Hidden Currents (31 page)

Birds flew in lazy circles looking for a meal and out at sea two dolphins leapt and chattered. They paused for a moment to watch them.

“Those are Abigail’s dolphins,” Elle said eagerly. “I know they are. Well, not Abigail’s, of course they’re wild, but all the same, they actually call to her with a signature whistle. It’s very cool. Two males, Boscoe and Kiwi often come by to coax her into swimming with them. Kiwi has that scar on him from when he saved Abbey’s life. She’ll be happy to know they’re back.” She glanced toward the Drake house, but from where they were she couldn’t see the captain’s walk. “I’ll bet she’s up there now.”

“If she was up there, her dolphins wouldn’t be out here following us as we take our walk.” Jackson was much more practical.

“Unless she sent them to keep an eye on us,” Elle said.

Jackson grinned at her. “That’s such a Drake thing to do.”

She kicked sand at him and threw driftwood down the beach for Bomber. “You mean everyone doesn’t have dolphins to watch over them?”

“Not ones they can communicate with.”

“Abigail can talk to any animal,” Elle said.

“Can you?”

She shrugged. “Not like she can. I can a bit. I have all the talents, but because I have so many I haven’t developed them all to their full potential. I chose the things I needed to use the most and worked on them. Everything takes practice and work. It’s not automatic.”

“But you could connect on some level with Bomber?”

She frowned, realizing he wasn’t just making conversation. “I might be able to. Why? What are you thinking?”

He took the stick from the dog and threw it again, watching as Bomber happily chased it. Bomber had a strong prey drive and would play for hours with his favorite work toy, a ball on a rope that Jackson used to keep him in good shape along with his other training. “Just that if you can connect with Bomber, and he can sense a psychic attack, we might be able to strike back.”

Elle stopped. Overhead seagulls skimmed over the water, throwing dancing shadows along the sand. The wind carried the sound of the dolphins chattering back and forth as they played in the water. “How?”

“I haven’t figured that part out yet, Elle, but so far, he’s been having things his own way, mostly because you need to heal. In another day, you’ll be strong enough to let Kate and maybe even Libby really work on you. Once you’re at full strength, I’m certain when I’m not in your mind, you’ll be strong enough to keep him out, but when we’re together, we’ll be able to attack him if he comes at you.”

Elle bit down on her lip as they began walking again. “You have a lot of faith in me.”

“I keep telling you, you’re down, baby, you’re not out.”

She inhaled the scent of the sea and once more slipped her hand into his. “I love Sea Haven, Jackson. I love everything about it.”

“When do you want to move back home?”

She glanced at him quickly. “Not yet. Give me a little more time. I want to make certain I’m strong enough that when all my sisters are around me, I don’t accidently slip up and let them feel what I’m feeling. My emotions are all over the place. Sometimes I feel like I’ve cried so many tears I don’t have any left. And other times I want to fight someone, or just scream.” She took a deep breath, her fingers tightening around his. “I’m afraid to be without you, Jackson.” She made the admission in a low voice. “I can’t remember ever being really afraid in my entire life.”

“I’m still afraid to be without you,” he said, “but probably not for the same reasons.”

In the distance a couple walked toward them, just coming around the rocks, their footprints in the wet sand. When they spotted Jackson and Elle, they changed course to intercept them, although they walked at the same slow, leisurely pace.

“What does that mean?”

“It means sometimes I want to take a gun and shoot people I think don’t deserve to live. Like Gratsos. And maybe without you in my life, I’d do it.”

“Jackson the badass.” She smiled at him. “You’re not at all like you think you are.”

He brought her hand up to his mouth, kissing her knuckles. “You keep thinking that, honey. I don’t mind.”

The couple approached them as they walked along the dunes, the sand soft under their feet. As they neared them, Elle recognized Clyde and Marie Darden. Clyde was well-known for his beautiful garden and his entries in the fair each year. He was fiercely proud of his hybrid flowers and guarded his gardening secrets carefully. More than once, as a child, Elle had gotten in trouble for taking a dare to climb over the fence and walk through Mr. Darden’s garden. She’d even picked one of his prized flowers one time. She’d really gotten in trouble for that. Darden had marched her home to her father, threatening to box her ears every step of the way.

She gripped Jackson’s hand tighter as the couple came straight up to them, blocking their way, obviously meaning to talk. Jackson stopped, drawing Elle under the protection of his shoulder.

