mystic caravan mystery 01 - freaky days

by Amanda M. Lee

  “Oh, let’s see. He told me that you have the ‘warm fuzzies’ for Kade,” Max said. “I’m not sure what that means, but I think it means you have feelings for him.”

  “I’m going to warm Luke’s fuzzies.”

  “There was a lot of talk about adult naptime, aggressive cuddling and, my personal favorite, completing the jigsaw puzzle.” Max chuckled, his eyes lighting up for the first time since we started talking. “He might have mentioned something about opening the gates of Mordor, but I’m pretty sure that conversation would’ve gone to an even freakier place had I let it continue.”

  “Opening the gates of Mordor? I’m going to beat him.”

  “I think that’s what he wants,” Max said. “Luke is one of those people who craves attention. He doesn’t care whether it’s negative or positive.”

  “Oh, it’s going to be negative.”

  Max chuckled. “Your relationship with Luke has been one of the great joys of my life,” he said. “The way you two love each other while wanting to kill each other at the same time is something to behold.”

  “Luke better find a cup or he’s going to be holding something else,” I muttered.

  We lapsed into uncomfortable silence for a few minutes, both of us unwrapping the meat – I made a mental note to try that one out on Luke. Finally, Max interrupted the quiet.

  “Tell me about Kade,” he said, exhaling heavily once the words were out.

  “What do you want me to tell you?”

  “He hasn’t spoken to me since the Wendigo incident,” Max said. “You were right, by the way. Keeping it a secret was never going to work.”

  “It doesn’t matter now, Max. You can’t go back in time. This is the hand you’ve been dealt. You have to play it.”

  “Still, I’d like to know how he’s adjusting,” Max said. “I hate it that he’s not talking to me.”

  “He’s doing pretty well,” I said. “He went on a vampire hunt with me last night and didn’t freak out once.”

  “I heard. That sounds like it happened quickly and was handled quietly.”

  “The only thing loud was Nellie’s dress,” I replied.

  Max pursed his lips and then gave into the smile. “He does love his evening gowns.”

  “Kade seemed fine with the takedown, although he was angry I pushed him out of the way,” I said. “That was just macho stuff. He’s actually eager to learn. He’s excited by it. I wouldn’t worry about him shutting you out. He’ll get over it eventually. He just needs time.”

  “I hope so,” Max said. “On a different note, are you going to be the one in charge of Kade’s education?”

  I made a face. “No.”

  “That’s not the way Luke made it sound.”

  “Luke is an idiot.”

  “Why aren’t you going to teach Kade?” Max asked, his face sobering. “Is he angry about the lies? I can talk to him if that’s a problem.”

  “He is angry about the lies,” I replied. “He’s angry about the Luke lie. Only he doesn’t know it’s a lie.”

  “You’ve used Luke as a buffer for years,” Max said. “It probably made sense when we were keeping secrets from Kade. You wanted space between the two of you. That’s not a problem any longer.”

  “Are you going to join Luke’s crusade to get Kade and me together?”

  “I’ve heard that churning butter and then using the resulting product to butter biscuits is most definitely going to be involved.” Max’s eyes twinkled.

  “And on that note … .” I started moving away.

  “Where are you going?”

  “We have to put up the dreamcatcher,” I said. “We need to get the supplies.”

  “Well, this will be Kade’s big initiation,” Max said. “Put on a good show for him.”

  WE erected the dreamcatcher first, waiting until right before dusk to weave a tapestry of brightly-colored magical lights. Everyone “oohed” and “aahed” at appropriate intervals, and Kade looked genuinely impressed – not that I was looking at him, mind you.

  Once it was completed, we settled down for dinner and a bonfire. That led to Seth and Luke breaking out the hard liquor, and before anyone realized what was happening, we were all feeling no pain.

  That, of course, led to fun campfire stories about the multitude of kills our monster-hunting troupe carried out over the years. Each one got progressively bloodier as the alcohol weaved its own magical spell on the conversation.

