The Source: Book III of the Holding Kate Series (14 page)

She wanted to shelter him from the sorrows at the hospital, be beside him as he grieved over each patient. But Najwa had given her sound advice two years ago that she had heeded to the letter.

“You cannot comfort him or be strong for him if you are wrapped up in his sorrow.” Najwa said many times. “You must separate yourself from the mortal grief at the hospital so you can be a rock of strength for him at home.”

It went against everything that Kate desired, but she knew Najwa was probably right. If Kate was involved with the patients, it would be Corey comforting her and not the other way around. So Kate poured herself into managing the town and kept a warm and comforting haven at home for Corey.

Kate snuggled up to Corey and kissed his lips. Usually they woke about the same time to fall into the lover’s sea before they got out of bed to start the day. She ran her hand along his chest and around his back and nuzzled into his neck.

She stopped.

The scent of Najwa’s perfume was concentrated at Corey’s neck. Kate drew back and saw a smear of makeup there. She couldn’t believe her eyes. She touched it and tried to rub it off, but Corey stirred and rolled over, resuming his snores.

Kate lay there beside her husband, hating herself for the thoughts that ricocheted through her mind. Corey would never. She was a wicked wife for even thinking such things. Tears ran down her cheeks into her hair.

“No,” she whispered and crept out of bed before Corey woke and started asking questions. She would never openly accuse him of such a thing. It was unthinkable and she was horrible for letting her mind wander down that trail.

Kate dressed and went to the kitchen to start breakfast. She considered taking muffins to Dirk and Starlythe’s cabins but remembered that they had decided to jump back at first light, and she figured they had already gone. She decided to make a big breakfast for Corey. He would need his strength today. There were several patients not expected to make it through the day, and she wanted Corey to be well cared for before he left home to deal with such sorrow.

She heard Corey moving around in the bedroom and smiled. She arranged the food on a tray and slipped a flower into a small vase. She picked up the tray and headed toward the bedroom to take him his breakfast and coax him back to bed so they could start their day right, when a knock sounded. Kate set the tray down and went to the door.

“Najwa! Good morning.” Kate beamed and invited her friend inside.

Najwa appeared sheepish and awkward as she looked at Kate with a guilty expression. “Good morning, Kate. Um, how are you feeling this morning?” She cast a worried glance toward the bedroom.

“I am fine, Najwa. What brings you here so early?” Kate asked and shut the door. “I just made Corey breakfast, would you like to join us?”

“Oh, no, I am fine. I just wanted to make sure we were okay, you know.” She motioned her hand back and forth between Kate and herself.

Kate searched her face and felt her heart turn upside down. It was true. Something had happened between Corey and Najwa last night.

“Why wouldn’t we be?” Kate forced her expression to remain as blank as a slate.

“Did you, have you talked to, did Corey tell you about us?”

“Tell me what, Najwa?”

“We didn’t mean for it to happen, Kate. We have just worked so closely together and feelings just grow between a man and a woman sometimes without realizing it, before you know it you are head over heels in love and you can’t keep your hands off each other and nothing else matters.” She stopped her tirade and gasped. “He didn’t tell you, did he?”

Kate’s mouth hung open as she searched Najwa’s expression. She felt like she was going to be sick. She clutched her stomach and backed away from Najwa as though she were a viper and back stepped around to the side door. She reached behind her and turned the knob. With a shuddering breath, she flew outside and down the stairs as fast as she could go.

Najwa walked to the window, peered through the curtain and smiled as she saw Kate run into the house she knew she would.

Corey came out of the bedroom buttoning his shirt. “Something smells delicious and I am not talking about the sausage.” He drew up short when he saw Najwa. “Uh, good morning, Najwa.” He looked around. “Where’s Kate?”

“She said she had some things to do with Stealthlin this morning and she called me over to make you breakfast.” Najwa walked over to the tray sitting on the table and pointed at the chair. “Sit down and enjoy your meal and then we will go to work together.”

“Oh. She did?” Corey glanced at the door as though trying to decide something, then he seemed to deflate a bit and sat down to eat.

Disappointment flooded Corey. He could remember only two days in the last thirty-seven years that he and Kate had not started in each other’s arms. The night she and Stealthlin escorted a group of orphaned children to a neighboring settlement, and the night of the big fire the second year after they arrived. All other nights and mornings found them together. Today he needed her more than ever. He needed to talk to her, look into her loving eyes and know everything was right in the world.
I’ll come home for lunch. We can talk then.

