Guardian (The Guardian Trilogy) (14 page)

“No,
I’ve got it.”

As I’m
standing, Dane grabs my elbow and steadies me anyway.

“So
help me…” I hear James in my ear.

I yank
my arm out of Dane’s grasp.  “Thanks, I’ve got it,” I say sharper than I
intended.

He
looks at me concerned.  “You sure you’re okay?”

I nod
and start to wipe my shorts.  “Yes, I’m fine.  Thanks,” I say softer.  The
sound of laughter and splashing registers in my brain.  I look past Dane.

“Oh
yeah, I found Matt and Shel,” he says and gestures over his shoulder.

Behind
the clubhouse sits a large decorative pond with a waterfall and Matt and Shel
appear to be wrestling each other in it.  Shel lets out another shriek as Matt
throws a lily pad in her face.

I march
over to the edge of the pond and give them both a scathing look.  “Do you have
any idea what time it is?” I snap.

They
hesitate mid-splash as they look up at me.  “Sorry,” Shel says, trying to
stifle her laughter.

I sigh,
crossing my arms.  “Can we go?”

“Sure,
you can go,” Matt says, smiling sweetly as he walks toward me.  “For a swim!” 
He reaches out, grabs my ankles, and tries to pull me into the pond.

“No! 
Don’t!” I shout as I try to back away, losing my balance.

“Gotcha!”
Dane grabs me from behind, underneath my arms, to keep me from the water.  I am
now the rope in a tug-of-war.

“Let go!”
I protest and try to twist out their hold.  The last thing I want to do is end
up in pond water!  I see a mental image of how ridiculous we must look to
everyone at the clubhouse.  As I start to laugh I yell, “No!  Put me down!”

Matt
laughs as he reaches farther up my legs to get a better hold.  Since his is
hands are wet, his grip slips, and I manage to free one leg.  I let out a
victorious “Ha!”  I go to work on trying to kick my other leg free, which he is
now pulling on with both hands.

Thankfully,
Dane has better leverage standing outside the pond and he yanks me free of
Matt’s hold.  I end up on the grass on my butt – again – and Dane falls beside
me.  I lie back on the grass and hold my stomach as we convulse with laughter.

“Having
fun?” James asks sadly in my ear.

I immediately
feel guilty and try to compose myself.  As I sit up I catch Kris, our manager,
out of the corner of my eye.  She’s accompanied by the clubhouse director and they
don’t look happy.

“Um,
guys?” I try to get everyone’s attention.  “Guys!”

Matt is
helping Shel out of the pond by the time they make it to us.  “Just what
exactly is going on here?” the clubhouse director, Jeff, asks sternly.  “The
guests are complaining!”

“Sorry,”
Shel says, dripping.  “I…I fell in.”

It’s a lame
explanation and Jeff doesn’t buy it.  “Both of you work here, right?” he asks,
pointing to Shel and me.  We nod.  He looks expectantly at Kris.

“Shel,
Emma, you know this isn’t professional.  You have to know that playing
in
the water feature is not allowed,” she scolds us.  “People are trying to have a
nice dinner over there,” she nods towards the clubhouse patio.

We look
down at the ground.  Matt starts to defend us, “Listen, it’s my…”

Jeff
holds up a hand to silence him.

Kris
continues.  “Guys, I don’t like this, but I’m going to have to take you off the
schedule for a couple of days.  I can’t have the other staff thinking this is
an okay thing to do with their friends.”

Even
though this is so totally not my fault, I nod and say, “I understand.”

“Wait!”
Dane speaks up, coming around to the front of the group.  “Wait until I speak
with my dad first; no one needs to be suspended.”

 “And
just who are you?” Jeff asks sarcastically.

Dane
offers a hand to Jeff.  “We haven’t had a chance to meet.  I’m Dane Walker,” he
says confidently.

Jeff
loses the sarcastic expression and shakes Dane’s hand slowly.  “Mr. Walker’s
son?”

“The
same,” Dane smiles at him casually.

Shel
and I look at each other, surprised.  Mr. Walker’s son?  The same Mr. Walker
who owns Bay Woods?

“Dane,”
Kris sighs.  “I’m sorry the girls are your friends, but this is protocol.”

“Just
let me talk with my dad tonight.  I’ll have him call you,” he promises.

