Pearl took a deep breath, before letting it all spill out. “I’m afraid, Ty. And I don’t like it. I haven’t been afraid since I was a little kid, and I swore I’d never be afraid again.”
“Of what, love?” Ty asked.
Pearl sat up, spinning around to face him. “Of that! That right there!”
Ty gently lifted himself up and instinctively Pearl reached over him and plumped his pillows so he’d have something to lean against with his wound. Surely it had to be sore… Ty settled back against the pillows, smiling slightly at her need to care for him though she made sure to act like she wasn’t emotionally invested.
“I don’t understand,” Ty said, feigning ignorance to get her to open up to him. He knew full well she was terrified of committing to a week, much less a lifetime, but he refused to let her go.
“That love thing you so carelessly fling around. And the eternity and mates stuff! How can anyone have any kind of faith in that? People are not monogamous by nature, we’re just not! It’s a fallacy developed by men to control society. You buy into that crap and the first thing you know… Bam! Broken heart, shattered life! Well, noooo thank you! Not me, buddy. I’m just fine on my own,” Pearl finished up, shaking her head and snatching her side of the covers up and tucking them in around her waist to give her nervous hands something to do.
“I buy into that crap fully.”
Pearl stopped tucking in her covers and her brow wrinkled. She wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that.
“I’m not saying you can spend forever with someone just because you decide, ‘this person is my mate’. But what I am saying is that when a female is truly yours — you know. You feel it. And no other will ever turn your head, because to your heart, to your soul, there is no other in existence. That female fills in all the emptiness and the longing you battled all your life. Your souls become one. Your heart lives in her and hers lives in you. Neither can exist without the other. And you’re not weaker because of it.”
“You’re not?” Pearl asked, breathlessly.
“No, you’re not. You’re stronger because of it. Now you’ve got the strength of two beings functioning as one. Standing one against the other, an impenetrable fortress of safe haven.”
“And what if it falls?” Pearl asked.
“It won’t. We will certainly have arguments. Disagreements. Days you want to throw me into the catacombs and have our soldiers seal up the opening. And I’m more than sure that I’ll tie you to this bed and gag you from time to time just to make you be quiet.”
Pearl spun on him, glaring at him.
Ty smiled at her despite her murderous glare. “But you know what? You’ll always come back to let me out of the catacombs, and I’ll always come back and untie you. Because you are what keeps me grounded, what gives me reason. Everything I do is for your safety and well-being. Simply keeping this colony safe and secure is for your well-being.”
“What if I get tired of being down here?” she asked.
“Go visit your sister, or your family. I have faith in you, Pearl. I know you’ll come back in just a short while.”
“You do?”
“I do.”
“How?” she asked, truly stunned to find out that he trusted her.
“Because I love you. And I believe you love me. You’re just afraid, but soon you’ll see that I’m safe. I’m yours. And I’m going nowhere.”
Pearl, big bad Pearl, with her tattoos and her piercings started to silently cry. Tears slipped down her face.
“No tears, my love!” Ty said trying to sit up to better reach her.
Pearl held out her hand and as soon as he grasped it, she pulled him the rest of the way into a sitting position.
“Why are you crying?” he asked softly, gathering her to him with his good arm.
“Because I can’t feel like you do,” she answered.
“What?” he asked. “I don’t understand what you mean.”
Pearl leaned away from him just enough to look into his eyes. “I don’t know how to love. Ruby and I were raised by nannies. Our parents never gave us any kind of attention other than criticism. I don’t know how to love like you do.”
Tyrisey smiled. “Sure you do. You love Ruby, it’s apparent that you do.”
“Well, yes, but she’s my sister. Not my man. What if I fuck this up?” she asked.
He gathered her close again. “I was raised by my grandfather and several of the women he assigned to look after me. Do you honestly think I was ever shown any love?”
Pearl shook her head. “No. I don’t.”
