Reluctant Hero (The Dunamis Covenant Book 1) (2 page)

"Why?" Thomas asked, unsure of what she was doing. He paused before slowly handing her his phone.

"I want to take a picture of myself and put it with my number. Come on." She held out her hand again, and he handed her the phone. She snapped a shot in a pose he would never be deleting, and then she gave him a quick half hug and a kiss on the cheek. She looked at him and said, "Thanks again, for getting my bag back." And then she turned to leave. Three steps later, she turned around and gave a short wave. "I'll see you tomorrow afternoon. Three-thirty-- don't be late," she said with a smile, and then she floated away.

Thomas couldn't believe what had just happened. He didn't believe in horoscopes, but he made a note to check his anyway. He began to have a slight nagging doubt about her intentions, but maybe he was just doubting his good fortune. He decided he was going to call Lucas sooner rather than later. He knew his friend's advice would be to go out and have as much fun with her as possible and it would all work itself out, but he needed to call him back anyway. Then he'd do a little Internet searching, maybe friend request her on Facebook or something, just to make sure.

*****

Abby watched a happy Thomas Archer get in his pickup truck and drive away. She stood alone in the shadows cast by the dim light of the parking garage. He looked just like his picture. Tall, with dark hair and eyes that were like black holes threatening to suck her in. His face was accented by his high cheek bones and a heroic jaw line. He didn't look like he was in bad shape either, although it was hard to tell with his jacket on. Still, he filled out those jeans nicely. While she watched him, she recognized a presence approaching her from behind. "It's not wise to sneak up on me, Asa," she growled without turning around.

"I know all about your heightened senses, Abigail," he replied. Abby almost thought she could hear amusement in his voice. "Did Archer go for it? Will you be seeing him again?"

"Was there ever any doubt?"

"How can you be so sure?" he asked.

"I play an excellent Damsel in distress. Was the bag snatching really necessary? I could have just found a way to introduce myself, maybe knocked over his coffee with my purse. It would have been just as effective without all the theatrics." She added while waving her arms in a dramatic circle. "What if someone else had gone after you?"

"Then we would have tried it your way with another woman accidentally bumping into him in a day or two, but I wanted to see how much if any of his Paladin spirit remains. When he came after me, I learned that he may not have as far to go was we thought."

Abby hid her annoyance at his mention of another woman taking her place. Asa couldn't know her true motive for being here. "By the way. How are your ribs? It looked like he tackled you hard."

"He is both quicker and stronger than I thought he would be; which is good news." He grimaced when he rubbed his ribs. "But are you sure you are connected to him well enough to keep him interested?"

"Absolutely, on top of his obvious attraction to me, I also forced an image into his mind that connected him further to me. Just to make sure."

"You used your powers, Abby? Do you have any idea how risky that is?"

"It was one image, barely a flicker of my powers. There is no way Devlin's Shadow Mage could have tracked that. You didn't!" She thought better of mentioning the second image of her in danger, she knew that one bordered on manipulation, but it had achieved the desired result. She turned and faced Asa for the first time. His long dark hair flowed over his leather jacket, and the brim of his cowboy hat shaded his dark eyes. His bronze skin gave him an almost Native American look, and Abby thought he might have been very attractive when he was younger. He was accompanied by a strong scent of Old Spice, clinging to him like an insecure girlfriend. She looked at him and asked, "What are you really doing here, Asa? I'm sure one of our Paladins could have pretended to mug me. Don't you even trust me enough to accomplish a simple a task?"

"The council sent me to make sure. I needed to make certain your interaction with Thomas had the desired results. I had to know if you were up for the job or if I had to call in someone else, Abby."

The implication of his statement was clear to her, and she didn't like it. Anger flashed through her green eyes like lightning. "That is the second time you have hinted at replacing me. There is no need for threats, Asa!" she hissed. "I'm meeting him tomorrow. There's nothing for you or the council to worry about."

"I believe you. I changed my hat and jacket, and watched your performance from the bar of the restaurant; you're a great actress, Abby. Now keep it up, we've already lost too much time."

