Stefan's Salvation(12)

liked him well enough because, although he could be a tad pompous at times, he

honestly seemed to want what was best for the community and its inhabitants.

Jeremiah blinked and looked around as if not quite sure where he was. Then he

shook himself and straightened his shoulders as he turned to face Cyril. "Good

morning, Mayor Jenkins. I'm doing just fine myself. How are you this beautiful day?"

Laurel Rose was amazed at how quickly Jeremiah could change. He hid his darker

nature easily, showing his benevolent façade to the world. And the strange thing was

that people believed him, seeing only what he wanted them to see.

"I'm fine, Pastor Stoner." The mayor turned his attention to her. "And how are you

today, Laurel Rose?"

Now that the tense moment had passed and she was relaxing, she noticed that the

thunder had ceased to rumble and once again the sun was shining and the breeze was

kicking up the colored leaves that had fallen from the surrounding trees. "I'm fine,

Cyril," she offered with a smile. He was one of the few people of Salvation who always

spoke to her. She suspected that it wasn't because he particularly liked her, but that he

considered it one of his duties as mayor, which he took very seriously. He was a short

man with a round face and belly and a ruddy complexion, but he had a smile and a

kind word for everyone.

"That's good, that's good." She could tell that he'd already dismissed her now that

his duty was done. He turned to Jeremiah and motioned him toward a group of men at

the far end of the field. "Wanted to ask your opinion about a few things..." He trailed

off as he sent a furtive glance toward Laurel Rose.

She knew then that the men were talking about the possibility of development in

the area and didn't want to discuss it in front of her. She also knew that the mayor and a

large section of the townspeople thought she was holding up progress and should sell

her land. Not only would that mean jobs for the area, but they'd get rid of her as well.

Fine. She'd find out what she needed to know later at the diner.

Jeremiah drew himself up and puffed his chest out even further than Laurel Rose

had thought possible. Full of his own self-importance, he allowed the mayor to lead him

away. But at the last second he turned back to her and smiled. Like a snake getting

ready to strike, he clapped his beady eyes on her. She was surprised he didn't hiss.

"We're not finished."

"I didn't expect we were," she calmly replied, although her apprehension was

growing. This man meant her harm. She only hoped she got warning enough to protect

herself when the time came.

A group of women who had just gotten off a tourist bus bustled up to her table and

began to ooh and ahh over her selection of homemade soaps. "Oh look, Missy," one of

the women said to her friend. "Lavender soap, and mint, and lemon." She laughed and

smiled at Laurel Rose. "Did you make these yourself?"

Dismissing both men from her thoughts, she turned her attention to the women

who wanted to shop. After all, they provided her living and that's what was really

important.



By the time she dropped into a booth in the corner of Kathy's Kitchen, the local

diner, later that afternoon, Laurel Rose was exhausted. She'd had a very successful day,

selling out all her soaps and herbs and a good portion of her plants. She'd even sold

two of her hooked rugs for two hundred dollars apiece to the ladies on the tour bus.

Tucking her purse into the corner of the booth, she leaned back against the seat and

heaved a sigh of relief. She was tired, but it was a good tired. The money she banked

this time of year helped her get through the winter months. She owned the house and

the land and grew many of her own vegetables, but she still had to have gas for the

truck, heat for the house and there were some things she just had to buy from the store.

It was a challenge to keep her budget balanced through the winter when there were no

weekly markets or tourists to sell her goods to. But after her stop at the bank on her way

to the diner, her bank account was looking even healthier.

"What can I get you?" The short blonde cracked her gum as she stared with

undisguised interest at the scar on Laurel Rose's face. The nametag on her pink

polyester uniform said that her name was Karen and she looked to be somewhere in her

twenties.

Laurel Rose didn't recognize the waitress. Not that she should--she didn't come

into the diner often. But she did recognize the look of dawning awareness and almost

morbid interest that crossed the other woman's face as Karen figured out who she must

be. Laurel Rose knew that people talked about her and speculated about what she did

up on the mountain by herself. And their gossip was not always kind.

