Savor (18 page)

I laughed. “All right. I’ll take that.”

“Now tell me what else is going on.” Casey sounded uncharacteristically assertive. Maybe becoming a princess was changing her.

“There’s nothing you need to worry about.”

“Stop. Stop trying to protect me. I’m not a kid anymore, and trust me I already have enough I’m dealing with that something else isn’t going to shock me.”

I could picture her pout. I forced the laughter back down. “But that’s the point. You already have a lot to deal with.”

“I can handle more.”

The sound of someone climbing had me turning. Jared grinned when he saw me.

“Uh, I’ve got to run. I promise to fill you in soon.”

“Is that Jared?”

“Yeah…” I rested my hand on the rough stone wall behind me.

“Have fun.”

“Tell Toby I said hi.” I kept my eyes on Jared.

“Same to Jared.”

I hung up.

“How’s your sister?” Jared strode toward me. He was holding the tomato I’d left out for him on the table.

“Good. A bit overwhelmed but super happy.”

“Super happy sounds good in theory.” He bit into the tomato. So he was an eat it whole kind of guy.

“It’s kind of scary to hear Casey that way, but it’s better than the alternative.”

“And how about you? You feeling super happy?” He smirked.

“No. I never do though.”

“How were the gardens?” He took another bite of the red tomato.

“Uneventful. How’s the tomato?”

“Good. Want a bite?” He held it out toward me.

“No thanks, I had one.”

He brushed his fingertips across my cheek. “They put you to work I see.”

“Dirt?”

“Uh huh. It looks good on you.”

“I look good dirty, eh?”

“My guess is you’d look good any way.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere.”

“I don’t need flattery to get you. We both know that. I was merely telling you what I thought.”

“You’re cocky.”

“And you say it like it’s a bad thing. You like that about me. You want a confident man.”

I groaned. “Don’t even start on what kind of man I want. That stupid petitioning ceremony thing is tonight.”

He laughed. “It should make for an entertaining evening.”

I got a bad taste in my mouth. “Entertaining for you maybe, if you like to watch me suffer.”

“Drink some Pesco beforehand. It will be painless.”

“Yeah until I get so drunk that I accept some bear as my mate.”

“I won’t let you do that.”

“Oh yeah? You’re going to step in and stop it?”

“Something like that.” He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I’m heading out for a bit.”

“Where?” How was he busier than I was when this was my parents’ place?

“Nowhere important, I just wanted to check in.”

“Don’t play all evasive with me.”

“Your father wants some bonding time with you. I need to get scarce.”

I put a hand on my hip. “Fantastic.”

“Don’t view it that way. Think of it as an opportunity to garner more information.”

“Spoken by a true intel man.”

He shrugged. “We need to use any advantage we have.”

“At least tell me where you’re going.”

“I’m going to talk to your mom.”

“My mom?” My mouth fell open. “Why?”

“Because I also need to get more information.”

“No asking anything weird about me.”

“Define weird.”

I pushed his arm. “Be nice.”

“Are you sure you want that?” He cocked an eyebrow.

“Stop making things sexual when they don’t need to be.”

“I have no idea what you mean.” He smiled wickedly before disappearing the same way he came.

Jared really was infuriating.

“B
eautiful weather today.” I jumped on the safest conversation possible as I began my walk with Taliana.

She glanced up to the sky. “It is beautiful. Not a cloud in the sky.”

“Is it usually this nice? Your summers always this temperate?”

“We don’t have the heat and humidity that you do down in New Orleans, that’s for sure.”

“Our summers are brutal.”

“Not that this conversation isn’t interesting, but did you really ask me to join you so we could discuss the weather?” She gave me a knowing look.

“Not exactly, but there’s nothing wrong with a little weather talk every now and again.”

“Is the real conversation going to be about my husband or daughter?” Her eyes twinkled.

“Mostly your daughter, but maybe a little bit of both.”

“Where do we start?” Taliana took the lead and headed into the forest. Although I’d miss the bright sunshine, I didn’t mind the quiet and tranquil feel underneath the trees.

“Has she ever dated a guy who was half decent?”

