Raising his brows, the auctioneer appeared to take pleasure in disappointing the bald man. "That means the parties have come to a mutually satisfactory agreement. The property is not up for sale today—or any day."
The bald man's jaw dropped. Felix frowned deeply. Those of Parker's extended family who were standing around looked pretty confused, too.
Except for one.
Meredith slipped up and glanced in his direction. She saw Parker wearing a tiny smile, one that began to broaden.
"You," she accused. Her heart took a baffled leap. "You knew about this, that the house wasn't for sale."
Meredith's allegation got Aletheia's attention. She turned to Parker, too. "What?" She looked flabbergasted. Her gaze flicked briefly, unreadably, toward Felix before returning to Parker. "Is she right?"
Parker clucked. "Of course I knew about it, and I told you so, too, didn't I, that everything was taken care of?"
"You," Meredith said again, her voice now hoarse. "You did this... But how?"
Parker stuck his thumbs in his waistband. Everybody was staring at him. Meanwhile he gave Meredith a completely arrogant look. Shaking his hair to one side, Parker said, "I paid the note on the house."
Aletheia looked like she was going to keel over. Meredith almost—but not quite—felt the same. A bubbly thrill clogged her throat.
"How?" Aletheia asked.
Rocking onto the balls of his feet, Parker looked toward Meredith, not Aletheia, to answer. "I sold a sculpture."
You sold a sculpture. The emotion clogging Meredith's throat wouldn't let her get out a word, however. She could only stare at Parker, amazed and...incredibly proud.
"You sold a sculpture?" Aunt Penelope demanded from her wheelchair.
Parker was looking directly at Meredith still. "The bank thought they could use a sculpture of their trademark symbol, an eagle. It so happened I had one. That, plus the licensing for the new logo I designed to go with it came to a little over fifty thousand dollars."
"The eagle!" little Sophie exclaimed. "I know which one you mean. Are you saying it's gone?" She sounded upset.
"Not gone too far," Parker assured her. "The bank is setting it up outside their office in Deer Creek."
"You don't say!" Aunt Rosa declared. "You'll be famous!" She sidled up to him. "Tell you what, I'll loan you my agent."
Parker grinned at her. "You're a peach, Aunt Rosa." His eyes rose to meet Meredith's.
She was still so choked up she couldn't speak. Parker had done it, what she'd sensed he actually wanted to do. He'd gone and done it.
And saved the family home in the process.
"Parker," she finally croaked out. "You made your art work for you."
His wide smile faded and he swallowed deeply. "Yes, I did...thanks to you. You saw something in me I was afraid to see. You forced me to look at it, too. Oh, Meredith..." Stepping toward her, he reached down to take her hands.
The simple action caused a jolt of pure joy to slam through her.
"I wanted to be worthy of you." His voice went husky, only loud enough for her to hear. "And to do that, I had to feel worthy of myself."
Pride, happiness, love—a host of emotions Meredith hadn't expected to experience that morning flooded her to the point she felt like she was floating on air. What put her over the edge, though, was the way Parker was looking at her: as though he were her other half.
"Parker." Unable to speak her own feelings, she simply threw her arms around him, dragged his lips to hers, and kissed him.
Parker wasn't slow to gather her close and kiss her back. "I love you," he murmured, in between their third kiss and the fourth.
Coming up for air after kiss number five, Meredith said, "Oh, Parker. That's what I've needed. Exactly that."
In between their sixth kiss and the seventh, Parker asked, "Does that mean you love me, too?"
Meredith started laughing during their eighth kiss. "You bet."
~~~
The house was safe. The family was safe. Aletheia, watching Parker and Meredith kissing, now had to believe it.
Everything had happened without any effort whatsoever on her part.
That fact alone left Aletheia stunned.
And Felix hadn't rescued her, after all.
"Come on, let's get out of here," Parker said, finally releasing Meredith from their full-body embrace. Leading the way, he started to weave through the various auction groups on the courthouse porch. Everybody followed him: Sophie and Aunt Rosa, George pushing Aunt Pen, Benjamin, Zara, and Aletheia's father—all smiling and chatting.
