Part 14 (1/2)

As if on cue, we heard the sound of a car coming down the road. Caleb glanced in that direction and then back at me. He pulled his hand out of my s.h.i.+rt and struggled with himself to let me down. I wanted to remove my legs from his waist probably less than he wanted me to.

I stood before him, still pinned between the truck and his body and let him keep his body close to mine. It felt good to have a source of warmth pressed to me. He watched the car approaching and let out another noise. This time he sounded aggravated. He pulled back from me and smoothed my skirt down.

”I think I'm going to have to take a rain check on this. Here comes your buddy.”

Somebody up there likes me!

I turned to see who he was talking about, then I saw the black luxury car pulling off to the side of the road in front of Caleb's truck. I watched as Ken Harpel stepped out of the car. He took his black sungla.s.ses off, set them on his seat and stood to straighten his navy suit. He b.u.t.toned a b.u.t.ton on his jacket and readjusted his baby blue tie. The morning light made Ken's sandy-blonde, short hair look lighter than it really was. His large football player-like frame seemed at ease in his expensive style. Being the head of the Paranormal Regulators, the division of the government that deals with any and all supernatural related incidents, made Ken a well-respected, wealthy man. Ken's overzealous personality ensured him his place in the sun.

He looked at Caleb and me and smiled. His white teeth showed off his tanned skin more than anything else. Caleb backed away from me so I could go to Ken.

”Hey, Gwen, I heard you were back in town. I had to come see it for myself,” Ken said, putting his arms out. I didn't hesitate. I went right to him and tossed my arms around his neck. He picked me up off the ground and swung me around. ”Where the h.e.l.l were you, kiddo?”

”Kiddo? You're turning into your grandmother,” I said, laughing. It was true. Ken's grandmother, who everyone but Ken called Nana always referred to people as shorty or something similar. No one seemed to mind, or at least no one voiced a concern about it. That could be because his Grandma was a witch, but I couldn't be sure. Nana could drop a hex on you faster than you could blink.

Ken hugged me tighter to him. I could smell the deep rich scent of his cologne and had only the fondest memories of that scent. I kissed his cheek lightly as he put me down and glanced over at Caleb. Ken walked away from me towards Caleb. He extended his hand outward and Caleb took it, shaking it firmly. Seeing them standing together warmed my heart and gave me hope that maybe we really could all get along.

”Hey, how was your job out in California?”

Caleb's face tightened. I knew he didn't want to bring this up again, but Ken didn't know that.

A change of subject was in order.

”So, tell me about the office? How's everyone doing? How's my replacement working out for you?”

Ken gave me an odd look. ”Your replacement? Gwen, I'd never replace you, ever.” He shook his head again, like he was trying to brush off the absurdity of my question.

”Ken, I took off for four months and never called in to tell you where I was. I'm pretty sure that is more than enough grounds to fire me.”

”I will never replace you. I don't care if you go to the freakin' moon for a year, Gwen. You're indispensable and it won't ever happen. I've even been coming out to the farm to help that vampire get the place in order.” He stared off in the distance, towards the farm. I knew that the vampire he was referring to was Pallo. Ken didn't know about Giovanni and me, or at least I didn't think he did. ”So, did you see your new home office?”

I shook my head. When I'd left four months ago, I'd been using the dining room as an office. Now it was an honest to G.o.d dining room.

Ken smiled. ”Well, call me after you see it. It's in the barn on the right... upstairs. That vampire and I spent a lot of nights planning the thing.” He offered a broad, white smile. ”You're linked directly to the PR Department's computers and databases. We've also got you linked up with Necro World. He insisted on that. Anyway, there is an a.s.s-load of reference materials there and you've even got a mini-lab. There's a s.h.i.+tload more out there. I can't believe you haven't seen it. It's great. We're all set-up to be able to fit the team in and work at your place if need be. That's part of the reason he had so many efficiency guest quarters built out there. After the incident with Rick, it's nice to have another location for the team to work at when needed.”

The incident with Rick that Ken was referring to was still a very touchy subject with me. Rick, a Para-Reg with a lot of years under his belt, had been slaughtered in his office at the PR Department, by his own sons. It was something I'd never get over. He'd been a mentor to me and I missed him terribly.

I shook off the negative feelings and tried to focus on Ken. He seemed genuinely excited about the office out at my place. I was actually anxious to see this newly done office now myself. I glanced towards Caleb to find him attempting to look as enthused by the talk as we were. It wasn't working.

Ken arched a brow, his attention moving to me. ”G.o.d, I almost forgot. I wanted to be the first one to tell you. I made that vampire swear not to leak a word of this to anyone.” He put his hand out and took mine. There had been a time in our life when we'd held hands every chance we could. That time had pa.s.sed and a part of me mourned it. He took a deep breath in and I knew whatever Ken had to tell me, was big. ”Gwen, I asked Beth to marry me and she said yes.”

