Lily's Mirage (Hell Yeah! )

by Sable Hunter

  “Yes, we’ll see you tomorrow, Seba.” Blade pulled his wallet out and handed the boy a couple of bills for his trouble. “Thanks, I appreciate your kindness.”

  They carried the few pieces of mail back to the cottage and left them on a table in the vestibule. Lily couldn’t help but look at the house with new eyes. “I didn’t realize the place was so old. Makes me want to investigate things.” She glanced up the stairs toward the attic. “I think I might do some exploring.”

  Blade nodded. “Okay, I think I’ll go check the crab traps off the ocean side pier while you look around.” Frankly, he needed a little time to come to terms with what he was feeling for this woman and what he was going to do about it.

  “Great! We’ll have a crab boil when you get back. Be careful and have a good time.” Lily impulsively went on tiptoe to find his lips.

  Blade caught her to him and her lips parted at the first touch of his tongue. He sank deep, a moan rumbling deep in his chest. “Lily.” Her mouth was hot and sweet and his body tensed with a razor-sharp hunger as he tasted her, stealing her breath.

  Their embrace was cut short when a crashing sound was heard in the kitchen. They pulled apart and hurried to see what had happened. When they arrived, Blade first, his arm held out to keep her behind him – there was nothing. “What the hell?” he growled, looking behind the door and inside the cabinets. “I don’t understand.”

  “Maybe it was something outdoors,” Lily suggested, but after they both checked, outside and in, they could find no explanation.

  “Weird, huh?” Blade ran his hand through his curls, making them stick up, in what Lily considered to be an adorable fashion.

  “Just part of staying in an old house, I guess.”

  She walked him to the door. Blade felt uneasy about leaving her. “Lock yourself in.” He hesitated. “Maybe, I shouldn’t leave.”

  “Go on! The crab boil sounds great.” Lily pushed on his big body, which didn’t move very far. “I’ll be fine. I’d planned on staying here by myself. Remember?”

  “Yea, but it didn’t work out that way. Did it?” He just had this sense everything was working out exactly like it was supposed to. “All right, see you in a bit.”

  He waited until he heard the lock click and for Lily to give him a wave before letting the curtain drop. As he moved down the path, Blade appreciated the sun on his face and the coolness of a light ocean breeze, even the salt on the air made everything seem fresh and new – especially the way he was reacting to the woman he’d known just a few days. Truthfully, she’d knocked him for a loop. He liked her.

  He liked her a lot.

  She touched him more deeply than any woman ever had. Even with Trina, sex had offered little more than base physical release. His ex-wife never made him burn, never rocked his world. He’d been faithful to her and he’d loved their daughter more than life, but their marriage had been little more than a routine they endured. Before Trina, there’d been a series of meaningless relationships and passionless screws. Until Lily, he’d forgotten the complete satisfaction of hot, grinding sex. She reminded him of how good the bite of a woman’s nails could be when the pleasure became overwhelming. He could still feel the clasp of her sleek thighs around his hips and the hungry clamp of her sweet sex on his dick. The memory of the sexy, throaty whimpers she’d breathed into his ear as she’d come was enough to make him hard. Most of all, he enjoyed recalling how wet she’d been, how hot and ready – just for him.

  But there was more to it than that.

  In a world where most everything was glitter with no substance, Lily was real.

  For the first time in a long time, he had hope for the future. Oh, he still thought about Katy, still wanted to find the person who’d stolen her from his life…but he was able to laugh again and maybe he’d be able to love again too.

  When he came to the beach, he pulled off his sandals and tossed them on the edge of the grass so he could walk through the sand. It was high tide and the water came lapping up around his feet, bringing a smile to his face. He stopped to pick up a shell, glimmering in the sunlight. As he did, a vision of little Katy came to his mind and he could almost hear her baby giggle as she would react with delight to every little shell she found on the beach.

  Slipping the shell into his pocket, he stopped by the cabana and storage shed to pick up a bucket and a pair of tongs before heading to the pier. In the distance, Blade noticed a dark cloud on the horizon. “I’d better hurry.” Looked like a storm was brewing in the east.

