Hold Fast - Part Fourteen
This episode is part of a larger story, Soft Touch. If you haven’t yet, you can go back and read it from the beginning right here.
Faith barely gets that single word out before she’s cut off by Robin, who lets out a shattered, gasping sob of relief.
She bends over Faith and starts raining down kisses onto her face, just all over it, holding her tight. Faith giggles sleepily and curls up in her arms, taking a fistful of her crewneck.
“It was my dad, Roo,” she mumbles drowsily, resting her cheek against Robin’s chest. “You have to be careful, he might still be around here-”
“The goddamn dirty son of a bitch, I’m gonna kill him!” Robin shouts wildly, right into Faith’s gentle little face.
Faith draws back, blinking fast. But also laughing sleepily, wholly unsurprised.
“I’m so happy to see you…” she murmurs, burying her face into Robin’s chest.
Robin bites her lip very hard, then slumps back against the cave wall. She hugs Faith tight to herself, closes her eyes, and lets silent, grateful tears slide down her cheeks. She makes no movement to wipe them away. I’m not even sure she knows she’s crying. She looks absolutely wrecked with relief, too overwhelmed to speak.
She just holds Faith close and strokes a trembling hand over her shoulder, her nose buried in pastel pink hair.
“It’s okay,” she stammers eventually, sniffling through every word. “You’re safe now, you’re safe… I’m gonna take you home, and we’re gonna snuggle up and have a huge dinner and rewatch Calamity Jane, and then like all of Xena.”
“That’s such a lesbian watchlist,” I laugh, a little too dazed with relief to stop myself.
Faith looks up at me and Aiden, smiling in drowsy confusion, then turns back to Robin with shy, questioning eyes.
“That’s Aiden and Jamie, they’ve been helping me look for you.” Robin drags a trembling hand beneath her nose. “You’ve been missing for weeks, angel…”
“Weeks?” Faith is startled and troubled by that piece of news, but still too drowsy to be shocked. “Oh, Roo… I’m so sorry… you must have been so worried…”
Robin lets out a sputter of sharp, ragged laughter at that unbelievable understatement, then kisses Faith’s forehead and hugs her close again, crying quietly into her hair.
I turn to look up at Aiden, swaying on my feet with relief and happiness. He’s leaning heavily against the cave wall, his powerful arms folded, his exhausted blue eyes full of deep satisfaction.
I follow his gaze from Robin and Faith over to Daisy. She just flopped onto her back so that her cubs can climb all over her. Two of them are busy happily scrambling over her fur. The third, most adventurous cub has started to draw closer to Will, looking up at our team lumberjack with curious eyes.
“Do I recall that one should never pick up or touch a bear cub, Jamie?” he asks regretfully, staring down at the little cub as it edges up close enough to sniff at his workboots.
“Yeah, that’s very true. But it might be different if you’re all ghosts, and you can ask its mom for permission?”
Will shoots a hopeful look at Daisy, who has a tiny paw belonging to one of her other cubs planted on her snout at the moment.
Oh, I suppose, she says, her deep voice rumbling with happiness. Just this one time, as thanks for your help. But I am not responsible if she nips you.
Will beams with delight, dropping down to a crouch. “Oh, that’s quite alright! I can always reset myself. Hello, you!”
The cub retreats back a few steps and stands up on her hind legs, watching Will shyly, then drops down and cautiously begins to draw closer again. She snuffles at his hands, which make her little snout look even smaller by comparison.
He gently scratches her nose, smiling warmly down at her. She startles backwards in surprise, then scrambles to go hide behind Daisy, who lets out a rumbling laugh.
“Oh, Daisy!” Faith mumbles drowsily, smiling in Robin’s arms. “The cubs! They’re awake!”
Thanks to you, little human, Daisy answers, meeting Faith’s dark brown eyes with her golden ones. I’ll forever be grateful.
Faith glows with relief, then rests her cheek against Robin’s chest, yawning deeply.
“How come she’s so sleepy, if she’s been hibernating for this long?” Robin asks worriedly, hugging Faith to herself. “Shouldn’t she have more energy than all the rest of us put together?”
She is just a little out of her usual human rhythms, Daisy reassures Robin. It may take her a few minutes to wake all the way up, but she will. And don’t forget my cubs have drawn a great deal of energy from her. Once she rests as she normally would, she will be much more restored.
