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  Sighing, Del walked the driver’s side door and jumped in. She pushed the key into the ignition and turned, surprised when nothing happened. Frowning, she tried again, still nothing. Huffing in annoyance, she tried one last time before she pulled the keys out and jumped out of the Jeep. Hearing Rae’s light giggle at her expense, she stalked over and poked her in the side, tickling the taller woman lightly. “Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want, but that Jeep better be running in the morning or you’re in trouble.”

  “Ooo, I’m scared. If you want to try it once more, it will start, but I am asking you to please stay the night.” Rae had a serious look on her face.

  Del stopped her tickling, but left her hands on Rae’s sides. “I’ll stay, but in the spare bedroom. I don’t want to rush this and risk messing it up. I especially don’t want to push you into something you aren’t ready for.”

  Looking down at the shorter woman, Rae smiled. “I know. What do you want for breakfast?”

  “I even get breakfast? Wow, uh whatever you want to make is fine. I’m not too fussy,” the investigator replied, stepping into the house.

  Watching the blonde walk inside, Rae laughed as she realized that Del was taking what she said at face value now. She didn’t have to go start the Jeep. Closing the door and locking it, she turned back to her guest. “I should warn you that I tend to walk the floors some nights when I can’t sleep, so please don’t be alarmed if you hear some strange noises.”

  “I know what that’s like. I have some weird dreams sometimes, and I can’t usually go back to sleep after. I’ll keep it in mind if I hear you. Now it’s pretty late so we should head to bed. Or I should at least.” Del was stalling and she knew it. She really did need to sleep, but she was reluctant to part with Rae just yet. ‘I’m in way too deep, way too soon,’ Del thought idly.

  Leaning forward, Rae brushed her lips against Del’s. “Good night Delaney. Sleep sweet and have fresh dreams.” Taking a step back, the brunette smiled as she headed towards her room.

  Pausing in the doorway, Raelin glanced back at the blonde and smiled. “I’m glad that you came out to help Jasper. He’s a good friend, like I hope that you will be.”

  Del smiled, and nodded. “Night Raelin, I’ll see you in the morning. Sleep well.” She watched the other woman until she closed the door before heading to her own room for the night.

  Changing into her nightclothes, Rae sat cross-legged in the middle of her bed and concentrated on her house. She felt Del’s energy in the spare bedroom and smiled at the emotions coming off the blonde. Shifting her mental eye, she made sure that all of her wards were set and active before she shut off her ‘sight’, and crawled into bed.

  A Chapter 4 a

  Del slowly became aware of her surroundings again, and not recognizing them, she instinctively reached for the gun under her pillow. Once she had located it, she pulled it out, listening for the sound that had awoken her. There it was, the faint shuffling sound coming from downstairs. She remembered Rae mentioning her nightly wanderings, but given the other woman’s height and from what she remembered of her stride, it was someone much smaller than Raelin. She wasn’t sure who it would be unless someone who didn’t want her in town and had found out she was out here. But then, the only one who’d known she was out here was Jasper, even so he probably thought she was back in her hotel room by now.

  Allowing herself a firmer grip on her gun, she opened the bedroom door, silently following the sound down the stairs. She pointed the gun in front of her as she moved through the halls and down the stairs, eventually coming to a door that was open only a crack. She listened for a minute, hearing the rustling and shuffling, like someone was digging through whatever was in the room. Taking a deep breath, she kicked at whoever it was.

  “Don’t move!” she commanded.

  Not seeing anybody in the room, Del quickly surveyed the scene. It was a utility room with a bunch of garbage bags near the back. Silver moon beams cast the room in shadows as the live oak tree shifted in the wind. She paused, hearing the noise and this time seeing a rustling underneath some boxes. Moving slowly she once again brought up her gun and used her foot to nudge the boxes away. Taking a look, she couldn’t believe what she’d seen. A large gray cat sat looking rather offended at the interruption in his play. She quickly fingered the safety of her gun and tucked it into the waistband of the sleep shorts she’d borrowed. She kneeled next to him, offering a hurried apology and pat to the head before she headed back to her room. She’d just been duped by a cat, and she could already feel the bruise developing on her pride.

  j

  Quietly closing the door, Raelin frowned at the thought of a gun in her home. She was now worried that whatever Regina had asked for the woman to do was too dangerous. Crawling back into bed, she willed her mind to cease its pondering, and before she knew it, she was sound asleep.

