Healer (The Healer Series) (22 page)

“
Shh.” Rhett holds me tight. “It’s okay,” he whispers trying to calm me.

I can feel his voice vibrate
through his chest where my head is pressed as he speaks comforting words to me. “How did you do that? It’s like I was falling and suddenly I was jerked out.”

“I don’t know.”
He strokes my hair, maintaining his hold on me.

We sit in silence
while I get myself together. Mostly, I cry an endless river of tears. After about twenty minutes, Rhett moves me back into the chair and wipes the tears from my face with his thumbs. Cold vibrations tingle gently over the warm flesh of my cheeks, wet from my tears.

“
Here.” He places a box of tissues beside me, and I take one, wondering where the box came from. I wipe my face and blow my nose, not concerned with how disgusting I look or sound.

“Water.
” Rhett nods at the door behind me, but I don’t turn to see who he’s speaking with, assuming it’s Sarah who must’ve come running when she heard my cries. He stands and walks behind me and returns with a glass of water which I take from him and sip slowly. I see him look back to the door with a frustrated expression and nod, indicating for whoever it was to go. I’m grateful for that because Sarah’s snooty, insensitive face is the last thing I need at this moment.

“I
’m sorry. I don’t know what happened,” I say before I sip my water, trying to avoid eye contact with him.

“It’s okay,” h
e assures me. “Why don’t you go up and get some rest.” He stands, extending his hand out to me, offering to help me up. I take it, looking into his eyes, riveted by the sensation that runs through me. He quickly lets go, realizing what’s happening. He eyes me as I stand. His face twisted; he appears to be afraid. Not afraid of me, but maybe
for
me.

“I’m okay,
” I assure him, staring into his dark eyes. Oddly enough, I hadn’t noticed his eye color before. They have a hint of green surrounded by rich brown. A color I have never seen before. I always thought they were just dark for some reason. We stand eye locked for a moment, before I tear my eyes away and turn.

“Aldo, we all have things we want to forget
, ya know.” He speaks softly and steps towards me as I turn to acknowledge him. I stare down at my balled up tissue, picking at it in an attempt not to look at him.

“I’m okay
, Rhett,” I assure him again. “I think I’m just a little worn out from the events of the last few days.”

“Understandable.” H
e nods. “I’ll take you out for some riding lessons tomorrow.”

“Okay.” I nod
and turn again. Riding lessons are the last thing on my mind right now, but I’m too tired to say otherwise.

“Goodnight
, Aldo,” he says softly.

“Goodnigh
t.” I exit the room. I make my way up the stairs and find myself wishing I was still downstairs, wrapped in Rhett’s arms, then shiver at the thought.

How could I wish that?

.

thirteen

The next morning
, I wake to a knock at my door. When I open it, Sarah looks enthused as ever, holding some clothes and riding boots. She rolls her piercing blue eyes at the sight of me, but I’m so groggy I don’t bother trying to figure out why. “Rhett asked me to lend these to you.”

I take
the items from her. “Thanks.”

“You
r breakfast is ready.” She pivots and walks towards the stairwell.

I close my door
, tossing the clothes onto the bed. When I came to my room last night I was so exhausted, I slipped on Rhett’s shirt from the previous night because it was lying on the arm chair. It occurs to me that this is the reason Sarah rolled her eyes when she saw me wearing it. I slip his shirt off and proceed to dress in the clothes Sarah brought me. She seems so much thinner than me, but the clothes she gave me fit perfectly. I decide to wait to put the boots on until we are about to go out to the barn. I brush my teeth and pull my long dark hair into a pony tail. I apply some make up and leave my room, making my way down the stairs.

As I walk down the stairs, headed for breakfast, indistinct voices come from the kitchen.
Rhett and Sarah are speaking in hushed voices. I slow my descent, trying to make out their words; thankful I opted not to put on the riding boots.

“You are going to get trapped here if you don’
t figure this shit out,” Sarah says.

“No I won’t. I just
need a little more time,” Rhett counters. “This is not the time or place to discuss this, Sarah.”

“B
ut I barely see you outside of here,” she hisses.

“
Sarah, I got this. Okay?” Rhett’s voice is calm, steady.

“She doesn’t trust you. You made yourself look like a villain
, and he remains the hero in her mind.”

Who? Are they talking about me?

“She’s smart; she’ll figure it out.”

“Whatever
, Rhett, but we both know you’re playing with fire, and I’m not going to get stuck here with you over some girl.”

