Part 15 (1/2)

A faint answering smile appeared on Hannah's face, the first real one since Jonas had been shot. ”I like the way his muscles are rippling.”

”You can't see rippling muscles,” Libby objected, straining to see.

”You just aren't looking hard enough,” Joley said. ”And he's wearing tight jeans. Ooh la la.” She fanned herself with her hand. ”Libby. You go girl.”

”That's it. Get into the kitchen.” Libby pointed out the direction for them, trying to look stern. ”Both of you.”

Joley and Hannah went, laughing out loud, peeking through the archway to watch as Libby hurried to the front door.

Libby opened the door on the first knock. The moment she saw him up close her breath hitched in her throat. He did look hot in a pair of tight jeans and an open-throated s.h.i.+rt. His black hair spilled across his forehead and his blue eyes drifted over her face with a small hint of possession. Her heart quickened at his intent look. His smile broke out, a flash of white teeth, a hint of a dimple, his eyes lighting up. There was no way to stop her own answering smile. ”You made it.”

”Of course.” He took her hand and pulled her to him, reaching past her to close the door behind her firmly. The action brought her body against his. ”Are you feeling better?”

He was solid, his body muscular, and she could feel his heat. A small tremor went through her. Her womb contracted. Tyson even smelled good. Manly. She wanted to roll her eyes at her own thoughts. ”Yes, much better. What about you, did you get any sleep?” Her voice was disgusting, all husky and silly and beyond her control.

”I got some work done and that's what really counts.”

Catching movement at the window, Libby stepped away from Tyson. ”What are you working on?”

Ty retained possession of her hand, tugging to get her to follow him down the stairs. He wanted to get her away from the influence of her family home. There was an indefinable power he could feel in spite of his determination not to credit the Drakes with being truly different. ”I have some concerns with the PDG-ibenregen drug. I believe there's a problem with it, even though everyone else thinks it's just fine. Well,” he hedged, ”they want to believe it's just fine.”

”The new drug is based on your original research on cell regeneration, isn't it?” Libby asked. She was all too aware of his hand holding hers and the brush of his body against hers as they walked. ”I was very interested in the new cancer drug when I heard it was based on your earlier work, but to be honest, I thought they went to trial too soon.”

”Exactly,” he agreed. ”I can't get anyone to listen to me. I've received several calls from Joe Fields telling me to back off.”

”He's the one you mentioned you noticed in the hospital,” Libby said. She flashed him a smile. ”See? I usually remember things.”

”That's the one. He's been a bit unhappy because his old friend Harry, the biochemist on the project, has his nose out of joint.”

”You really don't like Harry, do you?”

”He does shoddy work,” Tyson said. ”I have no tolerance or respect for anyone who is in such a hurry they can't finish the job right. He doesn't research for love of science or to help people, he's a glory hound. He wants everyone to know his name.”

”He's jealous of you,” Libby guessed.

They walked along the trail leading up above the ocean where she could see the sea seemed to meet the horizon. The waves were calmer without the cool wind. ”It feels good to be out of the house.”

Tyson took a deep breath and stopped her, swinging around so his body was directly in front of hers. His fingers tightened around her hand, threatening to crush her bones. ”Here's the thing, Libby. I've thought a great deal about this. I don't believe in magic. It doesn't make sense to anyone with a logical brain. Whatever you and your sisters do isn't real. I don't know if your family originally used sleight of hand to con people, but whatever the origins, I've observed you enough to know you believe you're able to heal people.”

Libby opened her mouth to speak but he shook his head and pulled her hand to his chest. ”Just hear me out. I think you're experiencing psychosomatic symptoms, much like a false pregnancy, but we can work on that together. I know I can help you see that no one can really heal anyone with magic. You're smart. You'll see it in time.”

She could only stare dumbly, torn between wanting to laugh and to cry. He was so earnest, his expression grave and his blue eyes holding her gaze captive. ”I'll see that I make myself ill pretending to heal people?” Obviously she could pick them. If only he would just keep his mouth closed she might get somewhere with him.

”Putting it that way sounds bad. It's more like you've been brainwashed, programmed to believe it and your brain tricks your body into experiencing the symptoms. And that can be dangerous to your health.”

He tightened his fingers around hers when she tried to move away from him. ”Don't, Libby, don't pull away. I've thought this whole thing through. I want a relations.h.i.+p with you. You're able to understand me, we're interested in the same things and I think you're an incredible woman. I'm willing to pay the price of accepting your family. It really is worth the sacrifice to be able to see you.”

