Bound To Love (19 page)

‘Yes, it was,’ Céleste agreed.

The butterfly took flight again, soaring up into the grey green leaves of the olive tree above them. Céleste’s beautiful eyes shuttered and then she continued.

‘After the loss of his father, he lost his mother for a while as she grieved. When he arrived in France, he was very introverted. Jean Luc designed airplanes before he retired and bought the farm and truffiere, and he sparked Jake’s interest in electronics. I remember a conversation we had when he was about fifteen. He showed me a machine he and Jean Luc designed. I can’t remember exactly what it was, but I remember the determination in Jake’s eyes as he told me his plans.’

Tempest hung on Céleste’s every word.

‘He told me that he would never make the same mistake as his father. His father had recklessly risked his life, forgetting about the people who loved and needed him. In Jake’s opinion, he gambled with all of their futures, and he lost.’

Céleste’s hand shook as she brought the small cup to her lips.

‘I have never forgotten his words or the expression on his face as he spoke them. The child meant every word.’

****

Jake sat around the blazing log fire in the sitting room of the old farmhouse surrounded by his large, extended family
. I’ve missed this, I missed them
. When he was a child and found himself thrust into the centre of this large, foreign family he’d felt alienated and alone, longing to get back to America, to his old life.

Etienne was arguing with his sister Louise, bantering as they always did. He smiled as everyone talked at the same time, their hands illustrating their words with eloquent gestures.
My life was here, all the time, why didn’t I see that?

‘You were gone too long.’ Etienne filled Jake’s glass with wine. ‘You live too far away, you should move!’

‘Yeah. You’re right.’

‘Good. We could do with you back.’ Etienne’s voice lowered conspiratorially. ‘The old man had bad health over the past year.’ He tapped his chest. ‘Heart.’

‘What? This is the first I’ve heard of it.’

A chill settled in Jake’s chest. Jen Luc was strong, he had to be. He glanced over at the old man, taking in the dark shadows under his eyes. The laboured breathing. Etienne was right. Jean Luc didn’t look well. Anger rose up within him. Everyone knew how much he loved the old man. He should have been informed. Instead, even his mother had kept this information from him.

‘Grandpère’s orders. He told all of us you were not to be worried. He is so proud of you, and of what you have achieved. He thinks you need to be in America to be successful, and he didn’t want to risk any of that.’

As if business mattered, when his grandfather was sick. Jake tossed back his drink in one quick swallow.

‘I don’t need to be in America. I’m thinking of moving to England.’

‘Ah, for Tempest? She is very beautiful. I approve.’ His cousin followed Jake’s gaze. Tempest was deep in conversation with another cousin. ‘And I’m not the only one, I know Maman likes her.’

Tempest was communicating using a mixture of rotten French, sign language, and smiles. They had come a long way together, over this past week.

‘Tell me about her. She fought your kidnappers?’ Etienne frowned, obviously wondering where she was hiding her muscles.

‘She just jumped right in; she’s sort of crazy that way.’

Etienne shook his head, in admiration or disbelief, Jake couldn’t tell. ‘I can’t imagine a woman doing that. You must have cast a powerful spell over her.’

‘That’s what was so crazy; at that stage she didn’t even know me. She would do it for anyone.’

‘Like your father.’ Etienne said.

It was true. She had acted recklessly, just like his father had so many years ago, and yet despite his fears, it was harder and harder to imagine life without her.

She looked over and caught his eye, smiling that open, radiant smile of hers right at him and he raised his glass, counting the hours until he could sneak through the door between their rooms, and pull her close in the darkness.

He glanced at Jean Luc again. His grandfather looked so much older than he had six months ago. Weaker, unsteadier. The years were taking their toll. Vivienne should be here too, in the bosom of her family. Jake gave in to an uncontrollable impulse, and stood, tapping his glass with a fork.

‘Everyone. Quiet for a moment, please.’ The hum of conversations ceased as everyone stopped mid sentence, eyes fastening on Jake, the quiet one of this garrulous family. ‘I have something to say. It’s been such a long time since I’ve seen you all, and I just want to tell you…’

His aunt’s shout stopped him mid stream. ‘Jean Luc!’

His grandfather lay slumped in his chair, his eyes closed.

‘His pills, someone bring me his pills!’ Céleste cried.

