by Lisa Acerbo
“He told me what happened to Aiko and Quentin. I’m happy they’re both okay.”
Lilly held the bottle of nail polish in front of Jenna’s nose. “Look what Jackie found on a scavenging expedition. I thought I would paint your nails to pass the time. You need a little glamour in your life after all the adventure. You could use a shower too but that can wait until tomorrow.”
“I don’t think it can.” Jenna threaded damp, limp hair behind her ears. “I’m disgusting right now. Maybe we could do this another day?”
“This is the best therapy for you. Give me a few minutes. I want to tell you about some of the changes since Tundra’s defeat.”
“I’m all yours.” She held out a hand.
Jenna could imagine what her hands looked like after being in a battle with the Streaker. Lilly painted each of her nails methodically, chattering like a chipmunk.
“After your rescue, a meeting was called. Sorry you missed it, but you weren’t awake at the time.”
“What happened?”
“Peter and Gus called us out and made us explain everything. I mean, everything. The whole situation about how Tundra used to feed from us, and how we didn’t always agree to it. I was so scared. Even though Tundra was dead, I kept waiting for her to storm in and kill me or something. But it was worse that I was at fault for what happened to you.”
“Tundra takes all the blame.”
“But if I’d come forward earlier. Told people sooner.”
“You did what you thought was right.”
“Aiko explained what Tundra was trying to do, and how she wanted to convert people to her way of thinking.”
“What did people say?”
“Everyone was dismayed and angry. At the end it was a huge love fest, even for us, the newcomers. We can stay. For good.” Lilly’s delighted laugh clung in the air. “The group decided to create a charter stating no New Racer will ever use a human for blood without consent. It’s the first official document of the new government.”
“Great.” Jenna stared at her hot pink fingernails.
Lilly relinquished one hand and picked up the other. “Everyone thought things would get back to normal, but no.”
“What happened?”
“Gunnar returned yesterday. He begged forgiveness and asked to stay at the inn. There was a ton of debate about letting him stay, but everyone voted, and he earned the right to stay by a single vote.”
“He tried to kill me. Who voted to let him stay?”
“We don’t know. I am so curious who voted that way, but we’ll never know because it’s all secret ballot. Stupid, right? But he’s under constant supervision for now. He can’t go anywhere or do anything without someone else watching him. There’s never been a need for a jail, but they’re trying to figure out what to do.”
“How’d you vote?”
“I voted not to let him stay after all he did. I guess I’m not a forgiving person. Though, I will say, between Gunnar and David, Gunnar was always the nicer one.” Silent tears streamed down her cheeks, and she dropped Jenna’s hand. “I’m sorry I got you involved in any of this. You could have died. Can you ever forgive me?” Lilly wept.
“None of this is your fault.” Jenna reached for Lilly and gave her a teary hug. Damn the nail polish, which left traces on the back of Lilly’s shirt.
“I’m sorry,” Lilly said again.
“If I want to blame anyone, I’ll blame Tundra, and she’s no longer an issue. You’re a good friend. Don’t worry about any of it.”
She hugged Jenna again, effectively smearing the rest of the newly painted nails in the process. “I’ll leave you now. I know Caleb has been waiting patiently, and I don’t want to deprive him of his Jenna time. I’ll visit tomorrow.”
“Sounds good. Can you bring me something to read? I have a feeling Emma and Caleb aren’t letting me out of bed for a while.”
After Lilly left, Caleb entered, carrying Cat. Both made themselves comfortable on the bed.
Cat deposited himself on her lap, kneading a spot, and then curled into a ball.
“He’s happy you’re alive,” Caleb said. “I’m happy we all made it thanks to you.”
“You saved my life.”
“You’re the hero.” He held her hand, admiring her smeared nails with a lopsided grin. “Don’t ever scare me again.”
“If everyone is so grateful, why’d they’d bring Gunnar back?” Bitterness crept into her words.
“Lilly told you?”
“Everything.”