“Clyde. Marie. How are you?” Jackson asked, shocking her. No one called the Dardens by anything other than Mr. and Mrs. Darden. Mr. Darden demanded respect at all times.

“Wonderful, thank you, Jackson,” Mr. Darden said. “I see you have our girl home at last. We kept our ribbon on the tree for you the entire time you were gone, Elle.”

Mrs. Darden nodded. “We had a candle lit in the window, too. And we prayed for you, for your safe return.”

“Thank you,” Elle said. “Everyone’s been so kind.”

“If there’s anything we can do for you, Elle,” Mr. Darden said. “Just let us know. Marie makes incredible chicken soup.”

Mrs. Darden nodded, her face brightening. “What a wonderful idea, Clyde. I’ll bring some by for you, Elle, for both of you.”

“We’d love that,” Jackson said before Elle could respond. “Your soup saved the day for me when I was getting that cold.”

Elle looked up at his face, but he was carefully avoiding her gaze. Now she knew who did Jackson’s gardening for him. No wonder he had such a beautiful yard with Mr. Darden at the helm. The man could grow anything anywhere and it would blossom and thrive.

Mrs. Darden beamed. “You’re such a sweet boy, Jackson. Thank you for the cord of wood. It really helped us when the electricity went out.”

Jackson frowned. “I thought you had the generator.”

The Dardens exchanged a long look. “I should have told you,” Mr. Darden said, “but you were so worried about our Elle. Something went wrong with it and it went out completely in that last storm.”

Mrs. Darden patted Jackson’s arm. “We knew you’d worry about us, so we didn’t tell you. The fireplace kept us warm enough.”

“How did you cook?”

“We ate sandwiches, dear,” Mrs. Darden said. “The electricity was only off for a couple of days.”

“Three days,” Jackson corrected. “I’ll come by later and take a look at the generator.”

“If you insist,” Mr. Darden said. “And while you’re there, a board needs replacing on the stairs. Mrs. Darden nearly fell through it the other day.”

“On the back stairs?” Jackson sounded stern. “I told you those stairs had to be replaced and you told me Lance was going to do it.”

“Lance hasn’t gotten around to it,” Mrs. Darden said. “We asked him right after you told us, but he keeps pushing the date back. I think he may be ill.”

Elle knew that was code for Lance having fallen off the wagon. He was a binge drinker and went months without drinking, but then would stay drunk for weeks on end.

“I’ll take care of it,” Jackson said. “Next time call me right away. You can’t take chances with falling.”

Mr. Darden nodded. “In the old days, I would have done it myself.”

“Oh yes, dear,” Mrs. Darden agreed, looking up at her husband with shining eyes. “You always did the household repairs. Even the roof,” she explained proudly.

“Well there’s no need for that,” Jackson said. “Marie always supplies me with soup and takes care of me when I’m sick. I can do something in return. That way I don’t feel bad that she has to come by and feed me.”

“Now, Jackson,” Mrs. Darden scolded, as if he was a young boy. “You’re hardly ever ill and I don’t mind at all.”

Bomber suddenly gave a short bark, his body going still, facing out toward the sea. Goose bumps rose on Elle’s arms as she saw the dog’s ears go forward and his eyes focus beyond the waves. Slowly, afraid to look, she turned her head. Jackson had already moved, sliding his body easily between her and the sea. He caught Mrs. Darden’s elbow and began urging her to walk up toward the dunes. The wind shifted and blew toward them. Out at sea, the fog had begun to gather, a dark gray mass that thickened as she watched it.

“Jackson.”

“I see it, baby. Don’t panic on me.”

“What’s wrong, Jackson?” Mr. Darden asked, surprising Elle again. He glanced at the dog, at Elle’s pale face and then out to the sea. “I don’t like the look of that fog.”

He didn’t look upset, but rather protective, falling in step on the other side of her, as if he, too, was shielding her from the sea. The seagulls overhead screamed. Out in the waves, the two dolphins leapt in the air and somersaulted, smacking the water hard to draw attention. Both rose up on their tales, speeding backward and whistling in agitation before plunging back beneath the water.

“Where’s your car, Clyde?” Jackson asked.

Mr. Darden glanced toward the road. “About a quarter mile back. It was such a lovely day we thought we’d walk to your house and say hello to Elle and then walk back.”

