Talisman (86 page)

My head started nodding uncontrollably before I could even get a chance to
verbally agree.  I felt like a possessed bobble-head doll, courtesy of one tin belt that was still locked around my arm.

Tanner lowered his head to conceal his amusement.  I extended my arm towards him
and purposely cleared my throat.

He
got the message.  Willingly, Tanner removed the tin belt and wove it back through his weathered jeans.  “Let’s go,” he ordered.

I couldn’t just run off from Ty —
not again
.  He’d already stumbled into the middle of something utterly bizarre, and I owed him some kind of explanation.  Tanner wasn’t going to like it, but I had to give Ty one — regardless of whatever objections he may have (especially now, since he’d removed that hunk of tin from my arm).

“One hour,” I requested.  “Just give me one hour, and I’ll meet you there.  Please, Tanner?  I need to talk to Ty.”  I could see Tanner’s nostrils starting to flare. 
“And I have to stop by my house anyway, to get a few things I’ll need if I
have to
leave.”

“
NO!
  We’ll buy you whatever you’ll
need
.  Absolutely not!” Tanner refused sharply.

“You
can’t buy
what I have to get, Tanner,” I replied with a somber tone in my voice.  “It’s something of my father’s.”

Tanner looked over at Beatrix,
who seemed to be on my side.  He tilted his head back at the ceiling and sighed.

“Be at the cave in
one hour
.  I’ll do a quick sweep of the area and see if I can locate Lazarus.  I don’t like the idea of him running around out there not knowing where he is or what he’s planning.”  Tanner reached inside his pocket and pulled out two small carnelians, which he handed straight to me.  “I think you know how these work.  You can use them if you run into Lazarus before I do, but they won’t work on Ferrol…
so be careful
.”  Tanner pointed to Beatrix as he walked out of the room.  “Keep your
eye
on her,” he ordered and then slammed the front door.

“I’ll give you two some
privacy,” Bea insisted softly.

Ty jumped unexpectedly.  He was thrown for a loop when she blatantly revealed her “third eye” and winked it at him as she headed off to the kitchen.  He was still in shock as I led him over to the only chair left in the room and sat him down.

I knelt beside him.  “I think I need to fill in some things I may have left
blank
last night,” I confessed without a single reservation.

Ty, who was still focused on the doorway that Bea had left through, redirected his stare
back to me.  “
You think?
” he replied candidly.

Since I only had a limited amount of time, I pretty much hit the highlights of the past week.  But unlike Katie and Samuel, he had
a ton
of questions.  Each one I answered honestly and as quickly as I could.

“
And that’s why I have to go away for a while.  I don’t know how long I’ll be gone,” I replied in a tone that reeked of uncertainty.

“Shiloh, isn’t there anything I can do?”
Ty asked anxiously.  “I could go with you and help protect you,” Ty insisted.

How sweet
…
It’s a naïve and unrealistic thought, but still sweet
.

“Ty,” I began, “if I hadn’t had that blue chalcedony to use on the O
nyx last night, I’m afraid you would have been the next victim to be possessed. 
I know it
.  I
can’t
let that happen.  You can’t protect me.”

Beatrix came in with two cups of cider
and placed them on a folding tray beside us.  I started thinking about what Adamas had revealed in my vision, regarding my heart.  That was weighing heavily upon me.  I couldn’t have anyone I cared about around me.  They would only sway the hard decisions I knew I would be forced to make.

I gave Ty
’s hands a lingering squeeze as I rose to my feet.  “I can’t afford to have you around.  You mean
too much
to me.  You
can’t
go with me.”

I looked over at Beatrix.  “I’ll see you in a bit,
Bea.”

She quietly nodded back. 
I looked down at Ty, who remained seated uncomfortably in his chair.

“Bye, Ty,” I
said as I headed for the front door.

Before I could get the door halfway open,
a hand pushed the hardwood slab to a steady close.  Ty turned me around to face him and stared deeply into my eyes in a way that was only reserved for star-crossed lovers who may never see each other again.  He leaned closer and caressed the side of my face, guiding his fingertips gently along my cheek and then brushed them over my lips.  I knew what was coming, and as much as I wanted it — I
couldn’t
let it happen —
Not like this
.  I had to stay focused.  Once our lips touched, I would be driven crazy by the fact that we were separated, and thoughts of Ty would haunt me every hour of every day I was away from him.  I’d never felt like this about anyone before — but I knew myself — and that’s assuredly how I
knew
it would be.

As he pressed me against the door and
began his approach, I lifted my hand up to halt his eager mouth.  He ended up kissing the tips of my fingers instead.  The warm touch of his soft lips made every nerve in my body tingle all at once.  Confused by my gesture, he gazed back at me curiously.  I could see an uncertainty dancing around his heavenly blue eyes.  I leaned closer to whisper in his ear, gently rubbing my cheek against his,
purposely
.

“No, Ty…
Not like this. 
Not now
,” I murmured.

Ty stared back at me for a moment.  He looked controlled, but I could sense his fear.  If his body language didn’t give him away, his mind
sure did. At that moment, his only want in the world was to kiss me, and that made my heart feel like it was about to soar right out of my chest. 
But
, he wasn’t sure I’d ever return, which sent it into a tailspin.  So, I, along with my heart, came crashing back down to reality.  To ease his restless emotions (and mine), I raised his hands to my lips and gently kissed them.

As I
stepped outside, I turned to him and swore, “I want something to look forward to.”  With that said, I shut the door, took a deep breath, and was off like the wind.

