[06] Slade (2 page)

Within minutes, Slade was pulling behind an old blue Chevy truck. Turning off the bike, he sat waiting for Jill to make a move. When she continued to sit still as stone behind him, he removed his sunglasses, hanging them on the handlebars. His eyes met hers in the side mirror, and at that moment, he wanted nothing more than to turn and comfort her. She looked terrified of what he figured was the rejection she may suffer again at the hands of her family. Jesus, these feelings were not good. Not good for him and definitely not good for her.

“We going to get off the bike or sit here all day?” His question was harsh even to his own ears.

Jill swallowed nervously, looking away from his reflection. “Sorry, just been a while since I’ve been here.” She slipped off the back of the bike, looking around. “Not much has changed. I mean, I know it hasn’t been
that
long, but it seems like it.”

“We can leave now, Jill.” Slade stayed on the bike, watching her closely. He felt like an ass for snapping at her because he knew damn good and well she was nervous. It wasn’t her fault; well, it was mostly her fault that he had these fucked-up feelings. It
had
to be her fault because no other woman had affected him so strongly, strong enough for him to want to throw her sweet body down in the driveway and….
shit
! “I can check on your dad later,” he snapped at her again.

“No,” she snapped back with a glare. “I just want to see him for a second, then I’m gone.”

A deep bark grabbed their attention. “Sable!” Jill turned toward the sound. A large black German Shepherd stood just around the corner of the house. “Sable, it’s me.” The excitement in her voice echoed across the yard.

Slade dismounted his bike, his eyes never leaving the huge animal. “Jill, hold on,” Slade warned, his grip tight on her arm stopping her.

Another bark sounded, this one not as deep or aggressive, but excited. A smaller dog, which looked like a mini-me of the German Shepherd ran past Sable. Jill knelt in time to catch the smaller dog in her arms, receiving excited licks and nips. “You remember me, don’t you, Bebe?” Jill laughed, rubbing the dog’s head roughly before putting her forehead against Bebe’s. “I’ve missed you so much, girl,” Jill whispered, grabbing her by the neck and hugging her closely.

Slade watched the reunion with a better understanding of this woman who had his mind in shambles. She had been dealt a hard blow in life, a life she had abruptly been pushed away from by no fault of her own. Even with his eyes on the black German Shepherd, who was edging closer to Jill, Slade couldn’t help shifting his eyes back to watch Jill savor the moment with her missed pet. He tensed as her attention went back to the large black dog.

Jill raised her hand slowly. “It’s me, Sable,” she repeated in a whisper. “Please remember me.”

Her words hit Slade like a sledgehammer. The love she wanted so badly, even from an animal, was clear in the tone of her words. The dog sniffed her hand, its eyes never leaving hers before a large tongue snaked out, licking Jill. Slade couldn’t help the smile that slid across his face in relief when both dogs overwhelmed Jill, fighting for her attention. He was glad because he really didn’t want to have to kill her pet to protect her. As he watched, he wondered briefly if it was normal to feel jealousy toward a dog. He also couldn’t help thinking how fucked-up that was.

Jill laughed, trying to get up off the ground. Once Sable warmed up to her again, she couldn’t get the large dog off her. Slade’s hand appeared and she grabbed it while he grabbed Sable’s collar, gently pulling the dog back.

“Thanks.” Jill brushed off her jeans, then touched her cheek with the back of her hand, surprised to feel wetness. She wondered if it was tears or dog kisses that made it wet.

“Jilly!” A young voice froze her hand, the wetness forgotten. Turning, she saw her six-year-old brother on the porch. “Jilly!” His excitement had him jumping two steps at a time, tumbling to his knees before scrambling back up and running at breakneck speed, skidding to a stop right before her, his eyes wide.

“Whoa, Seth.” Jill put her hands out to steady him, but frowned and pulled away when he jumped back.

“You look different.” His young eyes stared curiously at her mismatched eyes. “Your eye is bleeding.”