“We brought you a card, dear,” Mrs. Darden added.

“Thank you,” Elle said, trying not to sound nervous. “That was so thoughtful of you.”

“Maybe we should all just get home,” Jackson said, sounding like the authoritative deputy. “The fog can get pretty bad and I’d rather you were safe. You know how thick it can get and I wouldn’t want you driving in it.”

“Do you think it’s going to get that bad?” Mrs. Darden asked, looking out at the sea, obviously disappointed that the weather might spoil her visit. “I looked at the forecast and it didn’t say fog.”

“Elle needs to rest anyway. I’ll bring her with me when I come to look at the generator,” he added.

The couple beamed and quickly agreed. Jackson watched them until they were safely around the bend and out of sight before he urged Bomber and Elle toward the house.

13

THE fog stayed where it had gathered a distance offshore for most of the evening. It was dark and just hung in the sky like a heavy pall in spite of the wind picking up. Jackson kept Elle indoors, forcing her to play cards with him and crowing when he thoroughly trounced her.

“I thought you were supposed to be so good at this,” he teased.

“Yeah, well, I’m not a professional card shark. Sheesh. What did you do? Go to school for this? No one wins every single hand at gin rummy.”

“I do,” he said with a little smirk. “I made a lot of money playing most card games in the army.”

“And now you own a grocery store.”

He scowled at her. “You’d better not mention that to anyone. Or bring it up again. It’s embarrassing. And Inez just won’t stop with the groceries. She brings me all sorts of things.” He sounded exasperated. “I tell her not to, but she doesn’t listen. I can’t eat all that food.”

“What do you do with it?”

He shrugged, his scowl deepening. “I don’t know.”

Her eyebrow shot up and amusement crept into her expression. “Does it find its way to the Dardens?”

“Elle,” he said her name in warning, jumped up and busied himself pouring them both a cup of tea. Adding milk, he carried a small tray of cookies to the table and set them in front of her.

“You make cookies, too? Is there anything you don’t do?”

Another faint flush spread up his neck as he seated himself opposite her. “I didn’t make the damn things. But they’re good so eat them. You’re still too thin.”

“I’m just right.” But she took a cookie anyway. “These are great. Who did make them?”

He sighed. “Marie did.”

Elle’s grin widened. “With the ingredients you brought her from the groceries Inez brings you? You lead a very complicated life, don’t you?”

“I’m a very complicated man.” He took a cautious sip of tea and tried to look casual.

Elle burst out laughing. “You’ve got this entire circle of people you look after. All this time, all of us thought you were such a loner, but you’re surrounded by people.”

His scowl was back. “I’m a deputy. I’m supposed to help people when they need it.”

“I thought your job was to shoot bad guys.”

“Well, that, too. Technically, I’m supposed to arrest them. Jonas frowns on us shooting people, but once in a while, just to stay in practice . . .”

She laughed again, amazed that he could make her do so when the fog hung heavy out the window and the dog paced restlessly up and down, keeping a wary eye on the fog. Bomber could sense the psychic energy looking for a target, and yet Jackson had still managed to distract her. She leaned across the table. “How in the world did you get so involved with these people?”

He shrugged. “People rarely check on the elderly in bad weather and long cold spells. Sometimes they don’t have heat or they can’t drive their cars to get to the store, or they don’t have a car and they can’t walk. I just like to check on them and make certain everything is going fine for them. No big deal.”

She sat back, regarding him with shining eyes. Jackson looked away from her. “Don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like I’m a fucking saint, Elle. I’m not.”

“Don’t worry, until you stop using the ‘F’ word, no one is going to mistake you for a saint.”

He grinned at her. “You get that little schoolmarm tone in your voice whenever you scold me.”

“You like it,” she said.

“It’s cute.”

She made a face at him. “Just for that I’m telling my sisters you’re ‘good-deed Jackson.’ They’ll never let you hear the end of it.”

He groaned. “You wouldn’t dare.”

The smile faded from Elle’s face. She froze, turning her head in the direction of the Drake house. She suddenly leapt to her feet, nearly knocking over her teacup. Jackson, uncertain what was happening, rose to his feet as well, reaching for the gun in his holdout holster. Elle’s face had gone pale and her eyes were enormous. She looked wildly around the house and then started for the door.