Starseed (4 page)

Sara's hesitation told her that she wasn't too keen on the idea
. A couple of heartbeats later, Sara said, “Yeah, but do you think we should tell someone what we saw?”

“
I told Dad. He said there were several reports last night. We weren’t the only ones who saw something.”  

“
That’s what I hear.”  Sara laughed. “Earlier, I overheard people in the coffee shop here at the bookstore discussing it. I have to tell you it's starting to creep me out.”

“
Me too, but I have to go back there.” 
I have to find out once and for all what happened to me when I was a kid. This time, I’ll be the one asking questions.

“
Can you meet me for lunch?” Sara asked.

“
Let me check the schedule.”  Elle glanced at the appointment book under her name and noted a cancellation. To her surprise, Kole Stith had been penciled in for a haircut. She smiled and her heart did a slow tumble. “I had a perm cancel. Guess who's scheduled for a haircut?”

“
Who?” asked Sara.

“
Kole. From last night. Can you believe it?”

“
Wow, that was quick. He didn't look like he’d ever had a haircut.”  She laughed. “You must've made quite an impression.”

“
Yeah, I guess. Anyway, let me finish with him then I'll be free for lunch in about forty-five minutes.”  She glanced at her Mickey Mouse watch. “I can meet you at twelve-thirty. Where do you want to go?”

“
Let's go to the diner. It’s cold today and I'm in the mood for homemade soup and Dotty’s apple pie. I need comfort food.”

“
Good idea. See you there.”  Elle hung up the phone. When she got ready for Kole, her stomach quivered as she thought of him. She found herself reviewing their conversation, the sound of his voice, and the sensations he caused when he was near her.

“
Elle, your next appointment is here.”  Gloria leaned toward her and whispered. “And he's cute. Are you ready?”

“
Yes.” Elle said. Excitement ran through her body at the prospect of seeing him again. “Send him on back.”

Kole strolled toward Elle's styling station dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt
. Much better. A lurch of anticipation jumped within her at the sight of him.
Damn, I didn’t imagine it. He’s as hot as
I remembered
. Strong broad shoulders, dark wavy hair and those blue eyes. What wasn't to like? “Have a seat, Kole. I didn't expect to see you this soon.”

“
I decided this morning it's time for a change. I want my hair cut short.” 

“
Are you sure?”  Elle was surprised.

A frown crossed his face as if he were deep in thought
. He looked a million miles away. Apparently, he had something on his mind other than a haircut. “Yeah, a lot shorter than it is,” he said at last.

“
Okay, if you want it that way, I can do it. If you don’t mind, I’d like to save the long hair for Locks for Love, the people who make wigs for cancer patients.” 

“
Sure, go ahead, I have no use for it.”

Once again the realization zinged through her that she had barely met the man, yet there was this instant forceful attraction
. Something she’d never experienced. She shook her head. “So, you're here for a few weeks?”  She tried to hold a normal conversation while she got her emotions under control.

“
That's the plan.”  The admission seemed to confuse him.

Elle tucked the haircutting cape around his shoulders and lowered him back into the shampoo bowl
. He closed his eyes as she shampooed his hair. His scalp was tight. He needed to relax. Heat rippled under her fingertips as she recognized a flush of desire she hadn't felt in ages. There hadn't been many men in her life and not any lately. She hurriedly rinsed out the shampoo and towel-dried his long hair. It really was beautiful.

“
What do you think of our town?”  She wrestled with her own inner demons as she combed through the long lengths. “You're probably not used to having the sidewalks rolled up at six o'clock.”

“
I don't mind. I like the peace and quiet and quaint Victorian homes. They're different from where I grew up.” 

For a moment, a vision of vibrant stars and a distant solar system flashed in her mind’s eye
.
Where did that
come from
? She blinked and the image disappeared. “Are you sure you want your hair really short? Sometimes, it's a shock to go from this long to barely there hair.”

Two deep lines of worry appeared between his eyes,
then he grinned. “It's okay. I need a change. Cut it how you think it would look good, maybe something like that.”  He pointed to the picture of a young man with longer hair and a short beard. The hair was tailored to the middle of the ear and longer in the back.

“
Sure, it'll look good on you.”  She pulled his hair back with a tie then cut it off and set it aside. She continued to shape the hair working with the natural curl, and focused on keeping her mind clear. This style would look great on him. He closed his eyes. She noticed the soft beginnings of a beard and mustache and fine crinkles etched around his eyes. She wondered if the lines were laugh lines or he got them from squinting through a camera lens.

