Geoffrey kept moving and closed the door after him. Alex, however, stopped two steps below her so they were eye to eye. The last time they’d been in this position, he’d sweet-talked his way into her home and into her life. What would she be giving him this time?
“Hi,” he said. His eyes were dark and glittering, and deep enough to fall into. Elizabeth forced herself not to sway into him.
“I didn’t expect you.”
“I said I would be here.” They were whispering, though they were outside, as if louder words would wake the world. They both wanted this moment when it was only the two of them. The darkness lent a sense of privacy, of sweet possibility.
“It’s Sunday. I shouldn’t have expectations.” She was staring at his mouth as she spoke. His lips looked soft and tempting enough to nibble on. In her dreams, that mouth did the most incredible things to her. Would reality be just as good? Elizabeth swallowed and raised her eyes back to meet his disturbingly direct gaze.
“Go ahead. Have expectations.” His husky words were a promise she was afraid to believe in. Did he mean with the house, with the kids, or with her?
Elizabeth tilted her head, wondering where the conversation had gone. A day ago, she couldn’t push him out the door fast enough. Just a few hours ago, she’d dreamed he’d wrapped his arms around her and used his mouth to create entirely different needs than the ones they now discussed. She was well on her way to making the mistake both she and Shelly feared. How could she avoid that? Did she want to? “Like what?”
“Make me a list.” Alex smiled.
Her heart thudded in a tight rhythm against her chest. She smiled, knowing it was slightly flirtatious but unable to help it. Her arms prickled with gooseflesh that rose over her chest and up to the base of her neck. “My to-do lists are usually pretty long.”
“I do a better job with a little direction.” His grin was pure charm as he moved closer to her. “I wouldn’t want to bulldoze through when a little sensitivity is required.”
The broad wood of the porch post suddenly pressed into her back and Alex loomed over her. She swallowed, her mouth suddenly thick and dry. “That’s very wise of you to admit.”
He grinned, his mouth closer so they nearly breathed in each other’s words. “I like to please. Where would you like me to start?”
Many places came to mind. And just thinking about them made her burn for his touch. Her voice low and breathy, she whispered, “With the fence.”
He smiled and she felt it against her cheek. “Sounds like a fine place to start. I’m pretty good with fences.”
“You’ll have to be. Mine have been in place for a very long time.” When was the last time she’d played with a man? Had she ever done so? If she had, it hadn’t been this fun. This exciting.
“I know. But when they’ve aged a while, they’re usually ready to fall down.” His eyes shone a challenge, though his smile said he knew they were playing.
“That or they’ve settled in and are next to impossible to remove.” She raised a saucy brow, challenging him in return.
“Trust me, they’re coming down,” he said, then grazed his lips against her jaw.
At his touch, she shuddered. She couldn’t let this happen. Couldn’t give in. The kids would see her as just another selfish adult. And the danger to Alex … well, that was a whole different level of terror. What if he tried to leave her? What if she didn’t let him?
Alex closed his eyes, as if realizing their game had gone a bit too far. His voice held actual regret when he whispered, “Sorry. Did I ruin the moment?”
Elizabeth froze. In a second, he’d pull away, thinking she’d rejected him for a third time. How could she allow him to keep thinking that what was between them was completely one-sided? He began to pull back and her heart screamed at his withdrawal even as her mind demanded she allow it. In another second the moment would be gone and the chasm between them wider than ever.
Refusing to think about it and risk changing her mind, she tilted her head toward him. Taking his bottom lip between hers, she ran her tongue over it. He shuddered against her, his lip plump enough to nibble on. She trapped him, rubbing her tongue back and forth over his flesh. He tasted as she’d always imagined. Warm and welcoming, like home. Maybe the only home she would ever want.
When want turned to need, Elizabeth pulled back and watched Alex’s eyes slowly open. Her voice husky with sadness, she whispered, “There, now we can both be sorry.”
The lines around his eyes deepened. “Are you sorry?”
