“You dislike me so you are looking for an excuse to find something wrong with me.” Levi shrugged. “Frankly, I don’t give a fuck. So we can just keep it civil for Ta-Mara’s sake.”
“Okay,” Reggie said grudgingly.
The tapping on the glass made them glance toward the store. Ta-Mara stood there, her eyes narrowed, looking between them.
“Shit, I know that look. Ta-Mara is about to make someone’s life hell.” Reggie slapped Levi on the shoulder “What did you do to piss her off?”
Ta-Mara came to the door and opened it. She waited until the customer had walked past her and left before saying. “I need to speak to you, Reggie.”
“I’m not the one whose life will be hell,” Levi said cheerfully.
Reggie groaned and sighed. He went to Ta-Mara then passed her, going into the store. Ta-Mara glanced at Levi and a warm smile curled her lips.
“Are you coming in or staying outside?”
He went to her and she stood on tiptoe and kissed him briefly.
“Give me a sec and I’ll be right with you.” She patted his hand. “I need to have a quick chat with Reggie.”
“See if he can give you the rest of the day off. I have a surprise for you.” Levi squeezed her hand gently.
“No worries. He’ll give it to me.” Ta-Mara sounded certain.
She left and went down the aisle to the office. Levi leaned on the counter and waited for her. Although he didn’t hear what was being said he knew, just as Reggie did, the look she’d had on her face. He had no idea what Reggie had done to make Ta-Mara mad but Levi was glad it wasn’t him. An angry Ta-Mara was sexy as hell but he didn’t like being on her bad side.
Soon Ta-Mara came from between the shelves and had her purse. Levi smiled seeing it. Looked like she had gotten the day off.
“Let’s go.” Ta-Mara stopped before him.
“Don’t you want to know where we’re going?” Levi straightened and went to her.
He slid his hand behind her back and led her to the front door.
“I’m with you and I trust you, so no matter where we go, I’m good.”
The faith she placed in him humbled him. Levi paused before the door and kissed her. This woman had all of him and he would never do anything to hurt or disappoint her.
Now I just need to find the right time to tell her about Calliope.
Chapter Sixteen
“Okay, I’m going to retract that I’m good with wherever we go.” Ta-Mara turned to him and frowned.
Levi chuckled and went to her. “Come on, you rode with me last time. Now it’s time to teach you to ride. There is no need to be afraid.”
“I’m not afraid.” Ta-Mara nibbled on her lip. “I just have a healthy respect for horses. I know they can hurt me badly if they choose too. So we have an understanding. I give them their space and they give me mine.”
“If you really don’t want to go, we can do something else.” Levi rubbed his hand along her back.
He wanted this to be something fun they could do together, not a traumatic experience. Ta-Mara glanced at him then the look he knew so well came over her. She put her head back, squared her shoulders then jutted her chin out. Levi smiled as she went into stubborn Ta-Mara mode. He was proud of her for being willing to learn.
“Okay, let’s do this.” Ta-Mara blew out a breath.
“Okay, first let’s get you comfortable with the horse. Think of it as learning about each other.” He led her to the horse.
* * * *
“I still can’t believe that I’ve come to look forward to horseback riding,” Ta-Mara said.
Levi glanced at her and noticed she looked easier in the saddle today. Since that first day he’d taught her to ride, she’d surprised him at how well she took to it. As she’d slowly gotten over her fear, she’d become better and better. A little over two weeks of practicing daily and she was well on her way to being an excellent horsewoman. It reminded him of Calliope and how he’d taught her. Immediately guilt at the thought of another woman filled him. He’d didn’t want to compare them—they were two different women in two different times. He loved them both and knew they were not the same people. Levi vowed silently to not compare them again.
“I enjoy riding with you.” He smiled at her.
The time they had spent each day with him teaching her then they going riding had become a great end to his days. After, they went home, cooked then ate before going to bed.
“Me too.” Ta-Mara chuckled. “I was afraid of the horses but you helped me overcome that. Thanks. I’m glad I could share this with you. I know you missed your horses and being here…well, it relaxes you. I love seeing that.”
“You being here makes it even so much better.”