Etienne ran to the bathroom, and came out carrying a small glass bottle, shaking it to release a pill, which he forced under his grandfather’s flaccid tongue.

‘Telephone the doctor; tell him we’re taking him to the hospital.’ Céleste took charge calmly. ‘Jake, help him to the car.’

Etienne brought the car around as Jake lifted the frail body of his grandfather into his arms and carried him to the front door. Tempest walked to him through the swell of worried cousins. Strength flowed from her. In the worried exclamations of his cousins he couldn’t make out her words but read her lips as she mouthed ‘I’ll stay here.’ Jake nodded, wanting to kiss her but unable to with his precious burden in his arms.

****

Jake turned to Céleste in the pristine waiting room. ‘So, this has happened before.’

The silence was complete, the heavy door shielding the occupants from the hustle and bustle of the hospital. The smell of disinfectant filled his nostrils, and his nose wrinkled in distaste. When he came to the hospital when his father died, he and Vivienne had sat waiting like this while the trauma team worked on his father. Now, a doctor was with Jean Luc while Jake and the others waited for news.

‘Yes. This is his third visit. His heart is not strong.’ Céleste said. ‘They are doing the best they can for him, Jake.’ She raised tear stained eyes to his. ‘But he is an old man, we cannot expect more.’

A tall doctor came in carrying a chart. Jake jumped off the hard plastic chair, and crossed the room to him in a couple of swift strides. Jean Luc had to be OK, he just
had
to.

‘We’re keeping him in for a couple of days. He had a mild heart attack, and he needs to rest. The attack damaged his heart, of course, but he is strong.’ The doctor looked exhausted, his eyes were ringed with black, but somehow he forced a tired smile. ‘He’s sleeping now. I suggest you visit in the morning.’

‘Thank you, Doctor.’ Céleste shook the doctor’s hand in a flurry of gratitude.

The ride back to the house was quiet, each consumed by their own thoughts. Jake’s head swirled with tumultuous thoughts.
If he was still at work, if Jean Luc had died…
America was too far away. The decision to relocate solidified. In Europe at least he was only an hour or two away. Even in the fastest jet, his New York apartment was too distant. When the chips were down, Jean Luc had been there. Now Jake would return the favour. His grandfather deserved no less.

Tempest was asleep in front of the dying fire and roused as they came in.

‘How is he?’ She walked to Jake and slipped her hand into his. Concern for Jean Luc was written all over her face, and concern for Jake. Her sapphire gaze held his, offering solace.

‘He’s resting comfortably. He’ll be in the hospital for a couple of days and then he’ll be well enough to come back home.’

Jake draped an arm over her shoulder and touched his lips to hers briefly. Her familiar smell, a light lemon scented cologne, filled his nostrils and he breathed deeply, soothed.

‘He forgot to take his pills in the excitement. It triggered a small heart attack. They will keep an eye on him to make sure that his heart is not too badly damaged.’

Céleste yawned, obviously exhausted. ‘I’m going to bed, see you in the morning.’

Etienne agreed, ‘I’m going up too.’

Jake ignored his room, walking straight into Tempest’s. There was no Jean Luc to be scandalized, and he needed the comfort of her arms tonight.

Chapter Twelve

Different colours, clear and vibrant, tumbled on a table. Tempest tried to catch them, but they kept moving, forever out of reach. She stood still, waiting. A golden chain floated in mid-air, and one by one, the stones floated up to attach themselves to the bracelet.

Sapphire, Kyanite, Yellow Sapphire, Emerald
. As her mind searched for the names of the stones and strung together their meaning, the bracelet fell onto the black velvet cloth that covered the table and burst into vivid flame.

‘Skye!’

In her mind she was screaming the word, but her waking self barely croaked her sister’s name. It was enough to rouse the man sleeping next to her though.

‘What is it?’ Jake turned on the lamp and reached for her shaking form. ‘You had a nightmare, Red. It’s OK.’

His hand was rubbing her neck in a gesture that he no doubt meant to be soothing.

‘It’s not a nightmare, it’s a warning.’

Her heart was hammering in a frantic rhythm. Adrenalin flooded her system and it was difficult to breathe. She leapt from bed and scanned the unfamiliar room for a telephone with frantic eyes. ‘Skye’s in trouble, I have to call her, where’s the telephone?’

‘It’s four in the morning, only three in England. Come back to bed and we’ll call her in the morning.’

