Chapter 17
CHAPTER 17
***CAMERON***
C ameron longed for nothing more than a hot shower and a comfortable bed as he made his way to the village. He’d been working for hours with Keith and Stella building the burner for the balloon. He wasn’t used to hard physical labor, and his muscles were aching, but he wanted to check on the balloon's progress before he called it a night. The village was deserted, a strange sight, but a light burned brightly behind the blinds of the little clothing shop.
He slipped through the unlocked door, followed the sound of sewing machines into the back room, and then froze for a second when he saw the older woman bent over a whirring needle. She looked up a second later, a big smile spread across her face, and she got to her feet, crossed the room, and then gave him a big hug before pulling back and looking at him.
“Cameron Sullivan, what took you so long to come see me?” Marie asked. “You’ve been here almost a week and nothing. I’ve spent more time with your woman than I have with you.”
“I’m sorry, Marie,” he said. “Max didn’t tell me that it was you he was talking about earlier tonight. I had no idea you were on the island. I would have been here sooner if I’d known. You’re like family to me, I don’t know what we all would have done if you hadn’t been there to take care of us.”
“You boys ran me ragged, but I loved every minute of it. I was lost when you all grew up, but now I have this wonderful place. Max made all my dreams come true,” she said, then looked across the room. “I like her, Cameron. She’s sweet and smart. She brought us coffee and sweets.”
He looked over at the couch pushed up against one wall where Kennedy was sound asleep, a blanket draped over her. “She’s had a couple of crazy days,” he said, warmth spreading through him as he watched her sleeping. “How long has she been here?”
“She showed up about half an hour ago; she looked so tired I told her she should rest, and she fell asleep almost instantly,” Marie said, then looked up at him. “You’ve found the one. I can see it in your eyes.”
“I love her more than anything in the world. I think we’ve bonded,” he said, then looked over at the older woman who had been a part of his life for as long as he could remember. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I want to spend the rest of my life with her, but it might be impossible, not with the clan and my father breathing down my neck to do the right thing.”
Marie looked over at Kennedy, then back at him, and sighed. “Your father, well, he can be stubborn. Everyone in the clan knows that you’re not the right man for the job, but they’re all too afraid to say anything,” she said. “I can’t tell you what to do, Cameron, but if Kennedy is the one, if you’re bonding with her, it might be time to do more than talk.”
“I’m trying. I’ve been working on finding a solution for years, I’ve spent hours in the lab, and I’m close to what I’m looking for,” he said. “If that doesn’t work, I’ll give it all up officially, but I really hope I don’t have to do that.”
Marie shook her head. “Cameron, science will not solve your problem. The clan doesn’t care about science,” she said. “Is that the only solution that you can think of? A smart man like you, there must be something else you could do.”
“Well, I did come up with another angle to explore in the lab, but that…” Marie cut him off.
“Not science, Cameron,” she said, giving him a thump like she used to when he was being especially dense. “Try thinking with your heart and not your head for a change.”
He looked over at Kennedy, still sound asleep. “Please don’t hit me again,” he said, wincing. “But I still don’t understand.”
“I swear you men can’t see what’s right in front of your face, and you’re the worst of them all,” Marie said. “Marry the girl, put a ring on her finger, and make her yours; once it’s done, there’s nothing your father can do about it.”
“Marie, I’m the heir. I can’t marry a human,” he said. “The clan would…”
“What?” she asked, interrupting him again. “This wouldn’t be the first time this has happened. Look at our history, it’s there, and if you’re really bonded to Kennedy, the clan will accept her.”
Hope surged through him, and he swept Marie up into his arms. “You just solved half of my problem,” he said, grinning at her. “If I have Kennedy, leading the clan might not be that bad.”
Marie studied him for a second. “Cameron, you should know it won’t be as easy as it sounds. Kennedy will have to pass a test before they believe that you’re bonded,” she said. “The two of you will have to face the council and your father. It won’t be easy. The bond will be the only thing that brings you through. I hope it’s truly there. ”
“Marie, have you ever been in love?” he asked, surprised that he didn’t know.
She nodded her head. “Yes, once,” she said. “He was killed right before we were supposed to get married. I still miss him and love him today. I came to work for Max’s parents right after that. I knew that I’d never be able to love anyone again, that I would spend my life alone.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Marie, I didn’t know,” he said. “I shouldn’t have asked.”
“It’s okay, I think I understand why you did,” she said. “Marry her, Cameron, as quickly as you can.”
