Sara opened her eyes. The light coming through the east window was blinding. The first sight she saw was breathtaking. Lying, peacefully sleeping under her head was the object of her obsession. She watched his lashes gently flutter; he was dreaming. Whatever it was, it must’ve been pleasant, a grin played on his lips.
She smiled. Words couldn’t explain the feeling she got from simply looking at his face. How could one person be so blessed? Anyone Jared gave his heart to, was the luckiest girl in the world. Sara caressed his lips with the tips of her fingers.
He pressed her fingers to his lips and kissed them. She jumped. He hadn’t been asleep. He softly chuckled. “Feeling better, angel?”
“I think I’ll live, but boy, does my head hurt.”
He lifted her chin and kissed her. “I’m glad you’re feeling better. I couldn’t take life without you, Sara. Can we talk about it?”
“It?” she frowned.
“What happened yesterday? Your nightmare?”
“Would that be before I took a ride on the psychedelic Ferris wheel or after I strolled down the yellow brick road?”
Jared smiled. “Do you remember any of it?”
“Every ridiculous scene, vividly.”
“How about who gave you the drug and where you were when it happened?”
Sara sighed and shook her head. “I don’t know, Jared.”
“Can you remember when you started feeling strange?”
“You would ask me questions I can’t answer. I felt queasy when we left the feed store. I was seeing things right after we left the house to come back to the hospital.”
“Were you feeling OK when I called you?”
“Which time, you called several?”
“The first time, when I sent the list.”
“I was fine then, at least I think I was. How long before the drug takes effect?”
“If I’m right, about twenty minutes. It could vary, depending on your weight, and how much you were given.”
Her heart began to pound. She’d heard of people getting hooked on crack after a single dose. “What do you think it was, Jared?”
“LSD, but without testing you, there’s no way to tell. You had all the symptoms, but there are several drugs, which can cause the same effect. If it was LSD, you might not have any further episodes. In a few rare cases, some have experienced flashbacks, though. I’d like to have you tested. I can talk to David Whitefeather, my friend at the hospital, and have him do it.”
Sara sat up with a start. “Why would anyone do this to me?”
Jared wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed the side of her neck. “Honey, some people get a kick out of it. Some do it for a reason. I can’t think of a reason why anyone would do this to you, unless,” his voice trailed off.
Her eyes widened. “Unless what?”
“They were trying to get back at me, but that seems doubtful. No one, but my family knows about you.”
“What’ve I gotta do… to be… tested?”
“A blood and urine test. It wouldn’t take long.”
“Blood test? The one from my arm and not my finger?”
“Yes,” he sighed.
Sara paused. Jared traced kisses up the side of her neck and gently breathed in her ear. “Jared?”
“Mmm?” he murmured against her skin.
“Is this, by any chance… to get the right answer outta me?”
He softly chuckled against her ear. “Yes,” he breathed. “Am I getting to you?”
She turned. He stared into her eyes. Her heart began to pound; her breath caught. “What do you think?”
He lifted her chin, smiled. “I’d think, maybe yes?” he prompted and kissed her.
“I’d like to apologize for my behavior,” Sara said when he let her breathe.
“For which part?” Jared smirked. “Accusing me of being a vampire or a werewolf, or for nearly raping me?”
She blushed. “All three, I guess.”
“I actually found it kinda sexy,” he groaned. “Under different circumstances, of course.”
She swallowed hard. “Thank you.”
He mischievously arched an eyebrow. “For?”
“Being understanding with me, and for not judging me, but most of all for loving me.”
Jared playfully pushed her down on the bed and came down on top of her. He propped on his elbows and kissed her again. “That part was easy. The hard part was resisting you.”
The corners of her mouth turned up. “Why did you?”
“When I make love to you, I want you in your body for the experience.”
Sara smiled and touched his face. “You don’t need to resist me now. I’m definitely in my body.” She kissed him, pushed a hand under his shirt and slowly slid her palm over his chest.
He drew in a short breath and grabbed her hand. He stared into her eyes and stood. Sara reached for his hand and pulled him back. He sat on the side of the bed and kissed her forehead. “Come on, sleepyhead! Let’s get downstairs so everyone will know you’re still in one piece. “Get dressed,” he tossed over his shoulder. “I’ll wait for you on the landing.”
“Fine,” she groaned and forced the air from her lungs. She’d lost the battle again. Despite what he’d told her, back at Wisteria Hall, was as close as she would get. “I am not in one piece. My heart is in tatters.”
~ ~ ~
When they got downstairs, not a soul was in sight. “Mother?”
“Out here, on the patio, Jared!” Nadine answered back. “Sara, honey, I’m so glad you’re OK,” she said and hugged her. “She is OK, isn’t she?”
