The Matchmakers (23 page)

           
The joy that spread over
Callie’s face lasted only a moment, though, and Nick felt her sorrow. `I’m not human
anymore.´ `No. You’ve earned your place in the Fae realm, little one. It’s time
to go home.´ `No!Ćallie shot to her feet, her wings beating madly behind
her. She caught Nick’s hand in hers. `How can you send me back now?´ For an
instant, Freya seemed perplexed. Her perfect brow furrowed and her lovely lips
quirked. `You have fulfilled the terms of your trial, Calliope. I cannot cast
you out. It was something I never desired in the first place, and I rejoice
that I can bring you home among those who love you.´ `I don’t want to go. I
want you to leave me here.´ `That was not the bargain, little one. I promised
you could return upon completion of your task, and now it’s time to go. The
others are waiting. They’ve missed you as I have, and there is work to be
done.Ćallie held Nick’s gaze. Her grip tightened on his hand, and she
dared to beseech the goddess. `Please leave me here.´ `I cannot.´ Nick
tightened his tenuous grip on Callie’s fingers even as she began to fade from
view. The brilliant glow that surrounded Freya became blinding, drowning out
everything else in the room except Callie’s face. He thought her image would be
burned into his brain, but when he blinked, she was gone, wings and all, and
the room plunged into colorless gray. The last embers of the fire died while
Nick sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for all his memories of Callie to fade
away, but they never did. When the sun rose, he could still smell the sweet
scent of her and taste her last kiss on his lips. The aching hole in his gut
seemed to twist with each thought and movement, and he finally had to ask the
cold, empty air, `How is this a success? What was I fighting for? I could have
felt like this on my own.´ He surveyed the cold hearth, the stale sheets and
the clothing Callie had left behind, and he decided if Freya would not grant
him the mercy to let him forget her, he’d have to find a way to do it on his
own.

Chapter Twenty-eight

 
         
Nick
hauled the last cardboard box out of his empty apartment and set it on the
front steps. The rented moving van idled at the curb, drawing the attention of
two snow-suited neighbor children who’d come out to play in the late January
snow. They waved mittened hands to Nick and returned to their earnest task of
decorating the courtyard with snow angels. He pulled the door shut and locked
it without a parting glance at the four rooms he’d lived in for the past year.
He wouldn’t miss the place«much. A loud horn beeped, startling the children.
Nick turned to wave at John who sat in the driver’s seat of the moving van. `I’m
coming,´ he mouthed. With cold-stiffened fingers, he pried the front door key
from his key chain and placed it in the mailbox where the superintendent of the
complex would find it. Then he bent to retrieve the box and started down the
stairs. John raised an eyebrow and cracked the window of the van as Nick
approached the curb. `Good luck finding room for that box in the back. You
rented the smallest damn truck they had.´ `I didn’t think I had this much
stuff. For me, moving day always meant jamming everything I owned into a duffle
bag,´ Nick said.

 
`I don’t see why you bought all the
furniture. Why do you want to take all that old junk to your new place?´ Nick
laughed and juggled the box to a better position as he walked around the back
of the truck. He opened the tailgate and stuck the box inside, taking care to
close an errant flap over the treasures he’d packed, his old Mets blanket, a
pair of gossamer fairy wings and a few other items he didn’t have the heart to
throw away. `Where else am I going to get four rooms of furniture so cheap? The
super was clearing it out anyway because the new tenants have their own stuff.´
He shut the tailgate and came back around to climb into the passenger seat. `I’ll
replace it little by little as I get settled.´ `Those are words I bet you’d
never thought you’d hear yourself say.´ Nick smiled ruefully as John put the
van in gear and pulled away from the curb. Winter sunlight streamed through the
front window, banishing some of the chill that had seeped into his bones. `Nope.
Never thought.´ He never thought he’d miss her this much either. He shook the
thought from his mind and turned up the radio. He had to wonder, though, what
else he’d never thought about before. The sweat of hard work had always been
cathartic for Nick. After so many weeks working on the house in all his spare
time, he should have completely exercised all his demons, but too many memories
still lingered. How often while he tore down old drywall or tinkered with
ancient plumbing had he sworn the scent of roses wafted through the chilly air?