“
The newspaper is looking for a new photographer here in Sweetwater.”  Damn, why did she say that? The last thing he would be interested in would be working for a small-town newspaper.

“
Funny you should mention that.”  He laughed. “I'm staying at Yesterday's Rose Bed and Breakfast. Rose, the owner, told me the same thing. I told her I gave you and Sara a ride into town last night. She invited me to have dinner with her and the sheriff.”  He raised an eyebrow.

“
Yeah, my dad is the sheriff. She mentioned dinner to me, too.”  So that was what Rose was up to. Trust her to play matchmaker. Elle finished his cut and reached for the dryer, deliberating what to say about dinner.

“
Listen, Elle.”  He studied her then glanced into the mirror avoiding her direct gaze. “I'm not sure how to word this, so I'm just going to say it. I got the impression that Rose is trying to set us up.”  He cleared his throat and gazed at her directly. “I'd enjoy going to dinner with you as a friend, but I'm not interested in anything else.”  His intense blue gaze sent her a completely different message as he measured her with a cool appraising look.

Caught off guard, Elle could only stare at him
.
Talk about mixed signals. Apparently, all those soul-searching
looks meant nothing
. She swallowed her suddenly dry throat and composed herself. Thank goodness her mouth hadn't dropped open. “You have nothing to worry about. I’m not looking to get involved, either.”  It would be wise to keep her distance in spite of the powerful surge of attraction that hit her whenever he glanced her way. Somehow, she'd manage to wrangle her wayward emotions back under control.

“
I didn't mean to be abrupt.”  He sighed. “I'd truly like us to be friends.”

“
Of course.”  Embarrassed, she clicked on the blow dryer. That was odd. Although she had to admit, at least he’d taken her mind off everybody in town thinking she was an alien. She could feel his eyes on her. He was different, more real, even in this strangely surreal day after the events of last night. She continued blow drying his hair, realizing her feelings for him scared the crap out of her. She met his gaze in the mirror and his eyes darkened. Deep within, where she held her sixth sense, she knew no matter what he said, he was attracted to her. The eyes never lied.

Chapter Three

After dealing with her disappointment with Kole, Elle wanted nothing more than the comfort of Dotty's Diner and to visit with Sara
. The café was warm, inviting, and filled to the rafters with the noisy lunch crowd. She eased into the booth across from Sara. “What's going on? There was a line to get in.” 

“
I know, I was lucky to get a table,” Sara said.

Elle glanced at the customers, recognizing most of them
. The diner always made her feel good. As a child, for a special treat, her dad brought her here for pie. The building was at least a hundred years old and had been through a few renovations. However, it retained its antique charm with the original metal-legged stools at the counter. The oak floor slanted just enough to make it quaint and the fresh flowers Dotty placed in the middle of the sparkling white tablecloths made it homey.

Dotty, the frazzled dishwater-blonde owner, sometimes cook and waitress, hurried over to their table.
“Hey there girls, the special today is beef stew.” 

“
I'll have that, a side salad and a Coke,” Elle said.

“
Make mine the same,” Sara chimed in. “You're really busy today.”  Clusters of townsfolk milled around the café in tight little groups talking with their heads together as if they somehow all shared a great secret.

“
Apparently, you haven't heard the latest.”  Dotty's voice drifted into a hushed whisper.

“
Now what?” Sara asked.

“
They're saying there were sightings of another UFO.”

Elle forced a smile
. “That’s what I’ve been hearing at the shop.”  She knew why they all had their mouths yapping in their conspiracy theory. Her stomach quivered at the thought of what she and Sara had witnessed.

“
Yeah, it's got Crazy Herman all worked up,” Dotty related with a gleam in her eyes. “He's been in here most of the morning warning people not to go out at night.” 

“
Dotty, we need more coffee over here,” shouted an older fellow sitting at the next table.

“
Hold your horses Wilber, I’ll be right there.”  Dotty glanced back at the girls. “I'll get this right out.”   

Elle watched Dotty give the cook their order
. “Here we go again.”  She reached over and touched a sunflower in the small vase, taking comfort in the softness of the perfect orange-yellow petals. She would get through this like she’d gotten through the other times there had been sightings. One day at a time.

“
It scares me,” Sara said.

Dotty set down their drinks
. “Oh, by the way Elle, Herman has been looking for you.” 

