Swallow the Moon Page 20

  "The cops are on their way," Eric said softly. "Want me to flag this guy down?"

  "I want to go home," June whispered.

  "That's not in the cards for a long time."

  "HEY, you all right?" The truck driver waved at them.

  "Yeah." Eric shouted back.

  "What happened?"

  "The bike caught fire." He got up and helped June to her feet. She clung to him, unable to stand on her own.

  "Is she all right?"

  "Just scared."

  "Cops are on the way. You need an ambulance?"

  "Nah." Eric smiled. "We're fine."

  "How about a fire extinguisher?"

  "Too late now." Eric shrugged. "The bike is slag."

  The driver nodded, then shifted the semi into gear.

  The state police came in with sirens, the fire department on their heels. The fire department used a fire extinguisher to finish off the flames.

  While the policemen asked their questions, Eric kept one arm around June, only half listening. It felt so surreal – like a bad dream that wouldn't end.

  The questioning went on for hours while the mess was cleaned up. June refused to go to the hospital. The EMT's wrapped her in a blanket before they left for the wrecked SUV. The cop gave them a ride back to June's house.

  June leaned heavily on Eric as they went into the house. She leaned on the kitchen counter, looking dazed, while Eric helped her take the leather jacket off.

  "How are you doing?" He washed his hands in the kitchen sink before he offered her something to drink. She drained the glass. "More?"

  "No. I just want to lie down."

  They went upstairs together.

  "You want to get cleaned up?" He asked outside the bathroom door.

  "No," she said. "I just want to sleep."

  "Same here."

  So they went into her bedroom. When Eric sat down, he felt the last of his adrenaline fade. He kicked off his boots. June shed her shoes. She pulled the quilt over them. She snuggled against Eric, heaving a sigh of relief.

  They were fast asleep in seconds.

  ~^~

  June awoke, not sure where she was. She stank, that was for sure. She got out of bed slowly. She was in a lot of pain; there seemed to be burns and bruises all over her body. She shuffled into the bathroom, brushed her teeth and took a double dose of Advil for the pain. While the bathtub filled with steaming hot water, she got her filthy clothes off.

  She eased into the filling tub with a groan. Then she leaned back, adjusted the water with her toes. Maybe she would drown and be done with it. About the time the hot water gave out, there was a knock at the door.

  "Go away. There is a bathroom downstairs."

  "That's no fun." Eric opened the door.

  "Don't even!"

  "I'll wash your back."

  "No."

  "I'll wash your feet."

  While she thought about that one, he came in. He was stripped down to sweats that rode so low on his hips they seemed ready to slither off. He sat on the floor by the tub, so their eyes were about even.

  "I knew the feet would change your mind." He picked up the soap, grinning like a loon as he lathered his hands. "Give me your foot."

  June brought her leg out of the water. He was very good, soaping her foot, then rubbing all the aches from her arch.

  "That is incredible." She sighed, slipping a little deeper in the water.

  "I'm great with my hands." Eric kept rubbing until she was ready to purr. He massaged the bottom of her foot, then worked his way to her ankle.

  June's eyes rolled back in her head as he caressed her ankle, then her calf. She lay limply in the water as his soft touch worked magic. When he pressed a kiss to her ankle, she opened one eye.

  "Other foot." He winked at her. "I've got a thing about your feet." He massaged her other foot and started to run his fingers over her calf as he pressed kisses to her ankle and to her toes.

  Kinky, June thought but let him go for it. He seemed to be enjoying it Next thing she knew, he was bathing her legs, her stomach; her breasts got a lot of attention next. By the time he kissed her lips, she was ready and willing. He slipped into the tub behind her, slopping water on the tile floor but she didn't care. They let some water out and ran more hot water while she used his hard body for a pillow. His hands traveled from her shoulders down to her breasts. He teased her until she was moaning and mindless, then slid his hands between her thighs to finish pleasuring her. She shuddered, clutching the side of the tub, her voice rising from a moan to a near shriek.

