Kevin hesitated. “I’m not sure I want anyone to know where you are.”
“I just want her to know I’m not in Milhaven anymore, and if she needs me for any reason, she should go through you.”
“Okay. When are you planning to go to Rainbow Valley?”
“As soon as I leave Sister Brena’s.”
“Have you packed?”
Theresa nodded. “My bag’s in the outer office, next to Chris’s desk.”
“You’ve got everything with you?”
“I don’t have anything but my clothes. You’ll have to come up with furniture for me. I put a list of what I’ll need on Chris’s desk, and I’ll give you a separate list of stuff for the clinic after I talk to Taelor.”
Kevin nodded. “What about saying goodbye to everyone?”
“Already done. Hayley’s upset, but if you take her to Bridgeport this afternoon, she’ll get over it quickly enough.”
“I thought she said she wanted to go tomorrow morning and come back before dinner.”
“You need to tell her something’s come up and you have to take her today. If she stays here, all she’ll do is mope around.”
“All right. Anything else?”
Theresa shook her head. “Now, can you take me to Sister Brena’s?”
Kevin took Theresa to Timera Valley, dropped her off, and told her he’d be back in an hour to pick her up. Then he went back to his office to work on the messages that had piled up on his desk over the past couple of days.
When he returned to Timera Valley, Sister Brena insisted he come in for some refreshments. An hour later, he and Theresa left for Rainbow Valley. As soon as he dropped her off, he went back to his office and got back to work.
After a quick lunch at his desk, Kevin called Chris into his office. “How’s it coming on getting everything ready for the move?”
“I’ve got Taelor and Landis taken care of. Theresa gave me her list this morning so I haven’t started on hers yet. I gave Callie’s list to Cryslyn earlier today and she said she’d have it together by Tuesday morning.”
“Good. Now, is there anything else that has to be handled today? By me?”
“Not that I can think of. Why?”
Kevin pointed to the stack of papers on his desk. “I’m finished with those, so I’m taking some time off.”
“Where are you going?”
“I’m not sure, but I’m going to find Rhianna and Nikki and get out of here for a while. I might take them to Federation Isle, or we might go to Crinsor Run, or possibly Elsewhere. I just want to go someplace where I can relax.”
“Are you coming back tonight?”
Kevin paused. “I’m not sure. We could end up at Rainbow Valley this evening. I imagine Rhianna’s ready for some time with Landis. Or we may spend the night in Crinsor Run. I don’t know. But I’ll check in with you sometime this evening and let you know where I am.” He took off his key to Terah and handed it to Chris. “Find Hayley and take her to Bridgeport. Theresa said if she stays around here, all she’ll do is mope.”
“What excuse do I use to get her to go today?”
“I don’t care,” Kevin said. “Tell her something came up, tell her I’ll be busy tomorrow, tell her anything you want to.”
“When do you want me to tell her we’ll pick her up?”
“Sunday around lunchtime unless she insists on coming back earlier than that.”
Chris nodded.
“And don’t make any plans for me this weekend. I’m taking the weekend off.”
~ ~ ~ ~
Kevin picked Nikki up at the stables and headed for Doreen’s house. When they got there, Rhianna was tending the gardens. Nikki reached her first but Kevin was close behind.
After Rhianna ruffled Nikki’s fur, she stood up and looked at Kevin. “You’re out early, aren’t you?”
Kevin smiled and nodded. “And I’m not going back anytime soon.”
“Oh?”
“Nikki and I are playing hooky this afternoon. Want to join us?”
“Hooky?”
“I’m taking the rest of the day off. If something happens around here, they’ll have to manage without me.”
Rhianna smiled. “And what brought this about?”
“I’ve had a busy week. Actually a couple of busy weeks, and I could use a break. Want to go with us?”
“That depends,” Rhianna answered, still smiling. “Where are you planning to go?”
“I don’t know. I know of a nice beach where the water’s calm and warm. I thought Nikki might enjoy a swim. Or we could go to Crinsor Run, or even Elsewhere if you want to. I don’t care where we go as long as no one’s knocking on my door.”