She’d braved her desire for the first time ever and it terrified her to no end. She had responsibilities, and if she allowed him to be a part of her life and he changed his mind about being there, she could hurt him. It was too dangerous. But did she regret kissing him? Pain cramped her heart and the smile she gave him was small and wistful.
“Don’t ask, Alex.”
Two hours later, Elizabeth put down her to-do list, ready to start breakfast. Alex may have been joking, but she was a natural list maker, always had been, though she hadn’t made one lately. Instead of overwhelming her, the twelve-page, room-by-room list covered everything, breaking it into manageable steps. Next, she’d make as thorough a list for the computer project. The more she and Alex synced, the more they’d accomplish.
Shelly wandered in as Elizabeth laid bacon in the skillet, filling the room with the mouthwatering smell of a big breakfast on Sunday morning. Glancing through the stack of neat pages on the table, Shelly shook her head. “You’re such a freak.”
Elizabeth gave her a fatalistic shrug and sighed. “I know.”
They shared a grin as Shelly strapped the baby into the high chair, snapping the tray in place. “Is everyone outside, then?”
Elizabeth glanced through the window over the sink. The toddlers were playing in one of the weedy gardens, ripping out the plants and digging with spoons, three little bloomer-clad bottoms stuck in the air. Her mother had always grown pansies and strawberries there. The girls would love planting those and watching them grow.
Teddy and Tommy moved old boards out of the way while the twins stacked newer ones from the truck bed in a pile closer to Alex and Geoffrey, who supervised them while ripping off the old fencing.
“I think so. Only Kevin is out of sight.” Elizabeth pulled out the electric griddle, wiped it down, and sprayed Pam on it.
“I saw him going outside when I came up.” She handed a teething biscuit to Veronica, who held it tight in her chubby fist and immediately popped it in her mouth.
“Did you need them for something?”
“Nope. I just need to get some homework done.”
“I didn’t think you’d have any over Spring Break.”
Shelly snorted. “High school’s changed, Aunt Beth.”
“Thanks.” Elizabeth smiled and shook her head as she turned the bacon and laid the cooked pieces on a towel-covered plate to soak up extra grease.
Shelly chuckled, then the room fell into a quiet rhythm of sizzling and page turning. The chimes outside the back door swayed, and clinked in the breeze. Pulling the pancake batter out of the fridge, Elizabeth stopped and looked around.
The house quietly creaked, like the swing hanging from the tall pine in the backyard. It was relaxing, comforting. She heard the high-pitched laughter of the toddlers and the gurgling laughter of Veronica as she enjoyed her treat.
The spring breeze drifted through the open back door, bringing in snatches of conversations between the guys and the kids. The smell of fried bacon, the brightness of the sun, the soft sound of Shelly opening books and spreading papers over the table. Realization swept over her like a warm tide. This was a perfect morning.
Elizabeth blinked, almost surprised she could recognize a good moment as it happened. Grabbing a spoon to stir the batter, she was amazed at the bubble of happy peace that filled her lungs until she could barely breathe.
“Time to wake up, Aunt Beth.”
Elizabeth frowned quizzically at
her niece. She wasn’t asleep.
“You’re daydreaming, Aunt Beth.” Shelly smiled. “I can always tell because I start hearing your thoughts.”
The heat from the morning sun would be a killer if the breeze hadn’t come, swaying the trees around them and brushing away the worst of it. Alex sipped from his bottle of water and watched Geoffrey and Tommy struggle with one of the more stubborn boards.
Tommy liked helping, especially if it was Geoffrey that he helped, and the big guy seemed to enjoy it. He was a natural at leading, offering advice then stepping back and letting them learn. The way he worked with Tommy and the twins was damn near inspirational.
The toddlers were lined up along the back garden row, digging up the dead vegetation and turning the soil, as much as toddlers could anyway. They were bent over, little pink bloomers peeking from beneath matching dresses. Their red, blonde, and brunette hair was pulled up in pigtails with pink bows hanging on each side of their heads.