  “ … And then Dolph ripped the Mothman’s wings off and waved them in his face and said, ‘Try to fly now, bug.’” Nellie was enjoying story hour. “And the Mothman actually tried to steal his wings back because he thought he could reattach them. It was hilarious.”

  “Mothman?” Kade was trying to wrap his mind around the strange new world he’d joined. “That’s a real thing?”

  “They’re indigenous to West Virginia,” Raven said, rubbing his forearm appreciatively as she sat next to him on the other side of the bonfire. “They’re really gross. White pus oozes out when you stab them.”

  “Nice.” Kade raised his eyebrows and made a dubious face, his eyes locking with mine across the fire. I quickly averted my gaze. I could not stand looking at him and Raven for one more second.

  I pushed myself to my feet, listing to the side briefly as I fought to hold on to my footing, and then pointed my attention toward Luke. “I’m going to bed.”

  “Do you want me to help you get there?”

  “I’m fine.” I waved off his concern and almost toppled over again.

  “If you say so,” Luke said dubiously. “If you pass out on the way back to the trailer I’ll pick you up and put you to bed when I’m done here.”

  “That sounds like the most fun I’ve had all day.” I left the laughing crowd behind me, my mind drifting as I shuffled toward my trailer. I was lost in thought when Kade popped into view and blocked my path. “Hey, I’m walking here.”

  “You look as if you’re trying to walk,” Kade corrected. “It doesn’t look as if you’re doing a very good job. How much did you have to drink?”

  “Enough that I feel numb.”

  “Is that a good thing?”

  “It is right now,” I said. “Of course, I also feel that throwing up might be in my future, so I’ll probably feel differently tomorrow morning.”

  “Do you want me to help you to your trailer?” Kade’s eyes were filled with amusement. Why wasn’t he more intoxicated?

  “I am perfectly capable of making it to my own trailer.”

  “You look it,” Kade said, lurching forward and grabbing me as I tripped over my own toe. “Geez, why did you get so drunk?”

  “Because I didn’t want to look at you one second longer than I had to,” I slurred back. “At least if I’m blind drunk I don’t have to see you and Raven fawning all over each other.”

  “Is that what you think is happening?”

  “Ooh, Kade, you’re so strong,” I mimicked Raven. “Ooh, Kade, you’re so hot. Ooh, Kade, do you want to see my underwear? Oh, you do. Too bad. I’m not wearing any and I have chlamydia.”

  Kade chuckled, the sound taking me by surprise.

  “Great! I’m glad you’re laughing at me!”

  “I was laughing at your impersonation of Raven,” Kade clarified. “I was not laughing at you. You have me a little worried. I haven’t known you long, but I’ve never seen you this drunk.”

  “That’s because I don’t drink very often,” I said, wagging my finger in his face. “I’m not a very good drunk. I’m a lightweight. I’m … I’m a … need to sit down.” I plopped onto the ground. I was halfway between the bonfire and my trailer, yet it seemed like a monumental trek.

  Kade sat down next to me, his chin lifting as he studied the sky. “It’s pretty here.”

  “You like looking at the moon a lot.”

  “I guess I do,” Kade conceded. “What do you like looking at?”

  “Nothing right now.”

  “What about tomo
rrow? What are you going to like looking at tomorrow?”

  “I’m guessing it’s going to resemble a bottle of aspirin and the toilet bowl,” I replied.

  “Yeah, well, that sounds like fun,” Kade said, his blasé tone irking me. “Why don’t you tell me why you stopped by my trailer this morning.”

  “No one cares.”

  “I care.”

  “No, you don’t,” I shot back. “You have your new little friend and she’ll take care of all the biscuits and buttering.”

  “I have no idea what that means,” Kade said, his eyes searching mine. “I want to know why you came by my trailer this morning.”

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “It does.” Kade’s tone was angry and it jolted me. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you.” He held up his hands in an apologetic manner, his expression contrite. “I’m sorry.”

  “You should be sorry,” I said, rolling to my knees in an attempt to get back to my feet. “I’m a catch. I’m … why is my trailer so far away?”