Elle's blood pressure shot up
. “What does he want?”  She pulled her Coke toward her, knowing exactly why he was reaching out to her. Sometimes she wished he would leave her alone. She sighed. Like that was going to happen.

“
Wouldn't say, but he's going on about how the aliens abducted him. I told him not to bother you, but you know how he is when he gets on that particular bandwagon.”

Of course Herman would track her down
. She was the only one who knew he was telling the truth. Not that she could confirm it to the Sweetwater grapevine. If the busybodies knew the truth, they'd contact those scientists from Los Alamos labs, and she and Herman would be their newest experiments. “Thanks for letting me know.”  Dotty left to fill another order.

“
Don't let it get to you.”  Sara patted Elle’s hand.

“
I try not to. Though I know something happened to Herman.”  She sipped her drink. “Trouble is he realizes I believe him. That's why he talks to me. He's not crazy.” 

“
Oh, I agree. After last night, I'm sure Herman has some interesting things to tell you.”  Sara paused. “But what if its things you don't want to know.”

“
Want to know?”  Elle sighed. “It doesn't matter if I
want
to know. I
have
to know. I need to know if what people have said about me all my life has any grain of truth to it.”

“
Your dad has gone over this with you a thousand times.”  Sara lowered her voice. “The people who care about you know you're not an alien.”

“
What if I am?”  Elle smiled weakly. In spite of her reserve, a tinge of exasperation crept into her voice. “I have this psychic thing and the lights in the sky always come back to this area.”  She hesitated. “I think they’re after me.”

“
Don’t talk that way. A lot of people have psychic abilities and they aren't aliens,” Sara said, her face solemn. “I've known you since we played together in the sandbox. You're as normal as I am.”  Her brow furrowed.

Elle laughed
. Thank goodness she had such a good and trusting friend in Sara. The tension eased and for Sara’s sake, she forced a smile. “Who says you're normal?”

“
Well, I.” Sara stopped in midsentence as Herman sauntered toward them.

“
Hey Elle, Sara.”  Herman, rail-thin with his graying salt and pepper hair sticking out in all directions, leaned against their booth. “I need to talk to you.”  He glanced around the cafe with his wild black eyes blinking, taking in everything and everybody around him.

“
Sure, join us,” Elle said and scooted across the booth to make room for him. Herman slid in beside her. “What's on your mind?” 
As if I don’t know. He’s in bad shape.
Her heart went out to him.

There was a pensive shimmer in his eyes as a momentary look of discomfort crossed his face
. “Is it all right to talk in front of her?”  He motioned to Sara.

“
Of course, I trust Sara.”  Elle looked at him with amused wonder. “Go ahead. Tell me what's bothering you.”

“
I have something.”  A dim flush crept up his neck. “Once you see it, I know you'll believe me.”

“
What is it?”  Elle lowered her voice, purposefully wanting to protect Herman from the customers trying to listen to their conversation.

“
Nope, I can't tell you,” Herman croaked in his low, gravely smoker’s voice. “I have to show you.”  His fingers clenched in a fist against the stark white tablecloth.

Elle's skin tingled
.
Oh, damn
. Her senses told her Herman had discovered something important. “Have you reported it to the authorities?”

“
Not yet.”  Herman's eyes pleaded with her to accept his invitation. Staring at the table, he mumbled under his breath and ran a hand through his thinning hair. “After I show you, we can call your dad.”

“
I can't go anywhere right now,” Elle told him. “I have appointments and I have to get back to the salon.”  

“
Meet me at my place when you get off work. I have proof.”  His voice hardened. “Proof the aliens are back and that they did abduct me.” 

“
You do?”  Elle's stomach knotted as she hoped against hope that he did. “What kind of proof?”

Herman's eyes glittered
. “You'll see.”

“
Okay, I'll come to your house soon as I can.”

He leaned his arm on the table and pointed to Sara.
“Bring her so we have a witness. If you trust her I. . . I guess, I do, too.”

“
All right, we'll be there.”  Elle’s heart beat with a burst of excitement. She sensed Herman had some kind of link that could lead her to the truth about her own past. She gritted her teeth, realizing she had to follow every lead no matter where it took her.

“
Good,” Herman said. Relief passed over his tired, sad features. “I'll be home.”

“
Have you told anyone else?”  Elle settled back against the booth with her fingers nervously trailing along the edge of the tablecloth.

“
Told the media about being abducted.”  Herman snorted. “They laughed at me. They think I'm some kind of nut.”  He gave Elle a piercing stare. “You know better.” 