Aletheia nearly trailed after them. It was the natural thing to do. But Felix had not made himself one of the group. Of course not. She couldn't see what he was up to because he was behind her, but he definitely wasn't following the rest of her family.
Standing there, she bit down on her lower lip. The urge to approach Felix—to try once again—was very strong. But she wasn't giving in to it. She was done with that, done with hitting her head against a wall.
On the other hand, if she didn't go over and thank him for the big, huge thing she was sure he'd been prepared to do, it would be horribly ungrateful. She wouldn't be able to live with herself.
Excuses, excuses. She didn't have to thank him. He hadn't done anything.
She stood irresolute, unable to follow her family, but unable to turn and approach Felix, either. What to do? What to do?
"Aletheia?"
The deep, Italian roast voice had her whirling around. Felix was standing right next to her. He'd approached her.
Aletheia was so surprised she couldn't say a word. Or maybe what rendered her speechless was the overwhelming sense of him, so solid and masculine in front of her.
"Aletheia," he said again. The impassive expression on his face shifted slightly, toward concern.
Okay, so that's why he'd approached. He was being the rescuer again, rescuing her from her indecision.
"Felix," Aletheia was now able to reply. She cleared her throat. "Thanks."
He frowned. "What?"
Oh, yeah, he never liked to acknowledge he'd ever done anything nice or caring, did he? But Aletheia was determined to say it, whether he liked it or not. She smiled a little. "Thanks for coming, for being ready to buy the house. I know that's why you're here, and I just have to say thanks. That was...big."
"Ah." One side of his mouth curved wryly. "It's sweet of you to thank me but...that's not why I came."
She blinked, ruffled. "You can't tell me you weren't prepared to buy my house if Jim Blodger had started bidding on it."
"No, I would've done that." He was still smiling. "But it's not why I came."
She could only gaze at him, confused.
His smile broadened, becoming less wry and more... joyful? "I came to see you."
She stopped breathing. His words made something leap in her heart, something totally forbidden because she wasn't allowed to hope regarding him any more. "Oh?" she asked, and was pleased to hear the skepticism in her tone.
Felix appeared unfazed by it. He was positively grinning. "I missed you, Aletheia."
"Oh?" Aletheia said again, but her skeptic tone wobbled. He was more than merely grinning. He looked energized, totally alive.
As if he were in his darkness, actually.
So that's what was going on. Her eyes narrowed. "You got your darkness back." He said he'd lost it, that last afternoon in Boston, but— "You're in it right now, aren't you?"
Felix's smile managed to grow. "I prefer to call it color now, but...yeah."
"Color?" She shook her head, starting to get confused, and yet determined to keep one matter in mind. She was not going to try again here, not get sucked into that hopeless task. "That's all this is about, then, isn't it?" She waved a hand. "You got all juiced up for the auction and haven't shut down yet."
"Oh, I'm not shutting down, Aletheia. I don't shut down." He paused, the smile sobering. "Not for you, anyway."
She glared at him. W
hat was he up to? "Uh huh," she said.
"You don't believe me?"
Aletheia took a step back. He was looking way too...open. Alluring.
"You're not going to give me a chance?" Felix queried.
Aletheia shook her head. She turned. Where were Parker and the rest of them? She could feel herself starting to soften. If she weren't careful she'd fall, sink back into that head-on-wall-bashing thing.
"I don't believe you," Felix said. To Aletheia's surprise, he didn't accept her rejection, but matched her stride as she started across the crowded courthouse porch.
"You left me," Aletheia gritted out.
"Nah, that was someone else," Felix claimed. "I'm not him any more."
Aletheia stopped and whirled at this outrageous statement. They were at the edge of the crowd now, almost alone. "Oh, really?" she bit out.
"Yes." Felix's smile was all gone. He looked very serious. "Really." He reached down and took both her hands in his.
