Chapter 12

Kasey ran back into her bedroom. Several pairs of eyes watched her come out again. “I don’t know.” She stood with a stone on a silver chain in one hand and a crystal on a gold chain in the other. “I have two, and now I’m not sure which one to take.”

Chris, who had been leaning against the wall, sighed and walked over to her. “Let’s see what you’ve got.” She opened her left hand and held it out to him. He studied the stone but didn’t touch it. “Where do you find some of these, Kase? That is spinel, isn’t it?” She nodded, looking down at the almost white crystal in her hand. “What did you focus on with it?”

“Rejuvenation, kind of overall, inside and out, mentally as well. I did it first, but then I got to thinking that maybe she might need courage more.”

He opened the fingers on her right hand and looked down at the bloodstone that she had worn to the night he took her out. He studied it for a moment, remembering how it looked against her skin. “I’d go with your first intuition and go with the spinel. It will help her mind, as well as her body, heal.” He took the bloodstone from her hand and placed the chain over her head.

She smiled up at him and took a deep breath. “This is hard. Is anyone else finding this hard?” She looked around the room.

Cora nodded. “I had to run back in the house four times. I thought Dade was going to give up and leave without me.”

Dade grinned. “I’d never leave you behind, Coralee.”

Owen sat up on the couch. “Maybe we should do one of those healing circle things before we go?”

Leena smacked him and laughed. “Ignore him.”

Everyone knew what had happened at the last circle started laughing, except Rachel and Steven, who still didn’t know.

Chris turned and looked around. “Are we ready to go now?”

Steven came into the waiting room with Patrick beside him. “Okay, I’ve finally convinced them to let us all in. We have fifteen minutes. I couldn’t get any more than that.” He looked at Patrick. “As I’ve just been explaining to Officer Blaine, Rhonda doesn’t have use of her voice completely yet. Between the trauma and being intubated for so long. Don’t expect her to speak. And the men are going to have to stay back as much as possible. She is very nervous around men.” He looked at Owen. “We’ll see what happens and see if she’ll let you help.”

Chris took Kasey’s hand as they went into the room. He’d never seen her quite this nervous. She looked up at him in silent thanks.

When they stepped into the room, everyone stood just inside the door as Patrick walked over beside the woman in the bed.

She looked very frail and listless. Her eyes were wide with fear. Across her face there were two long scars running from her forehead down to her jaw and one lower from her jaw to chin. They were very raw and angry-looking marks. She was covered with a blanket to her neck, but her two bare arms rested against it with bandages covering from her wrists to her fingers.

Patrick leaned over her and spoke softly. “Miss Caruthers, these are the people that found you. The ones I explained to you about.”

Her eyes flicked up to his face and then back to everyone standing near the end of her bed. With nervous eyes, she searched over them, stopping on Cora. She swallowed, squinting as she did, before lifting one bandaged hand off the bed a few inches towards Cora.

Stepping away from Dade’s arm that she’d been hanging on to, Cora walked over to the side of the bed. Patrick backed up and let her get close. Cora smiled down at her. “You did call to me.” Rhonda nodded slowly at Cora. Cora smiled. “I’m Coralee. May I call you Rhonda?” She nodded slowly again. Her eyes continuously searched Cora’s as she spoke softly to her. “Rhonda, we’d like to help you again, speed up your recovery a little if you’ll let us.” Her eyes flicked back to the group and over them again.

Cora smiled and hesitantly placed a hand on Rhonda’s arm. “I’ll explain as we go, and you just give me a look if you’re uncomfortable with any of it.” Another nod. “Okay, first I’d like you to meet the couple that found you. I’m afraid I was all but debilitated feeling your pain, and couldn’t get there fast enough.”

Cora motioned to Chris and Kasey. He slowly stepped to the side of the bed with Kasey clinging to his arm. “This is Chris and Kasey.” Her brown eyes teared as she looked at them. Hesitantly she looked down at Chris’s hands. Cora nodded. “Yes, he used a little energy to bring you back to us. Kasey is very gifted with charging stones.”

Rhonda’s eyes flicked to the stone in the window. “Yes, she did that one too. She’s brought you something today as well. Can you wear the chain, or would it hurt you?”

Rhonda looked to Kasey and nodded, attempting to lift her head.

Kasey rushed over and supported her head gently. “It’s to rejuvenate, your body as well as your mind.” There was a tear rolling down her scarred cheek as Kasey placed the chain gently around her neck. Leaning down closer, she dropped a kiss on the woman’s cheek. “Get well,” she whispered, then stepped back beside Chris. He squeezed her hand as she placed it in his.

