by Donna Grant
“Of sorts?” she asked with a grin. “What does that mean?”
“It’s more of a hobby than something I do for money. I doona have a choice. Once the idea is in my head, I have to create it, or I go insane.”
“Exactly how I feel about my jewelry. So what do you create?”
“Sculptures from metal.”
She leaned her forearms on the table. “I don’t get to talk to many other artists. This is truly a treat.”
It certainly was, but not in the way she thought. Roman hadn’t wanted to stop when they did, but now that he’d met the lovely Sabina, he was thoroughly enjoying himself.
CHAPTER NINE
It had been a very long time since she’d used the Sight passed down in her family, but Sabina couldn’t seem to help herself when it came to Roman.
She had expected him to ask her to read his palms once he learned she was Romani, but he hadn’t. That surprised her, but it also disappointed her. She actually wanted to look into his future.
Her mother had used her Sight to make extra money for the family, but Sabina had never been interested. Ignoring her gifts hadn’t been easy, but it had become a habit over the years. Still, there were times that her gift rose up when she least expected it.
Sabina glanced at the sofa to make sure V was still asleep. The longer he remained unconscious, the longer she had to talk to Roman. How odd that all these years she’d thought she preferred the solitude, but now she couldn’t seem to stop sharing things with Roman.
Perhaps it wasn’t that she was starved for attention. Maybe it was Roman who was doing this to her.
Yes, she liked that explanation the best. Otherwise, she would have to reevaluate her life, and she wasn’t up for anything like that.
“What kind of sculptures do you make?” she asked.
Roman’s beautiful green eyes held hers as he shrugged, the corners of his lips dipping down slightly. “Anything that strikes my fancy. How about you?”
“Essentially the same. I grew up listening to the myths involving Romania, which have always fascinated me. As a child, I used to go looking for Pasărea Măiastră in the woods.”
“The Majestic Bird,” Roman translated.
Sabina could barely contain her excitement that he knew the translation. “She is considered the queen of the Birds and a messenger of the fairies. It is said that the privileged few who get to see the unique beauty are graced by its celestial light.”
“Her song can lengthen the life of any who hear it. And she is a righteous bird with splendid, multicolored plumage and inexhaustible power.”
“You know the myth?”
He shot her a lopsided grin that made her stomach flutter in response. “Aye.”
Sabina looked at the table as she was transported back to her childhood before leaving the camp. “My gran would tell me of The Other Realm where the Majestic Bird lived, and I just knew it was waiting for me to be alone to grace me with its presence.”
“Did you ever see it?”
She shook her head as she raised her gaze to him. “But those stories stuck with me. Mom and I took turns telling them to Camlo, which kept my love of such things going. I know they’re just stories, but they are part of my culture, and therefore, a part of me. I think that’s why all the jewelry I create is based on creatures from those stories.”
Roman’s head turned to her worktable as his smile grew. “That’s what you’re designing now. Pasărea Măiastră.”
“Yes.”
He rose and walked to the table before picking up her drawing and returning to the kitchen. “This is verra good, lass.”
Lass. Damn the man for making her want to smile each time he called her that. “I’ve drawn so many variations, trying to get the colors just right.”
“I doona think you could go wrong with any color combination.”
“The necklace will be one of my most expensive pieces. I’m not sure if it’ll sell for the price I’m going to ask.”
Roman placed the drawing on the table. “You could do more than one necklace using different colors.”
“I’ve thought of that. I think it depends on how well it sells.”
“Have you thought of an arm cuff?”
She jumped up and rushed to her table, where she found a notebook she jotted ideas in and hastily wrote Roman’s suggestion.
“I take that to mean you like the idea?”
She looked up, embarrassed. “In my head, I replied to you,” she said with a laugh and returned to her chair.
“I do things like that all the time.”
Silence stretched between them. Sabina cleared her throat as she returned to the kitchen and her chair. “You’ve not asked me to tell your fortune.”
“Does everyone ask that of you?”
“Those who know I’m Romani.”
“Have you always lived here?”
She tucked a leg under her and pushed aside the cold remnants of her tea. “Would you be surprised to learn that for the first six years of my life, I traveled the mountains with my family?”
“A true Romani, then,” he said with a grin.
Sabina chuckled as she nodded. “Very. I can’t remember much from that time, but I do recall the caravans traveling from town to town. I remember late at night there being a huge fire where the adults would gather. Some would talk while others played instruments. That’s how I fell asleep each night.”
“Good memories.”
“They certainly are.” She moved a crumb from breakfast around with her fingernail. “It was nice to have all the family around. Both of my parents came from large families, so we were a huge group. There were always cousins to play with, aunts and uncles to talk to, and Gran, who shared the myths with me.”
When she looked up, Roman was silently watching her. There was no contempt or scorn for her family on his face. Just … curiosity. If everyone treated her like this, she wouldn’t hide the fact that she was Romani.
But she still recalled how the kids had called her hateful names when she and her mother moved to Brasov. It left a lasting impression.
“Why did you leave the camp?” Roman asked.