Since my countdown clock was ticking, I blazed a straight and guided path through the woods,
headed for my house.  I didn’t know which was racing faster — “me” or “my heart”.  I had about ten minutes left to pick up a few things (namely Daddy’s shirt) and get to the cave.  I was bound and determined to do at least one of two things tonight, pull the diamond wand from its rocky cradle or not be late for Tanner Grey.

I slowed to a jog
when I reached the start of our gravel drive. Ace Barlow’s Lincoln was parked right out front. 
Oh, great!
I didn’t want any drama, especially now, so I decided to climb up the side of the house and sneak into my bedroom.  There wasn’t any need for a formal good-bye, not when it came to Charlotte.  A simple note would do.  That way, when she found it on my bed once she realized I’d been gone for a month (or two), she could start throwing my things out of the house “guilt-free”.

As soon as
I entered my bedroom, via the window, I grabbed a duffle bag and threw it on my bed.  It landed right beside a plastic basket full of freshly-folded laundry.  There was a note lying on top.  I snatched it up and read:

I thought we could bury the hatchet — Mom

I
truly
enjoyed doing this for you!

I tossed the note down on the bed. 
I can’t believe she thinks doing one load of laundry in twelve years will convince me to sell Shiloh Ridge.  She’s nuts
…

I didn’t have the heart to tell her the deal was no longer “on the table”.  I wasn’t “that cruel”.  I spotted several
of my favorite tops and jeans lying in the basket, as well as the red ruby-dyed tracksuit Beatrix had given me the other day.  I packed it and a few other things in my canvas duffle bag.  Quickly, I ran to my closet to get Daddy’s shirt.  I looked all through it, but my memento wasn’t there.  I checked under my bed, under my covers, and under my pillows, but I still couldn’t find it anywhere!

A horrible feeling set into the pit of my stomach
when my eyes fell on the laundry basket and
THE NOTE
.  I threw out the remaining layers of clothes, one by one, until I reached the last item lying on the bottom.  Sadly, there it was.

BITCH…

My blood boiled with rage.  I picked up the blue and white striped shirt and held it up to my nose.  My nostrils flared as soon as I realized Daddy’s musk and spearmint scent had been replaced with the smell of cheap detergent and Downy.

THE ONLY THING I WANTED! 
The last thing that helped me to feel Daddy’s presence! 
There would be no more closing my eyes to smell him and imagining he was still physically with me.  The heartless bitch had made sure of that when she’d driven this final nail in my coffin.  I picked up the note and focused on the last line.  I stomped my foot on the floor. 
TOTALLY ON PURPOSE!

Seven minutes
, I fumed as I paced uncontrollably around my room.  My eyes fell back onto my blue and white striped keepsake that lay on the bed, now useless. 
I know I said I didn’t want any drama, but
…
SCREW IT!

I grabbed the shirt and flew
down the steps on a mission.  I was well aware of Charlotte’s issues with me, but this callous act was just as much of a slap against Daddy —
maybe more?
I searched the house for her relentlessly.  Ace Barlow’s car was still parked outside.  Right then, I realized
where
she was.  I slung my purse down on the table in the foyer and charged back to her bedroom.  I grappled with the locked doorknob for only a second.  Even though it was brass, I decided to kick the damn thing open.

The door slammed so hard its knob was now lodged firmly into the room’s sidewall.
I wasn’t the least bit surprised to find Ace Barlow lying on Daddy’s side of the bed when I’d entered.  However, I became more than a little unhinged at the sight of the sleazy bastard wearing the robe I’d bought my father for Christmas two years ago!  My eyes narrowed like the blade of a knife as he shot straight up in the bed.  That abhorrent image was all it took for the rowdy redneck in me to come out a blazin’.

“
Git
out of my father’s bed and take his robe off this instant, unless you want ’em to remove it AT THE
MORGUE!”
I raged.

“
Oh, um
,
Shiloh
…Well, this is
awkward
,” Ace Barlow muttered nervously as he quickly sprang out of the bed.

I crossed my arms and let out a laugh. 
“For
who
, exactly?  Me?  My father, who’s lying in a grave?  You?  Or Kimberly…your
WIFE,
Mr. Barlow?”

Ace Barlow scrambled to gather up his clothes that were scattered around the room.  “Hey, Charlotte.  You’d better get out here,” he urged nervously.

I averted my head while he wrestled on his pants.  My eyes fell on Charlotte’s dresser.  As soon as I spotted the tiny bottle of ruby cologne, I snatched it up and gave the dainty crystal container a quick swirl.

Charlotte, you certainly don’t need
THIS
, I thought, as I tucked it inside the pocket of my jacket.  After all, it had been left here for
me
to find and realistically, a “lust potion” in the hands of Charlotte Wallace would be a recipe for disaster.  I’d be doing the married females of Welch a public service and probably save a few of them from some jail-time when her adulterous trysts came to light.

Charlotte emerged from the bathroom.  Her bleach-blonde hair was all mussed, and she couldn’t have looked any
more whorey if she’d tried, standing there draped in her red satin robe.  She scowled at me, but held her head up high, immodestly.  Soon, her eyes sparkled with delight when she spotted Daddy’s shirt wadded up in my hand.

“Something on your mind,
dear?
” my mother asked, obviously shooting for “innocent”.

I shook my head. 
“HERE!”
I hurled Daddy’s shirt at her.  “Before you open that mouth of yours again, plug it with that!  That’s all it’s good for
NOW
…and congratulations,
Mother
.  You’ve succeeded in every one of your attempts to antagonize and alienate me!  But to trash Daddy’s memory like that?
To just wash it away
?  You may have destroyed
my memento
, but my memories are still very much intact!  I’ll always carry him with me…
in my heart! 
Can
YOU
say the same?” I demanded as I pointed to Ace Barlow, who was grappling with the laces on his shoes.