The Last Oracle (17 page)

She heard an exchange between a young boy and Jimmy outside.

“Looks like our starters have arrived!” Alex said as he headed for the door.

Valeria nodded as if she understood. It must be something they could use to start that heap of rust they were driving, in case they needed to; although, she was certain she would prefer to walk. She followed Alex back out to where the goat was waiting and, of course, it nudged her as soon as she walked out the door. A shirtless boy of about six, wearing a wet pair of cut-off jeans, came from a trail in the woods carrying two lobsters.

“Lobsters!” Valeria said.

“Yes. What were you expecting?” Alex asked playfully.

Jimmy held a bag and the boy dropped the lobsters in. “You need some chickens, maybe?” he said to Valeria, as he waved at the scroungy looking birds that were hovering everywhere.

“No.
Thanks, Jimmy!” Alex handed him some money and then held out a few bills. “This is for Linc.”

“You spoil
da boy.” Jimmy’s grin broadened. “I give you a separate bag for da hens…”

“No, thanks,” Alex said.

They loaded back into the Ford and, to Valeria’s relief, drove back to the airport. Alex loaded the “starters” in the back of the plane and they took off again.

This time, they flew only a short distance back to the west. Alex circled over the peak of a lush green mountain and dove into a valley. The plane circled down and then she saw a small patch of dirt that could have been a landing strip—a very small landing strip on a steep incline. She held her breath as Alex placed the plane down perfectly
and taxied just off the end of the runway where there was only room to turn around and park an old red Jeep.

The smile was still on his face as he helped her into the doorless Jeep. The floorboards were covered with sand, but it did appear to be in better condition than the Ford.

“I’ll come back for the rest,” he said.

“Alex, where are we?”

“St. John.”

He turned the key and the Jeep roughly kicked a billow of black smoke from the tail pipe. It lurched and then moved smoothly up the steep incline, and then around the steepest and sharpest hairpin turn that she had ever encountered. She held her breath but the Jeep made the turn and, at the top of the mountain, there was a sandy lot that led to a house—well, almost a house. It was an open-walled home with tile floors and magnificent views down a lush green valley to the Caribbean.

“What is this place?”

“It’s one of our homes.” Alex jumped out of the Jeep and came around to the passenger side to lift her out of the seat; he carried her into the main area of the house. “And,
this
—is as close to a threshold as I have here,” he said, setting her down in front of a mahogany four-poster feather bed. She brushed her fingers along the soft netting tied to the post.

There was a sofa and two chairs inside along with a small table. The patio area had a fire pit with two Adirondacks and a small table on either side. There was only one solid wall on the mountain-facing side of the cabin. The large red tiles extended beyond the corner supports—which were really the only thing resembling a wall—to what might be considered two decks, each with their own spectacular view.

On the forward deck was a doublewide lounge chair with cushions in soft blues. The other deck was home to a claw foot tub. Along the back wall was an area that served as a kitchen, with a two-burner gas stove and oven, what appeared to be a new coffee maker, and a brand new blender. A bookcase, covered in paperbacks, extended along the majority of the back wall. He noticed her eyeing them.

“Books don’t do well here,” he said, suddenly unsure of his plans to bring her here. He evaluated the look in her eyes. “Is this okay?” He
continued nervously, “I always wanted to bring you here but, for our honeymoon, I had intended something a bit more elaborate. After the fire, Lars and I agreed that we needed some place where no one could find us.”

“This is where you were!” she said, suddenly confident.

“What?”

“You were here. When I was in St. Croix, you were here.” She turned to him and her eyes widened. “Of course, that’s why I didn’t see you at the airport when I left.” She looked at the place with new eyes. “Oh! And you left early so that you could catch the afternoon flight back to Europe. A commercial flight wouldn’t have gotten you back to Puerto Rico on time and we would have been at the hotel in Puerto Rico...together.”

She brushed her hands over the soft pastel cotton of the down comforter. The luxury was in the extraordinary detail, and Alex knew luxury.

“I wondered where you were and what you were doing. It all makes sense now,” she continued.

“If you wanted to know, why didn’t you ask me?”

She shrugged as she continued to take in every detail of the home. “I guess…well, this may sound silly, but I was afraid you had gone someplace with,” she glanced down and then her eyes darted briefly to him, “Daphne.” She bit her lip. “Weege says ‘don’t ask what you don’t want to know.’”

He chuckled and raised his brows. “Are you jealous?”

“No,” she replied too quickly.
“Maybe.” Valeria examined the fabric of the sofa and could picture Alex relaxing there.

“Don’t be. This is definitely not Daphne’s style,” he said softly, as he approached her. “But, regardless of
her
style, Daphne is definitely not my style!” His eyes softened as they filled with love. “There is only one person who is my style—one woman whom I have
ever
desired.” He brushed the side of her arm. “And only one person I have ever brought here.” Alex’s eyes narrowed, evaluating her response. “Is this place all right?”

