Deklan crossed over to the window sill where he left that ring. It released a faint chime as he scooped it from the stone ledge. He looked at it lying in the palm of his hand. “With this ring, I will find him,” he said, holding out his hand to show Jedidiah the unique ring and to prove his story was authentic.
“Then you need to find him,” Jedidiah bluntly said after hearing the sting in Deklan’s voice. “I’ll help you.”
“That would mean a lot to me, Jedidiah,” Deklan replied. “I’d like to get started straightaway, since my parents had already started organizing my wedding and are planning to have me married by the end of the week.”
“That soon? Then let’s get started tomorrow morning,” Jedidiah agreed. “Nice ring. It looks rare.” He pointed at it just as Deklan slipped it onto his middle finger.
The plan spinning in Deklan’s head was to search for the man the ring belonged to. It had to fit somebody in the village, and he was going to slip it on every finger until he found the person who had worn it.
Chapter 14
Morning had come and Oakland slept past the rooster’s crow that had bawled at the crack of dawn. What all the animals in the carriage house seemed to have wanted, and he hadn’t, was to get up and start the new day.
An animal’s life seemed simple. Their day was all about eating, sleeping and pooping. That circle had gone on all day and every day. Animals had a profound way of living. To them, life would go on with or without them, and they didn’t seem to have any phobias about how their neighbor lived, unless however, there were food chain issues, then that would be a different scenario all together, but still—
Oakland’s bed felt extra cozy that morning, making it ten times more difficult to get up and start the day. Even though it was only a few minutes past his usual time to rise and shine, it still seemed comforting to lie quietly in the realm of his feathery bed-wrap.
He pushed the cat away with a gentle swish of an arm, giving himself an open spot to swing his legs over the side of the bed to sit. His late rising might have already sparked the kitchen staffs interest in blasting their vengeful vocal horns at him.
During the few spare moments Oakland had, his mind traveled back in time to the night he felt like the prince of a Prince. Oh what a feeling. He wished for the day he’d share Deklan’s bed instead of sleeping in the hayloft with chickens, goats and a stray kitty cat. The warmth of another man’s body against his had always charmed him, and when he thought of Deklan, he wanted it more.
Dancing merrily down the wooden plank, Oakland sung to the happy memories of a treasured night gone by. He swung the door open and stepped outside, the sun shone down, which helped brighten his day. If there were vocals to his song, he’d have sung, “I want him. I need him. I’d do anything to have him.”
Then, as if thunder had cracked the sky, his whistle and his tune had been instantly cut short. His heart missed a few beats and he thought he stopped breathing when he saw his Prince on the grounds with another gentleman who resembled himself. He blinked to get a second look, making sure he was seeing what he thought he’d seen.
Was Deklan thinking that person was him or was it just new help joining the manor? Where had that man come from?
Oakland stepped backward into the shadows of his home and closed the door, instantly turning sorrow blue from the gloom he suddenly felt. He couldn’t help hold back his misguided feelings and regretted the way he’d left conditions between them the other night by running away so abruptly. If it hadn’t been for that silly midnight rule, the circumstances might have played out differently for the two of them—he’d have been the one standing with Deklan at that moment, not that other man.
If it was Oakland’s right or not, he’d avidly put claim on a man who wasn’t his, but… after all that transpired at the celebration, it made him believe Deklan was. He immediately connected with him that magical night, quite a bit more than those evenings at the clover field and the river. Oakland had felt it, and he knew Deklan had sensed it too. The mirror man was absolutely correct when he said he’d know his soul mate when they had come face to face. That certainly had happened, however, the part that wasn’t mentioned was how tough it would be when midnight struck.
Facing the inescapable, Oakland had gone back outside and made a bee line for the chicken coop to gather the eggs he was expected to bring to the kitchen every morning.