  She was once again standing at the lake’s edge, but this time she wasn’t alone. The blonde was in a pirogue, and paddling towards her.

  Once the craft had landed, the blonde carefully got out and came to stand in front of the brunette. “I’ve been searching for you, and I didn’t even realize it.”

  Reaching out, Raelin caressed the woman’s cheek, marveling in it softness and loving how the blonde leaned into her touch. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

  Del flashed a soft smile, reaching up to loosely clasp Rae’s forearm, running her fingertips over the soft skin. “I’m glad I’ve found you. Didn’t mean to keep you waiting.”

  The sky around them darkened and clouds began to roll in. As the wind picked up, Rae took a step closer to the blonde and wrapped her arms about her waist. “Things are going to get rough and confusing. Trust in yourself and what you feel deep inside. Trust what you can see with your heart and with your gut. Beware of what you see with your eyes.”

  Del held Rae’s gaze, reaching up to rest gentle fingers against her jaw taking in the warmth from the taller woman.

  “You need to be ready. There’s something dark, and it doesn’t want me here. It’s not safe, and you need to be careful. Don’t provoke it; let me take care of it. It’s what I’m here for,” Del whispered, shivering against the cold wind whipping around them.

  Leaning down so that her lips were a breath away from the blonde’s, Rae whispered. “Not to worry. Together we can banish the darkness.” Brushing her lips against the other woman’s, the brunette proved her point as a bright light surrounded them and pushed back the clouds and calmed the rising wind.

  Rae woke up with a start, her hand going to touch her lips, still warm from the dream. “Oh Goddess. Please give me strength.”

  Knowing that she would not be able to get back to sleep, Rae quietly got up and started her morning. After dressing and making her bed, she opened her bedroom door to find the gray cat, sitting there waiting for her. “Don’t yell at me Rori, I didn’t know she had a gun.”

  Bending to pick up her pet, she rubbed him behind his ears. “I’ll ask her later. Did you hear anything from the town cats?”

  Stopping quickly, she stared at her pet before she turned to look at the spare bedroom door. “Please tell me you’re joking...” Taking a deep breath, she headed into the kitchen and opened a can of salmon for Rori, and brought out ingredients for the human breakfast.

  Mixing the ingredients for biscuits, Raelin quickly got everything together and in the oven. Without turning around, she stated, “Then you go wake her up and ask her. I’ll wait to see if she volunteers the information before she leaves.” Looking over her shoulder, the brunette laughed as the cat turn his back to her and started to clean himself.

  j

  This time when Del woke, it wasn’t to the sound of a playful cat, but to the smell of a good Southern breakfast in the works. She sat up in her bed and took stock. Aside from her late night adventure with the resident cat, she had slept better in this house than she’d slept in a long time.

  Stretching as she stood, she quickly pulled on the clot
hes she’d worn yesterday, making a note to get a change from her hotel room first thing. Picking up her gun, she quickly checked the clip and safety out of habit and tucked it into its holster. Lastly, she pulled on her jacket, shoving the sleeves up to her elbows and headed for the kitchen.

  Finding Rae in the kitchen working intently over a couple of pans on the stove, Del allowed herself to study the brunette. She watched as she worked with a familiar ease, comfortable in her work. Seeing that Rae hadn’t seen her approach, she leaned against the doorframe, and watched. She ran her gaze down the lean body, noting the well-pressed button up shirt, which seemed to fit in all the right places.

  Continuing down she took in the well-worn jeans, biting her lip slightly as she moved over strong thighs and toned calves. Del felt her face flush and her stomach tighten in a long forgotten ache. More than that though, she felt content. Here in this moment with this woman, she felt calm and safe and just plain right.

  “Meow.”

  “Rori says that it’s not nice to stare.” Rae stated without turning around.

