“Was that a jab at me leaving?” I say, quirking an eyebrow.
“Of course not. I’m still lazily tip toeing around the previous subject. Poorly, obviously,” he laughs.
My heart lightens, but I remind it to chill out. Things don’t need to be defined right away. It’s kind of nice to settle into the energy of a new relationship—if that’s what this is.
Of course, that’s what this is.
“Hmmm… Well, you will definitely meet him. If I do end up staying at his place, you better damn well come and visit me. But we’ll do the introductions right,” I say, sounding more independent and self-assured than I actually feel.
“Sounds like a most excellent plan,” he says, tipping his head in acknowledgement.
“Did you just go all Bill and Ted on me?” I say, covering my laugh.
Looking over his shoulder, then switching to the other side, he presses his fingertips to his chest. “Who? Me? How old do you take more for, miss? I’m not forty.”
“I’m not entirely convinced,” I say, shooting him a sideways glance and dialing my dad’s number for the sixth time. Again, it goes to voicemail.
I stand up and grab my purse from the hook by the door.
Wade drops his laid-back position and stands. “Going already?”
“Yeah, may as well. I want to get this over so I know where I stand. Besides, my mom’s gone, so it’ll be easier to head out without a thousand questions.”
Without another word, we make our way downstairs. Once outside, I lock the front door and follow the sidewalk to the driveway. When we reach my Ford Escape, I turn to face him, leaning against the blue door.
“So, is your mom working today?” Wade asks.
I shake my head. “No, she went shopping. Something about a big conference coming up in a couple of weeks that she has to attend.”
He nods. “Does she know about you going to Windhaven?”
I grimace.
“Oh, intrigue. Why didn’t you tell her?” Wade asks.
“You know why. She doesn’t understand the whole Windhaven draw. The last thing I want to do is get her riled up right now. She’ll assume I want to take over the world with superpowers or something.” I kick off the door so I can open it and toss my purse onto the passenger seat.
Twisting around, I turn to face him and he wraps his arms around me. He pulls me in tight, turning a simple hug into something borderline sexy. Chills race across the surface of my skin and a part of me wants nothing more than to forget going to Windhaven and, instead, bring him back inside and do unspeakable things to him.
“Get the answers you need, beautiful,” Wade whispers in my ear.
As he pulls back from our embrace, his hands make their way to my face and he guides me in close. Electricity sparks between us and, like a magnet, I’m drawn to him. My hands rise to his hair, weaving themselves into his dark locks.
When he pulls back, my world is spinning.
“Mmmm…” he says dreamily. “Have I mentioned I’m glad I went to the cemetery that night?”
Involuntarily, I lean back against my car door, and smile.
He beams, taking a tentative step backward, “You’ll let me know when you’re back, right?”
Still unable to form words, I nod.
He seems to understand as he reaches around to open my car door for me. Nodding at the gesture, I sit and roll down the window. Reaching for the ignition, I start my beat-up SUV.
“Are you sure this thing will get you there?” Wade chuckles.
I’ve had Big Blue forever, but her time is coming to an end, of that I have no doubt.
“I’ll be fine,” I say, still grinning to myself.
“Okay, well, text me when you get there. And if you need me, just say the word. I’ll come find you,” he says, placing his hands on the windowsill of the car.
“I will,” I whisper.
Wade bends in, planting one last gentle kiss on my lips through the open window.
“All right, then, see ya around, Dru,” he says, backing up and flashing his trademark wink.
Despite my desire to stay, I ground myself to my better judgment, and put Blue into gear. “See ya in a bit, Angel.”
As I drive off, he taps the back of my car. I turn on my hazards; a final good-bye before I drive out of sight. My eyes flit to the side mirror to get a final glance of him. He waits, standing in the middle of the road, until I can no longer see him at all.
Leaning back into my seat, I let out a low groan.
“Oh my god, I am in so much trouble with him,” I say aloud, unable to ignore the desire beginning to build inside me.
Despite myself, I don’t spend the two-hour drive to Windhaven thinking about what I need to ask my dad, or what I’d like to learn from him about our family history. Instead, I spend it fighting myself about how soon is too soon to hop into bed with Wade. Oddly enough, it’s a welcome distraction.
As I make the final turn down my dad’s extended driveway, nervous energy erupts in my stomach, and I realize I’m walking into this totally unprepared. The last time I was here wasn’t the most pleasant of times, to say the least. I spent more than a few weeks in bed—and even more of that confined to my room, despite it being a large house.
The trees on either side have a mysterious air about them as the sunlight filters through the branches arching over the road. There isn’t another house anywhere in eyeshot and a hint of anxiety trips into my consciousness.
It’s like going back in time.
Or at least what I imagine going back in time would be like.
I sit up straighter, clutching the steering wheel a bit tighter as I search for any signs of sentient life. Suddenly, the trees give way to a large clearing and the overgrown dirt driveway gives way to an older, cobblestone one.
As the enormous ancestral home comes into view, memories flood in. There weren’t just crappy times here. I do remember some happy ones. Ones when we were all a family, but they’re hazy. However, there’s still a piece of me that loves the house and wishes I could go back to those simpler times.
Now that I’m older, I definitely admire the architecture and style of this old Gregorian manor. Its entire presence commands the landscape to embrace it and hold it safe, and it’s utterly breathtaking. The barely turning leaves are still in contrast with the gray stonework, making the front façade pop. The oversized windows adorn much of house, and I remember fondly that when the curtains are pulled back, it lets an incredible amount of light into the home.
I continue down the cobblestones at a slow pace until they start to loop around in front of the main entrance. An old statue of a weeping angel rests in the middle of the loop, surrounded by vines and flowers starting to die back from the colder weather. Tilting my head to the side, I put the vehicle in park and kick open my door. Before heading to the house, I walk up to the statues to have a better look. Interestingly, the angel is male, not the stereotypical female. But like many of the others, his face rests into his bent arm as he leans against a stone pillar.
I don’t know why I didn’t take much notice of it as a kid, but it creeps me out a bit now.
Blowing out a puff of air, I turn around and my chin tips upward as I take in the sheer size of the home.
“This is definitely bigger than I remember it,” I whisper to myself, surprised. Usually, it’s the other way around. Swallowing hard, I straighten my shoulders and walk up to the entrance.