Robin absorbs that, then stamps a kiss onto Faith’s forehead and starts to get to her feet, easing Faith up with her.
I turn back to Aiden, tiredly pushing my hair out of my eyes. “Should we go back and-? Oh. Oh. Oh, my god.”
My hands fly up to my cheeks, my eyes widening as I take in the sight before me. All three of Daisy’s glowing little cubs have come over to sit down in front of Aiden, like toddlers seated around the person reading to them. They have their tiny faces lifted to him, their eyes closed in heavenly relaxation and bliss, as if they’re all taking a delicious sunbath. I can practically see them smiling.
“What are they doing?” Aiden asks, watching them in surprise.
Well, Aiden is their energy source now, so I guess they essentially are taking a sunbath. Absorbing life and energy and warmth from him.
The sight of the little sun bears drawing on Aiden is actually too much for me. I’m going to collapse if I try to do anymore cuteness intake today. A man can only handle so much.
“Good lord,” Will sputters weakly, apparently thinking the same thing.
“Okay,” I manage, taking Aiden’s hand. “I think let’s give Daisy and the cubs some family time, and get Faith back to the boat. We need to get you there, too, Aiden.”
I don’t know exactly how much energy he gave Daisy and her babies through the necklace, but it’s abundantly clear that he didn’t leave much for himself. I can see the exhaustion written all over his face.
He nods in tired agreement, so Robin draws Faith over to the opening of the cave passage, leading her out from where she’s been hidden in hibernation for so long. Daisy gets up to follow us, her cubs bounding along at her feet.
One by one, we step out through the rock wall illusion at the entrance of the cave, then stop in the soft, pattering rain. Pale peach dawn light, white mist, dripping green pine needles, and cold, autumn-scented air. It all quietly reaches out to take us in as we emerge from the darkness of the cave.
Faith tilts her head back and takes a deep, long breath of the misty air. Daisy’s cubs instantly go scattering into the beautiful morning, tumbling over each other, squeaking with excitement. She stands at the mouth of the cave and watches them with adoring eyes, then shakes out her golden fur.
Did they turn gold? she asks. Did I?
“Yeah, my bad,” Aiden says sheepishly. “Didn’t mean for that to happen. But you said you wanted a little color, didn’t you?”
Daisy lets out another of her deep, purring laughs. So I did. Thank you, Son of Fate. From the bottom of my heart.
Aiden smiles, and Robin folds a protective arm around Faith, who’s sleepily leaning against her.
“Will you be okay now, Daisy?” Faith asks, knuckling her eyes in the soft sunlight.
Yes, Daisy answers warmly, regarding Faith with immense fondness. Will you, little human?
Faith looks up at Robin, then smiles at Daisy.
“Yes,” she answers, with all the heartfelt faith in the world.
~~~~
Will vanishes to go home and keep hold of his remaining energy, so it’s four of us left to walk through the rain-wet forest. It’s a beautiful, peaceful morning, not at all made dark by the pattering rainfall. Birdsong winds out through the trees now and then, as light as the airy mist.
One stop to pick up our backpacks and the sleeping bags, and we’re on our way. Hiking through the wilderness in drowsy quiet. Mercifully headed downhill.
Aiden and I walk ahead of Robin and Faith. Giving them space so they can talk quietly, without us hearing what they’re saying. It’s a nice, constant reassurance to hear Faith up and talking, even if I can’t make out her words. She has an exceptionally soft and gentle voice, reminiscent of an exceptionally small dove cooing. I only catch the faintest traces of it as she and Robin put their heads together to talk. But it’s there, and that’s what matters.
As Daisy promised, Faith is slowly starting to wake up some more. By the time we reach the inlet, her dark brown eyes are fully awake, and stealing the occasional shy glance at me and Aiden.
She lets Robin help her aboard. Aiden and I follow them both onto the deck, where Faith stops for a moment and leans against the railing. Closing her eyes, trailing her fingertips over the familiar sleek lines of Moondancer.
She turns and wordlessly leads the way down below decks. Robin, Aiden, and I follow after her.
She lets herself into Robin’s cabin, steps inside, and inhales deeply. Lets the breath out very slowly, savoring it. Robin stops just inside the doorway to watch her, her eyes brimming over with love.
Faith gazes around at the cabin, then pauses, darting a puzzled glance at Robin.
“Did you take down half of the curtains in here?” she asks.