  Del’s eyes widened, and she threw a glare at the cat. Stepping fully into the room, she leveled a playful grin at Rae’s back. “I don’t know; it seemed pretty nice from this angle. Do you need me to help with anything?”

  Shaking her head, the brunette didn’t turn around. “I just need you to tell me how you want your eggs. There’s coffee brewing, and if you want some juice, there are a few kinds in the fridge.”

  “Scrambled, if it’s not too much trouble.” Del made a beeline for the coffee, moaning at the smell before taking a sip. She watched Rae for a few more seconds and noticed that her posture seemed a little tense. She thought about approaching her, but the stiff posture added to the fact that Rae hadn’t even so much as looked at her since she’d entered the room, had her thinking twice. “Is everything okay? You seem a little tense.”

  The cat padded over and batted at Del’s pant leg. “Rori...you do not treat a guest like that.” Raelin turned around and swatted at her pet. “I’m sorry. He demands that I ask you something, and I don’t know how to bring up the subject.”

  Del looked at her for a moment and got the feeling that this wasn’t going to be a conversation she was going to enjoy. Still, if she wanted to know where this whole, whatever it was between them, was going, she knew she’d need to be honest with Rae. Besides, she had a feeling Rae could spot a lie a hundred yards off. “You might as well just ask. I won’t lie to you. I don’t think I could,” she offered a reassuring smile to the taller woman.

  Looking at the blonde, Raelin nodded her head at her. “Why are you carrying a gun? Why are you here in Leroy?”

  “I’m carrying a gun because it’s a part of my job. I’m a private investigator and things don’t always go smoothly. I’m here because Mrs. Kingsley asked me to help her find someone. I can’t tell you much more than that because I don’t know more. I haven’t had the chance to talk to anyone in town yet. I spent most of yesterday sleeping and here.” Noticing the cat still glaring at her from his new perch on the counter next to her, she reached out to let him smell her fingers, hoping to pacify him.

  Rori remained still, not leaning forward to smell her scent. Rae muttered underneath her breath, and the cat mewed and took a step forward to rub his head against Del’s fingertips. “Would you like mushrooms, tomatoes, and cheese with your eggs? I can make you an omelet?”

  Scratching lightly behind Rori’s ears, she nodded her agreement. “That would be great. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, it’s not like it’s something I want spread around the town. I get the feeling these people aren’t too keen on outsiders. Let alone outsiders who carry firearms.”

  Looking at the blonde, Raelin could see the truth in her eyes and in the way that she was standing. “Okay, but I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t carry it in the house.”

  “Rae, I can’t just leave it somewhere. What do you want me to do with it? I don’t suppose you’ve got a lock box hanging around, do you?” Del didn’t mean to get defensive, but she was fond of her gun. It had saved her life on many an occasion and felt more like an extension of her hand than a firearm.

  Closing her eyes, Raelin slowly counted to ten before answering. Opening her eyes, she asked, “Are you telling me that you don’t have a lock box welded to the underside of your Jeep where you keep extra clips and money? Couldn’t you put it in there if you had to? I’m quite sure that there have been times that you couldn’t take the gun everywhere you wanted to. I’m just asking, not telling you, to please not have it in my home.”

  Sighing Del knew Rae was right. ‘Not even twenty-four hours in and you’re already screwing this up,’ thought Del, scraping her hair back from her face before letting it fall back into place. “You’re right. I’m sorry, this is your home, and I’ll respect your wishes. I just don’t like leaving it in the Jeep for long periods of time, especially not with the dampness this time of year. I didn’t mean to snap.”

  “Okay, so mushrooms, tomatoes, and cheese it is. Anything else?” The brunette turned back to the stove, and started whipping the eggs.

  “No, what you’ve got in there already is fine, but please don’t avoid the subject. I really didn’t mean to be like that. I’m not used to having to worry about someone else’s feelings as far as my guns go. If anything, I’d like to know, how you knew about the lock box on my Jeep. I thought you’d said you hadn’t touched it?”

  “I haven’t even gone outside. I happened to see your attempt at performing a citizen’s arrest on Rori very early this morning.” Raelin poured the eggs into a pan and waited for them to firm up before adding the filling.

