This was happening fast, but I supposed that was a good thing. That way he wouldn’t have much opportunity to back out. “So we can go today.”
“Sure, why not?” His tone was resigned. He glanced over at the painting. “Good thing you caught me when you did. I was about to start mixing a fresh batch of oils — everything had dried out. So yeah, let’s get out of Dodge before anyone knows what we’re up to.”
A warm rush of happiness went over me, and I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him, felt his mouth open to mine, tasted him. The need returned, just as it always did, but this time I could control it better. Besides, we’d already made love here in Flagstaff multiple times. The next time I was with him, I wanted it to be in that big king-size bed of mine back in Jerome. About time that thing got some breaking-in.
“It’ll be fine,” I said. “I love you, and I know they’ll love you, too.”
Something in his expression told me he sort of doubted that, but at least he didn’t argue. “Well, start getting your stuff together, and we can head out after lunch. I’ll just close up things here.”
Fairly dancing, I kissed him again, this time on the cheek, and hurried back to the apartment to pack a few things. It was hard to believe, but true.
In a few hours, I’d be going home.
9
Cleopatra Hill
“So you’re leaving?” Mary Mullen asked in resigned tones as I folded the last of my sweaters and put it in the duffle bag.
I hadn’t seen her for a few days, and had wondered if she disapproved of the change in my relationship with Connor. Maybe now I was just another one of “those girls.” What they used to refer to back in the day as “loose women.”
But I didn’t see anything particularly condemnatory in Mary’s doll-like features, only a slight worry that she was going to be left to haunt an apartment with no one in it.
“Not permanently,” I told her. “At least, I don’t think so. We haven’t quite figured out how this is all going to shake out.”
Her head tilted to one side. I reflected that her hairstyle was just another reason why I was glad I hadn’t been born back in the day. No way could I have ever managed those perfect finger waves. She asked, “Are you getting married?”
Wow. To be honest, I hadn’t even thought about it. Everything with Connor was still so new. We’d only been together a few days. Going from that to marriage seemed like a big leap…or at least it would have been a huge jump under normal circumstances. It was different with a prima and her consort, though. Marriage in that situation was pretty much a foregone conclusion.
“Um…eventually,” I hedged. “We haven’t really discussed it yet.”
“You should marry him,” she said. “You’re a nice girl. He deserves a nice girl.”
I was oddly relieved that she still thought of me as nice, even if I did happen to be a fallen woman. “Right now I’m just taking him to meet my family.”
“Oh, that’s nice. That’s a good step.”
I sure hope so.
“Who’re you talking to?” Connor asked, sticking his head in the doorway. Immediately Mary Mullen disappeared.
“The ghost,” I replied. “She was worried that we were leaving permanently.”
“Are we?”
“Of course not.” I zipped the duffle and turned to look at him. “I’m going back so I can let everyone know what’s going on, have them meet you. That’s all. It’s important for them to know that I’m with my consort.”
“Even if that consort is a Wilcox.”
“Yes, even that. Especially that. We’re all going to have to learn to live with the situation. Better to start now.”
He came to me then and kissed me, long and thoroughly, igniting the slow fire in my veins. I cuddled against him, wanting him. For a second or two, I thought he might press things further, push me down on the bed so we could follow the heat of the moment to its logical conclusion. I wouldn’t have minded, except for the delay and the fact that I really wanted our next time together to be in Jerome. But he pulled away, and smiled down at me. “I love you,” he said quietly.
I took his hand, pressed it against my cheek. “I love you. And it’s going to be fine.”
No reply to that, save a soft squeeze of my fingers before he stepped away and picked up the duffle bag. “Let’s get going.”
* * *
Despite Connor’s assurances that Damon wasn’t completely all-knowing and all-seeing, I couldn’t help casting furtive glances over my shoulder as we exited the building and threw our meager luggage — my duffle bag, a beat-up athletic carry-all with the Northern Pines University logo on the side — in the back of the FJ. There were a few people around, going from the parking lot behind the building to the shops and restaurants in a sort of outdoor mall off to one side, but none of them were paying us the slightest bit of attention.