  When she was back to reality, she could feel him, hard and in need, pressed against her back. June rolled over so she faced him, straddled him. She kissed him, deliberately teasing him for several long minutes with her hands. When he was nearly begging, she took possession of his magnificent body. They slopped water everywhere as they made love in the hot water.

  They hit the peak together, then lay panting.

  Then she scrubbed him down, which he enjoyed so much they made love again. But this time the water was cold, so they dried off and went to her room. There they made love yet again, slowly working up to a frenzy that ended in another explosive orgasm.

  They curled together, sated and dozing.

  ~^~

  Near midnight, Eric got up to get something to drink. Before he went back upstairs, he checked his email. There was good news. There was a letter of intent and a schedule for training. He could start work in Lexington next week. All he had to do was answer the email.

  Damn it – the timing sucked!

  He drank the milk, not tasting it. This job was too good to pass up. Moving wouldn't be a problem for him. The only thing holding him back was the beautiful witch sleeping upstairs. He wasn't going anywhere without her.

  Convincing her was going to be tough. She'd been used and lied to; her feelings would be raw. She wasn't the kind of woman you could uproot. She needed to be transplanted carefully. He would have to take his time to convince her.

  Eric grinned. He was going to enjoy the challenge.

  He broke the news when he got back into bed. He pulled her close before he told her about the job offer. She looked stricken, which was a point for his side.

  "Are you going to come back?" June had her head on his shoulder.

  "When I can, but I won't have time off for six months," Eric said. "But you can come to see me."

  "I can't afford to fly."

  "It's a seven hour drive." Eric took her hand, kissing her fingers.

  "My car wouldn't make a round trip." She shook her head.

  "Then make it one way." Eric rubbed his cheek against her palm. "Come live with me, in Lexington. You can find a job anywhere."

  June shook her head. "This is my home."

  "Home is where you hang your hat."

  "Home is where the heart is."

  "Then it's settled." He kissed her very gently. "You'll come live with me."

  "No, I couldn't – It wouldn't be right."

  "Why not?" Eric studied her. She'd given him her trust and she'd given him her body. She'd stayed with him through hell and back. But she wouldn't leave a hard life in an impoverished city for him? The very idea set off alarms in his head. He was offering his heart. Not just a place to crash; didn't she understand that?

  "It won't work," June's eyes filled with tears. "I – just don't think it can work."

  "This is a good job. I can take care of you. Until you get on your feet or always. This is…" He was nearly proposing to her, but she was looking at him like her heart was breaking.

  June didn't answer; she didn't look at him. Eric thought there was only one thing that could make a woman dig her heels in like that – another man.

  "Is this because of Jake?" It was time to put Jake to rest, forever.

  June blushed, looking down she gathered the sheets to her chest.

  "I'm serious." Eric smacked himself in the head with his open palm. "Don't tell me you believed that lying bast
ard?"

  June wouldn't look at him.

  "They lied, babe. They said whatever they thought it would take."

  June shook her head, tears slipped from her eyes.

  His frustration bubbled out him, with a curse, Eric got out of bed.

  "I can't believe you took the word of that murdering fuck up!" He didn't care that he was nude, he didn't care that he was shouting. "He told you what you wanted to hear. Don't you get that? He sold his frigging soul to the devil for a motorcycle. What kind of man would do that?"

  "You did the same thing."

  "I never made a deal with Van Man Go!" Eric sputtered. "Jake the Federal Fuck Up tried to cheat him out of three grand. You don't freaking cheat the devil!"

  "Van Man Go is not the devil!" June sat up, brushed the tears from her cheeks. "He's just another victim."

  "Ha! That is so wrong!" Eric said. "You never saw the crazy freak spit fire. That – I don't know what the hell to call him! He's not just a freak. He's the crowned prince of freaks!"

  "You know I went to his shop." June let go of the sheets, they slithered to her lap. "He was freaking scary, but he was just as – as much of a lost soul as the other two."