Cora then turned to Rachel. “This is Rachel. She wants to help you feel some peace if you’ll let her.” Rhonda looked at Rachel as she stepped up beside the bed.

Rachel leaned over and spoke softly. “I’m going to need Dr. O’Reily to help me. Do you mind?” She slowly turned her head, indicating she didn’t.

Steven stepped up beside Rachel and smiled down at Rhonda. “Just close your eyes and relax a moment. I’m going to put my hand lightly on your forehead. If you’re uncomfortable with this, just open your eyes and we’ll stop, okay?”

She closed her eyes.

Standing behind Rachel, he held his fingertips over Rhonda’s forehead and leaned close to Rachel as she placed her hand over his and they chanted quietly in a whisper that Chris couldn’t hear clearly.

When they lifted their hands, Rhonda opened her eyes, and a tear slid down her cheek as she looked at them. Steven placed his arm around Rachel as they stepped back to the end of the bed.

Cora leaned over her again. “This next couple would also like to help you, Rhonda. Leena has a talent with herbs, and she brought some dishes of healing herbs she’s going to place around the room. She also brought you some tea. We’ll leave them here with you.”

Chris watched Leena place a few open packets around the room, then looked back at the woman lying so still in the bed.

Cora spoke softly again. “Leena’s fiancé, Owen, helped you a great deal when you were found.” Her eyes flicked to Cora, then back to Owen again, and looked down at his hands. “Yes, he stopped the bleeding on your back. He’d like to help you today if you’ll let him.”

She looked nervously back at Cora.

Cora kept her voice steady and soothing. “I was thinking if you’d just let Owen hold your hands for a few minutes each, maybe he can help with those.”

Without taking her eyes off Owen, she nodded slowly.

Everyone watched big, gentle Owen walk around to the side where Cora stood. He smiled down at her. “You gave us quite the scare that morning, Rhonda.” He picked up her hand as he spoke and lifted it up closer to where the stone hung around his neck. “When you’re back on your feet again, you need to come sample Coralee’s fine cooking. I think she feeds all of us more than we do ourselves. We’ll have a party at Leena’s for you. How would that be?”

She nodded slowly.

He set her hand down and walked slowly around to the other side of the bed. As he picked up her other hand and placed it against his chest, he saw her eyes move in Dade’s direction. Owen grinned. “That would be Dade. You would have danced to his drum when they lit the fire.” She looked at Owen for a second, and then back to Dade, while Owen continued to talk. “Other than drumming, his basic function is looking good.” She looked at Owen again, and her lips formed a weak smile. He gently placed her hand back on the sheet.

Dade spoke quietly without moving from where he stood. “When you’re well enough, I’d be happy to drum for you again, Rhonda.” He smiled at her.

Cora leaned over and whispered, “He’s a walking flirt too, Rhonda.” Rhonda turned her eyes back to Cora. He thought he saw something in her eyes that was close to humor, a far cry from the frightened look she had when they walked in.

Steven motioned to the clock. “We have to go now, Rhonda. They want you to get your rest.”

Everyone moved a little closer to the bed and smiled at her. Rhonda reached out and touched Cora’s hand as she started to move away. Cora turned back and looked down at her.

Rhonda licked her dry lips with a swollen tongue “Th-Thank you a-all,” she barely whispered.

No one spoke.

Chris looked at her a moment, studying her eyes. She looked silently at him. “We’ll come back and see you soon.”

She closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.

Patrick stood outside the room with the group. “You’ve all done well today.” He shook hands and smiled at the women. “I’ll keep in touch.”

When he went to step away, Cora stopped him. “She sent me an image, Mr. Blaine.” He stopped and looked at her with everyone else. “The left shoulder of the man that did that to her has a thick, ugly scar on it.” Cora lifted a hand to Dade’s big arms and pushed up his sleeve. “It went like this.” She ran a finger over Dade’s shoulder in the place the scar was on the killer.

Patrick pulled out his notebook and looked at Dade’s shoulder, then wrote something down. He nodded. “It’s more than we had. Thank you, Coralee.”

Patrick watched her pull Dade’s sleeve down, and she held the man’s hand. “I’ll be in touch. You look after each other, all of you,” he said roughly, then walked down the hall.