It was actually Maggie who started taking the faded old curtains down, during the few minutes we left her unsupervised in Robin’s cabin. Robin’s eyes blink to the ones still hanging, then open wide with horror.
“Oh, the curtains!” she wails, then rushes over and wrenches all the rest of them down. “Fuck these curtains! Don’t look at those, angel! I’ll get you better ones! Blue ones, with orange stitching and white flowers!”
“What-?” Faith bursts into bewildered giggles as Robin drops the curtains to the floor and forcefully kicks them aside. “What are you talking about, Roo?”
Robin stops still, panting, staring at Faith with dilated eyes. There’s a brief silence.
Without warning, Robin picks up Faith – with no apparent effort – and tosses her directly onto the bed. Faith lets out a startled laugh, and Robin bends to kiss her.
“Robin!” Faith gasps, glancing at me and Aiden with a smoldering blush deepening in her cheeks. “There’s-”
Robin kisses her anyways, with enthusiasm that immediately quiets her sputtered protests. Then she straightens up and strides over to the door, leaving a blushing, smiling Faith on the bed behind her.
“Aiden, Jamie, we’ll talk later,” she says firmly, and shuts the door in our faces.
Aiden and I exchange a grin, then turn and head back out onto the deck, pulling off our jackets.
“Think maybe we should give them a minute,” Aiden says, to a tired laugh from me.
“Yeah, I think so.” I sit down on one of the lounge seats and take off my hiking boots and socks, finally freeing my aching feet. “Oh, man. I’m sore. We hiked all day, sat up all night.”
“Maybe stretching out would help you,” Aiden tells me, all casual. “I kind of feel like going for a swim, anyways.”
I toss my phone down on the lounge seat beside me, yawning again. “But we didn’t pack any-”
I break off with a gasp as Aiden scoops me into his arms and lightly tosses me right over the side of Moondancer. For a split second I’m bewildered, in midair. Then I’m surrounded by water and bubbles and cold. I surface gasping, all ready to tell him off. Instead I find myself promptly splashed in the face by him dropping into the inlet beside me.
“Idiot!” I shout in his dumb handsome face, as soon as he surfaces in front of me. He only comes up to his nose, so his laughter blows stupid little bubbles. “I’ll get you for this!”
“Mmm. Get in line behind Nigel and Bruce.” He makes a very serious face at me, pulling me into his arms in the water. “I don’t think they’ll ever forgive us for our participation in this whole thing.”
“Oh, they won’t?” I ask acidly. “Tragic, but I think I’ll manage to get over it.”
Aiden lets out a huff of rumbling laughter, arching an eyebrow. “Wow. Sassy Jamie makes an appearance.”
“Bruce brings it out in me,” I admit, crinkling my nose up at him. “I’m sure Nigel will, too. Ralph said it could be up to two days before Nigel gets back with the new boat, and we’ve already spent one. Do you think he’s almost here?”
“If he is, I don’t mind being the one to deal with him,” Aiden growls as he pulls off his henley and tosses it onto the boat. “I got no problems enforcing a woman’s boundaries for her.”
“Yeah, you and your brothers all seem very comfortable with that, especially if it involves punching someone,” I laugh tiredly, struggling out of my soaked flannel and tossing it back onto Moondancer’s deck with Aiden’s henley. “But you may have to get in line behind Robin.”
“I’ll back her up, then,” Aiden yawns, folding his elbows on Moondancer’s swim platform. “But I need to sleep for at least a few hours, or I’m gonna be useless for anything.”
He looks so tired. All of us do, but he does the most. He rests his head on his powerful arms, looking enticingly sweet with his chestnut hair darkened with seawater, his sleepy blue eyes lingering on my face. And so warm, against the pale, misty landscape.
I toss my shirt onto the deck, then swim closer and put my elbows on the platform, too. Giving him back the intimate smile he’s giving me.
“That was amazing, Sugar Maple,” I tell him, speaking in a whisper, gazing adoringly at him through the rain. “I don’t know how to explain it, but I could feel how complicated that piece of magic was.”
“Mmm… yeah, it was surprisingly hard to take away everything but the pure energy,” he murmurs, meeting my eyes. Slowly tracing my tattoo with his wet fingertips. “Thank god for the connection. I don’t know how I’d do any of this without you, Keane. I really don’t.”
My heart beats hard for love.