Three baby dolls were carefully placed on the bottom beam of the fence in front of them, overseeing their progress. They were smiling and laughing, talking and throwing the dirt all around them, but never near their babies. Alex chuckled and shook his head. It must be a girl thing.
“Like this, Abby.” Jessie demonstrated her instructions, accidentally spraying dirt all over Abby’s arm.
“Ew!” Abby shrieked.
Jessie glared. “Big baby!”
Abby pouted and Sarah tried to soothe her cousin with a little hug and a frown at her sister. “Be nice, Jessie.”
Alex strolled over and brushed the dirt from Abby’s little arm and patted both her and Jessie on the back. “You’re doing great, girls. We’ll be able to plant new flowers in no time.”
He watched them happily resume their work before he turned away. It was then he saw Teddy at the water hose, spraying his hand and frowning. Striding closer, Alex leaned over and noticed blood welling from a cut on his palm. “What happened?”
“I think I snagged a nail.” Teddy turned the water off and held his hand out for Alex’s inspection.
Alex pulled the hand closer to him, manipulating the flesh to see how deep it was.
“I had a tetanus shot a couple years ago. I shouldn’t need another one, but I don’t know if I need stitches or not.”
Alex frowned. It was deep enough to require one or two. Looking into Teddy’s eyes, he swallowed. His secret was going to come out sooner or later. He should probably tell Elizabeth about it first, but Teddy looked like a kid who could handle a few secrets. Besides, he couldn’t leave him in pain. Gently, Alex covered the boy’s hand with his own. “It’ll be fine.”
A blue glow flared over their hands briefly. When it receded, Alex pulled his palm back and the gash was gone. Teddy’s eyes widened at the sight of his completely healed skin. He held his hand up, bending his fingers and making a fist. “How did you do that?”
Alex smiled, glad he hadn’t terrified the kid. Trust Teddy to immediately think of the practical. “It’s a little gift I have.”
Teddy stared at Alex. “It’s not really a little gift.”
Alex shrugged, trying not to look away from the too perceptive boy. “I know.”
“How long have you been able to do it?” Teddy tilted his head, his eyes examining him much the way Elizabeth had just that morning.
“Since I was six. My dad was cutting wood for new-kitchen cabinets. His hand slipped, and he nearly severed three fingers.” Alex cleared his throat. It had been the scariest moment of his young life.
“Sounds bloody.” Teddy clearly wanted more of the story.
“It bled too fast. He needed me to help wrap a towel around his hand. I was scared and upset. I didn’t want my dad hurt. He was a construction worker and needed both hands.”
“So you healed him?”
Alex nodded. “Until then, I hadn’t known I could.”
“How did he react?”
Alex raised an eyebrow. There was something in Teddy’s tone that made it clear the answer to this question was important to him. “At first, he was really quiet. He cleaned all the blood up, washed the blade, and rinsed out the towel. Then he sat down with me.”
“Were you scared? Did you think he’d stop loving you and call you a freak?”
Alex focused his gaze on Teddy, examining the blue, blue eyes behind the glasses as a bad suspicion began creeping over him. “I didn’t know how I’d done it and he was so quiet that I didn’t know if I’d upset him. So, yeah, I was scared. But he was my dad. I knew he’d love me no matter what.”
The sadness in Teddy’s eyes nearly broke Alex’s heart. “In the end, my dad hugged me and told me to be careful. I had a very special gift and not everyone would understand it.”
Teddy nodded. “Does Aunt Liz know?”
Alex stilled. “I don t have a clue how to tell her.”
Teddy turned the water back on and washed away the blood on his hand. “She’d probably have to watch you do it to believe it.”
“Yeah, probably.”
“My grandma’s in the hospital.” Teddy’s tone was far too casual.
“What’s wrong with her?”
“Cancer and a bad liver.”
Alex looked at his hands and sighed. “I can’t heal natural diseases.”
Teddy nodded, watching the water stream from the hose, then turned his head and watched Tommy and the twins. “Nothing will help her live, I know that. But maybe if she could feel good enough to say good-bye …”
Alex watched Teddy shrug, his shoulders held stiff, like he wouldn’t allow himself to believe in anyone enough for them to disappoint him.