Rhianna laughed. “A swim sounds nice. Let’s go to the beach.”
Kevin nodded. “Federation Isle it is.”
“Should I pack some food? And a couple of towels? Maybe a blanket?”
“I knew there was a reason I invited you. I didn’t think of any of that, and by the way, I don’t plan to come back tonight.”
“Guess I’ll pack a bag.”
“Might be a good idea. But I do have a key. If you forget something we can come back to get it. How long do you need to get ready to go.”
“Give me half an hour.”
“I’ll take Nikki for a walk while you’re getting ready. Meet you out front.”
~ ~ ~ ~
Kevin checked in with Chris Friday night and a couple of times on Saturday, but he and Rhianna didn’t come back to Milhaven until lunchtime on Sunday.
Friday afternoon they swam and played with Nikki in the surf on Federation Isle, then watched the sun rise over the mountains at Elsewhere, wandered through the valley for a while, and ended up in Crinsor Run in time for dinner. Saturday morning they visited with Rhianna’s family while Xantha entertained Nikki, and then, after lunch, they went to Rainbow Valley.
Rhianna spent Saturday evening with Landis while Kevin told Theresa and Taelor about the people who would be joining them on the island. Since Taelor had never been there, Kevin took them to the island for a quick visit after dinner. When they got back to Rainbow Valley, Theresa kept Nikki long enough for Kevin to check on things at the castle. Then he and Nikki settled down for the night in his old room.
Sunday morning Kevin took Nikki back to Milhaven and left her with Marshall. After checking in with Chris, he picked up Rhianna and Landis, and headed for the canyon lands. Rhianna had said she wanted to watch Kevin spar with Glendymere, so he’d invited both of them to go that morning. After an hour of sparring, Kevin dropped Landis off at Wildcat Mountain and he and Rhianna made a quick trip to Shadron’s farm.
While Rhianna visited with Kayla, Kevin talked to Shadron about Marshall. “His maternal grandfather’s an elf so he has a natural affinity for animals, especially dogs and horses. Kyle’s teaching him how to train dogs and I was hoping you’d work with him on training horses.”
“As an apprentice?”
Kevin shook his head. “He wants to stay at the castle. He takes care of the horses in our stable, but they’re already trained, by you. I thought maybe he could do the same thing with you he’s doing with Kyle, visit for a weekend maybe once a month and pick up some pointers.”
Shadron frowned. “We could do that, but if he wants to learn to train horses, it’s a day in day out process. You can’t just drop in once in a while and learn how to do it, natural affinity or not.”
Kevin sighed. “The horse training’s my idea, not his. Right now he works seven days a week. We want him to take some time off, but so far we haven’t had any luck convincing him to do it. Chris tried to get him to go off with some of the other teenagers, but he said he’d rather be around horses and dogs than people. So I’m trying to use the animals to get him to take a break.”
Shadron laughed. “I felt the same way when I was his age. Still do to a certain extent.”
Kevin nodded. “Living with Neiven doesn’t help. I don’t think he’s missed a day since I got to Mi
lhaven. Even if he doesn’t fire up the forge, he shows up to keep an eye on things.”
“How many days have you taken off since you got to Milhaven?”
“Funny you should ask. I took this weekend off. Rhianna and I left Friday afternoon.”
“And you haven’t checked in at all?”
“Well, I did drop by Friday evening to see if anything had come up, and I went by a couple of times yesterday.”
“What about today?”
“You can’t count that one. I had to drop Nikki off before I went out to the canyon lands to spar with Glendymere.”
“Did you go by and check with Chris?”
“Only for a moment, and he’s the only one I saw.”
“And I’d be willing to bet you gave Chris one of your keys before you left in case he needed you in a hurry. And he knew where you were at all times, right?”
Kevin felt a blush creep up his cheeks.
“But back to Marshall,” Shadron said. “I’ll be glad for him to come out and spend some time here. He can do rounds with me, and help with whatever I happen to be doing at the time. And, if at a later date, he wants to learn how to train, we’ll see what we can work out. When do you want him to come?”
