Part 29 (2/2)
”I'm sure.” He ma.s.saged her shoulders. ”I can hardly wait for you to get those powers back. It'll be fun to watch.”
”Really? You're not freaked about it?”
”How could I be freaked? It's part of you. I cherish everything about you, Anica.”
This is the moment. She recognized the emotion in his golden eyes and knew it was mirroring hers. She drew a shaky breath. ”Jasper, there's something I want to tell you before Dorcas and Ambrose arrive.”
”Hm.” His smile was soft. ”Might be the same thing I want to tell you.”
”Wouldn't that be a coincidence?”
”Indeed.”
”Jasper, I-”
The street door buzzer rang. Orion leaped from the sofa and ran off toward the bedroom.
”They're here.” Anica gazed at Jasper, wondering if she should put off her declaration, after all. A moment like this shouldn't be rushed.
And yet . . . she'd screwed up the moment before. She decided that he needed to hear it now. ”I'm going to say it anyway. I love you, Jasper.”
He sighed with pleasure. ”And I love you, Anica. I wanted to tell you before, but-”
The buzzer rang again.
”I haven't made it easy. I was afraid this situation was blurring our thinking.”
”If anything, it's clarified my thinking.”
The buzzer rang a third time.
Anica smiled. ”We'd better let them in.”
”Yeah.”
Anica released the downstairs lock and stepped into the hall to greet the Lowells. As she ushered them into her apartment and made the introductions, she was gratified at the impression Dorcas and Ambrose seemed to be making on Jasper.
And no wonder. As usual, they looked like an ad for successful seniors-Dorcas in her purple cape similar in style to Anica's, and Ambrose in a gray wool coat with a forest green scarf tucked inside the collar. Dorcas had a large black purse over one shoulder and Ambrose carried a small leather briefcase.
Dorcas glanced at Anica and Jasper. ”Everything seems to be going well here.”
”Extremely well.” Anica gave Jasper a quick smile. ”Let me take your coats.”
”You can have mine.” Dorcas set down her purse and began taking off her cape. ”But Ambrose will be leaving with Jasper, won't you, sweetheart?”
”Exactly.” Ambrose helped Dorcas with her cape. ”I noticed a restaurant called La Boheme about three blocks away. I thought I'd buy you a beer, Jasper.”
”Hey, it'll be on me, Ambrose. It's the least I can do.”
Anica gave him a questioning look. Ambrose had picked out the very restaurant where all of the madness had begun. She wondered if going back there might be painful for Jasper.
”I can give you a key to Wicked Brew,” she said. ”It's three blocks in the other direction, so it's the same distance, and you'd have complete privacy.”
”But then I can't buy Ambrose a beer,” Jasper said. ”The restaurant's fine with me.” He looked strong, resolute, as if he could handle whatever happened.
She understood the feeling. Because he loved her, she could face most anything, too. ”All right, then I guess we should let you both be on your way.” The minute she said it, she had the urge to grab his hand and beg him not to go.
But that was silly. Jasper would have his talk with Ambrose, and then they'd return.
On his way to the coat closet, Jasper offered to take Dorcas's cape. Then he hung it up and pulled his tweed coat off the hanger.
It was going according to plan, and yet having him leave seemed wrong all of a sudden. ”Do you have your BlackBerry in your pocket?”
”Yep.” He shrugged into the coat and grinned at her. ”Gonna call me? Come to think of it, we could bring food back. Think about what you'd like and we can get it to go.”
”That's not a bad idea.” But she still didn't want him to leave. Also, she'd never asked why they had to be separated to conduct these discussions. That seemed like an important point.
”How about if we all talk together right here? If we get hungry we could order pizza. I don't see the point in you two leaving. Jasper and I don't have secrets from each other.”
”That's wonderful,” Dorcas said. ”But the reversal of the spell can only take place if you are interviewed without being influenced by the other person.”
”So you and I can go in the kitchen and close the door, and Ambrose and Jasper can have the living room. How's that?” The thought of Jasper leaving with Ambrose became more frightening with every pa.s.sing second.
Dorcas shook her head. ”Not far enough away. You'd still sense each other's energy field.”
”Then . . . then you and I can go to the end of the hall. It won't take long, right? We can-”
”Anica, it's okay.” Jasper finished b.u.t.toning his coat and walked over to her.
”I just don't see why we have to be separated.” She sounded like a whiny little kid and she couldn't seem to help it.
”If Dorcas says we have to be, then that's how we'll play it. Until now you've shouldered complete responsibility for my welfare, so it's probably hard to let that go.”
She searched his eyes, which were so full of love and compa.s.sion. ”You could be right.”
”I am.” He dropped a quick kiss on her lips. ”Don't worry. This won't take long, and then we can eat some good food and drink that wine you have sitting in the kitchen.”
”Okay.” She managed to smile, but as he went out the door with Ambrose, she couldn't control the churning in her tummy. No doubt he'd pegged the cause, though. She wasn't used to him going anywhere without her. She'd have to get over that, and now was as good a time as any to begin.
She gestured toward the sofa. ”Let's get started.”
”All right.” Dorcas picked up her purse and carried it over to the sofa.
”Can I get you anything? We could open the wine. I have more. Or I could make coffee or tea, or I also have some-”
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