And for relief. Being in the ocean with him, with the gentle rain fluttering down on us… all the unspoken fear and anxiety that was hanging in the air while Faith was missing finally washes away. Leaving my head incredibly clear, and my mind free to absorb the fact that Daisy and her cubs are at least temporarily restored, Faith has been restored to Robin, and – hopefully Maggie will be restored to her uncle next.
Full of mingled hope and relief, I let go of the swim platform and dive deep beneath the water. I let the ocean rush through my hair and sweep coldly against my cheeks. My clothes are soaked, but if push comes to shove my Heliomancer can dry them out for me.
He floats next to me, stretching out his muscled body to its fullest length, tilting his head back. He lets out a startled laugh when I surface already running my hands all over him. He catches me up in his muscled arms, pulling me to him until he’s close enough to kiss me. Only his eyes speak, but he’s saying a lot.
We end up in the water for a good long while. It feels so good to swim around with Aiden, to sprawl out in the ocean and let the saltwater rock us and the rain fall softly down on us. By the time he pulls me back onto the boat it’s picked up to a steadier, harder fall of rain, but that only makes the inlet more mysterious and beautiful. The evergreens rise up from the white fog, silent and graceful giants, running with their own miniature waterfalls. I stop to admire it all before I follow Aiden back below decks.
He stops at the bottom of the steps in surprise.
The door of Robin’s cabin is wide open. Through it we can see our captain, sprawled across the bed beneath the blankets. Deeply, peacefully asleep.
This looks completely different from the sleep that Robin was getting before. She shows no signs of getting up to walk anywhere. She actually reminds me of the hibernating bear cubs, too completely knocked out and too completely cozy to be woken up. Her clothes are scattered on the floor, all mixed up with Faith’s clothes. There’s a lingering pink blush in her cheeks, a lingering smile on her face.
Faith is sitting up in the bed, gazing down at her, looking glowingly happy. She’s wearing Robin’s pajamas, her cascade of pastel pink hair falling around her shoulders in tumbled waves. She’s slowly eating an oatmeal cookie from a plate of them balanced on her lap.
She blinks in surprise when she spots us, hastily swallows the bite she was working on, and draws the blanket higher over Robin’s back.
“Hi,” she says, very softly and shyly. “Aiden and Jamie, right?”
Aiden gives her a nod as we stop in the doorway, and I lift one hand in a friendly wave. Faith gives us a meek smile, but a very warm one. I’m guessing Robin filled her in a little bit on what she’s missed.
“Sorry, um – did you want one of these?” she asks, holding out the plate of cookies.
“No, you go ahead,” Aiden says firmly. “You must be starving, you literally haven’t eaten in weeks.”
“I’d be eating the entire boat by now,” I add.
“I am sort of relieved that you don’t want any of the cookies,” Faith admits, drawing a soft laugh from both of us. “They’re really good, by the way! Who made them?”
Aiden answers that with a pleased smile, so Faith directs the next question to him.
“Did you use condensed milk? That was a nice touch.”
“Yeah, and I’m glad you like them, but did you want me to make you something more substantial?” Aiden offers. “I could throw together a sandwich or something real fast.”
“Oh, that’s sweet of you, but it’s okay. I just want to eat something and then pass out.” Faith laughs a little, fixing us with her timid smile. “It’s tiring, having cubs.”
“So I’ve heard,” I answer, laughing a little myself. “Well, we’ll be right next door if you need anything.”
Faith points behind us. “I actually made some tea for you guys, if you want it.”
“Oh.” I turn in surprise to glance at the tiny kitchen, noticing that there’s a sweet, fragrant scent coming from it. “Thank you, that’s so nice!”
“No, thank you,” Faith says quietly, her eyes flicking between my face and Aiden’s. “Robin said that you helped her find me.”
“We were happy to,” Aiden answers firmly.
Faith smiles, then hesitates, lowering her gaze to the plate of oatmeal cookies. “I don’t want to be any trouble, but… I’m worried about that girl who helped me. Robin said you met her. If her dad is friends with my dad, then – her dad isn’t a good man.”
“We’ll be taking her out of his care shortly,” Aiden says, his deep, reassuring voice joining the tapping of the rain against the curtainless windows. “Robin will fill you in more, but we’ve already decided that’s how it has to be.”
Faith breaks into a relieved smile, then lets out a slow breath, her shoulders relaxing.