“I’m pretty sure she is, but I’m gonna keep an eye on her for a while, just in case,” Jared said and kissed her. “I’m gonna call Dave and set up those tests we talked about earlier.”
“Oh goodie!” She tried to sound excited, but her heart wasn’t in it.
He chuckled. “Hi, Dave. It’s Jared. It’s hard, but it’ll get easier after the funeral. No, not yet. We’re waiting to see if my older brother, Joe, and his wife Kate are flying in from New Zealand. If they are, we’re gonna hold off for a couple of days.” He paused. “Yeah, that’s Joe, the one chasing the Dine’é Yá and the Yá ah-nah. Listen, what I called about. I need a favor. I’d like for you to run a couple of tests on Sara for me.”
Jared paused, glanced at Sara and shifted his phone to his other ear. “No, she’s not pregnant. Yeah, that’s right, Sara Foster. She was at the hospital when my granddad passed.” He frowned. “When did you hear her sing? We haven’t gone public with the CD yet. Oh, I see. OK. Anyway, I think someone sent Sara on an acid trip yesterday. No, she seems fine now, but yesterday afternoon and last night were interesting. No, she doesn’t do drugs. So, could you take care of it for me? Maybe we could get the results before we leave?” He hesitated. “I appreciate it, Dave. Yeah, sure. We’ll leave in half an hour. Great! We’ll see you then.”
He put his phone away. “It’s all set,” he said to Sara, proud of himself. “Where’s Dad?”
“He’s making sure everything is set up for the funeral tomorrow,” Nadine said. “Joe called. He and Kate can’t come, but they’ve sent flowers. Sara, are you going to the funeral?”
“I’d like to.”
“You should be able to go to the funeral, but if you wanna go to the final resting-place ceremony, afterward, we’d need to clear it through The Council,” Jared said.
Nadine frowned. “I doubt they’ll let her attend that.”
He tightened his jaw. “If she doesn’t go, I don’t go. Granddad would understand.”
“It’s alright,” Sara said. “I’ll stay here and read until you get back. You should be there to support your family.”
He kissed her forehead. “Sara, you are family.”
Nadine smiled and patted her hand. “Yes, you are.”
“We can discuss this after we’re finished at Dave’s office,” he said. “We better leave. I said we’d be there in thirty minutes, and his office is at least a twenty-minute drive.”
He held out a hand. Sara sighed, took it and stood. “Mother, do you mind if I borrow the Merc?” Jared asked, a little embarrassed. He hadn’t asked to borrow his mother’s car in a long time.
“Of course not,” she smiled. “The keys are on the rack where they stay. I don’t drive it much anymore, and your father prefers the Ram, so use it whenever you need to.”
He kissed her cheek. “We won’t be long.”
------------
Jared parked outside Dave’s office. “Angel, are you feeling OK? You’re a little pale.”
“I’m fine,” Sara said. “I don’t like doctors and needles, especially, not needles. Isn’t there another way to get blood, without using needles?”
“Well, yes, there is, but you wouldn’t let me bite you last night,” he smirked.
She glared at him. “That’s not funny!”
Jared chuckled and held the door. Sara seriously thought about making a run for it, but it wouldn’t matter. He could easily chase her down. She took some slow breaths. A fresh batch of butterflies had taken flight in her stomach.
~ ~ ~
They approached the desk. The receptionist was busy entering data into the computer. Jared cleared his throat. “Could you tell Dave we’re here, please?”
“Do you have an appointment?”
“I don’t need one,” he chuckled.
“Dr. Whitefeather is booked up, and I’m afraid, he only sees patients who have an appointment.”
“Are you kidding?” he snorted. “I wouldn’t trust the sorry SOB to give my horse an enema.”
Her head jerked up. “Jared?” Her voice rose an octave. “Jared? You old coyote! What are you doing down in these parts? I thought you ran off to Cajun country.”
“I did,” he laughed. “But my granddad had another stroke and lapsed into a coma. He passed a couple of days ago.”
Her lips parted. “Oh, Jared! I’ve been outta town, visiting my mother in LA. I didn’t know. I’m so sorry.”
One corner of his mouth turned up slightly. “Thanks, Mandy. Listen. We’re kinda in a hurry. Could you let Dave know we’re here? He promised to run a couple of tests for me.”
She eyed Sara suspiciously, grinned and picked up the phone. “Go on back. I’ll let him know.”
“Thanks, Mandy.”
Sara frowned. “You know her?”
Jared held the door. “Yeah.” He put a hand on the small of her back and guided her to an office at the end of the hall. He smiled at her and tapped a knuckle on the door.
Seconds later it opened. “Jared, I’m sorry about your granddad. I have to speak at the convention so I won’t be at the funeral.”
He smiled. “I understand, Dave. Congratulations, by the way.”
“Thanks, but if you’d stayed, it would’ve been you accepting this award.”