  "Ah, goddamn!" Eric pulled at his hair with both hands. "You are so frigging naïve!"

  "I'm naïve? You fell all over that dead stripper. Now that she's in hell, where she belongs, you come to me. What the hell is that about? Can't get a dead girl, but hey, June's a damn fool. She'll leave everything to chase half-way across the country for you." The sheet was forgotten, she was sitting up completely exposed and mad as hell.

  Eric stopped pacing, stopped shouting at her. His body responded as he admired the view. June's breasts quivered and swung with every outraged breath she took. This was getting him no-where. It was time to take a different track.

  "Lexington is seven hours drive from here." He grinned at her. "That's just on the other side of the Ohio river. It's a straight shot down I-75. Not more than an hour from Cincinnati."

  "I have a house."

  "That you can't afford to heat." Eric came back to the bed.

  "I have a job."

  "Had a job." He sat down beside her.

  "My family is here." She leaned away.

  "It's not that far." He came closer, put one hand beside her.

  "I'll never be able to sell this place." June shifted backwards.

  "You told me your sister would kill to get this house." He put his knee on the bed, looming over her.

  "I'm comfortable here." She scooted away, shaking her head.

  "A three bedroom house is too big for one person." He had one arm on either side of her, pressing her back to the pillow without touching her.

  "Where would I live?"

  "With me." Eric breathed in the scent of her hair, of her. He rubbed his cheek against hers before he whispered in her ear. "I'm irresistible. Even dead chicks dig me."

  "You'd live with a witch?" Her voice was low, vulnerable.

  "I'm under your spell," Eric crooned in her ear. "You saved my soul from the devil." He nibbled the edge of her ear. "Come to think of it, you owe me. I saved you from a lying sack of shit pretending to be your soul mate so the devil would drag you off to hell in his place."

  "Don't go there." June stiffened and jerked away.

  "He lied like a damn dog."

  She shook her head.

  "Yes, he did." Eric used his fingers to bring her mouth where he could kiss the edge of it. "I've known you were special since the night we met." Eric broke the kiss long enough to gather her in his arms.

  "Stop it." June pushed at his shoulder. "You're making fun of me."

  "Nope." Eric nuzzled her throat. "I wouldn't do that."

  "Why not?"

  "Jake didn't love you." He kissed her hard, until she was pliant and panting. "I do."

  Then he made love to her until she believed.

  ~^~

  Chapter Nineteen

  June surveyed the empty rooms of her house, with mixed emotions as she took her final walk-through. She felt grief, excitement, remorse and, curiously, relief.

  She heard Eric and Ken, her brother-in-law, as they closed up the U-haul trailer.

  She had tried to keep the house. Without a job, it was impossible. A couple of months on unemployment had eaten her nest egg. Even the modest sales of her herbal soaps and lotions couldn't make up the difference.

  The stairs creaked with footsteps, but the house was empty. June turned to the stairs.

  "Aunt Lizzie." She swallowed, trying to talk past the lump in her throat. "I'm so sorry. I can't afford to live here by myself."

  More masculine voices, the excited barks of the dogs, told her that the guys were done outside.

  "Beth and her kids are coming with their stuff." June sniffed and cleared her throat. A soft breeze stirred her hair. "You won't be alone, not even for a day."

  "I've got a job as an accountant for a horse farm." June walked out of the living room, trailing her fingers on the brick hearth. She sat on the stairs. "Eric bought a little farm not far from town. The house is half this size, but it has some fruit trees and a big garden. There is even an old barn.

  "Lexington is beautiful." June felt the excitement flair. "I'll make twice the money I used to make." She couldn’t talk; she bowed her head and cried. "I miss you so much." She knew how much Eric wanted her to come to Lexington. The last two months they had spent talking on the phone, texting, emailing and traveling back and forth. June had fallen in love with Lexington. The climate boasted mild winters. It was still fall in Lexington, while there was snow on the ground here in Ashtabula.

  The kitchen door opened; Rags scrambled across the floor. He raced to her and leaped into her lap. He licked the tears from her face with quick swipes. June laughed, letting her eyes dry up.