“I want to teach you to ride too.” Ta-Mara smiled mysteriously.
“Why does that sound ominous?” Levi frowned. “What do you mean teach me to ride?”
“You’ll know soon enough. It will be surprise, like your bringing me here was.” Ta-Mara took the lead. “But for now let’s ride.”
He followed her, watching her move. Her hair lifted in the wind as she rode. Her laughter flowed back as he went to join her. The joy of it filled him with warmth and he couldn’t wait to get her home.
Ta-Mara glanced back at Levi and she was happy that she had gone along with learning to ride. It was something they shared that was familiar to Levi. Yes he was getting comfortable in her time, but there were still had moments where she’d see a faraway look on his face. She couldn’t imagine being in his shoes—displaced from your time and in a new one, learning how much the world had changed.
She’d started thinking about that more and more as she had dreams, flashbacks or whatever the hell it was she had when she saw Calliope. The dreams still continued and she still had no idea when it would happen.
The feel of the horse beneath her made her feel free. The sense of freedom was precious to her and she loved Levi for giving her this gift. Glancing at the man who had her heart and soul, she smiled. He was such an imposing figure on horseback. The commanding presence he portrayed, in her opinion, became even more pronounced.
“Calliope, are you okay?”
“Ta-Mara, are you okay?” Levi called.
She focused on him and from the concern on his face he’d been calling her. Ta-Mara bit her lip. That his calling her had overlapped at the exact same moment in flashback was eerie. As usual she pushed it away and didn’t let him see anything was wrong. She’d gotten very good at hiding it.
“Sorry, just thinking.” Ta-Mara forced a chuckle. “Riding helps me clear my mind.”
“It does.” Levi stopped. “Let’s head back.”
She nodded and they went. Absently—as she did every time she experienced something Calliope did—she tried to make sense of why she was seeing it. And again she had no clue why or what was going on.
Haunted by a woman who loves the same man I do. Maybe it’s her celestial way of warning me to stay away from her man.
Ta-Mara chuckled at being so fanciful.
There was no such thing. It was just her subconscious taking the things she’d read in the book and making them seem real.
But there are things you are seeing that are not in the book. How do you explain that?
She couldn’t but Ta-Mara dismissed it. She was just filling in the gaps of the story based on what she assumed happened. At that thought she felt better.
Yeah I can deal with that.
* * * *
Ta-Mara rubbed along the bridge of her nose. With the increase of the flashbacks, dreams or hauntings she was out of sorts. Hell, she had no clue what to call it—she was at a loss of what to do. Whatever it was led to sleepless nights, which made her days at work even longer. She put her hand over her mouth, stifling a yawn. The bell over the door made her straighten and smile for the customer. A sliver of unease filled her as she saw John—this time he was alone. Since she’d had the flash of Calliope concerning him, she hadn’t see him.
John stared at her but didn’t say anything as he went down the aisle for the books on war he’d looked at last time. She rubbed her hands up and down her arms.
You have no reason to be nervous around him. It’s just your imagination.
With that thought in mind, Ta-Mara turned her attention to the inventory she was putting into the computer. She got lost in cataloguing the books before she put them on the shelf.
“I’ll take this.” John’s gruff voice made her jerk.
Ta-Mara tried not to show she was caught unaware. “Sure.”
She took the book and when he didn’t release it, she glanced at him curiously. John let the book go when their gazes met. She couldn’t read what was in his expression but she took the book and rang it out. They were silent as he paid, then she bagged his purchase before handing it over. He accepted it then left without looking back. Ta-Mara watched through the window as he went down the sidewalk then out of view. She blew out a breath and shook her head. Getting paranoid over something imaginary was not her way.
“You’re losing it, Ta-Mara.” She rolled her eyes.
She went back to work. Soon the silence made her itchy. To dispel it, Ta-Mara turned on the radio and started to groove as she worked. She let the worries and everything that was bothering her go as she let the rhythm take her.
* * * *
Later in the day as she was gardening, she played music again to keep the feeling going. The soil felt great between her fingers. She dug her hands in and calmness flowed over her. Picking up the bulb, she set it in the ground then scooped the soil onto it, covering it. She sat back on her heels and glanced down the line of what she’d already planted, imagining how they would look next year when they really took root. Her thoughts drifted to Levi in the garden with her next year as the flowers grew, then they would plant new ones.