“Yeah, well, I had my reasons.”
David arched an eyebrow. “I assume this dream on your arm would be one of them?”
“Sara Foster – David Whitefeather. Dave’s an old medical student buddy.”
“Buddy?” he snorted. “Lifesaver would be a better word. I nursemaided this guy through his first year of residency. Did he tell you he used to cringe at the sight of a needle?”
Sara arched an eyebrow. “Oh is that so?” she smirked.
“Yeah, well,” Jared cleared his throat into his fist, “it was a long time ago.”
David shook Sara’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m looking forward to seeing you at the convention.”
She frowned. “How did you…?”
“Myra,” Jared interjected and exhaled. “She’s let everyone she knows, hear the CD I sent her.”
“Oh,” her voice trailed off.
David motioned to two chairs in front of his desk. “So, Jared, you said on the phone, someone gave Sara acid?”
“Yeah.”
“What happened? What symptoms did she have?”
“She saw all kinds of interesting things, like vampires, werewolves, monster trees. You name it.”
“Hmm,” he laughed. “Those monster trees can be a bit scary, vampires and werewolves, no problem.”
She glared at him. They were having fun at her expense. “I can assure you, at the time, it was no laughing matter!”
Jared and David laughed. “I’m sorry, Sara. I couldn’t resist. So do you wanna do this in here or in the lab?”
She snorted. “I’d rather not do it at all, but if I must, in here is fine. Labs make me nervous.”
He stood. “No problem. I’ll be right back.”
Sara sighed. “Oh, by all means, take your time. I’m in no rush.”
David smiled. “Jared, you might better sit on her. She looks like a runner.”
He smirked. Sara drummed her fingernails on the arm of the chair and tapped her foot, anything to get rid of the nervous energy and panic churning in the pit of her stomach.
~ ~ ~
David gave her a specimen cup. He motioned with his head. “You can use my bathroom. I assume you know how to use it.”
“Yes,” she snorted, derisively and rolled her eyes. “I’ve used a bathroom, on a rare occasion.”
Jared laughed.
“Smarty pants!” David exhaled. “When you’re done, put the cup in the window.”
~ ~ ~
She left the room, but she still could hear their muffled voices.
“She’s a huge improvement over the last lady friend you had. This one has a sense of humor.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m not letting her get away either.”
“So, she’s the girl?”
“She’s the one.”
“Where’s the ring on her finger?”
“I haven’t got up the nerve to ask, yet. We’ve only been together for a couple of months.”
David whistled. “That’s not a long time. Maybe proposing’s not a good idea.”
“I know she’s the one. I don’t wanna, you know, scare her off.”
“I can understand that.”
Sara finished and sat back down in her chair, dreading what came next. She gave another thought to making a run for it.
David tapped his index finger against the Vacutainer kit on his desk. “Do you want me to draw her blood or would you rather do it?”
“It’s your choice, angel.”
She took a slow breath. “I’d rather you did it,” she sighed.
“Sure,” Jared softly smiled.
“I’ll step outside and see what’s happened to my evening appointment.” He patted Sara’s shoulder and left.
Jared ripped the kit open. “Which arm?”
She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth. “It doesn’t matter. Get it over with.”
He brushed the back of his fingers down her cheek and put the tourniquet on her left arm. “Make a fist and hold it.” He rubbed the alcohol swab over the bend of her arm. With his teeth, he pulled the needle cap off and spat it in a wastebasket. He locked eyes with her. “I won’t hurt you.”
Sara turned her head, held her breath and waited for the sting.
“I love you,” he whispered.
She smiled but kept her head turned. Nothing happened. She frowned. “Are you gonna do it or what?”
He put a cotton ball on her arm and bent it up. “Done.”
Sara stared at her arm and frowned. “I didn’t feel anything.”
He kissed the top of her head. “I said I wouldn’t hurt you.” He sat in the chair beside her and held her hand. “I knew if I said I loved you, you’d forget about everything else.”
“You cheated!”
“It worked,” Jared smirked.
There was a light tap and David stuck his head in. “Is it over? Have you drained her? Were you greedy or did you save some for me?”
Sara smiled. “Yes, he did,” she hissed. “I’m awfully thirsty. Would you like to be my first snack?”
Jared laughed and handed him the Vacutainers of blood.
“You said you wanted the results as soon as possible. You wanna wait or go do something in town? It’ll take at least thirty minutes, maybe an hour. You’re welcome to come to the lab with me, but Sara mentioned they made her nervous.”
“Feel like walking around Wickenburg for a while? We can get some coffee and donuts and go down to the park or the bookstore.”
Oh, God no! Not the bookstore. Anything but that! “The park sounds good,” she answered quickly, perhaps too quickly.
Jared eyed her suspiciously and stood. “I guess we’ll see you in an hour, Dave.”