Again she grazed him with the glow of her smile and again, for just an instant, he could have sworn her visage shimmered between maiden and crone.
Likely he needed sleep. He should be flat upon his back lost in dreams rather than chasing after this woman into the early morn. But a promise was a promise.
“Yes. When the curtain between your world and mine thinned as is its custom on Samhain, my Goddess came to me, bringing her most welcome news. And that’s not all.”
She squeezed the arm that linked through hers and tipped her head toward him, just as he’d often seen women do when they were about sharing secrets.
“There’s more?”
“Yes,” she breathed close to him, her words barely more than a whisper. “My Goddess, so wise and knowing, gave me the perfect solution to my dilemma of what to do about your brother.”
Patrick wasn’t at all sure he liked the sound of that.
“Then you’ll be leaving us soon, my lady?”
“Oh my dear . . .” She pulled back from him, her laughter hitting the stones under their feet and bounding away like notes of music. “I can hardly leave now.Nowis when our dear Malcolm will need me most. Look there!” She lifted a hand toward the sky. “Did you see? A shot of silver streaking through the sky. Proof the actions promised by my Goddess have been set in motion.”
A hint of unease traveled across Patrick’s shoulders. “Explain yerself,” he demanded, perhaps a bit more forcefully than he’d intended. He was, after all, quite tired.
She shook her head, her eyes still shining with happiness. “No, dear Patrick. There is no explaining some mysteries. You’ll simply have to wait to see for yourself.”
No more words passed between them, Patrick’s thoughts consumed with what the blasted Elf had in store for them and how in the world he would explain all this to Malcolm.
Six
COMFORT, WYOMING
PRESENTDAY
WORD IS, Imake a mighty good bed warmer, darlin’, and it’s terrible cold out here tonight.”
Like Dani couldn’t have predicted this happening from the moment her date had arrived to pick her up this evening, a leer on his face and a bottle of Jack tucked into the back of his waistband.
She stepped backward into her doorway, turning her head from the scent of alcohol and too much aftershave wafting off her evening’s companion.
“Whatcha say, Dani-girl? You gonna save me a long drive home tonight?” The corner of Lover Boy’s mouth lifted in a half smile that had likely melted a whole slew of hearts in this part of the state. “I ain’t had me no complaints yet.”
Did he honestly expect that she’d be impressed by references from other women?
“There’s always a first time for everything, you know.”
His expression hardened and she immediately regretted her stab at humor. Aunt Jean always had said that sharp tongue of hers was going to get her into trouble.
“You turnin’ me down?” No trace of humor in his response. “Or you gonna do the right thing and let me stay the night here after that fancy dinner I treated you to.”
The vision of opening her purse and tossing cash at him flittered through her mind, quickly discarded. She’d put up with his wandering hands and his innuendo-filled conversation all night. That more than made up for the lousy fifteen dollars he’d dropped on her meal.
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Clay.” Think? Hell, she knew. She was simply trying her best to be nice. “I have to be in the diner bright and early in the morning. Those cinnamon rolls don’t bake themselves.”
“Won’t bother me none if you crawl out early.” He leaned toward her, his oily half smile back in place, one hand reaching out to trail her cheek as if his physical touch might push her to decide in his favor.
Not happening. Another step back and she was inside, able to use the door as a barrier.
“Sorry, Clay. I had a nice evening, but I’m beat. See you later, okay?”
She didn’t wait for his reply before shutting the door and sliding the bolt home, setting the glass chimes next to her door tinkling.
Thiswas exactly the reason she didn’t like to date customers who frequented the truck stop where she worked. More often than not, they assumed that just because she lived in a room at the attached motel she’d be quick to hop into bed with them at the end of the evening.