Death Omen
Page 42
“Cancer.” She stared at him. Jamie had been through so much in his life, more trauma and stress than any one person should have to handle, and now this. A hole opened up in her, a deep aching pit. She closed her eyes and hugged herself. “I should have known.”
The light changed, and the heat and the energy around her moved, though she hadn’t heard a sound. Without opening her eyes, she sensed Jamie was standing in front of her. His hands, long-fingered and agile, cupped her ears. Then he rubbed the base of her skull. One hand slowly moved to her forehead and the other to her heart, and he then pulled her to her feet and held her close. Something shot through her, a force like lightning splitting open a rock, wild with the fire of life, and then a wash of tenderness so unbearably sweet her tears finally fell. Jamie’s hair tickled her face. His lips brushed hers. “No worries, love.”
She drew back just enough to look into his eyes, so close she could watch his pupils grow larger. He ran his finger down her nose and tapped the tip. “I’m not dead. Just sparkly. It’s Hodgkin lymphoma. That was what Sierra saw. The cancer in my blood. High cure rate. I’ll be all right.”
“Without me?”
He held her at arms’ length. “I’ve got a full life, love. I’ve got friends, family. I’ll keep Dr. G busy, of course. But Wendy’s got me booked to record a new healing album, and that’ll do me good. And Dr. Don’s just down the street for another month or so. And Jeezus, I get to be with my birds again.” He smiled. “Not saying I won’t miss you. Bring the girls up to see Sekani, and you can drop by ... Sorry. Yabbering.” He blinked a few times. “You won’t have to brush my hair for me. I won’t have any. Fuck. Make me stop talking.”
“I’ll miss you talking. I’ll miss a lot of things about you. So, please, let’s leave the door open. Or unopened.”
“Yeah. Unopened. Schrödinger’s cat.”
Jamie kissed her hand, picked up Gasser and walked away, crossing the intersection toward the Red Pelican. He would have a performance in the courtyard tonight, another morning of doing Yeshi’s chants for him, and then he would be gone. It was hard to let him go. Mae stood watching him, his slow graceful walk with the subtle hitch from his bad hip, his perfect posture despite two illnesses and holding a twenty-pound cat. It was as if she’d never seen him before and also as if she’d known him forever. Maybe we were in a soul group. The thought almost made her laugh. It was a joke Jamie would have liked. He was part of her, now. He’d put down roots in her heart as deeply as Hubert had.
Author’s Notes
The town of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico is a real place, and the hot spring spas and the coffee shop, Passion Pie Café, are real locations as well. The staff and management of the Pelican Spa and of The Charles Motel and Spa deserve special thanks for allowing me to set so many scenes in their establishments. The energy room at The Charles looks very much the way I described it. I made a few minor changes to the Pelican for the purposes of the story, such as giving the housekeeper an electric cart and putting a sparkly Buddha in Leon’s room, but the décor is every bit as original and colorful as in the book.
The energy healing and medical intuition practices portrayed do not reflect the teachings of any particular school.
The picture on the cover was taken by Truth or Consequences photographer Donna Catterick. To see more of her work, go to https://alwaysbackroads.wordpress.com
About the Author
Amber Foxx has worked professionally in theater, dance, fitness, yoga, and academia. She has lived in both the Southeast and the Southwest, and calls New Mexico home.
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Also by Amber Foxx
Mae Martin Mysteries
The Calling
Shaman's Blues
Snake Face
Soul Loss
Ghost Sickness
Death Omen
The Mae Martin Mysteries Books 1-3
Standalone
The Outlaw Women
Bearing
Small Awakenings
Watch for more at Amber Foxx’s site.