A Wishing Moon (15 page)

“
Be very careful not to splash any water on you. That water contains the source of this boy’s problem. Take it to the first crossroads you can find. Empty the container, then walk away and don’t look back. When we leave, we must not drive through that particular crossroad. So be careful and don’t choose one that will trap us in this dreadful place or we’ll have to start over completely.”

To the rest of them she ordered, “Roll him over, gently. Now come with me and let us all lay our hands on his body.” They did as they were told.

“
Arabella, this is your calling. You are a traiteur, my dear. Healing is your greatest gift. You have magick in your hands. You won’t remember this, but when you were just a baby, one of my old cats had a batch of kittens. When you found them, one of them wasn’t moving. You called me and I came to see. The little kitten laid cold and dead. I started to take him from you, but you pushed me back. Arabella, you cradled that kitten next to your cheek and you rubbed him with your warm little hands. You willed him back to life.

“
Over the years, I have seen you place your hands on us when we were sick. Even though you didn’t realize you were doing it, your love and concern—the intent of your heart healed us. You can do the same thing, now. Come on baby, the lodestone has done its work. This is the time, place your hands on this boy and will him to move.”

Mesmerized, Arabella listened to her grandmother’s voice. She knew what the word traiteur meant, a Cajun healer. What her grandmother said sounded right. Instinct told her to move her hands to his head. She could feel the heat coming from them. With everything in her, Arabella willed his brain to heal. She willed the nerves to mend and feeling to flow back into the extremities of his body. She willed his voice box to open. She willed his legs to move and his arms to move. She willed Jade Landale back to life.

* * * *

What they had done, Jade could not explain. At first, he felt nothing. He could see them touching him, but it felt like he was watching a film. Sensations started, he began to have an awareness of his limbs. He began to feel heat. At first, he thought his imagination was working overtime—wishful thinking—but then the tingling started. Sensations began to shoot down his arms and down his legs. Hope began to bud in his heart and mind. How could water and a rock heal him? There had to be more to it, he knew. Right now, he didn’t care. With everything he had, he attempted to move a finger or a toe. As he concentrated, he didn’t realize he had begun to speak.

Everyone in the room turned to look at him as he hoarsely said, “Arabella. Arabella.”

Arabella ran to his side as tears streamed down her cheeks. She covered his face with kisses. “Oh, Jade. Say it again. Say my name again.”

He did as she asked. Hoarsely, he croaked, “Arabella. I knew you would come.”

“
This is a Christmas miracle,” Nanette whispered as she wiped her eyes.

Jade watched their faces light up as he moved first his fingers and then his toes. “I can’t believe I’m doing this.” It was his first movement in almost a month.

“
Arabella, every day, you will do another healing spell until he is as good as new. Elizabeth, call that detective of yours and see if he can pull some strings and get an ambulance out here to move this boy to Wildflower Way. The sooner we get him out of this hellhole the better. And I’m going to inform that nurse that we’re taking our boy out of here. I’ll be right back.” Nanette stormed out the door, as if ready for battle.

Jade’s laugh was a little rusty, but these women made him happy.

After a few moments, the rattled doctor came in and began taking Jade’s vitals in disbelief. Where there had been complete paralysis, now there was some movement. Where there had been silence, now Jade’s hoarse voice rang out. “Get your hands off me. I heard what you said; you were ready to kill me just because you thought I had nobody who cared anything about me. You bastard!”

The doctor backed away step by step as if plotting his escape.

“
How did you do this?” The doctor was absolutely flabbergasted.

“
Power, love and faith,” Nanette said quietly. “Remember this, and beware; power that cannot kill, cannot heal. Get out of my sight before I turn you into a toad.”

The doctor wasted no time exiting the room.

It was almost laughable. Arabella sat by his bed and addressed the group. “There’s really no reason for all of you to stay. Why don’t you all go on home and get everything ready. Christmas dinner is waiting on us and we’re having company.” She smiled at Jade. “I will stay with Jade and ride in the EMS vehicle.”

Soon they were alone. Arabella kept her back to him. “I don’t understand it, but I feel unbearably shy.”

“
Have you had any good dreams lately?” His hoarse, yet teasing voice caused her to wheel around and face him, her cheeks blazing. “It was more than a dream, wasn’t it? I met you night after night—and the things we did…”

“
I intend to do them again…and much more…at the very first opportunity. Assuming everything works as it is supposed to. Come to me, Arabella.” He turned his hand over and held it out to her. With every moment that passed, more improvements in his condition were becoming evident.

When she came within touching distance, he captured her hand and she closed the gap between them. “Would you get me a drink of water?” She felt bad that he had to ask, so she poured water for him and held the glass so he could drink as much as he wanted. “Now put the glass down and kiss me.” He pulled her to his side.

* * * *

Her knees became weak and she thought she would sink to the floor. Instead, she found herself held to his side by a surprisingly strong hand. Their lips met and their kiss was the same, familiar, yet completely different. This time the feelings and textures and scents were not two dimensional, but three, four, five and six dimensional. He kissed her thoroughly, nipping at her lower lip with his teeth. She felt the same response to him she always did, heat and molten sensation flowed right to her center and she found it hard to be still. Lord, she felt shameless! Here he was, moments out of a paralyzed state and she was considering mounting him where he lay.