How many times had he imagined hearing Callie call his name only discover it
was nothing but the wind whispering through a broken vent in the attic? Time
after time he told himself she would fade away from his thoughts at some point
and he’d be left blissfully unaware that she’d ever existed, but it didn’t
happen. Finally, he admitted to himself the goddess had made a mistake. She’d
neglected to free him from the torment of remembering his love for Callie, and
somehow he had to get her to fix that. The Saturday afternoon sun had just
dipped below the tops of the frost-covered trees, and Nick stood alone on the
back deck, the steam from a fresh cup of coffee mingling with the clouds of his
breath. His work inside was almost done, yet the whole place still felt empty
and unfinished. He knew why. He set the cup aside on the deck rail and leaned
heavily on the sturdy cedar planks that would require sanding and refinishing
as soon as the weather warmed up. `Freya.´ He spoke the goddess’s name in a conversational
tone at first, and in response the trees shivered. A pinpoint of light became
visible overhead. It was just a star, and Nick wondered if wishing on it might
somehow bring him what he craved. `Freya! If you can hear me, you need to know
this is all wrong.´ How foolish he felt, talking to the night air. He’d never
been the religious type, didn’t believe in prayer, and up until now he’d never
been desperate enough to give it a try just to hedge his bets, but this hole in
his heart wasn’t getting any smaller. If left unattended, eventually it would
swallow him up. `I know she doesn’t belong in this world,´ he said, his gaze
unfocused. `And once she got back home she probably realized that, but all I’m
asking is for you to let her come back, just for a little while, and tell me
that herself.´ His plea echoed against the hillside that rose behind the house.
Nothing else moved in the deepening twilight. `Maybe I don’t deserve love. That’s
fine if that’s the way it’s supposed to be.´ He gestured toward the house, the
rooms he’d remodeled. `But if you look in there, you’ll see that I did it all
for her. She’s still with me, and she’s all over everything I’ve done inside
those walls. It’s
her
home, and just
for a minute, I’d like her to have the chance to see it.Ánger threatened to
derail his carefully planned soliloquy, so he took a moment to compose himself.
`Is that how the Fae do things? I thought your kind made love work. I thought
you helped people. If that’s what you do, why won’t you help me? Give her back
to me, or let me forget her, but don’t leave me like this because I can’t spend
my life living for someone who isn’t coming back. I guess I’ve learned my lesson.
I’ve paid my dues and I’m sorry for all the times I walked away from love. Now
I know what it feels like to be the one left behind and I don’t like it. If you
can hear me«I’m asking you, please make it right. One way or another.´ Nick
stared at the darkening sky for a long time after that. The steam from his
forgotten coffee dissipated, and the late winter chill began to seep through
his jacket and the heavy flannel shirt he wore beneath it. If Freya had heard
him, she gave no sign. If the goddess had the slightest inclination to ease his
suffering, she certainly wasn’t going to rush things. Well, he’d given it a
shot. If he couldn’t count on divine intervention, then maybe it was time to
turn to more earthly spirits in order to erase the unwanted memories. If he
hurried, there would still be an open seat at the bar, and he could spend his
evening at Farley’s among all the people who were lucky enough not to remember
that only a short time ago, Nick Garrett had been in love. `You can’t continue
to mope like this, Calliope. It’s unnatural.´ Meriope scolded her sister who
sat on a flat rock under the sheltering branches of a thousand-year-old willow
tree. `I’m not moping. I’m merely resting,Ćallie replied, fully aware the
lie would not placate her sister. She’d been `restingćonstantly since
Freya returned her to the Fae realm, barely feigning interest in the daily
affairs of her friends and family. `You’ve done nothing to require rest. Come
with me, please? I’ve got a new assignment from Freya that you can help me
with.Ćallie turned her languid gaze away from the spray of flowers she’d
been diligently plucking apart. Meri’s hopeful expression almost made her
smile, but not quite. `Are you going to the human realm?´ `Yes! New York. There’s
a particularly stubborn man who needs to fall in love, and I’m going to help him
do it. Freya believes his life depends on it. You can help me. We’ll work
together like we used to when we were young.Ćallie sighed. `I’m not sure I
can be much help.´ `You can’t pine away for him forever, you know.´ Meri’s
violet gaze was stern. `I’m certain I can.´ Meri pouted. `I know he was
handsome, but he was, after all, only human.´ `I was human, too.´ `And thank
Freya you’re not anymore.´ Meri fluttered her wings and knelt in front of
Callie. Gently, she removed the flowers from her sister’s hands and twined
their fingers together. `I could not have stood to lose you forever. I would
have pined away myself. Now that you’re back, please be with me. I still feel like
you’re gone, even though you’re right here in front of me.Ćallie touched
her forehead to Meri’s and fluttered her own wings in response. `I’m sorry. I’ll
do better, I promise. Give me a moment, and I’ll join you for your assignment.´
Meriope smiled, her brilliant eyes filling with crystalline tears. `You’ll see!
