A Wishing Moon Read online

  “Screw the base,” Jade said with a smile on his face. “I am alive and I don’t care how the miracle happened. I am grateful to this woman and her family. Reese, I am going to Arabella’s house. She lives at an herb farm called Wildflower Way near Wimberley.”

  At those words, Reese wheeled and looked straight at Arabella.

  Arabella’s heart sank. Her reputation preceded her. How long would it be before Jade looked at her in the very same way.

  “Do you think that’s wise, buddy? I mean you do have a home and a fiancée. Don’t you think you would be better off going there and hiring a nurse to look after you?” All the time his eyes were fixed on Arabella as if he didn’t trust her for a moment.

  Arabella would not stand in his way, if he wanted to go to his own home. “Jade, I want you with me more than anything in the world, but if you think it best to return to your home. I will understand.”

  Jade looked from his business associate to her. “This woman rescued me from the most horrible prison imaginable. There is no contest. Arabella, I want to be with you. Now I’ve found you—I don’t intend to let you go.”

  Reese looked at Jade with alarm. “Whoa! You don’t sound like the Jade I know. Where is the calculating political machine I knew prior to your climb on E-Rock? You don’t have time to vacation at some Wildflower farm. We’ve got work to do.” When Jade looked at him with steely determination he relented, hands in the air. “Jade, whatever you want, we’ll make it happen. I’ll check on you tomorrow. Will that be all right, Miss Landry?”

  “Of course.” Arabella would never turn away one of Jade’s friends. However, the words he had been thinking were burned in her brain—Witch, Witch, Witch.

  * * * *

  The ambulance came and Detective Garrison and the EMS technicians moved Jade from Tranquility Place to Wildflower Way. Elizabeth and Angelique had prepped the big downstairs bedroom for its new resident. Somehow, Elizabeth and the detective had arranged for a lift, a wheelchair and other medical equipment—that they hopefully would not need—to be delivered and set it all up awaiting his arrival. Arabella was surprised to find some of her things had been moved down there also. Her mother was way too insightful.

  Jade swore he felt up to sitting in the wheelchair. Arabella felt skeptical, she thought it might be too soon. But Nanette reminded her, “Its magick dear, what did you expect?”

  A week ago, Arabella couldn’t have imagined a Christmas like this, but the day turned out to be more magical than she ever dreamed possible. Angelique and Evangeline had finished baking the dressing, the turkey, the sweet potatoes and even some hot rolls. A large jug of iced tea sat in all its amber glory, with dozens of slices of Texas Valley lemons swimming in the brew.

  Arabella turned on the Christmas tree lights and they lit dozens and dozens of candles—after all this was Yule—the celebration of lights. Elizabeth moved one of the chairs from the dining table to make a place for Jade’s wheelchair. Tyler lent a hand and carried the big platters of food to the buffet. Soon, they were all around the table, ready to celebrate one of the most special Christmases they could ever remember.

  Nanette sat at the head of the table and Elizabeth sat at the other end. “Let’s join hands and I will pray a proper Catholic prayer to bless our food. Dear God the Father, Jesus the Son, and Mary, Mother of your choosing. We sit here today and are thankful for the meal we are about to eat. More than for our food, we are thankful for the healing of Jade Landale. We thank you for creating the means of his healing and for giving us power and faith to bring it about. We thank you for this young detective you have brought into our lives and for the safety you have bestowed upon us. We ask for additional protection and blessings and peace upon the poor souls we discovered in the woods nearby. We ask blessings upon Rachel Townsend in her hour of grief and we thank you, again, for this Christmas season, the gift of your Son and all the blessings we enjoy. Amen.”

  Food was served all around. Concerned that Jade might not be able to feed himself, Arabella sat beside him and he had no problem with her helping him with his meal. However, every little thing that he was able to do for himself—he celebrated.

  Tyler Garrison had carved the turkey and seemed to be having a great time. He was more than curious about Jade. “You know after seeing what these women accomplished with the Townsend affair, I don’t doubt what they can do. But, let me see if I understand this, you two met in a dream?”