“Whenever it works best for you. But I would like for you to meet him first. When are you planning to go to Milhaven for a visit?”
Shadron thought for a moment. “Kayla and I could go back with you today. While Kayla visits with Laryn, Steve and I can wander out to the stable to check on my horses. If Marshall’s interested in coming, next weekend would be a good time. Brandt will be here. Would that be all right with you?”
Kevin nodded. “When would you want him to come? Friday evening?”
Shadron nodded.
“By the way, we gave Watson to Marshall,” Kevin said. “I don’t know if he was yours or not, but the two of them have been inseparable since Marshall started working there.”
Shadron smiled. “That’s fine. He’s a good horse. But if we’re going back with you today, I need to get to the house and tell Kayla to put a hold on lunch.”
“If it’s going to cause a problem, I can come get you some other day.”
Shadron shook his head as he started for the house. “Kayla’s good about things like that. Nothing much throws her. Let’s go tell her we’re going visiting.”
~ ~ ~ ~
After Kevin dropped Shadron and Kayla off with Laryn, he took Rhianna down to Doreen’s. When they parted at the front door, she asked, “Are you and Nikki coming out this evening?”
“As far as I know. If anything comes up, I’ll let you know.”
Then he went back to the castle for lunch. Since he hadn’t been in his office since Friday afternoon, there was a stack of messages on his desk. Instead of going down to the dining hall, he asked Cameryn to bring him a tray when she came back. While he waited, he tackled the messages.
By the time Chris brought his lunch in, Kevin had managed to get through half of the messages. As he leaned back in his chair, he asked, “Anything happen I need to be aware of?”
Chris sat down and asked, “What do you want me to say when people ask where you were this weekend?”
Kevin raised his eyebrows. “Why? Has someone asked?”
“Several someones. They know Rhianna went with you and they’re wondering if whatever’s going on between the two of you is getting serious.”
“And that’s a bad thing?”
Chris shook his head. “Probably a good thing, especially if it makes its way to Rolan’s ears.”
“Who’s asking?”
“Cryslyn for one.”
“She’s thinking in terms of organizing a wedding. Who else?”
“Miranda wanted to know if everything was all right. I think she was afraid there was a problem, something along the lines of Gwendolyn.”
Kevin frowned. “Why would she think that?”
Chris shrugged. “Probably because you took Nikki and Rhianna away. I think that brought back some memories. Anyway, I told her you and Rhianna were visiting some friends and since they had dogs, you took Nikki along.”
“Do I need to talk to her?”
“I wouldn’t unless she says something to you, but if you do this again, maybe you should ask her to fix you a picnic basket or something.”
“I should have done that this time. Rhianna fixed something for us to take with us to the beach, but one of Miranda’s baskets would have been perfect. Anyone else?”
“A few of the guards, your bodyguards, the pages, some of the housekeeping staff, and that’s just the ones who asked me. Questions are being asked in Milhaven, too. Tolliver stopped by to ask whether or not he should include Rhianna in the Register of Residents. He wanted to know if she lives here now or if she’s visiting, and if she’s living here, is she part of Doreen’s household or yours?”
Kevin shook his head. “I don’t want to go there.”
“I told him she’s visiting, that she has a home in Crinsor Run in North Amden.”
“Did that satisfy him?”
“For the moment.”
“Anything else?”
“One of us needs to pick up Hayley. Do you want to go? Or do you want me to?”
“I’ll go after I finish eating.”
Chris took the key to Terah off his chain and handed it back to Kevin. “That’s all I’ve got right now. And now that you’re back, think I’ll take some time off this afternoon. While I was at lunch Darrell asked if I wanted to go check on a few things with him.”
Kevin frowned. “What things?”
“I’m not sure, but I figured I’d go find out.”
Kevin nodded. “When are you meeting him?”
“Now.”
“Okay.” Kevin picked up his fork. “Let me know if it’s anything I need to be aware of.”