Her heart ached for him as he glanced around the restaurant, his paranoia obvious
. Two men wearing the High Mountain Array uniforms came through the front door. One stood about six-feet tall with blonde hair and a dazed look on his face. The other was short with dark hair and tiny black beady eyes. He caught Elle’s attention. Herman lowered his eyes and wrapped his arms around his chest. The dark haired scowling man glared toward Herman. If looks could kill, Herman would be on the floor twitching.

“
Who is that?”  Elle's skin crawled. An evil vibration flew off the man in waves.
He’s dangerous.

“
That’s Benny Savonti and Lee Bales. They’re mean ones. Every time I try to paint pictures of the columbines in the meadow out by the Array, they give me a hard time.”  Herman shivered. “I. . . I gotta go,” he stammered and hurried toward the rear of the restaurant.

“
Now that’s interesting,” Sara said.

“
I’m sure it had something to do with the two men who just came in. Herman seemed afraid of the one called Benny.”  Elle watched Herman's slumped shoulders disappear through the back exit.

“
This is getting creepier by the minute.”  Sara showed Elle goose bumps on her arm. “Are you telling your dad?”

“
With all the sightings, I'm sure he has his hands full. I'll call him later, after we see what Herman has to show us.”  Images of Herman being strapped to a metal table with gray men standing on each side of him flashed in her mind and she knew. An unwanted shiver wound up her spine.
This time he has proof
. 

* * *

From high on the ridge above Herman’s place, Kole sat with a wolf watching Elle and Sara pull into the long driveway. He was glad for the quiet, the undisturbed moments to gather his thoughts and come to grips with where he was and what he was feeling. With every fiber of his being, he wanted to help Elle with her quest. The intense urge to put his arms around her nearly pushed him down the side of the mountain. Sitting back, he realized that wouldn’t do either of them any good.

He sighed in resignation
. The Ancient One had given him strict orders to retrieve the Dropa stones and bring Elle back. He couldn’t get intimate with her. It wasn’t allowed, not physically, anyway. Being on Earth had affected him in strange ways. His mind was a jumble of information, his senses bursting with images, sensations and need. He had to be careful.

It was the emotions he was ill-prepared to deal with
. The fact he was thinking about her this way didn’t bode well. Unused to the almost overwhelming feelings for Elle swamping through him, he sat back and rubbed his head to relieve the pressure building there. Starseeds were forbidden. His values, strength of will and sense of purpose would keep him on track. He wouldn’t jeopardize this mission. He took several deep breaths and gazed out across the valley, not yet totally accustomed to the endless supply of fresh air and the never-ending horizon surrounding him. Everything was so different. So much better.

For a moment, he rested his hands loosely on his knees, inhaling deeply
. There was a depth of utter peace and calm about him when he thought of being with Elle. It seemed a weary person like himself could rest there in the pool of quiet and let go of the tangles of tension in his soul.

A small voice in his head murmured,
“Kol-Sun, be cautious. Remember the words of the Ancient One.”

For a single moment, Kole looked down at the wolf and their eyes met, a single moment that felt to Kole as if the rest of everything hung in the balance
. He sighed. “Of course, Ari. You’re right.”   

* * *

Elle and Sara parked in Herman's long graveled driveway. “Doesn't look like anybody's around.”  His white clapboard house sat in the middle of the grassy yard, protected by the rolling hills surrounding it. All kinds of colorful birdhouses that Herman had made hung in the nearby trees. Birds chirped and flew around the houses, searching for seed, providing a peaceful, almost Disney-like atmosphere.

“
I see his work truck,” Sara pointed toward an older beat-up blue Ford. The truck sat parked next to the barn. “Let's go see if he’s inside working with the horses.”

They headed toward the faded red barn as Herman ran from behind the house
.

“
You made it.”  Breathless, he rushed to meet them with a happy gleam in his eyes. “I was putting birdfeed in my houses out back. I. . . I wasn't sure if you'd come, but I’m so glad you did.”

“
We said we would. What do you have to show us?”  Elle smiled to put him at ease. “Where is it?”

“
Come in the house. I have pictures of my abduction.”

“
Pictures?”  Elle shot Sara a look of amazement. “You have pictures?”   

“
Yes. Follow me.”  He walked them into his living room. It didn’t have much furniture, only a brown Lazy Boy recliner, small sofa and lots of magazines on the floor stacked neatly against the coffee table.