A Wishing Moon (18 page)

“
Yes, he does. Although, I never have any contact with him. If you remember, he killed one of my cats and I will never be able to forgive him for that. I could never trust a person who could hurt an innocent animal.”

“
I do remember him killing Carter, but what has he been doing lately?” Elizabeth pressed on in the pursuit of information.

“
Well, let me see. Sometimes I see him downtown. He avoids me like the plague. One time, a couple wanted to visit me to get some help with a healing and they stopped at his place to ask directions. When they finally arrived here, they were scared to death. He had called them, and me, every name you can think of. Hate just spews out of him. He is so sure he is right and everyone else is wrong. He thinks he owns God and if anybody disagrees with his warped view of spirituality, then they are bound and destined for Hell!” Arabella was getting very excited and Elizabeth tried to calm her down.

“
Okay, sweetie. I agree he is a nut job, but what I’m getting at is—do you think he could be a big enough nut job to kill somebody he disagreed with?”

All three grew very silent.

Elizabeth continued, “I think I’ll ask Tyler to keep an eye on him, especially after what happened to Evangeline. When she crossed over our property line, she crossed onto his. It seems very likely the man in the woods was Lyle Sessions.”

* * * *

Arabella quietly opened the door to Jade’s bedroom and found him still sleeping. Her heart skipped a beat, as she thought how wonderful it was to have him there. She’d been alone for so long. Her dad died right after her high school graduation, Elizabeth had stayed only long enough to get Arabella settled at the University of Texas, and then she’d fled to Galveston to start over. Her mother left, not because she didn’t love her daughter but because she had loved her husband so much.

For six years, Arabella had been on her own. There had been one or two guys she’d dated here and there, but no one she had ever felt she could bare her soul to. Her life had always been complicated, what with Nanette and the whole ‘Witches of Eastwick’ scenario—not to mention the home she’d inherited from Tom and Elizabeth and the business she had sworn to make a success.

At twenty-four, Arabella was probably the oldest virgin in the Texas Hill Country. She wasn’t really ashamed of her innocence, but she guessed it was quite unusual. Out of the blue, she had a funny thought, maybe she wasn’t technically a virgin anymore. After all, she had sex with Jade just a few hours ago in a dream. For some odd reason, she dreaded telling him the truth. Maybe, she wouldn’t have to—after all, she’d worn tampons, maybe he wouldn’t be able to tell.

Her eyes never left his beautiful face. Should she wake him up or let him sleep? The decision was taken out of her hands when his eyes slowly opened. For a split second he looked confused, but then he noticed her and smiled. He held his arms up to her and she fell to her knees and into his embrace. “Good morning, sweetheart,” he breathed as his lips brushed her hair.

“
How do you feel?” she asked him gently.

“
Just a little sore, that’s all.”

“
Do you feel like getting up?”

“
I would rather you came back to bed,” he teased. Then his expression turned serious. “You were absolutely magnificent last night.”

“
Please, Jade. Don’t say…”

“
Look at me, Arabella.” He clasped her by the chin and gently turned her face until their eyes met. “I am an experienced man, but you are the most responsive lover I have ever had.”

“
You can’t judge my desirability based on what happened during the night. Last night we shared a wonderful, beautiful, dream…but it was a dream. That was my mind responding to your mind. My body may not be nearly as responsive as my brain imagines it to be.”

“
Soon, I’ll prove you wrong.”

“
I hope so, but in the meantime—do you drink coffee?”

“
Yes, I do, strong and black.” He grabbed the lift and hoisted himself upright. “I am getting my strength back quickly. Did they give you a bag of my things when we left Tranquility?”

“
They did.” She went to the closet and brought the duffel bag to him. “No one had opened it.”

“
There’s no secret, I thought I could at least put on the jeans and shirt I was wearing the day I had my accident. I don’t have any other clothes with me. My wallet should be in there, too.”

Arabella drew out his wallet, jeans and the blue shirt from her dream.

“
They’ve been freshly laundered; you can put them right on.”

“
Kate probably did that before she realized I wasn’t going to recover.”

“
You are recovering.”

He grabbed her hand, pulled her to him and buried his face against her mid-section. “I am recovering, thanks to you and your family. You are my miracle, Arabella. I was as good as dead until you found me.” She cradled his head in her hands and felt tears running down his cheeks.

“
My finding you and your healing was a miracle, Jade. I can’t explain what happened, but I’m as grateful for everything as you are.” She waited for him to repeat what he said in the dream about loving her, but he didn’t. Almost immediately, she chided herself—the man had just escaped from a horrible death or an equally horrible life—he had more important things to think about than romance.

“
Let me help you dress, and then we’ll get you some coffee and breakfast.” Punctuated by giggles and kisses, they accomplished the task quite easily.

When they went to the kitchen, the rest of the group was there and already busy.

Unusually enough, Elizabeth was being practical. “I found a doctor who will make house calls. He said he will come and check on Jade’s progress. His name is Philippe Francois. He’s already contacted Tranquility and had Jade’s chart faxed to him. He will be here later on today. I hope that’s all right, Jade?”

