Was it wrong that he was envious of the attention Bailey got from Thea? At least the dog got a chance to dance with her at the wedding.
But to be honest, he’d never taken the chance. He wondered how different his life might have been if he had all those years ago. How different her life might have been.
He whistled loud and long. “Here, Bailey girl!”
He heard an answering note and stopped in his tracks. Was that the mountain singing back with birdsong? The woods were certainly full of it. It was a perfect morning—warm and moist, with the air full of the scents and sounds of the summer forest. Motes of pollen danced in the shafts of sunlight that made it through the dense branches. The contrast of the summer wildflowers in bloom along the trail with the deep emerald foliage was amazing.
He let out a relieved breath when he heard the sound again. Thea’s flute. The voice of the flute seemed to be just another of the normal sounds of a summer morning on the mountain. She was out here somewhere calling Bailey to her with her music.
Jake couldn’t compete with a pied piper of that caliber. He accepted defeat and followed the music. She wasn’t near the cemetery today, but up closer to the top of the ridge. Her music was different as well. Not mournful at all.
Velvet notes danced through the moist air, as sultry and warm as the rich scent of some unseen bloom. Jake had no idea what she was playing. It seemed to be Native American—an interesting selection to charm a wandering dog. The mountain was conspiring with her, lending an underpinning of sweet rhythm to her music.
Jake didn’t recognize the song, but did recognize the instrument. It was a wooden flute. He had carved a couple of them right before Thea was supposed to head off to Curtis. He’d given one of them to Becca, the one with the very ugly bear perched on top. He knew exactly where that one was, wrapped in glittery hair ties, tucked next to her fiddle.
The other one was supposed to be a gift for Thea, but it had disappeared only days before the accident.
As he ducked low-hanging branches and clambered over rocks and roots, Thea began another Native American melody—a plaintive tune that reminded him of birds calling in the evening, echoing around the trees. Even the song birds seemed to be in key, trying to follow along in this bewitching concert.
But he wouldn’t simply blunder into this snare of hers. He wanted to watch her play. He slowed down as the rich notes grew and expanded around him, persuasive and tempting. Catching a flash of color through the green, he hunkered down among the rocks and inched forward carefully.
Thea had found a lovely little spot nestled back in the ridge, surrounded by rocks and overhanging trees and carpeted with lush green. She had spread a blanket out in the dappled sunlight sifting through the trees. She was standing, of course. Thea rarely sat still or even stood still to play if she could help it. She was moving around on the blanket barefooted, jeans rolled up to her knees, moving in that way she did when she played—dancing with her flute.
His flute. The one he had made of cherry from wood he’d found on this mountain years ago. The one he had planned to give her once he carved a better fetish for the top. He was pretty sure, even at this distance, that he had carved the rather ugly mountain lion that served as the block. If it was his, it bore a carved paw print below the mouthpiece—the mouthpiece she had those talented lips of hers wrapped around. He bet that Becca had stolen it from his room and given it to Thea a long time ago, because it was clear Thea had been playing it for a good while. Something warm and possessive bloomed in his chest. His fingers tingled watching hers on the flute he had carved. Mine.
But it wasn’t the flute he wanted to hold.
She moved with her eyes shut, as if the instrument in her hands was a guide and she had to go where it called her. She was as certain of her footing as the big cat portrayed on the flute. She must’ve gotten at least some sleep because she looked well rested and had managed to repair the horrible hack job he had done on her hair, or at least hide the damage.
He had to admit, even though he loved her hair long, this short cut suited her. With her red hair blazing around her glowing face above that dark green shirt, she looked otherworldly, dancing like a wood nymph in the shafts of sunlight.
Her flute seemed to be longing for something out of reach, something she desired with all her heart. It was a different tune, but filled with even more yearning. If Bailey didn’t respond to this, Jake would be surprised.
And Thea had been doing her duty for Daniel’s honey, deadheading those invasive flowers again. A huge pile of the lacy white blooms were stacked on a paper towel next to her tote at the edge of the blanket. He caught a flash of movement and noticed something else white and fluffy sticking up from behind the tote. Leaning over for a better view, he could see Bailey’s tail. The dog was lapping up water from a bowl, her tail wagging as if it were a pump handle. He grinned. Thea had to be ecstatic.
But if it wasn’t Bailey that she was trying to lure with her music…
Chapter Eighteen
The melody was so full of longing and hunger that it reached right into Jake’s chest and evoked something equal in response. Those velvety low notes reverberated all the way down his spine.
Mine.
If he walked into that little glade, his life would never be the same again. But if he didn’t, his life wouldn’t be anything like he wanted it to be. It felt as if his fiery Matchstick was luring him in for a bonfire—with him as the willing sacrifice.
He smiled and rewrapped the bacon, tucking it into his jeans pocket.
The dog noticed him first, sprinting over to throw herself at him. He scooped her out of the air and looked her over. No apparent damage from her night in the wild.
“So little lady, where did you spend the night?” he asked, his voice a bit rough.
The song cut off. Thea spun around, a bright smile on her face. It looked authentic. Maybe it was.