Kasey looked around at everyone for a moment, knowing they all felt the peace they brought being able the do some good. “Let’s have mead at my house when we get back.” She walked down the hallway, leaving everyone to follow her.

Chris was the last person through the door. He shut it, then turned with envelopes in his hand. “Your mailbox was full.”

Kasey nodded. “I know. I didn’t want any more nasty letters, so I’ve been ignoring the mail.” He smirked as he handed them to her. “I’ve got a letter from a publisher?”

Chris looked at Owen, who stood beside Kasey with his arms around Leena. He glanced at the envelope Kasey held. “Oh shit.” he whispered, and pulled Leena over and into his lap as he sat. He motioned with his head for Dade to sit. Chris wasn’t sure what was going on.

Dade gave Owen a weird look, walked over, and sat down.

Kasey was walking to the kitchen, opening the first envelope as she went. She squealed from the kitchen and came flying back into the room, the other letters flying all over the floor.

“Oh my gosh!”

She launched herself into Chris’s arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. He stumbled back three steps before he got his balance holding the shrieking woman.

“Oh my gosh! Do you know what this says?” She was hugging his head and waving the paper around in the air. She kissed his face all over, then shrieked again.

Chris had no idea what was going on, and at that point in time, he didn’t really care.

Kasey leaned back and looked at him. “My story! Book! They’re going to publish my book!” She bounced again and hugged him.

Chris was speechless. He didn’t even know she’d written a book, although at the moment the reason that had landed her in his arms didn’t seem important.

She squeezed his neck again, kissing him hard on the mouth, and then dropped to the floor. Turning, she pointed to Owen. “Did you know?”

He nodded.

“Oh my gosh! I’m going to faint.” She jumped up and down, and tiny little fireworks exploded above her head in bright red and yellow hues. She bounced a few more times. “I’m going to be a published author.” She spun and looked at Chris as she waved the paper around. “They’re publishing it!” She wrapped her arms around his waist, and as hard as he tried, he couldn’t hold on to her.

She let go and whirled again in a circle before going towards her kitchen. Stopping, she spun around and grinned at him. “Come grab glasses. We need to toast!” She was bouncing so much as she poured the mead, he was surprised any of it landed in the glasses. When she turned, everyone was standing smiling. She started towards Dade with the glass in her hand.

He reached over carefully and took it from her.

She spun quickly and grabbed another. “Let’s make a toast! Here is to helping Rhonda. To Owen for having the patience to show me how to write a better story. And to my book!” She took a sip, then quickly set the glass down and raised her hands to the ceiling. As she pulled them back down beside her, a trail of tiny fireworks flew over everyone’s head.

If Chris didn’t already love her as deeply as he did, he would have fallen in love with her all over again. Her temper, when triggered, was volcanic and fierce, but as he just witnessed, so was her happiness. He’d sort out his not knowing she wanted to be a writer later. He’d seen her for years scribbling in notebooks but never stopped to wonder what she wrote.

He wanted to pick her up and carry her to her room and hold her away from prying eyes. Then he remembered all that had happened to her in the past few weeks and knew she was already teetering the very fine line of emotional overload. Sighing, he leaned back against the counter watching her hug everyone in the room before they had a chance to sit down again. As she bounced around, her short shirt pulled up, and he saw the fairy still nestled against her skin. Knowing she still wore it gave him some hope, and a good case of lust as well.

Kasey turned in the middle of the room, then looked over at him and smiled. He had no choice but to smile back. “I’d like to try brunch again at my place tomorrow.” He held up a hand before anyone spoke. “I promise to behave this time.”

Kasey looked down and clasped her hands in front of her. “Me too,” she said solemnly.

When they decided to call it a night, Chris spoke softly from behind her. “I’d like to speak with you for a moment, Kasey.”

Dade turned as he was going out the door, and looked at Chris. “Don’t piss her off this time. I don’t think we could handle another brunch like last week.”

Chris held up his hands. “I won’t.” But he grinned as Dade shook his head and followed the others out.

Kasey turned back to him when she closed the door. “This has been quite the day.” She flopped down in the chair and grinned up at him.

He smiled at her, perching on the table. “I’m happy your book is being published, even if I didn’t know you were writing one.”

She shrugged. “No one really did. Leena told Owen, and he humored her by asking to see some of it.” She smiled. “He really helped me zero in on the weak parts and fix them. I had no idea he sent some of it to his editor until after he did. Then they wanted more. It’s kind of crazy the way it happened.” She stopped and looked at him. “What?”