“This is…” Valeria swallowed as tears came into her eyes.
“Absolutely perfect!”

Alex sat down on the bed and pulled her into his arms. “Good, because Mrs. Morgan, I want to spend as much time alone with you as I can get!” His eyes filled with desire and he kissed her mouth as his fingers brushed along her collarbone.

Valeria felt the familiar rush of heat. She brushed the side of his face; then, with a short kiss, she said, “Do you think it would be possible for me to shower and change?”

Putting his passion on hold, he drew a deep breath and released her.
“Of course! I should have…I’m sorry, love!” He took her hand and led her back out to the porch where a showerhead was mounted on a steel hose.

Valeria pulled at the white silk that served as a shower curtain and asked, “Is this…”

“It’s a parachute.” 

“Really?”

As he bit his lip, he said, “You can hop in and I’ll bring you a towel. I’ll shower when you’re done.”

Their wedding night seemed like such a long time ago, and she was anxious to be on their honeymoon. But it felt like the first time again, and she wanted it to be as wonderful as their wedding night. She wished that the silk negligee had survived the fire, although, she was certain that Camille had replaced it with something just as beautiful. Here, there was no place to rummage through a suitcase,
nor to change in private—except a small bathroom without a mirror. Alex saw visions of them married and comfortable with each other. The getting there...well, that was another story. Suddenly, she could see the embarrassment on Alex’s face that he had not thought of that for her.

“I’m sorry, Val. Of course, you need some privacy.” His face reddened and he shook his head briefly. “Why don’t I get the suitcases while you shower? I’ll leave your bags here for you and then I’ll go take care of...a few things.” He drew a deep breath. “I’ll be back in about thirty minutes. Is that enough time?”

She suddenly felt silly, but she did want the time to clean up. She turned away from him and cleared her throat wishing she had the courage to say that he didn’t need to go through all of that. “Yes. Thank you,” she responded, a bit more formally than she intended. Alex nodded and headed down the hill.

Behind the steel pole and showerhead was a bench. She pulled the curtain closed around the bench and turned on the water. Then she stripped down and felt the water run down her body, cooling her and washing away the travel and the worries of the past few days. In a moment, she heard Alex outside of the curtain and could see his hand through a small opening as he set a towel down on the bench for her. His fingers hesitated on the towel—there was something so sensuous about his long fingers. Suddenly, she felt the aching urgency of days ago and, without thinking, she reached for his hand, needing to feel his fingers on her again. With her other hand, she pushed open the parachute.

“Come here,” she said.

Alex froze, staring at her as the water ran down her. She stepped toward him and pulled at his shirt. He kicked off his shoes and, in a moment, his clothes were off and they were together under the cool water, wrapped in each other as his mouth brushed hers first lightly, and then with the passion that they had discovered only a few nights before.

That evening, they sat under billions of stars by the fire pit, sipping the most extraordinary wine that Valeria had ever tasted, stuffing themselves with lobster, salad, and baked potato.

She discovered that this home had storage, including a fantastic wine cellar under the house.

Alex glanced away from the fire to Valeria, and smiled lazily as he lifted a finger toward her face. “What is that expression?” he asked, completely content.

She looked up at the stars for a moment, and then her smile broadened. “I’m...happy,” she sighed, as she ran her fingers through his tousled hair. After the shower, they didn’t take time to brush their hair, and had made love while the sun set in brilliant hues over the Caribbean.

Alex beamed and kissed his bride, and then smiled mischievously.

“What?” she asked.

He was someone who had made a practice over eons to never say what he was thinking, and to release it all now made him feel like a fish out of water. Finally, he said, “You know everything was so serious yesterday with...well, you know. I thought it was time for some...fun.” He laughed. “You should have seen your face when we got into that
beat-up, old Ford in St. Thomas!” Alex laughed and shook his head. “It was everything I could do to keep a straight face.”

“And I thought I was hiding it so well!” she said, dipping a strip of lobster into the butter, and then stuffing it into her mouth.

“When we got off the flight and took a taxi to change airports in Puerto Rico…” Alex shook his head, obviously amused. He lowered his brows. “You don’t like San Juan.”

“How did you know?”

“It is pretty easy to tell when you don’t like something.” He brushed her nose. “You crinkle your nose and then you bite the side of your lip,” he said, running his finger along the curve of her mouth. He sighed again. “I guess I should have told you that we weren’t staying there, but I was having considerably too much fun.” He smiled again. “Puerto Rico can be a lot of fun. I’ll have to show it to you sometime—actually, I was thinking we could go there for your birthday.”