“There he is, Bailey! I told you he was out here somewhere.”
“And here I thought Bailey was the one who was lost,” Jake said, tucking the dog under his arm. “Apparently it was me.” She immediately started squirming and trying to stick her nose in his jeans pocket, so he put her down.
“She wasn’t lost at all, were you, pumpkin?” Thea bent down as the dog raced back to her. “She was hiding out on the back terrace under a chair the whole time.”
“Best place for her, I suppose. No damage from being kicked around?”
“She’s a little tender along her ribs. I’m going to let Grace take a look at her,” Thea said. “But I think she’s okay. I’m thrilled she stayed close, bless her heart.”
“Like I told you—”
“‘Anyone who belongs on this mountain comes back to it, eventually.’ Which is why, you will note, I don’t have a leash on her anymore.” She stuck out her tongue.
“You keep sticking that tongue out at me and I’m going to do something with it.”
“Really?” she purred.
And that was exactly what it was—a very sexy purr. It made his hair stand on end.
“Where’d you get that flute?”
The instrument disappeared behind her back. She flushed a little, raising her chin into the air.
“Becca gave it to me. A long time ago.”
“Oh?” He crossed his arms and stared at her.
“I suppose you gave it to her?”
“You suppose?”
“Okay… I take it you didn’t give it to her.”
He shook his head.
She pulled the flute out and laid it across her palms, holding it out to him, looking a bit embarrassed.
He took it and examined it. She had kept it up beautifully, removing and replacing the block and polishing it. She’d even replaced the straps with brand-new leather ones strung with silver beads and tiny feathers. It was clear that she had used it and loved
it for a long time.
“The decorations on the straps are great. You’ve taken good care of it.” He laid the flute on his palms and handed it back to her. “I had planned to give it to you once I carved a better fetish.”
She ran her thumb down the back of the fetish mountain lion, making Jake shiver.
“I’ll keep this panther, thank you. His name is Tlvdatsi.”
Jake nodded. “Cherokee for panther. Good name.”
Thea looked pensive. “Becca gave it to me right before the festival. We were planning a couple of funny duets for my going-away party…that night.”
“Yeah, hers is…” He stopped, unable to say where it was.
“I know. It’s with her fiddle. With her.” Thea touched his hand. “Where it belongs.”
For a long moment the only sound in the glade was birdsong. Jake cleared his throat. “You know…Becca would be real happy to see the change in Mom. Now that she knows what she’s been seeing all this time is real—knows she isn’t going crazy. The difference is amazing.”
“I’m glad.”
“She’ll need counseling, I think, to deal with everything she’s done—all the guilt,” he said.
Thea glanced over at Bailey who had her nose up in the air sniffing around Thea’s tote. “You know, I could probably relieve her of the guilt, make her forget, but…in the long run, I don’t think that’s a good approach. You can’t heal scars by forgetting about the wound. Being able to talk about it with people who understand what she can see will help tremendously. And Mel can certainly smooth out the rough edges.”
“Yeah. She can’t exactly go to a regular therapist.” He smiled. “I think if the…the foundation keeps her busy that will be the best thing for her.”
Her smile was brilliant, and genuine. “Good.”
“And I want—” he began.
“I need—” she said at the same time.
“Ladies first,” he said.
Thea sighed. “I need to apologize for the way I spoke to you last night. I shouldn’t have acted that way. It was completely inappropriate.”
Jake shrugged. “I did feel like all my issues were hanging out for the world to see, but those aren’t your problem.”
Thea ran her fingers up his arm. A gentle touch, as if she was soothing some skittish animal. “Not true. They are my problem.”
Jake was so focused on what her fingers were doing that he had trouble forming words for a moment. “Wh…what do you mean?”
“I’m learning to appreciate this gift of mine, even though I don’t think I will ever be comfortable using it.” she said. “But if it can safeguard my loved ones, my family, my friends and perhaps—who knows—this planet of ours, I’ll live with it.”
“Yeah. That poem was pretty impressive.”
“Yes, and daunting.” Thea looked up at him with an intensity that almost made him take a step back. “And your gift is remarkable, and, if I may say, rather scary as well. Picking people up and throwing them around like that?”
He laughed and rotated his shoulder, remembering the pain he’d been in. “Well, it’s not without its drawbacks. Still takes a toll on my body. My gift can be dangerous and unpredictable too.”
Her expression was solemn. “You saved Lily. You saved all of us.” She threw her arms around his neck to kiss him. She tasted of honey and coffee and a spicy heat that was tempting as hell.
He ran his hands up her back, pulling her closer. “We…We saved Lily.” Damn, he loved the way she fit into his arms. Slender, but curved in all the right places. But what he really loved was what lay between her ears—that amazing mind of hers.
And it didn’t hurt that she wasn’t wearing a bra.
His brain stopped working. At least the one between his ears stopped working. The other one went into overdrive.
“Whoa. Wait a minute.” He gently pushed her back a bit. “I didn’t get my say. And you didn’t really finish yours.”