When Oakland reached the hen house, he turned back briefly and saw the two men were still standing at the front entrance, waiting or simply talking. He stood watching—secretly—like he was spying on what was not his business. A flash of light beamed sharply from Deklan’s finger and spiked Oakland right in the eye. He couldn’t look away as if the ray was drawing him in. Oakland blinked, spots that burned into his retina floated across his line of vision. Soon after the spots had disappeared, a horse carriage pulled up to the front of the house and Deklan helped the strange man into the seat.
What was going on and where were they off to?
Oakland hoped Deklan wasn’t thinking that man was him—that would surly impose on the connection he had with the Prince. Deklan must have known or sensed the man he was getting into that carriage with wasn’t him. Two connected souls knew those things. Oakland was normally a gentle person, but that day he experienced a heightened distraught streak and he unconsciously gripped an egg and squashed it. He shook away the goop. “Smart.”
That morning, Oakland rushed through his chores in half the time it had normally taken. He was eager to dash for the clover field to see if the two of them had gone there. It was where he and Deklan continued running into one another, and he figured it might be where Deklan was taking the man. The obsessive side of Oakland had kicked in and he wanted to make sure his soul mate wasn’t kissing the wrong man. He was fixated on Deklan. The few times they had met in the fields and at the river were splendid, but the night of the birthday event sealed the treaty and surely Oakland had to have been Deklan’s favorite gift of the evening.
The suit Oakland had on that night had disguised the real person he was, and deep down he wished he’d never worn it, but if he hadn’t, perhaps the night would have turned out other than it had.
The scenario played over and over in Oakland’s mind. The night of the gathering. The sweet dance under moonlight. The sensual kiss. The bell that resulted in dissolving clothing. Then the carriage ride with an unknown lad that should’ve been him. His stomach groaned, releasing an ugly noise.
Oakland couldn’t wait another moment. He needed to find out what Deklan and that character were up to. He spun away, running as fast as I could for the clover field, found his favorite tree and climbed it. He sat on the usual branch, legs dangling over each side and waited for the two of them to arrive.
It felt like an hour, but was only creeping in on a few minutes. It had become obvious to Oakland they weren’t planning a picnic in the clover field or taking time out of their morning to pick apples and pears.
Oakland reclined against the trunk of the tree, plucked the nearest pear and had taken an angry bite out of it. The flavor as usual had comforted him. The growling in his stomach stopped, but the ache in his chest had not.
Was he being silly for thinking the two of them were beginning an affair?
When a heart knows what it wants, there’s no stopping the way it feels.
Chapter 15
Jedidiah and Deklan rode through town on a journey to find the man who was the other half to Deklan’s soul. Deklan had felt it, and during the ride, told Jedidiah all about it.
Oakland was the one Deklan had found a connection with, not Jedidiah, his longtime friend, and certainly not with any of the ladies who had pushed themselves on him at the birthday celebration. He hoped Oakland was out there somewhere—waiting—or perhaps thinking about looking for him as well.
During the search, the first stop was a quiet place outside of town. It was secluded away from everything, making it seem as though it would be the winning choice for
his soul mate to be hiding since the home seemed to have appeared out of nowhere the same way Oakland had that night. The house was interestingly odd and he couldn’t remember ever seeing it before.
The weather beaten house was pretty much rundown with faded clapboard siding that desperately needed a fresh coat of color and a rooftop that required repair. By the look of the dry curling roof tiles, water must have leaked through to the inside during every bout of rain.
Their carriage stopped in front of the dilapidated old house where both Deklan and Jedidiah had gotten out. They crept to the front door, stepping around overgrown weeds and swatting at flies and bees along the way.
Deklan glanced over at Jedidiah with a face drowning in apprehension, deep down hoping that the man he met wasn’t living in the place in front of them. He made it a point not to judge by exterior appearance alone, but the place was mad.
Just as he thought that, a chubby black man had come to the door wearing a wooly shirt and suspenders that held up his great big pants. He stood the same way Oakland had, thumbs tucked behind the buckles at the waistline. A positive sign they were at the right place. Might the man have that son Deklan was looking for?
