by S. L. Baum
Our little shopping excursion turned out to be more of a treasure hunt. I drove the streets looking for thrift stores, antique stores, vintage shops, and used book sellers. I dragged Link into every small shop with a storefront that captured my interest. My hunting always paid off. I found ten yards of antique French silk and fifteen yards of a delicate cotton floral fabric for Catherine. I lucked out again at a quaint little rare-books store. I found two first editions - Hawthorne and Poe. They were two of James’s favorite authors. Pleased with my finds I turned my attention to the girls at school.
We stumbled upon an antique shop that had trays and trays of authentic jewelry pieces from almost every decade. I found some stunning black and white art deco pieces from the mid Nineteen Twenties, some pretty little rhinestone Christmas pins from the Fifties, and some leather bracelets woven with beads from the Sixties. Link, the perfect shopping companion as promised, even helped me choose two leather bracelets. One each for Summer and Delilah. I was quite pleased with my purchases.
After trolling the streets of Montrose for hours we stopped for a very late lunch at one of the local diners.
“Did you get something for everyone on your list?” Link asked as we slid into a booth.
“I think so. It was a pretty short list. I’m used to Christmas shopping for James and Catherine, but I have never included mortal girlfriends. It seems strange,” I admitted.
“That is very sad you know. You should have allowed yourself a friend or two over the years.”
“It all seemed so pointless. We’ve always moved on, at a moment’s notice. The longest we have ever stayed in one city is ten years.”
“Ten years is a long time to be someone’s friend,” he said.
“But what is the point,” I exhaled, “when eventually I’ll have to disappear. I cannot keep a mortal friend forever. It doesn’t matter. I have Catherine and James,” I finished.
“You have me,” he said as he reached across the table to hold my hand.
“You’re right. For now, I have you,” I agreed. “Your presence is a present to me. It was a gift to find you.”
“I feel the same way,” he assured me.
“We can be each other’s Christmas present this year!” I suggested.
“I like it,” he smiled.
“Can I take yer order?” a red headed waitress with a sassy smile appeared. Pinned to her white lapel was a name tag that read FLO. That had to be a joke.
“I’ll have the chicken pot pie and a diet soda with lemon,” I answered. I tried to mirror her smile.
“I’ll have the same but with an iced tea,” Link added.
“Be back with yer drinks in a moment,” she sang as she sashayed away.
“FLO?” I mouthed to Link. When she was out of earshot I let a giggle escape my lips.
“What?” he looked completely lost. “From those commercials?”
“No. Forget it, before your time,” I muttered. I would always have to remember that I was with a much younger man, a “boy” as Catherine had called him.
“What?” he insisted.
“FLO, in a diner, TV show...,” I prompted. “It even took place in Arizona,” I added, but he was still clueless. “Forget it. It’s just something I used to watch on television, a few years before you were born. When we get back to my house, I’ll see if I can pull up some old clips of the show on the internet,” I explained.
As I said the words I realized that I would have to learn to get over the age difference and not let it bother me so much. Catherine was older than James and it had never been an issue for them.
“I’ll hold you to that,” he smiled my brilliant smile and I immediately brightened.
FLO brought our drinks a moment later, and our food a few minutes after that. I immediately broke into the flaky crust of the pot pie, letting the steam escape. Then I tore off a piece from the edge and dunked it into the creamy gravy. I popped it into my mouth.
“Mmmm,” I sighed, savoring the taste. “I love pot pie.”
“That good huh?” he chuckled.
“Yes, try it,” I urged.
I watched as he broke into his pot pie and smiled as he took his first bite.
“It’s good,” he mumbled through a mouthful of food.
Within seconds we were both attending to the serious task - of chowing down. Talking was kept to a minimum as I took pleasure in the flavor and aroma of each bite. I let myself flash back to family dinners at my grandparents’ house – my grandmother teaching me how to roll out pie dough, my grandfather proudly showing off his new radio. These were memories that I usually kept filed away. It shocked me how much the various shields, that I had spent years building up, were involuntarily lowered when I was with Link.
I let my senses go into overdrive, not wanting to reel them in. I let myself breathe in the countless aromas that swirled around the air. My tongue was busy dissecting the ingredients of the dish in front of me. My ears started to pick-up conversations from all the surrounding booths. It was overkill. I usually kept this kind of sensory overload at bay, but today I set it free.
Link paused from his meal as he watched me sit up a little straighter, close my eyes, and breathe in deeply. “What are you doing?” he asked.
“Taking it all in,” I answered. “... all the fragrances, tastes, and sounds,” I continued. “The women in the booth behind us are sharing a pot roast and discussing little Johnny, who lost his first tooth yesterday. The couple in the booth by the door, are having soup and salad and arguing about the need for a new car. There is an old woman somewhere in here that is sipping coffee and talking aloud to no one, about the cost of dry goods these days,” I paused.
“You can pick-up all that?” He questioned. His eyes grew wide with surprise.
“I told you there was a lot you didn’t know about me,” I shrugged.
“What else?” he smiled. “How about that couple near the counter,” he pointed at a young blonde woman sitting right next to her boyfriend, I presumed.