  “Sounds absurd doesn’t it?” Arabella laughed. “Nevertheless, what you’ve heard is, absolutely, true.” This brief admission did nothing to deter Tyler from quenching his curiosity.

  “So Congressman Landale, were you having these dreams also?”

  Jade finished a bite of dressing and turned slightly in his chair to face Tyler Garrison. “Believe me Detective, this is all as new to me as it is to you. I had never had a meaningful dream in my life before, but this time proved to be different. Four weeks ago, I fell off one of the highest points of Enchanted Rock. A bolt failed and apparently, when I hit bottom, I injured my brain stem. When I came to myself, I was completely paralyzed. I could not move, swallow or even breathe on my own. The doctors were convinced I wasn’t aware of my surroundings. I had no way of communicating. I gave up. I prayed to die. When I was at my lowest point, I had a dream. Arabella came to me in the dream and, well I won’t tell you the details, because she is pinching my leg quite hard.”

  Arabella found herself blushing as he continued, “And I am as grateful as hell I can feel that pinch, by the way. I continued to meet her every night since then, and I grew to realize she had to be more than just a dream. Arabella was real. I don’t know how this amazing thing happened or even why, but something allowed us to find one another and magically, miraculously, I’ve been rescued from the depths of despair.”

  Jade looked around and his and Tyler’s were the only dry eyes at the table.

  Tyler turned to Nanette with another question. “How does magick work?”

  “An age old question, but I do have an answer, of sorts. Magick is not logical, if it were, it would cease to be magick. I cannot tell you how magick works, it simply does. The ingredients that make a spell or ritual successful are three, and they are faith, patience and intent. Intent is another word for confidence. You have to want something so badly, you raise power from everything around you nature has provided, and you send out this cosmic demand that your will be done, harm to none, so mote it be.” Her voice had slowly risen with each word and at the end Nanette probably didn’t realize she was shouting.

  Tyler seemed sufficiently subdued by Nanette’s soliloquy to tamp down his question-asking binge.

  After the meal, they sat around the tree and opened presents. Arabella was pleasantly surprised when Elizabeth went to the closet and took out several for Jade. Her mother had known what she had not. They helped him unwrap a beautiful blue robe, a leather cord bracelet set with beautiful opaque stones and a leather-bound book with the dubious title, “The Ways of Magick.”

  The stockings, which had been hung by the chimney with care, were passed out and everyone delved into the goodies they contained. Chocolate cake was served and Arabella enjoyed wiping the thick dark frosting from the corner of Jade’s beautiful mouth. Arabella heard Evangeline squeal with delight as they carried the dishes to the kitchen. “It’s snowing! It’s snowing!” All made their way to the window to watch the soft, white flakes fall thick onto the garden path. Evangeline couldn’t stand to stay inside. She grabbed a sweater and her boots and ran into the garden to let a few flakes fall on her tongue.

  Elizabeth looked at her mother and said dryly, “Did she do this?”

  “Yes, I think she did. She has wanted to see snow for ages.” Nanette watched her youngest granddaughter with affection.

  Chapter Eight

  The snow fell thick and white, one of the grandest snow storms the Austin area had seen in many a year. The night grew quiet and still, Arabella was truly amazed and thankful at the diffe
rence a day could make in one’s life. The room Elizabeth prepared for Jade was a large one. The bed, a massive king, was welcoming and he had his own bathroom within the confines of the suite. Truthfully, she suspected it wasn’t nearly as grand as his house, but there remained one dramatic difference—he was here with her and she would do everything in her power to make him feel at home. Arabella wasn’t about to presume he wanted her to remain in the room with him. After all, despite their nocturnal trysts, they were practically strangers. She turned down the covers and moved the lift over to where he could reach it, so he could easily swing himself into the welcoming bed. She also took the tags off the beautiful new robe and laid the warm garment out for him. Then it hit her. “You require assistance in the bathroom, don’t you?” She wished this thought had occurred to her prior to the departure of Detective Garrison.

  “I expect I will. Do you mind?” He looked at her squarely and boldly.

  ‘No, no…” she stammered.

