by Candace Colt
He'd be happy if all he ever had was a memory of her blue eyes staring straight into his.
And her arms tight around his neck?
"What is—." His words muffled as her lips closed over his. "This?"
Soft, full, lips. Covering his. Sweet from the miruvor, her tongue waltzed with his.
His hands lowered to her hips and pulled her tighter. Her body against his aroused him as it had the night they'd watched the parade.
The poor woman's back was wet with perspiration. He turned her away from the fire, keeping the kiss alive.
In a flash, she pulled away, standing rail straight. Her eyes focused on the wall above him.
What could be wrong? Had she realized her mistake in their embrace?
"You are an archer." She whispered each word.
He glanced at his bow and quiver above the mantle. "Yes. It's quite common for elves, half or not." He gently guided her back to his embrace, but she remained rigid, and distanced.
"I see." She pushed away from him. "Thank you again for the drink. But I must go."
From the porch, he called after her as she ran across the clearing, and disappeared through the portal. But she didn't hear him.
"I told you she was no good." Elle sauntered around from behind the woodpile.
"What are you doing here?"
"Watching out for my brother."
His stomach roiled. "Get away from here. Don't come back. Ever."
"Not before we've had a little drink. I have a mighty thirst for some Mirror Vore."
She pushed past him and went inside the cabin.
His fists tightened into iron balls. How long had she been eavesdropping?
"Damn you, Elle. Damn you."
FOURTEEN
Memories are cruel thieves.
They exist only to steal anything good.
In Echo's driveway, Rachel leaned against the Jaguar, gulping air. Her feet had hardly touched the ground as she raced away from the cabin. The moment with Ian crumbled into dust when she glimpsed the longbow and quiver full of arrows.
In a flash, Rachel's memory had snapped back to the image of her sister falling from the sky. And how the little falcon lay dying with an arrow through her heart.
The day everything changed.
Camping had been her father's idea. A way to bond the family. All Rachel had wanted to do was take an early morning flight with her sister before her brothers and parents woke up.
At first, her sister didn't want to go, but the fresh, crisp morning had lured the teenage girls from their sleep. Against their parents' warning never to shift in a strange place, they'd done it anyway and taken off over the Ocala Forest.
And it had been glorious. The sun had barely risen and there was just enough light to see. They'd chased each other through the trees. Dived at breakneck speed playing chicken, daring to see who would pull up first.
Rachel didn't see the arrow strike. All she knew was her sister was falling. Not in a tight dive. In a spiral, her wings flailing.
It was over so fast her sister never had a chance to shift back to human.
Her gut pulled from opposite directions as it had when she returned to the campsite with the little falcon cradled in her arms.
"Did you hear me? Rachel, what's wrong?"
Rachel tipped her head in the direction of the voice. Echo stood at the top of the Carpe Diem's outside stairs.
"I'm fine," Rachel said.
"You don't look fine. Come up here."
With all the errands still to run, Rachel didn't have much time. But she was too upset to drive.
Inside, Echo gestured to the kitchen table. "Sit yourself down. You look like you saw a ghost."
All it took was Echo's reference to a ghost for Rachel's pent-up grief to cascade in tears.
She didn't cry the day her sister died. Or at the memorial service. Not a single tear, until now.
Echo slipped her arm around Rachel's shoulder. "Honey, let it out. You should have a long time ago. It wasn't your fault."
"But it was. I talked her into it. I should have died. Not her. The arrow grazed me first." She raised the shock of black hair covering her forehead. "I still have the scar."
"You cover it just as you do your true feelings," Echo said.
Rachel spotted Echo's bracelet on the table. Didn't she say it blocked her gift?
"It does. And I hear such a noisy mess inside your head. Put those errands aside. Right now, you need a little time with me."
Echo tapped her finger on her chin as she scanned a cabinet full of small jars of herbs and teas. "Now let's see. Ah, yes. Passionflower."
Echo handed Rachel a box of tissues. They sipped tea in silence, only broken by Rachel's occasional nose blowing.
"I'm so sorry," Rachel said.
"Whatever for?"
"Taking up your time. Bawling like a child. And causing my sister to die," she added in a whisper.
"Healing from grief is gradual. Believe me. I lost my husband in Viet Nam and my daughter, Jess's mother, in a car accident. Most days I'm fine. Out of nowhere sadness consumes me." Echo slipped her blocking bracelet back on. "I'm here with a traditional ear when you need one."
Rachel took a deep breath. Echo was right about healing. But she had too much to do to sit here wallowing in self-pity.
She needed to get back to the Ford's. And to those twins.
In such a short time she'd fallen in love with those little princesses.
And scary as it was, maybe she was falling for a certain half-elf. But after running out on him, would she ever regain his respect?
"You might be surprised at how forgiving he is," Echo said.
"I thought the bracelet—."
"Sometimes it's a lucky guess."
Though her thoughts spun like a cyclone, Rachel managed to finish her errands, and be back in time to cook dinner.
Gratefully, it took Rachel's full concentration to prepare Solange's meal request of braised tenderloins in a red wine reduction, and a broiled Portobello mushroom for Ryan. And have everything on the table at five-thirty.