“Okay give me a second,” I said as I tried to pick their voices out of the tangle of sounds in the air. “They are going ring shopping today. He proposed last night, it was spur of the moment it seems, and today they are making it official.”
We watched the couple as they bent their heads toward each other and he held her left hand up in the air. They sat that way, gazing at the imaginary ring, for a few minutes.
“Crazy,” Link awed. “What about that man way in the back on the cell phone?”
“What about him?” I asked as I peeked over my shoulder at him.
“Can you tell what he’s talking about? Can you hear both ends of the conversation?”
“I can probably discern his end of the conversation, but I’m not sure about the one on the other end of the cell phone. I’ll try,” I said as I closed my eyes again and tried to block out all of the other voices in the room and began to concentrate on the guy in the way back.
“I’m going to move on in a few days,” I repeated his words. “No, I haven’t found any new information yet,” he said. “Yes, I’ve asked at all the major medical centers around here. Do you want me to visit every Doctor’s office in town too? Colorado is a big state you know. I’m doing my best,” he paused, listening. “I can’t hit every little town. You are out of your mind this time Ezekiel. I’ll drive over to Grand Junction from here. Why are you so sure they’ll be in Colorado?” he finished.
“Because I just am Levi, so keep looking!” I heard a male voice scream through the cell phone as the man in the back held it away from his ear.
I peeked over my shoulder again and saw Flo placing a check down on the man’s table. I tried to memorize his face without being too obvious. His head was bald, and he wore small wire rimmed glasses. The eyes were a dark brown, almost black. His lips were thin and drawn into a straight line. It was obvious he was upset by the conversation, as was I. A shudder rippled through my body.
“What do you think that was about?”
Link wondered aloud.
“I don’t know but it worries me, Link. He’s searching through towns in Colorado looking for ‘they,’ whoever they are, and he’s been asking questions at medical centers,” I spoke in a quiet whisper, my hands gripping the edge of the table.
“That doesn’t mean he’s looking for your family,” he tried to calm me.
“Ya’ll need anything else?” Flo popped into view.
“Nope, I think we’re finished,” Link smiled at her.
“I’ll leave yer check then,” she drawled as she placed the green and white paper on the table.
“Flo,” I started.
“Yeah honey,” she looked at me.
“That man walking out,” I shifted my eyes, “the one with the bald head. He looks awful familiar to me. You wouldn’t happen to know his name would you?”
“Oh that’s the rude one. That’s what I’ve been calling him this whole last week. Been comin’ in here every day, about this same time. Talks loudly on the phone from the moment he orders to the moment he leaves. I just heard him say he’s moving on so hopefully this was my last day having to serve him. My sister-in-law works over at the hospital and she came in here for coffee and pie yesterday after her shift. Well, she spotted him and said he was at the hospital asking questions about all the doctors. Personal questions too. Gave her the creeps. Gives me the creeps too,” she chatted on.
“Did you ever catch his name?” I pressed.
“Leviticus Lord. Said so on his credit card. That’s a name that’ll stick in yer head. I gotta go, table three is waving at me,” she trailed off as she walked away.
“Leviticus Lord... Levi... k-k-keep looking in Colorado...,” I stammered, eyes wide.
“Charity, breathe,” Link ordered.
“We need to go home, we need to tell them,” I whispered.
“From what you heard, he didn’t seem to know anything. He doesn’t know where you are and he’s clearly headed in the wrong direction. It’ll be alright. I’ll get you home and then we can tell your aunt and uncle,” he said as he stood.
Link left some money on the table and then led me to my vehicle. I gave him the keys. I was too shaky to drive. I knew I wouldn’t be concentrating enough on the road ahead of me as much as the road I might be taking once James and Catherine were given the news. The Lord brothers were near. Well at least one of them was present.
chapter nine
JUST ACT NORMAL
“Put your head between your knees and breathe deeply,” Link ordered from the driver’s seat as we turned onto Highway Five-Fifty, which led us out of Montrose and home to Telluride.
I had just repeated the phrase, “It’s too much too soon,” for the seventh time and I was beginning to hyperventilate. My mind was racing in a hundred different directions. In the last two days my secret had been discovered by Lincoln Knight and now Leviticus and Ezekiel Lord were searching for us. Levi was too close. How did he get so close so fast? We had fled the Lord brothers just a few months ago and now Levi Lord was in the same state, again.
“Bad things come in threes,” my voice strained as I spoke.
“Just an old wives tale,” Link tried to reassure me.
“One – You figure me out. Two – Levi Lord is in the same state as me. Three – They find us and kill us,” I shrieked.
“Okay perspective... One – is not a bad thing, it’s a great thing. Two – Yes he’s in the same state, but apparently has no idea where you might be. Three – We will all make sure that that never happens.”
“H-H-How can anyone make sure?” I stammered, my head now bent down low as Link had ordered. I could feel it beginning to help. My breaths were slowing down.
“Just, please try to stay calm. We’ll get to your house soon and together we’ll all come up with a plan,” he said.
His voice was calm, almost too calm. I turned my head to the side to look at his face. There was worry there, beneath the calm façade. He was trying to remain composed for my sake. It was only fair that I do the same.