  "Hey, you all right?" Eric came around the corner. He had asked her that a half-dozen times today. He wasn't the type to hover; they had been too busy for that.

  "I'm a little soggy." June dug in her pocket for a tissue.

  He bent over to give her a kiss. They both felt the puff of warm air.

  "The trailer is full," Eric said. "Ken called Beth, she's on her way."

  "I don't know if I want to be here," June sighed. "If she's going to rub it in, I'm going to smack her." She hugged Rags until he growled, then she set him on the step.

  "Ken says the kids are excited." Eric eased his lean body to the next step down. "His daughter wants a pony. His son wants to take over the chickens. He's going to sell eggs to all his friends."

  "He'll end up a farmer if Ken isn't careful."

  "Those kids are great." Eric grinned. "I can't wait to have our own."

  "It may be sooner than we think." June laughed. "I skipped again."

  "Seriously?" Eric sat up, his eyes wide. "Don't bullshit me about this."

  "I don't know for sure." June looked down. "The night at the spring was – powerful magic."

  "What are you waiting for?" Eric asked. "All you need to do is pee on a stick."

  "I'm not sure," June admitted. "It could be a false alarm. Stress does this to me." But the look on Eric's face reassured her. She could see that he wanted her to be pregnant. "I thought it was too soon for us."

  "How can you doubt us after what we've been through?" Eric shook his head. "I've loved you since day one."

  June's eyes filled again. She blinked the tears away.

  "Believe it," his voice dropped in tone and timber. He pulled her close and kissed her until she was soft and pliant. "I owe you my life. I want you to have my children, a dozen children."

  "Oh, no!" June pulled back. "Not a dozen."

  "We can pretend." He grinned.

  June giggled, giving him a playful shove. He pulled her back. They wrestled on the stairs until Rags barked at them. Tasha trotted over to see what they were doing. She wagged her butt and licked Eric's hand. Red ribbon dangled from her collar.

  "What's that?" June patted her knee.
"Tasha, come here."

  Tasha jumped up and licked her face. June groped for her collar. Eric grinned, sitting back. June tugged the ribbon. A ring dropped into her hand. June sucked in a breath. She stared at the diamond ring before she looked at Eric.

  "Will you?" he asked. "You know I love you. I'd do anything for you."

  "Yes." June slipped the ring on her hand. "I will." She threw herself into his arms.

  "When?" Eric asked. "I think we have a deadline."

  "Yule?" she thought about it. "Christmas?"

  "The sooner, the better." Eric hugged her. "I think we need to get a move on."

  Tasha huffed and Rags raced to the dining room, barking.

  "My sister is here." June sighed. "If she gloats, I'm going to slap her."

  "Just show her the ring." Eric chuckled. "I know how you women are: engagement rings, and babies trump everything else."

  June laughed. "That's not fair."

  Doors slammed, the shrill voices of the kids faded as they scattered.

  This was the worst moment of them all. She squeezed Eric's knee.

  She was the first Van Allen to leave Ashtabula in thirty years. The ring on her hand reminded her that she wasn't leaving in disgrace. She was passing on her beloved house to someone who would take good care of it. This was the family treasure, the place where they had all sprung from, her grandparent's home, her Aunt's home, her home, now home to her sister's family.

  Beth stepped into the kitchen, looking around with wide eyes. She walked to the breakfast bar, trailing her fingers on the smooth surface.

  "I can't believe it," her voice was soft and almost reverent. "Oh, you left the table." The family celebrated all the holidays at the mahogany table with its sliding leaves and six chairs. All the big family dinners had taken place around it for generations.

  "A house warming gift, from both of us."

  Beth's eyes filled and spilled over. She walked to June and hugged her, then hugged Eric. She dashed the tears from her eyes.

  "Take a look." Eric grinned, took June's hand in his. "She said 'yes.'" There were more hugs. Beth called Ken and the kids in to tell them the news.