when it’s her you have to fight.”
Speculating, Gustavia judged the look on his face and came to the conclusion he thought Kat wrong. Catching Julie’s eye, she waggled an eyebrow and began to run Reid through the gauntlet.
“What are your intentions for our Amethyst?”
His eyebrows shot up. “My intentions? She’s my wife and I intend to keep it that way.”
“And you’re willing to do whatever it takes?” Kat asked.
Gustavia nodded, “Good answer. Julie, do you have any questions for this young man before we decide whether he is a suitable match for our girl?”
“Are you able to provide for her?”
“In the manner to which she has become accustomed.” Gustavia added.
“You know I’m between jobs right now but I have savings and a very good resume.”
As an aside, Julie told him, “You should talk to Tyler about that.”
“I already did and he brushed me off.”
“Talk to him again.” At his skeptical look, she ordered, “Just do it.”
“But first, go back to Amethyst and plant your flag.”
“He already did that last night,” Gustavia smirked.
“I was trying to use a guy analogy—you know, stake your claim, mark your territory—and not by peei
ng on her.”
“Listen to them; they’ve given you good advice.” Estelle spoke from behind him and to his credit he didn’t even jump. “Saved me having to do it. Dealing with one of you a day is enough for me. Now, go. She’s there alone, her appointments for the day canceled.”
Reid jumped up and made for the door. “There’s no danger from Logan, he’s still in the city, but I’m going to go back and keep an eye on her until you get there.” Estelle assured him.
“Thanks,” he called back over his shoulder.
Estelle said, “They’re going to be fine now that you put a bee in his bonnet, to use a female analogy” and with a smile, she vanished while the three women tried to picture Reid in a bonnet.
Chapter Twenty-Four
One deep breath followed another, then another. Inch by inch, Amethyst relaxed into her own skin feeling comfortable there for the first time in weeks. Right now, in this exact minute, she was just Amethyst—not a daughter, not a wife, not a friend, or a lover and especially, not a reader. There were no demands or complications. Tommy, sprawled across her lap, purred at the top of his lungs, and rubbed his forehead against one hand while she used the other to comb her fingers through his soft fur.
When he rolled over to present his fuzzy, white belly, she refused to rub him there.
“Oh no, I’m not falling for that again. You get scratchy when I touch your tummy.”
She sensed Reid’s presence before she heard his key turning in the lock. That talk—the one she had been avoiding—was coming and this time she was ready.
He strode through the door and her heart sped up to pound in her chest. It helped that he looked as nervous as she felt; it leveled the playing field. Still snuggling with Tommy, Amethyst waited for Reid to speak first.
He sat down on the edge of the sofa, rested his elbows on his knees, and stared straight ahead.
“I found you twice during that first year you were gone.”
Now, that surprised her.
“I had no idea you were stalking me.”
He shrugged. “Stalking might not be the right word. I was missing you so much and then when I saw you the first time in Arizona…”
“In a community of aura readers,” she interrupted.
“When I saw you,” he repeated impatiently, it was hard enough to get the words out without her commentary, “I thought—well, she’s moved on. So, I went back home. A few more months went by and I had to try again.”
“What happened that time?”
“Truth? By that time, I was sunk so deeply in feeling sorry for myself that seeing you made me angry and defensive so I crawled into that self-pity and lived there.”
“Yeah, I know that place; I lived there awhile myself.”
“Why didn’t we fight for each other? I loved you then, I love you now but we blew it. Both of us did.”
She reached out to lay a hand on his shoulder, “We were young and stupid.”
“And what about now? Are we still stupid?” He knew what he wanted even if she was still unsure. “You know what? Don’t answer that question.” Reid stood then reached down to pull her into his arms. What he offered her now was not passion, though that always simmered below the surface, but comfort and support.
“Reid, why did you come here?”
“To protect you since you refuse to do the sensible thing.”
“No, I mean why did you come to Oakville in the first place?”
“To visit a friend, clear my head and make some life decisions.” That fate had stepped in and brought her back into his life was, he felt, evidence that he was where he was supposed to be.
“And you really had no idea I was living here?”
“No, none. It was kismet.”
“I passed the third test.” She changed the subject.
“How do you feel? Why didn’t you say something right away?”
“I feel fine. In control of my ability again. Reid, there’s no going back, now. My gift helps people and I will never turn it off again. I doubt I could even if I wanted to.”
There it was again. Would she ever forgive him for asking that one stupid question? He felt utterly defeated. Now he was sure she would never get past that moment and no matter how much they loved each other, they had no future.
“That’s wonderful news, I’m happy for you.” He shuttered his emotions with an effort. This conversation was over. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to take a shower and then I have some work to do.” Without waiting for an answer, he strode from the room and in a moment, she heard the shower come on.