“You are the one who brought me here,” he replies, his tone laced with provocation.

“
I had no idea this is what we would be dealing with. Had I known, I would’ve never—”

“
Then go!” he snaps so loud it makes me jump from my position on the stairwell.

“
Rhett.” Hurt colors her voice.

“And what
of her brothers?” he asks.

What about my brothers
?

“What about them?” Sarah asks.

As I lean forward, one of the boots slips out of my hands. My amygdala kicks in
, and I watch the boot fall in slow motion.

“Sarah
, I know that…” He pauses when he hears the sound of my boot falling, thumping down every stair.

“
Shit balls
!” I whisper to myself.

I quickly try
to stop it, but it’s no use. It hits the floor at the base of the stairs. I pick it up and try to walk casually, as if I hadn’t heard a thing. I saunter into the kitchen and join Rhett and Sarah at the table, where they act as if they had not been speaking only moments ago.

“Good morning.” Rhett beams a friendly smile
. “How are you feeling today?”

“Uh, I’m fine. I don’t know what happened last night. I’m sorry
about that.” I sit down in front of a plate with a boiled egg, one slice of bacon, and half a piece of wheat toast. I quickly drink down the tall glass of orange juice.

“Thirsty?”
Rhett quirks an eyebrow teasingly.

“
Yes.” I nod once as I begin eating, chewing slowly to make it last longer. I’m starving, but I remind myself I may not be eating for a while, and next time I do it will most likely be less than two hundred calories.

Sarah stalks
out, and a few moments later the front door slams.

“She doesn’t care much for me, does she?”

He smiles awkwardly, leaning back in his chair. “Sarah is complicated.”

That’s putting it mildly.
I replay the conversation between them in my head. Why were they discussing my brothers, and what did she mean about getting
trapped here
?

“Are you excited for
your lesson today?” Rhett interrupts my train of thought.

“I guess.” I
shrug, not sure how I really feel about learning to ride a horse. Horses are beautiful animals, but they seem high maintenance. And huge. And scary. And fast.

“I think you’
ll enjoy it. Really helps clear the mind. At least I find that it does.”

“Okay.” I nod
, not knowing what to say. We continue to converse while I eat, but an awkwardness hangs between us. Perhaps because of my mental break down last night, or maybe because of the confusing feelings within me regarding Rhett. Or perhaps the conversation I just over heard between him and Sarah. I’m pretending I didn’t hear a thing—and he’s wondering if I did.

Who is this man? Is he
still a man? Why do I feel such comfort when I’m near him? What is it about him that makes me feel safe? It’s almost as if being next to him makes me feel closer to sanity. Maybe because there is no one else. I’ve closed the book on anyone else in my life, as being a part of theirs is no longer an option. So good or bad, Rhett is all I have right now. At least he seems to be trying to help me cope with it all. Ease me into it.

Rhett read
s the paper while I decipher the conversation I overheard—well intentionally eavesdropped on between him and Sarah. Why are they never in the same room together for very long?

After breakfast
, I pull on Sarah’s riding boots which also fit perfectly and follow Rhett out to the barn. I’m relieved to find the horses are already out in the field, and the stalls are clean. We walk through the breezeway of the barn, out towards the pasture, and I see Bruno and Esmeralda saddled and waiting by the fence.

“Sarah?” I question
as to the horses being saddled and ready to go.

“Yeah.”
We both duck between the beams of the fence and stand beside Esmeralda. I rub her side as I try to calm my nerves.

“Don’t worry. She’
s very gentle.”

A
s he rubs Esmeralda’s beside me, I see again the softness to him that keeps surprising me. It’s so…
human
. He doesn’t seem pale like vampires that are depicted in movies. He’s tall and lean, but broad and built, bulging muscles in smooth and flawless skin. When the sun touches his dark hair, he looks almost godlike.

He
stares at me blankly. “What?”

I pivot
my head, realizing he just caught me smiling at him. “You aren’t what I expected.”

“Meaning?”

“
I don’t know. I expected snow white skin and red eyes”

He laughs. “Well, our kind
, are still able to get out in the sun so we aren’t quite as pale as one might imagine. Sorry to disappoint you,” he says dryly.

“Yeah
, I’m real disappointed,” I reply in equal tone.

“Come on.” H
e motions for me to come towards him and climb on Esmeralda.

I
freeze.