  Bounding up the steps, he let the sound of his footsteps echoing on the wooden boardwalk lull his senses. The view in front of his eyes was a pretty one. The Atlantic Ocean spread out before him, a peaceful, yet intimidating sight. The pier was a ten-foot wide, eighteen-foot high, two-hundred-foot long indulgence, as far as he was concerned. This would be a perfect place for Lily to sunbathe in that sexy, black bathing suit.

  When he came to the point where the trap lines were tied to some hooks on the side of the pier, he squatted down and began to pull the first one in. Once he had it on the surface, he pulled on a glove, opened the door and used the tongs to remove four big blue crabs. With a grin, he placed them in the bucket, licking his lips. The next trap wasn’t as easy to pull in. “What have I caught, a whale?” He kept pulling and when the trap surfaced, Blade’s jaw dropped. “A shark! A small great white.” What Seba told him came to mind. He frowned to see the trap line wound around the young shark’s tail and fin. He yanked on it, but the fish fought his efforts. “Dammit.” The line was tangled so tightly that if he just cut it loose, the shark’s swimming would be hampered and if he left it alone, it would die. He knew if a shark couldn’t swim, it would die from lack of oxygen. He tried to haul it up to the pier, but the fish and trap together were too heavy. “Hellfire, all right, all right.” Against his better judgment, he let out a long breath and jumped in. Using a knife from his pocket, he set out to cut the line and untangle it. The small shark wasn’t grateful, he flopped and flipped, biting Blade’s forearm. “Fuck!” he yelped, but he didn’t give up, working until he freed the young great white.

  Just as the young one gained its freedom, the water broke beside him and Blade found himself looking inside the gaping jaws of a huge shark. He pitched himself backward and began to swim to shore, expecting any second to feel the big, sharp teeth close on his legs or side. Blade swam with powerful strokes, praying with every breath. Adrenaline was rushing through his veins like hot lava. He didn’t expect to reach shore, but when his feet touched bottom, he floundered forward, running and slogging until he could throw himself on the sand. “Mother-effing-bitch!” he panted as he rolled to his back and stared up at the sky. Talk about a close call!

  When he could regain his breath, he went back onto the pier and pulled up the remaining two traps, extracting another seven crabs. Thankfully, crabs were all the traps contained. It was only as he started back toward the cabana, that he noticed the blood dripping from his arm onto the ground.

  …In the attic of the elegant, old bungalow, Lily crept around in respectful awe. She’d never seen so many beautiful antiques and trunks filled with antiquated treasures. There was a dresser’s dummy that had made her jump when she first saw it, the ghost of Lili foremost in her thoughts. A harpsichord sat along one wall and next to it was a great, mahogany armoire. Lily wanted to pilfer and prowl like a kid, but she didn’t. Treating everything with respect, she just enjoyed looking at the collection of a family’s belongings over several generations.

  “Lily.”

  Lily whirled around, expecting to see the spectral woman she’d seen the night before.

  There was nothing there.

  She trembled, not really afraid, but shaken. Slowly, she turned in a circle, her eyes taking in detail after detail. An empty, gilded bird cage. A tall, mirrored hall chair. A large ship’s wheel, propped against the wall.

  “Lily…”

  Lily turned again, catching a glimpse of movement in a la
rge mirror. Taking small steps, she moved toward the mirror, noticing the way it reflected the entire room. Shadows seemed to grow all around her and the room became shrouded in a dry mist. As Lily stared into the mirror, she could see a swirling, foggy figure come into view. Blinking and moving closer, she tried to focus her eyes on what she was seeing. The surface of the mirror was worn, the reflective material damaged and speckled in places, covered in uneven black spots. This marring caused the image she was seeing to be incomplete and vague. “Lili?” she whispered, trying to determine if her eyes were playing tricks on her.

  The only sound that met her ears was the muffled noise of the surf in the distance. Clasping her throat, she fought off another wave of dizziness. Her vision seemed to blur and Lily feared she was about to faint. Grasping the edge of an antique dresser, she steadied herself. What was happening? Was this fear? Was this illness? Or was this something much worse, the beginning of the end? She swayed and covered her eyes, willing herself to calm down. Bowing her head, she rested it in her hand, chills of trepidation making her tremble.

