Part 7 (1/2)

I felt like such a heel. He was a nice guy, and I was questioning his motives. ”So why are you being so helpful?” I asked. Old habits die hard.

”Gee, as if our little romp between the sheets wasn't enough to want to keep me around you?” I smacked his arm and glared at him. ”I have my reasons for caring about you. I have my reasons....”

We finished eating, and then headed into town. We approached the main intersection of town and I had Caleb turn into Smart Food.

We parked and headed inside. A boy, around the age of sixteen, came out of the back storage room as a little chime rang.

”h.e.l.lo, ma'am, how can I help you?”

”Hi, just picking up some stuff, thanks,” I said, picking up two baskets, and handing one to Caleb.

”Lucky Gweny Wheny ?” The squeaky voice said.

I looked at him. Lucky Gweny Wheny? The only person who had ever called me that had been little Mitch.e.l.l Smart, and I hadn't seen him in years. I had baby-sat Mitch.e.l.l over the summers during college. He was around nine or ten the last time I saw him, and that would have put him about.... Oh, my G.o.d, little Mitch.e.l.l Smart was all grown up. Well, not ALL grown up, but a h.e.l.l of a lot bigger than the last time I saw him.

”Mitch.e.l.l?”

He flashed me a goofy, teenage boy smile. ”Yep, Mitch.e.l.l. How have you been?”

”What are you doing working here?” I asked, before it dawned on me that his grandfather was Joe Smart, the owner of the store.

”Grandpa needed some extra help in the summer, so I volunteered.” He was starting to blush. ”Who's that with you?” he asked, looking to Caleb.

Shoot, I hadn't really thought of running into anyone I knew.

”This is Caleb, my husband,” I said quickly. When I realized what I'd said I just about fell over onto the floor. My husband? What the h.e.l.l had made me say that? I tried to think of something to say to take it back. I came up empty.

”I didn't know you got married. Congratulations,” Mitch.e.l.l said, walking towards Caleb. ”Nice to meet' ya, Caleb. Gweny Wheny's real nice.”

Caleb extended his hand to Mitch.e.l.l. ”Oh, yeah, Gweny Wheny's real nice, real nice indeed. Darn good wife, too. She'll be good for breedin' if ya know what I mean.”

I walked away and started picking out things we needed for the next day or two. Caleb came up behind me and put his arm around my waist. I pulled away.

”Now honey, don't go making a scene,” he said loud enough for people on the street to hear. I wanted to stomp on his foot, hard. I figured he wouldn't feel it through his steel-toed boots, so I didn't bother.

We picked out everything we needed and I pulled money out of my pocket to pay. Caleb put his hand on mine, pulling out his wallet. Mitch.e.l.l gave us an odd look, and Caleb just smiled.

”City girls are so independent,” he said.

Mitch.e.l.l nodded and smiled like he totally understood what Caleb meant. I wondered how many relations.h.i.+ps a boy of sixteen could have had, then I thought I didn't really want to know. We headed out, our arms full of bags. Caleb opened the back end of the Explorer and loaded everything in. I walked around and got in.

As Caleb was climbing inside, Mitch.e.l.l walked out onto the store's porch waving goodbye. I waved back politely. Caleb turned and pressed his lips to mine. His tongue pushed into my mouth and for a moment, I forgot where I was and what was going on. Nothing but Caleb existed. His eyes closed as though to savor every second. I pulled back, and Caleb opened his eyes slowly. The s.h.i.+mmering I had seen in his eyes a moment ago was gone, they now were green--but deep, rich, and beautiful.

He smiled.

”Your eyes. They were on fire, glowing and green, now they're not,” I said, his face still close to mine.

He pulled from me. ”Well, little wife of mine, you really don't know that much about us, do you?”

”Us?” I asked.

”Fairies--you really don't know that much about fairies, do you?”

”I've only ever seen two in my life. That includes you.”

He started the truck. ”Who was the other one?” he asked, backing out.

”I don't know. Just some guy that came around a bunch when I was younger.”

Caleb slowed the truck and pulled off to the side of the road. ”What do you mean, came around when you were younger?”

I shrugged. ”He never hurt me.”

”Pallo and I are the only two who knew you even existed, or at least we thought so.”

They knew I existed, what the heck was that supposed to mean? Why did he look so freaked out by the fact that I'd seen another faerie? I was frankly surprised I hadn't seen more. From what I had heard, fairies were not uncommon. The only thing that was uncommon was finding a faerie under the age of two hundred.

”Can you describe him?” Caleb said, putting the car in park.

”What is there to describe? Tall, dark hair, handsome, pretty average?”

Caleb shook his head. I was annoying him--that much was obvious. ”That's not really all that helpful. Do you think you could recognize him if you saw a picture of him?”

A picture? They kept pictures on file of all the fairies? News to me! I didn't have any doubt that I could pick him out if I saw him. I'd seen him at least a half dozen times before I turned ten.

”Sure, I'd know him if I saw him.”

Caleb opened his door. ”Come on.”

”Where are you going?”

”To the library.”

I got out and followed him across the street. I looked back and noticed that we had the truck sitting half in someone's yard and half on the road. Great! We really needed more attention drawn to ourselves. Maybe, for giggles, we could erect a billboard for the whole world to know that something was going on.

Caleb walked up to the tiny red house with the small library sign and opened the brown door. I drug my feet slowly behind him. I was an adult, and still having problems with a childhood fear. I had always felt so drawn to the old library. I felt like I needed to be there, but I was too bugged out by the sensation to want to go in.

We walked in and found ourselves in a small room with books from floor to ceiling. It didn't look like the place was used much. I glanced down at the new release section and only two books sat there. Either they were hopping with business or they didn't bother getting too many things in at a time.

The floors were wood and sagged a bit in the center of the room. Caleb stood very still, listening. I tried to hear what it was, but I heard nothing.

”What are we doing here?” I asked in a hushed tone, afraid of breaking his concentration.

He walked forward and went through a doorway.

”Hey!” I called after him. ”Don't you think you should wait for someone to come and help us?”