“I can try.” It was the closest thing to a promise Alex could make.
Teddy nodded, then looked at Alex with a small smile. Alex tilted his head and watched him, puzzled.
Teddy glanced down at the hose, then looked over at the faucet. Slowly, the flower-shaped handle turned by itself until the water stopped.
Alex lost his breath. Not so much because of the telekinesis, but at Teddy’s trust.
Teddy looked at him, hesitant now, waiting for his reaction.
Alex glanced at Geoffrey, helping Tommy battle the stubborn fence, then back at Teddy. “People are full of surprises.”
Chapter Eleven
Mary Beth Raines’s hospital room was shadowed and almost silent, emphasizing the solitary woman that lay in the center of the hospital bed. A small red light lit the tip of one of her fingers, measuring her oxygen intake. A Hickman port protruded from the base of her neck, directing fluids from the bag hanging above her. A monitor quietly beeped with the beat of her heart.
She didn’t stir as her door opened. Pain medication kept her sleeping. Alex stepped into the room and sat in the chair by her bedside as Silas and Draven entered silently, unseen behind him. For a long moment, Alex simply listened. Breathing slowly and taking in the near silence. When his heart was as calm as the beeping machine, he leaned forward, carefully taking her hand in his.
“Hi, Mrs. Raines. I’m Alex Foster. I went to school with Elizabeth years ago. She doesn’t know I’m here, but I came to try to help.” He waited for a response from her, but Mary Beth continued her deep and even breathing.
“I can heal wounds. I know you have many inside you. I hope I can work on them without messing with your medicines.” Alex swallowed and leaned his head against the rail of her bed. “I just know I have to help. If you were to pass away before Elizabeth and the kids could say good-bye, it would leave a piece of them damaged forever. Please, Mary Beth, your family needs you.”
Closing both hands around hers, they began to glow with a low, blue light that spread outward until it encompassed her entire form. His eyes glowed white with power. In order to heal, Alex took the injuries of the other person into himself. Their cuts would appear on his body, then he would rapidly metabolize them, healing lightning fast.
Alex began to gasp as he drew Mary Beth’s lung damage into himself. He couldn’t
do that with cancer as it was simply an abnormal growth of cells. They weren’t alien or foreign to her body, though they were destructive. But the damaged sections from decades of smoking—those he could heal.
Silas and Draven took in the scene from their invisible vantage point.
“You made the nail cut Teddy,” Silas suddenly accused.
“You nudged Teddy to trust Alex with his secrets,” Draven accused right back.
“I didn’t know the secret he was hiding. You didn’t warn me.”
“I didn’t know either.” Draven took a deep breath, refusing to rise to the bait.
“There’s a lot about this family you didn’t pay attention to when you chose Elizabeth for Alex. Like the fact her father is a fallen angel who plans to rule the world through his children. Or that they suffer under a curse, on top of facing a future battle with the same bitch who cast the curse.”
Draven sighed. “Why am I expected to know everything? Adad and the curse surprised me, too. I’m just not freaking out over them like you are. Besides, they’re just kids—they need love and stability to grow up well. Where’s the bad in that?”
“Does it never occur to you to examine all the angles before you involve me in one of your plans? No. You just pop in and say, ‘Silas, let’s stop this curse on Dreux and Kai before it happens’ and I say, ‘Okay, sounds good’.”
“Your dialogue needs work.”
“Nowhere was it mentioned that the curse was cast by one of the most powerful of the original fallen angels—and that she’d vow deadly vengeance on us both.”
“So saying, ‘She’s one of the evil ones’ left it a little too vague for you?”
Silas grunted. “That was warning enough in your mind, of course.” He glared at Draven. “Then I hear, ‘Let’s help people fall in love. Our destiny is to become a couple of Nephilim matchmakers’.”
“Again with the dialogue. I never said that.”
He ignored that. “Only, I thought the word Nephilim applied to us. Then I come to find out it applies to every human-born descendent of a fallen angel!”
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