  She forced herself to remain, frantically glancing around. The apparition from the mirror had not materialized in the room. “Lili?” she called again.

  Maybe Flora was right, maybe she was seeing things.

  Crash!

  Lily jumped, her fight or flight impulse wanting to send her fleeing. When her heartbeat calmed enough for her to get her bearings, she could see that the mirror had fallen to the floor, revealing something else on the wall behind it.

  A painting.

  “Oh, my God.” Moving forward, she began to comprehend what was before her eyes. She needed to take the painting downstairs and examine it more closely, to see if she could verify her suspicions were true.

  Moving to the wall, she lifted the framed canvas off a hook. She wondered why the mirror had been hung in front of the picture, hiding it from view. There was no doubt in her mind that Abraham was the artist, even in the dim light, she could recognize his work. If she wasn’t mistaken, Charlotte was in the picture, her profile was unmistakable.

  Making her way carefully to the attic door, she couldn’t help but cut her eyes around the room, expecting the ghost of Lili to appear and impede her progress. As she made her way to the stairs, it hit her – this painting had been gifted to her by the woman from so long ago. She wouldn’t be a hindrance, Lili was helping her.

  When she reached the bottom of the stairs, Lily made her way to the first floor, and then to the kitchen. Making herself wait, she placed the painting carefully on the counter, then went to the refrigerator and found a bottle of water and a piece of cheese. If her problem was merely hunger or dehydration, she wanted to eradicate the symptoms immediately. Shaking with excitement, she eased into a chair to sip the water and eat the small amount of food. Even as she ate and drank, she couldn’t keep her eyes off the artwork. This was the most unusual piece she’d ever seen. The more she looked the more she saw. She hadn’t been wrong, Charlotte was one of the subjects of the painting, but there was so much more.

  Rising, Lily drew closer. “Impossible,” she breathed as she took in the details. “Just impossible.” Scrutinizing the canvas, Lily noted how it was laid out, like a dream within a dream. Four scenes were depicted, one on top of the other. In the lower right hand was a figure on a beach, a woman in a long flowing gown with long dark hair. To Lily, she was obviously the figure she’d been seeing, the elusive Lili, who fled from a pirate after her lover was murdered, drowning in the depths of the sea. A little higher, as if it were a revelation, stood Charlotte in front of this very house, looking out toward the same sea. These two things were surprising enough, but the remaining two cameos on the painting were miraculous.

  Lily held her breath as she leaned closer, seeing her own face on the painting, standing in profile on the same beach. She was only pictured from the waist up, but she appeared to be wearing the black bathing suit, she’d bought for this trip. And in the very top, was a couple, standing in the rays of the setting sun, a man and a woman facing one another. She covered her mouth and gasped. “Me and Blade.”

  Her hand shook as she used one finger to trace the writing in the lower right hand corner.

  The signature of Abraham Duvalier.

  And then the one word…Mirage.

  5

  Lily was so mesmerized by Mirage that she didn’t hear the door open and close.

  “Lily?”

  When Blade said her name, she almost jumped out of her skin. “Blade!” One look at him had her on her feet and running to his side. “What happened to you?”

  “Shark, a small one, but a shark.”

  Seeing the blood streaming down his arm brought Lily’s heart into her throat. “Sit down, I’ll get the First Aid kit. Do you need a doctor?”

  Blade grabbed a role of paper towels to dab at the small wounds. “The bites aren’t deep, I’ll be fine.”

  The painting forgotten, Lily knelt by Blade and cleaned his wounds, disinfecting them, and applying butterfly bandages that would pull the torn flesh together and hold it securely. “I want you to see a doctor when we go to Saint Helena tomorrow.”

  After seeing her concern and feeling Lily’s tender touch, Blade was ready to give the shark a prize. The pain was worth the pleasure. “We’ll see.”

  She ran her hand over his arm, her heart beating fast. “This could have been much worse. How did you end up tangling with a shark?”

  Blade explained about the crab traps. “The trap line was wound around the little guy, trapping him. I didn’t want him to drown.”