“It wasn’t my decision. You know how I voted.”
“You could have fought it.”
“I tried. Lilly tried, but the vote was in his favor. He’ll never get close to you. I promise.”
“I can’t talk about this anymore. At least not now. Can I clean up? I’m ready for a shower.”
“Good call. You still have Streaker gunk and soot from the fire all over you. Take all the time you need. No five-minute limit.”
“How nice. Send my thanks to everyone for the big treat.” Her head pounded and muscles ached.
Caleb removed Cat from her lap and set him on the bed. Refusing to let Jenna shamble the few steps to the bathroom, Caleb picked her up in his arms and carried her. He stripped off her pajamas and got the water steaming. A fog sprayed forth. She stepped into the hot, misty shower.
Caleb left her alone in the bathroom, and Jenna reveled in the water. Each drop fluttered like rose petals and the lathered soap tingled when rubbed on her skin. The silky, fresh scent was so intense, she could have been sitting in the middle of a flower garden. She would have stayed in the shower all day soaking in the experience, but a knock on the door shook her from her near trance.
“You okay in there?”
“Enjoying the moment.” Her aches had diminished and the throb in her head had dulled.
Jenna turned the water off. Steam and the fragrance of flowers lingered. She stepped onto the chilled tile floor, dried herself, and put on the fresh pajamas Caleb had left for her, returning to bed a much happier person.
After that day, Jenna’s healing took a surprising turn, and she recovered quicker than expected. Her bumps and bruises stopped aching, and she yearned to return the animals and the greenhouse. While Caleb tried to get her to take more time recuperating, she refused, happy to revert to her normal routine.
Jenna padded to the greenhouse early one morning, thick fog creating a damp gloom, surprised at how the winter’s chill had invaded. Her camouflage jacket failed to shield her from the gusts that sent her hair flying in front of her eyes, wind cascading the leaves through the air.
Quentin was waiting for Jenna in the greenhouse. She’d thought about the moment when she’d have to face him, but she had avoided it. She’d ignore him, Aiko, and Gunnar whenever possible. It had worked up until now.
This dreaded, unwanted conversation was bound to be awkward, and she didn’t have a speech planned. No escape route existed. No quick getaway this time.
Quentin offered her an awkward, partial wave, and then fiddled with a trowel, mutilating some of the most prized, potted plants.
“Hi, stranger,” Quentin said.
“How are you?”
“Beginning to believe I’d never see you again.” His smile didn’t reach his eyes.
“I needed some time to figure everything out.”
“Would it bother you if we weren’t friends anymore?”
“It was heading in that direction anyway before all this happened. I missed you, but that didn’t seem to matter to you or Aiko.” She kicked at the dirt floors with the toe of her boots. “There’s so much that happened, so much to consider.”
He nodded. “I’m sorry about how it went down. You mean the world to me, and my emotions were the problem. You hurt me even if you didn’t mean to. I want all this stupidity done. I’m here for you. All you have to do is yell, and I’ll come running.” He swiped at his shaggy hair in need of a cut. “What I really wanted to say is I’m glad you’re oka
y. Ecstatic. You look really good. I mean healthy. Losing you would have been devastating, but it made me realize what an ass I’ve been.”
“I’m glad you’re okay, too. We all played a role in this fiasco.”
“I want to apologize for everything. I should have been more aware what was going on with Aiko.”
“I should have gone to Peter when Tundra’s insanity first came to light.”
“I never thought Aiko was serious about any of the stuff she’d rant about. Obviously, she didn’t tell me the whole story until afterwards when she begged for forgiveness.”
“We don’t need to rehash this. I care about you. You were a good friend, and I hope we’ll be friends again?”
“I’d like that, but I have to tell you one thing. It’s the reason I forgave Aiko. She went after Tundra. When Aiko found out you were missing, she got everything organized and led the rescue. Caleb couldn’t think straight, he was in such a panic. They worked together to figure out how to find you. I don’t know what might have happened without her.”
