Part 6 (2/2)
”Gwen, I'll do anything you want me to.”
”Could you take me to my family's country home? It's about a half hour away from here.”
He smiled at me. His green eyes lit up. ”The way you were acting, I thought you were going to ask me to take you to Mexico or something.” That made me laugh.
Chapter 9.
We turned onto the tiny, one lane road that the house sat off of. I hadn't been there in a year, but nothing had changed. Weeds and tall gra.s.s still bordered the road. We pa.s.sed two drives on the road before I had Caleb turn right into the driveway. My mom had wanted my dad to pave the driveway, but he didn't see any point in spending money trying to pave a mile's worth of driveway. We only used the place for about three weeks a year.
Gravel crunched under the tires of Caleb's SUV. Pine trees lined the drive for the first half of the lane, extending high into the air, blocking most of the sunlight. They opened to a large gra.s.sy area. I could still remember the smell of freshly cut gra.s.s and the sound of the riding lawnmower buzzing. I missed Paul and Sarah. They were the only family I had ever known. It never once mattered to them that I was adopted, or that I had extra gifts. They loved me for me.
The gra.s.s was in desperate need of cutting. I had hired a local boy to take care of it for the summer. It was obvious he was ripping me off. The corner of the house poked out at us from behind another large pine tree. I smiled when I saw the huge white wraparound porch.
Caleb parked the car around the end of the circular driveway. He opened his door as I sat there, looking at the front of the house. It was still as breathtaking as it had always been to me. It wasn't so much that it was extravagant--it wasn't--it was how simple, yet perfect it was. All white with hunter green shutters and front door. It was perfect.
”Are you okay?” Caleb asked.
The sound of his voice brought me back. I opened my door and got out. He followed suit. I stepped onto the small stone walkway. Gra.s.s had started to grow up through the cracks. It looked like it belonged there. I liked it. I led Caleb up the four wooden steps and onto the front portion of the porch.
”I don't suppose you have a spare key roaming around that dress, do you? I mean, it doesn't look like you could be hiding much in that,” he said, smirking.
”It was the best choice, trust me.”
”Yeah, I've seen some of Pallo's women. I don't doubt that for a minute.”
The thought of Pallo having other women made my chest feel tight. He wasn't mine, and I had been the one to agree on being just friends. What he did was none of my business, so why did it still bother me?
I walked to the left of the front door. I bent down and moved the welcome mat. My fingers slid along the smooth stained boards. I felt the loose one and pulled it up. It was still there. My dad had made a little cubbyhole there for a spare key. He used to say, ”You never know when you could be stuck on the outside looking in, best to be prepared.” He had no idea how true his words had been.
I pulled the key out and straightened, then pulled open the screen and unlocked the front door. The smell of stale air hit me hard as the door swung open. I stepped in, Caleb following closely at my heels.
I put the key down on the table next to the door. It was dark inside with the curtains pulled shut to block the daylight. I flipped the light switch, and the light above the stairs turned on. I was happy I had decided to leave the electric on. Actually, it was more like I had forgotten to get them shut off. Ken had told me to call the utility companies and handle it. I forgot. Right then and there, I was pretty happy I was absent-minded.
I looked around. Nothing had changed. I hadn't realized that I expected it to. The floors were still hardwood. The walls were still cream textured wallpaper everywhere, and the place sill felt like home.
I gave Caleb the condensed version of the grand tour, pointing to each room as we went past it, then I headed upstairs to get changed. I walked down the hall to my room. I had spent most of my summers here when I was in college.
I turned in and was overwhelmed with the feeling of being home. My queen-sized bed was sitting in the center of the room. A yellow and white quilt covered it. My mother had made the quilt to match the yellow walls of the room. I had insisted that my bedroom be yellow. She had tried to talk me into pink and even white, but I wouldn't budge. I loved being surrounded by the warmth of the yellow. I had a large, old maple-colored dresser near my closet door. I had gotten into the bad habit of buying clothes and leaving them there. I loved to shop thrift stores and bargain shops, so it only made sense to go ahead and pick a few extra items up and leave them, a just-in-case kind of thing. This was just in case.