She was still sitting on the sofa when he passed back through the room on his way to the kitchen where he booted up his laptop and, ignoring her thoroughly, opened his email.
Harry had come through. Attached to his email were several scanned documents mentioning the Indestructible. When he got a look at the final document, Reid sucked in a breath and grabbed his phone.
“Ty, I think I’ve got a name. William Sanford. I’m forwarding the information to you now.”
He chatted with Tyler for a few more minutes, then scrolled down the list to open an email from that headhunter. He had to give the man credit for persistence. Explaining his desire to work in the non-profit sector, Reid replied and attached his resume. Maybe it would come to nothing but at the moment, he saw no reason not to find out.
***
The minute the words left her lips, Amethyst regretted them. Over and over again during these past few weeks, he had supported her; even to the point of lending his strength so she could use her ability to find Gustavia. What had possessed her to bring up that particular topic at that particular moment? She should have known he would take it as an indictment even if she had only meant to indicate the finality of her actions.
He had every right to freeze her out like this. With no idea what to do next, she decided to risk a peek at his aura. Whatever she had expected to see, the wall of whiteness that met her eyes came as a total shock. White was a color she often associated with purity; it was why a baby’s aura was predominantly white for the first few months. Reid was no baby and based on his performance the night before, she could attest that he had plenty of impure thoughts.
Maybe it was some type of shield.
“Reid…” she began.
“Not now, Amethyst. I’m busy.” His answer was short and politely spoken but his voice was colder than an ice cube. Well, she deserved that.
All evening he remained polite but distant. When she went into the kitchen to make dinner, he gathered up his laptop and relocated back to the sofa. Minutes spun out as the uncomfortable silence grew longer, larger, heavier. It pressed down on Amethyst until felt it might crush her.
In the end, Amethyst retreated to her bedroom, ostensibly to read but her brain flatly refused to process any words and she turned out the light. She knew sleep would not come easy as she listened for his movements in the other room.
Chapter Twenty-Five
It was the day of the solstice and almost time to leave for Hayward House when the teapot started to whistle. The sound got on Reid’s nerves in under a second and he yanked it off the heat to silence the noise. Days spent trying to avoid each other in the small space had shortened his temper.
Amethyst threw him a dirty look, turned sideways to ensure their bodies did not touch, and pushed past him to make tea in a travel mug. She had no idea if Reid planned to go with her or not but when she pulled her coat from the closet and started for the door, he followed.
During the short ride to Hayward House, the silence was almost painful. Reid drove carefully but quickly as though he wanted to spend as little time alone with her as possible. She stared out the window.
The two of them walked through the door. Reid, with a nod to Julie, peeled off to find Tyler.
“Whoa. What happened? The temperature dropped ten degrees in here. Did you two have a fight?”
“Not exactly but I can’t get the taste of purple ballet flat out of my mou
th.”
Arm in arm, Gustavia and Kat entered the room. One look at Amethyst’s face had Gustavia offering a consoling hug.
“What happened?”
“I’m an idiot; I said something stupid and blew it with him. Let’s just get this done. Do we know what to do with those prisms yet?”
“No.” Julie sighed. Julius had taken to popping in every two hours for the past few days to ask that same question.
After Amethyst passed by on her way upstairs, Julie and Gustavia exchanged a look and Kat murmured, “So much tension.”
Julius and Estelle were waiting near the window while Tyler fitted the first prism into the wire holder in the hidden panel they had already found. Julius, as always, appeared disgusted by his enforced silence, stood watching them avidly. Prevented from helping by whatever force that governed his particular slice of the afterlife, his agitation was evident.
Estelle, as she had the previous two times, offered to lend Kat her eyes and while the others watched, combined her essence with the medium.
“What do we do now?” Reid asked the group. Being part of the crowd had diffused enough of the tension that his stress level dropped back to a more normalized level. He even managed a smile.
“We have six more prisms and a time of day. It is probably safe to assume the prisms need to all be in place by that time. Am I right, Julius?” Tyler gave Julius his version of a mock stink-eye, ignored the ghost’s returning glare, then turned to his notes to read aloud the writing from the chandelier.
Glass can reflect or it can bend light. 3:15
“The prisms bend the light. That much we know and we have one already in place so I’d assume we need to find the rest of the holders for them.”
“Amethyst knows a bit about light.” Reid suggested, “Maybe with her new abilities she can read the window’s aura or something.”
Everyone turned expectantly toward Amethyst who hid her surprise at his unsolicited show of support. It couldn’t hurt to look. After so many days of trying to control her vision enough to feel normal, it was a bit weird to release that control. After a minute or so, she was able to touch the well of power deep inside and focus on the light.
She Shall Have Music (The Psychic Seasons Series Book 3) Page 17