You’ll have a wonderful time, and you’ll be doing something
important.Ćallie nodded. `I’ll be ready in a moment.´ Meri popped away, leaving
a faint outline of her wings hovering in the air above Callie. As the bright triangles
faded, Callie rose and dusted flower petals from her fingertips. When she
turned, Freya stood beside her, silent and bright, her smile dazzling. `I’m
pleased to see you agreed to help Meriope. I’d begun to worry about you, little
one.Ćallie chuckled. `I’d forgotten how fast news travels around here. I’m
sure Meri doesn’t need my help, My Lady, but it seems to make her happy if I
agree to come along.´ `And what would make you happy, Calliope? Certainly
returning home has not.Ćallie stilled herself for a moment, determined not
to reduce herself to once again pleading with Freya. `Coming home was all I
thought about at first. I should be happy to be back. I am. But I«´ `You miss
him.´ `Of course. I love him. I hadn’t planned on it. I never thought I could
love him or that he could love me.´ Desperation welled up in Callie. What was
Nick doing? How was he getting along without her? Had he found someone else to
love? `Why did you make me leave him?´ The question came out unbidden, and Callie
bowed her head in shame. It was not her place to question Freya. The goddess
laid her hand on Callie’s shoulder, a gentle touch full of love and compassion.
`Why didn’t you ask me this sooner, little one?´ `What? I«I shouldn’t have
questioned you, My Lady. Forgive me.´ `There’s nothing to forgive. I’ll tell
you why I made you leave. Because in that moment, you knew only him. You would
have stayed for him more than for yourself, and in time, you would have
questioned that decision. You would have missed your home and realized you’d
given up your only chance to return too hastily. You had to come back here to
know where you truly belonged.Ćallie’s eyes widened, and she dared to look
at Freya. `Where is that, My Lady?´ `Where is your heart? Have you found it
here in the Fae realm or have you left it somewhere else?´ `It’s with Nick. I
want to go back to him.´ `And be human again? A Fae cannot live in his world
indefinitely.´ `I know. But I want to be with him. I never thought I’d want to
be human, but I do.´ Freya smiled and lifted her hand to the crown of Callie’s
head. Her love flowed over Callie, warming her, even as her wings began to fade
away. When she was fully human, the beauty of the Fae realm seemed surreal and
overwhelming. Tears stung her eyes when Freya’s light engulfed her. `I will
tell Meriope of your decision. And I will allow her to visit you as she wishes,
because I know that will make you both happy.´ Freya’s voice floated around
Callie as the ancient tree and the flat rock and the essence of crushed flowers
faded from Callie’s view. The cold rush of wind from the human realm stirred
her hair and chilled her bones, and when Freya’s warm fingers trailed off her
hair, Callie shivered not with cold but with anticipation. She was finally home.
`How’s the new place?´ Farley asked as he slid a shot glass of Jack across the
bar into Nick’s waiting hand. Nick eyed the drink and realized he didn’t want
it as much as he thought he did when he’d come in. `It’s a hell of a lot of
work,´ he said, pushing thoughts of his one-sided conversation with Freya out
of his mind. `Ah, you love it.´ Diane leaned over his shoulder to place a
twenty on the bar. `Change for table two.´ Nick shrugged and sipped his drink.
