by Vella Day
It really bothered her that she never had a vision about the Changelings breaking into Kalan’s house.
Wanting to test her powers, she stared at the cell phone then whipped her hand in front of it. When it moved two inches, she sagged against the seat. At least, she hadn’t lost all of her abilities.
Kip replaced the phone in the center of the table. “Let us know, Kalan, what you find out. Sorry this happened. I’ll give Connor and Jackson a heads up.”
“I already called my brother.”
“Then I’ll contact Connor.”
Kip swiped off the speaker, and he and Kalan chatted about logistics. By the time the call ended, her food was cold, but she’d lost her appetite anyway.
Without saying anything, Kip stood and placed his dishes in the sink. “I think we need to set up security alarms in your house.”
“You heard Kalan. The Changelings need time to regroup. Without the sardonyx, could they even use my magic?” An alarm system would cost a lot and use up most of her savings. It didn’t matter if Kip could get her a discount or not. “Besides, this is the Cove, remember? Crime doesn’t happen here.”
“Did you forget about the attack on Randy?”
“Oh, yeah.” Izzy’s stalker had also come to the Cove to do her harm.
He stroked her cheek. “I want you safe. Things can be replaced, but your magic cannot.”
“If you’re here, we should be good, right?”
He returned to the table and grabbed the empty bowl that had contained the meatballs and set it in the sink. “I’m not sure how effective I would be against a couple of werewolves. They got the drop on Randy. If one attacks me and the other tries to grab you, I’m not sure who would win.”
Chills raced up her spine. “Way to scare me.”
Kip walked around the table, pulled her to her feet, and then hugged her. “I can’t lose you.”
That was what she’d told herself about him after her premonitions. “You won’t.” She looked up at Kip, needing to talk about something other than her attack. “Why do you think I didn’t have an inkling that something like this break-in would happen at Kalan’s?”
He dragged a knuckle down her cheek. “Maybe you have enough to deal with. You know how people say you are given only what you can handle? Maybe that’s what’s happening now.”
He had a point. “I was pretty traumatized when I thought someone was after you.” She had truly been on overload.
Kip held her tight. “Before it gets too late, we should head on over to my place since I need to pack. Right now I want to kiss you so bad, but we might not stop and then leave here too late, and I don’t want to wake up anyone at the house.”
It wasn’t even nine p.m. “You wish you could last a few hours.”
He tapped her nose. “Look who’s talking.”
He had a point.
“I’m ready when you are,” she said. “I’ll wash the dishes when we return.” Teagan had been tempted to say she’d stay there and do the dishes, but Kip would never go for it. In truth, she didn’t want to leave his side.
She wasn’t naïve enough to believe her attacker would give up so easily. “When that man put his hand over my mouth, we were less than twenty feet from the sidewalk. Where do you think my attacker planned to take me?” The restaurant was on Main Street, and he had to realize people would be within sight.
“He might have parked in back, and when he spotted me, decided to go around another way.”
It was possible, but not likely. “He’d have no way of knowing you’d go back to the truck for my sweater though.”
“True. It’s a long shot, but maybe Connor can check out the lot for any cars still parked there. The man might have been too injured to drive. Connor can then have Kalan run the plates to see if the owner lives in the hills.” He dialed his boss’s number. Once Connor answered, Kip explained what happened to both her and Kalan. Kip nodded and then paced while he listened to Connor’s response. “Do me a favor? Go to the back of the restaurant and see if maybe the guy left his car there. Most likely he’s picked it up already, but who knows? Let me know what you find out.” Kip faced her. “Everything that can be done is being done. Now we wait.”
Chapter Ten
‡
The next morning, Kip insisted on following Teagan to work to make sure no harm came to her. He told her he would have kept watch outside the spa for a while, but he had a conference at nine with Kalan, Rye, and three of the other men who worked at McKinnon and Associates. Because of the seriousness of the theft, Devon McKinnon had returned to town to help. Kip left only after she’d entered the spa and waved to say all was good.
It was times like these that Teagan wished Izzy had remained working there. Even though she’d lost some of her magic, she could do some serious harm to an intruder.
Close to ten, Uncle Len strolled into the spa, and Teagan could guess why he’d shown up—to make sure no one had tried to grab her again. He’d been as protective when Izzy’s stalker had been in town too.
“I’m fine, Uncle Len.”
“Just checking. We can’t be too careful.” He chuckled then leaned closer. “I can incinerate the bastard if need be, but the cleanup might get a bit messy.”
She held up her hands. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”
Teagan didn’t want to think about the issues that would ensue if a human saw the devastation. It was bad enough that someone probably had seen her toss the trashcan around. The town didn’t need further evidence of the Wendayan’s magic.
“Call if you spot the guy,” her uncle said.
“I couldn’t pick him out of a lineup of one.” She’d already explained that he’d come up behind her.
“I bet if you smelled him again, you’d recognize him.”
“Perhaps.” The only problem was that she’d been so petrified during the attack that she wasn’t paying attention to that kind of detail. All she could recall was that he was very strong.