  Kade grabbed my arm, forcing me to look in his direction. “Do you want to be caught?”

  “All I want to do right now is go to sleep.”

  “Why isn’t Luke putting you to bed? For that matter, why isn’t Luke climbing into bed next to you? Why do you two act as if you’re friends one minute and soul mates the next?” Kade was relentless with the questions.

  “Why do you care?” I asked. “You have Raven. She’s your new … friend. I’m nothing to you. I get it. Now … leave me alone.”

  I pushed myself to my feet shakily, sighing as I felt Kade’s arm slip around my waist to hold me upright. “I can see now isn’t the time to talk to you,” he said. “We’re going to have this discussion tomorrow. I don’t care how hungover you are.”

  “Awesome. Make sure you bring me aspirin, Pepto-Bismol and tomato juice. Not V-8 juice. It’s gross. Tomato juice.” I pointed a finger in his face.

  Kade rolled his eyes but otherwise remained silent until we stood in front of my trailer. “Is it unlocked?” He turned the handle. “You should probably lock this given all the monsters that find you.”

  “I’ll take that under advisement.” I stepped into the trailer and turned to tell Kade goodnight. He was right behind me and when I swiveled our mouths were inches apart. “I … .”

  Silence and uncomfortable chemistry overtook us.

  “You need to go to bed,” Kade said, although he didn’t pull his face from mine.

  “That’s what I’m trying to do,” I muttered.

  “Okay.”

  “Great.”

  “Good.”

  Before I realized it, he was kissing me. It was one of those hot kisses that make you wonder whether you somehow shed your clothes without realizing it. Was I magically naked? I kissed him back, wrapping my hand around his neck and pressing my body to his.

  My unsteady body weight was enough to cause us to tumble to the floor, the trailer shaking under the force of our combined weight. Despite the upheaval, we didn’t break the kiss. We held on until our lips were swollen and our minds were lost.

  “Holy crap,” Kade said, pulling away from me and rubbing his hand over his lips after what felt like forever. “I … we … um … we shouldn’t have done that.”

  “Way to go, Romeo,” I grumbled, rolling to my knees and crawling toward the bathroom. “You sure know how to kill a mood.”

  “That’s not what I meant,” Kade protested. “I just meant that … you’re really drunk.”

  “And you’re really leaving,” I said. “I get it. Don’t worry. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”

  “Poet … .”

  “Goodnight, Kade.”

  He left after that. Well, I assume he left. I spent the night with my face pressed to the cool bathroom floor and my body in the hallway.

  It was going to be a rough morning.

  Twenty-Two

  “I think I’m dying.”

  My mouth was dry, my tongue like a bottle brush, and my eyes fought against opening the next morning as I rested my forehead against the coolness of the base of the toilet.

  Luke settled on the floor next to me and pushed something in front of my face. I could smell coffee and blindly reached for it, downing a huge mouthful despite the scalding temperature.

  “Thank you,” I murmured.

  “Oh, no, thank you,” Luke said. I could hear the laughter in his voice even though I couldn’t bring myself to look at him. “You, my drunken love, are the talk of the camp this morning. I’m popular today because of my close relationship with you. I’m finally one of the cool kids. I am the one who should thank you.”

  “Why?” I racked my brain. It wouldn’t be the first time I’d done something embarrassing while drunk. That’s why I leave drinking for special occasions. Nothing about the previous evening’s festivities leapt out through my gauze-wrapped brain, though. “Please tell me I didn’t sing.”

  “You didn’t sing, my tone-deaf harlot,” Luke replied, draping something cool over my neck. I think it was a damp washcloth. “If you sang I would’ve recorded it with my phone and let it serenade you awake this morning.”

  He’d done that before, so it wasn’t an empty threat. “I didn’t take my clothes off, did I?”

  “I don’t know. Did you?”

  That was a good question. I ran my hands down my chest and thighs, relieved to find my T-shirt and cargo pants still in place. If I did strip down, it couldn’t have been for very long. “I don’t think so.”

  “What do you remember?” Luke pressed, rubbing my shoulder.