Once the kitchen was back in order, she went upstairs to the twins' nursery. At this age, babies changed so much so fast, and Rachel found herself anxious every day to see what they'd learned to do next.
In four weeks, Rachel had watched them begin to push themselves up. And simple things triggered their adorable laughter. They were so easy to entertain. And cuddly.
What the heck had come over her?
She'd come into this home with strong feelings about children. And though she wasn't convinced to have her own, these two had cast a spell over her.
Their cherubic faces. Their chubby fingers gripping hers. All of it was beginning to restore her faith in the goodness of the world.
If only life would stay like this.
"I've been looking all over for you." Jess joined Rachel on the floor with the girls. "Guess who I just got off the phone with?"
He'd called here? Rachel shook her head. "I have no idea."
"Ian Hunter, of all people. He said you two talked about co-opting child care. A fantastic idea. He's coming by tomorrow to talk to us. My grandmother thinks he's the brightest star in the sky." Jess looked toward the door and dropped her voice. "Even Solange likes him, by the way."
Jess slanted a twinkled gaze toward her. "He asked if you were okay. Supposedly, you looked a bit peaked when you left. Don't you just love it the way he speaks? Like he's from another time."
"Uh. I'm...I'm not sure what he's talking about." Rachel absently wiped two fingers over her lips and quickly drew them away.
Jess nodded in an assuring way that screamed, Your secret's safe with me.
FIFTEEN
It would be so easy.
Rachel could fly over those trees and be back in human form before anyone reported her egregious violation of the Ellingham rules.
She sipped her morning co
ffee on her small patio and calculated how much time it would take. Shift, two minutes. Catch the wind, another half minute. Make a few passes, four minutes. Back to her patio and shift, three.
No more than ten minutes tops, but she was sure she could cut it down.
Forget it. She wasn't about to risk her job over a cheap thrill.
This was nothing but a fantasy dream to distract her mind. How had Echo phrased it? A noisy mess summed it better than had all the shrinks in Miami.
Ever since she was a kid, her noisy mess got her into massive trouble. And was one reason she was always itching to move on.
Another reason, the longer she stayed in one place, the more time it gave her to think, and to remember. Like it had yesterday.
When she arrived in Nocturne Falls, her intention was to stay two or three months and move on again. It didn't help when her friends sent updates every few days on where they were now; how gorgeous it was; how much fun they were having.
Jess didn't give an exact time when Ian planned to be here this morning. The waiting made it worse. How was Rachel going to explain why she dashed out of his arms like a banshee?
She had no idea why she was compelled to find his cabin. Or initiate the kiss.
She didn't believe in the fulfillment of any universal destiny. She'd given the idea up the day her sister died. People were not destined to meet and fall in love.
And the silly adage for every hand there was a glove to fit it? Total garbage. Acting on an emotional impulse, she'd embraced Ian. Another example of how she didn't 'do' emotion well. There had to be a way to smooth it over with Ian. She didn't want him to think anything sparked between them. Or, she ran away because of anything he did.
Seeing the damn longbow and quiver full of arrows chased her out the door.
~~~
"Holy, shit." Jess opened the front door part way.
She opened the door all the way. "The ponytail. It's gone."
Ian adjusted his shirt collar and dusted his shoulders. "It was time."
After Jess left the way she did, and the confrontation with his insane sister, Ian had spent a long night in reflection.
What purpose did it serve for him to stay rooted in the past? In his case, the long-ago past. He had no intention of adopting every modern convention, but what was the harm in borrowing a few? At least an updated haircut.
"But the ponytail was so you," Jess said.
"Maybe time for a new me."
Jess ushered him inside. "I can't wait to hear what everyone says. Have you been to the Pub yet?"
He shook his head. "Came straight here from Hair Scare. They were a bit shocked when I walked in. At first, they thought I was joking about cutting it off."
"I can only imagine. Who styled it?"
"I was a little nerve-wracked. I can't remember her name. Purple hair. Bangles on her wrists."
"Had to be Amethyst. I love her. She does my hair." Jess cupped her mouth with one hand. "You didn't happen to get a reading from her, did you?"
"No. I don't believe in such things."
"Your red face says otherwise. Her scrying mirror is powerful. Hope she warned you."
"Hocus pocus. Gibberish. Mirrors and such went out with Merlin and the roundtable."
"Oh. I get it. Just like the only elves are those on the shelf at Christmas."
He bristled. "I am a half-elf."
"So, only half of you sits on the shelf?"
"Jess, I believe I am here to discuss the children." And not the images he'd seen in the blasted scrying glass.
"Yes, sir. Right this way." Jess held the door open for him and spotted a package on the porch. "Hey, when did we get a delivery?"
Ian retrieved it and read the mailing label. "For Rachel."
"Isn't this her lucky day." Delight flashed across Jess's face. "Two presents."
"I don't understand."
"She's upstairs with the girls. Just follow your ears."
~~~
"Ladies, please." Rachel covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut. Ten minutes ago, the princesses were delightful little darlings. Now? Two competing sirens.