“It’s okay
.” He places his hand on my shoulder and I feel the cold shiver run though me that weakens me almost to the point of collapse. “Sorry.” He removes his hand. “I’m not used to that.”

I grab the saddle and hold myself up for a moment
, gaining my composure. Every time he touches me like that I dread it and love it all at the same time. I take a deep breath and exhale.

“Hey,” h
e whispers, directly behind me.

My body tenses
with anticipation.

“Stick your foot in this stirrup
and swing your other leg over the horse.” He reaches around me, pointing to the stirrup. The hair on my arms stands up as goose bumps cover me, my skin craving his touch.

What is wrong with me?

I follow his directions, not realizing how difficult it would be to pull myself up. Once I’m seated in the saddle, he comes to the other side and slides my foot into the stirrup. Esmeralda shifts slightly and I grab the large knob on the front of the saddle trying to steady myself.

“It’s okay. S
he’s very gentle,” he reassures me again.

Our e
yes lock for a moment and the air crackles between us. We both jerk our eyes away, so I think he felt it too. It occurs to me that the fear I have felt towards Rhett is completely evaporating, but I can’t understand why. He takes my hand to place the reins in it, and the contact makes my back arch as his energy shoots through me in a rush. My hand clutches his, prolonging the sensation.

I open my eyes when the sensation ends and I look down at Rhett,
staring up at me, his mouth open slightly, confusion in his eyes. He shifts his eyes away and moves towards the front of the horse, choosing not to acknowledge what just happened. I swallow and try to bounce back like him, all too happy not to address it as well.

“
Today we will just take it easy. Tomorrow we will go over the names of everything and how to care for a horse.” As he speaks, he looks in every direction, but mine.

After h
e climbs on Bruno, he instructs me to kick Esmeralda on the sides of her belly with my heels. Immediately, Esmeralda’s large body begins to shift and I tense, tightening my grip on the huge knob on the front of the saddle.

Rhett senses my panic.
“I know, just try to relax. I’m not going to let anything bad happen to you.”

I take his words and staying true to myself
, over analyze them.
He won’t let anything bad happen to me.
The words seem so simple on the surface; he won’t let the horse hurt me, but is there more to them?

Rhett leads us down to the wood line
to a trail leading into the woods. By the time we reach the trail, I feel more comfortable, but still haven’t managed to let go of the knob on the saddle. The day is beautiful and the sun is shining through the trees, beaming rays sporadically across the forest floor. The air is warm and humid, but smells fresh. I take a deep breath, enjoying the unsoiled air, free of smoke, car exhaust, and city grime.

“So?” I start
, trying to think of a way to break the silence. “Rhett?” I question. “Where did that name come from?”

His mouth curves slightly
as he quirks an eyebrow. “My mother was a huge
Gone with the Wind
fan.”

“
Gone with the Wind
?” I question, not sure of what he’s talking about.

“You haven’t seen
Gone with the Wind
?” he asks as if I just told him I had never eaten ice cream or something.

“No.” I shake my head
.

“Wow,” h
e laughs. “You have lived a deprived life.”

“Apparently.
”

“Well, we’re going to have to culture you.”
He runs a hand through his hair.

“It’s amazing I’ve made it this long being
the uncultured swine that I am,” I retort.

“I agree,” h
e says in a serious tone, but starts laughing after a moment. “Aldo is a very unique name. Does it mean anything?”

“It has many meanings, but none that Lucy picked it for. It’s the first two initials of my grandparent’s names, Allen an
d Dorothy.”

It occurs to me that was a lie as well.
She named me after
her
parents, not
my
grandparents.

“It’s a great name.” 

“So, can I ask your story?” I try to change the subject, wishing to avoid the thought of Lucy.

“
You can ask me anything you want to. If I tell you mine, will you tell me yours?”

“Sure.” I agree
, remembering that Sarah apparently knows everything anyway.

“Well, I grew up in Canada. Well, at least until I was fifteen.
My father left us that year, and my mother decided to move us to California. She wanted a fresh start, but I think she just couldn’t stand being in a place that reminded her of him.”

“Did you ever see him again?”

“No.” He shakes his head, and I can tell he doesn’t want to talk about it, which of course only makes me want to know about it even more.

“Do you know where he is?” I ask
, flipping my filter for asking inappropriate things to
off
.

“No,” h
e states plainly. Our horses are walking side-by-side, as close as they can be without us touching. I bite my lip hoping he will offer more, but after a moment I gather he’s not going to.