~ ~ ~ ~
Hayley was sitting on the porch with Marcie and Rayne when Kevin arrived. While Hayley was getting her bag, Marcie said, “If your invitation for us to come for a visit is still open, we’d like to take you up on it next weekend, if it’s convenient, of course.”
Kevin nodded. “Fine with me. Have you mentioned it to Marcus?”
Marcie laughed and shook her head. “My brother’s not big on letters or invitations. It’ll be fine with him.”
“When would you like for us to pick you up?”
“I was hoping we could go Saturday morning, spend the night, and come back around lunchtime on Sunday. Would that work?”
“That’s fine,” Kevin said. “I can’t say for sure whether I’ll be able to pick you up or not, but someone will.”
Marcie thanked him as Hayley came out with her bag. “We’ll see you next weekend, Hayley,” Marcie said as she hugged the younger woman. “Take care.”
After Kevin dropped Hayley off at the chapel, he went back to the office and asked Isak to find Marcus. “Tell him I need to see him sometime today but it’s not urgent.”
Fifteen minutes later, Marcus knocked on Kevin’s door. “You wanted to see me?”
Kevin sighed. “I told Isak to tell you it wasn’t urgent. Have a seat.” After Marcus sat down, Kevin said, “You know we took Hayley to your sister’s house for the weekend.”
Marcus nodded.
“When I picked her up this afternoon, your sister asked if she and her family can come for a visit next weekend.”
Marcus groaned. “I’m sorry, Myron. I’ll talk to her.”
“What? You don’t want her to come?”
“That’s not it. I don’t want her to impose on you.”
“She’s not imposing. I invited her. When I brought Caleb to visit I told her they could come stay at the castle and visit with you anytime they wanted to. She decided to take me up on it. They’re perfectly welcome here. This is your home.”
“That’s gracious of you, but I know how pushy my sister is. I’ll go up there.”
Kevin shook his head. “Marcus, it’s already set up. They’re coming next
Saturday morning and staying through lunch on Sunday. I’m letting you know in case you have any plans that need to be rearranged. That’s all.”
“You’re sure you wouldn’t rather I go up there? You know how my sister can get, or maybe you don’t, but Hayley does. Ask her.”
“Everything will be fine. Just be sure you move things around in your schedule so you’ll have time to take them around and let them see the area. I’m sure you can get a buggy or wagon from Neiven, or horses if you prefer. Get Hayley to join you. Maybe have Miranda fix up a picnic basket for you to take with you. Treat this as a weekend off and have some fun.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“Of course I am,” Kevin said. “Relax and enjoy it.”
Marcus nodded as he stood up to go. “Think I’ll go look at my calendar and see what’s up for next weekend. And Myron, thanks. She may be a pain sometimes, but she’s my pain.”
Kevin laughed as he picked up his pen to get back to work.
~ ~ ~ ~
While Kevin was tackling his messages, Rhianna was tackling weeds in the garden areas behind Doreen’s house. She’d been working for half an hour when Doreen sat down at the edge of the garden. “I’ve got a question.”
“About the garden?” Rhianna asked.
Doreen shook her head. “About you and Myron. I can’t figure the two of you out. Most of the time when he’s around, you act like you’re friends, maybe relatives, but nothing special. But sometimes he looks at you the same way a hungry man looks at food and you’re as bad as he is. No one looks at a friend like that. That’s the way lovers look at each other. What’s going on?”
Rhianna sat back on her heels and stared at Doreen. “I don’t know how to answer that. What do you mean we look at each other like lovers?”
“You know what I mean,” Doreen answered. “Like the person you’re looking at is the most important person in the world, like Callie and Petar looked at each other. Are you friends? Or is it more?”
“Well, we’re not lovers,” Rhianna said hesitantly.
“Are you sure?” Doreen asked. “I get the feeling you want to be, and so does he.”
Rhianna felt heat flood her face.
“Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it.”
“But I haven’t,” Rhianna said slowly. “We’re friends, good friends, but just friends.”
The Warrior Elf Page 59