Chris shook his head. “You, little miss fireworks, are amazing.”

She blushed. “Not really. I’m sure you can do much flashier things, Mr. Larkin. But thank you anyways.”

He shrugged. “Maybe, but with you, it's pure emotion, and it’s amazing.” He cleared his throat. “I didn’t want to bring this up in front of everyone, but have you had any luck finding a place?”

She let out an exasperated breath. “No. They’re all too expensive.” She fidgeted with her hands.

“I have a suggestion, and now that you’re going to be a published author, it makes even more sense.” He paused and thought for a moment. “Will you stay at the factory?”

Kasey was silent for a moment before nodding. “Yeah. I’m not going to give up a steady income.”

He nodded. “You could stay with me until you find a place, Kasey...” He held up a hand when she raised her eyebrows. “In your own room, your own bed. My house has four bedrooms. I use one and very little of the rest of the house except my library and the kitchen. Stay until you find somewhere suitable. Maybe once the book is published, it won’t be as tight financially.”

She smirked at him. “I’m sure one book isn’t going to make me rich.” She pursed her lips together and sat there for a few minutes. When she stood up and paced to the other end of the room, she moved with slow steps. “Won’t that be hard?” She stopped and looked at him. “It is a solution. I was afraid the others would take pity on me and make an offer they’d regret. I know Owen has a house, but I didn’t want them to rush into any decisions. They spend some nights and weekends there, and Cora was on the verge of offering a few times, of course I’d have to sleep on her couch, but I changed the subject.”

Kasey stood in front of him. “Won’t that be hard to deal with?” She motioned between them. “With all of these other feelings between us?”

Chris took her hand and studied it for a moment. Then he looked up at her. “I honestly don’t know, Kasey. The house is big enough we won’t be in each other’s way. Most nights I’m in my library with motions or going over cases. I just want you to have the time to find a decent place and to be happy.” To be where I can be close to you, he thought. “I’m not using this to get you into my bed. I’ve told you that won’t happen until you tell me, and I still mean it.” He let out a slow breath. “I have so much, and I’ve worked hard to get it, but at times it feels empty and meaningless because I have no one to share it with. I’d like to share it with you as long as you need or like.”

Kasey stood there looking at him, her eyes searching his. “I accept, and thank you.” She grinned. “And if you don’t want me to jump on you again, you need to take cover. That is so totally the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me...said to me.” She was bouncing again.

Chris grinned and opened his arms. She almost knocked him off the table when she went into his arms. Holding his head against her chest, she squeezed. He held her tight and closed his eyes. Later, he would ask himself if it was going to drive him closer to insanity having her that close to him.

He pulled back. “I brought a set of keys, and tomorrow, before brunch, you can pick which room you’d like. I don’t see any reason to wait and move everything all on the last day.” Chris paused and looked around. “There’s an empty room at the back of the garage you could store your furniture in for now as well.” He stood and pulled three keys on a ring from his pocket and held them out to her.

Kasey reached over slowly and took them from his hand. The smile on her face made his heart stutter. He started to say how happy he was to help, but she launched herself into his arms again. This time he caught her against him and held on to the bouncing woman as she kissed his face.

Kasey giggled. “I’m so happy. This has been such a good day. First, we helped Rhonda, and then the publisher’s letter. Now I don’t have to live in my car.” She grabbed his face and kissed him hard.

He was only a male, he thought as he supported her bottom with one arm and reached to hold the back of her head so he could kiss her properly. Angling his head, he took her quick kisses and turned it into a long, smoldering one. He almost whimpered. He had missed those lips on his. She’d stopped bouncing and started moving against him in a completely enjoyable manner as he kissed her. His body screamed yes. His mind reminded him that if he continued this, there was a very good chance she wouldn’t move in and she’d walk away, again.

Burying his face in her throat, he held her for a moment. She was as breathless as he was, and that didn’t help his internal argument.

When he could think clearly again, he lowered her slowly to the floor he rested his forehead against hers. “This is me behaving and going home.” She looked at him with those sexy eyes for a moment. “I don’t want to, sweet Kassandra, I really don’t want to, but you have a lot on your mind, and me taking you to bed isn’t going to help anything right now.” He grinned mischievously. “Okay. It would help some things, but not altogether in the end.” He kissed her softly again.

“You are the sweetest man, Chris.” She sighed against his lips.

He shook his head. “No, I’m not, Kasey. Remember that.” He turned and quickly went out the door before he changed his mind.