Hands clasped behind his head, Chase stared at the ceiling. Sympathy flooded him until he thought he’d drown. He’d known about Maddie’s parents dying, but hearing the full tragedy and seeing the emotions flit across her features as she described her failure to rescue them broke his heart.
It was one more problem he couldn’t fix. He couldn’t bring her parents back or protect her from the sorrow of loss. Growing up stinks.
Chase rolled onto his side and punched the lumpy pillow. Tomorrow he’d make sure to grab his from home.
He stared at the paisley wallpaper. Typical old lady’s house. Even though he mocked it, the house had stood the test of time. No doubt many generations had lain in this very bed, stared at these very walls, and contemplated their future. A couple years ago, he’d figured out what he wanted to do and at eighteen, he looked forward to a career in aeronautical engineering and design. He hoped to build the fastest plane known to man.
What would it be like to sit on the sidelines of an air show and witness his plane streaking across the sky? To have millions of people cheer and clap at his invention? To know that he had created something?
As he envisioned different scenarios, he remembered sitting with Maddie at the table and sharing a simple meal. It had seemed so right, so natural, to be by her side. The rush of success would mean nothing without her.
They would hole up in his design room, which in his thoughts looked an awful lot like Dad’s workshop, and she would lean over his shoulder and study his blueprints, making knowledgeable suggestions. They would sit down for a meal and she would listen with rapt attention, and in turn he’d listen to her innermost thoughts. They would hold each other through the night, discussing their various ideas.
Heat stole over his cheeks as he thought of the other things they’d do, once they were married. Lying together…
He jerked awake as a blood-curdling scream rent the air. He leapt from the bed, fighting rising panic and kicking the blankets to the floor.
Without asking, he flung Maddie’s door open and— stopped. His first instinct was to run inside and battle whatever disturbed her. But she sat bolt upright, barely breathing. Her hair stuck out in all directions. Her eyes were wide as she gazed into space and tears coursed along her cheeks. She didn’t seem to notice him, and he got the strange impression she was sound asleep where she sat.
Afraid to startle her, he crept into the room and perched on the edge of the bed. Slowly she turned toward him with a strange, distant expression. She still didn’t seem to see him, even though she stared right through him.
Hand shaking, Chase touched her forearm, then stroked his fingers up to her shoulder. She relaxed, her chest rising and falling in a deeper, more regular pattern. Carefully he guided her back down onto her pillow and smoothed her damp hair away from her forehead. A zing raced along his arm like he’d plugged into her mind, harder than their usual electrical zap. His heart thumped loudly in his ears.
Darkness enclosed them, at first so dark he could barely see her beside him. Seemingly oblivious to his presence, she strolled through a field of tall grass toward nothingness, but as she moved a shape materialized in the distance. A tall, beautiful white tower shimmered into existence, sparkling and glimmering in the growing starlight. It held a magnetism that pulled her forward, literally floating her off the ground. He ran to keep up. She reached out, her fingers outstretched in anticipation. But even though she continued to fight the grass and gravity, she never quite reached her destination.
Frustration covered her face. Then the scene changed and they were in a cave. She snuggled close to Alasdair’s beastly form and a sense of comfort pervaded her.
Chase drew in a quick breath. With the shudder, his hand flinched from Maddie’s forehead and the connection was lost. He rocked on the edge of the bed. The vivid images still lingered in his mind. If he closed his eyes he could still see Maddie and Alasdair in the cave huddled together, the little smile on her face.
Agitated, he massaged the bridge of his nose, stood, and retreated to the window. He’d joined her in her dreams. He’d seen them, even though she hadn’t seen him. Beyond the lacy curtains and windowpanes, stars lit the clear night sky. A gentle wind blew, scattering leaves across the yard. Chase laid his head against the cool pane. Control. He needed to regain control. No matter how impossible the night’s events.
Soft snoring behind him. Maddie relaxed and stretched deeper into the bed. Sensing her contentment and his invasion into her space, he retreated back to his borrowed room. It seemed cold and empty. Shivering, he straightened the tossed blankets and lay down, wishing she were with him. His alter ego had all the luck.
****
The alarm blared and Maddie slapped it off, then rolled back onto her pillow. So incredibly comfortable… but her eyes didn’t want to close again, and she realized how refreshed she felt, not drowsy or loggy at all. Had her normal nightmare visited her? She couldn’t remember it, but she knew she’d dreamed of overprotective guardians and massive, sheltering wings.
No, there’d been one nightmare. She vaguely remembered running from… from Doran, the black gryphon. Dark woods had engulfed her. Her breath had come in short rasping gasps as she’d stumbled between trees. Cracking and splintering branches had echoed behind her and she had been too afraid to find a hiding place. Up ahead a two-story house with a white picket fence had beckoned her. Brilliant multicolored flowers had offered welcome. She had increased her pace.
A dark winged creature had appeared and hovered overhead. Flames had shot from his eyes and a fireball lit the sky and struck the house, causing it to explode. As the flowers had melted, she’d screamed. Then the scenery had changed.
Maddie flipped onto her back and twisted a strand of hair around her finger. A smile teased the corners of her lips. Alasdair. He had played a major role in her dreams. Heat flushed her cheeks as she remembered. He’d swooped in from the sky like a super hero, wrapped his arms around her trembling frame, and carted her off to the cave. Ah, his gentle touch. Settled in his arms, she had feared nothing. He had pushed stray hairs from her face, stroked her forehead, and whispered words she didn’t fully understand.