***Kennedy***
“Kennedy, sweetheart, it’s time to go home,” Cameron called, but sleep was holding onto her so tightly she couldn’t open her eyes. “Come on, sweetheart, you’ll be a lot more comfortable in bed with me.”
That caught her attention, and she opened her eyes to find Cameron smiling down at her. “I thought that might work,” he said. “Now, how about we head home? It’s been a long day.”
“What time is it?” she asked, sitting up. “How long have I been asleep?”
“Marie said you showed up about half an hour ago,” he said, helping her sit up. “How did your night go?”
“I wrote a press release and started on the article we’ll put out tomorrow explaining everything,” she said. “Then I spent several hours sending the press release to anyone I could think of. I even sent it to Steve, hoping he’d give me a tiny spot somewhere. I’ve hit every site on the internet I can think of. Hopefully, someone will pick it up, but I wouldn’t count on it; I’m not very good at the video thing.”
“Then we’ve both earned a few hours of sleep,” he said, helping her to her feet. “The blower is ready to go, and from the looks of things around here, Marie has the balloon under control. It was nice of you to bring them coffee; she seems to really like you.”
“She’s a sweet lady. She really loves you and the rest of the guys. She told me all about helping raise you all,” she said, a little smile on her face. “She told me a lot of stories about all the trouble you used to get into.”
“She’s exaggerating,” he said, rolling his eyes. “I was a good kid.”
“Don’t listen to him,” Marie said, walking up to them. “He was the worst of them all, always doing those experiments, always blowing something up.”
“That only happened once,” Cameron said, a guilty look on his face. “But I cleaned it all up.”
Marie just shook her head, then looked over at her. “This is for you,” she said, shoving a garment bag into her hands. “I knew that it was yours the first time I saw you in the village, I just didn’t know that you were Cameron’s, but now it makes sense. You’re going to need it soon, but for now, hang it in your closet and forget about it.”
She didn’t know what to say at first, a bit confused by what the older woman had just said, but she smiled at her. “Thank you, Marie. This is very sweet,” she said. “I’m sure that it’s beautiful. I hope I have a chance to wear it soon.”
“Oh, you will, I feel sure of it,” Marie said, then looked over at Cameron. “Take her home, son. She needs her rest, it will be an exciting day tomorrow.”
“I think that’s an excellent idea,” Cameron said, taking the garment bag out of her hands. “I’ll carry this for you.”
The village was dark when they came out of the shop, but the moon was shining brightly as they made their way to her cabin. “I hope this works,” she said, interrupting the silence between them. “Does it bother you that there’s going to be an almost exact replica of you floating in the air for everyone to see tomorrow? I didn’t really think about it until Marie showed me the balloon. It might seem strange. I mean, you don’t exactly show that side of yourself to the world.”
“It might be a little strange, but to be honest with you, I’ve had other things on my mind,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “This is a really good idea, Kennedy. If I’m a bit uncomfortable, that’s a small price to pay to keep our secrets.”
She looked over at him. “When you’re unhappy, so am I,” she said. “Is that normal?”
“It’s the bond,” he said. “When either of us feel strong emotions, the other can feel it sometimes.”
“Okay, I just wanted to check,” she said. “It’s a strange feeling, but I’m sure we’ll get used to it.”
“Are you having second thoughts about us?” he asked, pulling her to a stop, a chill racing through him. “Because we should talk about it if you are.”
“Of course not,” she said, wrapping her arms around him. “This is where I want to be, with you. I have no idea what I’m going to do with the rest of my life, but what I do know is that we belong together. I can’t imagine my life without you in it.”
He wrapped his arms around her, and warmth spread through her. “You make me feel warm all over,” she said, burying her face in his chest. “And you smell like home.”
“You smell like wildflowers and cinnamon tonight,” he said, burying his face in her hair and taking a deep breath. “Now let’s go home, I should never have doubted you. I think I’m just tired.”
When they got back to the cabin, they climbed into bed, curled up together, and fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows, exhaustion dragging them both into a deep sleep. Kennedy was the first one to surface the next morning when someone began banging on the door. She stumbled out of bed, dragged on her robe, and left the bedroom.
“What’s wrong?” she asked when she opened the door, not bothering to tie the sash, expecting it to be Max instead of the stranger standing on her porch. After letting out a little cry of surprise, she quickly tied her robe shut, feeling her cheeks turning pink. “I’m sorry…I wasn’t expecting…can I help you?”
“Kennedy, who is it?” Cameron called from the other room. “Get rid of them so we can go back to sleep.”
“Not going to happen, big brother,” the man called. “Get your sorry butt out here right now before I have to come get you. I didn’t travel all this way to let you sleep the morning away.”