“Caleb told me a lot of this. He gave her a lot of credit for the rescue. Can I ask you something personal?”
Quentin nodded. “Anything.”
“Are you two still together?”
“We’re trying. Sounds like something from couples therapy.” He shrugged. “She’s a good person once you bypass the insecurities.”
“If you like her, I’m sure I’ll find something to appreciate in her.” As much as Jenna rationally understood how it was not Quentin or Aiko’s fault, a small part of her remained petty and angry, but she’d give being a better, bigger person a try. “It’s just going to take some time.”
Quentin gave her a hug.
Why did everyone feel the need to hug her?
“You’re the best,” he whispered before turning and heading back to the inn.
Jenna worked until lunch, putting thoughts of the recent experience out of her head. She focused on the plants, soil, and growing things. When she left the greenhouse to head back to the inn, a chilly rain coated her hair against her face and neck, her jacket weighing her down.
Inside, a fire roared in the main entry, the hearth aglow, alleviating the damp. Warmth and the scent of smoky, seasoned wood had her creeping near the heat. She warmed her hands and marveled at the colors she had forgotten existed. The fire blazed, not only red and yellow, but with shades of blue, silver, and gold.
“What are you up to?”
Caleb’s words made Jenna jump. He stood beside Peter, Gus, and Ford.
“Nothing,” Jenna sent them a quick wave of her hand. “What about you? Not sleeping?”
“One of the solar panels doesn’t work. We need to figure out a way to fix it. Dinner still on for tonight?”
“Absolutely.”
First step toward normalcy, she thought.
After saying goodbye, she headed to the kitchen and grabbed a cup of leftover soup. While the warmth of the broth was soothing, she did not have her appetite back. Normally, soup alone wouldn’t have filled her, but today, she struggled to empty the mug of its contents.
Most of the group had eaten earlier and the kitchen was quiet, but she preferred the peace. Between being sick and all her friends’ confessions, sitting alone appealed to her. But all good things must end. As Jenna rinsed her mug, Emma bounded over, curls swinging, full of vitality and pent-up energy.
“Hi, Girlfriend. I was wondering when we would get a chance to catch up.” Emma felt her forehead before dragging Jenna down into a seat. “How are you?”
“Weren’t you in charge of my care? Didn’t you get hourly updates from people babysitting me?”
“True, but I wanted to hear it from you.”
“I’m fine. Feeling better and up and around. Is my improved health the reason you’re so happy and perky today?”
Here we go again. It was understandable everyone was concerned, but how many times could she explain she was okay physically and mentally.
“The attitude’s a good sign. Tell me all your dirty little secrets though. I didn’t interrupt my day for niceties.”
“All my aches and pains are gone. Lilly and Quentin both came to see me, and everything is perfect other than the fact they let Gunnar return. Whose stupid idea was that? How’d you vote?” She shook her head. “Never mind. I don’t want the truth. I also learned Aiko rescued me, so I can’t be angry with her either. Everything is fine!”
“I see that from your calm and rational rendition of things. You and Caleb? All hot and heavy still?”
“You have no boundaries,” Jenna huffed. “Caleb and I have a dinner date tonight. Can’t wait.”
Emma kept the conversation going, and when she did impersonations of Peter, Gus, and Ford at the recent meeting, Jenna relaxed, and almost fell out of her seat with laughter.
Had it always been this way? Or did Jenna need her near-death experience to understand how precious life was?
Joy overwhelmed her, and she wondered how bad the bump on her head had been. Maybe she was still in a coma or had a brain tumor?
Did she have the right to be this happy after everything? Where was the old Jenna who worried and fretted?
24
Jenna worked the horses into the late afternoon and had them pulling a wagon. Hauling wood and needed items would soon be much easier. Once darkness fell, she stabled them, and then headed home.
Back in her room, she changed into clean jeans without rips, tears, mud, or horse manure, and her favorite sweater, a grey cotton pullover with pink and red stripes. As a final addition, she added Mom’s favorite lipstick to her ensemble.