Kris
thinks it over.  “Okay,” she concedes and looks pointedly at us.  “I’ll call
you after I talk to Mr. Walker.”

We nod
in understanding.  Shel mutters “Thanks” as I mutter “Sorry.”

“Nice
to meet you,” Jeff grumbles to Dane and turns to follow Kris.

When
the managers disappear inside the clubhouse, Matt lets out a low whistle of
relief.  We all look at each other and, as giggles threaten, I walk over to
pick up our things.  “Let’s go Shel, before you cause more trouble.”

“Me
cause trouble?” she says indigently.  “I was pushed into the water!” She gives
Matt a dirty look.

“It was
a tap,” Matt defends himself.  “You’re the one who lost her balance and pulled
me in with you!”

They
rehash the incident as we head back to the parking lot.  “See you later,” she
punches Matt good-naturedly as I hold out her purse.

“Yeah,
see you,” he smiles at her.  “Bye Em.”

I wave. 
“Thanks for the save back there,” I smile at Dane as I round Shel’s car.

Once
inside, I ask, “So I take it everything is okay between you and Matt now?”

Shel pushes
her wet bangs out of her eyes.  “Yes!  We can lay that monster to rest.”

“Explanation
please.”

“He
felt bad and I felt guilty.  I guess we needed some extra reassurance from each
other that it was just a mistake.”  She laughs.  “I also promised to never
drink anything made by his uncle again.”

“Good,”
I tell her as she backs out of the parking space.  “By the way, you owe me.  I
had to do the cash out and restock by myself.”

“Sorry. 
At least you had Dane to talk to,” she smiles.

I give her
my “oh please” look.  “What’s up with his dad owning the course?  Did you know
about that?”

“Nope.”

I
glance out the window as we head down the golf course drive.  “No wonder he was
comfortable hanging out at the counter all afternoon.”

“Maybe
it was the company,” she suggests.

I give
her an annoyed look as I hear James in my ear.  “We have to talk.”

Upstairs,
I wait impatiently for James.  I haven’t heard him since his last comment, and
it has me on edge.  I faked a headache after dinner, so I could come up to my room
and pretend to lie down.  I wanted to be alone in case he decided to come
early.

I pace
back and forth at the foot of my bed.  Why is he acting so jealous?  Is he
angry with me?  If he’s been watching me like he says, he has to know I’ve done
nothing to provoke today’s interaction with Dane.

I sigh
as I flop down on the bed.  I peek at the clock.  It’s almost ten.  Where is
he?

My cell
phone rings and I get up to answer it.  It’s Bay Woods.

“Hello?”

“Hi,
Emma.  It’s Kris.  Sorry to call so late.”

“That’s
okay.  What’s up?”

“I’ve
just talked to Mr. Walker.  You and Shel are not on for tomorrow, but you will
be allowed to work what we had scheduled for the rest of the week.  Sound
okay?”

I sigh
in relief.  “Thank you, I really appreciate it.  And I’m sorry.”

“I’m
sorry too, kid.  Honestly, none of this would have happened if it wasn’t for
that uppity Jeff.  I would have just told you to quit it and not do it again. 
Seriously, I think he’s trying to prove something because he’s new.”

I laugh.

“Anyway,
would you save me another call and let Shel know?”

“Yes. 
I’ll go tell her right now.”

“Okay. 
Thanks, Emma.  See you Tuesday.”

“Yep,
see you then.”

I hang
up and leave to find Shel.  Turns out she’s in the shower, so I shout the
information to her through the cracked bathroom door.  When I return to my
room, I close the door behind me and sigh.

“Hi.”

I jump
and turn around.  James is sitting on my bed.

“Hi!” 
I’m so excited to see him, I forget my earlier brooding.  I skip over to stand
in front of him.  “Where have you been?”

He
smiles.  “Sorry to keep you waiting.”  He reaches for me and I place my hands
in his gently.  The cool feeling spreads through my hands and up my arms.  I smile
then sit down next to him, still holding his hands.

“How
was your day?” I whisper to him.  The last thing I need is for my parents or
Shel to hear me.  They’ll think I’m talking to myself.

He
frowns.  “Disturbing.”

“How
so?”

He
cocks an eyebrow at me.  “Who’s your new friend?”

My face
twists.  “Who?  Dane?  He’s Matt’s friend, not mine.”

He
looks at me skeptically.