Najwa talked and talked, but Corey heard nothing she said. His mind was occupied with thoughts of beautiful Kate and wondering what urgent business she had with Stealthlin this morning.

KATE WATCHED FROM
Stealthlin’s and Candol’s front window, expecting Corey would run out to find her any moment. She couldn’t believe what Najwa insinuated. No! What she outright said. Corey loved Najwa? How long had this been going on? Who else knew about it? Kate’s face burned with embarrassment.
I’m arrogant. I believed that what Corey and I shared couldn’t be touched.
But the longer he stayed in the house with her, the more Kate had to admit something was going on. If he really cared about Kate’s feelings, he would have rushed out after her. He didn’t. He stayed in Kate’s house with the other woman. Kate burned with jealousy, wondering what they were doing in there for so long.

Candol walked up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Go talk to him, Kate.”

“I can’t.”

“You must.”

“She is in there with him.”

“What? You left him alone with her?”

“I couldn’t stand to be in the same room with her. I couldn’t hear anymore of her hateful words.”

“Come on, we are going to talk to them.”

“No, I can’t. It hurts too bad.” Kate put her face into her hands and cried.

“Oh, Kate.” Candol cradled her friend into her embrace and wept with her.

Stealthlin walked over and wrapped his arms around them. He noticed movement across the street. “I think they’re coming out.”

The girls broke away from him and peered through the curtain. Corey and Najwa walked out the front door. Najwa talked with hands flailing in animation, and they threw their heads back and laughed before they walked down the sidewalk toward the hospital. Corey glanced back over his shoulder and threw a worried glance at Stealthlin’s house, then turned to answer a question that Najwa had asked. Najwa put her hand into the crook of his arm and they sauntered to work.

Kate stared with her mouth a gape. “He’s not even concerned,” she whispered. “He couldn’t care less about my feelings.”

She staggered to a chair and fell into it. “I’m crying my eyes out that our marriage is falling apart and he is laughing and telling jokes with his mistress?” Kate began to shake as though an inner earthquake ripped through her soul.

Candol and Stealthlin knelt down beside her to weather the eruption that had ignited inside their friend.

Stealthlin left for work, confident that Candol would be able to comfort Kate better in his absence. When he got to the security office, he found Tara and Trip ready for their walk through the town. They had immediately volunteered for security detail when they learned he was acting as law enforcement for the village. He was pleased to have them with him and he toured them through the winding streets.

The shops had timber-planked faces and doors but were carved into the purple cliff rock by the laser tools they had brought with them. Solar and wind powered generators were still used during the deep cold of winter and in spurts at the hospital, but Kate insisted that technology be limited and they learn to live off the land as much as possible.

Stealthlin had never known artificial power, so it was no hardship on him nor the many settlers that had joined them.

“We’ve secured several areas with added structural support and keep a watch rotating.” He continued the tour, pointing out weak areas and orienting them to the security needs of the town.

“What is the name of this town?” Tara asked.

“Corey wanted to name it No Sphere Comes Here.”

Tara translated and she and Trip laughed.

“But Candol and I already knew of a town that existed here in the future so we named it Spear Cathair.”

“Clear air,” Tara translated. “Makes sense.” She breathed in the fresh morning air as they gazed across the expanse.

“I guess it means the same thing, really.” Trip chortled. “No spheres in the air, all clear, clear air.”

They stood on the edge of the mountain overlook, their feet crunching in gravel paths as they shifted back and forth, steeping in the contrast of jade evergreens against deep eggplant rock and crevasse. Three silver trickling falls tumbled into the chasm, spilling from the cracks in the twin mountain that rose up across from them.

“In our time, bridges span this gap and the city is built into the caves on both sides. Cheulseti is a two-day ride in that direction,” Stealthlin explained and bounced his palm toward the east.

“That’s pretty close. I’m surprised you don’t have people through here all the time.”

“What people?” Stealthlin asked, brows knitted and eyes taking a faraway sadness. “If they do not find a cure soon, there will be very few people left in Ampeliagia. As it is we have a steady stream of plague victims, who don’t survive long.”

“Corey and Eunavae are a great team. You will see. When they combine their medical expertise, a cure will come.” Tara placed her hand on Stealthlin’s shoulder.

“Come, I will show you the hospital.” Stealthlin turned and escorted them over the rise.

As they entered town, shops and stalls threw wide their doors and curtains, welcoming customers to sample their wares. Elaborate artwork depicting the various merchandise of the vendors decorated the windows and walls. A floral vine wove throughout the drawings uniting the whole village in a unified theme.