I sat up in the passenger seat. “Okay,” I breathed, “I think I’m better now.”
“Good, that’s good,” Link sighed. “Thirty more minutes to home. Okay?”
“Okay,” I answered.
A half an hour later we were pulling into my driveway. I reached up and pressed the remote to open the garage door. My chest tightened as I was filled with both apprehension and relief. James’s and Catherine’s vehicles were inside. They were both home. A heavy sigh escaped my lips. I opened the door to the house, determined to be strong, to not freak out, to be calm, for all of our sakes.
I called out for Catherine and James as soon as we were inside. Link remained, glued to me, letting me lean back into his chest, giving me physical and emotional support. We gathered in the kitchen and I recounted what had happened at the diner, how I listened in on the conversations around us and repeated them to Link. When I divulged the last conversation – the one between Ezekiel and Leviticus Lord, their bodies froze, mouths agape, fists clenched at their sides, eyes wide. I waited.
Catherine was the first to break the silence. “You say he’s headed to Grand Junction. That is Northwest of here right?” She looked around for confirmation.
“I’m getting a map,” James walked out into the garage, returning just seconds later. He spread the map out on the kitchen counter.
“That is what I heard him say,” I told Catherine.
“It’s about a hundred and thirty miles from us,” Link gauged the distance.
“That’s just a short drive away,” I shivered.
“The plus side is, he’s heading in the wrong direction,” Catherine uttered. A small, hopeful smile played on her lips.
“Well we are not leaving. We are not running this time. We will continue to live life as normal. We’ve made some good connections here. People like us, they trust us. We’ll be informed if somebody starts poking around into our business. Then, and only then, will we make a move,” James spoke with strong determination.
“Live life as normal,” I repeated.
“I go to the medical center, Catherine goes to the shop, and you go to school,” James continued. “Although immediate danger does not seem imminent, precautions should be taken. I’m always partnered with another health care worker, so there is little chance of the Lords trying to confront me at work. Catherine, I think you should hire one or two part time employees. You should never be alone in the shop. Charity, please stay with your group at school. I don’t want you wandering off or exploring on your own either.”
“I will be with her... the moment she steps off campus,” Link spoke up.
“You don’t need to do that Link. What if the hardware store doesn’t want to alter your schedule?” I immediately responded. It seemed like such a trivial thing to say.
“I told you, I don’t need to work,” Link said as he grasped my hands and held my eyes with his own resolute stare. “I just do it because of Grandpa and his whole ‘productive member of society’ thing. Right now I need to be with you. Your safety is my priority.”
“Thank you, Lincoln, we appreciate your help. You have expressed your desire to remain with Charity as long as she is willing. But you must be aware of what you are entering into. This family always has a looming danger, lurking just around the corner it seems. We do get some spans of time to live in relative peace, but that peace will never last forever. Please keep that in mind,” James gave Link his warning.
“I will, but it won’t change my mind. I’m here to stay, as long as you all will have me,” Link resolved.
“Thank you, Lincoln,” Catherine spoke softly, resting her head on James’s shoulder. “I’m glad you are here for Charity.”
My eyes brimmed with tears that I refused to let fall. I would remain strong – for James, for Catherine, and now for Link as well. I had something new to worry about though, Link’s well-being. “Thank you,” I whispered, and buried myself into his willing embrace.
> Now his safety was my priority.
There was one thing that we decided upon, that was decidedly contrary to normal. Link needed to temporarily move into the house. He would occupy one of the guest rooms. I liked the thought of having him under the same roof. We belonged together. I felt it in my bones. But I had promised Catherine I wouldn’t rush into anything. I intended to keep that promise.
I drove him back to his apartment. He packed up his clothes and essentials and returned within the hour. We would do our best to keep this information as private as possible - more lies – but at least I was very good at telling them.
Link and I watched movies in my room until his eyelids started to droop, heavy with the need for sleep.
“Come on sleepy head.” I nudged him. “I’ll walk you to your room,” I smiled.
“I’m fine,” he protested.
“You are falling asleep – on my bed,” I reminded him.
“Is that so bad,” he grinned and leaned over to place a gentle kiss on my lips.
“No, it’s not so bad,” I smiled, kissing him back, “but it is time for you to go to your room,” I commanded, pulling my face away from his. To emphasize my point, I jumped off the bed, seized his hand, and led him down the hall to the guest room.
“What... should... we... do... tomorrow?” Link breathed into the nape of my neck, a heated kiss marking the end of each word.
It was becoming harder to concentrate. The words in my head could not find their way down to my mouth.
“Mmmm that feels good,” I whispered. “tomorrow...,” I let the word dangle, lost in the feeling of his warm lips on my skin. I stepped back and shook my head. “I have an idea and I’ll tell you in the morning. Sleep well,” I murmured as I backed away from him, returning to my room.
I barely slept that night, it was almost impossible to. Link was merely a few feet away from me.
I was waiting in the kitchen, in my usual morning gear of pajama pants and a tank top, when he woke-up and came downstairs around six thirty in the morning.