"I noticed you at the bar, which is why I took the seat facing the room. That was a risky move, Asa. Don't worry, though, I will bring him along as fast as I can. He seems cautious for a Paladin, so it may not be as easy as we had hoped. He seemed very surprised that he had the guts to tackle you, while a normal Paladin would have chased you down as well.

"We need him up to speed soon, Devlin is not too far behind us, Abby."

"I won't fail." She strode to her car to prepare for tomorrow's meeting with Thomas.
I've been waiting to find TJ for sixteen years
.
Nothing is going to stand in my way,
she thought as she left Asa standing alone in the shadows.

Thomas decided to call Lucas back while he was driving home from the mall. He tapped his blue tooth to make the call. Lucas picked up the phone and said, "My man, I thought you blew me off to read your new book?"

"Nah, I wouldn't do that... again. Seriously though, I just met the perfect woman!"

"So, all it takes is a woman to get you to call me back, huh? If I would have known that, I would have paid someone to date you years ago!"

"Very funny!" Thomas replied while driving down Cooper Street. He stopped at a red light and added, "I'm sending you a picture now." He pressed send, and then the traffic light turned green.

"Whoa, seriously, dude, this woman actually spoke to you?" He paused for effect. "I mean, you didn't just take a picture of a random hot stranger?"

"She took the picture herself," Thomas replied with a hint of pride in his voice. "You're not gonna believe this, man, but someone tried to snatch her bag at the bookstore, and I tackled him and got it back." Thomas stopped at another light, and to each side of him were the light tan, brick buildings of the UT Arlington campus.

"Really, you took him down? That's not like you at all. I think my respect for you has reached a new level."

"I know, right! I've never done anything like that. Usually, I'd sit on the sidelines and hope someone else helps out, but something came over me."

"Oh, I know what came over you." he replied. "So she owes you now; you didn't screw it up? Did you?" he asked in an amused tone.

"I can't lie; I was almost dizzy while we talked, but she's new in town, and wants me to show her around. We're going out tomorrow afternoon." He hadn't noticed the light turning green until a short honk behind him put his mind back on the road. He gave a quick wave and then began to accelerate.

" Brother, it looks to me like you just won the lottery. What's her name?"

"Abby Fitzpatrick, and there's just something about her. I can't explain it. I just feel drawn to her."

"I can explain it, buddy. She's hot." Lucas replied.

"No, it's not that. Well it is, but it's something else, too. I also got this weird feeling that there was more going on, it just seemed a bit off. "

"Well, just figure it out as you go, Thomas. Either way you're with her, right? Thomas and hot Abby together is better than Thomas trying to figure out hot Abby alone."

"I guess you're right, buddy."

" So, how about that Mavs game tonight? You never did give me an answer before. I'm in the luxury suite."

"I'm gonna take a pass on it, bro. I'm up early for work—"

"Come on, you just scored a date with the best looking girl either of us has ever seen. My suite has lots of beer, and we need to celebrate. Plus, I want you to meet my new friend Darcy. You're not the only one that had a good day with the ladies. Come on! I'm leaving a ticket for you at the front."

Thomas thought about it while he watched the road. Part of him hated to continuously turn down these offers, but he did have to get up early. After a short pause, he said the words he knew his friend was expecting. "I'm gonna pass, dude." He continued driving past the entrance ramp for Interstate Thirty, which would have taken him towards American Airlines Arena in Dallas, and instead drove towards his apartment.

"I figured. One of these days I'm gonna get you out to a game, Thomas."

"Probably, but not today," he replied. "So, tell me about this Darcy, where did you meet her?"

"She was our waitress at our corporate meeting at Hooters today."

"Since when do the Dallas Mavericks have corporate meetings at Hooters?" Thomas asked.

"Since I started working for them." He knew Thomas wouldn't fall for it, so changed his story. "Okay, so maybe it was just a few of us on our lunch break. Don't worry, one of these days I'll get Cuban to come out to lunch with us."

"Don't hold your breath, Luke. He's a billionaire. I'm sure he has better things to do," Thomas said. He made the right turn onto Green Oaks and hit the gas.