“Hello Sir,” Deklan announced, fingers crossed with hopes he was at the wrong home and the ring holder was not tucked away someplace inside.
Choking out a pipe smoker’s hello, followed by “what do you want,” the large round man tightly held the rickety door so it wouldn’t blow away in the gentle breeze.
“Gracious greetings, kind sir,” Jedidiah had spoken. “Hope we aren’t disturbing you, but we are seeking out a friend of ours that might be in the neighborhood. Do you live here alone?”
“No one here ‘sept me,” the big man answered, sounding as though he missed out on most of his education. “’Tis strange that yer friend didn’t tell ya where he was goin’.”
Deklan stepped forward and added, “He left in a bit of a hurry, sir. Sorry to bother you and we will be taking up no more of your time.”
“Not a problem.” The big man smiled. His grapy grin glowed brightly in the dingy doorway. “Good luck to ya feller’s in findin’ yer friend.” He let the door go and the spring loaded hinge snapped it back in place with a wobbly bang.
As swift as a fly changes direction, Deklan and Jedidiah stepped out of the way of the swinging door to avoid being swept inside the house.
“Thank you, sir.” Jedidiah nodded, backing up a few more steps.
Seated back in the carriage, Deklan snapped the reigns, insisting the horse move toward town. “One down. I wonder how many more we’ll come upon like that before we find my man,” he muttered.
“Prepare yourself. I’m sure there will be a few just like that.” Jedidiah nudged Deklan. “Look there. Pull over.” He pointed at another house tucked away on a wooded lot. That one looked as though it wasn’t in need of as much repair as the last, but still was begging for a little tender love and care.
“This looks quaint.” Deklan cast a cautious eye over Jedidiah’s shoulder at the gray house.
The place was in decent shape other than a few spots of dust forming on the trim work and its leaf stained rooftop. At least the drive to the front door was maintained a little better than the previous stop-off, making it a solid choice for being the pathway to the home.
They stepped up to the front door and Deklan knocked.
Nobody showed up. He knocked again.
Jedidiah cupped his hands around his eyes and pressed his forehead tightly to the window pane. It was his meek attempt at peeking inside to catch a glimpse of who or what might be coming to greet them at the door.
Nobody, still. Deklan knocked again. Harder that time.
After the third knock, they turned away.
Then, the door knob rattled.
Deklan turned back first, followed by Jedidiah.
Anticipation started Deklan’s heart pounding. He had a strong feeling they were at the home of his enchanted mate gone lost.
They waited for the door to open. When it had, a young man stood in front of them. Tall. Dark. A little tattered, but that made him uniquely handsome. His open shirt wavered in the wind, showing off his broad chest made strong by hard labor. His gray eyes shone brightly against his dark caramel skin tone and his deep quiet voice sounded pure. “Hello there,” he greeted them. “Anything I can help you with today?” The man’s expression even seemed as nervous as Deklan was.
For a second, Deklan and Jedidiah stood there in front of the man, their blank stares giving up no clue why they were there. Deklan glanced at Jedidiah who had then glimpsed back.
The man stood in the doorway and asked again, “Can I help the two of you?”
Could it be?
Deklan wasn’t sure if the guy in front of him was his mystery man just yet. There were a lot of similarities from what he could remember, however, it was dark that night and the costume difference had made it difficult to tell if he was really Oakland.
Jedidiah stepped forward first, eluding the discomfort of the unexpected encounter. Quickly thinking, he made up an introduction that sounded legitimate. “We have come in gracious greetings to thank you for your visit to the Royal’s birthday celebration a few nights back. Did you enjoy yourself?”
The man’s face displayed certain signs of confusion. “I’m sorry, I hadn’t attended any event recently and I don’t think my brother had either. Are you sure you have the right house?”
