Chapter 22 #2
“He’s a doctor, and I believe in him. Scott, please don’t drag this out. It’s only going to hurt one of us in the end.” I stared at his blond hair and the way it was expertly trimmed around his ears. He was so meticulous about everything in his life, including me. “We’ll always be friends.”
“No, not always.” He picked at the steering wheel. “You can’t leave this world without paying back the favor, and I already know what I want. Eventually that guy’s gonna let you down, or you’ll realize you don’t want to live out your last days in a crowded pack. You should be home.”
I looked past him at the gate. “I am home.” After unbuckling my seat belt, I pulled him into a hug. “Please, Scott. Let me go.”
He shook his head against my shoulder and sniffed. “Never.” A fierce determination washed over me, and I retreated from his emotions, realizing he couldn’t be swayed. Scott wasn’t forcing my hand; he was patiently waiting me out.
After collecting my purse and shopping bag, I opened the door. “You can’t stay here indefinitely or your boss will fire you.”
“Nope. I have a ton of vacation time racked up.” He switched on the radio. “Besides, that bed-and-breakfast is pretty cozy. Not much to do around here, but the bars are fun.”
I got out and peered down at him. “Good. Maybe you’ll find a girlfriend.”
“Already did, and I’m waiting for her to stop running.”
I slammed the door. While Scott pulled ahead and then proceeded to turn around, I approached the gate and spied Salem walking swiftly toward me like a swashbuckling hero from a romance novel.
A tendril of hair hung loose from his topknot, and his cream-colored Henley was unbuttoned and rolled up at the sleeves.
He had canceled all nonemergency appointments to research my condition.
His eyes fixed on Scott’s car as it rolled slowly by, and the two men engaged in a staring contest.
Fearing a confrontation, I waved at Scott before closing the gate and wrapping my arms around Salem. A cloud of dirt kicked up when Scott attempted to speed off, but his tires spun momentarily before he went anywhere.
“What’s that about?” Salem asked.
“Nothing. He gave me a ride home.”
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“Ooh, is that jealousy I feel?” I gave him an extra squeeze.
“Cut that out.” He kissed my forehead. “I thought you weren’t going to be home for another few hours?”
“Well, I’m a fast researcher.” I handed him the sack with the two books. “These were the only new releases in the medical section that might have something in them. I bumped into Scott at the Rabbit Lounge, and we talked.”
Salem escorted me down the paved driveway. “About what?”
“Oh, nothing important. Just catching up on life stuff. I asked him for a ride since it was more convenient than calling the house. I’d hoped he would’ve left town by now, but he’s not giving up.
He loves me as a friend, but his intentions are misplaced.
There’s no talking him out of it. He thinks I’ll change my mind and get scared. ”
“Scared of what?”
I held his hand. “Scared of what my father suffered through. Scared of not having my mother at my side. I don’t really know, but I’m not.
Scared, I mean. There’s nothing I can do, so why should I give power to something that doesn’t define my life?
He’s fixated on the future and all the bad stuff, and I’m trying to live in the moment. How did you know I was home?”
“Lucian got an alert on his phone.”
“Of course.”
Salem abruptly stopped. “What’s wrong with your leg? You’re limping.”
“It’s a little numb. Maybe I slept on it wrong.”
His comprehensive gaze left me confessing with a twist of my mouth and a shrug of my shoulders.
“Can you walk?”
I sputtered with laughter and jogged ahead. Though my gait was off, I managed just fine. “Catch up!”
“Quinn, stop.”
I flipped my braid back and smiled over my shoulder. “Make me.”
At first, he walked at a brisk pace, but when he couldn’t catch up, he sprinted toward me. It made me shriek with laughter until I lost my footing. I smacked into the concrete driveway and then rolled onto my back.
His carefree expression melted into concern.
“I’m fine.”
“Your elbow. Must you push your limits?”
I sat up and bent my arm, noticing the scrape. “No biggie, it’s fine. I can handle a scrape if it means having a little fun. Help me up.”
Salem took my hand and hauled me to my feet. Without warning, he swept me into his arms and headed toward the house.
I wrapped my arms around his neck and tucked the loose hair behind his ear. “Has anyone ever told you how exceptionally handsome you are? Your face deserves to be chiseled in marble.”
His eyebrows knitted, but I was determined to make him smile.
I circled my finger around his neck, just below his ear. “Do you remember the night we met at the party?”
“Of course.”
“I never told you the story about how I cut my foot. The reason I didn’t have my shoes on was because I stepped in dog shit.”
Salem sat with that detail for a stretch before he rocked with laughter. His eyes lit up, and color flooded his cheeks.
“Not so romantic, is it?” I kissed his cheek before resting my head on his shoulder. “If you get tired, you can let go.”
“I’ll never let go.”
That’s what I’m afraid of, my inner voice whispered.
By the time we reached the house, Salem was winded, so he set me down on the driveway, and we went inside.
