“Well?” Sam asked with a grin. “What do you think?”
“Oh my God!” Alex screeched and caught her up in a hug. “You look gorgeous.”
“I feel gorgeous.” Sam chuckled and hugged her back, and then added, “And that damned ear infection is finally gone too.”
“Really?” Alex asked, pulling back to peer at her. Sam had been suffering recurring ear infections for quite a while. It had been very worrisome for Alex and Jo, who had been concerned it might be a symptom of an underlying and more sinister problem.
“Really,” Sam said with a happy sigh, and then glanced past her to Cale and frowned. “I came at the wrong time, didn’t I? They said you’d been thinking since you got here and were going to give Cale your decision when he woke up, but you haven’t yet, have you?”
“Are you reading my mind?” Alex asked with a frown.
Sam gave a laugh. “No. I can’t do that yet. But Cale isn’t looking happy, and I can tell—”
“He’ll be fine.” Alex glanced back to Cale, and said, “I’ll be right back,” as she pushed Sam away from the door and stepped out to join her. She pulled the door closed, and then whirled to her sister. “What do I do?”
“About what?” Sam asked uncertainly.
“Do I accept being Cale’s life mate or not?” Alex said impatiently, and her sister frowned.
“Marguerite said you love Cale,” she said finally with confusion.
“She told me that too,” Alex admitted with a sigh. “And I’m pretty sure I do.”
“Then say yes,” Sam said at once, sounding relieved.
“But what if he doesn’t love me?” Alex said with distress. “He says he does, but so did Jack an—”
“Oh, honey,” Sam interrupted with a sigh. “Jack was an ass. Cale would never do to you what Jack did.”
“You can’t know that for sure,” Alex protested.
“Yes I can. He’s an immortal. It’s different with them. It took me a long time to see that, but it is.” She shook her head with disgust, and muttered, “I swear if Mom and Dad were here, I’d have a word or two to say to them.”
Alex raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Mom and Dad were okay.”
“Then how come we’re so screwed up?” she asked dryly. “They weren’t around most of the time, Alex. And when they were, they were pretty critical and demanding rather than loving and supportive.” Her mouth twisted bitterly. “Do you know I left Mortimer dangling for eight months before agreeing to the turn? Why? Because I didn’t feel like I could hold his attention, that it must be some mistake, that he couldn’t possibly love me. I was scared silly he’d suddenly notice I wasn’t good enough and perfect like Mom and Dad always insisted we had to be. It wasn’t just my ex that made me feel that way. It was because Mom and Dad seemed to love that damned business more than they did us.”
Alex stared at her wide-eyed, recognizing every feeling she’d just described. It was kind of shocking to realize that Sam had come out the same way. “Do you think Jo feels like that?”
“I don’t think so,” Sam said on a sigh. “She was younger, and we both looked after her and gave her the love and support Mom and Dad didn’t.”
They were silent for a minute, and then Sam said, “I know you’re afraid of making a mistake, and I know it’s scary. But if you love Cale, then say yes, Alex. The alternative is to lose him forever as well as—”
Alex raised an eyebrow. “As well as what? ”
Sam hesitated, but then shook her head. “Nothing. Just take a chance and say yes. I know Jack hurt you, but would you really rather not have enjoyed the year you did have before he betrayed you? Do you really want to give up centuries of being with Cale on the off chance that something might go wrong in the future? He’s been alive more than two thousand years and never met a life mate before this. Trust me, he will cherish you.”
“Two thousand years?” Alex gasped.
“Oh.” Sam grimaced. “I thought you knew.”
“Two
thousand?”
Alex asked.
“Yeah, he was born in 280 B.C. or something. He’s pretty old, huh?”
“That’s kind of an understatement, don’t you think?” Alex asked dryly. “He’s fricking ancient.”
“Yeah.” Sam nodded. “But he still looks good.”
Alex gave a snort of laughter, and then sighed and ran a hand wearily through her hair.
“You look exhausted,” Sam said sympathetically.
“I haven’t slept since I got here,” Alex admitted.
Sam’s eyebrows rose. “Why not?”
“I was thinking. Trying to decide what to do.”
“Alex, you’ve never been any good at decision making when you were exhausted. Get some sleep. It will clear your head, and then you’ll be able to decide.”