“What? 
You’re seriously not jealous, are you?”

No
answer.

“Listen,
if you’ve been watching me you know I did nothing –”

James
cuts me off.  “I know.”  He releases one of my hands and rubs his eyes.  “I
know.”

“Then
what’s the problem?”

“I
don’t like him...touching you.  Or Matt.  Either one of them touching you makes
me crazy.”  He looks at me and sighs.

“Why? 
You know I don’t like it.”

“Because
I can’t,” he says softly.  “I don’t like it because I can’t touch you.”

His
admission breaks my heart.  To make him feel better, I place both of my hands
on either side of his face.  He closes his eyes as a small smile appears on his
lips.  “You really are warm.”

“See,
we can touch each other,” I say quietly.

As he
opens his eyes he reaches up and circles my wrists.  “It’s not the same.”

“Given
our situation, I’ll take it,” I reassure him.  I move my hands through his and
place them against his chest.  “I’ll take whatever you’re able to give.”

His eyes
soften, and he leans forward to kiss me.  I feel the cool concentration on my
lips and I kiss him back; focusing on moving my mouth with the cold air.  Chills
course through my body.

When
the feeling disappears, I open my eyes to see him smirking at me.

“What? 
You kissed me!”

“I’m
just imagining what that would look like if someone walked in on us,” he grins.

I laugh
quietly.  “Yeah, explaining that would be….hard.”

After a
moment, his expression turns serious.  “I love you.”

“I love
you, too.  Don’t be jealous.”

“Easier
said than done,” he says.

“Well,
try not to be.  I don’t plan on spending any alone time with anyone other than
you.”

He
looks at me longingly and reaches up to try and push a stray piece of hair from
my face.  It doesn’t move.  He frowns in frustration.

“Can
you do that?” I ask.  “Move things?”

“Not
yet, apparently,” he says.  “Physical manipulation takes the longest to learn.”

“Haven’t
you been practicing?”

“Not so
much.  Speaking and manifestation come first.”

“Oh. 
Well, you’re doing a really good job.  I heard every comment you made today.”

“No, you
didn’t.”  His eyes harden.  “If you did, I doubt you’d be speaking to me right
now.”

My
mouth falls open.  “What did you say?”

“I just
called your friend some choice words is all,” he mutters.

“James!”
I hiss.  “Be careful!  It’s hard for me to control my reaction when I hear you
as it is!”

His
eyes light up.  “I know.  It’s fun.”

I
playfully smack his arm and my hand passes right through.

“You’ll
get used to it,” he reassures me. “So,” he looks into my eyes, “what do you
want to do tonight?”

I tilt
my head in curiosity.  “What are my options?”

“Well,
I already planned on staying with you, if that’s okay.”

“And we
could practice the kissing thing,” I suggest enthusiastically.

James
shakes his head and smiles.

“What?”

“I
didn’t think you would take this so well.  Most people would be scared to
death.”

“I’m
not most people,” I pause as my throat thickens.  “We’re soul mates.”

James
nods, but his smile falls as his eyes cloud over.

“What
is it?” I ask.

“There
are some things you need to know about being a Guardian.”  His tone is somber.

A
million possibilities start to bloom in my mind.  “Like what?” I ask, worried.

James
looks pensive, like he regrets what he said.  He moves away from me and
stands.  “You should get ready for bed.”

“What? 
You’re not changing the subject,” I object and stand to face him.  “Tell me.”

“Don’t
you have to work tomorrow?”

“No.  I
have the day off courtesy of Matt and Shel turning the pond into a water park.”

He
shakes his head.  “Get in the bed.”

“And
then you’ll tell me?” I’m not dropping this.

“Yes.”

Within
seconds I’ve changed my clothes.  I turn off the light, jump into bed, and just
like last night, James assumes the same position behind me, pressing his chest against
my back.  I wrap my comforter around us.

“Wow.  When
I said ‘jump’ you never said ‘how high’ before.”

“Start
talking.”

I feel
him kiss my cheek.  “Pushy much?” he asks quietly.

Turning
my head, I look at the darkness over my shoulder, where I know his face is.  I
softly ask him “Please” and hear a resigned sigh.

 “What
did you mean?  Are we not soul mates?” I whisper, my voice breaking.

“We
are,” he holds me tighter.  “Don’t worry; we are.”

“So
what’s with all the drama?” I ask, quoting him from this morning.