I gasped at the decorations. Warm white lights were strung all down the fireplace wall, and red berries dotted the green garland on the mantel. More garland lined the archway to the game room, lights intertwined around it. The air smelled of cinnamon, apples, and burning wood.
Hope padded into the room with her baby in a sling and more lights in her hands. Her eyes widened. “Quinn! You’re not supposed to be here yet.”
“Looks like you’re up to something festive,” I sang.
She flipped her hair back when the baby grabbed a fistful of it. “Guilty as charged. Mel and Lakota went to Austin, and I want to surprise everyone. Do you think it’s pretty?”
“It’s gorgeous. I didn’t realize you celebrated Christmas.”
She shook her head. “That’s not my custom nor Tak’s, but Mel does and so do a few others.”
Salem put his hands on his hips and stared at the fireplace where it reached the ceiling. “You did that by yourself?”
“I did it.” Virgil sat up from one of the leather sofas. Because of his shorts, I was able to see his discolored leg.
Salem entered the living room. “I’ll believe that when I see it. How’s the patient?”
While they talked, I stretched out my arms to Hope. “You can either hand me the lights or the baby.”
She handed me the lights. “Do you mind? Time for this little one to lie down for a nap. Tak hung up the lights. I bought curtain lights this summer and hid them away from Mel. She complained last Christmas how it didn’t feel the same without decorations.”
“This is magical,” I said, pulling in a deep breath. “What’s that wonderful smell?”
She brushed Jasper’s wispy black hair away from his eyes. “Scented candles. They’re on the table by the TV.”
I glanced behind her at the sectional in the back corner. Even the artificial trees along the side of the sofa had lights in them. “Where do you want these?”
“Anywhere you like. Be creative. We have an entire container and plan to light up this house like that Griswold Christmas movie.”
Virgil chuckled while Salem examined his leg.
“That movie’s the best. Especially when they brought the tree home and cut the rope.
” He waggled his eyebrows at Salem with a mischievous smile that exposed the dimple on his left cheek.
“I don’t think anyone’s ever been this thorough in my nether regions. We’re practically mated by now.”
“Does it still hurt when you walk?”
“Some. Better each day.” Virgil sang a few bars from an unfamiliar or made-up song. His voice was hauntingly good, not the kind that needed any backup instruments.
The front windows sparked an idea. After plugging in the lights, I held the large bundle and felt so much joy. It could’ve been my own, but Christmas decorations always carried strong residual emotions. They were some of the few used items that Sensors enjoyed buying.
Salem approached. “I know what you’re thinking. Let me get the ladder.”
“Salem?”
His eyebrows arched.
Hope swayed the little one back and forth while rocking him to sleep. His babbling filling the quiet space. I wanted to capture this moment in my memories for some reason, and then it occurred to me why.
I reduced the space between us and gazed up at Salem, who opened his arms, expecting me to hand him the lights. “When are we getting mated?”
Hope and Virgil became quiet spectators, frozen in place, eyes glued on us.
Salem rubbed the back of his neck. “Once we find a cure. We’ll do it after.”
“But what if—”
“There is no what if. You said you believed in me, and I won’t let you down.”
God, how I loved his confidence.
I stared at the mountain of lights between us.
“Wouldn’t you rather have the ceremony when you’re healthy?” he pressed. “When you’re feeling better?”
“Isn’t marriage through sickness and in health?” I raised my eyes to meet his. “I’ll always love you, Salem. But if you put off this mating ceremony and I die, I will haunt you for the rest of your life.”
Virgil jumped to his feet. “If you don’t marry that girl, I will. I’m not about to have any spooks in this house. You have no idea the hell I’ve been through in my life with phantoms.” He stubbed his toe on the wooden leg of the recliner and hissed.
Salem never took his eyes off me. “When did you have in mind?”
“It’s so beautiful right now with the dazzling lights and the spell of the holiday season. What better time?”
“Is this about Scott?”
“I don’t care about Scott and his favor. Couples always marry in the spring or summer because it symbolizes new beginnings. Winter is magical, the time when families gather around the hearth, give gifts, and remember loved ones. I want this more than anything.”
He cupped my face in his hands. “Then you shall have it.”
“And I don’t want to just sign the papers either. I want to get married in a dress with everyone watching. I want someone to walk me down the aisle, but I’m not sure who since my father’s gone.”
“What about your mother?”
“She’s a homebody and doesn’t like traveling, but I’ll ask. If it’s too much for her, maybe Lucian can set up a video so she can watch.”
A smile graced his lips. “We can do that.”
“Can we have a party afterward?”
“Yes, we can have a party afterward. Anything else?”
“One more thing.”
He arched an eyebrow.
“Let me hang the lights. I’ll be careful. Promise.”
He pressed his lips to mine and smiled without kissing. “Shouldn’t you be working on your window?”
“I’m close to finishing.” The bundle of lights illuminated our faces as they warmed between us. “Salem?”
“Hmm?”
I pressed my cheek to his and lowered my voice to a whisper. “You’re my love story.”
He leaned in, his lips brushing against my ear. “And you’re mine.”