“Good,” she murmurs, setting the plate aside. “Then I think I’m just gonna…”
“Go right ahead.” I reach for the handle of the door. “Have a good nap.”
Faith gives me an appreciative smile, climbing under the blankets beside Robin. I have just enough time to see Robin sleepily, protectively fold an arm around her before I close the door.
I turn around to face Aiden, then give him a thumbs-up when he inquiringly holds up the tea that Faith made.
The tea is delicious, sweet and milky and hot, the perfect thing after being in cold seawater. Aiden and I dry off and crawl into our hammock, bare but toasty warm, crusted with sea salt, and exhausted.
His skin to my skin feels infinitely good. The taste of the tea lingers in my mouth, on Aiden’s lips when he kisses me. I give my body a deep stretch, then curl up close to him.
“That tea was so good,” I mumble tiredly. “I’d give it a ten. You know, things would be a lot easier for us if we reviewed food instead of hunting down ghosts and illusions and ghost illusions and the ghost memories that the ghost illusions left behind. In fact I’ve decided. This is a food reviewing team, now. Team Food Office.”
“This team could not be less suited to that job,” Aiden informs me, his deep voice making my body hum. “We’ve got two ghosts who can’t eat anything. We’ve got you, a man who’s proven he’s not above eating expired M&Ms.”
“You’ll never let me forget that, will you? It was once! Maybe twice. The third time doesn’t count because-”
“We’ve also got Noah, who will eat literally anything,” Aiden goes on steadily. “I actually think having someone on the team who eats Scorpion Chips automatically disqualifies the entire team. And damns us all to food hell.”
“Well, of all the specific kinds of hell a person can go to, that sounds like one of the better options,” I answer sleepily. “At least there’s food there.”
Soft, huffing laughter. “Always the optimist.”
“I’m just saying, we could do that full-time instead.”
“I dunno, Keane,” Aiden murmurs, brushing a kiss onto my forehead. “I think we make pretty decent ghost hunters.”
I wish I could pull his deep, rich voice over me like a blanket and curl up in it. It’s so easy to relax when I’m in his arms, breathing in the scent of his skin and the sea salt on his body.
I lapse into a haze of sleepy, contented thoughts. In all of them, he’s there. Diving right into the storming ocean to rescue Christian. Walking just ahead of me in the forest, so painfully goddamn handsome in his hiking clothes with his wind-tousled hair, winking at me over his shoulder at something I said. Opening his eyes and looking into mine after finishing the delicate and complicated spell. Exhausted from the magical output, the hours of concentration, the effort.
The glow of satisfaction on his tired, smiling face as Faith sat up, and the cubs gamboled happily around Daisy.
“What’s with you?” he laughs softly, drawing my attention to the fact that I’ve snuggled up closer to him and buried my face in his neck and that I’m holding him very tightly and covertly beaming to myself.
“Oh, nothing,” I answer distantly, not really thinking. It’s hard to hear my thoughts over the pounding of my overwrought heart. “This is just, um – what I do.”
“You’re damn right,” Aiden growls, locking his powerful arms around me. “If I had things my way this is almost all you’d ever do.”
“Just this?” I ask, putting a little purr into my voice.
“There’s a reason I said almost,” Aiden answers huskily, pulling my knee over his lap.
I let out a quiet laugh. He does, too. I nibble playfully at his neck, and feel that we’re both a little turned on. But as we’re both too sleepy to really do anything about it we just lazily make out for a while, then stretch out next to each other in the hammock. Drowsing, feeling sleep pulling at us. We’ve been up for a full day and a full night, and then some.
“We should call Ralph when we get back to the campground,” I mumble, listening to the crisp tapping of the rain against Moondancer’s windows. “See if there are updates on Francesco Caterina.”
“I wonder about that guy,” Aiden murmurs. “I don’t know enough about the world of crime to guess what crime world royalty looks like.”
“Yeah, I’m curious, too.” A bubble of laughter rises in my chest, making me bite my lip. “He’s fabulously gay enough to make Ralph nervous. What does that mean, by Ralph standards? That bar has got to be low. We know about the stilettos, but what else? Did he wear a crop top once, or something?”
“It’s possible,” Aiden says gravely, drawing a laugh from me.
“You should wear a crop top, by the way. You would look so good.”