Her eyebrow shot up. ”How courageous of you to take on my crackpot, con-artist family.” She tilted her head to one side. ”So I don't really heal people, but I've convinced myself so strongly that I can that I manifest psychosomatic symptoms of the people I think I've healed. That's what you think really happens, huh?”

”Yes. If you just open your mind to the possibility, I'm certain it would make more sense to you. You're a scientist, Libby, a doctor. You want to heal people because you're so compa.s.sionate, but no one can really do that. Haven't you ever watched the faith healers in the tents and realized they're bilking the public?”

”How do you know they are?” She started walking back toward her house, this time holding his hand so he wouldn't let go.

”It's been proven time and time again. The faith healers have been investigated and debunked. Seriously, Libby, I could show you many of the reports. I looked them up over this past week and prepared them in a file for you. It's all there in black and white.”

”You did that for me?” She smiled her sweetest smile, wandering slowly up the path to her house. ”Tyson Derrick, how considerate of you. I had no idea you were such a thoughtful man.”

He let his breath out. ”I was afraid you'd be upset, Libby. I was prepared for you to take this in a negative way, but I should have realized you'd reason it out.” He stopped on the path to their house. ”You want to go home already? I'd like to spend more time with you.”

She tugged until he followed her again. ”I want you to come in and get to know my sisters. If we're going to spend time together and you're willing to pay that price, now would be a good time to start. Everyone is home with the exception of Kate and Abigail. They're at the hospital with Jonas. Hannah needed to rest, so she's here.” She smiled up again, batting her lashes a bit. ”She really doesn't use a cauldron-much.”

”I wasn't thinking of actually spending time with them. Just more like nodding to them as I picked you up and dropped you off.” Ty reluctantly followed her up the steps to the porch. ”I'm not the easiest person in the world to be around.” He stopped her before she could pull open the door, wrapping his arms around her, dreading going into the house.

”Who told you that?” Libby looked up at him, her voice edged with anger. She might think it, but she didn't want anyone else telling him that.

”Sam.” He bent his head toward hers, dropping his tone to a husky whisper. ”I love that about you, Libby. I've seen you get that fierce, protective look on your face over your sisters. You don't need to protect me, but you have no idea how much I appreciate the fact that you'd want to.”

Libby's heart turned over. She was leading him like a lamb to the slaughter, which he absolutely deserved, but now he had to go and say something so sweet and make her feel guilty. ”Sam doesn't always know what he's talking about, Ty.”

”I don't know about that, Libby. He's one of the few people in Sea Haven who shares my opinion of your family's whole hocus-pocus thing. It seems to me that that makes him a lot more insightful than most people around here.”

Libby narrowed her eyes. ”Oh, really?”

Tyson nodded, his expression utterly sincere. ”Yes. You see, I've been thinking about this a lot. You're too close to your family to see the truth. You're too emotionally involved to think logically about them.”

”I see.” Libby reached behind and pushed open the door. ”Come on in, Ty, I think it's time you face a little realism yourself.”

Libby could see Elle kneeling by the fireplace as they entered. ”Elle. Tyson says he doesn't believe in our magic. He thinks you've all brainwashed me into believing things that don't exist.”

Elle sat back on her knees and shot Tyson a long speculative look. ”Oh? Really?” What do you want to do? Elle asked immediately. She was such a strong telepath that her sisters could speak to her without much effort.

He doesn't believe in magic. I think he needs to see the Drake family as we really are and not how he imagines us to be.

Yikes. Are you sure? Elle started laughing. He might have nightmares for the rest of his life.

Absolutely. If I don't, I'll never be able to live with myself. Is Hannah in bed?

Libby tugged Tyson into the entryway and shut the door so that he was trapped inside. ”Come in and sit down.”

”Hannah,” Elle raised her voice. ”We have company. Glad you stopped by, Tyson,” she added and waved her hand toward him. ”Take a seat.”

A large comfortable arm chair slid across the floor to hit him hard in the back of the legs. His knees buckled and he landed in the chair. It went flying back to its normal spot, stopping so abruptly he was nearly pitched out of the seat.

”Ha. Ha. Very funny. I'll bet that does wonders to convince the locals, doesn't it.” He felt along the sides of the chair for a runner. Libby wasn't at all happy about the things he'd said. He should have known. She was loyal to a fault and loved her sisters. Ty shook his head. ”I guess I deserved that. Are you going to tell me how you did it?”

”I thought I'd let you figure it out,” Libby said and sank onto the floor opposite him. ”Would you care for tea or coffee?”

”You always drink tea.”

She waved a graceful hand toward the kitchen. ”I think something soothing for me.” At once the kettle whistled.