“All I know is that I can’t proceed in life without you. You’re my life. And knowing how to love? All I’m going to do is to treat you the way I want you to treat me. And make every single decision I have to make based on what would be best for you.”
Pearl looked up into his eyes. “I can do that!”
“I know you can.”
“I want to be with you. But I’m still gonna get freaked out from time to time,” she confided.
“Probably a bit more often than from time to time,” he agreed.
Pearl chuckled. “Probably.”
“We’ll learn together. Yes?” Ty asked.
“Yes! We’ll learn together.”
<<<<<<<>>>>>>>
Jaime and Ruby lay in a surprisingly comfortable bed of quilts and blankets spread across a stone hewn pedestal in their private chamber.
“I can’t believe they made us a bed so quickly,” Ruby said, snuggled against Jaime’s side.
“I told them we could just as easily head home tonight, but Ty insisted we stay,” Jaime answered.
“You don’t like it here,” she said, a question delivered more like a statement.
“No, I don’t. I mean, I’m happy for them. I’m glad they’ll have a chance at a better life, and I know Ty will do right by them. But they’re his people, not mine. He was raised among them, he knows and understands their customs and the reasons they do things as they do. All I see is the place that threw me out into the desert to die.”
“I’m sure no one here was responsible. Surely, it was your grandfather who did that.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. But I’m having a hard time separating this place from him.”
Ruby raised up, partially leaning across Jaime’s chest to look down into his face. “Then tomorrow we go home. And we get on with our lives. When Ty needs us, we’ll do what we have to. When he doesn’t, we have our own lives to see to.”
“Yes! First thing in the morning, we go home!”
Ruby took a deep breath, sighing. “Glad that’s settled,” she said, relaxing.
“What about Pearl?” Jaime asked. “Don’t you want to be near Pearl more often?”
Ruby laughed. “Do you really think Ty or anyone else is going to stop Pearl from doing whatever, whenever she wants? She’ll be around all the time.”
“You’re right. I’m pretty sure she’s uncontrollable.”
“She is. But she’s got a heart of gold, too. I saw her earlier tonight, in the orphanage, rocking one of the kids on her lap while she read aloud to them. She’ll certainly keep Ty on his toes, but she’ll do good things here in her own way.”
“They need a fresh outlook. They’ll be lucky to have her.”
“Agreed.”
“You think she’ll stay at Ty’s side? She’s acting all large and in charge, but when someone refers to her as Ty’s mate, she gets this cold, terrified look in her eye,” Jaime said.
“I think she will. She’s even more afraid of commitment than I am. But, you Claremont boys seem to have a way around that,” Ruby teased.
“Yeah, we are pretty good looking, you know,” he teased back.
“Ya think so?”
“Oh, yeah, I hear we’re like sex-on-a-stick,” he taunted, totally straight-faced.
“Who told you that? Pearl told you that, didn’t she?” Ruby accused, sitting straight up in bed.
Jaime laughed, pullin
g her down on top of him and rolling them over.
“I’m gonna hit her,” Ruby declared, while Jaime laughed at her embarrassment.
“Nah, don’t be mad. I am pretty sexy,” he chuckled.
Ruby sobered and looked at him sincerely, all semblance of teasing gone. “I do love you, Jaime. I’m not gonna lie and tell you I’m not terrified and that I won’t try to talk myself out of making a life here with you several times. But despite the fear, I just can’t walk away from you. This feels right. This is home, wherever you are is home.”
“I love you, too. I’ll make you happy, Ruby, I promise. I’m sure some days you’ll want to shoot me. But I’m yours, only yours, through and through. I’ll always stand by you, I’ll always love you, and I’ll always put you first in everything.”
Ruby smiled with tears in her eyes. “I guess we’re doing this then…”
“There ain’t no guess, baby, we did!” he said, running his fingers over the tiny scars his teeth had left on her skin.
Ruby shivered and stroked her own fingers across the much larger scar her human teeth had left on him.
Jaime rumbled deep inside at her touch. He lowered his mouth to hers and suckled her lip.