  “Are you shy?” he asked with an amused voice. “After all we’ve been through, how can the thought of my nakedness bring a blush to your beautiful cheeks?”

  “I’m being silly aren’t I? In some ways, it seems like I know you better than I know myself, but I am constantly afraid I am presuming too much with you. Please, feel free to push me back anytime I come too close.”

  Jade looked her straight in the eye. “As far as I’m concerned, you can’t get too close to suit me. I can’t explain how all this works, but I know you. I know what your skin feels like. I know what your lips taste like. I know what color your nipples are and I know, also, how velvety hot your sweet center is when you are wet and yearning for me.”

  Arabella stood frozen in one spot. His words had completely caught her off guard. This indeed was the lover of her dreams. His words melted away every reservation she had.

  Arabella went up to him and knelt on the floor in front of his wheelchair. She laid her head in his lap and kissed his legs through the cotton pajama pants he had worn home from the hospital.

  At the touch of her lips, Jade jumped. “Thank God!”

  Arabella jumped a little herself. “Did I hurt you?”

  “Hell, no.” Jade was smiling, heat making his eyes sparkle. “My cock just woke up.”

  Without thinking, Arabella did just what she wanted. She lay her head back down in his lap and kissed the rising ridge of his penis.

  “Look at you,” Jade breathed. “What did I ever do to deserve a precious angel like you? You have turned my world upside down.” They sat still for a moment just enjoying the fact that they were together and alone. “We had better try to get to the bathroom, Arabella.”

  She got to her feet, kissed him on top of the head and rolled him into the bathroom. Thankfully, the bath was a large room and had plenty of space by the toilet for his chair. A substantial towel rack on the wall would easily serve as a handrail. The shower had been built to accommodate a wheelchair if need be also.

  “Just help me stand and I believe I can tend to the rest.” She stood by and steadied him until he pulled himself up. The progress he was making by the hour truly amazed her. “You can go now, Arabella.” He smiled at her gently. “We need to preserve some mystery in our relationship.”

  Blushing, she beat a swift retreat. Waiting for a thud or a yell, she sat on the edge of the bed, until he had finished some fifteen minutes later. Watching him make his way out of the bathroom, she found it hard to breathe. He was so handsome. He looked at her and smiled.

  “Wow, it was slow going but I made it. Tomorrow or the next day, maybe we could get some of my things from my house.”

  “Of course.” Arabella rose from the bed and realized she was so weak in the knees she almost had to sit back down. “Do you need anything else?”

  “Are you going somewhere?”

  “Well, I thought...you might need to be alone.”

  “I never want to be alone again. Come back here. I saw your things had been brought in. Don’t you want to stay with me?” His voice might be husky from disuse and tubes, but it was also husky from sheer, unadulterated sexiness.

  “Yes, I want to stay with you very much. But I feel as if I have kidnapped you and brought you here so I can have my wicked way with you.”

  “Oh baby, I want to please you till you scream. But, I don’t think I can quite come up to your expectations just yet.”

  Again she blushed. “Would you stop? I would never presume to expect…” With one powerful push, he wheeled himself over to her, grasped her by the hand and pulled her into his lap.

  “You are growing stronger by the minute.”

  “Yes, I am. Thanks to you.”

  “Believe me, it was a selfish gesture on my part.”

  His eyes darkened with lust. “Let’s get into the bed where we’ll have more room.” He did not attempt to take off the linen pajama bottoms he wore, but he did allow her to slip off his robe. “Don’t wear anything to bed, Arabella, please?”

  “I need to go to the bathroom first. Just lay there and rest, I’ll be back in a few moments.” She showered faster than she ever had before and readied herself as she had when she had been about to meet him in her dreams. What if he were asleep when she returned to bed? Quietly, she opened the door and eased into the room.

  “There you are! Come over here.” He was wide awake and waiting for her. As he had requested, she wore nothing under her robe. God, she was nervous. “Close your eyes, please.” He did, and she slipped beneath the covers. Feeling shy, she reached over and turned off the bedside light, but the moon was bright outside and lit the room fairly well—too well. Having someone in the bed with her was a new experience for Arabella. Jade was so big and warm. Lying on his back, he held out one arm to invite her to lie close to him. Aware of her nakedness, she approached him cautiously. He didn’t realize what a big step this was for her.