She scrunched her nose. “Isn’t it customary for people to celebrate their birthdays in their favorite locations? I know we can’t go back to Morgana, but why not here?” Considering Alex’s desire to please her, she added, “Really, the only thing that matters to me is that we are together.”

“It’ll be fun.” He pulled her in and kissed the top of her head. “Mani has a place there overlooking a cliff, and the family plans to meet us there.”

She pulled back from him and stared in surprise. “The family is meeting us in Puerto Rico for my birthday?”

“It’ll be fun.”

At that moment, she understood. The purpose of the “celebration” was so that Mani could ensure that she was no longer affected by the curse. Still, she wouldn’t concern herself with it. Alex seemed happy and content and she would not break the mood to discuss anything so dark or serious.

She cocked her head. “So, what is a ‘starter’ anyway?”

“A starter...well, I typically snorkel for my own lobsters, but when I first arrive, I pick up one from Jimmy. I’ve been getting starters from Jimmy’s family for over fifty years.”

“Oh! Yeah! A starter...okay.”

“When that goat started nudging you and then Jimmy suggested that we go into his store, it was everything I could do to keep from laughing.”

She giggled softly and, hearing his carefree laughter, she felt the joy fill her soul as she curled into him. “Tell me about this place.”

Alex lifted his glass of wine and took a sip as he stared at the fire. “This place is my escape. Nobody knows where it is—except for you now.” He kissed the top of her head. Valeria brushed her hand down his open shirt thinking it was quite a luxury. “The landing strip isn’t published. Hardly anyone can land on it, and I can hear anyone who comes up the mountain from quite a distance. It was the only place I could think of that I wouldn’t worry about your safety.”

Valeria moved her knees up so that her toes curled against Alex’s. She loved his khaki shorts and admired his tanned, muscular legs...and even his feet were beautiful. Hesitantly, she said, “When I was in St. Croix, I prayed, regardless of the cost, that you would be on the flight out of Puerto Rico with me. When I didn’t see you, I wondered how you had hidden yourself so completely.”

He took her face in his hands. “Do you know how close I was to picking you up, loading you into my plane, and heading up here?” He looked back at the fire. “But that’s not the life I want for you. I want to take you anywhere you want to go. I would love to spend a few months a year in Manhattan with you. Have you ever been to Paris?”

Valeria shook her head no. “I don’t really care where we are—as long as we are together and married! I could spend a lifetime here making love to you.”

Alex sighed happily. “Well, except for Puerto Rico.”

She picked up a stick and began playing with the fire. “I would like to spend my birthday with you in New York. Do you ever think there will ever be a day when we can do that?”

“I don’t know. There are some things that need to happen, but until we get bored with our life here, I’m feeling quite selfish about my time with you.”

“Well then, we will be here a very, very long time,” she said sleepily.

∞

They awoke with the sunrise and the soft Caribbean breeze blowing across them. The sky was the most amazing color, dotted with small white clouds. It was one of the most perfect mornings she had ever experienced, wrapped around Alex. 

Kissing his chest, she noticed his boyish grin.

“What are you smiling about?” she asked, brushing her hand along his face.

Alex sighed, happily. “It’s really our first morning of married life!” He leaned on his arm. “Well, I mean—with both of us alive and all.” She kissed his chest and luxuriated in running her hands along it, then trailed them down to his hips. “I thought I would make us breakfast and then we could do whatever you would like.” He smiled suggestively.
“Although, we really should go snorkeling today.”

Valeria crinkled her nose and bit the corner of her lip.

He rubbed his finger over her lip and shook his head. “All right, snorkeling tomorrow. If you would like, perhaps we could go for a hike. There’s a particular view I’ve been fantasizing about sharing with you for years.”

She curled into him. “I would love to see that view...later.” Just then, she saw something in a corner of the room and leaned forward. “Alex? What is that?”

Alex rolled his eyes happily. “It’s called a guitar. You know, strings, neck, you pluck it or strum it.”

Valeria laughed under her breath. “And what do
you
do with it?”

Alex shrugged. “Depends on what I’m in the mood for.”

“Will you play it for me?”

“I’ll tell you what. You humor me with the snorkeling tomorrow, and I’ll humor you by playing the guitar tonight.” He kissed her nose. “But you may be sorry you asked.” 

“So...you’ve been fantasizing about a hike?” she asked, with a sensual smile full of promise.

He nodded and then rolled out of bed. She pouted...until she took in the view of him. He turned back toward her and lifted a brow. “Unless marriage has changed you, I believe it’s time for your coffee.”

A smile sprang to her face as she watched him pull on a pair of shorts and head to the coffee maker. He pressed a button and, in a moment, Alex presented her with the perfect cup of coffee.

“Hmm,” Valeria sighed as she clutched her cup of coffee.