He seemed to be equally affected. “I never thought I would kiss a woman again. Last night, when I made love to you, I held you and kissed you as if it were the last chance I would ever have. You’ll never know how you saved me, not only from this crippling state but also from insanity. I laid here trapped in my own body, not able to move, speak, swallow or even breathe on my own. Amazingly, I could shut my eyes and will you to my side. You saved me Arabella, in more ways than one, you saved me.”

“
Baby, it was my pleasure.” He raised an eyebrow and she blushed. “That sounded bold, didn’t it? But I am telling the truth…it was my pleasure. I searched for you as desperately and eagerly as you longed for me. I have been hunting you since the first night. If I hadn’t gotten involved with the murder case, I might have found you sooner.”

“
Murder, did you say murder?” Jade asked incredulously.

“
I warn you, it’s never boring at my house. Yes, a neighbor and her child were murdered just a few days ago. My family helped find the body and now they are looking for the killer. There’s more, too, but I don’t want to talk about sad stuff now. Today is Christmas and you’re safe and I am so happy I could die from pure joy.”

Then she considered something. “Jade, is there somewhere else you would rather go? I would understand. I know you have many people who would be interested in your recovery.”

“
Not as many as you might think. My visitors dwindled fast; everyone gave up hope on me. Everyone but you. I do have a home, but right now your face is more of a home to me than my cold apartment could ever be.” As Jade continued speaking, the room door opened and in walked Reese Phillips.

“
My God, Jade! The receptionist called me and said you had taken a dramatic turn for the better. Frankly, I had been expecting a call telling me you had died.” Reese came up to the bed and put a hand on his boss’s shoulder.

“
Thanks, for the confidence Reese.” Jade looked at his trusted friend. “Reese, let me introduce you to someone special. This is Arabella Landry. Arabella this is my Chief of Staff and right hand man, Reese Phillips.”

Reese held out his hand and Arabella took it. Reese looked her over appreciatively. He didn’t see the hardening on Jade’s face as his watched his friend ogle his woman, but Arabella did. “I don’t remember you. I thought I knew all of Jade’s friends.”

Arabella didn’t know what to say, so she just smiled, slightly.

Reese returned his attention to Jade. “What happened, buddy? I had sadly accepted that it was basically over for you and for our campaign.”

“
Arabella happened, Reese.” Arabella swallowed hard, she wished she had told Jade not to try and explain what they had done for him. Oh well, the truth was the truth. But she knew sometimes the truth could hurt.

“
What do you mean?” Reese asked quizzically.

“
Arabella and her family healed me.”

“
They healed you.” Reese spoke every word slowly. “How?”

“
I don’t know. Does it matter?” Jade was obviously so euphoric he didn’t care what anyone thought.

“
I’m glad you’re healed—I am
very
glad you’re healed—but we don’t need any strange stories circulating about some off-the-wall faith healer. You have to consider your career and especially our ultra conservative base we have to deal with here in Texas.”

“
Screw the base,” Jade said with a smile on his face. “I am alive and I don’t care how the miracle happened. I am grateful to this woman and her family. Reese, I am going to Arabella’s house. She lives at an herb farm called Wildflower Way
near Wimberley.”

At those words, Reese wheeled and looked straight at Arabella.

Arabella’s heart sank. Her reputation preceded her. How long would it be before Jade looked at her in the very same way.

“
Do you think that’s wise, buddy? I mean you do have a home and a fiancée. Don’t you think you would be better off going there and hiring a nurse to look after you?” All the time his eyes were fixed on Arabella as if he didn’t trust her for a moment.

Arabella would not stand in his way, if he wanted to go to his own home. “Jade, I want you with me more than anything in the world, but if you think it best to return to your home. I will understand.”

Jade looked from his business associate to her. “This woman rescued me from the most horrible prison imaginable. There is no contest. Arabella, I want to be with you. Now I’ve found you—I don’t intend to let you go.”

Reese looked at Jade with alarm. “Whoa! You don’t sound like the Jade I know. Where is the calculating political machine I knew prior to your climb on E-Rock? You don’t have time to vacation at some Wildflower farm. We’ve got work to do.” When Jade looked at him with steely determination he relented, hands in the air. “Jade, whatever you want, we’ll make it happen. I’ll check on you tomorrow. Will that be all right, Miss Landry?”

“
Of course.” Arabella would never turn away one of Jade’s friends. However, the words he had been thinking were burned in her brain—
Witch, Witch, Witch.

* * * *

The ambulance came and Detective Garrison and the EMS technicians moved Jade from Tranquility Place to Wildflower Way. Elizabeth and Angelique had prepped the big downstairs bedroom for its new resident. Somehow, Elizabeth and the detective had arranged for a lift, a wheelchair and other medical equipment—that they hopefully would not need—to be delivered and set it all up awaiting his arrival. Arabella was surprised to find some of her things had been moved down there also. Her mother was
way
too insightful.

Jade swore he felt up to sitting in the wheelchair. Arabella felt skeptical, she thought it might be too soon. But Nanette reminded her, “Its magick dear, what did you expect?”

A week ago, Arabella couldn’t have imagined a Christmas like this, but the day turned out to be more magical than she ever dreamed possible. Angelique and Evangeline had finished baking the dressing, the turkey, the sweet potatoes and even some hot rolls. A large jug of iced tea sat in all its amber glory, with dozens of slices of Texas Valley lemons swimming in the brew.