Page 62 of Butterflies and Hazel Eyes
“I know so. All I have to do is remember the scene at the Apple Orchard the night of your birthday. Every single person there wanted to spend time with you, talk to you, and wish you a happy day. Nights like that aren’t a regular occurrence for tourists in Plentiful. A welcome like the one you received happens when someone is an important part of the community. You managed to worm your way into everyone’s hearts here in Plentiful the moment you stepped out of that old motor home. Let me ask you a question. In the middle of a crisis, what did Laverne do tonight?”
“She called me, worried about my motor home,” I said.
He kissed my palm tenderly before he answered. “She did because she is concerned for your future. She knows you rely on Myrtle to get from one place to the next. How many times have you shared a cup of coffee on the dock with her? How many times has she taken care of Mojo so you could have a little fun while you were here?”
“At least a dozen,” I said, laughter in my voice as I remembered how the big dog had managed to win her over.
“At least, and do we even need to talk about Lucy and Kevin? They’re like your adoptive parents, always bringing you extra dessert and making sure Mojo gets fed too.”
I chuckled and nodded, tears in my eyes.
“If you notice, they don’t bring me extra pie,” he said, tickling my side until I let out a bark of laughter. “If those aren’t roots, I don’t know what are. Here is the most important part; are you listening?” I nodded, my gaze searching his. They’d never lie to me, even if his lips would. “You wrapped your roots so deeply around my heart and soul that we became one root, and I have no intention of letting go. Do you understand that? When I said I love you, it wasn’t for any other reason than it being the truth.”
I smiled even though I was crying. “It helped to hear you say that. I’m bad at life, Gulliver,” I said, trying to keep the tears from becoming major sobs. “I try, but I don’t always feel like I succeed.”
“You’re not bad at life,” he promised me, wiping my eyes and nose with the sheet. “You do more than succeed at it; you rock it. You’re a force to be reckoned with, Charity. I wish you could see how successful you’ve been. You save businesses single-handedly and you don’t seem to recognize how important that is. That brings me back to the idea of growing roots. Do you get the same kind of welcome in every town you go to?”
I shook my head immediately. “No, I’m rarely in any town longer than a few days, and I usually keep to myself if I’m at a campground.”
“What made Plentiful different then?”
“The people. This job. You,” I answered immediately. “No one let me be a stranger, if that makes sense. From the first day when I met Lucy, I was a friend. That’s the difference more than anything. People here do things for you because they want to, not because they have to. I know the clock is ticking down, though, and I only have a limited amount of time before I have to decide if I stay or if I go,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “I love you, but I already committed to the other job too. I’m scared of making the wrong decision.”
He tucked me into his shoulder and held me close. “I love you more. We’ll figure this out together.”
I nodded against his chest as I lay there, exhausted and scared. “No one loves me for very long, Gulliver. That’s why I’m so torn. You love me tonight and maybe tomorrow, but there’s a long time until forever.”
His hazel eyes grew dark in the low light of the room. “I’m going to say this in a way you can understand. I’m under no obligation to love you. I fell in love with you for who you are and how you make me feel inside, not because someone told me I had to. If you climb into Myrtle and head for Indiana, or anywhere else on this green earth, I’m still going to love you. I’m still going to want you. I’m still going to come find you. I’m going to do anything I have to, including sell my business and join the nomad lifestyle, if that’s what it takes to be with you.”
“No!” I exclaimed. “Gulliver, you can’t sell Butterfly Junction!”
His lips kissed mine until I was quiet, and when he broke the kiss, he smiled, rubbing his thumb over my lips. “I’m not selling Butterfly Junction right now. What I’m saying is, I’m willing to. I’m willing to follow you to the ends of the earth if that’s what it takes to keep you happy. All I want is for you to find joy in life, Charity. If you find joy out on the open road, then I’m more than ready to follow you there.”
I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in his neck without another word. I didn’t think more words were needed. All that was left was for me to sit with the ones I already had and decide which ones I believed.
CHAPTER 19
I glanced at the clock just as it flipped to four a.m. I’d fallen asleep in Gulliver’s arms after we’d made love, but Mojo had startled me awake. Once I was up, I couldn’t fall back to sleep, so I left Gulliver to sleep while I finished decoding the final few sheets of paper from Honey’s desk. The words started to swim in front of my eyes, but I was determined to find something in them that would tell me how and why Honey was caught up in this.
After an hour of reading, I stretched my back out and debated going back to bed. I was going to regret it if I didn’t, but I didn’t have much left to finish. I clicked open the last file, and my heart stopped beating instantly. I gasped quietly at the first two words, ‘Dear Mathias,’ it read, and I held my breath. ‘If you’ve found this, then I’m dead. I know that sounds dumb, because it’s what everyone says, but in this case it will be true. I want you to know I didn’t want to help them. I would never do anything to hurt you. You probably already know this, but I’ve been in love with you since I was eight. The thing is, I’m smart enough to know we can never be together for so many, many reasons, the least of which is my childhood. Unfortunately, it’s common knowledge that I’m your friend; therefore, they used the weakest link to get to you. I’m sorry. I wish with all my heart I could have found another way out of this, but I couldn’t. If I didn’t do what they demanded, you’d die. If I didn’t come up with the information they wanted, the information you’re working so hard for, they’d kill you, my family, and then me. They made it clear exactly what they’d do if I told you or the police. Trust me when I say the carnage wasn’t worth my life. I was dragging my feet, trying to give you time to get your research done, but if you’re reading this, I ran out of time. I want you to know I didn’t do this to hurt you. I did this to save you. I did this to protect you because between the two of us, you have the most potential to go on and save the world. I love you, Mathias. Always have and always will. Since I know my resting place is the cold-water castle of Lady Superior, whenever you stand on her shores, know I’m loving you from there. No matter where I am, in my eyes, you’ll always walk on water, the same way you have for the last twenty years. I’m sorry, Mathias. All my misguided love. Honey.’
“Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh,” I chanted, scanning it again. “This isn’t good. Oh, this so isn’t good. What the hell?”
Gulliver’s hand came down on my shoulder before I realized I had said it aloud. “Charity, what is it, sweetheart?”
I glanced up, my whole body shaking, and took him in. He was dressed in his shorts with his Croc shoe on his left leg to even him out. “I found something,” I stuttered. “I’m sorry, but I found something.”
Gulliver sat at the table, his gaze going to the screen. He read the words, but I wasn’t sure if it registered. His hand was in his hair, and his breathing was shallow. “What the hell is going on?” he asked, his voice high pitched. “We have to get to Mathias,” he said, his tone telling me how scared he was. “He’s in danger.”
I grasped his arm, holding him to the table. “Wait. What does she mean by the cold-water castle of Lady Superior?”
He dropped his hands from his hair before he made eye contact with me. “The water in Lake Superior is so cold it inhibits bacterial growth year-round, which means bodies tend to sink rather than float. The locals say Lady Superior never gives up her dead, and they remain in her cold-water castle forever. Honey is telling Mathias not to look for her because she already knows that’s where she’ll be.”
I inhaled sharply. “Okay, we have to bring this to Mathias carefully. We can’t tip off whoever is behind it, because if they think Honey told someone, well”—I motioned at the computer—“carnage.”
He grasped his hair in both hands. “We don’t want carnage, but we also need to talk to Honey and Mathias. Once we have the full story, we’ll be better able to protect them. Do we know who’s behind it? Do we know whotheyare?”
I shook my head. “No, she’s careful not to mention names. I read all the translations, and I found some inconsistencies, at least as far as I can tell. I was hoping you’d be able to tell me if I’m crazy or if what I’m reading doesn’t jive.”