“
Sounds great. I have questions and I want to know how fast I can push a few things.” He coughed and it was hard for the women to keep from laughing. They rolled their eyes at Arabella who gave them withering looks. He was referring to sex, obviously. She busied herself fixing Jade’s coffee and breakfast and ignored her rude relatives.

A knock at the door made Evangeline jump.

“
Are you okay?” Arabella asked as Elizabeth beat a path to the door.

“
I’m fine, just still a little shook up from my encounter in the woods. Look, your mother is blushing.” Both girls laughed.

“
Hey, I knew who’s at the door.” She let in Detective Garrison. They lingered out of sight for a moment and everyone heard a little giggle from Elizabeth.

“
It doesn’t take a witch to know something is brewing with those two.” Arabella laid her head on Jade’s shoulder enjoying the fact that love was in the air.

“
Tyler has come by to update us on what is going on over at the Townsend’s,” Elizabeth announced. Before he took a seat or accepted the cup of coffee Angelique prepared for him, he walked over to Jade’s wheelchair and shook his hand.

“
It’s good to see you looking so well.”

“
Thank you, Detective, and thank you for arranging my transportation so quickly yesterday.”

“
I was glad to help; one of those EMS guys is a good friend of mine. Don’t worry, the cost will show up on your insurance bill.”

“
That’s what insurance is for.”

The detective sat down and took a sip of the strong java. “Early this morning, we took some equipment out to the crime scene and we’ve been able to verify there are a number of sites that could very well be graves. I’ve also received a preliminary report which matches some of the names you were able to give me as actual missing people. So far, everything you have told me is checking out. I don’t pretend to understand all of this, but I do want to tell you I am grateful for what you all have done.”

Nanette did not hesitate to respond. “Mr. Garrison, I came to my granddaughter’s house knowing that trouble and danger was very near. Just yesterday, Evangeline had an unnerving experience, not more than a thousand yards from where we sit now. I believe there is a killer who now knows who we are and where we are. My family is not safe, Detective.”

“
Do you need to come in and file a report?” He looked at Evangeline.

“
No, I don’t have a description. There was a storm brewing and the heavy clouds and thick woods made it too dark to see well. I did feel threatened, but he made no actual move to hurt me.”

Elizabeth decided to get their suspicions out in the open. “Tyler, our next door neighbor is a man by the name of Lyle Sessions. Have you questioned him at all?”

“
Just routine, to see if he had seen or heard anything. Why? Do you know something I don’t?”

“
He has always hated us. For years, he has spewed his venom and tried to turn the community against us. Like a coward, I escaped here when Tom died, but I left my little girl to make it on her own and I know she suffered the brunt of his and other people’s ignorance and prejudice.” At Elizabeth’s admission, Jade turned his attention toward Arabella.

Arabella grew immediately concerned Jade was finding out too much too fast. She knew he was a prominent citizen and the worst thing she could think of was people talking bad about him because he associated with her. Selfish though her motives might be, she wanted as much time with him as she could before he had to return to his high-powered life.

Detective Garrison, however, kept making notes in his omnipresent pad and promising he would promptly follow up on the information they had given him. Before he left, Arabella overheard her grandmother making a point to let him know about Tranquility and what Jade had heard the doctor say when he was paralyzed. Detective Garrison left with a whole list of things to look into.

Chapter Nine

Arabella forced herself to take care of some business. Despite all the excitement going on, orders were coming in the mail and on the website. Evangeline pitched in and helped her. She hated to leave Jade, even for a moment, but he seemed content just watching her work. He had dozens of questions about her products, and what the various herbs were good for. Evangeline answered as many questions as she did and the camaraderie fast developing between all of them brought joy to her heart.

The doorbell broke their concentration and Angelique came in to inform them the doctor had arrived. Arabella went with Jade to meet with the doctor. He stood waiting for them in Jade’s room. The doctor was a pleasant looking man, when he spoke Arabella tried to place the accent.

”
Hello, I am Philippe Francois. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” He shook hands with both Jade and Arabella. “I have been looking at your chart and I am astounded at your recovery. I would like to run some tests if I may.”

Arabella left them alone, so the doctor could examine Jade as much as needed. She finished filling a few more orders until the doctor came back after her. Obviously, he wanted answers Jade didn’t have. Arabella felt odd at her involvement, since she was still so unsure of her status with Jade. Their time together had been so quick and dramatic, she was hesitant about how to proceed. The doctor waited until she sat on the bed next to Jade, and then he went straight to the point.

“
I would like to know what treatment you gave him that resulted in a complete reversal of a tetraplegic state.”

Jade and Arabella looked at each other. Jade nodded his assent and Arabella weighed her options. She realized she was taking a gamble but she decided to just simply tell the truth and let the pieces fall where they may. After all, wasn’t he bound by doctor-patient privilege?

“
Dr. Francois, this will probably sound utterly incredible to you, but we healed Jade by supernatural means. My family has been blessed with certain powers. We practice, for want of a better term, New Orleans rootwork. We used cleansing water, a lodestone, a fossil, a blue candle and fervent prayers to the deities who have the power to affect this world.” Much to Arabella’s horror, Dr. Philippe Francois threw back his head and laughed.