A book sat on the table. It must have been the one she asked Lilly to bring her days ago. How could she have missed it? Jenna hitched a breath. Macbeth by Shakespeare.
Of all the books to bring her, why the tragedy? She was being stupid and paranoid again.
She placed it back on the table. It signified nothing.
A loud knock on her door signaled Caleb’s arrival.
“Missed you.” She leaned in for a kiss.
Jenna melted against his frame.
“I have a surprise. I made it.”
“Cute and crafty.”
“Cute?” Caleb stole another kiss. “Crafty?” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “It was anything but cute. You have to come to the kitchen to get it. I’ve been so worried about you since everything happened. You need to start eating better. You’re losing weight.”
“I eat.” She scowled.
“You’re not eating much of anything. Are you still not feeling well?”
“I’m fine. Better than fine.” She shrugged. “I haven’t been hungry. Maybe I’m in love and can’t fathom something as trivial as food.”
Caleb’s eyes danced. “Promise me you’ll make an attempt to eat a few bites of the surprise. It took a lot of hard work. Ask anyone who was in the vicinity.”
“Don’t ruin it. Let’s go see.”
“Promise?”
“I promise to eat everything on my plate but only if I get something in return.”
“What would you like?”
“You.” Jenna ran her hand up his chest.
“I walked right into that one, but I am happy to oblige your request. Come with me first.”
They entered the empty dining hall. A plate sat on a wide-planked, wooden table. The dish contained heart-shaped cookies with her name etched in icing.
She turned to Caleb. “You made them? Beyond cute.”
“There’s the word again.”
“How about adorable, wonderful, beautiful. Thank you.”
“We’re so glad you’re fine. Everyone helped, but I stirred the batter and baked them with supervision, of course. I want you to know, getting cookies into the shape of a heart is harder than it appears. So is writing with icing.”
“How did you do all this?”
“We had most of the ingredients, and I had some extra time to go looking for the rest.
”
Jenna’s heartbeat trilled. “You went scavenging?”
“It was fine. I had a lot of help, and the inn constantly needs new provisions. We’re not anywhere near self-sufficient yet.”
“I keep forgetting.” She wished for safety, security, and hoped the outside world never intruded again. Those thoughts made Jenna lose her appetite, but to make a point, she devoured every crumb of one of the masterpiece cookies.
“Good?” he asked before taking a bite of the cookie he held.
“In another life, you might have had a chance at being a chef.”
“In another life, I’d be the stay-at-home dad, and you’d be the tough-as-nails business executive, bread winner.”
“I like that alternate reality.”
“Me too. I dig hot women in tight business suits.” Caleb smirked and moved closer. “What do you want to do tonight? A rousing game of Monopoly or Risk? Nothing too strenuous, you still need to rest up.”
“Any chance you’d want to play a certain song for me?”
“Soon. I have the music, but it’s not perfect. I need a few more days.”
“I don’t need perfection. I need to hear it.”
“What you need is patience.” He leaned over and kissed Jenna on the nose. “We can save the rest of the cookies for a midnight snack.” He leaned in for a real kiss. “It’s your night, what would you like to do?”
“How about a walk? It’s not too cold out, and the weather looks like it cleared up from earlier.”
“A walk. I was thinking something a little different.”
“We’ll do a lot of that later.”
“I guess I couldn’t stop you if I wanted to.” He chuckled. “Are you sure a game of Battleship isn’t an option.”
“I’ve been spending too much time inside recuperating. Fresh air will do me good.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” He bowed and followed her to the front porch. “But I think it might rain soon.”
“Do you want to risk it?”
“A little water can’t hurt us.”
Caleb got her, whether she was happy or miserable, and everything was bright and shiny around him, or at least, had the potential to be.
The moon was huge with silken threads of silver-gray clouds easing their way through the sky. The soft glow framed Caleb in shadows. The trees across the field blended into a Matisse painting, inviting Jenna to become part of the canvas.