Aiden lets out a tired laugh of his own. “Sometimes I really don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
“Check any 80’s movie, dude, there’s an excellent chance you’ll find a hunk who’s gloriously pulling off a crop top! Usually with a little pair of shorts, too.”
“That’s your thing now, Keane? Hunks in crop tops?”
“Isn’t that everyone’s thing? Pretty much? At the very least I think we can all agree it’s something we want to see more of.”
Aiden closes his eyes, draws his eyebrows together, and fails to keep a laugh down. “I want to make fun of you for that, but it’s nice to hear you call me a hunk repeatedly. Don’t want to do anything to discourage it.”
“Are you joking, Callahan?” I trace my fingers over his rich stubble beard, then run them into his ridiculously soft chestnut hair. “You look like the guy coaching the new guys at – hunk training camp.”
“Hunk training camp,” Aiden repeats, somewhat unsteadily, his voice wavering with laughter. “Is that something you think exists? Or no, wait a sec – is it something you saw in porn?”
I blush hotly against his neck. “You’re derailing the conversation-”
“No, you’re avoiding the question.”
“No, you’re avoiding the crop top!” I answer indignantly. “To the great detriment of – everybody!”
“What-?” Aiden bites his lip, then lets out a helpless laugh, burying his nose in my hair. “What are we even talking about?”
“I don’t fucking know,” I laugh drowsily into his neck. “I’m too tired, I can’t even tell.”
Aiden’s laughter trails off into silence. I keep my face pressed against him, but I can tell somehow that he’s smiling. I am, too. It always feels good to talk about nothing with him. There are very few other things I can think of that are more relaxing. And truth be told, most of those other things involve Aiden, too.
I slide further down in the hammock and rest my cheek against his chest. Sleep is coming to take me by force. Being this tired and this cozy all at once is a powerful combination.
I do seriously wonder about Francesco Caterina, though. What sort of man he is, and whether Maggie will be happy living with him. I’m also wondering about what exactly the plan is from here, and where exactly Nigel is in relation to here, and whether he like Bruce owns a shotgun. We’ll have to sort these questions out once we get up again.
For now, I just want to enjoy this moment. I gaze out through Moondancer’s windows at the rainy inlet, the swaying evergreens and the amber crowns of those trees letting their leaves fall. I imagine Daisy and her golden cubs walking through this wild, beautiful landscape. Taking in the rain, the mist, the pure autumn air. Enjoying it. Part of it.
I think of Faith, tucked safely into bed right next door. With Robin at her side, where she should be. And I have Aiden at my side, where he should be.
It’s the type of rich moment to be savored, chewed over very slowly, like the beautiful food he cooks for me. I don’t even want to fall asleep. I just want to lay here with my cheek pressed to the firm warmth of his chest and breathe this all in, live a little longer in the deep satisfaction beneath the deep exhaustion.
But Aiden is just too cozy for that. I close my eyes, and in seconds, I’m asleep.
~~~~
A misty rain is still falling when I wake up again. Afternoon sunlight melts in soft waves through the clouds, does a slow dance against the windows. I’ve been gazing out at it for a few minutes before I realize I’m up.
I roll over slowly, sit up on my elbows, and lift my head to find a pair of smolderingly beautiful blue eyes gazing up into mine.
“Hey, Keane,” Aiden says softly, smirking a little, dragging the pad of his thumb over my lips. “There’s something I want to tell you.”
I blink hard, hearing something in his voice that draws an answering blush to my cheeks. Before I can find any sort of response, he takes the back of my head in his giant hand, draws me down until his lips are brushing my ear, and murmurs, in his deep, husky voice -
“Only the dirtiest, filthiest boys do well at hunk training camp. You sure you have what it takes? ‘Cause you’ll have to prove it…”
I freeze where I am, then let out a burst of shocked laughter. Aiden immediately dissolves into huffing laughter, too, grinning broadly at me.
“Oh m-my god!” I throw myself flat on my back and bury my face in my hands. “You – you are so stupid! I hate you, and I hated that!”
“Oh, yeah?” Aiden purrs, his hand sliding teasingly down my torso, on its way to stop between my thighs. “Did you?”
I shove his hand away and throw myself onto my stomach before the unfortunate answer to that question becomes even more obvious.
“Okay, we do not have time for this right now!” I stumble unsteadily out of the hammock and reach for some boxers, being careful to keep my back to him. “The – the – we have the, um-”
“Oh, man,” Aiden laughs, rolling up onto his elbow in the hammock to watch me. “That worked even better than I hoped it would.”