  “Turn the light back on please, Arabella.”

  “Is something wrong, are you in pain?”

  “No, I want to see you.”

  “Oh, Jade. Please. Dreams are places where all is beautiful and idealistic. I may not look as you expect me to.”

  “Shh, come here. I told you that I remember exactly how you look, your face is the same—I know the rest will be even better because it’s more than a dream—you’re warm and real. ” She lay down on his outstretched arm and he pulled her near to him. “Oh, you are so soft, so sweet.” His hand moved down the curve of her back and over the soft curve of her bottom. “Sit up and let me see your breasts.”

  “Oh, God…Jade.” She gulped in dread. “I don’t know if I can.”

  “Come on beautiful, I can’t wait. I must see you.”

  “What if…oh, pooh. Jade, I‘m not an elegant beautiful blonde, I’m just me.” Slowly she sat up in front of him. Closing her eyes, it was all she could do to keep from covering her breasts with her hands. What if he didn't like her body?

  With a trembling hand, he pushed her hair over her shoulder that made her open her eyes. He didn’t say anything, he just stared. As he looked at her, she looked at him. His eyes appeared hungry. His jaw tensed, his breath rushed out harsh between his teeth. Heat began to rise on Arabella’s body and suddenly her nipples began to harden.

  He brought both hands up and cupped her breasts. “You are absolutely perfect. Look how full you are, how you fill my palms to overflowing.”

  She glanced down at his tanned hands, hands that just hours ago had been frozen with paralysis. She leaned and kissed one hand and then the other. This affection did not detract his attention from her breasts.

  “They are so sweetly rounded. The color is without compare, your skin is so golden and the nipples are so baby pink. Look how they are tightening for me.” He moved his palms in circles over her breasts and her breathing deepened and quickened.

  He pulled her down to him and kissed her sweetly. “God, you are intoxicating. I wish I had more strength.”

  She cuddled up to him and fought b
ack the ache pulling at her womanhood. “You need to rest.”

  “I am so happy. I don’t want to sleep. I wonder if we will meet in our dreams again.”

  “I don’t know. Now we’re together, there may be no need for that connection.”

  “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see won’t we?” He pulled her as close as she could get while staying in her own skin. “Don’t get used to going to sleep so quickly in my arms. As soon as I am able, I am going to love you until you beg me to stop.”

  “I don’t think I could ever ask you to stop.”

  He kissed the top of her head and they slept.

  Arabella once more heard the cry of a hawk. She looked around to see if she could find the mysterious bird. The sky glowed pink with the setting of the sun and to her amazement Jade came walking toward her across the top of the granite dome. “Arabella, we are here once more.”

  “I don’t understand. I am lying in your arms and all is well.”

  “I guess we have unfinished business here. Your desire has called out to me and mine is here to answer the call. I want to do for you, here, what my body is unable to do in our bed.”

  “I can wait for you.’

  “I know you can, but you don’t have to. Our loving on this realm doesn’t detract from the joy we will have in the realm of the real. I do not want to ever lose an opportunity to make love to you. Do you want me?”

  “Yes.’

  “Show me.”

  “I don’t know how.”

  “Yes, you do. Come and show me you want me.”

  Slowly, she walked toward him. This was a dream, anything was possible. She could be anything, or anyone, she wanted to be. She could be daring and sexy and wanton. Looking at him, she was amazed that he was here with her. Jade was outstandingly gorgeous. Never before had she seen such a magnificent man, except in magazines. What did she really want to do to him? Brazenly, Arabella let pure instinct take over. She stopped in front of him and began to undress. She did the striptease slowly, unbuttoning the camisole instead of pulling the soft cotton over her head. When her top was undone, she left it on, but her full breasts were semi-exposed, if she moved in a certain way. “Jade, I want you to let me love you. Let me do the touching and the kissing. See how still you can be.”