“You’re right.” Alex grimaced. She was always a little foggy when she was exhausted, and she was more exhausted at that moment than she’d ever been in her life, in spirit as well as body. Between being attacked, taking her relationship with Cale to the next level, and then this whole vampire bit, a lot had happened in a very short time. It would have been hard enough to take it in after a good night’s sleep, but without it, it seemed impossible. Sleep definitely seemed a good idea, but Cale was waiting.
“I’ll tell him you’ve gone to rest,” Sam said quietly when Alex glanced reluctantly toward the bedroom door they stood in front of.
“Thanks,” Alex said with relief, and turned to move toward the room Marguerite had led her to when they’d had their talk.
“Alex.”
She paused at the door and glanced back in question.
“I love you,” Sam said quietly. “No matter your decision, I want you to know I love you. I never want you to forget that.”
Alex smiled quizzically. “I love you too, Sam.”
Sam smiled sadly and turned to enter Cale’s room, and Alex turned back to her door, wishing she had a map or instruction booklet to life. She just wanted someone else to tell her what to do, which decision was the right one. Should she leap impetuously after love,or would it be smarter to stand on the shoreline and watch the love boat sail away?
“The Love Boat,” she muttered with disgust as she entered her room. Now she was just getting sappy. She definitely needed to sleep.
Alex woke up with a little sigh of pleasure and
stretched in bed. She felt fabulous, absolutely fabulous, even. She’d dropped off to sleep as soon as she’d lain down on the bed, and then had enjoyed some pretty erotic dreams, all of them featuring Cale. Damn, he was as good in her dreams as he was in real life. And he’d said some wonderful things in her dreams as he’d cherished her with his body. He’d told her everything he loved about her, from her nose to her stubborn determination to prove she could do anything she set her mind to. He’d also said that he’d love her forever.
It might have just been a dream, but Alex was going to take it as an omen and say yes. Even one night with him was worth any heartache that might be waiting. Besides, it wasn’t in her nature to refrain from doing something out of fear; otherwise, she never would have taken a chance and started the first La Bonne Vie … orthe second for that matter. She must have been incredibly exhausted after everything she’d experienced, or Alex was sure she wouldn’t have been so confused and uncertain by the time Cale had woken from healing.
A knock at the door drew her attention, and she sat up on the bed to peer toward it. “Yes?”
“Morning,” Cale said cheerfully as he pushed the door open and sailed in. “Or good evening, I guess. It’s late in the day.”
“Hi.” Alex smiled, her gaze moving curiously from the tray he carried to the shopping bag hanging over his arm.
“I’ve brought you a snack, and these clothes for you to put on afterward,” he announced, setting the tray on the foot of the bed, and then dropping the large bag beside it.
“Thank you,” Alex said with surprise, glancing over the tray. It held some sort of sandwich and a cup of steaming coffee, she noted, and then glanced back to Cale, only to see that he was heading for the door as quickly as he’d entered.
“Take your time, and then meet me downstairs,” he said lightly and slid out of the room pulling the door closed.
Alex glanced back to the tray and then pushed the blankets aside and crawled to the end of the bed to grab the coffee. It had already been fixed with cream and sugar just the way she liked it. She smiled faintly as she took a sip, thinking Cale had learned her likes and dislikes quickly. The coffee was delicious, but then so was the toasted bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich, andshe consumed both quickly before reaching for the bag of clothes. It was very large, and she soon realized why. While there were a clean pair of jeans, a sweater, panties, and bra, there were also a snowmobile suit, heavy socks, a hat, gloves, and boots as well. It seemed they were going somewhere.
Alex took a quick shower before dressing. She found Cale similarly geared up and waiting by the front door when she tramped down the stairs in the heavy boots and hoped he hadn’t been waiting there long.
“So what’s going on?” she asked curiously as she reached the bottom of the stairs. “And where is everyone?”
“Bricker and Mortimer are in the garage at the back of the property, and Sam is in the kitchen,” Cale answered, turning to open the front door. “Come on.”
“Where?” Alex glanced out at the night sky, and then stepped out and paused with surprise when she saw the waiting snowmobile. “What—?”