  “I don’t know,” I said, irritation getting the better of me. “I remember eating dinner. I remember drinking around the bonfire. I remember Nellie telling stories.”

  “What else?”

  “I … um … .” He clearly wanted me to remember something specific. “I remember Kade and his new girlfriend getting cozy by the fire,” I spat.

  “How did I know that was all you were going to remember?”

  “Maybe you’re the psychic one,” I muttered.

  “Do you remember getting up and announcing you were going back to your trailer?” Luke asked.

  “I … vaguely,” I said. “I definitely remember thinking it was a long walk between the fire and my trailer. That’s when I knew I was officially drunk.”

  “Yes. You were definitely drunk,” Luke agreed. “You had six drinks and were plastered. It was a little embarrassing.”

  “No one asked for commentary from the peanut gallery,” I snapped.

  “Retract the claws, Kitten,” Luke chided. “I’m not your enemy here.”

  I sucked in a breath and then sipped the coffee again. “I feel like hell.”

  “I picked up McDonald’s breakfast for you because I knew that would be the case,” Luke said. “I figured you wouldn’t be up to cooking for me, so I provided for the both of us.”

  “That was sweet of you.”

  “I have my moments,” Luke said. “Now, back to last night … .”

  “Why are you fixating on last night?” I grumbled. “I got drunk. I probably fell on my way back to the trailer. I might have said something stupid. You say something stupid every day and we don’t make a federal case about that.”

  “You’re so cute and sweet I want to eat you up sometimes,” Luke said, pinching my cheek and giving it a good jiggle.

  I jerked away from him, opening my eyes slightly and then snapping them shut again when the bright light caused me to wonder whether my head would explode. “I’m just saying that I don’t understand why you’re making such a big deal about this. You’re usually the one who wants me to loosen up and drink more.”

  “You didn’t walk back to the trailer alone last night,” Luke prodded. “Try to think.”

  I did as he asked and slowly images started crashing together. “Oh, no!”

  “And there it is,” Luke said, chuckling. “Now, we were all taking bets by the fire
last night. Raven was angry and stormed off, by the way. She’s probably gunning for you today. I’m giving you fair warning to avoid her.”

  “Oh, well, good. I’m in the mood for someone to shoot me in the head. It would feel better than this.”

  “Chill out, drama mama,” Luke said. “Nellie believes you two went all the way. I’m betting it was more along the lines of a crazy makeout session and then Kade came to his senses and realized how drunk you were. Who’s right?”

  “I … how … who … what makes you think anything happened?” I now remembered everything that occurred and wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Oh, yeah, I didn’t forget about crawling to the bathroom. The memory was merely delayed.

  “Because we were all watching the trailer and at a certain point it rocked, as if there were people rolling around inside,” Luke replied, clearly enjoying the upper hand in this conversation. “When Kade left he appeared … upset. I’m guessing you didn’t take it well when he regained his faculties and put the kibosh on the romance.”

  “I hate you.”

  “Oh, my little Poet,” Luke cooed. “I won the bet, didn’t I?”

  “I feel like such an idiot,” I moaned, rubbing my forehead. “He must think I’m desperate.”

  “I think he was fine with the kissing, so don’t get worked up about it,” Luke said, his pragmatic side taking over. “For the record, he grew by leaps and bounds in my estimation for walking away. You were way too drunk to do anything other than kissing.”

  “Shut up!”

  “Poet, don’t even think about going all … pouty … about this,” Luke warned. “He didn’t take advantage of you. He drank quite a bit last night, too, although I think his tolerance is greater than yours. He could’ve easily lost his head, but he didn’t.”

  “I don’t want to talk about this.”

  “Fine,” Luke said. “You don’t have to talk about it. You need to take a shower and get some breakfast in you. You smell like a ten-day-old rag that’s been used to clean up kitchen slop.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Once you feel like a human being again … then we’ll talk about it.”

  “Oh, I can’t wait,” I muttered.

  “Look at it this way, honey,” Luke said, getting to his feet. “You two are just that much closer to paddling up Coochie Creek now.”