Jake was using that voice. The soothing voice that negotiators used to talk the desperate down from tall buildings. The voice that would make her jump for sure.

She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to hold the panic within. ‘Jake, I need you to listen to me. This is serious. I’ve had a dream.’

‘OK.’ He was humouring her, but that didn’t matter. Nothing mattered but getting through to Skye. ‘Tell me what happened.’

‘Four stones spelled out her name in a bracelet, then burst into flames. I know it sounds completely crazy but there was something about it. It’s a message.’

Tempest shuddered. The colours in this particular dream had been in Technicolor, more vibrant than in an ordinary dream. Just like the dream she’d had the night before her father was murdered in Cairo. She spotted a telephone on the roll-top desk in the corner of the room and hurried towards it.

‘You have to help me, Jake, she’s in danger. I know it!’

Hysteria clawed at her gut as panic mounted. Jake looked so tired, it was barely three hours since they’d crawled into bed, but she had no choice. She had to get through to him somehow. ‘What’s the area code?’

He rattled off the answer and she picked up the receiver and dialled the number. It rang again and again in her ear, like a death knell. There was no reply.

Something had happened to Skye. Tempest shivered in the chill that gripped her heart, and froze her flesh. ‘We have to go back. I have to organise a flight.’

‘My grandfather is in the hospital, I can’t leave him now.’ Jake stared at her as if he’d never seen her before. ‘You’ve had a dream, Red. That’s all. My grandfather had a dangerous episode with his heart. He’s an old man, and the family is relying on me to be here. Dammit, I want and need to be here. You can’t expect me to drop everything and fly out of the country on a whim. We’re booked out tomorrow evening. Surely that’s early enough?’

‘I’ll go by myself; I don’t need you to go with me.’

Tempest moved to the computer on the desk and powered it up, searching for the Air France website.

‘Tempest, calm down. You’re hysterical.’

Tempest brushed off his words, lost to reason. The flight times swam into an incomprehensible jumble. She forced back a sob and blinked rapidly to clear her vision. Searching for an earlier flight while her heart filled with dread.

‘Look, tell me the number and I’ll try Skye again.’ Jake’s hand on her shoulder halted her frantic searching, and she broke off long enough to recite the number. Jake jotted the number down on a scrap of paper, and called it.

‘Hi Daniel. I’m sorry to wake you. It’s Jake.’

With relief Tempest realized Jake had got through. She reached for the phone, pulling it out of his hand in her desperation to hear Skye’s voice. Only then would she truly believe Skye was unharmed.

‘Daniel, is Skye alright?’

‘I’ll put her on.’

Tempest listened intently for her sister’s voice in the background, then to her relief Skye answered. ‘Tee? What is it?’

‘I had a dream, Skye, one of those dreams
.
You and Daniel need to call the police and get some police protection, immediately.’

She clenched her teeth together, feeling pressure in her jaw.

Skye’s tone was lightly scolding. ‘I’m fine, Tee. We were asleep.’

Tempest gripped the phone so tightly her knuckles went white. What was it going to take to get them to believe her? She didn’t want her hunch to be right, but she knew it was. Skye was in danger. She needed protection. Immediately.

‘Call the police, Skye. Make sure the alarm is on. Don’t go anywhere.’ Tempest fought the tears that threatened to overwhelm her. ‘I’m coming back tomorrow morning. I’ll text you my flight number when I have it.’

‘Jake will be with you?’

Skye didn’t know about Jean Luc’s heart attack. She didn’t know Jake needed to be here, with his family. Just as Tempest had to be in England, guarding hers. She glanced sideways at his implacable face, still and set, as if carved in stone.

‘No, I think I’ll be coming on my own.’

She replaced the handset carefully and walked back to the laptop, but Jake got there first.

‘You just spoke to her, she’s fine. Come on, Red, everything’s OK. Let’s go back to bed.’

He smiled a tired smile, and something inside her cracked open as she shook her head. She would have to insist, and there was no way that he’d ever forgive her for what she was about to do.

‘She’s alright now, but she’s in danger. She just doesn’t believe it yet. I have no choice. I have to get back there as soon as I can. You don’t need to come with me; the likelihood of Paul finding out that I’m flying alone is slim to none. I’m sorry about Jean Luc. I wish more than anything that I could stay…’ She broke off with a half sob at the look on his face. She’d lost him. He stood next to her, but inside he was retreating.