Aletheia shuddered at his touch. She couldn't help it. Four weeks, and she'd never thought she'd see him again.
"I went to Florida and saw my mother," Felix told Aletheia. "I found out...I'm not my father." A low chuckle escaped him. "Not even close."
"I never thought you were," Aletheia mumbled. His hands were so strong and secure, which for some reason made her tremble.
"I'm not my mother, either," Felix went on. "At least, I don't want to be like her."
"Totally understandable," Aletheia agreed in a mutter.
Felix's mouth quirked before straightening. "The thing is, I want to be myself, and I'm getting to understand that what I am is a man who...needs. Yeah, I'm a man who needs—a relationship. With one particular woman. Aletheia, would you look at me?"
She'd lowered her gaze. An aura of excitement and danger hovered in the air between them. She both relished and distrusted the aura. She wanted to pull her hands from his and go find her family. She wanted to...not hurt any more.
But he asked so gently, so...hungrily, that she found her lashes lifting. With the blood pounding crazily in her veins, her gaze slowly rose to meet his.
He was in his darkness, for sure. Or in his color. Whatever. His gaze was so wide and open she felt like she could see all the way in and through him. She saw all the longing she felt, herself, all the desire and all the tenderness.
But most of all, she saw commitment. No. Could a person see commitment? Surely not. But she started shaking worse than ever.
Felix's golden eyes searched hers. "It's not news to you that I love you, Aletheia. You figured that out long before I did. But right now, today, I want you to know I believe you love me."
She was shaking so much her teeth were chattering. This was exactly what she'd wanted to hear, but she wasn't ready to buy it. Not by a long shot. So she held firm. "Uh, I'm not so sure about that, Felix. See, I've done a lot of work on myself, you know, while you've been figuring out who you are. I've been getting over you."
He simply looked at her.
She was still trembling and a fine heat lit beneath her skin. "I am over you," she claimed. "I don't love you any more."
He kept on looking. Then, even as Aletheia watched, a slow smile spread over his face. "Okay," he said.
His smile confused her at first. Then she drew in a long, horrified breath. "You don't believe me."
His smile went on pause—for about half a second. Then it brightened as he shook his head.
"It's true!" she claimed. "I don't care about you." But that smile of his was slipping under her skin. Maybe this was a different Felix from the man who'd walked out on her four weeks ago. Could she have imagined that Felix saying any of this?
"Nice try." Felix leaned closer to add, "But I can hardly forget you stepping in front of a bullet meant for me."
"That was before!" The heat under her skin was spreading, becoming a warm glow seeping all the way through her. The smile on his face—a sweet, shy, yet somehow confident smile—wasn't helping any. For the love of— She was losing her defenses.
Felix's smile developed a sober edge. For a second she saw the old Felix, the one for whom honor was all. It was in that guise he said, "You don't have to be the only one trying any more, the only one who can be depended on. I'm here now, all of me. I'm here for you. Now and from now on."
Oh, boy, that was it. The last of Aletheia's defenses crumbled.
That was exactly what she'd needed to hear.
"I've got you," Felix murmured softly, taking her in his arms. "You can count on me."
"Oh...Felix." She threw her arms around him.
"That's the idea," Felix murmured, his voice very deep. "Just like that." Then he lowered his head to take her mouth in a breathtaking kiss.
As she clutched him close, Aletheia's fears melted away. In the clear, brilliant spot that took their place, she had to admit she'd already made this life-changing decision, the one about loving Felix.
There never had been any turning back.
"Felix," she sighed, when he finally released her. It was good to know her decision had turned out to be a good one. Oh, a very good one.
His eyes were like molten gold. "You can count on me, Aletheia. I know it may take a while for you to believe, but it'll happen, because I'm not going anywhere, not away from you, ever again."
Aletheia's lips curved upward. She'd made her decision, no turning back, but that didn't mean she'd gone stupid. "What, you're going to move here to Deer Creek?"
His intense gaze managed to deepen. "If I could live with you."