James
is silent for a moment.  “Em, this is all I can give you.”

My
response is immediate.  “Like I said, I’ll take whatever you can offer.”

“How
can you be sure this is what you want?”

I shift
my body to lie on my back.  “I’ll always want you.”

He
counters.  “I can’t touch you.”

“Yes,
you can.”

“I
can’t marry you.”

“I
don’t care.”

“We
can’t have kids.”

“I’ll
adopt.”

He lets
out a heavy sigh.  “I can’t give you things.”

“I’ve
never been materialistic.”

“We
can’t grow old together.”

“Who’s
getting old?” I scowl.

I feel
James pull away, and I imagine him propped on his elbow, looking down at me
skeptically.  “So you’re telling me, at the age of 21, you know without a doubt
that you want to spend the rest of your life unmarried, celibate, and without
children of your own?  You want to be the crazy old cat lady who sits on her
front porch talking to herself until I can be with you again?”

“I
wouldn’t be talking to myself,” I dispute him.  “I’d be talking to you and…” Something
he said stops me.  “Wait.  What do you mean ‘until I can be with you again’”?

James
says nothing.

“It’s
when I die, isn’t it?” I whisper, the finality of the thought sinking in.  “We
can be together when I’m dead.”

James
inhales sharply.  “It’s not that easy.”

“Tell
me how it works then.”

Silence. 
Not being able to see his face to read his reactions is frustrating.  I can’t
take it anymore and I lean through him, a cold chill passing through to my
bones.  I shiver and turn on the bedside lamp.

“What
are you…?” he starts.

I pass
back through him to lie down on my back.  There he is, just like I thought,
propped on his elbow, looking down at me.

“I need
to see you,” I say quietly.

James
gives me a sad, broken look.  “I don’t ever want to think of you dead.”

I
mirror his sad expression.  “It happens to everyone, eventually,” I say gently. 
Propping myself up to look him in the eye, I ask, “How does it work?”

James
looks at me intently, seriously, then reaches out and touches my cheek, running
two fingers from my temple to my chin.  “When the time comes for you to pass,”
he closes his eyes and blanches at the thought, “I will be allowed to give up
my Guardianship to be with you, if you so choose.”

My
mouth falls open in surprise.  “Really?”

He opens
his eyes as he nods.  “You are my true love.  Only a true love can release a
Guardian.”

“So
it’s all up to me?”

“Well,
yes; I mean it’s a mutual decision, but…”

“But...?”

“It
rarely ever happens.”

“I will
choose to be with you,” I say, determined.

James shakes
his head.  “Not so fast.”  He pauses and sighs.  “How do I put this?”

Impatiently
awaiting his answer, I sit up and face him.

“I left
you unexpectedly,” he frowns.  “I will never love again the way I was able to
love you; you will be it for me.”

Tears
prick my eyes.  I reach for his hand, and he sits upright, facing me, our fingers
intertwined.

“You
have a lot of life left to live,” he says softly, looking at our hands.  “You
will find love again, as do most people who lose someone.  You will build a
life with this person; a life you can never have with me.”  He looks into my
eyes.  “It’s very rare for a person to pass then choose to spend eternity with
their first love, Guardian or not.  People usually choose to spend eternity
with the one they are the most tied to; the one they have the most memories
with.”

“I have
the most memories with you,” I reassure him.

“For
now.  But that’s what I meant with the questions before.  Do you think you’re
going to be able to live a long, full life alone?  Unable to tie yourself to
anyone else?  No partner, no kids – waiting for me?  I don’t think so.”

The
idea of falling in love with someone else is absurd.  “I’m not going to find
anyone else.”

James
shakes his head, frustrated.  “Emma, you can’t know that.”

“I’m not
going to have this fight with you,” I say calmly.  “There is a way for us to be
together one day.”  I lean forward, so we’re nearly nose to nose.  “I will
choose you.”

James’
face softens slightly as he gives me a sad smile.

“What
is it?”

“I’m
not going to lie.  I love hearing you say that.”

“Get
used to it,” I smile and lean in to him.

I feel
the cold concentrate on my lips.  It stays there and moves against me for a few
moments, then travels to the corner of my mouth, along my jaw, then trails down
my neck.  When he reaches my collarbone, a shiver runs through my entire body,
making me jump.

James
laughs.  “Chilly?”