  She pressed her head to his arm, pressing a kiss to the warm flesh. “I’m so glad you weren’t badly hurt. Next time I’m going along, I’ll protect you.”

  Blade chuckled, torn between amusement, tenderness, and a desire so hot he felt like he might combust. He decided not to tell Lily about the bigger shark today. No use worrying her. “I did bring home enough crabs for supper.”

  “Good.” She patted his knee. “You rest and I’ll fix everything. I found some crab boil seasoning, earlier. I also have potatoes and corn on the cob.”

  “I’ll crack the crabs,” he offered, standing to his feet.

  “No, rest. You lost some blood. I can do it.”

  Lily’s bossy attitude endeared her to him. “All right. I’ll watch.” He didn’t tell her to hurry, but he wanted to. Blade needed her beneath him more than he needed food. He’d never experienced such a driving urgency to be with a woman before. His whole body was so primed and ready, he felt like he’d explode if he didn’t sink inside Lily’s warm, welcoming body soon.

  “Here, drink this.” She brought him a beer. “The food prep won’t take long. I’ll be right back.”

  As Lily stepped out the back to shuck the crabs for boiling, he stood to make a visit to the bathroom. His arm was sore, but nothing he couldn’t handle. When he returned, Blade passed by the counter and his eyes fell on the painting lying there. Hearing Lily enter behind him, he asked, “You found this in the attic?”

  “Yea, it’s one of Abraham’s.” She joined him, standing near enough that her shoulder brushed his arm. “I knew this one existed, but I had no idea it was hidden in the attic. Bliss told me Charlotte visited this island and I think Abraham lived here for a while.”

  “This is interesting.” Blade studied the painting. “What does it mean?”

  Lily didn’t know what to say. “I’m not sure. Interpretation of art is highly subjective. Knowing what this artist intended would be amazing.”

  Blade pointed at the third figure. “This one resembles you, but that has to be a coincidence. Right?”

  “Of course.” Lily filled a large pot with water and placed it on the stove to boil. She added sea salt, Old Bay seasoning, potatoes, and corn. After she rinsed her hands, she came to join him at the table. “I can’t believe you found a shark in the crab traps, that was just crazy.”

  Blade chuckled again. “Just my luck. I have a tendency to
attract trouble. Once, I stuck my hand in a hen’s nest and pulled out a chicken snake.”

  Lily shuddered. “I could do without that kind of trouble. Do you have many animals on your ranch?” She needed to speak of something somewhat normal for a moment, the thought of Blade being bitten by the shark had devastated her. Lily now knew the feelings she had for Blade ran much deeper than she’d realized. When she went home, she’d have to have a little talk with Bliss about her love spell mojo bag…

  “Yea, horses and cattle, mostly. Although I do have a donkey and a goat or two. And some chickens.” He grinned. “And guineas, ducks, and one pot-bellied pig.”

  With a delighted laugh, Lily touched his hair, soothing a curl from his forehead. “Are you sure your last name isn’t McDonald?”

  “It’s my middle name.” He teased, leaning his head into her hand. “Do you like animals?”

  “I do.” She didn’t elaborate, refusing to tell him that she didn’t own an animal because she didn’t want to leave it alone when she died. “Does anyone live on the ranch with you?”

  “I have help.” A peaceful, happy look came to his face. “There’s a couple who takes care of the ranch when I’m not around. You’ll like them, they’re down-to earth, nurturing, and full of fun.”

  He was implying she’d meet these people. To avoid responding, Lily left her chair and went to add sausage to the pot. “I’ll put the crabs in soon. Do you want another beer?”

  “No, I’m good.” He nodded toward the piece of artwork. “What will you do with the painting?”

  “After getting the family’s permission, of course, I’ll have it cleaned and placed in the collection.” She washed the crabs and readied to put them in the pot. “I’ve only parted with one of Abraham’s paintings and that went to my friend Glory Bee. The rest I plan on keeping together for the family.”

  “You mentioned a sister and an uncle? Is that all the family you have?”

  She glanced over her shoulder, noting the look of true interest on his face. “My uncle passed away last year. Flora and I are the only ones left.”