The whiskey burned its way down past the hole where his heart used to be.
Love. Yeah, right.
A bright sparkle
reflecting off Diane’s hand caught his eye as she retrieved a stack of small
bills from Farley. `Watch it, you’re blinding me with that rock.´ He gave her a
wolfish grin. Talk of Diane and Farley’s impending wedding certainly wouldn’t
take his mind off love, but it might keep him from wallowing in his drink for a
few minutes. `Oh, so sorry.´ Diane smirked and waggled her fingers in his
direction. `I’ve gotten used to the glare myself.´ `I’m amazed you can lift
your hand. What is that, six or seven carats?´ Diane laughed, and a faint blush
colored her cheeks. `Try
point
seven.
But it is pretty.´ `I need a lemon soda with a twist, please,´ Hayden said,
placing her tray on the bar between Diane and Nick. The younger woman grinned
at Nick, then gave a tart glance over Farley’s shoulder at Andrew who was
slicing limes behind the bar. Farley prepared the drink and set it on Hayden’s
tray. She immediately picked up the glass and handed it to Nick. `This is for
you. From the girl by the jukebox.´ Nick eyed the glass. He’d had women buy him
drinks before, quite a few in the last couple of weeks. Usually they chose beer
or Jack. One woman had even made some odd suggestive statement with a two-olive
martini and an artfully positioned swizzle stick, but no one had ever bought
him a plain soda before. He raised the glass and searched for his latest
admirer. Whoever she was, he had to give her points for originality. `There’s
no one by the jukebox.´ `That girl where’d she go?´ Hayden looked around. `Oh,
over there. By the door. That’s her, in the pink coat.´ Nick turned, and his
heart did one of those somersaults he hadn’t expected to ever experience again.
`Callie.´ `You know her?´ Hayden gave the brunette a skeptical glance. What had
hurt more than losing her was that Nick was the only one who remembered her at
all. In the passing weeks, he’d begun to think he’d imagined her, and he’d
started to believe it might be better that way. If no one asked about her, he wouldn’t
have to remember. Not talking about her made his life about one percent less
miserable. Everyone seemed to be staring at her now as she moved toward the
bar, her gaze locked with his. `Hi, Nick.´ `She obviously knows you,´ Hayden
whispered. Nick had forgotten to breathe. Only when the faint scent of roses
reached him did he manage to draw air back into his lungs. `You’re not in
trouble again, are you, Tink?Óf the million responses that went through his
head why did he have to pick that one? Why didn’t he just take her in his arms
and kiss her senseless like he wanted to? `Lots of trouble.Á sweet, shy smile
curved her lips, and her green eyes sparkled with tears. He pulled in a sharp
breath. `Wings or no wings?´ `No wings, but I can call home now and then, and
the pixies still owe me a few favors. Besides I have an assignment. Freya sent
me back to keep an eye on you«forever.´ Her words cut through the cold spot in
the center of his chest, and something warm spread outward from that point,
filling him. `Talk about punishment. I guess we’ll just have to learn to live
with each other, won’t we?Śhe nodded. Under the curious stares of Diane,
Farley, Andrew and Hayden, Callie threw herself into Nick’s arms. `Why don’t
you take me home and we’ll get started«learning to live with each other.´ Nick
didn’t look back as they left the bar. There’d be plenty of time to explain it
all to his friends, not that they’d believe it. He wasn’t sure he believed it
himself, but he had no intention of questioning the wisdom of a goddess. He’d
earned a lifetime of love, and he wasn’t going to waste a minute of it. About
the Author To learn more about Jennifer Colgan, please
visitwww.jennifercolgan.com . Send an email to Jennifer at [email protected] ,
join her Yahoo! group to join in the fun with other readers
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/electricromance/ , or stop by her Two Voices blog
at http://bernadettegardner2.blogspot.com/ Look for these titles by Jennifer
Colgan Now Available: The Rebound Guy Sun, Sand and Sex Strange New World Coming
Soon: The Soul Jar