“You scared me.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong. I was afraid I might hurt you, and I needed time to decompress and deal.”
He caressed her cheek. “I’d wait forever for you, Taz. You know that.”
“I love you, Matthias. Just remember, you’ve loved me for years, known what you are for centuries. I’m still trying to reconcile my past, what and who I am, and rebuild my life.” She paused. “You were right about running Rafe’s company. I have so much to do now, it wouldn’t be right.”
He kissed her fingers. “We’ll find someone to run it who will do a good job. I promise.”
“Okay.”
Matthias didn’t push her. He knew how hard that was for her to admit, that she couldn’t do it all, and how emotional it was for her.
She fell quiet for a long time, and he thought she might have gone to sleep when she spoke again. “I’m sorry about Rafe. I’m sorry you weren’t able to grieve for him because of me.”
He kissed the top of her head. “It’s okay. He would want me to focus on you.” The truth was, he didn’t want to think about Rafe right now. He knew he needed to go through the process, but for now he was so happy to have Taz back in his arms, it wasn’t his priority.
Fortunately, the La Concha had great room service, because they spent three days in bed. Matthias wanted to take her on a tour of the city, but every time he suggested it she coaxed him into her arms.
Not that he was complaining.
He sent the jet home and they drove north on US1, taking their time, only making it as far as Islamorada before getting a room. She let him tease her back into bed the next morning, and they spent two days there before continuing their northward journey.
Taz was changed somehow, Matthias sensed. For the better. He wasn’t about to ask why or how, enjoying having her this way, happy and laughing. It was like a weight had lifted, clichéd, but true. Maybe it was having the Tribunal business over and Caroline and Bartholomew gone for good. Maybe it was finally being able to control her powers and use them constructively under stress. She knew she wasn’t a horrible monster, wasn’t out of control. Perhaps now she could put the events behind her and move forward with living.
They stopped for dinner in Sarasota before making the final push home. Matthias noticed her watching him across the table, and he smiled.
“What?”
She looked at her plate, and he sensed there was something going on behind the barrier she still held in her mind. “I was thinking.”
He waited, finally encouraging her to continue. “Taz, what is it?”
She looked at him. “I think I’d like to have the wedding at the house. Would that be okay?”
It took him a moment to process her request. When he realized it was a good thing he broke out in a wide grin. “We’ll do whatever you want. If you want to rent the Kremlin, I’ll make it happen.”
“Not necessary. I can’t stand borscht.”
He laughed, reached across the table, and took her hand. “Taz, I’ll marry you wherever, whenever, however you want. You name the time and place and I’ll be there.”
Her dad, no surprise, was sitting at the kitchen table, reading the Tampa Trib when they walked in.
She looked at him. “No, you didn’t.”
Robertson looked up. “What?”
“You waited up?”
He put the paper down. “Taz, when will you learn? Just because you’re an adult doesn’t mean I stop worrying.”
She hugged him and kissed his cheek. “You’re a good dad. I mean that.”
He smiled and patted her arm. “You’re a good daughter. When you’re not making us pull our hair out.”
She looked at Matthias. “You did tell him we were gone, right?”
Matthias nodded. “But you must admit, dear, you have given us quite a few scares. Not to mention you’ve been rather…distant lately.”
Taz studied the floor. “I know. I’m sorry. I’m starting to feel better, more steady.”It helps that I finally figured out I’m not crazy.
Matthias hugged her. “It will keep getting better, Taz. I promise.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Taz curled up on the couch with a bowl of popcorn. This was one of her favorite movies.
“Bring out ’cha dead. He says he’s not dead.”
She grinned. Rafael did a great impression. “I didn’t know you were a Monty Python fan.” She had to remember to keep her voice low.
“It’s just a flesh wound. That rabbit’s dynamite. Who isn’t a fan? You mean there are heathens who don’t appreciate great comedy?”
She was going to answer him when she heard footsteps and Matthias walked in. “There you are.”
“Here I am.”
“Here we are.”
“Shut up, you,” she thought to Rafael.
Matthias frowned slightly. Oops, need to tweak the barrier just a hair more. He’d caught a whisper of her thought, fortunately not the whole thing. She hated doing this, but if she didn’t, he would see what was going on.
How would she explain to Matthias what they’d done? Could she keep her secrets hidden from him? No, Rafael technically never laid a hand on her.
He just laid her.
This would be tricky. Fortunately it was a funny movie, so Rafael snarking in her brain and sending her into laughing fits wasn’t unexpected. Taz knew Matthias didn’t have much love for Monty Python, but appreciated he was willing to sit there and watch it with her.
“But those huge…tracts of land.”
Taz choked on a piece of popcorn, and Matthias handed her a bottle of water.
“Are you all right?”
She nodded, laughing and choking at the same time. She took a drink, finally dislodged the popcorn. “I’ll live.”
“Need to learn about swallows, Taz.”
“Swallowing.”
“You already know about swallowing, don’t you, baby girl?”
She choked back another round of laughter. Oh, he was bad. So bad. She could only imagine what movie nights would be like if he was still alive.
No, don’t need to think along those lines.
She finally settled down and enjoyed the movie. Matthias didn’t mind her saying lines along with the film, and Rafael chimed in when appropriate with inappropriate comments.
Well, inappropriate for anyone else. Between the two of them it was quickly becoming normal.
She even imagined a huge flat-screen TV in the room in her mind for him, so he could sit back and watch the movie, instead of seeing it through the “windows.”
Tobias found Matthias in the kitchen later that night after Taz had gone to bed. “There you are. I want to have a word with you.”
Matthias sat back. “This sounds serious.”
“Not like that. I know I originally planned to leave next week, but I wondered if it would be an imposition if I stayed indefinitely?”
“Not at all. It would be nice having you around. We have plenty of room here, or you’re welcome to have the guest house.”
“That won’t be necessary. The room you put me in is fine. I won’t be in the way?”
“Of course not. I’m sure Taz will be pleased to have you around.”
Not if she knows why I want to stay.
Tobias spent plenty of time watching her. She might be sensitive, but her instincts weren’t as finely honed as his. Without centuries of ingrained survival instinct behind her, it was relatively easy for him to study her, unobserved, when she was home and about the house and grounds.