Page 6 of Christmas Past
Bella’s mind filled with darkness. No thought. Just black everywhere. And that horrible sharp pain in her right foot.
She might have fallen, except that a hand gripped her arm. With a lot of force. “Where is she?” Chad was there. And no longer pretending to be the least bit congenial. His grip encompassed her upper arm down to her elbow. The elbow that stung.
Then it only hurt where his fingers were digging into her. The other feelings were gone.
“I don’t know who you’re talking about,” she told him. Fighting with everything she had to maintain homeostasis. Just like she’d read. She was in control. There was nothing to fear but fear itself. As she breathed in, strength returned to her limbs.
“If anything happens to that little girl…”
She stared into those brown eyes that were alternately shooting daggers at her, and looking worried beyond anything that made sense. “Look, Chad…”
That’s what he’d told her to call him the first time that they’d met. Two years before at a county fair where her family had set up shop. She’d had a session with the young woman who ultimately changed Bella’s entire life. Afterward, she’d been sick and upset and had slipped away to an old creek where she’d had a seat to try to figure out what was going on inside her.
Chad had been there – in regular clothes. Jeans and a short sleeved shirt. He’d been leaning against a tree. Just staring. He’d asked if she was okay. She’d assured him she was. He’d hung around talking to her anyway. About nothing in particular. And yet…she’d felt as though he’d been looking after her.
Later, he’d asked her to share a lobster dinner with him. And that’s when he’d told her that his fiancée had just broken up with him.
At the time, she’d been certain the rush of emotional pain that swamped her had been his.
But that was before she’d realized that her ‘gift’ was nothing more than trickery. A moneymaker for her family.
He’d said that his fiancée had thought him too cold. Too analytical. He’d been exactly the same when they’d first started dating he’d told her. Was the same man. But suddenly it wasn’t good enough.
Bella had asked him if he loved her.
And would never forget his answer. ‘I suppose I do. Based on the definitions I’ve read.’
She’d found his response...sad...but hadhad a wonderful night. With him.Away from her family.
He’d kissed her once.
It had been her very first kiss. Surprising considering the numbers of men who always surrounded her older sisters. Surprising too, based on the fact that she was in her mid-twenties.
It had been magical.
And then she’d found out he was a cop.
One of the species her family avoided at all cost.
And he’d found out she was a member of the gypsy family that had set up camp down by the beach…
“Listen, Bella,” his voice brought her back to the present. “I’m not here to blame you. I just need to know that the girl is safe…”
She didn’t believe him about not blaming her. But…he seemed to really think there was a girl.
“There is no girl,” she said. He’d driven all the way out there to her ‘weird’ house because he was concerned. And that was her fault. “I’m sorry I called you. I was having…a panic attack. And it got the better of me.”
“What got the better of you? If you hurt her…”
“I didn’t hurt anyone!” If he didn’t get off this whole girl thing, he was going to be the one needing a looney bin. “Just listen long enough to let me explain…”
“So you do have that girl.” Without loosening his grip, he led her to one of the bar stools tucked under her island, pulled it out and pushed her onto it. His expression, when he studied her this time, seemed to hold relief.
“There is no girl.” She was almost sorry to disappoint him. Chad, when he wasn’t being a cop to her gypsy, was really kind of nice. If a bit too rule-bidden for her liking.
She might not agree with lying and cheating, but she’d grown up wandering the country, seeing all kinds of things that couldn’t be explained. Like how incredibly green the grass grew. Or the way clouds made formations in an otherwise perfect cerulean blue sky. The beauty in flowers. The smell of a rose. The way babies were born, and friends who fought for each other.
She didn’t believe in herself, but she believed in karma…in the goodness the people of Christmas Town embodied all year long.