“You said you always wanted to try snowmobiling, but never had the time, so I had the guys rent one for me,” Cale announced, leading her to the machine. He removed two helmets from the snowmobile’s seat and handed her one, then put on his own.
Alex merely held the helmet and stared at him silently, recalling the conversation he was talking about. She was amazed he remembered, and even more amazed that he’d gone to the trouble of renting one for her to try.
“Russell showed me how to drive it. I’ll take you for a spin, and then show you how to do it so you candrive me around,” he announced, and then started the engine. Talk was impossible over the loud roar of the engine after that. When Cale turned, gesturing her forward, Alex pulled on her helmet and moved forward, silently shaking her head that he’d gone to this trouble. It was really very sweet, and not the first time he’d been so thoughtful. She’d figured out pretty quickly that the man had never been antiquing in his life the day they’d gone, and suspected he’d suggested it purely to please her and keep her happy during her enforced relaxation after the head injury.
Alex didn’t know how he’d known she liked antiquing, but suspected Sam had suggested it. And then there was his taking over the business end of things so that she could cook. She knew he preferred that to cooking, but the truth was he didn’t have to do either. He was here on vacation but had given up his time to help her. He was a very generous and giving man.
Cale straddled the machine, and then urged her to get on behind him. Once she did, he reached back to catch her hands and draw them around his chest, and then the snowmobile engine’s roar suddenly increased in volume. Alex tightened her hold on him as they jumped forward and began to fly across the front yard, but she squealed and ducked her head behind his back when he turned to send them flying up and over a small pile of snow made from shoveling the sidewalk.
They landed with a
whumph,
and then he sent the machine shooting around the side of the house to the backyard. Alex was too busy holding on at first to really pay attention to anything else, but whenhe started toward the trees, she glanced around and caught her breath. The branches of the thick evergreens were coated with new snow that sparkled in the snowmobile’s headlights; but it was the oaks and maples that truly shone, their branches were encased in ice from previous snowfalls that had melted, and they glittered like diamonds when the light hit them. It was beautiful.
She was surprised when Cale suddenly stopped the machine and simply sat staring. Then he said exactly what she was thinking. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
Alex smiled and hugged him tighter, whispering, “I love you.”
Cale stilled, turned abruptly on the seat, flipping up the visor of his helmet so that he could see her better. “What?”
Alex raised her visor as well, and said firmly, “I love you, and I’m willing to turn.”
Rather than seem pleased, he frowned. “Are you sure? I mean, this morning in my room you seemed confused and scared and—”
“This morning I was exhausted,” she interrupted firmly, and then pointed out, “It’s been a rough couple of days, with a lot happening and little sleep. I was a mess this morning.”
“And now? “ he asked uncertainly.
“Now I’ve had some sleep,” she said gently. “And while I’m still scared I’ll get hurt, I do love you, and it seems to me it’s worth taking the chance.”
“I wish you weren’t scared,” Cale murmured, raising one gloved hand to brush a finger down her cheek. “Iwish I could convince you I love you and won’t hurt you.”
“Time will do that,” she said quietly.
Cale hugged her close and sighed. “I hope I never run into that Jack fellow. It would be hard not to break his bloody neck for hurting you.”
Alex laughed against his chest. “It wasn’t just Jack. He was just the icing on the cake that made me this way. Besides, you already have met him. Or at least talked to him,” she added.
“What? I haven’t met Jack.”
“Jacques Tournier,” she said dryly. “Peter said that Jacques tried to hire you away from me. Didn’t he?”
“Yes, he did. He called. But he introduced himself as Jacques, and now you’re saying he’s your Jack?” he asked with a frown.
“He’s not
my
anything,” Alex said with a grimace, and then explained, “He was Jack when I knew him in school. He changed his name legally to Jacques Tournier before opening Chez Joie. I guess he figured a French name would do in lieu of a diploma from a French culinary school. He always was an ass,” she added dryly.
“He’s
your biggest competitor?” Cale asked, his voice grim.
Alex nodded. “Pretty much. He—” She broke off with surprise as he suddenly turned and started the engine again. She frowned, unable to ask what was going on. He’d never hear her over the engine. All she could do was hold on tightly as he suddenly sent the snowmobile shooting forward.