She rolled onto her belly and grabbed her sketchpad from the nightstand. With sure strokes she outlined Alasdair’s features. Darkening in certain areas, she considered his eyes. Something about them seemed so familiar. Colored pencils in hand, she shaded them blue. She knitted her brow and tapped the pencil to her temple. It seemed right, but…
Again remembering her dream, she snorted. The flowers had melted. Right, had they been plastic stuck in the ground?
Pleasant smells wafted to her nose. Her belly rumbled, as if she hadn’t eaten nearly enough last night. Sighing, she placed the pad and pencils on the nightstand and checked the clock. There never seemed to be enough time.
Clad in her robe and slippers, she padded downstairs and sauntered to the kitchen. In her head she calculated the time needed to prepare for school. Time to shower and dress… time to fix her hair… time to— the thought failed as she pushed through the kitchen’s swinging doors.
Chase stood in front of the stove. He wore a pair of jeans, a shirt partially buttoned, and tapped his bare foot in rhythm to his whistling. Light shone on the droplets of water that clung to his blondish hair. Defined shoulder muscles rippled as he moved.
He spun on his heel and came to a dead stop, holding a spatula. How could he look so domesticated?
“Omelet?”
Maddie’s gaze lowered and she gulped. Washboard abs led to a tapered waist. Heat flushed her face and she looked back up, her face burning hotter.
He grinned and repeated, “Omelet?”
Oh, yeah. She nodded.
He lifted the skillet and poured the prepared omelet onto an empty plate. She grabbed it and hurried to the table in the corner of the room, where they’d sat the night before. She bowed her head and said grace. When she finished, he sat across from her with another omelet and a mischievous glint in his eye.
Surely he knew how attractive he was and what he was doing to her. She took a bite of the omelet and choked. He pushed back his chair and rushed to her side, patting her on the back. If he did the Heimlich maneuver, she’d faint.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
His cologne took her breath away and she struggled to nod.
He seemed unsatisfied and squatted beside her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
And suddenly she was furious. She wanted to yell that she’d never be okay. Her parents were dead, her grandma was in a coma, and she was cooped up with him! A handsome, attractive, caring male! She wanted to throw caution to the wind and beg him to love her. But she didn’t want to just love him now; she wanted to love him always. Yelling wouldn’t accomplish that. Again she nodded.
He returned to his seat. The heat from his gaze, stolen in between bites, made her squirm.
Finished eating, he leaned back in the chair and she snuck another good look at his physique.
“What time should we leave for school?”
Maddie averted her gaze because she couldn’t speak and look at him at the same time. “In about an hour, I guess.”
“Okay. I’ll stay and clean the kitchen while you get ready.”
“Okay.” Slowly she chewed the omelet, making each bite last. Drat school. Once the plate was empty, though, she couldn’t readily move. It would be so much nicer to stay home instead. They could go to the hospital… Her smile died.
Chase grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, I’m sure.” One more fast change of directions from her emotions, and she wouldn’t be.
Their intertwined fingers lay in the table’s center, between their empty milk glasses. It seemed symbolic, but of what, she wasn’t certain. She tried to relax, but though her mind commanded it, her appendages refused to obey. Maddie lifted her eyes and their gazes locked.
“Maddie,” he said in a ragged whisper.
Longing raced through her veins. She couldn’t take it and ripped her hand from his grasp, pushed back her chair, and fled upstairs. Too much. It was all just too much.
Maddie gathered her clothes and escaped to the bathroom. The hot water fell from the shower tap and she stepped into the spray. It cascaded over her head and down her frame, washing away her thoughts and worries. When she stepped from the shower, she felt like a new person. As she dried off and dressed, she whispered the mantra, “I can do this. I can do this.”
Right. And if she chanted for much longer, she’d make them late for school. She tossed the towel over the rack and exited the bathroom.
Chase stood in the hallway. He had buttoned his shirt and put on his shoes. His blond hair had dried and neatly curled atop his collar. Their gazes caught and held. How long they stood mesmerized by each other, Maddie didn’t know. She wanted to throw herself in his arms and crush her lips to his, she wanted to…
“Are you okay?”
No, she didn’t want to. She fisted her hands and said, as rudely as she could manage, “Chase, please quit asking me that.”
A crestfallen expression settled on his face. She had hurt his feelings. Great, now she had another reason to feel guilty. She hadn’t wanted to be harsh but her erratic, uncontrollable emotions were making her crazy. Opening her mouth to apologize, she closed it just as quickly. If he was mad at her, then it would be easier to keep her distance.
And boy, oh, boy, did she need to keep her distance for right now. Maybe for all day. Maybe for…
She fled to her room, grabbed her books, and returned to an empty hallway. Glancing through the foyer windows downstairs, she cringed. Dark clouds covered the sky. She sighed and grabbed an umbrella from the big vase by the door. The knob rattled in her hand as she stepped onto the porch. A loose board cracked beneath her boots, and she moved to the left and made a mental note not to step there again. She’d better tell Chase, too. Chase…
He sat behind the wheel, staring into space and looking forlorn. Maddie squared her shoulders and made her way to the truck. The first drop of rain splatted on her nose.
It was going to be a long ride.