Page 36 of Half Blind

“She looks so normal.”

“Normal is relative.” There was a pause in the line. “How is our friend?”

“He's sending me back to you,” Jared said.

“And in why the hell is he doing that?”

“He stated I am the only one he deems worthy to be your man,” Jared said, hearing the air she sucked in. “Yeah, I thought the same thing too, but keep in mind, a tornado picked me up and damn near dropped me on your doorstep. Ten days with you and all I can think about is coming back to sit at the dinner table to hear rambling chatter about volleyballs and spaghetti strap sundresses. Plus, looking in your eyes makes me feel calm. I like it there. It feels like it could be home if you want me. If you want us.”

“I'm at a loss for words,” Lemon said. “I truly don't know what to say.”

He also paused for a minute. “I tell you what, in two, maybe three days, I'll be back. Clear the house. Give Cranberry the weekend off and send the girls to the movies for the night so we can be alone.”

“Alone? And what is it you're planning to do alone with me, Mr. Bane?”

“Give you an entire night of reasons to say yes to becoming Dr. Bane. Talk soon,” he said and ended the call.

Lemon held the phone, looking at it in disbelief. She turned to Helen, her eyes wide. Helen ran to her side.

“What is it, Lemon? Everything okay?”

“Not sure, but you can have the weekend off,” she told Helen.

Chapter 12- Fascination

Helen spent three daysin Lemon’s lab mixing, tinkering, and grinding dried leaves with a mortar and pestle. She tried fresh oils, opting for a lighter apricot seed versus a grape seed oil. The jojoba oil held the fragrances much better, whereas the mineral oil was far lighter. At the current rate, she’d be dehydrated before she got the formula right or even knew if it actually worked.

Lemon, having not seen much of Helen for the past couple of days, wanted to check the progress of the greenhouse cataloging. She needed to stay on track for the training for the first month. Thus far, all the plants in the greenhouse were still alive, which weighed favorably for Helen. The second month, basic mixtures to slow down a potential threat were on the schedule. Month three would include making teas and potions to stop a heart. Curiosity led Lemon to the home lab where Helen had squirreled herself away. These were the days Dr. Myrtle had office hours on campus and was away from the farm during the workday. For three days, Helen had seemed focused on a project, slightly distracted and in her own head, a little thing which worried the person supposedly in charge of her training. Lemon located Helen in the rear of her lab and froze in her steps when she stumbled upon the odd woman.

Softly Lemon asked, “Helen, what are you doing?”

“Making a love potion, or at least I’m trying,” Helen replied, her brow crinkled in a concerted effort to add a droplet of cloudy liquid to the beaker on the counter.

Lemon pressed her lips tightly together and asked, “Okay, but why are only in your underwear?”

Helen looked back at her, “I got tired of taking off my pants to collect my nectar.”

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