Something had set one off first. The other looked at her sister and chimed in. Chimed? Lion roar was more like it.
Neither needed a diaper. They'd been fed. What on earth was wrong?
She heard the nursery door open.
Without turning around, Rachel asked, "Jess, what did I do? I checked everything. I've never seen them do this before."
"I'll take one."
Rachel's eyes sprung open and she slid her glance to the deep voice beside her. Ian had a towel over his shoulder and had already lifted one from the crib and gently held her. He nodded for her to take the other.
"One minute they were just fine. Now this," Rachel said.
Ian wiped the slobber off his baby's chin and seized the opportunity to peek inside the wailing child's mouth. "She's teething."
"Huh?" Rachel examined the baby she held. "How can you tell?"
"Look for yourself," he said.
Rachel checked her baby's open mouth. "What do you know? This one has a tooth coming in. A tiny little tooth. Isn't it the cutest thing? But does teething always make them cry like this?"
"Yes. And scare mothers to death with fever. And sometimes they cry so hard—"
Crap. Not again. Rachel didn't take the quarter-second she should have to put a towel over her shoulder.
"…they spill a meal or two." Ian finished his sentence.
No kidding.
He put his child in its crib and popped her teething ring into her waiting mouth. He took Rachel's little charge, toweled her off, and put her into her crib with her teething ring.
Despite a lame attempt to pretend otherwise, Rachel was mortified as she wiped her shoulder and arm. He was so comfortable with this baby thing and must think she was a moron. After a month, shouldn't she be better at this?
Both babies began to wind down the sound effects, peppered now with just short tear bursts. In a couple more minutes, they were quiet.
"How? Just how?" She asked.
"I believe I told you I was the oldest child. I have had a great deal of practice."
"And patience."
"Would you introduce me to them?"
Thank goodness Rachel had learned their names, and a way to tell them apart.
"Ari has a dimple beside her mouth. Cat doesn't. Of course, they have to be in happy baby mode to see those."
Ian and Rachel each took a seat in the two matching rocking chairs.
"Jess is a walking wonder," Rachel said.
"All mothers are whether they have one or a dozen. But I agree Jess has a special knack."
After a few minutes, Rachel whispered, "They're asleep."
"A momentary reprieve. Enjoy it," he said.
She turned to him. The 'thank you' she owed him, froze in her throat.
"What the hell happened to your hair?" She clamped a hand over her mouth though she suspected the sleeping babies had no idea about swearing, yet.
"It took you long enough to notice."
She walked around him to inspect the newly shorn locks. The stylist was superb. He'd transformed. She didn't like to admit this, but he was even more attractive.
Ah ha and oh my God melded into one embarrassing, "Wow".
"I hope you approve." A pink blush coated his cheeks.
She wasn't sure why he'd need her approval, other than their kiss meant a lot more to him than she'd reckoned.
Gobsmack. She still had a lot to learn about elves, but somewhere she'd heard a story about how a kiss was like engagement. Oh shit.
"It's a very nice cut. I must say, though, I miss the ponytail. It was kinda cute," she said.
"I was ready for something more modern. And the Hair Scare ladies will donate my hair to a wig making place for ill people. I had never heard of such things."
Such things, indeed. J
ess was right about his way of speaking.
The babies were still sawing logs so Rachel decided to break the ice.
"Ian, about yesterday. I led you on and ran away like a wild woman."
She waited for him to interject something, anything. Throw her a bone. Instead, he stared at her with those mesmerizing eyes.
"There are many things about me you don't know," he said.
Why did she wish the babies would start those engines again? She wasn't sure she wanted to hear any more.
"I am half-human and half-elf. It is difficult to walk in two worlds, especially since my elf bloodline goes back centuries."
Rachel wanted to jump up and do high fives with the next person who walked through the door. He was about to tell her where he was from.
He continued. "I cannot escape my elf behavior. Or my beliefs or my abilities any more than I can change my eyes or ears. Before I came to Nocturne Falls, life was hard. Here I am not judged. It is most empowering."
So true. Nowhere had she lived where other falcons married anyone they wanted, even psychics. Or where anyone bought pastries from a vampire, a hamburger from a wolf. Or kissed an elf.
"Cutting my hair was a big step." He tapped the tips of his ears. "Let the world see these. I will no longer hide who I am. Yesterday when you came to my home, you brought in life. You made me realize I was living inside my coffin. I will forever be grateful."
Rachel's noisy mess mind quieted for the first time in her life as those words took hold.
"I want us to remain good friends. And I think you and I will be great partners in this babysitting adventure."
She rotated her head in a slow circle. "Right. Great partners."
He didn't say anything about the kiss.
Was she relieved? Or disappointed?
SIXTEEN
Surprises come in small packages.
"Oh, I forgot something." Ian went outside the nursery to get Rachel's express mail envelope, and handed it to her.
The return address was Scotland.
"From friends," she said. Friends who continued to tempt her with photos and texts. Her heart tugged a little more with each darn reminder.
"These seals are awful," she said.