Page 27 of The Veteran
I glanced at his hand, which swung near his hip, his fingers loosely curled as though he was prepared for combat at any second. It was a strong hand. Large and capable. I’d have liked to slip mine into it, but I didn’t want to do anything that might distract him. I was quiet while we walked, determined to make sure nothing I did would take Kade’s mind off the task at hand. I felt bad enough that we were outside. The least I could do was make sure I didn’t interfere with his ability to do his job.
I caught a few glimpses of Sean up ahead but then he disappeared. His ability to vanish like that unnerved me, and I was relieved he was on our side and not the other. Kade checked his phone a couple of times—presumably Sean was sending him updates—but he didn’t mention them to me. I had the urge to hum to break the silence, but if I did that, it might cover sounds that would alert Kade to danger.
I was pleased I’d chosen to wear sneakers because it was further to the main street than I remembered. We only passed a few people on the way, and I was grateful to see more up ahead as we approached the shops. I looked through the window of a small convenience store as we drew level with it but continued walking. We encountered a post office, a gift store, and a cafe. Then I broke into a grin at the sight of a poky building with a purple sign reading “Atlantis” above the doorway.
“Can we go in there?” I asked, already eager to check out the clusters of crystals I could see through the windows.
Kade stepped up beside me and raised a hand to shield his eyes while he scanned the inside of the store. “Yeah, but stay close.”
“I will.” I bounced into the store, something inside me instantly soothing as the soft melody playing through the speakers washed over me. I went straight to the display of semi-precious stones. They shone beautifully and each was labeled with a handwritten note that identified the crystal and its properties. I explored the entire collection, which included some I hadn’t seen before, and picked up a pair of selenite crystals, then turned to look around the rest of the shop. I gasped as I noticed the wall of tea leaves opposite. I drank them up greedily with my eyes. So many flavors. I didn’t know where to look first.
“Would you like to try some?” a voice asked from behind us.
I turned and spotted a woman with long gray hair. She smiled at me warmly. “That would be lovely.”
“Any preferences?” she asked.
I scanned the options again. “Can I try the ginger chai please?”
“Absolutely.” She went behind the counter and made a small sample cup of the tea.
When she passed it over, I blew across the surface and then sipped. “Oh, wow. That’s so good.”
She beamed. “I’m glad you like it. Are there any others you’d like to taste?”
Fifteen minutes later, I emerged from the shop with five new boxes of tea, two selenite crystals, and a big smile. I carried my purchases and stayed in step with Kade while he backtracked to the coffee shop. I waited near the door while he ordered, and then we returned to the cottage together.
I stole a look at Kade’s rugged features as we walked and felt a pang in my chest. This seemed like something a couple would do together. Not for the first time, I wished he’d called after our kiss last year, but then I reminded myself that regret was pointless. We were sharing a moment now, and that was exactly as it should be. I just hoped there would be only good karma flowing to me from now on.
11
SAGE
After our shopping expedition, the rest of the day flew by. Instead of feeling cooped up, I was excited to charge the crystals and set them out, and to brew tea for myself, Sean, and Kade. I composed a blog post and forwarded it to Jonah, from Zeke’s team, to upload on my behalf. Then, later in the evening, just as I was beginning to grow hungry, Sean popped inside to let us know he was leaving. His replacement had arrived and, based on the smells wafting in, he’d brought dinner. My stomach growled as I waved goodbye to Sean and went to make sure we had plates and cutlery.
The overnight guard, Vic, carried in a selection of Chinese food. We exchanged a few words of small talk while he dished himself a meal but he brushed off my invitation to join us. Kade and I sat cross-legged on the floor and dug in. If I was hungry, Kade seemed to be ravenous, and I realized we’d had snacks but no real lunch. I’d have to cook something tomorrow so it wouldn’t happen again.
“So, what were you studying in college when you met Ronan?” I asked as we ate, hoping he might be open to sharing a little more with me after a lovely day.
A shadow seemed to pass over his face, but it was gone so quickly I wondered if I’d imagined it. He scooped more fried noodles onto his plate. “Criminal law.”
My jaw dropped. “You were going to be a lawyer?”
He shrugged. “It was an option. I wanted to work in the justice system and make some improvements. In hindsight, I was naive.”
“But still, that’s a very honorable goal.”
I tried to picture Kade as a lawyer, wearing a suit and standing in court. I couldn’t see it. He was too raw for that. Lawyers always seemed to have a shiny outer shell, and Kade was just his rugged, authentic self.
“So, why did you change your mind?” I asked, dunking a wonton in sweet and sour sauce.
He stiffened. “Circumstances. It didn’t work out.” From his tone, it was clear the topic was off-limits. “When did you become friends with Willow?”
I hid a smile at his diversionary tactic. “I must have been about twelve or so. Some kids at school were teasing Willow because of her name. I stood up for her, and we became friends. Of course, after that, people mocked both of our names.”
“Kids can be cruel.”
“I know, but it didn’t really bother me. I just hated seeing her upset.” I’d always been better at letting things roll off my shoulders than Willow had. “We stayed friends through everything, although sometimes we went a while without seeing each other. Distance has never been a problem for us. We have one of those friendships that can withstand anything.”