Sand Jewels (The Wishes Series) (9 page)

“No, I haven’t told her,” he spat. “And I don’t need a pushy princess dictating how the future with my kid is going to play out.”

“What are you so afraid of, Alex?” I asked bravely.

The anger that was building quickly receded. He answered me calmly and painfully truthfully. “She’ll hate me, Gabrielle. I’m all she’s ever known, and it’s all been a lie. I’m protecting myself, not her.”

I slowly shook my head. “She’s going to have to know eventually.”

“And I will cross that bridge when I come to it,” he mumbled.

“And what about us?” I asked.

He finally smiled, and it was perfect. “I like us.”

“I miss us,” I replied.

Alex reached out and drew me in close. “You’re my art, Gabs,” he murmured.

I clung to his forearms, ensuring he kept a safe distance from me. I hadn’t finished with him yet.

“What do you mean?”

He lightly pressed his warm lips to mine. “You told me that art is beauty. You’re my beauty and I love you.”

“Let’s keep it real, sweetheart,” I quipped. “You only love me for my stews.”

16. VISITOR

Being back on track was spectacular. Being with Alex never grew old and I treasured every minute we spent together. Keeping our relationship to ourselves wasn’t turning out to be so bad either. Our lives moved slowly, but we were still moving forward.

The school year finally ended and after a lovely warm summer, drifted into a new one. I expected Charli’s final year of high school to be a little more laid back. Jasmine Tate finally graduated, leaving Lily and Lisa to do her bidding. Even combined they were no match for Charli. By the end of the first term, they’d all but given up on their campaign to destroy her. Nasty comments between the two factions were inevitable, but nothing compared to the year before.

That meant I got a reprieve too. I hadn’t spent time holed up with Charli in detention for months. I almost missed her.

Alex wasn’t missing the demon version of his secret daughter one bit. Slowly but surely he was making plans to tell her the news he’d been keeping from her since she was born.

Charli had big plans of travelling at the end of the school year. He knew that would be his cut off point. She’d leave town knowing that she wasn’t freeing up her brother to finally live his own life. She’d be leaving her father, and he was going to miss her dreadfully.

***

I wasn’t looking forward to telling Alex my news, which was strange because I was truly excited. There was no point trying to ease into it, but I tried softening the blow by picking my moment well.

We were in bed when I hit him with it. I laid my cheek on his warm chest as if that was all it would take to keep him from bolting out of my bed.

My cousin had plans to visit, which meant our Friday rendezvous’ would be put on hold for as long as he was in town.

“How long is he planning to stay?” asked Alex sounding bitterly disappointed.

“A couple of months,” I muttered unwillingly.

Alex let out a long sigh that I felt beneath my cheek. “So where does that leave us?”

I ran my fingertips lightly down the ridges of his chest. “We’ll work it out.”

“When is he coming?”

“He’ll be here tomorrow.”

Alex’s shifted, giving me no choice but to move. I sat up, taking most of the sheet with me. “I didn’t know he was coming,” I explained. “He was supposed to be going to Spain. I’m not sure what the story is, but his plans have fallen through.”

Alex reached up and put his hand behind my neck. He stared at me for a long moment while he thought it through. “It’s not the end of the world, I suppose,” he finally grumbled. “I’ll just have to be more creative when it comes to – ”

I put my finger to his lips. “Don’t dare finish that sentence,” I warned. “You’re in the company of a lady.”

He pulled me down onto the bed and swiftly rolled on top of me. “I’ve heard you talk dirty, Gabs,” he teased, making me giggle. “You’re no lady.”

***

Adam Décarie is my favourite cousin, despite the fact that I am six years older than him. When he was little, I used to pretend he was mine. My eight-year-old brain saw nothing wrong with mothering a little two-year-old.

As we grew, I found that I still tended to mother him. I was worried about seeing him for the simple fact that he sounded out of sorts when he’d called to let me know he was on his way. I got the impression there was a reason Adam was headed to Pipers Cove.

My offer to collect him from the airport had fallen on deaf ears. He’d arranged a car and was making the hour long journey by himself. Adding to my worry was the fact that it had been pelting down with rain all day and he was unfamiliar with driving on the left hand side of the road.

When he finally arrived, I breathed a sigh of relief, thankful I wasn’t going to have to phone my aunt with terrible news. Tante Fiona wasn’t the easiest of women to deal with.

I met Adam on the porch. He greeted me with a wide smile and lifted me off my feet as he hugged me tightly.

“Put me down,” I ordered. “You’re soaked.”

He lowered me to my feet and I pushed him away to get a better look at him. He was such a lovely looking man, the epitome of tall dark and handsome. He also happened to be soaked to the bone.

“Why are you all wet?” I asked curiously.

He grinned widely, ignoring the beads of water dripping off his dark hair onto his face. “I nearly killed a girl, Gabi.”

I wondered for a moment if my English had failed me. I asked him to repeat his words in French.

“She was gorgeous,” he told me, still smiling. “Blonde and angry and seriously uptight.”

My heart sunk. I knew only one girl who fit the bill. “What was her name?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know, she didn’t tell me.”

“Oh, well,” I crowed, trying to downplay it. “No harm done.”

I was microscopically hopeful that that would be the end of it. All I had to do was keep him away from Charli for the next two months. I wasn’t expecting it to be a difficult task. I could think of nothing they’d have in common.

I hooked my arm through his and led him toward the door. “Come inside. You can get dry and tell me all your news. I’ll cook us a nice dinner.”

“Ah, don’t go to any trouble for me, Gabi,” he said sheepishly.

I released my hold on him. “It’s no trouble.”

Adam pulled a strange face as he worked hard to let me down gently. “I’ve actually made plans.”

“What plans?” I snapped. “You’ve only been in town ten minutes.”

He laughed and dropped his head. “I’m going to a wedding.”

“Joanna Lawson’s wedding?”

Adam shrugged. “I don’t know whose wedding it is. All I know is that the angry blonde is going to be there.”

“So?” I barked, horrified.

“So, there’s something about her. I can’t explain it.”

If he had ten thousand years of knowing Charli Blake he’d be none the wiser. She was impossible.

***

The only good to come of Adam disappearing out the door on his first night in town was that it meant Alex could come over.

I practically rushed him at the door. I grabbed his hand and pulled him over to the couch. “We need to talk,” I demanded.

“Why?” he asked, perplexed. “What have I done?”

I quickly rushed through the very short story of Adam and Charli.

Alex mulled it over for a long time before finally speaking. “I’m not sure why you’re so worried, Gabs. She hasn’t caused anyone bodily harm in a long time. He’ll be fine.”

I wiped the smug grin off his face in the best way I knew how – I pointed out the worst-case scenario. “How are you going to cope if this progresses?”

“Into what?” he asked, looking slightly worried.

I hammed it up, spelling it out to him in my best theatrical voice. “Two young lovers from completely different walks of life – thrown together by a chance meeting during a rainstorm.”

He pulled me backward into the cushion of the couch, pressing his lips against mine. “Stop talking,” he murmured against my mouth.

I momentarily broke free and continued with the Broadway-style voice. “Were they destined to meet? Will their love survive? Will – ”

“Will. You. Shut. Up.”

I dropped my head, giggling against his neck. “This might be trouble, Alex,” I warned.

THE END

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