“Want to make a happy memory of this place?” she murmured seductively, swiping her tongue across the lip he’d just suckled to take in as much of his taste as she could.
“Oh, hell yeah,” Jaime said, his voice deep having dropped an octave with his arousal. He slid his hands down her body as he went in for another kiss.
“Hold on, baby, I’m going to remind you of why you first smiled at me.”
“And why was that, again?” she asked flirtatiously.
“Sex-On-a-Stick, baby. Sex-On-a-Stick,” he answered, ducking his head beneath the covers.
Epilogue
Ruby sat in the back booth of the diner, her laptop open, papers spread all across the table she worked on. She was deep in thought, pausing in her tapping of the keys on her laptop to grab a pencil and scratch through notes on scraps of paper or to make notes on fresh sheets.
Suddenly a plate was placed in her field of vision. She looked at the plate, then up at the person who’d placed it there. “Thanks, Mildred. Sometimes I forget to eat.”
“I know, girl. That’s why I’m feeding you.”
Ruby reached for her meatloaf sandwich and sat back, taking a bite and closing her eyes. “Still the best thing you make,” she said around a mouthful.
“I make it just for you, ya know?” Mildred admitted.
Ruby opened her eyes, and smiled at Jaime’s aunt, her aunt now. “I do. And I love ya for it.”
“Is that the only reason?” she asked, pretending to be offended.
“Well, of course, what other reason would there be?” Ruby teased.
Mildred laughed. “How’s the dissertation coming, hon?” she asked.
“It’s really coming along well. It’s good! It’s so good! I think I’m gonna get honors for this and maybe even get it published!” Ruby gushed.
“You might. I wouldn’t be surprised at all,” Mildred said.
“Nobody, I mean, nobody, has ever gotten to witness firsthand a living bat colony this way! And I got pictures and everything! I’ve documented and charted, and oh my gosh! I’m just so thankful to Ty. I couldn’t have done it without him.”
“It was very kind of him to take you on those expeditions in the smaller bat caves out by Jaime’s place.”
“It really was. And with him with me, they weren’t afraid of me, so I got to really experience it in a way no one else ever could.”
“I’m happy for you, Ruby.”
“Thank you, Mildred.”
“You’re welcome. Now, eat that sandwich, feed that baby, or I’m gonna tell Jaime you skipped another meal.”
“I’m eating, I’m eating!” Ruby answered.
The bell over the door signaled another customer and Mildred turned around to welcome them.
“I knew it! I knew you’d have those meatloaf sandwiches today!” Pearl called out, waddling over toward them.
“What do you mean today? Since ya’ll got pregnant, I have to make them every single day or one of you is complaining about starving!” Mildred laughed while answering her.
Pearl finally made it to the table and slid awkwardly into the seat across from Ruby. “I’m miserable,” she announced.
“Me, too,” Ruby agreed.
“Can’t believe I let him get me pregnant,” Pearl grouched.
“Well, I can’t go that far, but yeah, I’m definitely rethinking my decision about now,” Ruby said, popping the last of her sandwich into her mouth.
“How’s your house coming?” Pearl asked.
“Almost done with it. It’s really nice. You want to take a walk when we’re done and see it?”
“Can’t walk that far,” Pearl said, while Mildred slid Pearl’s sandwich in front of her. “Oh my god, isn’t this just the most amazing thing?” Pearl asked, as she took a huge bite.
“It is,” Ruby agreed. “Can I have another half,” Ruby called across the diner, then grinned when she saw Mildred headed their way with a plate for her.
“Already got you, girl.”
“You mean to tell me you can’t walk a block? Not one single block?” Ruby asked.
“It’s more than a block!”
“No, it’s not! It’s just right down the street!”
“It’s more like two blocks. And it’s hot and I’m tired.”
“Hmpf,” Ruby answered.
“If you drive, I’ll go see it.”
“Okay. I’ll drive.”
The bell dinged again and Ruby looked up to see Clarence headed their way.
