Part 40 (2/2)

”If there's one thing I learned from my mother's insanity it's that I shouldn't buy into her delusion. I'm not going to buy into yours.”

”Owen, I can heal you. You can g-” My voice broke.

After I healed him, he would leave. This time he might never return. But I couldn't be selfish. He and Reggie had saved countless lives. Just as he'd let me go all those years ago so that I could have the life I'd dreamed of, I had to do the same now.

I got to my feet. Reggie stepped between us with a huff. His ruff lifted.

Splode.

I frowned. ”What's going to explode?”

”Stop it!” Owen blurted, too loud, his voice broke.

Reggie woofed and crowded me back.

”I have to-” Owen yanked open the door. ”Hier.”

Reggie came, though he cast me an uneasy glance. He'd probably never seen Owen this upset. I hadn't.

My phone started ringing, so shrill I gasped and yanked it out of my pocket, hitting the mute without even a glimpse at the caller ID.

Owen closed the door. He never looked back.

Chapter 25.

Owen had to get away. Not forever. Not even for long. But he needed to think. And when he could see Becca, hear her, smell her, touch her-or when she touched him-he couldn't.

He snapped Reggie's leash onto his collar, and the two of them began to walk. Without thought, Owen headed for the trees. He wanted to be alone. Or as alone as he got with Reggie, which was good enough. He couldn't hear the dog's thoughts.

The cool, calm, shadowed peace of the forest surrounded them. Owen liked it so much better than caves and sand.

”Who wouldn't?” he murmured, and suddenly ...

He didn't want to go back.

Owen stopped dead on the path, and Reggie, nose down, sniffing at every swaying branch, kept going. He tugged the leash from Owen's hand-something that never happened when they were working unless Owen wanted it to-and he was gone. Owen didn't call him back. He was too caught up in this revelation, which wasn't much of a revelation at all.

He loved Becca. Always had, always would. No matter what.

Was she crazy? He didn't care. If she was, he'd help her. He was better equipped for that than anyone else.

”But what if she isn't?”

If she wasn't, he shouldn't have let her out of his sight.

Owen whistled. Reggie raced through the underbrush and leaped onto the path. It wasn't until they erupted into the parking lot that Owen realized something else.

He was running.

I stood in the waiting room, staring at the closed door. When my phone started vibrating in my hand, I was glad. It gave me something to do.

”h.e.l.lo?”

”Becca! Thank G.o.d.”

I hadn't looked at the caller ID this time either. Didn't matter. I knew that voice.

”I found something,” Jeremy Reitman said.

The fog that had descended since Owen had left lifted a little. ”What?”

”I have to show you. You aren't going to believe it.”

Driving to Madison would take five hours, then I'd have to drive back. Wasn't happening.

”I have appointments today.”

”This won't take long. I'm nearly there.”

”Three Harbors?”

”I need you to meet me.”

I was so glad I wasn't going to have to drive forever, then drive back-not to mention miss my appointments, reschedule them-that I said, ”Sure.”

”There's a place called 'Revelation Point.' You know it?”

Revelation Point was make-out central for all the surrounding areas. Located on the bluffs of Lake Superior, the area had a terrific view. Not that anyone spent time contemplating it.

I hadn't been there since high school. Hadn't had any reason to be. Not only had the idea of making out with anyone but Owen bored me, but I was no longer seventeen.

Thank G.o.d.

”I know it,” I said.

”Hurry.”

The line went dead.

As I had nothing better to do than brood about Owen, I got in my car and hurried.

Owen's palm curled around the k.n.o.b on the clinic's back door. He twisted as he moved forward, smacking into the ancient wood with all of his exuberant momentum when he discovered it was locked.

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