Sabina inhaled sharply. She hadn’t thought about it in a long time, but she would never forget either. “We came upon this village that we had been to before. There were times when Mom would take me into town as a treat. She hadn’t wanted to go that day, but I reminded her that she’d promised. Our walk there was uneventful, despite the fact that most didn’t enjoy seeing Travelers pull into their towns. We went into a shop, and Mom bought me a red ribbon that I fell in love with. We were on our way back to the group when a man stopped Mom. I didn’t hear what he whispered, but she was outraged. He grabbed her, and she tried to get away, ripping her shirt in the process.”
Sabina paused and rose to walk to the back window to check on Camlo. “Mom gave me a push and told me to run for the camp. I didn’t want to leave her, but I did as she told me. I ran as fast as I could. I was only five at the time so my legs couldn’t go very fast, but it felt like I was flying. I tripped and fell, twisting my ankle and scraping my face. Still, I got up and continued running. Dad was the one who found me. Through my tears and ramblings, he and two of Mom’s brothers got the gist of what had happened. They left me in the care of the camp and went to find her.”
Sabina watched a bright yellow butterfly leisurely glide past the window. Once she saw Camlo feeding the chickens, she turned to face Roman. “I don’t know what happened to Mom. When they returned, my uncles were smiling, their knuckles bloodied. My dad had his arm around Mom, and they disappeared into our caravan. Gran kept me with her, telling me that the two needed some time alone. I thought it was over. That everything would go back to normal.”
“The townsfolk had other ideas, I’m guessing,” Roman said.
The memories of that night rose swiftly from the past, swallowing her in the heartache and horror of it all. “It was our last night there. We always had people guarding th
e caravans, and after what happened with Mom, they doubled that. We kids used to go running around at night, but not that night.
“We were irritated to be kept within the camp and were making a lot of noise. So were the horses. My father scolded me for trying to sneak off with the others, then he went to check on the animals. I went back to playing with the other kids. I don’t know how long it was before my uncle came running into camp. He’d found my dad with a knife in his chest.
“The blood on my uncle’s hands was so bright in the firelight. My mother tried to run to Da, but her brothers stopped her. She was frantic, tears coursing down her face. Then she saw me. She’d never held me so tightly before. It hurt, but I didn’t want her to let go.
“We didn’t wait around for anyone else to die. Nor did anyone go into the village. The horses were loaded into the trailers along with the other animals, and we all packed up in the middle of the night. In less than forty minutes, we were on the road. I sat beside my father’s dead body in the caravan as Mom cried, and my uncle drove.”
She shrugged and picked up their mugs to rinse them in the sink. “Romani don’t like to touch their dead, but we had no choice. We traveled deep into the mountains before we stopped. There’s usually so much noise, but it was so silent that day. No one spoke. There wasn’t even a song from a bird.” She paused and looked out the window. “My father was taken and prepared for burial by my mother, Gran, and aunts. The men built his coffin. We laid him to rest in the mountains he loved. Mom was never the same after that. She wouldn’t let me out of her sight whenever we stopped at a village, and I wasn’t allowed to go anywhere near outsiders. She’d always been so vibrant, but she was sullen and withdrawn after. I’m not sure what brought her to the decision to leave the group. We were one of the largest sets of Travelers, made up mostly of our families, but she decided it would be better to give me a proper home.”
Roman looked around. “This home?”
“The very one. We lived here almost a year before she met Petre. He’d come to do some work around the house. You could tell there was something between them immediately. They were married a year later, and nine months after, Camlo was born.” She leaned a hand against the edge of the sink and looked at Roman. “Camlo and I have been here ever since.”
“You didna ever think of returning to your family?” he asked.
“Of course. I’ve long believed it would be the best place for Camlo, but I’m not sure he’d leave this place. This is his home. And I have no idea where my family could be. My mother chose this place because the group had never stopped anywhere near here.”
Roman pushed back his chair and stood. He briefly turned his head to check on V before he focused his sea green eyes on her again. The way he looked at her made Sabina’s breath lodge in her chest.
It was as if his eyes stripped away all her defenses and left her utterly exposed for him to see each worry, every fear—and all her dreams.
Did he have the Sight, too? Because she didn’t think there was a piece of her life—past, present, or future—that he didn’t see with those amazing eyes of his.
“You look scared of me, lass,” he murmured. “Why?”
“It’s the way you look at me.” She didn’t bother lying. It seemed fruitless.
His brow furrowed slightly. “How’s that?”
“As if you see all of me.”
“And you doona like that?”
She shook her head.
A sandy blond brow rose. “Why is that, lass?”
“There are things I don’t want you to see. And things I don’t want to think about.”
He made a sound in the back of his throat that reminded her of a purr. “Whatever secrets I uncover will remain with me.”
For some odd reason, she believed him. It wasn’t in Sabina’s nature to trust so easily, and yet she did just that with Roman. And she wasn’t sure why. “Since it appears that V might be out for a while yet, would you two like to stay for supper? I mean, that is if you don’t have other plans.”