“How about breakfast in bed?”

“Only if you’re joining me,” she said.

She watched the way he smiled and was instantly glad she asked.

∞

The hike was through a deep green, tropical forest. They wound their way from the cabin, along a steep, rocky trail. There were places where the trail was almost missing, though parts of it were repaired by Alex—she guessed. They reached a giant boulder and he steered her down a secret path that she would have missed if he hadn’t shown it to her. They crossed a creek several times, stepping on stones.

Alex carried a pack with their lunch so that they could enjoy their meal with an ultimate view from the top.

The hike was a feast for the senses, with all of the herbs that grew wild. Ferns and orange and red blooms seemed to sprout up everywhere. The coolness of the forest, and the wonderful and various scents that sprung up around every corner—as well as her husband beside her—made Valeria want to pinch herself to be certain it was real. Alex was obviously thrilled to be sharing this special place with her and her enthusiasm over the mountain was apparent.

They reached a point where the trail seemed to end. There was a vertical climb that was too steep to walk.

“We climb from here,” Alex said, grabbing on to a root. Valeria’s eyes widened in excitement as she took hold of a thick tree root and began scrambling up the vertical. Hanging on to the roots, they scrambled for almost twenty minutes, until the trail again appeared to end. Valeria turned around, but trees blocked the potential view.

“Is this the top?” she asked, quizzically.

Alex shook his head no, and then pushed aside a bush, showing the edge of a boulder.

“We’re going to walk along this ledge, but it’s safer if you take off your shoes.”

Stepping onto the ledge, Valeria saw that below was a series of drop-offs ending with a pile of boulders.

“Val, lean against the stone,” he said, as he kept his arm on her back.

When the boulder that they had been leaning on ended, Valeria’s eyes widened as she looked up to see a fifty-foot waterfall that descended into stone bowls next to them.

Alex said, “That’s not the best part.” He turned her around and, from the edge of the
bowls, there was a 200-foot drop-off that looked out through the valley to the sea.

They sat with their legs dangling from the cliff and ate their sandwiches and fruit.

“Did you hike here every day when you were alone?”

“No, not every day.” Alex thought for a moment. “There are always improvements that are needed...on the trails, at the cabin. I restock supplies.” His eyes narrowed as he stared off to the sea. “When you were in St. Croix with Paolo, I focused on being here with you. I kept telling myself it would be very soon, so I kept myself busy with...remodeling and improvements.”

“What kind of improvements? I did notice the coffee maker and the blender.”

“The tub was a necessity. I brought in a bed instead of a cot,” he said, and then the corner of his mouth turned up. “You know, I do have a few traditions.”

“Such as?”

“I was hoping you would ask.” His smile broadened, and then he took Valeria’s face in his hands. “Just so you know
, I can hear anyone within a mile of here. And in over fifty-three years, I’ve only seen others here once.”

He hopped to his feet, stripped off his clothes, and stepped into the bowls and under the waterfall. Valeria stared in awe. He was the most beautiful man she had ever seen, and the site of him under the waterfall was incredibly erotic.

He stepped out from the waterfall and, seeing her expression, he smiled and lifted his index finger, signaling for her to join him.

“There is something about you and water that is just irresistible!” he said.

The electricity between them sizzled and caused her to completely abandon her insecurities. She stripped off her shorts and T-shirt without a moment’s hesitation, and took his hand as she stepped into the warm pool. He pulled her into his arms and they made love there, in the stone pools under the waterfall, with the warmth of the Caribbean sun.

As they napped on the stones, Alex rolled to his side and faced her, a spark in his eye. “Do you want to try something truly adventurous?”

“Do I want to say ‘yes’ to this one?” she said, crinkling her nose.

Alex laughed. “Well, since it is July, there isn’t a lot of water right now. I thought you might like to scramble down the creek. It’s quite an adventure and I can help you.”

Valeria couldn’t say no when he looked so joyful about the whole thing. Besides, it did sound like a fun adventure. Valeria sat with her knees pulled up to her chest by the edge of the eight-foot drop. Alex lowered his legs and then clung to the rocks; shirtless, he lowered himself down. Immediately, he raised himself back up in a chin-up and saw her staring with wide-eyed amazement at the ripples in his arms and chest.

“I think I’m definitely going to like this!” she said. He winked and then lowered himself.

“I’ll help you on this drop. Most of the others are four feet or less so you’ll be able to do them on your own,” he said, as she lay down on the granite and rolled her legs over the edge, feeling Alex’s hands on her hips.

“I have you!”

“Okay,” she said with a hint of hesitation.

“Put your hands in the small indentation on the stone and lower yourself. I won’t let you fall...I have you. Now, drop.”

She let go and landed flat on her feet and felt a thrill.