“Evening, ladies. Don’t suppose either of your men is nearby?”
“No,” Ruby answered. “Jaime was finishing up a transmission. He should be here shortly, though. Why?”
“We found something. Something out in the desert. I think they should be there before we go any further.”
“Ty should be with Jaime. He dropped me off before heading out that way,” Pearl said. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, but maybe you should call them,” Clarence said.
“On it already,” Ruby answered, putting her phone to her ear.
A few minutes later she smiled, then spoke. “Hey, baby. Do you think you could come by the diner?”
She paused then spoke again.
“No, I think you need to come now. And bring Ty.”
She listened to Jaime on the other end for a second then answered him.
“I’m okay, don’t get all worried. Clarence is here; he wants, or needs to talk to you both.”
She smiled again.
“Love you.”
She ended the call then looked at Clarence. “They’re on their way.”
“What’s going on, Clarence?” Mildred asked.
“Let’s just wait for the boys to get here, then I’ll tell everybody at once.”
It was awkwardly quiet while they waited the ten minutes it took Jaime and Ty to get there from Jaime’s mechanic shop.
They hit the door running, afraid that something was wrong with either of their women. Both were pregnant and about ready to pop, but Pearl more so than Ruby. Ruby still had a few months left, where Pearl was due any day.
“What’s going on?” Jaime asked, hurrying to his wife’s side.
“Are you okay?” Ty asked, squatting down beside Pearl’s chair.
She nodded, showing him her meatloaf sandwich. “Umhmm,” she confirmed. “I’m fine. Look, told you they’d have meatloaf sandwiches today.” She grinned at him as she took a bite.
Ty smiled, shaking his head. “They have them everyday, love.”
“Yeah, I know. Isn’t it wonderful?” she asked.
“I didn’t mean to inconvenience ya'll or anything. But we was out by the colony, putting in water lines so’s ya’ll could have hot and cold running water like you asked, Ty.”
“
Yes,” Ty acknowledged.
“And we found something.”
Ty got to his feet. “What did you find?”
Clarence hesitated. He snatched his hat off his head and wrung it in his hands. He looked over at Mildred, then each of the boys. “We think it’s your parents,” he finally said quietly.
Both Ty and Jaime were speechless.
Mildred’s hand flew up to her mouth. “Oh my goodness! Where? Where are they?”
“Where?” Jaime finally asked, his voice jagged with his emotions.
“Near where I found you when you was a baby. We were digging with the backhoe back behind the main hill, behind the spire and the main entrance to the colony. Suddenly the ground beneath us started to sift away, kind of like an hourglass, as if the sand was falling away. Backhoe almost fell through to the hollow underneath, but we was able to slam it into reverse and back it far enough away to be safe. Looked down into the pit we found. There’s two skeletons, holding each other. The bigger one — I’m guessing it’s your dad — has broken torn nails. There’s a broken knife at his side. Looks like he chipped away at the rocks above him til he made a hole big enough.”
“Big enough for what?” Jaime asked.
“Big enough to slip you through so’s you’d have a chance and not die down there with them.”
“Why do you think it’s our parents? That’s where the catacombs are, it could be anyone,” Ty asked.
Clarence winced and smiled sadly. “True. But I found this.” He reached into his shirt and pulled out a ratty, old torn baby blanket. “This was snagged on some of the rocks down there. I think he tried to shove Jaime through the opening, and the blanket got snagged on some sharp edges he made while trying to dig out enough space to fit him through.”
Mildred took the blanket from Clarence. “That would make sense with the scratches and cuts we found on Jaime’s little body. This was yours,” she said to Jaime. “I made it for you, I’d recognize it anywhere. And Tyrisey had one, too. Yours had a J on it and Ty’s had a T.”
“I want to see them,” Jaime and Tyrisey said, almost in unison.
“Come on, then. Francis is standing guard to be sure no one disturbs the area until you can get there. The rest of the crew is taking a long lunch.”
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