"What kind of pie do you have today?" She smiled at the waitress as she waited for

her to reply. Whenever she came to town, she always tried to act as normal and polite

as possible, not wanting to fan the flames of gossip any higher than they already were.

Karen seemed startled by her smile, but then she smiled back. Laurel Rose thought

how pretty the other woman looked, even though she hid it under heavy makeup that

made her appear much harder and older than she was. "We have cherry and pumpkin

pie." She leaned in a little closer. "But the cook just took an apple pie out of the oven

and it smells delicious. I could get you a piece of that if you wanted."

The other woman's unexpected kindness touched Laurel Rose. "Thank you. I'd like

that very much. Oh, and a cup of tea as well, please," she added as the waitress started

to hurry away.

"Be right back," Karen called over her shoulder as she bustled back toward the

kitchen, sharing a smile and a kind word with many of the customers seated around the

diner.

Laurel Rose rubbed her forehead, fighting the onset of a tension headache. She

always found it difficult to be around so many people. She couldn't read their thoughts,

but she did pick up random images and emotions. It was much better now than it was

when she was a child. Then, it had been almost impossible for her to be around other

people. Her first year in school had been a nightmare. The headaches she'd gotten had

been excruciating and debilitating. It had been her grandpa who'd finally figured out

what was going on. His mama had apparently been the same as Laurel Rose. From that

day forth, she'd been home-schooled.

It had gotten easier over the years as she'd gained better control over her gifts and

learned to block other people's thoughts and feelings. But on days when she was

already dealing with too much stress, it was much harder to do. Then the headaches

came.

Knowing that most of the folks were watching her, she tried to be discreet as she

took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Then she took another. That helped sometimes.

If she were home, she'd brew herself a cup of chamomile tea and sit out on her porch to

absorb the peace and calm of the surrounding nature. But she couldn't leave. Not yet.

Not until she'd gotten what she'd come for. She concentrated on staying calm and

fading into the booth. She wanted people to forget she was here and start talking again

so she could eavesdrop on the conversations around her and find out the latest gossip.

The waitress worked her way back across the room, depositing plates and refilling

coffee as she went. Laurel Rose admired the ease with which she carried her large tray

and the fluidity of her gait as she moved. Those simple things were beyond her, but she

wasn't jealous of the other woman because she sensed that, like most people, this

woman had troubles of her own.

"Here you go." The waitress balanced the tray on the table and slid a plate with a

large, steaming piece of pie in front of Laurel Rose. Then she deposited a cup and a

small metal pot of tea next to it. Cutlery and napkins followed. "Fresh out of the oven,

like I promised."

Laurel Rose reached out to move the teapot closer just as Karen shifted her grip on

her tray. Their fingers brushed for the briefest of seconds. Laurel Rose gasped, her hand

flying to her throat as she stared at the other woman. Stefan. She could sense Stefan's

presence around this woman. Sense the intimacy enveloping them. Just the thought of

him possibly touching this other woman the same way he'd touched her made her feel

slightly ill. Had last night meant nothing to him? Was she just one of many women he

seduced? What were the odds of her just happening to sense his presence around

another woman? It wasn't as if she came in contact with many people. Maybe that's

what Stefan was counting on.

"Are you okay?" Karen leaned over and laid her hand on Laurel Rose's arm. In

spite of her growing anger and pain, she wanted to know more. Wanted to know what

had happened between the two of them.

Opening her mind, she concentrated on getting whatever information she could

from the other woman. But what she got only confused her more. She sensed that Stefan

had spent time with this woman, but she could not sense any return emotion from

Karen. It was very unsettling. All she was getting from Karen was a growing excitement

because she was going away soon. There was something about receiving unexpected

money. But that was the only information Laurel Rose could get. Bits and pieces, but

nothing concrete.

"Ma'am?"

Laurel Rose could sense the other woman's growing concern and agitation, and she

forced herself to respond. "I'm fine. Just a little lightheaded, I guess. Not eating since