"Take a look at this picture and tell me if you think Cuban's got better things to do." Lucas forwarded Thomas a picture of Darcy right as Thomas was passing Collins Street. He pulled into the parking lot of Sonic to take a look at the photo and contemplated ordering a Cherry Limeade. When the picture finished downloading, Thomas took a look. Darcy looked to be about twenty-two; maybe still in college. She was about five foot five, with long, blonde hair and deep blue eyes. She had a great body, and it looked as though she liked to show it off. She was almost a clone of the last eight girls Lucas had been with. It seemed to him that Lucas liked the contrast of the blonde hair with his own jet black hair.

"Wow, she's hot. She also looks like the last one." Thomas was quick to add, "Not that there's anything wrong with that."

"What can I say, I know what I like. We should get together this week so you can meet her. Maybe if things go well, you can bring Abby with you."

"That sounds like a good idea, let's plan for Friday or Saturday evening."

"Sounds good, see you then."

"Enjoy your game, bro." The call ended and Thomas decided to get that Cherry Limeade after all.

When Thomas arrived home, the first thing he did was sit down at his computer and do an Internet search for his new friend; Abby Fitzpatrick. No red flags went off. He found a Facebook and Twitter profile that claimed she was from Staten Island, and he checked into the public records that showed she had graduated Wagner College in 2012. Still, he felt like something was off. He finished his Cherry Limeade and walked into the kitchen to throw the cup away and grab a beer. He sat back down in front of the computer and sent out a Facebook friend request to Abby. He sent a few messages out to some college buddies and then started looking at the baseball stats for next year's probable rookies. It was never too early to start scouting for next season's fantasy team. By the time he finished, he had downed a few beers and he was very tired. He undressed for bed, put on a pair of UT athletic shorts, and lay down. Before his head even hit the pillow, the image of Abby's lips pressed against his filled his dreams.

*****

The next morning Thomas arrived at work early, as usual. He had brought a change of clothes with him, so that he wouldn't have to go home before he picked up Abby. He sorted all of his mail into the right order for his route before setting out in what Lucas referred to as his post-office-mobile. On most days he enjoyed the solitude, the waving to people, the normalcy of his route. However, today the task was boring. All he could think about was Abby. It was as if the rest of the world was in black and white, and she was in color. He walked up one side of the street, stopping at each house to load up their mailboxes, and down the other. While he was delivering the mail, he began to think about what would happen this afternoon. Soon, the vivid image of her kissing him flooded his mind once again.

Work seemed to crawl by. When it was over, he changed his clothes while he was still at the post office. He checked his hair in the mirror, and his brown locks were all in place. He caught a glimpse of something in his dark brown eyes he hadn't noticed in a while: hope. He couldn't hide his excitement from his co-workers, and some of them teased him while others encouraged him to have fun. In spite of the slight doubt he felt, he was really looking forward to more time with Abby.

He arrived at Abby's address five minutes early. The house was a small, one story house, white with red trim. There were a few small bushes growing in the yard, but the grounds were not well kept. He gathered himself, wiped his palms on his jeans, and exited the truck to go ring her doorbell. Just then, the red door opened, and a smiling Abby Fitzpatrick sauntered out of her house. She looked even more beautiful the second time around. She was wearing a white v-neck tee shirt, and a pair of ripped jean shorts, very short. She was also sporting a ponytail, and she had green tennis shoes on that matched her intense eyes. She somehow seemed almost familiar as he watched her walk towards the truck. She wasn't the least bit dressed up, yet she still looked better than anything he could imagine. She reached the pickup truck and smiled at Thomas when he opened the door for her. She kissed him on the cheek and got in. He again felt himself getting warm as he closed the door. He walked around the front of the truck to the driver's side and then got into the truck.

"How was work today, Thomas?" she asked while he settled into the driver's seat. She hated calling him Thomas. She wanted to call him TJ like she did when they were little, but he didn't know they knew each other as children yet.

"It went really slow, it was kind of boring to be honest, but I might have been a little bit hung over. I had a few while I was scouting fantasy league stats last night." He started the car and pulled away from her house.