With both hands she wiped the wetness away, cursing when she looked down at her hand, seeing red smeared with the wetness. Looking back at her younger brother, whom she loved more than anything in the world, made her want to scream at the unfairness. Her mother wouldn’t let her see Seth the day they kicked her out. She had begged, but her mother refused and her father had stood by and let it happen. Clearing the large lump in her throat, she knelt down to Seth’s level, but didn’t move closer, not wanting to scare him.

“I’m the same Jilly, Seth,” Jill smiled, then remembered her fangs and closed her mouth quickly before covering it with her hand.

Seth stood still, his face expressionless as his eyes searched hers. Finally, he reached up to move her hand away from her mouth. His small hand touched her lip, pushing it up to reveal one fang. Jill allowed him to do it, his eyes darting back and forth between her eyes and fang.

“Are you going to eat me?” he whispered as he pulled his hand back, his tone serious for a six-year-old.

“Are you a chocolate candy bar?” Jill whispered back, mocking his serious tone.

“Nooo,” he giggled, rolling his eyes.

“Then I’m not going to eat you, silly,” Jill chuckled, a large grin spreading across her face. “Why would you think I’d eat you?”

“Seth, get away from her!” A shout and sounds of running came from the front door.

Jill stood and felt Slade step up beside her. Her older sister, Janie, came running almost as quickly as Seth had. “Did you tell him I would eat him?” Jill growled at her sister, who picked Seth up, turning him in a protective manner.

“What are you doing here?” Janie ignored Jill’s question, looking nervously between Jill and Slade. “You need to leave, Jill. You’re not welcome here.”

Jill looked up at the house and saw her mother looking out the living room window. Her hand automatically went up to wave, but the curtains shut and her mother disappeared. Anger and hurt made her want to strike out, but when her eyes went back to her sister, all she could see was Seth looking at her confused.

“Where’s Dad?” Jill tried to keep her voice void of any emotion, but she wasn’t successful with keeping the anger out of her gaze.

“Why?” Janie took a step back. “He’s in no shape to see you. You’ll only upset him and his heart can’t handle that.”

“He’s cutting firewood,” Seth spoke with the innocence of a child.

“He just had a heart attack and he’s out cutting wood?” Jill’s eyes popped open. “Where in the hell is Trevor?”

“Oh, Jilly, you said a bad word.” Seth covered his eyes, instead of his ears.

“Sorry, buddy,” Jill replied, but her eyes never left Janie. “I asked you a question. Actually, I’ve asked you several which you haven’t answered. As soon as I’m finished with Dad, you and I are going to have a long conversation.” Jill turned to head in the opposite direction of the house toward the woods.

“My fiancé is going to be here any minute,” Janie warned, her voice shaking. “You better leave. He’s very protective of us. He doesn’t like your kind.”

Jill stopped suddenly, but didn’t turn around. “Then he’ll get along fine with this family, won’t he,” Jill hissed. Seth called out to her, but she kept going because she didn’t trust herself not to plaster her sister against a wall.

“You okay?” Slade’s deep voice in the quiet woods just beyond her house startled her.

“No, not really,” she replied. Her head down, she let her feet carry her to where her dad was. She had played in these woods as soon as she could walk. It had been her escape. She knew every tree, rock and trail for miles. “Just doing everything in my power not to kill my sister and…eat her,” she spat in disgust. She still couldn’t believe her sister, who she had been pretty close to, could tell their little brother she would eat him. Feeling anger burning up through her body from her toes to the top of her head, she lifted her hand, aiming it toward a small tree without stopping. The tree uprooted in one fluid motion, and as she flicked her hand, it flew a few feet before smashing into another one, then to the ground with a large crash.

“Nice.” Slade raised his eyebrows impressed.

She didn’t answer as they broke into a clearing. Her father sat a few yards away on a fallen tree, sipping water from a bottle. Hearing their approach, he dropped the water and stood in surprise. “Jill?”