Aletheia's amused smile froze. What? Was he seriously asking that?
"I'm serious," he agreed. He moved his hands to her arms. "See, I trust you now. That much."
"Really? To live with me?" This was trust, all right, more than she'd ever thought Felix could give her, and he did look absolutely serious. Her warm glow expanded until a sudden thought occurred. "But—what about your condo?"
"Ah." A sheepish smile flirted with his mouth. "I had to sell my condo."
Aletheia's eyes widened. "What?"
"There was no other way to get enough cash together to be sure to outbid Jim Blodger."
"Oh, Felix—"
"Not to worry." His smile flashed briefly. "I sold it to my old partner, Albert Morrison. He'll sell it back to me if I want."
"Thank goodness."
"So what do you say?" Felix nuzzled her forehead with his nose. "Would you let me move in?"
Aletheia closed her eyes. Happy sparkles danced inside her. For the first time in her life she knew with absolute certainty that the important decision she'd made had been the right one.
"Yes," she breathed, leaning against Felix's solid strength. She said it again, joy vibrating in her voice. "Yes, Felix. Please live with me. Now and forever."
With a possessive growl, he pulled her closer.
She did her best to hold him off. "But do buy your condo back, darling. I really like it."
"Would you stay there with me?"
Aletheia's gaze shifted past Felix's earnest face and through the crowd on the courthouse porch. The happy group of her family hadn't made much progress because Meredith and Parker had commenced necking again. "I have a feeling I won't be quite as indispensable on the home front from now on. Getting out of Deer Creek every once in a while would be nice."
Felix smiled down at her. "My dear Aletheia, I will be happy to take you wherever you want to go."
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
It was a slow hour at Aletheia's Asylum, the lull before supper time sent the customers to go eat real food elsewhere. After scrubbing one of the tables, Aletheia strolled back toward the counter. She passed Felix, seated at another table with his open laptop computer. Today he was wearing a pair of indigo blue chinos and a polo shirt of pale greens and yellows. That morning, Parker had gagged at the combination, but behind Felix's back, for Aletheia didn't want her man discouraged from his recent experimentation with wearing actual colors.
Now Felix
snagged her hand as she walked past. He was experimenting with that, too, displaying affection. Taking a hand here, stealing a kiss there, putting his arms around her shoulders.
"Mmm." Aletheia squeezed his hand and came over. "What are you working on?"
"Just making sure everything is squared away for tomorrow," Felix replied.
"I still can't believe we're actually going." A shiver went through Aletheia just thinking about it. Paris. For the past three months, she and Felix had been splitting their time between Deer Creek and San Francisco. Aletheia had considered she was getting the best of both worlds when Felix had sprung this opportunity on her, a security consultation meeting with a client...in Paris.
He rubbed his fingers over her hand and in his eyes she saw his lurking hunter. Aletheia shivered again, this time in anticipation. She had a pretty good idea of some other business Felix wanted to take care of in Paris, a certain question he wanted to ask her. She had no problem with the question—or with his misguided notion he had to give her a nice trip in order to induce a positive response. Paris.
The street door burst open and Zara paused on the threshold, her hands full of books and her face expressing deep anguish. "I'm dead! Really and truly dead. A three-page paper, two problem sets, and five chapters to read—all by tomorrow!" Enrolled at the local community college, Zara played the hysterical freshman with zest.
"Caffeine," Benjamin said from his position at another table. With his own laptop open before him, his gaze rested warmly on Zara. "It's the answer to most intellectual problems."
After receiving multiple offers of employment, Benjamin had decided he was still too nervous to work for anybody else, and was hammering out a business plan for his own Research and Design company to continue work on the invisibility cloak. The whole thing hinged on Felix being able to come up with a sufficiently solid security plan. Now he offered, "Come over here, honey, and I'll order up some coffee."
"Yes!" Zara gushed. "That's exactly what I need."
"And me," Benjamin reminded her, standing and opening his arms to embrace her as she came near. "You need me, right?"
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