I lace my fingers over the bridge of my nose, close my eyes, and stand still for a second, willing myself to calm down. It’s actually unfair how unbearably sexy he is. No man should have the right to send another to pieces with no warning like this.
If I turn around and look at him right now I’ll throw myself at him, so I focus on finding my clothes instead, resolutely ignoring the way my hands and voice are shaking.
“Get your clothes on, Callahan! We have stuff to do.”
He drops gracefully out of the hammock behind me, then lets it dissolve as he stretches his powerful arms out. I force myself not to look, but even the glimpse in my peripheral vision deepens the blush in my cheeks.
I practically flee the cabin, before I can do something that will set us majorly off-schedule. I’m still pulling my flannel on over my shirt when I step out onto Moondancer’s deck.
To my surprise I find Faith there alone, sitting on one of the ivory-colored lounge seats.
I don’t know why it fills me with such instant delight and relief to see her wearing the clothes from the bag that Robin packed for her, but it does. The clean pink sweater and soft blue jeans, with Robin’s borrowed rain jacket on top.
She’s tied her pink hair up with a ribbon folded into a bow, and put a few rings on. The ring she was already wearing – the slender silver engagement ring on her left hand – is clearly her favorite, based on the way she automatically rests her fingertip against it.
Her tawny skin has a well-rested glow to it, and her deep brown eyes are bright, awake. There’s an empty plate with a fork sitting beside her, which I hope means she had a good hot meal.
“Hello,” she says softly, as I come out and sit down beside her. And then, taking a second look at my face – “Are you alright?”
“Yeah, just-” I gesture wildly over my shoulder, in the rough direction of the cabins. “He’s so hot, sometimes it’s like-”
I break off, blushing, and Faith lets out a gentle laugh.
“He does remind me of January,” she says.
I turn to look at her, confused. “What? January?”
“From the, um – the Sexy Alaskan Mountain Man calendar we used to have up in the staff room at the bakery.” Faith shrugs her shoulders helplessly at me. “As a lesbian I sat out on that particular voting process, but the other girls all agreed that January was the handsomest one. They decided to leave the calendar up on that page a little longer once the year was over. It’s been there for a few years, now.”
I let out a startled laugh, then answer, more seriously – “I’m guessing the new owner made you take that down, huh? Robin told us he’s taking all the personality out of the place.”
“Ugh,” Faith groans, rubbing her eyes with one hand. “He just never listens when we – well, I don’t want to say anything bad about anyone. But it’s been hard. I really love that bakery, and everyone I work with. We’ve spent years fine-tuning all these recipes he’s throwing out for stuff with cheaper ingredients, years choosing the decorations he’s getting rid of, years building relationships with the suppliers he’s ditching… it – it’s been hard.”
She looks upset for a second, then brightens up considerably.
“It’s okay, though,” she says, keeping her gaze on the steaming tea in her hands. “I can’t be down about it, not right now. Right now I’m just so relieved… and thankful.”
She shoots me a swift, grateful glance. Her eyes are full of such gentle warmth that they look almost candle-lit, holding such heartfelt kindness in them that I find myself just smiling back at her. Robin wasn’t exaggerating. Faith is really sweet. I was already disposed to like her, given the way she was described to us by our captain, but I’m swiftly growing to feel warm towards her beyond that. It’s clear to me that she’s a very gentle soul.
It’s appalling to me to think that anyone would put her through what Nigel has.
“Faith,” I say hesitantly, as she gazes down into her tea. “I’m so sorry about this whole ordeal with your father. I can only imagine how hard this has all been. How scary.”
Faith’s fingers tighten around her mug of tea. She trails her thumbs around the rim, letting an escaped lock of pastel pink hair hide her expression from me.
“I knew Robin would come for me,” she answers, after a moment. “She promised that she’d never let anyone take me away from her. So I knew that no matter what happened, she would rescue me.”
It’s incredible how much total, complete trust and confidence she can fit into that little voice. She’s just so assured that I can’t help but feel the same. I instantly recognize how much she means it, with all her heart.
I don’t think her trust in that promise from Robin ever wavered. Not for one second, through all of this. That well shows no signs of ever running dry.
I can only stare at her in amazement. Faith really is the right name for this girl.
“But yes, it was scary. I just wish…” Faith lowers her head and takes a deep breath, her voice turning raspy. “I just wish he would leave me alone.”