Roman’s lips turned up in a sexy grin. “We doona have anywhere to be at the moment.”
“Good.” She started to turn to the stove when she paused and said, “I should probably mention that I’m only passable as a cook.”
“I’m no’ concerned.”
What was it about the Scot that kept her saying such things? There was the fact that Roman was mind-numbingly gorgeous, not to mention sexy as hell, but his mere presence made her want to tell him her entire life story—which she pretty much had already.
And she’d invited them to eat. Now, she would be stressed trying to come up with a dish that she was comfortable making that would turn out edible. Camlo never complained. He would probably eat pinecones if she let him, but Roman and V were much different.
She wanted them to enjoy their meal, not do their best to stomach the food because it was so bad. The fact was, she had only ever cooked for Camlo and her mom. She didn’t know if she was good or bad.
All she had to go on was her own taste buds. And right now, that worried her.
CHAPTER TEN
“For the love of all that’s holy, just kiss her already,” V growled.
Roman ignored his friend, despite the fact that he very much wanted to do just that to Sabina. She was, in turn, confident then nervous. Open, then closed off.
She was like a coin spinning, unable to decide what she wanted to do or say. He was more than surprised by her invitation for dinner, considering she hadn’t wanted Camlo near them to begin with.
The small frown upon her brow stated that she was just as confused as he was about the matter. But she didn’t retract the offer.
Camlo shouted for Sabina. When she walked from the house, Roman followed her. He probably should’ve remained behind with V, but he was curious about Camlo’s excitement.
It wasn’t until they reached one of the pens holding the rabbits that he saw the reason. The babies had been born just moments before.
“I told you more were coming,” Camlo told Sabina with a proud smile.
She put her hand on his arm and grinned up at him. “You certainly did. Though, we might need to separate them. We have enough rabbits.”
His smile faded, his brown eyes sliding to Roman. “Would you want to be separated from your mate?”
It was never a question posed to Roman before, and that same feeling he had in Scotland filled him once more. “Nay, I wouldna.”
Camlo looked at his sister. “I won’t keep them apart. They’re mates.”
“Fine,” she said and held up her hands in defeat. “We’re going to be overrun with rabbits soon if they keep having a dozen at a time, but okay.”
Camlo’s frown deepened. After a moment, he looked at the rabbits and sighed. “I’ll talk to them and see what I can do.”
Sabina patted his back as she shook her head. Then she looked at Roman and shrugged as if to say “this is my life.” After a few minutes watching Camlo coo at the kits, Sabina walked away and motioned for Roman to follow.
They meandered their way through the various enclosures. Roman noted that each of the animals was healthy, happy, and better cared for than many humans.
“I think, in a lot of ways, Camlo loves them more than me.” Sabina shot him a grin.
“I doubt that,” Roman said.
She shrugged. “It only takes a few minutes of watching him with the animals before you come to the conclusion that taking him away from all of this would kill him.”
“He could bring the animals with him.”
“Maybe,” she murmured.
Roman cut his eyes to her as they stopped, and she patted a cow on the neck. “What’s your plan? To remain here, just the two of you?”
“Yep.”
“You doona wish to marry?”
She laughed and looked at him. “I never really thought about it. If anything happens to me, I’ve made arrangements for Camlo to be taken in by a place who will understand him.”
<
br /> “But he will be taken from here.”
Sabina pressed her lips together and nodded, sadness filling her eyes. “What else can I do? I can’t leave him here alone. He doesn’t know how to pay bills or when to go to the store for necessities that we don’t grow or have ourselves. And what happens when someone comes wanting to buy this place, because it will happen. They’ll take advantage of him and send him to some horrid state program.”
“Or you could find your family.”
She blew out a breath. “I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”
Roman watched the sunlight dance over the strands of her dark locks, some angles allowing him to see shades of deep red. “You willna know until you try, lass.”
Dark eyes met his. “You’re right.”
“Maybe I can help,” he offered.
A brow arched up at his words. “In exchange for what?”
“Nothing,” he said with a shake of his head. “I’m merely helping.”
“Say I believe you, how would you help?”
He grinned, liking how she was wary and wanting to know every detail before she agreed to anything. “I’ve a friend who can do amazing things with a computer.”
Sabina stared at him a long time before she started walking and said, “All right.”
The hesitancy in her voice gave him pause. “Once you have the information, it’ll be up to you what to do with it.”
“Of course.” She glanced at him and forced a smile. “I appreciate your offer. It’s just.…”
“You like how things are,” he finished for her.
This time, her smile was genuine. “It’s easy to get into a routine.”
“Verra.”
She stopped as they reached the front of the house, but she faced the mountains. “I’ve spilled my life to you, and you’ve told me nothing of yours.”
“That’s no’ entirely true. You know I’m from Scotland.”
They shared a grin, but her gaze told him she wasn’t going to relent. Roman blew out a breath and told a whopper of a lie. “There isna much to tell.”
She stared unblinking at him for a long minute. “That’s not what I see.”