Taliana laughed. “Now that’s a loaded question to start with.”

“I’m trying to figure out where I stand.”

“Where you stand?” She arched an eyebrow. “What happened to you being just friends?”

“That was before the whole petitioning ceremony part got raised.”

“And you talked to Gareth.” She wasn’t asking a question.

“I take it you know what he told me?”

“And what he showed you.”

“And what are your thoughts?”

“I want my daughter with someone who will care for her, and who will love her. I want her safe, and I want her to reach her potential.”

“Love. That’s beyond a loaded word.”

“Surely you believe in it.”

“In theory. I’ve seen others experience it.” Like Allie and Levi. I’d never seen anything like it. They’d changed each other, but in the best kind of way. It’s as though they were two halves that made the perfect whole. I pretended to find it annoying, but secretly I wanted it for myself. Too bad it wasn’t my fate.

“But it’s not for you?”

“I’m not sure I’m capable of it.”

Taliana shook her head. “You can’t be serious.”

“Why not? You truly believe that everyone has the capacity for love?”

“Not everyone, but you do. You have love for your friends, for a mother you barely remember, yet you don’t believe you’ll ever find romantic love?”

“Maybe it’s about finding the right person.”

She snorted. “Jared, you can lay off the pretense. I can see right through it.”

“There’s no pretense.”

“No?” She tilted her head to the side. “Then of all of the reasons I gave you, why did you focus on love?”

“Because it was the one that didn’t fit.”

“Love can always fit. It’s the people who sometimes don’t.”

“Were you a sage in another life?”

“You mean I’m not in this one?” She smiled broadly.

“You know what I mean.”

“I do.” She stopped in front of a fast moving creek. It was surrounded on all sides by large rocks and stones. She crouched down and dipped her hand in the water.

“Do you agree with Gareth? Do you actually want me with your daughter?”

“Yes.” She didn’t look up. She continued to move her hand back and forth in the water.

“Even though I have no idea how to unleash her powers or whatever?”

“Come here.”

“I am here.”

She touched the ground at her side. “Here.”

“Okay.” I crouched down next to her. “What am I doing exactly?”

“Tell me what water feels like.”

“Water? It feels wet.”

“Put your hand in the water.”

I listened and looked closely at the water. There didn’t seem to be any reason not to.

“Now try again. What does water feel like?”

“Cool and refreshing.”

“Exactly.”

“Is there something I’m missing here?”

She stood up. “No. I was only trying to illustrate that sometimes you don’t really know what something is until you experience it.”

“Meaning I don’t really understand love because I haven’t experienced it?”

She smiled. “There you go again jumping back to love. That’s true, but I was also referring to you helping Vera unleash her gifts. Of course being in love would move that along.” She winked.

“It would also help if someone would tell me what the gifts actually are.”

“Some of our women, fewer every generation, have special abilities.”

“I get that, but what are they?”

“They differ depending on the line the woman is from, but it’s impossible to describe.”

“Let me guess, it’s better to see than hear?”

She laughed. “Gareth used that line with you already?”

“Yes before showing me,” I looked over my shoulder, “You know what.”

“And I’ll use it again. All you really need to know is it’s all tied up in our healing arts.”

“But Gareth said you saw a vision of me or something.”

“Yes, I did. We can dream walk to the future.”

“Ok…” Now we were getting somewhere.

“It’s another ancient practice our family has been doing for years.”

“And you think Vera can do it too?”

“I almost guarantee it. But that’s enough of that talk for now. Back to Vera.”

“Let’s say I agree to petition for her, how do I win her over?”

“You’re going to petition for her, there’s no reason to pretend otherwise. And you’ve already won her over.”

“In some ways, but that’s different than her picking me in this ceremony.”

“The Petere Ceremony is very important. Mating isn’t something to take lightly. Have you thought any of this through?”

“Aren’t you the one who said you wanted me with Vera? Are you purposely trying to confuse me?” I couldn’t keep up. “Besides, she can always change her mind afterward.” I’d agreed to petition, not officially mate.

Taliana shook her head. “You really think that’s all Gareth wants of you?”