She bites her lip. I twist the heist ring around my finger, sorely tempted to jump in with some comforting words. But dating a man like Aiden, you come to know really well when someone has more to say, and they’re just working on getting it out.
“I just wish he would leave me alone,” Faith repeats softly. “I’m just trying to live my life, marry the woman I love, work at the bakery. That’s all I want, but he’s this shadow always hanging over me. And there’s no end in sight. Now he knows where I live, too. I don’t even know what to do about that…”
She trails off, then clears her throat.
“I’m sorry,” she says softly. “Here I am telling you all this! It’s just that I know I can trust you, because Robin does.”
“You can,” I promise earnestly. “We’re only here to help. And as for this situation with your dad-”
I cut myself off uncertainly, hesitating. I don’t want to let Faith down by making guarantees I can’t be sure of. Especially not about something this important. I’m hoping that Francesco Caterina will choose to help Faith out with her father, but I haven’t met him. I have no idea what he will or won’t do.
But I do know that Nigel provided the getaway ride that took Maggie away from Francesco for the following eleven years, so I feel comfortable enough at least saying -
“There may be an end in sight, after all.”
Faith gazes curiously at me, her head slightly to one side.
“You’ve been absurdly brave all this time,” I go on, meeting her eyes. “We just need you to hang in there a little longer. Can you do that?”
“Oh, yes,” she says immediately, giving me a confident smile. “Now that Robin is here, I could-”
She breaks off as Robin comes striding up the steps and out onto the deck, followed by Aiden. I glance over at our captain, then do a sharp double-take. I almost didn’t recognize her.
Rescuing Faith has changed her completely. She’s absolutely glowing, with a broad, beaming grin on her face. Her good-natured brown eyes are much brighter than usual, turned a fiery agate color that sets off against her braid very strikingly. Even her braid looks different, and that one I have a feeling can be traced to Faith’s hands running through it and over it.
It’s not like she looked bad before, but this version of Robin makes the one I’ve known so far seem like a ghost by comparison. It’s like getting Faith back brought her back to life.
I meet Aiden’s gaze over Robin’s shoulder. He widens his eyes at me, silently confirming that he’s noticed, too. I’m not at all surprised. The transformation is undeniable.
Radiantly happy, Robin flings herself down beside Faith, gathers her into her arms, and kisses her all over her face. Faith blushes violently, glancing at us, mortified but laughing.
“Roo!” she protests desperately, wriggling free. “Right – right in front of everyone!”
“Come on, who could blame me?” Robin locks her arms around Faith’s waist, rests her chin on her shoulder with a blissful sigh. “I haven’t gotten to do this in months. Last time was before my last expedition. I actually think we should just go right back to our cabin.”
“Robin!” Faith stammers, half-laughing, covering her eyes with her hands.
“Not the time to head back down below decks, Captain,” Aiden laughs, dropping to sit beside me. Mercifully not noticing as I adoringly take in the sight of him in his deep navy henley, his rich beard newly touched up, his blue eyes bright and refreshed with good sleep. “We need to get moving as soon as possible. It’s time for us to get in touch with Ralph, come up with a plan for how to proceed from here.”
“Okay.” Robin kisses Faith’s cheek, then gets swiftly to her feet and makes for the helm station. “I’m with you. No point in waiting around.”
She wants to take Faith home, I know.
She switches on the boat lights, since the rain is beginning to grow thicker, darkening the afternoon sky. The inlet is growing moody. The water forms fluttering waves, slowly turning a steel grey.
I give Will a nod of greeting as he materializes on the foredeck and hops down to join us. Our little group – now one stronger, with Faith here – moves into action to help get Moondancer ready to go. Soon enough we’re easing into movement down the inlet, Robin’s deft hand guiding us around dangerous embankments and surprise rock formations. The rain taps hard on the boat, on the water, but the inlet is curiously quiet, which worries me for some reason.
The calm before the storm, I think to myself, then immediately wish I hadn’t. But I can’t help it. Something tells me the weather won’t be all too friendly today. There’s that to think about, now, as well as the pressure of pulling off whatever plan it is Ralph will have for us.
Aiden puts his hand on the small of my back. I close my eyes for a second, savoring it. Wondering how that one point of contact alone can keep me warm in all this cold.
How it can make even the approaching storm seem small.
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