I felt like someone had just hit me with a double-decker bus. I stood there moving what he'd just told me around in my head. I knew that he and Beth had been dating. I just didn't know how serious it was. Beth had been the realtor who'd helped Ken and me house hunt when we were engaged. They'd started dating shortly after Pallo and Caleb came back into my life. Ken and I had already been done for six months prior to that, but we'd still managed to squeak in some fantastic s.e.x since then.

Yeah, a movie of the week for sure.

Caleb pushed up next to us, seeming rejuvenated by the news. ”That's great, Ken! When's the big day?”

He certainly didn't have to force a smile anymore. He had one big enough for the both of us. I had little doubt that Caleb viewed this as one less compet.i.tor on the market for my affection. He was right. Ken was now off limits. In truth, the moment I had taken Giovanni's outstretched hands all those months ago and allowed him to whisk me off to Tuscany, I had put up walls around my heart. Ken was the easiest to block, though I wasn't entirely sure why. I was still working on cementing the walls in front of Caleb and Pallo.

”Gwen, are you all right? You're happy about this, right?” Ken asked.

I pulled him close to me and grinned. ”Of course I am. You just caught me off guard, that's all.”

”Well, when I got the invitation for your wedding, I thought, you know... you and Caleb might be on to something. It's not like I'm getting any younger and Beth's a great girl.”

I turned and stared at Caleb, my eyes wide and my curiosity piqued. ”Invitations?”

Caleb tried to walk away. I grabbed his arm, forcing him to answer me. ”Your father kind of had them s.h.i.+pped out about a week after the engagement party. But, hey look at the bright side of this. Ken received one and they only went out to the people who could cross over into the Dark Realm... the ones who were more than human, so Ken's obviously got some magikal blood in him, aye?”

Ken nodded. ”Thanks to my Grandmother. She got one, too. She's pretty excited about it.”

”So are we,” Caleb said rather void of any real emotion.

A less enthusiastic groom I'd yet to hear.

Chapter Twenty-Four.

”Is there anything you'd like to do now?” Caleb asked.

I checked the digital clock on his dashboard and let out a sigh. It was only going on one o'clock. The day had been moving very slowly ever since we'd b.u.mped into Ken. The news of his coming wedding had taken me completely by surprise. That wasn't the biggest shock. The biggest shock was when Ken stood there and called Beth on his cell phone. He handed it over to me and she asked me to be one of her bridesmaids. After I picked myself up off the ground, I found myself agreeing to this absurdity. I thought the day couldn't get any stranger. I was wrong. Ken asked Caleb to be one of his groomsmen.

Ken said he'd asked that vampire, Pallo, as well, but Pallo had refused because it wasn't wise for him to go hanging out in a church. I hadn't really given it much thought before, but Pallo was right, that would be bad. Caleb seemed all too eager to agree to be there for Ken. I was betting it was more a way for Caleb to see Ken removed as a threat with his own eyes, than out of friends.h.i.+p, but I've been known to be wrong.

Breakfast had gone well. It was quiet, but nice. Caleb tried to make small talk once or twice. Neither one of us were sure what to say. It was plain to see there were still a lot of issues between us. My biggest issue of all had been on my mind all day, Giovanni.

I hadn't thought to grab my purse, so my cell phone was still back at the house. I wanted to talk to him, to hear his heavily accented voice tell me that I was doing the right thing. I needed to have some rea.s.surance.

”Hey, Gwen. Anybody home up there?”

I turned and stared over at Caleb. Concern laced his features. I couldn't blame him, I had every right to still be mad at him, but I wasn't. I smiled and watched his expression soften.

I looked out the truck window and watched the zoo signs start to fade off. After breakfast, Caleb had surprised me and taken me over to the city zoo. He had a friend of his let us in early and I got to see the new baby tigers that had just been born. I loved it. Caleb knew exactly what to do to make my day. Neither, Pallo or Giovanni would have ever thought of doing something like that. No, they tried to tempt me through money or their sophistication. I had little interest in either of those and Caleb knew it. He had plenty to spend, but knew that seeing the baby tigers would suit me better.

Of course, I did have issues keeping thoughts of being attacked by a giant white one out of my head, but I kept that to myself.

”So, I thought I'd let you pick what we do next.”

”I guess we should nose around some bridal shops,” I said quietly as resolve settled over me. At the rate we were going, there would be no talking my father out of the wedding. Pallo was right. My father would never allow a vampire to be next in line for his throne. Bucking the system could cost Giovanni his life. Someone once told me that if you love something, you let it go and if it was meant to be, it will come back to you. Maybe, just maybe, if I stopped clinging to the hope of happily ever after with my Tuscan lover, we would find a way to be together.

Yeah, and my faerie G.o.dmother will pop up any minute telling me I'm a born again virgin.

Caleb slammed on the brakes, yanking me from my thoughts. I'd have ended up through the winds.h.i.+eld if I hadn't had my seatbelt on.

”Caleb!” I yelled, moving my hands off the dash.