Her uncle smiled, gave her a lazy salute, and left. No sooner had her uncle stepped next door to his cell phone store than her aunt came out from the back. “Was that Len’s voice I heard?”
“Yes. He was worried something might have happened to me.”
“You can’t be too careful.”
She chuckled. “That’s exactly what he said to me.”
“Say, would you mind checking the inventory in the storage closet to see if we need to reorder anything?”
“Sure.” Yesterday, Teagan had made a comment about needing more towels and a few robes, so she headed to the back. In the middle of counting, her cell rang. When she saw her brother’s name on the screen, joy spread through her.
“Sam! I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon.” He wasn’t supposed to be on leave for another few weeks. She might have jumped to the conclusion something bad happened, but she would have sensed it if it had—or so she hoped.
“Got my leave time moved up, so I thought I’d come visit my baby sister, and then head on down to Florida to check on the folks.”
“That’s fantastic.” With Kip staying at her place, her home would be a wee bit crowded, but she’d make room. “When are you arriving?”
“Day after tomorrow. I’ll rent a car at the airport. Want me to come to the spa?”
“I have the next two days off so you can meet me at the house. Call first though to make sure I’m there.” She’d have to fill him in on everything that had happened once he arrived.
“Perfect. See you soon.”
Once he hung up, Teagan hugged her phone and smiled. She’d get to see her big brother in two days.
“You look happy,” Aunt Kathryn said stepping into the storage room.
“I am. That was Sam. He’s on leave and coming for a visit.”
Her aunt smiled. “Fantastic. Perhaps you, Kip, and Samuel would like to stop over for dinner while he’s here.” Her aunt always had called him by his full name.
“I’d like that, as
suming he has time.”
Her aunt hugged her then returned to the front of the store. Sam was coming to visit. Wonderful! Then she recalled him saying he would be heading to Florida to visit the folks afterward. Crud, that would mean she’d have to call her parents and tell them about what happened before he spilled the beans. No way would Sam keep something like her attack a secret. No question about it, they’d be upset. Knowing them, they’d rush back home, charge into the mountains to hunt down the Changeling who attacked her, and then demand answers—assuming they could find him. Nothing good could possibly come of that inquiry.
They’d been gone for close to eight months. In that time, the town had more crime than ever. Her parents probably weren’t even aware what those creeps were capable of—other than killing Elana’s parents.
Pushing aside that future conversation, she turned back to what she had been doing. Once she made a list of the items the spa needed, she returned to the front. Missy was helping a customer, and Aunt Kathryn was in the back room, possibly with a client. Teagan stepped behind the counter, and using the spa credit card, placed the order.
Knowing she would see Sam, Teagan’s attitude vastly improved. She debated asking Elana if she wanted to go to lunch today, but if that man spotted her, she might be putting her friend in danger. While Teagan hadn’t had a premonition that something evil would occur, she couldn’t take any chances that her psychic powers had been damaged somehow. In the end, she asked Missy to pick her up something when she went out to eat.
Right at five, Kip showed up, and her libido instantly shot skyward. It didn’t matter she’d watched him dress this morning, the man sure wore jeans and boots well, and having his hair loose was an extra eye candy bonus. What she wouldn’t give to run her fingers through his silky strands, but that pleasure would have to wait.
“You ready?” he asked. From the excitement in his eyes, something was up.
“Let me log out of the computer.”
When she finished, Teagan said goodbye to her aunt and cousin then grabbed her purse and sweater. It had been chilly this morning, though the TV weatherman had claimed that they were in for a few days of Indian summer.
Kip escorted her to his truck. “I’ve been thinking with the weather about to turn nice for the next few days, what do you think about hiking into the Smoky Mountains tomorrow and camping out?”
Teagan loved the outdoors. “That sounds fantastic. What time are you thinking about going?”
“It will take us a few hours to get into the mountain, so how about we leave about eight?”
“The timing is perfect.” She told him about Sam coming in two days.
“I can’t wait to see him again. How about we stop at the store tonight and pick up what we want to eat in the woods? I already grabbed some Mountain House meals for dinner, but we’ll need other stuff.”
“Sure, but let’s make it easy.” Chopping onions and dicing ham for omelets in the woods was never easy. Kip opened the truck door and she eased in while he hurried over to his side.
He jumped in the driver’s side. “You don’t want to slave for hours over the camp stove?”
“Hardly.”
“What do you plan to do with all your extra time?” He glanced over at her and winked.
“I don’t kiss and tell.”
“As long as you kiss, I’ll be good.”
She loved that he enjoyed sex as much as she did. “You’re not planning on doing any rock climbing while we’re there, are you?” She wasn’t afraid of heights, but balancing on a one-inch ledge while trying to grip the tiniest of outcroppings wasn’t her idea of fun. If it had been in the middle of summer, she would have suggested tubing down the river.
“Where’s your sense of adventure?”
Oh, my. Climbing would push her to her limits. “I think it left after those jerks attacked Randy.”
He shook his head as if he couldn’t believe she thought he’d actually ask her to do something like that. “Don’t worry. We won’t be gone long enough for any big hike. Before I picked you up, I stopped at the house for some gear. I put what we’ll need in the bed of the truck. All that’s left to get is the food.”