  “As embarrassing as that is, it still doesn’t explain how you knew about the Jeep. I’d really like to know how you knew what was inside. Even if you did go out and see it, I’m the only one with the key.”

  Putting in the fillers, the brunette carefully folded over the egg and slid it onto a plate. “There’s bacon, grits, and fresh biscuits on the table.” Handing the plate to the blonde, she explained, “When I told your Jeep not to start last night, I saw the lock box and its contents. I am truly a witch, Delaney. One with the gift of sight, healing, and a few obscure abilities. And Fiona says that you’re a guest, and you shouldn’t be grilling me like a common thief.”

  Del was about to reply, but instead she set the plate down and pulled Rae into a hug. “You’re right,” she whispered into Rae’s shoulder. “I shouldn’t be grilling you like that. You’ve made me this amazing breakfast, and I’m ruining it by letting my work get the best of me. If you let me back here after all that, I’ll keep the gun in the Jeep.” Del pulled away, tangling their fingers together. “Want to try this whole breakfast thing again? Minus the interrogation.”

  “Yeah...did you sleep well Del?” Rae brushed golden hair away from the shorter woman’s face.

  Del smiled and squeezed the fingers in her hair. “I did actually, first time in a long time I wasn’t woken up by some weird dream. Let’s eat before all this good food gets cold,” she made a start for the table when a sudden thought occurred to her. “So who exactly is Fiona? If I’m going to get scolded I should probably know who I’m getting scolded by,” Del chuckled.

  Making sure that Del didn’t have anything in her mouth to spit out, Raelin answered. “Fiona also said to tell you that she loves you a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck.”

  Del dropped the fork that was halfway to her mouth, staring wide-eyed at Rae for a second before managing to close her mouth. She felt her eyes start to burn with tears, but she fought them back. “Are you telling me my grandmother is here with us?”

  Reaching out to hold the blonde’s hand, Raelin whispered. “She’s with you all the time, Del. Fiona has watched you grow up to a beautiful, smart young woman, and she’s very proud of you.”

  Del pulled her hand away to wipe at her eyes. “Uh wow, I don’t even know what to say to that. I’m not even sure why I’m crying. I just, I mi
ss her. I’m sorry to fall apart on you like this.” Del attempted a half chuckle. She really didn’t want to break down in front of a woman she’d just met.

  Putting her hands in her lap, Rae watched the blonde gather her composure. “It’s okay. You’re actually doing better than most people. You’re very accepting of my religion and abilities. You’re not freaking.”

  Del smiled, glad that Rae had given her a moment to get herself together. “Funny you should mention that. My grandmother actually grew up believing in what she called the Earth Mother, and raised me to have an open mind,” the blonde sat back, and patted her belly. “That was the best breakfast I’ve had in a very long time.”

  “Glad you liked it.” Sitting there, the brunette decided to let the blonde just talk. She had a feeling that there was something more Del wanted to know. “Talk to me Del. I can help you.”

  Del wasn’t sure if she wanted to voice the fleeting thought that had raced through her head. She wasn’t sure she wanted to open herself up like that, but Rae seemed genuine and a little voice in the back of her head insisted on trusting this woman. “If you can hear my grandmother, does that mean you can hear all souls?”

  Taking a sip of juice, Rae took a moment before answering. “I hear the ones that are close by the living. I can sense older one when they have something to say. And while neither one of those are bad, there are times when I hear the ones that are murdered or pass in a horrible way, and I have a hard time with that. Always have.”

  Del nodded, understanding completely. The victims of murder cases still haunted her every now and then. “I don’t think it ever gets easier. And if it does, that’s when I know it’s time for me to find a new profession. Rae, can I ask you a favor?”

  “Sure...ask me anything that you want.”

  “Ask my grandmother if my mom is okay. I never got to meet her; she died while she was giving birth to me.”

  Looking over Del’s shoulder, Rae opened her sight. “There’s a young woman standing next to Fiona who looks a lot like you, but with a shorter haircut. She’s smiling and saying that she is very proud of you, and that she’s so very sorry that she wasn’t with you as you grew up. She watched over you and does still...you’re protected, Del. You always have been.”