She looked mussed and her expression was a bit dazed. He swallowed with difficulty.
“Uh…”
Her mouth quirked a bit when he hesitated. “Mmm hmm?”
Jake shook his head. “You didn’t use your gift on me, but I’m really in a bad way here. I can’t remember my name right now.”
Instead of smiling, Thea was solemn. “And I promise I will never use my gift—”
He put his fingers over her mouth. “No. You won’t promise anything. You don’t need to.”
She frowned and nipped at his finger. Oddly, it was rather stimulating.
He pulled his hand away and studied his feet. He couldn’t look at her and think straight. “I really shouldn’t have walked out like that. Not… You needed their trust and I went and set a bad example for Mom, for the Croates.”
“I know your hang-ups pretty well, Jacob Moser. If I hadn’t been so tired, I would’ve—”
“What hang-ups? I don’t have any hang-ups,” he protested.
“Really?” She smiled. “This from the guy who won’t get on a roller coaster because ‘it needs a steering wheel’?” She made quotes with her fingers.
Shit. She remembered that. “Hell. I was a kid—”
“Yes, and I’ll bet you still haven’t gotten on a plane, have you?”
Jake gazed at his shoes.
She leaned over, trying to get into his field of vision. “You haven’t, have you?” she sing-songed.
“Haven’t had a reason to.”
She smirked. “Sure.”
“Dammit, Thea. What does any of that have to do with anything?”
“You—” she poked her finger into his chest, “—are a control freak. A control freak extraordinaire.”
She did have him pegged. “Well… So?”
The smirk was gone. “My gift is probably your worst nightmare.” She leaned over and put the flute on top of her case. “And I told Nick this morning that we will never do that kind of group thing with my gift again, unless it is a real imminent danger situation. I’m not one of those Men In Black flashing memory eraser doohickeys. I think we were all—”
“Shut up for a second,” he interrupted. Then he considered her words. “‘We.’ You’re talking like… So you’re going to stay then? On the mountain? Here?”
She narrowed her eyes and frowned. “You told me to shut up,” she said, sounding annoyed.
“Yeah. I did. But, you were worried about combining your temper with your power—”
“I still am. But we all have our hang-ups.” She smiled again. “I realized something this morning. I was furious with you last night. And I was tired. All my defenses were down.”
He nodded.
“But I didn’t use the voice to make you stay.”
She could have easily told him to sit down and shut up. He grinned at her. “No. You didn’t.”
“I think a lot of the problems I had with my temper go back to my father. I didn’t get a chance to learn how to control it because he had me on medication.”
“He had you on what?” Jake didn’t remember him very well, but he was rapidly approaching the top of Jake’s shit list—right under Greg.
“It’s complicated. Pops would take me off in the summer and my father would put me back on during school. The whole on and off routine probably made things worse until I figured out how to fake it.”
Jake remembered some amazing outbursts of Thea’s temper. They had always been right after Thea showed up on the mountain for the summer. “I’ll bet.”
“To be honest, I really didn’t lose my temper at your mom that night. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I was more embarrassed and frightened than angry. When I told her to leave, I was completely in control. I yelled at her because of all the noise. I think if I had really lost my temper, maybe—”
“No more maybes. No more l
iving in the past, Matchstick.” Jake said.
She nodded. “Agreed. So, I did my apology. What else were you going to say?”
“You kind of took the wind out of my sails. I was going to say that I think I’m in love with you and if you still felt like you had to leave the mountain, I would go with you, temper and all,” he said.
Thea crossed her arms. “But now you’re not going to say it?”
“Well, you’re not… I mean I would, but…” He frowned. “Shit, Matchstick. I’m screwing this up.”
He saw her press her lips together. Those gray eyes were glittering and she looked as if she was either going to laugh or slap him. Or both.
“I’ll say it again. I think I’m in love with you.”
“That’s it?”
It was his turn to frown. Had he said it wrong? “Ye-ah.” He drew it out into two distinct syllables.
Thea uncrossed her arms and put her hands on her hips. She leaned toward him. “You think? You’re not sure?”
“Dammit, Thea!” Jake grasped her arms. “I love you. I do. I really love you.”
Watching Jake squirm was so much fun. Thea tried to keep the furious expression on her face, but it was hard. “It’s about time. Because I’ve loved you since I was six.” That was when she let the grin show. “I was getting a little tired of waiting.”
She couldn’t hide her delight at the change in his expression.
“You.” He picked her up and twirled her around. She was still laughing when he took her face in his hands.
But when his lips brushed hers, she stopped laughing.
“You taste like a warm summer morning on the mountain.” He kissed her again, as if he was going to make up for all the ones he’d missed. Possessive and intense, the kiss made her shudder.
Before she could get her balance, he slid his hands around her and started to dance with her, tugging her off the blanket.
“Whoa! Wait a minute!” She pulled her feet up and hung onto his shoulders. “I’ve been a city girl for too long. These toes are way too tender.”
“Put your feet on top of mine.” He held her by the waist.
Making Magic: Books of the Kindling, Book 3 Page 30