“Looks good.”
She jumped, startled, then glanced at Levi. He came around the side of the house to her. Ta-Mara went to rise but he gestured for her to stay. He squatted beside her and kissed her gently. She opened and they dueled tongues lazily then he pulled back.
“Thanks. How was your day?” She smoothed her hand along his arms.
“Good.” Levi moved beside her and picked up a plant. “Let me help you.”
“Sure.” Ta-Mara accepted the plant before placing it in the hole, after which Levi covered the roots. “Did you figure out what was wrong? Why the deck wasn’t working as it should?”
“Yes. The planks were not the right dimensions that I ordered.” Levi placed another plant. “I’m redoing the drawing and making it based on what I have.”
“Okay. Is the client good with that?” Ta-Mara planted it.
“Yes. Since they are the ones who insisted on ordering everything and gave the wrong dimensions, they are going to pay me extra for a new design.” Levi shrugged. “It will still be done in the time they wanted it for.”
“That’s good then.” Ta-Mara dusted her hands then said, “Finally completed. It does look stellar.” She grinned.
“We’re a good partnership.” Levi hugged her.
She pressed against him. “So what do you want to do tonight?”
“Just chill.”
“Sounds like a great plan.” Ta-Mara rose and held out her hand. “Tonight we chill then tomorrow I’m gonna take you for a ride.”
“Why wait until tomorrow? We can do that tonight.” Levi grinned.
Ta-Mara laughed and winked. Levi stood then they strolled toward the house. They continued discussing their days and relaxed. Ta-Mara stopped a moment and appreciated just being with him.
* * * *
“Come on, slow poke,” Ta-Mara told Levi. “Get on. I promise it won’t bite you.”
Levi sighed. “When you said you would teach me to ride, I wondered what it could be, but this I would have never thought of.”
“I could say that I’d taken you for a ride like last night if you do this, but that’s a given.” Ta-Mara snickered. “Now come on, I’ll teach you to ride.”
“I get there are many modes of transportation in this time but I still don’t think less than four wheels is safe.” Levi eyed her narrowly.
“The bicycle is safe.” Ta-Mara bit back a smile. He wasn’t afraid to ride a horse but give him a bike and he balked. “Think about it as another type of horse. Let’s first let you get to know it.” She smirked. “Hey, you can even name it.”
“I’m not going to name the bicycle.” Levi frowned. “You should just take this back to who you got it from.”
“It’s yours, Levi. I got it for you.” Ta-Mara held the bike. “Surprise.”
“You got it for me?” He looked surprised.
“Yep.” Ta-Mara held out her hand. “I enjoy bike riding and thought that would be something we can do together—similar to horseback riding.”
“Okay.” Levi blew out a breath then rolled his shoulders. “I’m gonna do this. Let’s ride this bike.”
“Yeah, sweetie. Make it yours.” Ta-Mara held it.
Levi straddled the bike then she started walking him through what to do. As Levi took to it as he did everything else, Ta-Mara smiled. She was so proud of him. She let him go and he rode around the yard with a big grin on his face.
Levi came to stop in front of her and smiled. “Why are you standing there? Go get your bike and let’s go riding.”
Ta-Mara did as he stated. Soon she returned and got on her bike. Levi set off and she pedaled behind him. They biked down her drive then to the street. It was just like the times she’d taught him to drive, cook and so many other things. Ta-Mara crossed her arms over her chest. They both had taught each other so much and she couldn’t wait to see what else he showed her.
* * * *
Ta-Mara propped her hand on her chin and watched Levi repair the tire. After that first day, they had added biking to their activities—rotating between that and horseback riding. He completed his task then rose. Ta-Mara stood and dusted off her pants.
“What time are we supposed to meet the others?” Levi asked.
“Six-thirty.” Ta-Mara glanced at her watch. “If we leave now, we’ll just make it. There was an idea of us having dinner together afterward. Although she isn’t coming for the ride, Jasmine will join us if we do.”