I opened the drawer and found an old pair of cut-off jean shorts, a blue tank top, and a white, long sleeve, cotton b.u.t.ton-down top. I had always kept undergarments here, so I wasn't worried about that. However, my underwear fas.h.i.+on had matured over the years, and I hadn't worn a pair of white cotton briefs in a while. Oh well, anything was better than the red string that had been giving me a wedgie since we left Necro World.
I put everything on, tying the white s.h.i.+rt at the bottom instead of tucking it in. I cuffed the sleeves until they were just under my elbows and went to the closet. I threw the door open and saw a few pairs of shoes I'd left behind. Brown work boots, white Reeboks, and a pair of slip-on black loafers. I s.n.a.t.c.hed the boots up, grabbed a pair of white socks, and put them on. When I looked at myself in the mirror over my dresser, I smiled. I looked like I was going hiking.
I searched through my top dresser drawer and found a hair band and brush. I worked the brush through my hair and then braided it.
I trotted back downstairs and headed into the kitchen. Caleb was standing over the stove, cooking something. He looked so at home in my family's kitchen, I was speechless.
”Hey!” he said, turning and noticing me. ”You look more comfortable.”
”What are you doing?”
He smiled. ”I was hungry, so I figured you would be too.”
I walked over to the white counter next to him. I saw a box of pancake mix and syrup sitting out. I was impressed he had rummaged around that old kitchen and come up with enough stuff to make a meal. G.o.d bless instant pancake mix and hot guys.
”I wouldn't have guessed that you were a cook,” I said, taking in the smell of the warm pancakes.
”Yeah, it's kind of hard to live four hundred years and not pick up a thing or two.”
”You are full of surprises, aren't you?” I said, going to the cupboard and getting out two plates.
He flipped the pancakes over. ”What is that supposed to mean?”
I set the plates down on the old white table and turned to get gla.s.ses and silverware. ”Nothing, it just means that you're not what I pictured a four hundred year old faerie to be.” He turned as I said this and gave me a puzzled look. ”I would have thought you would be a little more proper, a little more refined.” That's not what I wanted to say. What I wanted to say was, hey, you're so normal and gorgeous!
”Ouch!” he said, pretending to stab his gut. ”I'm hurt. Really, I am. You want to know why I'm not like Pallo, Mr. Suave, right.”
That thought hadn't entered my mind, but okay. ”Yeah.”
He turned and lifted the pan, bringing it over our plates. He slid the pancakes down onto them. ”I don't have to live my life in dark places. I don't have people falling over themselves to impress me.” He put the pan in the sink and turned and sat. ”I don't have people falling at my feet, answering my every need. I had it once, and it wasn't all it was cracked up to be.”
”Once?”
”It's not important. Anyway, I lead a pretty normal life--work, home, extracurricular activities....”
I ignored that last remark. ”Okay, so where do you work?”
He smiled. ”I hunt down supernatural creatures for my clients. I guess you could say I am a bounty hunter for the things people don't want to talk about.”
”Do you hunt vampires?” I was shocked.
”Only if they're wanted by the law--guy's got to have his standards, right?” We laughed and started eating.
”I have a favor to ask before you go. Could you run me into town long enough to get some groceries?”
”That's not a problem. Besides, I'm not going anywhere.”
”What?”
”I called Pallo as soon as we got here. He was worried sick about you. The car is being taken care of as we speak, but he was very clear on not leaving you alone here.”
I was dumbfounded ... and more than a little ticked. ”I don't need a baby-sitter. What is he paying you? I get the feeling that you're on retainer with him. Am I the new pet project for the old elf?”
Caleb looked like I'd just slapped him. His voice lowered. ”Listen, I'm not going to take any s.h.i.+t from you. I don't think you can take care of yourself, and NO, Pallo's not paying me to do this. Don't think he didn't try, though.”
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