Jill didn’t stop, just kept going. “What are you doing cutting firewood?” Jill frowned as she marched toward him, her arms whipping around at all the cut wood laying on the ground. “Are you crazy?”

Her father, looking pale, sat back down heavily. “Jill?” he said again, his eyes glancing toward Slade, then back to Jill. “What are you doing here?”

Stopping in front of him, she placed her hands on her hips. “I’ve come to see you.” Her voice had calmed, somewhat. “I heard you had a heart attack and wanted to see if you were okay.”

He looked away, shaking his head slowly. “Why?”

Jill dropped her hands from her hips, her arms falling to her sides. His frailness scared her. Her father, who could do anything in her eyes, her hero still, even after everything, looked older than his forty-so years.

“Because you’re my dad,” she whispered past the lump in her throat, praying he would reach for her and hug her like he used to do when she felt lost. She was a daddy’s girl and losing him had devastated her; seeing him like this, knowing she could lose him forever would destroy her. “And I love you.”

His eyes shot to hers in shock. “How can you love me after what I’ve done?” He stood as he spoke, his pale face flushing red with anger. “I never gave you a chance. I kicked my baby girl out when she needed me most, but your mother…”

“I know.” Jill took a step closer, still hoping for that hug, praying for it with everything she had. Any kind of affection, she didn’t care; she’d take it. Yeah, she was that desperate. Like an abandoned dog begging for scraps, she was begging deep down inside for a scrap from the man who had been her life. “She was afraid of me, still is. But I would never hurt my family. Well, I might bite Janie, but other than that everyone else is safe.”

Her father’s head snapped back, but a small smile tipped his quivering lip and then the moment she prayed for happened. He reached for her and she flew into his arms, careful not to crush him with her strength. “I’m so sorry, Jelly Bean.” He pulled her away to get a good look at her and gave her arms a squeeze. “I should have come looking for you. It’s been eating me alive knowing what I did to you.”

“I’m fine now, Dad.” Jill pulled him back into the hug, not ready to let go just yet. She felt him wobble. “Dad?”

Slade was there in a flash helping her ease her father down to the tree. “Mr. Nichols, are you having any pain?”

“No.” Her father looked up at Slade surprised. “Who are you?”

“This is Dr. Slade Buchanan,” Jill introduced them, her worried eyes never leaving her father. “Slade, this is my dad, Chuck Nichols.”

“You’re a doctor?” Chuck looked at his golden eyes in surprise.

“Yes, sir.” Slade glanced at Jill, then back at her father. “Do you mind if I take your pulse?”

“No, not at all.” He held out his hand, still looking shocked as Slade took his wrist. “They let vampires be doctors?”

“How long ago was your heart attack?” Slade frowned, ignoring his question.

“Over a month ago. Triple bypass. They said I was lucky.” Her father wiped sweat off his brow.

Slade nodded. “Very lucky, but your luck is going to run out if you don’t follow your doctor’s orders.”

“Which are?” Jill demanded of her father, but didn’t let him answer. “I’m sure those orders didn’t include cutting firewood.”

“No, they didn’t.” Her father frowned, then stood with the help of Slade. “But somebody has to do it. Winter’s coming and I need to get it done.”

“Then let Trevor do it.” Jill grabbed the chainsaw before her dad could. “Where is he anyway? Why isn’t he doing this?”

“He moved out,” he answered with a long sigh. “After you came home that night and then left, Trevor came home and found out. He was angry and stormed out. He has been coming home more since my heart attack.”

“He left because of me?” She stared at her father. Trevor was a year younger than her, with Janie being a year older. She had always been the middle child until little Seth, who had been a surprise blessing. Their mother, Julianne, had been told her childbearing days were over. Seth proved them wrong when he came screaming into the world. “She pulled her phone out. “What’s his number?”

“Jill, I’m the man here and I will take care of my…” He frowned, using his ‘father’ tone with her, but Jill wasn’t having it.

“Health?” Jill finished for him with a snort. “If you don’t, then you won’t be here for long to take care of anything. Now, what’s his number?”