“That’s great. How’s Randy?”
“Improving, but he’s anxious about having his magic returned.”
She would be too. “Is he depressed?”
“Yes, but I can’t blame him.”
He fired up the engine and headed to the store. She wondered why the sudden desire to go camping. “Are you trying to keep me away from that Changeling? Is that what this is about?”
A small tic appeared around his eye, and then he looked over at her. “In part yes, but couples need quality time to grow a relationship.”
She hadn’t realized Kip was such a romantic. “I’d like that.”
When they arrived at the store, they went straight to the deli for two pre-made sandwiches, and then snagged some oatmeal for breakfast and of course, ingredients to make S’mores. Teagan was really excited. When the two of them had first started dating, their time together consisted mostly of going to a restaurant for dinner and then maybe to the movies. They’d never actually been on a vacation. It didn’t matter this would only be for one night.
Once they returned to her house, Kip carried in the groceries. “Why don’t you pack some clothes,” he said. “I’ll organize the food to make it easier to carry.” He snapped his fingers. “That reminds me. Deanna leant you a backpack. Didn’t you tell me you had tossed yours?”
“It had ripped the last time I used it. Do you remember everything I tell you?”
“For the most part. You’re important to me.” He held up a finger. “Wait here and I’ll get it for you.”
Before she could unpack the food, he was back. “Hopefully, this will fit you.”
“The size looks perfect.”
Kip grinned. “Since we have to be up early tomorrow, how about an early dinner and then early to bed?”
She laughed. That glint in his eye meant he wanted to have time to make love. “I know what you want to do.”
“Always.”
*
Teagan was totally stoked. Getting out of town would give her the freedom she hadn’t experienced in a while. This morning had been a bit chilly, but the temperatures were supposed to warm up to the seventies by the afternoon, and she couldn’t wait. Nothing was better than breathing the clean, oxygen-rich air scented with pine.
“Do you know where we’re going?” she asked as soon as she piled into the front seat of his truck. Kip was decked out in expensive looking hiking gear. His green pants had zippers at the knees, enabling him to wear long pants or shorts depending on the weather. His shirt was one of her favorites. The flap in back was for cooling, and the numerous tabs allowed him to attach small items. All in all, he looked ready to hike.
Kip glanced over at her. “Does it matter where we’re headed? The sun is out, and we’re together.”
“I guess not.” She smiled, feeling carefree for the first time in a long while.
A little more than two hours later, they entered one of the parks in the Smoky Mountains and wound up on a narrow road for what seemed like miles. While she wanted to ask what his cohorts were doing to find Randy’s magic as well as her attacker, she didn’t want to spoil their time together. She figured if Kalan learned anything important, he would have called.
Kip found a parking spot and then helped her on with her backpack. “Ready?” he asked.
“Yep.” She’d been about to ask to carry more of the gear, but she already had about one third of the food. Her air mattress and sleeping bag were attached to the outside, making it a bit awkward to carry. Kip’s pack looked like he was headed into the wilderness for a month.
“I’ll lead since the path can be narrow,” he said.
“Fine by me.” Teagan had never been here before and was happy not to have to figure out where to go.
The trees were green and the pines tall and majestic. The
rush of a distant waterfall, along with the chirping of the birds, made this an idyllic place to be. Teagan had promised herself that she would leave her worries behind as soon as they left Silver Lake, and so far she was succeeding.
After an hour of hiking, Kip pointed to a path that led down to one of the falls. “How about we eat lunch by the water?”
“Sounds wonderful.” Teagan could kick herself for believing that leaving Kip had been a good idea. She loved him, plain and simple. Sure, their relationship had always been hot and heavy in the sex department, but these last few days had convinced her that she wanted to be with Kip forever.
He helped her down the path to the falls, and together they set up two small camping chairs that faced the amazing vista. He handed her a pump to purify the water. “Want to fill up our bottles while I get out the food?” he asked.
“Sure.” She walked along the water’s edge to find a spot where she could crouch down and place the charcoal filter in the stream. As she was preparing to pump, a baby deer appeared on the other side and Teagan froze. Her heart beat hard, but as much as she wanted to shout for Kip to see the precious deer, she didn’t want to spook the animal.
Remaining still, she watched Mother Nature at its finest. Just then a butterfly darted between them while the deer continued to sip from the stream. Once he had his fill, he shot back into the woods, and Teagan let out a sigh. Coming here had been so good for her soul. No Changelings and no worries—just the two of them creating some magic memories of their own.
Teagan finished pumping the water then returned.
“Everything go okay?” Kip asked.
She waved the bottles then told him about the deer. “He was adorable.”
“Just be happy it wasn’t a bear.”
Her shoulders shook. “You’re right about that. I would have screamed.”
Kip had unpacked their food and spread it out on a blanket. She dropped down onto her camp chair, and after grabbing a ham and cheese sandwich, she leaned back and took her first bite. “Mmm. This hits the spot.”
Kip bit into his and nodded. “How long is your brother going to be in town?”