Deklan’s heart slowed as he observed the man’s hands. They were quite swollen from what appeared to have been overworked, and his knuckles were surly too large for accepting a ring unless it was bigger than the magical one he had circling his middle finger. “We are terribly sorry to trouble you. We must have the wrong address. Our purpose was to pass on our personal gratitude to those who had attended. Please excuse our intrusion.”
The man remained cordial. “It made for a nice break in the day. Please know it was not any trouble at all.”
“You say you have a brother?” Jedidiah interrupted.
Just as Jedidiah asked, a call echoed from inside the house and footsteps followed. “Who’s here?”
Before the man standing in the doorway could answer, the voice from behind him stepped into view. He stood beside his bigger brother looking just as handsome to Deklan, causing his heart to race all over again. Wind furrowed over his brow as if some sort of magical sign just presented itself.
Could this be who he was looking for?
Deklan noticed the man’s hands while watching him button up his linen shirt. They looked to be the right size, but trying the ring on would only get him closer to the truth.
“Is there something we can do for you?” the younger man asked, pressing his brown hands down the front of his shirt, presumably trying to iron any visible wrinkles flat.
In a nonthreatening manner, Jedidiah moved his hands behind his back and linked them together. “We are looking to find the person who lost a ring at a recent event and we’d like to return it. It appears to hold some value and it wouldn’t be right if we didn’t get it back to the rightful owner. Did either of you lose a ring recently?”
Deklan shakily held out his hand as Jedidiah reached for it blindly.
The two men admired the glistening jewelry piece. As they had, Deklan twisted the ring from his finger and held out a hand for the younger man to take it. If the ring was going to fit either of the two chaps, it would have been him.
“Go ahead,” the older brother insisted, pushing his younger brother’s hand toward Deklan’s. “It looks like yours,” he might have been lying.
The younger brother hesitated while the older brother grabbed the ring and tried forcing it onto his own smallest finger. Even pushing with extreme force, it wouldn’t fit past the man’s second knuckle. Besides, he had already admitted he wasn’t at the Royal’s party a few minutes before his brother showed up with smaller hands.
The younger man held his hand out, fingernails up, motioning Deklan to
place the ring on his finger as if it was a proposal.
It seemed to be a longshot, but Deklan had gone through the fitting anyway, noticing the man’s hands were gentle to the touch, bringing back memories of the night he held Oakland’s at the garden. He hesitated a moment, rotating the ring between his fingers as if a feeling had come over him that he had the wrong guy. But he went ahead and placed it onto the young man’s ring finger where he remembered it had come from. It fit loosely and had nearly fallen off.
The handsome young man lifted his hand upward into view and switched the ring from the finger it was on to his thumb. “Perfect,” he said. “You have found the owner.”
Disappointed those two good looking men could be so dishonest had Deklan more than disturbed. He held out his hand to retrieve the ring. “I am sorry, but that is a promise ring and belongs on somebody else’s ring finger. May I have it back please?”
The young man pulled the ring off his finger and placed it gently into Deklan’s open palm. “Not mine,” was all he said as he quietly turned away.
Before the older brother had a chance to close the door, Jedidiah and Deklan moved away quickly as if they were two mice being stared at by a cat.
They continued going from one home to another throughout the afternoon, hopeful, as well as desperate, to find the person who owned that ring. The day was physically and mentally exhausting. Nobody seemed to match or connect with Deklan’s soul the way it had at the celebration, nor had the ring fit any of the men they visited. Or at least the ring hadn’t brought about the magic he was expecting when it was slipped on any of those fingers.
“After the next visit, let’s call it a day. Please!” Jedidiah begged. “There’s always tomorrow.”
Glowering, Deklan agreed. He was getting worn out as well. “One more stop?”
The final visit of the day was high on a hilltop with a long drive lined with juniper trees. The pine scent was evident and filled the air all around them.
The Prince of Almond Manor Page 8