"I don't know what that means," she replied, "but, it sounds like you had fun. Sorry work was boring today." She made her playful pouty face again. He wondered if she knew what that face did to a man then thought,
Yeah, she knows what that face does to a man.
He was contemplating explaining fantasy league baseball to her when she said, "If you don't mind my asking, what made you decide to work at the post office?"

He gathered himself and prepared to reply. He really wanted her to approve. "A couple reasons. It's a tough job market out there right now, and this is steady work with good benefits. What really sold me on the post office, though," He paused, unsure of whether or not to continue. There were very few people who knew what he was about to tell her. "I like to ride my bike, not just ride, but distance ride, in competitions. The post office sponsors a team, and my goal is to ride in the Tour De France. I think this job gives me the best shot at making that happen."

Abby looked impressed. "So, you want to ride for the post office in the Tour De France? Thomas, that's amazing. How often do you train?"

Thomas merged onto Interstate Twenty West as he prepared to answer. "I have a pretty disciplined routine. Twice a week I ride fifty miles after work, and one day on the weekend I ride a hundred. A month before a competitive ride, I up it to three fifty mile rides, and a one hundred-fifty mile ride on the weekend. I play rec league baseball pretty much year round, and as you saw yesterday, I read when I can. Any free time after that, I hang out with my friend Lucas; if he's not with the blonde of the week. Occasionally I'll hang out with one of my other college buddies, too. If they're in town."

"Wow, you sound pretty driven, and busy."

"Looks can be deceiving," he joked. "What about you? What do you like to do for fun?"

"I like to read. I like to dance. I have five brothers and I always make them dance with me. I like to travel, and I always make sure that I go to the zoo when I'm in a new place. I love to look at the tigers!"

"That's cool. You know there's a pretty good zoo in Fort Worth, right?" He checked his mirror and signaled before changing lanes.

"I didn't know that, thanks." She put her hand on his arm while he drove and lingered there for a minute. Her touch was electric; there was no other way to explain it. Even incidental contact was electrifying and intense. It was as if some mystical energy was passing between them every time they touched. "Maybe we can go together. I bet you'd love going to the zoo with me," she said in a flirtatious voice.

Her comment caused him to swerve a little, much to the chagrin of the driver next to him. "Sorry, pothole." he called while concentrating on the road.
Is she messing with me?
Thoughts of Abby were flying through his head when he realized she was studying him.

"What is it?" He asked, feeling a little self-conscious beneath her gaze.

"Nothing," she replied. "Hey, when we're done driving around, do you want to grab dinner?"

He was hoping she'd ask. He waited a moment so he wouldn't seem too eager before he replied, "Sure, what are you in the mood for?"

"What's good in Texas?"

"Well, Texas has amazing Mexican food and the best barbeque. If you want to eat like a Texan, those are the top two choices."

"I could go for some Mexican," She replied while slowly licking her lips. Once again, he found it difficult to focus on the road. He thought he noticed a satisfied look on her face while he continued to drive.

After dinner, he dropped her off at her house. He walked her to her door and she fumbled around her purse for her keys. She produced the key with a proud look and he smiled at the display.

"Thank you so much for such a wonderful day. I still have a lot to learn about the area, can we do it again? Same time Friday?" She looked hopeful, but was quick to add, "I don't want to take you away from your riding, so I'll understand if you don't want to."

"No, Friday will be fine," he assured her. "I'd love to go out with you again. Maybe we could go to the zoo this weekend, too."

With a glint in her eye, she asked, "Really?"

"Yeah, I think that would be fun."

"I was hoping you'd say that." She stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek, she lingered there for a moment. When he turned his face to hers, she pressed her body against his and kissed him.

Thomas couldn't believe it, it was the exact image that had been playing in his mind from the moment he had first seen Abby Fitzpatrick, and it was happening now. She was even dressed the same as she was in the vivid picture that had been playing reruns in his mind all week. When the kiss ended, she looked up at him and said, "Goodnight," in a soft voice. She left him with the sweetest tasting gentle kiss on his lips and then disappeared through the mysterious red door.